Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-30

How the COrean Methuse1nh Got the
Better of the Adversary.

How the Corean Methuse1nh Got the
Better of the Adversary.
From the Chicago Record.
The Coreans have an interesting legend
concerning the manner in which Tong
Pak-Suk. the Methuselah of their mythol-
ogy. got the better of Satan. Tong lived
1000 years, and acquired great wisdom.
The later years Of his life were spent in
fishing. but not wishing to diminish the
stock of fish in the river. he used a straight
piece of wire instead of hook. Thus he
was able to enjoy the excitement and
pleasure of fishing for several centuries
without catching single fish.
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 clutled him.
In the meantime the evil one disguised
himself In flowing Corean robe which
covered up his tail, concealed his horns
under mourrer's hat three feet in diam
eter, and wrapped his legs in curious pad
ded stockings, so that he easily passed for
native. He heard that Tong was fishing
in the Hau river. So he collected a guam
tity of charcoal and washed it in that
stream. This, of course, blackened the
water, and Tong. being surprised and an
noyed. went up to discover the cause Find
ing the devil washing the charcoal he
asked what he was doing. The devil re-
piled that he was trying to make it white
Old Tong in his establishment was thrown
off his guard. and said: Il have lived in
CorrG hundreds of years and of course
have met many fools. but l never saw a
big enough fool to try to wash charcoal
white
The devil at once knew his man, and I'M
folded his tail by way of exhibiting his
warrant of arrest, seized Tong and hurried
him along in the direction of that Clark
portal through which all InortaIs must
pass.
On the way the devil, being In good hu-
NOR over his success, chatted pleasantly
with Tong, who ventured to ask him what
he most abhorred and was most afraid Of
The devil made fatal blunder-one which
might have been excusable for a mortal
but was most stupid for a devil-he told
the truth. He said that he hated and fear
ed but four terrestrial things-a branch of
thorn tree, an empty salt bag, worn
out straw sandal of an OK, and a parti cular
kind of grass that grows in Corea-the
foxtail-and that when these were put to-
gether he could not go within thirty feet
of them.
In rturn the devil asked Tong what he
most feared. Tong. being wise and ex-
perienced. lied and said he was in morta.
terror of a roasted OK head and mackalee-
u kind OF beer.
Shortly after this exchange Of confidence
Tong noticed that they were passing a
thorn tree, around the roots of which fox
tail grass was growing, and. curiously
enough, under it was an old salt ba. snd
a cast-ofY OK sandal; so, making a sudden
spring from the side of the devil he gath
cred up the bag, the grass and sandal, and
hanging them on branch of the tree his
charm was perfect. The devil could not
come within thirty feet.
OF course the devil used every induce
ment to get Tong to come forth. but the
old fellow stuck to his post. At last the
devil went off and got a roasted OK head
and a cask of mackalee and rolled them
in to Tong, confident from what he had
told him that Tong would be driven cut
side the magic circle. But when he saw
Tong eating heartily of the beef and drink
ing the mackalee with gusto he realized
that the game was up and despairingly
departed.
longs long life was due to the accident
by which his page in the Book of Fate
stuck to the next one. so that his name
was overlooked. When ultimately the COM
plant was made that Tong had been living
too long. 1t took the registrar of the lower
regions jag years to hunt up his name in
the archives,