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Story 129: The Minister Spitting Out Pearls Folktales

The Minister Spitting Out Pearls

Author: Anonymous

There was a king in the north, and he had a great minister. As long as he smiled, he would spit out strings of sparkling pearls. Therefore, not only did the king of the Northern Kingdom become richer and richer, but the lives of the common people also became more comfortable, which aroused the jealousy and envy of many countries. Especially the king of the Southern Kingdom, who spends his days inquiring about the secrets of making a fortune in the Northern Kingdom.

One day, King Nan Wang summoned all the ministers and talked about the old topic that could never be finished. The king said: “Tell me, everyone, we and the Northern Kingdom have about the same population and similar size of land. Why are they so rich and we are so poor?” A courtier who had just arrived in the Northern Kingdom reported: “King, I heard that there are people in the Northern Kingdom.

This minister can spit pearls from his mouth, which is the source of their wealth.” The king was very jealous after hearing this, and quickly sent four envoys with various precious gifts, and wrote a letter himself, which said: “I pay my respects to the king in the north and send four envoys to express my wishes. Please lend me the pearl-voting minister of your country for one year, and I will definitely return it when the time comes.”

When the king of the northern kingdom received the letter and gift, he smiled and agreed, and at the same time said to the four envoys: “Please tell your king that the minister can be lent to your country. When he smiles, he can indeed spit out strings of pearls. However, Whether he will laugh or not depends on you because this minister will not laugh easily.”

Soon, the four envoys accompanied the minister who spit out pearls and returned to the southern palace with various jewelry gifted by the king of the north. The King of the Southern Kingdom was very happy. He personally sent people to build a gorgeous palace and built comfortable gardens. He selected beauties from all over the country to sing and dance for him. He also specially found a few clowns to use various methods to make him laugh.

However, day after day passed, month after month passed, and the king of the Southern Kingdom tried all kinds of methods, but the minister still looked like a sky full of dark clouds, without a trace of a smile, and of course, he did not spit out any words. Pearls.

When the year was about to expire, the king of the southern kingdom had no choice but to admit that he was unlucky and reluctantly wrote this letter to the northern kingdom: “King, I am extremely grateful for your care for me and sending a minister who spits pearls to stay in our country for one year. Because I Without the blessing of getting rich, the minister has never smiled once here.

Now that the stipulated time has come, I don’t want to break my original promise, so I decided to let the minister return as scheduled. For the sake of peace on the journey, please send four envoys. Our country welcomes you.”

The envoy from the North Kingdom arrived as scheduled, and the minister who spit out pearls was about to leave. Although the southern king was disappointed, he held a grand farewell banquet. When the king was toasting, he accidentally touched the princess with his finger.

Unexpectedly, the princess immediately changed her expression. Not only did she throw the wine in her hand on the king’s face, but she also cursed with dirty words in front of the distinguished guests and ministers. As for the king, he still had a smile on his face and kept apologizing to the princess. In the end, he slapped himself three times in public…

When the minister spitting out pearls saw this scene, he suddenly wanted to laugh. At first, he laughed softly, then laughed loudly. With the laughter, the pearls jingled and rolled all over the floor, and the servants picked them up. Not winning. The king, who was being made sad by the princess, immediately turned his sorrow into joy when he saw so many pearls, and he could not stand upright with laughter. He kept shouting: “Laugh! Laugh! Laugh hard!”

After returning to their residence, the envoy from the North asked the minister who spit out the pearl: “You came to the South and you didn’t laugh once for a year. Why did you laugh so happily just now?”

The minister said: “The attitude of the concubine towards the king just now reminded me half of the time. Something I witnessed with my own eyes a month ago.”

“What’s going on?” the envoys asked in unison.

“That night, I was very depressed and walking alone in the garden of the palace. Suddenly, I saw the princess, wearing thin clothes, crawling out of the window of the king’s bedroom, like a thief. I became suspicious at that time and followed her quietly.

The princess turned around and ran into the dirty and smelly horse pen. She knelt down in front of the stable driver. When the stable driver saw the princess, not only did he not say any gentle words, but he also picked up a wooden stick. , beating her on the head and body, and while beating her, she cursed: “Mai! Bitch! Why did you come now?” Instead of resisting, the princess hugged the horseman’s feet and kept crying and begging for mercy:

‘The king was drunk just now. I couldn’t get away. I was a little late. You can beat me! Beat me hard! ’ The princess was so fierce to the king and so pitiful in front of the horse driver, I couldn’t help but want to laugh. “When the minister spitting out pearls said this, the envoys not only did not laugh but sighed and said: “Alas! In the forest, there are all kinds of strange birds; in the palace, there are all kinds of strange things! ”

Narration: Shigatse CPPCC Yongzhu Dolma
Recorded on July 10, 1979
Compiled in February 1982