书城传记聆听史诗丛书-格萨尔王传:英文
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第53章 Ling Attacks Moinyo...(5)

On the 29th, obeying his aunt’s order, Gesar came early to the foot of the Jade Mountain in the southern part of the Gonyi plain. There was a big yak-shaped iron on the rock like a curser. It was decorated with a skull and surrounded by human remains. Gesar couldn’t bear to look at this. Quickly he went under the iron and pushed open a small door. Inside was a dark room. Gesar looked carefully and saw that there was a nine-head poisonous scorpion on the right, which was the life support of King Sintri. There was a nine-head Zhawa animal with a copper beard and an iron tail on the left, which was another life support of King Sintri. The Lion King slowly prepared his bow and arrow and killed the poisonous scorpion and the Zhawa animal and left without turning back. He was following his aunt’s instructions to the letter.

All kinds of disasters hit Moinyo immediately. The mountains burst instantly into flames for no reason, the land was fully covered by a liquid red charcoal, white copper saucepans cracked in eight pieces, the poles decorated with lions and tigers in the holy temple were coiled around by poisonous snakes, the horses in the stable were eaten by tigers, the Gold City on the holy mountain crumbled and the golden beam of the palace of King Sintri was broken. All the people in Moinyo were in a state of anxiety.

Princess Meto Zholma had a dream that Para Yulong had a snowfall with shell-like snowflakes, four suns rose in the southern Zhala Karna, a fire raged into the sky in the centre of the mountains and a gorgeous tiger was burned. Meto Zholma thought to herself: “If the State of Ling comes to fight for me and wants to be engaged with the State of Moinyo by marriage, I should then marry the Prince of the State of Ling for the interest of Moinyo.”

Meto Zholma went to see King Sintri and told him that she agreed with the marriage, in order to end the horrible battle as soon as possible.

Unwilling to admit his impotency, King Sintri said:

“Until the day I die, I shall never send you to the State of Ling.”

The Ling army sounded the bugle call to attack and they charged towards the Moinyo troops. Because the Zhawa animal which guarded Kulha Togyi’s soul had been shot and killed, Kulha Togyi was not able to cope with the attack. Tsinpa Merotse suddenly threw out his lariat and it just caught Kulha Togyi’s neck. He was then brought in front of Gesar to be penalised.

Knowing that Kulha Togyi was very brave, Gesar said:

“Kulha Togyi, I respect you as a hero and I don’t want to kill you. But you must help me to conquer King Sintri. After that, I will make you a headman of the 30,000-Household Office. What do you think of it?”

Kulha Togyi did not feel like accepting what Gesar said. Staring at Gesar, he said:

“You are just hiding under a cloak of charity. Don’t try to cheat me. You are a villain trying to look good. I would rather die nine times than ask you for forgiveness.”

All of the Ling generals found Kulha Togyi to be very insolent and together asked Gesar to execute him. Gesar then ordered to have him executed.

Kulha Togyi was thus executed.

As the Ling troops were approaching the Moinyo city, a big fire started in King Sintri’s palace. King Sintri had ordered his servants to set his palace on fire. In the fire, King Sintri offered an emergency prayer to the Fire-fiend. A ladder dropped down suddenly from the sky and King Sintri climbed up it commandingly wearing a suit of armour. He climbed higher and higher and was about to disappear into the clouds when, suddenly, a howling arrow hit the ladder. Then King Gesar rode his Heavenly horse, Gyaingar Pebo, up into the sky. Just then, the intensity of the fire in the devil palace abated considerably.

When King Sintri saw Gesar shooting at his ladder, he became so angry that the veins stood out on his forehead. While standing on the ladder, he offered a prayer to the Buddhist Guardians hastily and drew out a poisonous arrow and fired it at Gesar. It didn’t hurt Gesar at all. Gesar immediately retaliated with an arrow back at King Sintri. This arrow penetrated King Sintri’s bronze mirror, which hung in front of his heart to protect his heart. Screaming with pain, the devil king fell off the ladder and into the sea of flames that he had started.

Thus, the Lion King Gesar defeated the four devil kings. From then on, the world was at peace and people were safe and sound.