CULTURE & ARTS
48 Gwangju Writes
Tale of the Mighty Four
www.gwangjunewsgic.com
December 2021
By Stephen Kagarise
T
here was once an old couple who, having offered a prayer to Buddha, were blessed at last with what they had hoped for, a son. But sadly, their son could not stand or sit, or take a few steps, or speak a few words, not even on his first or second birthday, or his third. Too weak to move, he could only twitch his face. One day, his parents woke to find that he was gone. They searched the house, unsure of how a boy who could not walk, climb, or leap could have gotten far. After an hour they found him, by the path to the mountain, sitting on a rock. “Mother, Father, let’s take this rock back to our yard at home.” The boy was only seven, and the rock was massive, but even so, to the amazement of his parents, he lifted it and set it on his shoulder. They nearly fainted, as off he went.
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This child was now as strong as anyone in the town. No matter its weight or size, he could lift any rock. For that, he was given the name “Rock.” Over time he got stronger and stronger, until, at twelve, he could have fought anyone, anywhere, and been the victor. Ten years later, war broke out. A mighty nation had invaded, and though the people tried to turn them back, their troops, in twos and threes, could not resist the flood. Like an oil lamp blown by the wind, it seemed that doom was near. Rock knew about the war. He thought, “Perhaps I can help.” Throwing a knapsack over his shoulder, he said goodbye to his parents. After a few hours of walking, he saw a willow in the distance. Its branches were rising to the sky, and then falling back down. Going closer, he saw a man beneath the tree. Through his gaping nostrils, his breath would
2021-11-26 �� 2:47:47
