Strange as it may seem, events very similar in nature to those just
narrated were taking place in a neighboring district, where lived
another exemplary man named Cho Sung Noo. He was a man of great
rank, but was not in active service at present, simply because of
ill-health induced by constant brooding over his ill-fortune; for,
like You Tah Jung, he was the last of an illustrious family, and had
no offspring. He was so happily married, furthermore, that he had
never taken a second wife, and would not do so.
About the time of the events just related concerning the You family,
the wife of Cho, who had never neglected bowing to heaven and
requesting a child, dreamed. She had gone to a hill-side apart from
the house, and sitting in the moonlight on a clean plat of ground,
free from the litter of the domestic animals, she was gazing into the
heavens, hoping to witness the meeting of Ching Yuh and Kyain Oo, and
feeling sad at the thought of their fabled tribulations. While thus
engaged she fell asleep, and while sleeping dreamed that the four
winds were bearing to her a beautiful litter, supported upon five
rich, soft clouds. In the chair reclined a beautiful little girl,
far lovelier than any being she had ever dreamed of before, and the
like of which is never seen in real life. The chair itself was made
of gold and jade. As the procession drew nearer the dreamer exclaimed:
"Who are you, my beautiful child?"
"Oh," replied the child, "I am glad you think me beautiful, for then,
may be, you will let me stay with you."
"I think I should like to have you very much, but you haven't yet
answered my question."
"Well," she said, "I was an attendant upon the Queen of Heaven, but
I have been very bad, though I meant no wrong, and I am banished to
earth for a season; won't you let me live with you, please?"
"I shall be delighted, my child, for we have no children. But what
did you do that the stars should banish you from their midst?"
"Well, I will tell you," she answered. "You see, when the annual
union of Ching Yuh and Kyain Oo takes place, I hear them mourning
because they can only see each other once a year, while mortal pairs
have each other's company constantly. They never consider that while
mortals have but eighty years of life at most, their lives are without
limit, and they, therefore, have each other to a greater extent than
do the mortals, whom they selfishly envy. In a spirit of mischief
I determined to teach this unhappy couple a lesson; consequently,
on the last seventh moon, seventh day, when the bridge was about
completed and ready for the eager pair to cross heaven's river
to each others' embrace, I drove the crows away, and ruined their
bridge before they could reach each other. I did it for mischief,
'tis true, and did not count on the drought that would occur, but
for my misconduct and the consequent suffering entailed on mortals,
I am banished, and I trust you will take and care for me, kind lady."
When she had finished speaking, the winds began to blow around
as though in preparation for departure with the chair, minus its
occupant. Then the woman awoke and found it but a dream, though
the winds were, indeed, blowing about her so as to cause her to
feel quite chilly. The dream left a pleasant impression, and when,
to their intense joy, a daughter was really born to them, the fond
parents could scarcely be blamed for associating her somewhat with
the vision of the ravishing dream.
The child was a marvel of beauty, and her development was rapid and
perfect. The neighbors were so charmed with her, that some of them
seemed to think she was really supernatural, and she was popularly
known as the "divine maiden," before her first ten years were finished.
It was about the time of her tenth birthday that little Uhn Hah had
the interesting encounter upon which her whole future was to hinge.
It happened in this way: One day she was riding along on her nurses'
back, on her way to visit her grandmother. Coming to a nice shady spot
they sat down by the road-side to rest. While they were sitting there,
along came Pang Noo on his way to school. As Uhn Hah was still but a
girl she was not veiled, and the lad was confronted with her matchless
beauty, which seemed to intoxicate him. He could not pass by, neither
could he find words to utter, but at last he bethought him of an
expedient. Seeing some oranges in her lap, he stepped up and spoke
politely to the nurse, saying, "I am You Pang Noo, a lad on my way
to school, and I am very thirsty, won't you ask your little girl to
let me have one of her oranges?" Uhn Hah was likewise smitten with
the charms of the beautiful lad, and in her confusion she gave him
two oranges. Pang Noo gallantly said, "I wish to give you something
in return for your kindness, and if you will allow me I will write
your name on this fan and present it to you."
Having obtained the name and permission, he wrote: "No girl was ever
possessed of such incomparable graces as the beautiful Uhn Hah. I
now betroth myself to her, and vow never to marry other so long as I
live." He handed her the fan, and feasting his eyes on her beauty,
they separated. The fan being closed, no one read the characters,
and Uhn Hah carefully put it away for safe keeping without examining
it sufficiently close to discover the written sentiment.