The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24

great city, echO1ng among the sur
rounding mountains. The composition.
of metals in the bell. and the effect of
being struck by a wooden instead of
an iron tongue, give to it's tone pc
culiar quality, which is likely to pre-
serve forever the terrible legend which
has come down the centuries with it.
The sound is plaintive and pathetic,
from whatever part of the city you
hear it-as if it WERE in reality the
death-cry of child.
The dynasty to which Whang-Su be-
longed began one hundred years before
Columbus discovered America, so old
Kysang affirmed in telling the story of
the great bell / thought / could have
tc,d pretty nearly when4it should have
ended, if myths be true, but held my
peace and smoked on. Each new dy-
nasty must have new capital; so the
new King sent out three wise men to
locate the site of his capital. These
wise men, like all wise men, fell into a
dispute, but on awakening one morn
ing, they found a narrow line of snow
which formed circle just here in the
plain CT Phan River. Providence had
settled the question. and had indicated
lHS SpOt Dy ILLS UdH0 VI
snow.
On this circle the work of excavating
for the foundation of the city wall i'm
mediateiy began. One day workman
struck his pick in a metal substance
Digging carefully around it, he soon
brought to light small iron bell of
perfect proportions. The discovery was
noised abroad. and the King ordered
the bell brought to the palace. Imme-
diately proclama ton went forth that
a gigantic bell should be cast to hang
in the center of the capital, each of the
twenty provinces being asked to fur
nish cne-twentieth of the metal, that it
might truly be national bell.
Messengers, were sent riding forth to
each province to bring the metal to the
great mold which was being prepared
at Keinning. Each province contribu-
ted its share gladly, and soon the King
appointed a day for the casting. The
nation assembled with the King and
court on the hillside above the molten
mass of metal At the raising of the
Queens hand the mold was filled. Af-
ter a feast the great bell was lifted on
mighty chains to hang before all the
thousands went up, a loud report was
heard which silenced the tumultuous
applause.
The side of the bell had cracked,
Confusion reigned in the court, and
the Kings face was white with min
gled anger and fear as he proclaimed
that the bell would be recast on the
morrow, and sent the people running
to their temples to pray.
On the morrow greater concourse
gathered; greater feast was prepared.
Again the metal was heated, hotter
than before. Again, at the Queens
signal, the great mold was filled, the
feast was enjoyed, and the bell was
lifted from the mold.
And with a mightier report again it
burst asunder. The King and his no
bles fell on their faces. The people
rushed away now of their own accord,
as fleeing from the very wrath of the
gods.
Yet one of all those thousands stood
still With an agcnized face upturned
this man beat his breast and walked
onward, alone, UP toward his prostrate
King Nearing the great dais built
on the greensward, he fell on the
ground A nobIeman turned the Kings
eye to him, and at signal he arose.
'Sire, 1. was a gatherer of metal in
Rang-do. AS 1 went through little
village 1 asked for metal at each hut.
In one. darker than the rest, l uttered
my request Whereupon an old woman
replied, from the gloom: I have no
metal. but take this and she unbound
a babe. from her back and held it out
to me. / laughed and went on. But as
I went, the woman cursed the bell
The court arose at these words, and
all exclaimed:
"a witch has cursed the bell!"
Then the King set another day for
the casting, and ordered that the witch
and her child be found. The man was
raised from the ground. to which he
had fallen In anguish and terror, and,.
with a troop of horsemen, rode rapidly
off into the mountains. The prayers of
a nation followed them and brought
them safely back.
And now the green hillside witnessed
again the assembling of the nation-for
everywhere the strange tale had gone.
Even the lame and the blind came, and
the great white-robed concourse formed
another semicircle about the molten
crater. On the dais, again spread with
tiger-skins, sal the King and the
Queen. The court in gorgeous apparel
again waited.
Just as the Queen arose to give the
signal for the filing of the mold.
strange form was seen running through
the crowds of people. All eyes turned
to it,
It was the witch.
On she ran. Reaching the red-hot
crater, she unloosened babe from her
back and looked upward to the dais.
With a wave of her white fingers the
Queen gave the terrible command, and
the babe was cast headlong into the
boiling maelstrom Of heated iron-
AS it went downward its plaintive cry
rang out, and all the people heard:
"Emmile. Emmile-O mother! o
mother mine!"
Tt is said that cry was heard in
every part of the kingdom, and not a
mother but shuddered and turned
quickly to her sleeping babe.
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