The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-08-05
ToNG-PAk-suk AND THE DEVIL.
Corean Legend 40 to How Their Me-
thusaleh< Beat the Adversary.

L 4
thusaleh Beat the Adversary. Il
The Coreans have an interesting le-
gend concerning the manner in which
Tong-Pak-Suk. the Methuselah of their
mythology. got the better OF SaJan.
Tong lived 1000 years, and acquired
great wisdom. The latter years Of his
life were spent in fishing, but not wish
ing to diminish the stock Of fish in the
river, he used straight piece of wire
instead of hook. Thus he was able
to enjoy the excitement and pleasure
of fishing for several centuries without
catching q single fish. liz
Realizing that sooner or later the
devil who did deaths errands would be
looking him up, he changed his name
and abode with each generation, and
thus eluded him. In the meantime,
the evil one disguised himself in a
flowing Corean robe which covered up
his tail, concealed his horns under a
mourner's hat three feet in diameter,
and wrapped his legs in curious padded
stockings, so that he easily passed for
a native. He heard that Tong was
fishing in the Hau river. So be col
lected quantity of charcoal and
washed it in that stream. This, of
course, blackened the water, and Tong,
being surprised and annoyed, went up
to discover the cause. Finding the
devil washing the charcoal, he asked
what he was doing. The devil replied
that he was trying to make it white.
Old Tong, in his establishment, was
thrown off his guard, and said: II have
lived in Corea hundreds of years, and,
of course, have met many fools, but I
never saw big enough fool to try to
wash charcoal white"
The devil at once knew his man, and
unfolding his tail by way of exhibit
ing his warrant Of arrest, seized Tong
and hurried him along in the direction
of the dark portals through which all
mortals must pass.
On the way the devil, being in good
humor over his success, chatted pleas
antly with Tong, who ventured to ask
him what he most abhorred and was
most afraid of. The devil made ia
tai blunder-one which might have
been excusable for a mortal-he told
the truth. He said he hated and feared
but four terrestrial things-a branch OF
a thorn tree, an empty salt bag, a
WORKOUT straw sandal of an OK and a
particular kind of grass that grows in
Corea-the foxtail-and that when
these were put together he could not
go within 30 feet of them.
In return the devil asked Tong what
he most feared. Tong, being wise and
experienced, lied and said he was il
mortal terror of a roasted OK head anG
mackalee-a kind of beer.
Shortly after the exchange of conf
dence Tong noticed that they were
passing thorn tree, around the roots
of which foxtail grass was growing
and, curiously enough, under it was ar
old salt bag and a cast-of OK candal;
so, making sudden spring from the
side of the devil, he gathered up thu
bag. the brass and sandal, and hanging
them on the branch of the tree his
charm was perfect. The devil could not
come within 80 feet.
OF course the devil used every in
ducement to get Tong to come forth
but the old fellow stuck to his post. Al
last the devil went off and got a roasted
OK head and cask of 1hackalee anC
rolled them in to Tong, confident from
what he had told him that Tong would
be driven outside the magic circle. But
when he saw Tong eating heartily Of
the beef and drinking the mackalet
with gusto he realized that the gam.
was up and despairingly departed.
longs long life was due to the acct
dent by which his page in the Book O.
Fate stuck to the next one, so that hi
name was overlooked. When ultimate
ly the complaint was made that Tong
had lived too long, it took the registrar
Of the lower regions 346 years to hum
up his name in the Chicago
Record.