Khong Lo mold a bell

In Ly Dynasty, that had a gigantic man was people called Khong Lo. Whoever, even they were wrestlers, were frightened as they saw him. Though, he had never fought any body he led a religion life when he was young. Khong Lo used to have travels and always brought two things which were a heavy iron-rod others couldn’t lift and a magical pocket though he put any thing into it wouldn’t to be swelled and course it was never filled.

That time, the king of Daiviet (name of Vietnam that time) needed a lot of black–copper to mold a big temple-bell but Daiviet have very little black-copper. Then the king heard about the extraordinary of Khong Lo so he ordered soldiers to invite Khong Lo to come. He asked Khong Lo to come China and ask for some black-copper. Khong Lo agreed. He took his rod and his pocket straight the north went.

After many days climbing mountain, wading stream at last he arrived Chinese castle where the king of China living.

As chinese king saw Khong Lo a gigantic monk. He asked: “Where are you from? And what do you come here for?”

“We come to pray you for a little black-copper it will be used to mold a bell for Daiviet.”

The king thought that had many people following him because of his words so he asked Khong Lo.

“How much black-copper your country needs and how many followers come with you?”

Khong Lo took out his pocket and said: “I come alone and only need to fill this pocket by black-copper”

As Chinese king saw the little pocket he smiled and said: “Though you fill up hundred of pockets as this I am pleasant to let you do.”

Then Chinese king ordered storage-keeper to lead Khong Lo to come back-copper storage. They crossed a large yard which was paved red bricks in middle of the yard set a golden buffalo as big as a house twinkling. As they came near the golden buffalo the keeper pointed at the golden buffalo and joked: “Do you need the golden buffalo?”

“No. I only need black-copper.”, said Khong Lo.

Then Khong Lo put all of black-copped stored in the storage into his pocket, tied the pocket at a top of his rod, shouldered and went away.

As the keeper sprinted to report chinese king that all of his black-copper had gone. Chinese king who had never thought that the extraordinarily thing could happen regretted for his black-copper storage so he ordered 500 soldiers to ride after him. Although he had to shoulder very heavy Khong Lo had gone so far and was finding his way to cross a river. Then he heard a crowed noise calling after him, he turned back and knew that chinese king had ordered soldiers ran after him. He immediately put his pocket into his conical hat then swam pass the river with his conical hat in a hand. When soldiers arrived to the riverside, he had been in middle of river.

“Please, wait a while we will escort you to your country.”,said soldiers.

“Thank for your king’s kindness but I can come back my country alone.”, said Khong Lo up to soldiers.

Soldiers knew that they couldn’t ran after him any more so they come back.

Khong Lo went along the seaside toward the south. As he arrived a outfall and knew that a ship was ready to come Daiviet. He set his pocket on ground went to find the boss to ask him for going with. The boss saw the monk with only a pocket he thought they were not heavy so he agreed. But when a sailor went down to help Khong Lo take his pocket up to the ship but he couldn’t. Then the second sailor went to help but they couldn’t. The third then the fourth sailor went but they couldn’t. Sailors who had tried their best to take the pocket admitted that they had never known any thing which was heavy as that. Khong Lo smiled.

“Put it there, I will take it up.”, said Khong Lo to sailors.

Then Khong Lo used one hand take his pocket, one hand take his hat then went up to the ship front amazed eyes of people. As Khong Lo was on the ship it nearly sunk into water that frightened the boss and sailors. They didn’t dare to push off but Khong Lo reassure them.

“Don’t worry. I will not let the ship be sunk.”, he said.

The ship found its way toward Daiviet with no trouble. Few days passed, suddenly, violent waves appeared. In front of the ship was a giant centipede which had hundreds meters long it was waving and opening its blood mouth to swallow the ship. People staying on the ship were very frightened but Khong Lo reassured.

“All of you keep your seats, I will attack the monster.”, he said.

He grabbed a pumpkin in the ship threw it toward the mouth of monster. The monster snapped. Immediately, Khong Lo jumped into the monster’s back. He beaten very hard into the monster’s back. The monster couldnt avoided, was broken into three parts and three parts transformed into three islands. The sea was gentle again. The ship went straight to Daiviet.

Khong Lo had come to castle of Daiviet and said to his king about his travel. He gave the king all black-copper and the king immediately order great smiths to made four things which could exist over long time latter.

The first was nine-floor-tower which was called “Tháp Báo-thiên” standing majestically that people could see at any where. The second was a Buddhist statue which had 30 meters height and the third was a censer which was only covered by ten people holding hand of others. Then the rest of black copper was used to mold a bell which was called “Hong chung”. As the bell was complete Khong Lo dinged the bell and nobody could think that the sound could spread any where and until China.

The golden buffalo was standing front of black-copper storage heard the sound the sound of black –copper which was mother of gold. It suddenly woke up then it stretched and ran toward Daiviet where its mother was. At last, it arrived where the bell was kissed the bell and lay beside the bell.

Khong Lo realized that thing and he could see what would happen after the bell was dinged. Gold from any where will run toward Daiviet. It was very dangerous that would be a reason for a war so he invited the king to threw the bell way. The king agreed. Few days, Khong Lo took the bell up to the mountain and threw toward Tay lake ( Hồ Tây). The bell stopped in the air upon the lake and ringed few seconds then dropped into the water. The golden buffalo heard the sound, immediately jumped into the lake with its mother. From that, people sometime saw the handle of the bell as the area had very few people. Of course, the golden buffalo also had its strolling on ground and disappeared if it saw any body. Because of the story Tay lake (Hồ Tây) had another name Kim-ngưu (golden buffalo)

THE END

"Translated by Hung Nguyen"

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