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Story 124: Two Friends Split Gold Folktales

Two Friends Split Gold

Author: Anonymous

There is Reji in the upper village and Zehan in the lower village. The two of them have been cutting firewood in the forest and selling firewood in the city since they were young. When encountering difficulties, you always help me and I help you. They are closer than real brothers.

One day, while they were chopping wood, they found a small pot of gold. Reji said: “Friends, let’s split it up, each person has half.” Seeing the gold, Zehan felt selfish and said, “Brother, no! Who knows whether this thing was put by gods? Or by the devil. Hidden? Why don’t I take it home and store it for a few days. Let’s make another jar of highland barley wine, and when you come to my house to drink, how about dividing the gold?”

Reji agreed with Zehan’s suggestion, and the two of them went home carrying firewood. Zehan entered the door, quickly locked the gold into the box, got a few pieces of rotten yellow wood, and stuffed it into a clay pot.

Three days later, Reji happily came to share the gold and saw Zehan sitting at the door with a sad face. Reji said: “Friend, you have no patients upstairs and no dead animals downstairs. Why are you sitting here worrying?” Zehan sighed and said, “Brother, I have something I really can’t say.” Reji Said: “Well, we are friends who have known each other since childhood. If you have anything to say, just say it!”

Zehan hesitated for a while and finally spoke: “A few days ago, I told you, who knows about that pot of gold? Did the gods put it there, or did the devil hide it? Now, there is only some rotten wood left in the clay pot, and the gold has gone somewhere.”

Reji thought to himself: “It’s obviously yellow gold, but how can it turn into rotten wood in three days? It’s really strange!” He was originally going to ask Zehan for comment, but then he changed his mind and said with a smile, “That’s it. , just pretend that there is no such thing! Come on, let’s have a drink!”

When Reji returned home, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had been fooled. Then he came up with a clever idea to take revenge on Zehan.

One day, he ran into the forest alone and caught two little monkeys. He named the little monkeys after Zehan’s sons: the older one was called Duowa, and the younger one was called Duoqiong. Whenever I have free time every day, I train the monkey to do somersaults and play games. The monkey was trained and sent to a relative’s house in the valley for storage.

One day, Reji made wine and invited Zehan to be his guest. While eating and drinking, Reji said with a smile: “Friend, you see, my family has a lot of food recently! The cow has given birth to a calf, and you can drink the milk as you like; the peas are made into pods, which are really crisp and fresh; and there is yogurt. , Naizha, let your two children come and play for a few days!” Zehan quickly agreed, thinking in his heart: I have monopolized the gold, and he also invited my children to play. Thank God, Reji didn’t notice anything. ah!

Zehan’s children came to Reji’s house. Reji quietly sent them to a relative’s house in the valley in the middle of the night, and at the same time brought back the two little monkeys.

A few days later, Zehan happily came to pick up his child and saw Reji sitting at the door with a sad face. Zehan said: “Brother, there are no patients upstairs in your house and no dead animals downstairs. Why are you sitting here worrying?” Reji sighed and said, “Friend, I have something to say that I really can’t say!” Zehan said: “Ahem! We are just like brothers. If you have anything to say, just say it.” Reji said sadly: “My friend, what a misfortune! Your two sons have turned into monkeys!” Zehan was shocked. He kept saying: “This is impossible! This is impossible!”

Reji said: “Why is it impossible? You will know if you see it with your own eyes!” He shouted: “Dowa, come here!” After saying that, a little monkey turned over from the window and agreed repeatedly.

Reji said: “Duova, pour wine for your father and do another trick!” The little monkey poured wine for Zehan obediently and even did some somersaults.

Reji shouted again: “How poor, come here!” Another little monkey climbed over the window and kept nodding in agreement. Reji patted the monkey on the head and said, “You are so poor. Pour tea for your father and let’s dance again!” The little monkey poured tea and danced again.

At this time, Zehan was so heartbroken that he almost fainted. He said to himself, “Oh my God! How can a man turn into a monkey?” Reji quickly took over: “Yes! How can gold turn into wood?”

Zehan realized his mistake, went home quickly, took out the gold, and gave half of it to Reji. As for Reji, he brought Duowa and Duoqiong back from the valley and sent them to Zehan’s house.

From then on, the two became friends again, and they both knew better: to be loyal to their friends.

Narrated by: Yesi Tenzin, Chengguan District, Lhasa City
Recorded on November 12, 1979
Compiled in January 1981