书城传记聆听史诗丛书-格萨尔王传:英文
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第23章 Choru Fulfills His...(3)

Soon the black clouds vanished into thin air: there was more bright sunshine than before. Fairies of Mamei presented three treasures to Choru, a bottle of crystal amrita, a key to the treasure ore of the Gori rock mountain and a piece of silk hada scarf featuring “Eight Treasure-Three Auspicious.” Choru contributed to subduing demons. He relieved humans from disasters as well as preventing fairies from trouble.

After expressing thanks to the fairies, Choru soon pursued the troops of the Horse Racing. He rapidly caught up with Goro who was hunchbacked and the last one among the troops. Choru saw Goro move strenuously with his hunchback; he felt amused and deliberately tantalized him:

“I am Choru (meaning I am warping upwards), and you are Goro (meaning you are hunchbacked). If you and I cooperate, do you think it is good? If we win the prize, let us share; if we are in debt, let us pay it off together.”

Upon hearing this, Goro felt irritable. He thought to himself:

“Choru is impoverished, and how can he win the prize? Choru is the last one in the race, and how I could cooperate with him?" Goro assumed Choru wanted him to equally pay off his debt so he determined not to cooperate with Choru, let alone paying off debt. Let Choru cherish no more illusions! Then, Goro fiercely replied to Choru:

“Don’t think of me as your cat’s paw. I am not so silly. I won’t pay debts for no reason. Now both of us have lost the chance to win the prize. If deities could help me gain the prize, I would not share it with you; if you won the prize, I wouldn’t like it. Furthermore, you and I are absolutely irreconcilable as snow and fire, let alone cooperation.”

“Goro, I, Choru, am speaking out of kindness. I have sympathy for you as you are hunchbacked. I want to help you. How could you speak so rudely? Don’t you regret it?” Choru wanted to give Goro another chance.

Hearing this, Goro was convulsed with laughter.

“Pity? Help? …perhaps you don’t know I have advantage in being a hunchback. I am Goro. As the holy hunchback for Ling Garpo, deities would decline without me; as the rich hunchback for Ling Garpo, the rich would become poor without me; as the good-fortune hunchback, happiness and salary and rank would be lost without me. Haven’t you heard the song Ling Garpo sang?”

“The crescent moon of the first quarter bending well,

the vast sky is bathed in the silvery rays of the crescent moon;

the ear of grain in harvest year laden with fruits curving well,

the storehouses are filled with grains;

the rainbow in the space sitting astride well,

which links the sky and the land.

Men are good at martial arts when they are hunchbacked,

women are intelligent with wide experience when they are hunchbacked.

weapons are sharp for fighting when they are curved,

the slopes are winding which are good for running.”

“Choru, although I couldn’t compete with the rich, I am a rich person compared with you. I have nine yaks, nine paddy fields, nine sons and nine daughters. In spring and winter, I am not lacking in alcohol, in autumn and summer my family boasts enough cream. Choru, how could you match me? I will definitely not cooperate with you! ”

In the face of Goro’s attitude, Choru only felt angry as well as ludicrous. Choru was indignant that Goro failed to recognize a Bodhisattva. Choru laughed at Goro but was beside himself with fury, but he couldn’t argue with him clearly. Choru was unreconciled to paying no attention to Goro. In particular, with regard to the excellence Goro praised for his hunchback, Choru felt him so ridiculous that he retorted:

“A person’s face would be beaten by his hunched arms,

a person’s legs would be nibbled by his hunched mouth,

the upside-down bottles cannot hold water,

the arch-shaped rainbow cannot serve as clothes.

The body becomes hunchback resulting from illness,

please take care if the disease is developed;

having ill-will feelings contributes to selfishness,

a person would become a mad who is extremely selfish.”

After his song, Choru whipped his horse to run ahead at once. But, Goro, shaking all over with anger, wanted to argue with Choru, so he tried his best to straighten his back but failed. Goro thought: “For the prize of the Horse Racing, both Choru and I had no chance to gain. However, Choru was so annoying. How can I stand him running ahead?” Thus, Goro whipped relentlessly his horse featuring white forehead and hunchback. The horse was startled. It jumped about in a disorderly way and moved back and forth. Choru was left behind. Choru laughed at Goro’s foolishness; he just lightly clapped the right ear of Gyaingar Pebo, Heavenly horse. Understanding his master, the horse kicked Goro’s horse into a dust hole; meanwhile, he swallowed Goro who just left his saddle and didn’t fall to the ground. Goro seemed to enter an imperial temple complete with golden roof and red wall, as well as golden statues of Buddha. As Goro knelt down for the blessing of the deities, the Heavenly horse vigorously hurled at him a heap of manure. Goro fell on the horse manure, luckily he didn’t suffer injury. His horse immediately ran towards him and licked the hands of Goro. Goro shakily stood up. He looked at Choru who had run far away. Goro felt regretful; he couldn’t help having a deep sigh. Then, he had to ride the horse with low spirits and returned.

The Heavenly horse Gyaingar Pebo ran forward as fast as the wind with Choru on his back, passing groups taking part in the horse racing. Quickly, Choru caught up with Cangpa Wolo, one of the three Adonises.

Choru looked around at Cangpa Wolo. His forehead was blooming, his cheek was rosy, his teeth as white as pearls, and his eyes just like stars. He wore a white brocade robe, riding on the white horse. Choru wanted to know whether he was kind or not. He decided to try him out.

“Hello, handsome Wolo, do you know me?”

Wolo only focused on the horse racing, and did not notice that he was observed. Hearing the call, he turned around and found that it was Choru. He answered immediately:

“Of course, people in Ling Garpo may not know the lion, but none of them does not know you.”

“Wow, if I need your help, can you lend me a hand?”

“Certainly, please!” Wolo answered without any hesitation.