书城传记聆听史诗丛书-格萨尔王传:英文
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第39章 The State of Hor Kidnaps...(6)

When they heard the news that Chatsa was dead, the Ling ministers and Dainma got there as soon as possible. Rongcha Chageng fainted when they saw Chatsa’s body. When he came to himself after a long time, he cried heavily and felt as if a knife were being twisted in his heart. After all the adversities they had come through Chatsa was dead. It was shameful for all the other heroes of the State of Ling to stay alive.

Dainma waved his sword and the heroes were ready to follow him after the Hor troops but they were stopped by Senglong:

“Stop! Chatsa is dead. Do all of you want to lose your lives? Which one of you has better martial art skills than Chatsa and which one of you is braver than Chatsa?”

The youths gazed at each other in speechless despair.

“Ok, no one! In the State of Ling no one can be compared with Chatsa except Gesar. You are not able to save our Queen and take back our treasures.”

“Then, we do nothing?”

“No. The repayment cannot be completed at this time. Our Lion King will be back soon. Once he is back, don’t imagine that King Bacham, the Prince of the Yellow Tent and the Prince of the Black Tent of the Hor will live for very long time.”

Rongcha Chageng, who was broken-hearted, nodded in agreement with this idea. He didn’t want the young men of the State of Ling to lose their lives like Chatsa.

Senglong came up with another idea: “How about every one of us shooting an arrow into the city of Hor? If each arrow hits one target, then King Bacham will know that there are many heroes in the State of Ling.”

The heroes took out their arrows and prayed for the help of the Buddhist Guardians. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…. The divine arrows were targeted on the palace of King Bacham.

What was happening to Gesar during all of this? It just took three months and nine days for him to kill the black demon Nortsam. After that he rescued the people in the demon state and he had been doing good deeds there for three years.

Gesar intended to go back to the State of Ling after everything in the demon state was well arranged. He appointed Chin’en, a shepherd, to be the chief minister of the demon state. But his two concubines, Mesa Poingyi and Ngada Namo, were loath to part with Gesar. At a farewell banquet, they served him with some wine to which had been added magic water which made people forget all of their past life. After drinking the wine, Gesar totally forgot his return and devoted himself to the pursuit of pleasure with Mesa Poingyi and Ngada Namo in the demon palace.

When the crane sent by Cholmo descended on the demon palace, Gesar was playing dice for fun with Chin’en. He saw the crane flying in the air but he couldn’t remember it was the bird of the State of Ling that carried a message. Then another three years passed, and these were the years Cholmo gained from King Bacham by her trickery.

One day, a magpie sent to give a message to Gesar stopped outside the palace where Gesar was living. Just then the king happened to be singing with his two concubines. At the sight of the magpie, Mesa said at once:

“My king, the bird is making trouble here again when we are having fun. Shoot it!”

Gesar killed the little magpie with an arrow by the city gate. This scene was caught by Cholmo in her magic mirror.

Not long after the magpie’s death, a red fox came to the city gate and exposed half of a gold ring in its mouth. Gesar went to the red fox as soon as he saw the shining ring:

“My fox sister, give me that ring. Instead of shooting you, I will look after you.”

The red fox spat the ring into Gesar’s hand and told him the message it had. Finally, it said: “Lion King, why don’t you go back after all the happenings in the last three years; the Queen has been forced to go to war with the Hor, and the State of Ling is besieged and the people have suffered greatly?”

Gesar’s heart was illuminated by the ring and he remembered everything. Then he realised it was because of Mesa that he had wasted so many years. He decided not to drink any wine served by Mesa and to go back to the State of Ling immediately. He understood that Cholmo would be seized if there was any delay. He decided to shoot an arrow to frighten the king of Hor in order to save some time for him to hurry back. He was determined to punish that evil doer, King Bacham, in person.

Mesa Poingyi and Ngada Namo prepared a great banquet for Gesar after they realised he would have to go back to Ling. Even though they claimed the banquet to be a farewell dinner, they put drugs in the food, which would make Gesar forget everything. Gesar ate them without caution. Just as the same as before, he forgot to go back again. More merry days flew by. Suddenly another three years had gone. This was the ninth year since Gesar had come to the demon state in the north. Queen Cholmo had been taken by Hor for three years.

One day, Gesar went out hunting in the company of his two concubines. When he came out from the palace, the Heavenly horse Gyaingar Pebo started to howl suddenly: “The demon state in the north has given in its submission and the people are enjoying good food and clothes. However, the State of Ling is suffering a disaster. Queen Cholmo has been seized by Hor and the people are exposed to misfortune. Hor is up to its neck in crimes against Ling. Now is the right time to gain revenge on the enemy.”

It seemed like a window opened in Gesar’s heart. He decided to return to the State of Ling with no time to be wasted. Mesa Poingyi still wanted to stop him but Ngada Namo persuaded her not to.

“The State of Ling has been robbed by Hor and Cholmo was compelled to marry King Bacham. King Gesar has been delayed here for nine years. If he doesn’t go back we will be punished by the gods in Heaven and on the earth and the dragon family. Don’t get in his way. Don’t give him any more of those drugs. We should go and pack our belongings because we need to follow him to his hometown.”

Another day when Gesar went hunting with his two concubines, the Heavenly horse Gyaingar Pebo sang a song:

“In Darze, the Lion King Gesar took on Ngazhub as his beloved lover and accompanied her with his heart and soul.

He resolutely came to this deserted north land.

Not to abandon his Ngazhub but just to come and kill the demon.

Now the demon state has come over and pledged allegiance.

The people are enjoying good food and clothes.