Chapter IX

Chapter IX Among Mermaids and Mermen

GENERAL YANG at once sent an officer

into the camp of the enemy to restore the

pin to King Chan-bo. The army was then

set in motion and moved forward till it reached Tai-

san, where the valley was exceedingly narrow with

room only for horsemen to pass in single file. Circling

a wall of rock they skirted the high bank of a river.

In a long thin line of procession they went like fishes

in a stream, till after some hundred li they found a

fairly roomy place and there pitched their camp and

rested. The soldiers were greatly worn by thirst

and could find no drinking water. There was beneath

the mountain a large lake toward which they struggled.

Scarcely had they tasted of it, however, than their

bodies turned green and they became dumb. Tremb-

ling seized them, and the expression of their faces

grew fixed as in death.

The General was greatly distressed and went him-

self to look at the lake, the water of which was green

and the depth of it beyond his power to fathom. A

cold, forbidding breath seemed to issue from it like

the frosts of autumn. Then he remembered, and

said : " This must be the place that Sim Nyo-yon

referred to as Pan-sa-gok." He urged those soldiers

who were able to do so to dig wells, and though they

dug in several hundred places to the depth of ten kil

and more, not a drop of water was to be found.

The General determined at once to miove his camp

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

to another place, when suddenly the sound of drums

was heard from behind the mountain. The earth

shook and trembled and the valleys echoed. Evidently

the enemy had blocked the way in this dangerous

defile and had cut off all means of retreat.

Thus were the Imperial forces dying of thirst, and

menaced in front and to the rear. The General sat in

his tent vainly thinking by what means he might

extricate himself from the difficulty. In his distress

and weariness he leant on his desk and fell asleep.

Suddenly a sweet fragrance seemed to envelop the

camp and two maidens came before him. Their

faces were wonderful, and he knew that if they were

not fairies they must be of a certainty disembodied

spirits.

Said they : " We have a message from our Lady

Superior to your Excellency ; please condescend to

come with us to our lowly place of dwelling."

The General asked : " Pray, who is your mistress,

and where does she live ? "

They said : ** Our mistress is the younger daughter

of the Tong-jong Dragon King. She has left the

palace for a little and is living here."

The General replied : " But the place of residence

of the Dragon King [34] is underneath the water and

I am but a man of mortal race. By what possible law

can my body descend to your depths ? "

The maidens made answer : " We have spirit

horses tethered outside the gate. If your Excellency

will but mount one of these you will go there without

trouble. The Water Palace is not far off, and there is

no difficulty coimected with the journey."

Yang then followed the maidens to the entrance

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Among Mermaids and Mermen

outside the camp, and found there a score or more

of servants of pecuUar appearance, wearing strange

dresses. They took hold of him and set him upon his

horse. The creature went skimming along, its feet

never touching the ground, and suddenly they were

at the Water Palace. The palace was high, massive,

and beautifully built, as a place where a king dwells

should be. Guards with fish heads and beards like

the whale stood before the entrance. Several wait-

ing-maids came from within, opened the gate and

led the general to the throne room. In the hall of

audience there was a white marble seat facing south,

and the maids persuaded Yang to come forward and

be seated there. A silken rug covered the floor and

led off toward the inner chambers. In a little, a dozen

or so of waiting women accompanied a fair lady from

the apartment to the left and conducted her to the

centre of the audience hall. Her appearance was very

beautiful, and her dress more splendid than words

can describe. One of the ladies came forward and

said : " The daughter of the Dragon King desires

to meet General Yang."

The General gave a start and attempted to make his

escape, but they took him by the arms and held him

prisoner, while they made him bow four times before

this daughter of the Dragon King. Clinking of gem

ornaments made sweet music for the occasion, while

the odour of soft perfume greeted the nostrils.

The General invited her up to the throne seat

beside him, but the Dragon King's daughter declined

and instead caused a small mat to be spread on which

she sat. Said he : "I am but a being from among

mortal men, while your ladyship is a daughter of the

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

world of spirits. Why should you prepare for me so

elaborate and extravagant a reception ? "

The Dragon King's daughter said : "I am Pak

Neung-pa, the youngest child of the King of Tong-

jong. When I was bom my father was having an

audience with God Almighty, and there he met Chang

Jin-in, of whom he inquired concerning my future

fortune. Jin-in took my birth characters and un-

folded them, saying : ' This daughter, in essence, is

one of the fairies, but because of sin that she has

committed she has been sent into exile and has be-

come your child. She will later take on human form

and be the wife of a famous and gifted man. She will

enjoy great riches and honour, and all the delights of

eye and ear. In the end she will return to the Buddha

and become a priestess of the priestesses. We dragon

folk who have merman ancestors and dwell in the

midst of the sea count it great glory to be born into

human form, or to arrive at the state of the fairy or

the Buddha. For this we all long. My eldest sister at

first became a daughter-in-law of the Dragon King of

Kyong-soo, but because she was unhappy in her

marriage the two homes were rendered unfriendly

and she married again Prince Yoo-jin, where her

relations honoured her and all her attendants rever-

enced her. As for myself, I expect by and by to meet

my appointed lord, and even to surpass my sister in

glory and honour.'

" When my father heard what Jin-in said, he

loved and prized me more than ever, and all the

waiting-women of the palace treated me as an angel

visitor from heaven. When I grew up, Oh-hyon, the

son of the Dragon King of Nam-hai, who had heard

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The Dragon King Defeated : Among the Mermaids

Among Mermaids and Mermen

of my history and attainments, asked marriage with

me of my father, and because we of Tong-jong are

under the authority of Nam-hai, my father dared

not refuse but went instead and explained what Jin-in

had said, asking permission to withhold his consent.

For this the Dragon King on behalf of his proud son

told my father that he had deceived him, severely

reprimanded him, and became most insistent in the

matter of the marriage. I reasoned to myself : ' If I

am with my parents I shall not escape dishonour, so

there is nothing else for me to do but to make my

escape.' This I did, breaking through thorns and

briars and taking refuge by myself in this unknown

place. Here I am living poorly and in fear while the

persecution on the part of the King of Nam-hai lasts.

My parents said : ' Our daughter does not wish your

son but has run away and hidden herself.' The

foolish boy, however, regardless of my sufferings,

gathered an army and came and tried to take me

prisoner. My cries of despair moved heaven and

earth so that the waters of the lake changed and

became cold as ice and dark as hell. Thus the troops

have not dared to enter it, and I have been preserved

and have escaped with my life. To-day I ventured to

invite your Excellency to come to this humble home

of mine, not only to tell you how I am circum-

stanced, but also to consider how the Imperial troops

have long suffered want and lacked water, no springs

appearing in the wells they dig. The work of digging

and delving is a great labour, and though you dig

through the whole mountain a thousand cubits and

more, no water will be forthcoming. Human power

is not equal to it. The original name of this lake was

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

Chong-su-tam, Bright Water Lake, It was wonder-

fully sweet then, but since I have come here to live,

the flavour has changed and all who drink of it fall

ill, so that the name now is Paik-yong-tam, White

Dragon Lake. Since your Excellency has accepted my

invitation my soul has found a place of def)endence,

like spring coming back to the shaded hill. I put

myself under your care and my life into your keeping.

Your anxieties become my anxieties, so I shall use

all my powers to give you aid. From now on the

flavour of the water will be sweet as formerly, no

harm will come to the soldiers who_ drink of it, and

those who are ill will recover."

The General said : " Now that I have heard your

ladyship's words, I realise that people are mated in

heaven, that the devils know of it, and that the

decision of the Grandmother of the Moon [35] is

something for which it is worth casting lots. All

your wishes find their complement in mine."

The Dragon King's daughter said : " I have already

made promise to you of this humble body, but, in

short, there are three reasons why I ought not to be

mated to your Excellency. The first is, I have not

yet told my parents ; the second, that I should

accompany you only after I have changed this form

of mine. I still have the scales and fishy odours of the

mermaid, with fins that would defile my lord's

presence. The third reason is that the messengers of

the son of Nam-hai are all about spying in every nook

and corner. It would be sure to arouse their anger

and to cause disaster and no end of trouble. Let your

Excellency retire to the camp as soon as possible,

destroy the enemy, win great renown, and return to

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Among Mermaids and Mermen

the capital singing your song of victory. Later, your

servant will pick up her skirts, emerge from the

waters, and follow you to your home in the great

city."

The General said : " Though your ladyship's

words are most acceptable, it seems to me that your

being here is not only to preserve your own honour,

but because the Dragon King desired you to await my

coming and to please me. Your ladyship was a fairy

in your former life, and therefore you have a spiritual

nature. Between men and disembodied spirits

intercourse may be carried on without wrong being

done, then why should I have any special aversion

to fins and scales ? Though I have no special

natural gifts, still I am under orders from His Im-

perial Majesty with a million of troops at my com-

mand, with the wild winds for guide and the spirit

of the sea for my protector. If I can but meet this

wilful child of the South Sea he will be but an

insect for me to crush. If he does not at once

repent and cease from his foolishness, I shall un-

sheathe my sword and finish him. We have met thus

happily to-night, why should we miss the oppor-

tunity to seal our happy contract ? " So they swore

the oath of marriage, and found great delight in each

other.

Before the day dawned fully a sound of thunder

was heard, so that the Crystal Palace shook and

trembled. Then the daughter of the Dragon King gave

a start and arose, while the palace women in intense

excitement came to her and said that a fearful dis-

aster had overtaken them. The Crown Prince of Nam-

hai had brought a vast army to the foot of the hills,

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The Cloud Dream of the Nine

had pitched his camp, and now demanded that they

try the fierce odds of battle.

The General, in anger, said : " Mad creature, how

can he dare so to venture ? " He shook his sleeves

and arose, sprang forth to the shores of the waters,

where he found that the Nam-hai soldiers were

already encircling the walls of the Paik-yong-tam

with a wild clamour of noise, and causing noxious

odours to arise on all sides. The so-called Prince

Imperial on horseback rode swiftly out of the camp

and shouted : " Who are you who would dare to

steal another man's wife ? I swear I will no longer

live on the same earth with you."

The General mounted his charger, laughed, and

said : " The daughter of the Dragon King of Tong-

jong and I have been mated to one another from a

former existence, and it is so recorded in the palace

of the great God, as Jin-in well knoweth. I am but

carrying out the will of heaven and doing as I have been

directed. A contemptible creature of a merman like

you to dare to affront me thus ! " He commanded his

troops to form in order and to advance to the attack.

The Prince Imperial, in fury, called together all the

fishes of the sea ; a carp, the general of the forces ; a

turtle, his chief of staff. He aroused them to a pitch

of wild enthusiasm so that they advanced with un-

exampled bravery.

The General met them by a counter sword attack

and raised aloft his white stone whip. In a moment,

thousands and tens of thousands were crushed be-

neath the blow. Pulverised scales and fins bedewed

the earth. The Prince himself received two or three

spear thrusts, so that power to metamorphose departed

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Among Mermaids and Mermen

from him, and finally he was captured, taken prisoner,

bound, and brought before the charger of the General.

Greatly pleased, Yang sounded a bugle call to his

troops to retire, when the gate guards brought him

word, saying : " The lady of Paik-yong-tam is now

before the camp entrance and wishes to congratulate

your Excellency on so great a victory."

Courtiers were sent forth to show her in. She pre-

sented her distinguished compliments, and added a

thousand measures of wine and ten thousand head

of cattle to feast the soldiers. They ate to the full, and

were a hundred times more than ever incited to deeds

of bravery.

General Yang then sat side by side with the

daughter of the Dragon King and ordered that the

Prince Imperial of Nam-hai be brought before them.

In a commanding voice he addressed him thus : "I

am under orders from the Emperor to beat down

rebellion in all quarters of the State, and to put far

from us devils who disobey Imperial commands. You,

however, a little child, ignorant of what is right,

desire to oppose the troops and thus to die by suicide.

I have a sword called Eui-song-sang, the same sharp

knife with which I killed the King of Kyong-hai.

With it I ought to cut off your head to prove the truth

of my words, but your dwelling in Nam-hai gives

rain to a wide world of men and is for that reason

deserving of merit . I shall therefore forgive you . Cease

from your past evil ways, and do not sin any more

against this woman." So he sent him off.

The prince was so overcome that he was unable to

draw a long breath. He bowed low and ran for his life

like a rat that desires to hide itself.

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Suddenly a bright light arose from the south-east

and a red cloud shone forth that sparkled with varie-

gated colours. Flags and battle-axe insignia became

visible in the upper air, and an angel dressed in scarlet

bowed low and said : " The Dragon Bang of Tong-

jong, learning that General Yang had scattered the

troops of Nam-hai and saved the princess from dis-

honour, desired to come himself to the camp and

offer his congratulations, but being held by his office

and unable to leave of his own free-will, he has

arranged instead a great feast in honour of the

General and now invites him to come. Please will

your Excellency condescend to follow me ? He com-

mands also that the princess attend us."

General Yang said : " Although the enemy is

driven off they still have their camp close by. Tong-

jong is thousands of miles from here. It would take

many days to go and come. How can one thus in

command of troops go so far away ? "

The angel said : " The light dragons are hitched

to the sky- wagon and are ready. Half a day will be

quite sufficient for you to go and return."

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