Khong Lo, the god of blacksmiths, was the god who had taught people casting and also the go who governed blacksmiths. Khong Lo early realized that not all blacksmiths were good guy so he used to appear on ground and challenge blacksmiths.
A street blacksmith who used to shoulder tools wander on street and helped people remold metal things.
“Mold pots, mold jars, mold tray, remold metal things”, he cried to let others know he was a blacksmith. The blacksmith was great so he could mold and remold all things people needed in short time. In the time he worked he stayed in house of people who needed him to mold things. When things were molded, he got his money and set off. That was his work.
One day, the blacksmith made his way to a fair. He went cross a forest and met a boy who was shouldering tools as he was. As he saw the blacksmith, the stood and bowed his head politely.
“Do you see anybody go cross the direction you have passed, sir?”, said the boy.
“Who do you find?”, asked the blacksmith.
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“My master. He was about fifty years old, thin and had thick beard. Have you ever seen anyone who look like that?”, said the boy hopefully.
“No, I havent”, replied the blacksmith fastly.
“God, I follow my master to study mold and have not studied the skill. It is so unfortunate as we was separated. Maybe, he has gone on another way. What should I do now”, cried the boy then turned to the blacksmith, “Sir, – uhm - could I --- follow you. I promise I will serve you by all my best. Please sir, let me follow you and teach me your skill. I really really want to be great in casting”.
The blacksmith observed the boy. “He looked so dull”, he thought, “that could be the reason why his master left him. Though, he looks like strong and may be useful in shouldering tools. But, it is unworthy if I have to divide my wage to him”. The blacksmith spent a little time appreciating and turned to the boy. He said:
“I think you are too young to realize entire hardship of this career. Look, your fingers are beautiful that let me know you still don’t study much. You should hear me, come back your home and find another career which is suitable for you”.
“I also have studied somethings that I could be useful for you. I swear that I will serve you by all my best and till the time you are unsatisfied about me, you expel me”, insisted the boy.
When the blacksmith heard swears from the boy, he changed his thinking. He agreed. The boy stood on his knees bent down his head to make a ceremony having master. Later, the boy merged his master’s tools with his tool shouldered and followed his master.
When they nearly arrived to the fair, a person called them to help him mold a large pot. After they discussed about price, the master and the boy started to working. They fired and only short time the blacksmith had done but he realized the student seemed not to know any thing that he did things gawky.
Later, when they had gone out their client’s house, the blacksmith scolded the boy:
“Because you said you had studied something, I brought you to go with me. But, look things you have done, you are no use for me”.
Thought that the boy would be shy but he didn’t. He looked at his master, the blacksmith and replied smoothly:
“Master, my previous master had taught me other way. What he had taught me and what you do are not same”.
“What? Other way. What had he taught you?”, said the blacksmith in surprise.
“My previous master didn’t teach me mold pots, jars or things like that. He taught me to mold people, mold the old to be the young, mold the ugly to be the beautiful”, said the boy proudly.
The blacksmith thought that the boy turned mad, he creamed:
“What are you saying? I have never heard any thing like that and I sure that all people have done like me”.
“What I said you is real and I can show you”, said the boy surely then he showed his master the tools he brought. While the blacksmith was observing the strange tools, the boy added:
“Though I just have studied some things, I can do it easily. Besides, we can get much money each time we do”, said the boy.
The blacksmith turned in deep surprise when he heard the boy describe how to mold people. What he said seemed to be real. Later, the blacksmith trusted.
“Can you do that?”, asked the blacksmith.
“Yes, I can”, “My previous have ever let me do alone one time”, added the boy.
“How does your previous master cry when he wander on streets?”, said the blacksmith.
“Mold the old to be the young, mold white hair to be black hair, mold the eighty-year-old man to be thirteen-year-old child, mold seventy-year-old woman to be seventeen-year-old girl. Who do want to change? Come here, come here”, said the boy.
The blacksmith seemed to turn more curiously. He asked the boy to do that thing immediately.
“Now, we stop my business and start you business. Cry as your previous master and get some clients. I want to see but I will not responsible for your guilty if it happens”, said the blacksmith.
Then, they made their way to a village. A landlord hear their voice sprinted to them
“How? How can you mold a seventy-year-old-man to be a seventeen-year-old boy?”, said the landlord.
“Oh! It is same as we mold a pot but we mold people who are old to be young, are ugly to be beautiful, are weak to be strong”, said the boy.
“Realy, my father has been seventy years old and he is so weak that he has to spend the rest of time in bed. Therefore, I want you to mold him to be younger and stronger. I will give you much money”, said the landlord.
“Five hundred silver coins and besides, you have to serve us food and drinks. You also prepare for us a private room and coals, we will use them”, said the boy.
“Done. You have things you need”, said the landlord.
They made a commitment then started their work.
The blacksmith observed and realized the boy seemed very professional. Firstly, the boy signed on commitment paper then he sat on table and enjoyed the meal which was cooked for them. Later, the boy led the blacksmith into the private room and started working. They made a clay mold and short time later, they had done. Later, the boy brought the old man in and took off his clothes. The boy kicked the old man a hit. The old man died but the boy didn’t felt nervous he put the old man into the mold. He continued he placed a large pot of liquid on furnace. Three days later, the liquid turned less flexible. He poured the liquid into the mold and waited. Till three days later, he opened the mold. Course, the person in the mold started moving, his toes, his fingers then his body. The person had many similarities with the old man but he was young with black hair and seemed to have vitality.
The blacksmith now could relieve the dead had resurrected and also turned young and healthy. The landlord was very happy as he saw his father tuned young and healthy. He said thanked and gave them their wage and including some presents he gifted them. The boy divided the things in two and gave his master a half that made the blacksmith was happy and give the boy praises.
“It is not difficult to do and also gives me much money as I do it”, thought the blacksmith in secret.
Later, the boy and the blacksmith left. They went to another village. Their client, that time, was a wealthy trader who had a ugly woman. Therefore, he wanted them to remold his wife to be beautiful. What happened was same the previous time. They made a clay mold, made the woman die and put her in the mold, boil the liquid then poured into the mold. After six days working, the wife turned beautiful and healthy as they opened the mold.
“He could do all magical things because of tools which his previous master left. It is too easy that a child can do and why don’t I usurp tools and do my business”, thought the blacksmith secretly as he took money the boy gave him.
Next day when they had gone to other village, the blacksmith accused the boy stole his money to the local mandarin. Though the boy didn’t admit, people found the money in his pocket which, of course, was put in his pocket while he was sleeping by the blacksmith. The boy was prisoned and course, all tools was fallen in blacksmith’s hands. The blacksmith brought the things away to a village. That time, his client wanted him to remold an eighty-year-old man to turn young. The blacksmith did what the boy had done, signing, making a mold, making the man die, boiled the liquid and waiting. But, the result was not like his expectation that after six days working, he opened the mold and realized the liquid was still flexibility and the old man was still the dead old man. The blacksmith turned nervous, he closed the mold and waited another three days but he was still unsuccessful. Sons of the old man felt impatient broke in the room. That moment, he turned to panic but still kept his head he insisted them to wait him more three days. Three days passed, he opened the mold and immediately fell in hopelessness. The sons caught him and beat him painfully. Later, they escorted him to district mandarin.
On the way he was escorted, he felt remorseful. He begged his god, Khong Lo to save him. He swore that he would jettison his bad habits and would do his career well. He had muttered for whole two days till the third day they went in a restaurant, the blacksmith saw the boy in surprise. The boy, now, was in the restaurant. Immediately, the blacksmith stood on his knees he begged the boy violently to help him. The boy looked at him and smile, he said loudly:
“I am myself Khong Lo. You should be punished worse but you have begged me sincerely for days and show me your remorse. Therefore, I decide to forgive you this time but you have to say other blacksmiths – don’t cheat anyone though you are in poverty”.
When the words finished, there had a pop and the boy disappeared. But, people also heard a voice from distance a son of the old man sprinted to. He said in an interrupted voice:
“I—don’t wanna – accuse him anymore. My -- father – has ReVived”.
The blacksmith was released at one then he said other blacksmiths about his experience that forced them not to do bad things because their god always observed them and could change them whenever he wanted.
THE END
"Translator: Hung Nguyen"
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