The golden tortoise

TOJY MANDAPAM

Great-Heart and Perfect Nobility were friends. Great-Heart was rich and Perfect-Nobility was poor.

One day Great-Heart said to Perfect-Nobility, "You need money to set up a business. Let me advance you enough money for it, and you can pay me back when you are able." Perfect-Nobility reflected for a long time. "I should accept," he said to himself, "it is very kind of him to offer me help. He is really interested in my welfare. But if I fail in my business, how will I pay off the debt?" He went home and consulted his wife. She shared his scruples and the two were unanimous in their decision.

The next day Perfect-Nobility went to the house of his friend. "I appreciate your deep concern for me," he said, "but truly I do not know what kind of business I could go into. I cannot accept your money." During the conversation, Great-Heart showed his guest a golden tortoise that he had had cast from all the precious metal he and his wife possessed. They chatted awhile, drank tea together, and then dozed off. While they were asleep, Great-Heart's son entered the room. He saw the golden tortoise on the table and carried it out of the room, intending to play with it. Later, he left for a neighbouring village without returning the tortoise.

Shortly after, the two friends awoke. Perfect-Nobility took leave of his friend without either of them noticing that the golden tortoise had disappeared.

As soon as Great-Heart noticed that the golden tortoise was gone he questioned his wife about the matter. She replied that she had not touched the tortoise. He did not know what to do, but not for a moment was Perfect-Nobility under suspicion.

When Great-Heart and Perfect-Nobility met on the following day, the former said: "Did you by any chance take our golden tortoise to show to your wife? Please keep it for as long as you like." Perfect-Nobility and his wife were thus placed in a cruelly embarrassing situation. "We are poor," they said to each other, "if we say that we do not have the tortoise, others will be under suspicion. We must spare our friends from this misfortune." Perfect-Nobility and his wife sold the few goods that they possessed and went to the richest landlord of the region, Generous-Opulence, the owner of immense paddy fields. They threw themselves at his feet and begged to be taken into his service for life, in exchange for the quantity of gold needed to cast another golden tortoise, which they could deliver to Great-Heart. As soon as he heard their story, Generous-Opulence obtained the necessary gold and gave it to the goldsmith who had manufactured the original tortoise. Thus everything was done in accordance with the wishes of Perfect-Nobility and his wife. However Generous-Opulence did not demand that they remain in his service. On their part, Perfect-Nobility and his wife refused to leave and remained in the house of their benefactor.

Sometime later Great-Heart's son returned the golden tortoise to the room and was surprised to see a second tortoise there. "Papa! Mama!" he cried as soon as he had seen it. "This is not our tortoise. Ours is with me. I had taken it along with me!" The parents were completely dumbfounded. Of the two tortoises which was really theirs? And whence came the other?

Suspecting the truth, Great-Heart hastened to the house of Perfect-Nobility. He found the house deserted. The neighbours told him that his friend and his wife had sold themselves into the service of Generous-Opulence and could be found in the latter's house. Great-Heart ran to the house of Generous-Opulence as fast as he could. He sent for Perfect-Nobility and the two friends burst into tears and embraced heartily. Great-Heart desired to deliver the second tortoise into the hands of Generous-Opulence in order to redeem his friend's freedom. But Generous-Opulence answered him: "You have borrowed nothing from me, therefore there is no question of returning anything. As for your friend and his wife, I have never commanded them to remain here. You do not have to redeem them, they have never ceased to be free." It was impossible to arrive at an agreement. Generous- Opulence would not accept the gold that he had given them. Perfect-Nobility and his wife considered themselves indentured and refused to leave the service of Generous-Opulence. Great- Heart did not wish to keep that which did not belong to him.

Finally, they decided to seek the advice of the wise man of the village. We do not know his decision.

A Chinese Tale Retold

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