The Snake's Revenge

There lived in ancient days an archer, whose home was near the

Water Gate of Seoul. He was a man of great strength and famous for

his valour.

Water Gate has reference to a hole under the city wall, by which the

waters of the Grand Canal find their exit. In it are iron pickets to

prevent people's entering or departing by that way.

On a certain afternoon when this military officer was taking a walk,

a great snake was seen making its way by means of the Water Gate. The

snake's head had already passed between the bars, but its body, being

larger, could not get through, so there it was held fast. The soldier

drew an arrow, and, fitting it into the string, shot the snake in the

head. Its head being fatally injured, the creature died. The archer

then drew it out, pounded it into a pulp, and left it.

A little time later the man's wife conceived and bore a son. From the

first the child was afraid of its father, and when it saw him it used

to cry and seem greatly frightened. As it grew it hated the sight of

its father more and more. The man became suspicious of this, and so,

instead of loving his son, he grew to dislike him.

On a certain day, when there were just the two of them in the room,

the officer lay down to have a midday siesta, covering his face with

his sleeve, but all the while keeping his eye on the boy to see what

he would do. The child glared at his father, and thinking him asleep,

got a knife and made a thrust at him. The man jumped, grabbed the

knife, and then with a club gave the boy a blow that left him dead

on the spot. He pounded him into a pulp, left him and went away. The

mother, however, in tears, covered the little form with a quilt and

prepared for its burial. In a little the quilt began to move, and she

in alarm raised it to see what had happened, when lo! beneath it the

child was gone and there lay coiled a huge snake instead. The mother

jumped back in fear, left the room and did not again enter.

When evening came the husband returned and heard the dreadful story

from his wife. He went in and looked, and now all had metamorphosed

into a huge snake. On the head of it was the scar mark of the arrow

that he had shot. He said to the snake, "You and I were originally

not enemies, I therefore did wrong in shooting you as I did; but your

intention to take revenge through becoming my son was a horrible

deed. Such a thing as this is proof that my suspicions of you were

right and just. You became my son in order to kill me, your father;

why, therefore, should I not in my turn kill you? If you attempt

it again, it will certainly end in my taking your life. You have

already had your revenge, and have once more transmigrated into your

original shape, let us drop the past and be friends from now on. What

do you say?"

He repeated this over and urged his proposals, while the snake with

bowed head seemed to listen intently. He then opened the door and

said, "Now you may go as you please." The snake then departed, making

straight for the Water Gate, and passed out between the bars. It did

not again appear.

Note.--Man is a spiritual being, and different from all other

created things, and though a snake has power of venom, it is still an

insignificant thing compared with a man. The snake died, and by means

of the transmigration of its soul took its revenge. Man dies, but I

have never heard that he can transmigrate as the snake did. Why is it

that though a spiritual being he is unable to do what beasts do? I have

seen many innocent men killed, but not one of them has ever returned

to take his revenge on the lawless one who did it, and so I wonder

more than ever over these stories of the snake. The Superior Man's

knowing nothing of the law that governs these things is a regret to me.

Im Bang.