Literature of antiquity and the Middle Ages - Summary - 2019

The Taoist's Curse
Lin Mengchu

In ancient times, a long time, nearby, there lived a sage-Taos Chuangtsi and a certain Mo Guan, a respectable age rich peasant. And in the village there was an orphan who found shelter from strangers. His name was Podkidysh. He was a negligent, but he paid attention to the Taoist and ordered daily repetition of the Taoist spell in order to find joy in a dream.

He repeated the mysterious words a hundred times, and he saw a dream. As if he is an educated nobleman, it is not called Podkidysh but Blooming. And he was summoned to the court, and wrote a report highly valued by the sovereign. Rides on a proud horse with a retinue. But then he woke up and the vision disappeared.

Just at this time, the rich man needed a shepherd. He hired Hedgehog. He went to the new home and again, before dawn, he repeated the Taoist spell. And again he saw the same dream, exactly from the place on which last morning interrupted.

So the life of the guy was flowing: he was drinking oxen in the afternoon, and at the night he became an important granddaughter, even with a royal daughter, he was born. Somehow, in a dream, he met with a learned scholar and boasted humbly before his happy destiny. Woke up, and in the face of the flock the incident happened: the oxen died.

Decided Podkidysh; when in a dream joy, in life one is disappointment - and ceased to read the spell. But immediately and in a dream, the happiness turned away from him, and in the end the failures went on: the owner's ass was in vain. He went to the shepherd to climb the mountains to heal herbs and found a treasure under the bush. He shared his wealth with his master, and he took him to the house and adopted him.

Now everything has changed: the young man was happy in the day, but in his dream he was tormented by nightmares. The rich man even called for a doctor to him. It turned out to be the same Taoist that he taught the young man a spell. He explained that in such a way he wanted to instill in him the concept of imperfection of life.

And then came to Prameysh the present insight. He decided to quit wealth and leave with the Taoist. Both of them disappeared like clouds in the sky. True, the young man became a heavenly man.