steal peach (偷桃)

Steal peach


When I was young, I went to take part in the county test, which coincided with the Spring Festival. According to the old practice, businessmen from all walks of life should carry the decorated colored buildings to the government with gongs and drums, called "Yan Chun". I followed my friends to watch the activity. The day was full of tourists. The four officials sitting in the court all wore red clothes and sat facing each other. I was still young at that time, and I didn't know what officials they were. Only heard the noise of people, drum music noisy ears. Suddenly, a man led a child with hair on his back, carrying a load, as if to say something. A lot of voices were surging, but I didn't hear anything. There were people laughing in the court. Then a Yamen runner in blue said loudly that he wanted them to do magic tricks. The man was glad to receive the instruction and asked, "What trick?" The officials in the court discussed with each other. Yamen runner came down and asked him what he knew. The reply said, "It can change things in different seasons." The Yamen Runner went up and told him. After a while, he came down again and let the artist change into a peach.


The artist agreed, took off his clothes and put them on the bamboo box. He deliberately expressed his resentment and said: "The officer doesn't understand. Now the ice hasn't melted, how can he find peaches? If he doesn't, he may be angry with the officer. What can he do?" His son said: "Father has promised, how can he refuse?" The artist worried for a long time, Then he said, "I think very clearly. There is snow in the beginning of spring. Where can we find it in the world? Only in the Queen Mother's Peach Garden, peach trees will not wither all the year round. Maybe there will be peach trees. They must be stolen from the sky." The son said, "Oh! Can the sky also walk up the stairs?" The father said, "There is magic." So he opened the box, took out a piece of rope, about ten feet long, and put it in order, Throw it into the air. The rope immediately hung in the air, as if something were hanging from it. After a while, the rope was thrown higher and higher, and went into the cloud far away. So he called his son and said, "Come, son! I'm old and heavy, so I can't go. Please go there." So he handed the rope to his son and said, "Take this to climb up." The son took the rope and looked embarrassed, He complained: "Dad is really confused! He wants me to grasp such a rope and climb the sky. If it is broken on the way, can my body be saved?" Father patted him loudly again, He said, "I've said it, and it's too late to regret it. Please go there, son. Don't be afraid of hardship, son. If you can steal it, there will be more than 100 liang silver reward, and I will marry you a beautiful wife." So the son held the rope, circled up, and followed with his hands and feet, just like a spider on the silk web, slowly entering the cloud, and can't see any more. After a long time, a peach fell, as big as a bowl. The artist was very happy and took it to the court. The officials in the hall said that they had watched it for a long time, but they didn't know whether it was true or not. Suddenly, the rope fell on the ground. The artist was frightened and said, "It's over! Someone broke my rope in the sky. How can my son get down?" After a while, something fell down. It was his son's head. He held it in his hands and cried, "It must be because he stole peaches. The guards found that my son was dead!" After a while, one foot fell down, and soon, the limbs fell down, leaving no one on it. The artist was very sad. He picked them up and put them in the boxes one by one and closed them. He said, "The old man has only such a son. He follows me everywhere every day. Now he is playing tricks according to the orders of his adult. I didn't expect such a terrible disaster! I will carry him away and bury him." So he went to the court and knelt down, He said, "My son has been killed because of the peach! If the adults pity the villain and help me bury him, I will pay back the kindness in the next life." The sitting officials were very surprised. They all had rewards. The artists held them and tied them to their pockets, Then he pulled the box and called, "My child, when will we wait until we come out to thank you for the reward?" Suddenly a child with a head covered opened the box with his head and kowtowed to the north. It was his son. Because his tricks are very strange, I still remember them. Later, I heard that the White Lotus Cult can change this magic. I think it's their descendant, right?