🧚 Winning Buddha’s Smile, part 6 · page 2

When the vessel that bore the young girl had reached the open sea and the merchants had finished a session of prayer, they summoned Cheng-Si before them.89

“The time for the sacrifice has come,” they told her.90 “Now you may retire, purify your body, put on your most beautiful gown.91 We will wait for you here.”92

Cheng-Si obeyed their commands with resignation.93 She soon appeared on the deck, fresh as a new rose.94 One might have thought that she was going to her wedding instead of her death.95

The traders had prepared a magnificent altar covered with white and bearing curiously carved incense burners.96 From the midst of the incense arose fragrant blue clouds of myrrh.97 At each end of the table burned an immense candle, the flames from which flickered to and fro in the breeze.98

The girl was stationed between the two candles, in front of the incense burners.99 The merchants knelt and began to pray.100 Cheng-Si, the fair, consigned her soul to Heaven.101 Not that she experienced regret at leaving this life, but her last thoughts were of the blind father whom she had forsaken.102

Her prayers concluded, the girl, without showing a trace of emotion, threw herself resolutely into the sea while the vessel continued on its way.103 Cheng-Si, who fully expected to drown in a few minutes, perceived with astonishment that she was resting on the surface of the water.104 In her plunge she had struck an obstacle and this obstacle was nothing else than a gigantic sea turtle.105 The animal kept on swimming, without seeming to be incommoded by his unusual burden.106 The young girl naturally seized this unlooked for chance of salvation.107 She allowed herself to be borne by the turtle and soon she enjoyed such a feeling of security that she fell asleep and a vision came to her.108 Her mother appeared before her, borne on the fleecy sheets of a cloud, and left with her these words:109

“My daughter, be not afraid.110 Heed what I have to say to you and, above all things, follow my advice.111 Do not forsake the turtle who has saved your life until he has carried you safely to the shore.”112 With this message, the vision vanished.113

Upon awakening, Cheng-Si glanced about her in all directions and noticed an island in the near distance.114 “Doubtless that is to be my future home,” she said to herself.115 “My dream is already beginning to come true.116 I shall follow my dear mother’s advice.”117

The turtle, arriving close to the shore, turned aside into a deep subterranean passage and kept on swimming for several hours until it reached a point where the channel was very narrow.118 The innocent Cheng-Si jumped ashore crying:119

“Thank you, good turtle, for saving my life.”120

While the large animal turned and swam back toward the sea the girl tried to comprehend the situation in which she found herself.121 Amidst the deep darkness she was seized with a great fear.122 “Alas!” she cried, “poor me!123 I have escaped death only for a little while.124 How can I get out of this cave?”125 Suddenly she saw a ray of sunlight that filtered through the rocky vault above her head.126 She turned in this direction and saw two small polished stone flasks which shone in the sunlight.127 Lying conspicuously close by was a letter addressed to Cheng-Si herself.128 The young girl had had so many adventures in so short a time that this strange coincidence did not cause her any surprise.129 Breaking the seal on the letter, she read the following:130

“Drink the contents of these two bottles.131 One of them will wash away the fatigue of your long voyage.132 The other will clarify your ideas about the strange events which no doubt have troubled you.”133

Cheng-Si drank the two beverages and she immediately felt a renewed energy flowing through her veins.134 Her head was as clear as a bell.135 She picked her way carefully along the sides of the cavern in the direction whence the sunlight came.136 Her way was soon blocked by a pile of dirt which she painfully dug aside with her own hands.137 Presently she had made an opening large enough to admit her slender body.138 Drawing herself up through the hole she found that she was in the hollow trunk of an immense tree whose roots reached way down into the floor of the cave.139

Cheng-Si enjoyed to the fullest measure the dazzling bright daylight.140 She was in an enchanted garden.141 Not only were there trees of luxuriant green foliage, spreading gorgeous blossoms caressed by the soft, sweet breath of variegated butterflies, and bees and birds, but the air itself was laden with an intoxicating perfume.142 A huge wall served to close the garden from outside view.143 In the centre arose a magnificent dwelling which harmonized nicely with its surroundings.144

After a few minutes rest, Cheng-Si picked her way carefully through the briars and brambles covering the trunk of the tree and began to stroll about the garden.145

Now it so happened that the beautiful house and this fairy garden were the residence and place of recreation for the young King whom Ja-Jo-Mi, the unscrupulous, in his wickedness, had exiled, as we have previously seen.146 His captivity had already lasted for several months.147 The young Prince, giving himself up to a bitter melancholy, could not take his thoughts from the memory of his parents.148 Ceaselessly he thought of his father and his mother, both of whom had shown him such tender affection.149 At times he would ponder over the future where he could see no issue from the plight in which he found himself but death.150

“Why should I cling to life any longer?151 This everlasting loneliness, is it not the most cruel of punishments?152 Yes, it is better to die,” mourned the young Prince so sadly that at his approach even the birds stopped singing.153

This very day he was determined to carry out his dismal plans.154 He carefully made all his preparations.155 A rope tightly attached to the bough of a tree at one end with the other end passed around his neck would be his instrument of deliverance.156 The poor victim of Ja-Jo-Mi said his last prayers.157 In a few minutes his body would be swinging into space.158 But the Prince hesitated.159 He had just seen a young girl, a beautiful vision in white, strolling along the shady paths of his garden.160

“Who in the world can that be?” queried the Prince.161 “It seems that I am not here all alone, after all.162 I must solve this mystery.”163

He forgot his plans of suicide; his melancholy mood disappeared.164 A single glimpse of a woman had had this potent effect on him--believe it or not.165 He untied the cord from about his neck and started in headlong pursuit after the charming apparition. ’166 Twas effort wasted!167 The girl turned around a tree and vanished as if by magic.168

The young Prince was sorely perplexed.169 He questioned whether he was not dreaming.170 But no, his eyes had clearly seen.171 Later on, when the curtain of twilight began to lower its darkness the prisoner entered his house to seek slumber but all night long he was haunted by the memory of the girl he had seen in his garden and he could not sleep.172