Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria

English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
English Stories
Princess Kwan-Yin – A Chinese folk tale
Once upon a time in China there lived a certain king who had three
daughters. The fairest and best of these was Kwan-yin, the youngest. The
old king was justly proud of this daughter, for of all the women who had
ever lived in the palace, she was by far the most attractive. It did not take
him long, therefore, to decide that she should be the heir to his throne,
and her husband ruler of his kingdom. But, strange to say, Kwan-yin was
not pleased at this good fortune. She cared little for the pomp and
splendor of court life. She foresaw no pleasure for herself in ruling as a
queen but even feared that in so high a station, she might feel out of place
and unhappy.
Every day she went to her room to read and study. As a result of this daily labor,
she soon went far beyond her sisters along the path of knowledge, and her name
was known in the farthest corner of the kingdom as “Kwan-yin, the wise
princess.” Besides being very fond of books, Kwan-yin was thoughtful of her
friends. She was careful about her behavior both in public and in private. Her
warm heart was open at all times to the cries of those in trouble. She was kind to
the poor and suffering. She won the love of the lower classes and was to them a
sort of goddess to whom they could appeal whenever they were hungry and in
need. Some people even believed that she was a fairy who had come to the Earth
from her home within the Western Heaven, while others said that once, long
years before, she had lived in the world as a prince instead of a princess.
However, this may be, one thing is certain – Kwan-yin was pure and good, and
well deserved the praises that were showered upon her.
One day, the king called this favorite daughter to the royal bedside, for he felt
that the hour of death was drawing near. Kwan-yin kowtowed before her royal
father, kneeling and touching his forehead on the floor in sign of deepest
reverence. The old man bade her rise and come closer. Taking her hand tenderly
in his own, he said, “Daughter, you know well how I love you. Your modesty and
virtue, your talent, and your love of knowledge have made you first in my heart.
As you know already, I chose you as heir to my kingdom long ago. I promised that
your husband should be made ruler in my stead. The time is almost ripe for me to
ascend upon the dragon and become a quest on high. You must be given at once
in marriage.”
“But, most exalted father,” faltered the princess, “I am not ready to be married.”
“Not ready, child! Why, are you not eighteen? Are not the daughters of our nation
often wedded long before they reach that age? Because of your desire for
learning, I have spared you thus far from any thought of a husband, but now we
can wait no longer.”
“Royal father, hear your child and do not compel her to give up her dearest
pleasures. Let her go into a quiet convent where she may lead a life of study!”
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
The king sighed deeply at hearing these words. He loved his daughter and did not
wish to wound her. “Kwan-yin,” he continued, “do you wish to pass by the green
spring of youth, to give up this mighty kingdom? Do you wish to enter the doors
of a convent where women say farewell to life and all its pleasures? No! Your
father will not permit this. It grieves me sorely to disappoint you, but you shall be
married one month from this very day. I have chosen for your royal partner a man
of many noble parts. You know him by name already, although you have not seen
him. Remember that filial conduct is the chief of the hundred virtues and that you
owe more to me than to all else on Earth.”
Kwan-yin turned pale. Trembling, she would have sunk to the floor, but her
mother and sisters supported her, and by their tender care brought her back to
consciousness.
Every day of the following month, Kwan-yin’s relatives begged her to give up
what they called her foolish notion. Her sisters had long since given up hope of
becoming queen. They were amazed at her stupidity. The very thought of anyone
choosing a convent instead of a throne was to them a sure sign of madness. Over
and over again they asked her reason for making so strange a choice. To every
question, she shook her head, replying, “A voice from the heavens speaks to me,
and I must obey it.”
On the eve of the wedding day Kwan-yin slipped out of the palace, and, after a
weary journey, arrived at a convent called, “The Cloister of the White Sparrow.”
She was dressed as a poor maiden. She said she wished to become a nun. The
abbess, not knowing who she was, did not receive her kindly. Indeed, she told
Kwan-yin that they could not receive her into the sisterhood and that the building
was full. Finally, after Kwan-yin had shed many tears, the abbess let her enter,
but only as a sort of servant, who might be cast out for the slightest fault.
Now that Kwan-yin found herself in the life that she had long dreamt of leading,
she tried to be satisfied. But the nuns seemed to wish to make her stay among
them most miserable. They gave her the hardest tasks to do, and it was seldom
that she had a minute to rest. All day long she was busy, carrying water from a
well at the foot of the convent hill or gathering wood from a neighboring forest. At
night when her back was almost breaking, she was given many extra tasks,
enough to have crushed the spirit of any other woman than this brave daughter
of a king. Forgetting her grief, and trying to hide the lines of pain that sometimes
wrinkled her fair forehead, she tried to make these hard-hearted women love her.
In return for their rough words, she spoke to them kindly, and never did she give
way to anger.
One day while poor Kwan-yin was picking up brushwood in the forest she heard a
tiger making his way through the bushes. Having no means of defending herself,
she breathed a silent prayer to the gods for help, and calmly awaited the coming
of the great beast. To her surprise, when the bloodthirsty animal appeared,
instead of bounding up to tear her in pieces, he began to make a soft purring
noise. He did not try to hurt Kwan-yin, but rubbed against her in a friendly
manner, and let her pat him on the head.
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
The next day the princess went back to the same spot. There she found no fewer
than a dozen savage beasts working under the command of the friendly tiger,
gathering wood for her. In a short time, enough brush and firewood had been
piled up to last the convent for six months. Thus, even the wild animals of the
forest were better able to judge her goodness than the women of the sisterhood.
At another time when Kwan-yin was toiling up the hill for the twentieth time,
carrying two great pails of water on a pole, an enormous dragon faced her in the
road. Now, in China, the dragon is sacred, and Kwan-yin was not at all frightened,
for she knew that she had done no wrong.
The animal looked at her for a moment, switched its horrid tail, and shot out fire
from its nostrils. Then, dashing the burden from the startled maiden’s shoulder, it
vanished. Full of fear, Kwan-yin hurried up the hill to the nunnery. As she drew
near the inner court, she was amazed to see in the center of the open space a
new building of solid stone. It had sprung up by magic since her last journey
down the hill. On going forward, she saw that there were four arched doorways to
the fairy house. Above the door facing west was a tablet with these words written
on it: “In honor of Kwan-yin, the faithful princess.” Inside was a well of the purest
water, while, for drawing this water, there was a strange machine, the like of
which neither Kwan-yin nor the nuns had ever seen.
The sisters knew that this magic well was a monument to Kwan-yin’s goodness.
For a few days, they treated her much better. “Since the gods have dug a well at
our very gate,” they said, “this girl will no longer need to bear water from the
foot of the hill. For what strange reason, however, did the gods write this
beggar’s name on the stone?”
Kwan-yin heard their unkind remarks in silence. She could have explained the
meaning of the dragon’s gift, but she chose to let her companions remain in
ignorance. At last, the selfish nuns began to grow careless again and treated her
even worse than before. They could not bear to see the poor girl enjoy a
moment’s idleness.
“This is a workplace,” they told her. “All of us have labored hard to win our
present station. You must do likewise.” So, they robbed her of every chance for
study and prayer and gave her no credit for the magic well.
One night the sisters were awakened from their sleep by strange noises, and
soon they heard outside the walls of the compound the blare of a trumpet. A
great army had been sent by Kwan-yin’s father to attack the convent, for his
spies had at least been able to trace the runaway princess to this holy retreat.
“Oh, who has brought this woe upon us?” exclaimed all the women, looking at
each other in great fear. “Who has done this great evil? There is one among us
who has sinned most terribly, and now the gods are about to destroy us.” They
gazed at one another, but no one thought of Kwan-yin, for they did not believe
her of enough importance to attract the anger of heaven, even though she might
have done the most shocking deeds. Then, too, she had been so meek and lowly
while in their holy order that they did not once dream of charging her with any
crime.
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
The threatening sounds outside grew louder and louder. All at once a fearful cry
arose among the women: “They are about to burn our sacred dwelling.” Smoke
was rising just beyond the enclosure where the soldiers were kindling a great fire,
the heat of which would soon be great enough to make the convent walls
crumble into dust.
Suddenly a voice was heard above the tumult of the weeping sisters: “Alas! I am
the cause of all this trouble.”
The nuns, turning in amazement, saw that it was Kwan-yin who was speaking.
“You?” they exclaimed, astounded.
“Yes, I, for I am indeed the daughter of a king. My father did not wish me to take
the vows of this holy order. I fled from the palace. He has sent his army here to
burn these buildings and to drag me back a prisoner.”
“Then, see what you have brought upon us, miserable girl!” exclaimed the
abbess. “See how you have repaid our kindness! Our buildings will be burned
above our heads! How wretched you have made us! May heaven’s curses rest
upon you!”
“No, no!” exclaimed Kwan-yin, springing up, and trying to keep the abbess from
speaking these frightful words. “You have no right to say that, for I am innocent
of evil. But wait! You shall soon see whose prayers the gods will answer, yours or
mine!” So, saying, she pressed her forehead to the floor, praying the almighty
powers to save the convent and the sisters.
Outside the crackling of the greedy flames could already be heard. The fire king
would soon destroy every building on that hilltop. Mad with terror, the sisters
prepared to leave the compound and give up all their belongings to the cruel
flames and still more cruel soldiers. Kwan-yin alone remained in the room,
praying earnestly for help.
Suddenly a soft breeze sprang up from the neighboring forest, dark clouds
gathered overhead, and, although it was the dry season a drenching shower
descended on the flames. Within five minutes the fire was put out and the
convent was saved. Just as the shivering nuns were thanking Kwan-yin for the
divine help she had brought them, two soldiers who had scaled the outer wall of
the compound came in and roughly asked for the princess.
The trembling girl, knowing that these men were obeying her father’s orders,
poured out a prayer to the gods, and straightway made herself known. They
dragged her from the presence of the nuns who had just begun to love her. Thus,
disgraced before her father’s army, she was taken to the capital.
On the morrow, she was led before the old king. The father gazed sadly at his
daughter, and then the stern look of a judge hardened his face as he beckoned
the guards to bring her forward.
From a neighboring room came the sounds of sweet music. A feast was being
served there amid great splendor. The loud laughter of the guests reached the
ears of the young girl as she bowed in disgrace before her father’s throne. She
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
knew that this feast had been prepared for her and that her father was willing to
give her one more chance.
“Girl,” said the king, at last regaining his voice, “in leaving the royal palace on
the eve of your wedding day, not only did you insult your father, but your king.
For this act you deserve to die. However, because of the excellent record you had
made for yourself before you ran away, I have decided to give you one more
chance to redeem yourself. Refuse me, and the penalty is death: obey me, and all
may yet be well – the kingdom that you spurned is still yours for the asking. All
that I require is your marriage to the man whom I have chosen.”
“And when, most august King, would you have me decide?” asked Kwan-yin
earnestly.
“This very day, this very hour, this very moment,” he answered sternly. “What!
Would you hesitate between love upon a throne and death? Speak, my daughter,
tell me that you love me and will do my bidding!”
It was now all that Kwan-yin could do to keep from throwing herself at her
father’s feet and yielding to his wishes, not because he offered her a kingdom,
but because she loved him and would gladly have made him happy. But her
strong will keep her from relenting. No power on earth could have stayed her
from doing what she thought her duty.
“Beloved father,” she answered sadly, and her voice was full of tenderness, “it is
no question, for all my life I have shown it in every action. Believe me, if I were
free to do your bidding, gladly would I make you happy, but a voice from the gods
has spoken, has commanded that I remain a virgin, that I devote my life to deeds
of mercy. When heaven itself has commanded, what can even a princess do but
listen to that power which rules the earth?”
The old king was far from satisfied with Kwan-yin’s answer. He grew furious, his
thin wrinkled skin turned purple as the hot blood rose to his head. “Then you
refuse to do my bidding! Take her, men! Give to her the death that is due to a
traitor to the king!” As they bore Kwan-yin away from his presence the white-
haired monarch fell, swooning, from his chair.
That night, when Kwan-yin was put to death, she descended into the lower world
of torture. No sooner had she set foot in that dark country of the dead than the
vast region of endless punishment suddenly blossomed forth and became like the
gardens of Paradise. Pure white lilies sprang up on every side, and the odor of a
million flowers filled all the rooms and corridors. King Yama, ruler of the dominion,
rushed forth to learn the cause of this wonderful change. No sooner did his eyes
rest upon the fair young face of Kwan-yin than he saw in her the emblem of
purity which deserved no home but heaven.
“Beautiful virgin, doer of many mercies,” he began, after addressing her by her
title, “I beg you in the name of justice to depart from this bloody kingdom. It is
not right that the fairest flower of heaven should enter and shed her fragrance in
these halls. Guilt must suffer here, and sin find no reward. Depart thou, then,
from my dominion. The peach of immortal shall be bestowed upon you, and
heaven alone shall be your dwelling place.”
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
Thus Kwan-yin became the Goddess of Mercy; thus, she entered into that glad
abode, surpassing all earthly kings and queens. And ever since that time, on
account of her exceeding goodness, thousands of poor people breathe out to her
year their prayers for mercy. There is no fear in their gaze as they look at her
beautiful image, for their eyes are filled with tears of love.

The Orphan Boy and the Mysterious Stone – A Nigerian folk tale
A chief of Inde named Inkita had a son named Ayong Kita, whose mother had
died at his birth.
The old chief was a hunter, and used to take his son out with him when he went
into the bush. He used to do most of his hunting in the long grass which grows
over nearly all the Inde country, and used to kill plenty of bush buck in the dry
season.
In those days the people had no guns, so the chief had to shoot everything he got
with his bow and arrows, which required a lot of skill.
When his little son was old enough, he gave him a small bow and some small
arrows, and taught him how to shoot. The little boy was very quick at learning,
and by continually practicing at lizards and small birds, soon became expert in
the use of his little bow, and could hit them almost every time he shot at them.
When the boy was ten years old his father died, and as he thus became the head
of his father's house, and was in authority over all the slaves, they became very
discontented, and made plans to kill him, so he ran away into the bush.
Having nothing to eat, he lived for several days on the nuts which fell from the
palm trees. He was too young to kill any large animals, and only had his small
bow and arrows, with which he killed a few squirrels, bush rats, and small birds,
and so managed to live.
Now once at night, when he was sleeping in the hollow of a tree, he had a dream
in which his father appeared, and told him where there was plenty of treasure
buried in the earth, but, being a small boy, he was frightened, and did not go to
the place.
One day, sometime after the dream, having walked far and being very thirsty, he
went to a lake, and was just going to drink, when he heard a hissing sound, and
heard a voice tell him not to drink. Not seeing any one, he was afraid, and ran
away without drinking.
Early next morning, when he was out with his bow trying to shoot some small
animal, he met an old woman with quite long hair. She was so ugly that he
thought she must be a witch, so he tried to run, but she told him not to fear, as
she wanted to help him and assist him to rule over his late father's house. She
also told him that it was she who had called out to him at the lake not to drink, as
there was a bad Ju Ju in the water which would have killed him. The old woman
then took Ayong to a stream some little distance from the lake, and bending
down, took out a small shining stone from the water, which she gave to him, at
the same time telling him to go to the place which his father had advised him to
visit in his dream. She then said, "When you get there you must dig, and you will
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
find plenty of money; you must then go and buy two strong slaves, and when you
have got them, you must take them into the forest, away from the town, and get
them to build you a house with several rooms in it. You must then place the stone
in one of the rooms, and whenever you want anything, all you have to do is to go
into the room and tell the stone what you want, and your wishes will be at once
gratified."
Ayong did as the old woman told him, and after much difficulty and danger
bought the two slaves and built a house in the forest, taking great care of the
precious stone, which he placed in an inside room. Then for some time, whenever
he wanted anything, he used to go into the room and ask for a sufficient number
of rods to buy what he wanted, and they were always brought at once.
This went on for many years, and Ayong grew up to be a man, and became very
rich, and bought many slaves, having made friends with the Aro men, who in
those days used to do a big traffic in slaves. After ten years had passed Ayong
had quite a large town and many slaves, but one night the old woman appeared
to him in a dream and told him that she thought that he was sufficiently wealthy,
and that it was time for him to return the magic stone to the small stream from
whence it came. But Ayong, although he was rich, wanted to rule his father's
house and be a head chief for all the Inde country, so he sent for all the Ju Ju men
in the country and two witch men, and marched with all his slaves to his father's
town. Before he started, he held a big palaver, and told them to point out any
slave who had a bad heart, and who might kill him when he came to rule the
country. Then the Ju Ju men consulted together, and pointed out fifty of the slaves
who, they said, were witches, and would try to kill Ayong. He at once had them
made prisoners, and tried them by the ordeal of Esere bean (strong poison) to
see whether they were witches or not. As none of them could vomit the beans
they all died, and were declared to be witches. He then had them buried at once.
When the remainder of his slaves saw what had happened, they all came to him
and begged his pardon, and promised to serve him faithfully. Although the fifty
men were buried they could not rest, and troubled Ayong very much, and after a
time he became very sick himself, so he sent again for the Ju Ju men, who told
him that it was the witch men who, although they were dead and buried, had
power to come out at night and used to suck Ayong's blood, which was the cause
of his sickness. They then said, "We are only three Ju Ju men; you must get seven
more of us, making the magic number of ten." When they came they dug up the
bodies of the fifty witches, and found they were quite fresh. Then Ayong had big
fires made, and burned them one after the other, and gave the Ju Ju men a big
present. He soon after became quite well again, and took possession of his
father's property, and ruled over all the country.
Ever since then, whenever anyone is accused of being a witch, they are tried by
the ordeal of the poisonous Esere bean, and if they can vomit, they do not die,
and are declared innocent, but if they cannot do so, they die in great pain.

The Gold-Giving Snake

A Brahmin once observed a snake in his field, and thinking it the tutelary spirit of
the field, he offered it a libation of milk in a bowl. Next day he finds a piece of
gold in the bowl, and he receives this each day after offering the libation. One
Toua Akame Zoe Emmanuelle Nouria
English Language
ISP2 B
Date: Thursday, 28th November 2024
day he had to go elsewhere, and he sent his son with the libation. The son sees
the gold, and thinking the serpent's hole full of treasure determines to slay the
snake. He strikes at its head with a cudgel, and the enraged serpent stings him to
death. The Brahmin mourns his son's death, but next morning as usual brings the
libation of milk (in the hope of getting the gold as before). The serpent appears
after a long delay at the mouth of its lair, and declares their friendship at an end,
as it could not forget the blow of the Brahmin's son, nor the Brahmin his son's
death from the bite of the snake.