MR. SIN, THE CARP
Some years ago there lived in a small town in the province of "The Four Streams" two retired magistrates. Mr. Le, the elder of the two, had been asked to leave the last position he held because it was his custom to levy blackmail whenever he could do so, and he was also charged, let us hope unjustly, with having inflicted torture upon those unfortunate ones who could not, or would not, meet his demands. In fact, he had become so greedy that the people were in a state of rebellion. He was at length made to retire, but not until he had become quite rich.
The other ex-official, Mr. Sin, was quite impulsive. He had been in the habit of worrying the people of his district, and whenever he began to worry anyone, that person had to pay in order to live peacefully. The Chinese are slow to change, but even they will turn in time on a constant worrier. And so Mr. Sin's superiors requested him to resign, and this he did, but not before he also had become quite wealthy.
Chance led these two worthies to the same town, and as their fates had been so much alike, they decided to set up house together. They were both rich, and so able to make themselves very comfortable indeed.
One day Mr. Sin fell sick of a fever, and though this annoyed Mr. Le, who was expecting some rich friends to dinner, he sent for the doctor, and gave directions that Mr. Sin was to be properly looked after.
When the doctor arrived, his patient was in a high fever, so he at once prescribed a mixture of powdered deer horns and dragon's blood, and pills made from hare's liver, these medicines to be taken at intervals. Before leaving the house he took Ting, Sin's valet, aside, and ordered him on no account to leave his master alone, as he might become delirious at any moment.
Ting promised not to leave his master for an instant, but a little later on he heard sounds of merriment in the servants' quarters, and as Mr. Sin had fallen asleep, he quietly went out to enjoy himself among his fellows. He had scarcely left the room, however, when Sin became very restless, rolling his aching head from side to side.
"My head burns, and the pillow scorches!" moaned he. "I am suffocating! O for a breath of the fresh air in the fields and woods! Why should I not go and enjoy it? I will!" he exclaimed, and with that he sprang out of bed, ran out of the room and through the front door, and then down the road and into a neighboring field.
"This is delicious!" he said, as he threw himself down. "Now I can breathe, and am myself again."
But soon his tongue again became parched; his skin burned, and pains pierced his head. "Oh," he cried, "the fire-demon has followed me here! If only I could plunge into a river of cold water I should be well." He arose and wandered on until he saw before him a broad, shining river, into which he immediately plunged.
He was an expert swimmer, and he dived to the bottom, then skimmed along the top, his queue floating on the water, and looking like an eel. "This is happiness," he said; "who would live on land who could live in water?"
Just then he heard close to him a funny sort of chuckle, and turning round, he saw a large fish staring at him with round eyes, and with a peculiar twist of its mouth which Sin could see was caused by laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
"You," replied the fish..
"Why do you laugh at me?" he inquired.
"I laughed at what you said," answered the fish. "The idea of a man knowing what the delight of living in water is was so funny that I couldn't help laughing, and it has made me feel very uncomfortable, because I am not used to doing that."
Then Sin asked why a fish should enjoy the water more than a man, and the fish replied that a man would like to swim and dive for a little while, but his ugly limbs, which made him look like a frog, would soon tire. And then, when a man is hungry, he has to seek his food on land, while a fish can find nourishment while gliding through the water, and that without fatigue and almost without movement.
Then said Sin: "I would give a good deal to be like you."
"Do you mean that you would like to become a fish?"
"I do," said Sin; "and I would give up all the money I squeezed out of the people when I was a magistrate if I could enjoy the river as you do."
"Then come with me," said the fish; and turning round he swam up-stream, going very slowly so that Sin should not lose sight of him.
At length they reached a spot where a huge carp lay, surrounded by attendant fishes. Sin could see he was the king fish by the reverent manner with which the others regarded him.
Sin's guide approached the fish king, and said:
"Your Highness, here is a poor man who wants very much to become a fish, and so I have ventured to bring him into your presence." He then motioned Sin to approach. "Do you really wish to become a fish?" inquired the king.
"I do, your Majesty," replied Sin. "The gentleman who brought me to you has shown me that only fishes can really appreciate life in the river, and I am sure that the full enjoyment of such must be wonderful."
"Then you shall have your desire," said the king, and turning to one of his attendants, he told him to fetch a large fish's skin.
The messenger soon returned with a skin which proved to be just the right size, and into this Sin was put, leaving out only his hands and feet. It was rather uncomfortable at first, and he felt a gradual change coming over him; his arms grew smaller and smaller, and his hands became like fins; his legs and feet went together and took the form of a tail. Then he felt better, and became anxious to try his new powers, so, thanking his Majesty for his kindness, he began to swim away.
"Just a minute," said the king. "I have some advice to give you. No one knows better than you that men are always trying to catch fish, both by hook and net. Now, if ever you see a worm dangling in the water in the shape of a hook, leave it alone, or you will be a dead fish; and if you see a net before you, turn around, and swim the other way."
"Many thanks for your instructions, your Majesty," said Sin, and with that he turned down-stream. It took him a little while to get used to his tail and fins, as he still wanted to strike out with his hands and feet, but by degrees he became used to them, and then he swam swiftly with the current. He felt fine, and greatly enjoyed the new experience.
But after a time he became hungry, and looked around for a worm, and this was something new for him. Perhaps it was because he didn't know how to look for food, but it did seem to him that there was nothing eatable about, although he went from one bank to the other; dived down to the bed of the river, and nosed among the refuse there, but all to no purpose. And he became hungrier and hungrier.
At last he saw a worm, but he noticed that it was in the shape of a hook, and remembering the king's instructions he passed by it, then he came back. He swam to and fro, trying to avoid it, but somehow he couldn't get away from it. The demon of hunger whispered to him, "Eat it; never mind what the old carp said, he knows less than you do. If you are afraid of it, just nibble a little piece off its tail, instead of gulping it all down."
So Sin just pulled off a little piece that was wriggling about, and it tasted so good, that he couldn't resist taking the rest of it, so he greedily swallowed the whole worm.
Quickly was delight turned into pain as the hook, which was hidden in the worm, pierced the roof of his mouth. In terror he tried to swim away, but every movement added to his misery, and soon he found he was being pulled up to the surface. He struggled, but all in vain, and in spite of all he could do, he was drawn out of the water. He looked up, and to his surprise and relief, saw that his captor was one of his own servants.
He spoke to him as well as he could, and said: "Let me go, Chang; I am your master, Sin, and not a fish; take this awful hook out of my mouth, and put me back into the water at once."
Chang was puzzled, because he had never heard a fish make a noise like this before, but he seized the fish, remarking to himself what a wonderfully fine one it was, and tearing the hook out of its jaws, threw it down in the boat.
"You scoundrel!" shouted Sin. "How dare you treat me like this. I dismiss you from my service at once."
"I have heard tales of birds talking," said Chang, "but may I be beaten if I haven't got hold of a fish that talks." With that he turned to the shore, and then he lifted the fish by its gills, and started toward home.
"Oh, you will kill me!" shouted Sin. "I will have you flayed alive for this."
But Chang took no more notice of the strange noises the fish made, and thought only of the present he would receive for bringing home such a fine fish. Sin was feeling weak from pain, and from being out of the water so long. He thought that surely the old porter would know him when he should reach the house, so he ceased his efforts for the present.
As soon as they reached the gate the porter congratulated Chang on the fine fish he had caught, and said that Mr. Le had just sent to know whether he had brought in anything.
"Porter," said Sin, "I am your master, and not a fish. This fellow Chang has caused me great pain, and refuses to put me back into the water. I order you to take me to the river at once."
"This is a queer fish that you have got hold of, Chang," said the porter; "I never heard one make a noise like this before. You had better take it at once to Mr. Le."
"What fools these men are," thought Sin. "I see that I must wait until I can explain the matter to Le."
Chang took the fish straight to Mr. Le, and said: "Your Excellency, here is the finest carp I have ever seen."
"Listen to me, Le," said Sin, as loudly as he could. "I am your friend, Sin, and I put on this fish's skin just to see what it is like to be a fish. This scoundrel Chang has tortured me. Please tell him to put me back into the river, as I wish to take my former shape again."
"This is a very peculiar fish," said Le; "why, he grunts like a pig. Still, he will make a good dish, so take him to the cook."
"Oh!" groaned Sin, "would you eat your old friend, Le?"
But Le didn't understand either, so Chang started for the kitchen. "My only chance now is that the cook will know me," thought Sin.
And now his last hope fled, for as Chang handed the carp to the cook, Sin said as distinctly as he could, "Cook, I am no fish, but Mr. Sin. I have always treated you well, so please take me back to the river."
"This is a noisy carp you have caught, Chang," said the cook, "but he won't grunt much longer. Hand me the chopper."
And now Sin made all the noise he could. He screamed, "Spare me! Spare me, cook." But the cook took no notice of him. Placing him on the kitchen block, he lifted the chopper, and gave him a violent blow on the head.
"Oh!" exclaimed Sin, "what an awful knock I have given myself. I must have fallen out of bed and struck my head on the floor."
He was now thoroughly awake, but it was some time before he could realize that he was safe in his own room, so real had his experiences seemed. But he at length breathed a sigh of relief, for he knew that it was only a dream.