The Tale of the Rabbit#2
The Turtle Steps Forward
From morning until midday, the questioning and answering continued endlessly, without reaching any conclusion. At last, one minister stepped forward and spoke.
“Loyalty is the foremost virtue among the Three Bonds and Five Relationships. In the Spring and Autumn period, the loyal minister Qu Yuan of Chu, having been slandered and exiled, threw himself into a river. And Wu Zixu of the state of Wu, after death, had his body cast into the river.
My ancestors lived along the river where Qu Yuan perished, and later married into the region where Wu Zixu’s body was cast. My grandfather consumed the flesh of Qu Yuan, and my grandmother consumed the flesh of Wu Zixu—thus the spirits of loyal ministers filled their bodies. Because of this, I too was born with loyalty within me.
If consuming my own liver could cure Your Majesty, I would offer it at once - but since it must be a rabbit’s liver, I shall do whatever it takes to obtain one.”
Not only the Dragon King, but all the ministers were astonished. Looking closely, they realized it was the Palace Official—the Turtle—whom they had always looked down upon.
The Dragon King, still doubtful, questioned him carefully.
“To capture a rabbit, one must travel tens of thousands of li from the underwater world to the mountains on land. In those mountains live hundreds of kinds of furred beasts - how would you recognize a rabbit among them? And even if, by fortune, you were to encounter one, how would you bring it here?
To accomplish such a task, one would need the wisdom of Zhuge Liang, the swift feet of a heavenly steed, eloquence enough to repay a thousand nyang of debt with a single word, and the strength to pull out an iron horn with bare hands. And yet, looking at you - how could you possibly manage such a task? You would be far better suited as an ingredient for turtle soup to accompany wine.”
(Zhuge Liang was a legendary strategist of the Shu kingdom during China’s Three Kingdoms period, and a symbol of extraordinary wisdom and cunning.)
“Loyalty, wisdom, and eloquence reside within the heart and cannot be judged by outward appearance alone. Yet even by appearance, I lack nothing. I can withdraw and extend my neck at will, as though transforming my very form; within this pointed head is filled with wisdom; and even if it costs me my life, I will surely bring here a rabbit. Therefore, please have its form drawn in detail.”
Hearing the turtle’s reply, the Dragon King was impressed and praised him.
“There is no subject as loyal as you.”
At once, he summoned the mermaid painter and ordered her to draw a rabbit. But as a painter of the underwater world, she had never seen a rabbit, nor even an image of one. As all the ministers grew anxious and uncertain, the Abalone stepped forward.
“In a previous life, I was a pheasant and lived in the mountains. While fleeing hunters, the easiest prey alongside me was always the rabbit. We fled together and helped one another, and even now the image of the rabbit lingers before my eyes. Paint it as I describe.”
And so, the abalone instructed, and the mermaid painted.
She drew eyes that gaze at moonlight shining over the mountains; ears pricked up to hear birdsong; a nose that takes in the scent of spring blossoms; a mouth that gathers chestnuts and acorns; legs that leap swiftly to escape hunting dogs; and soft fur used for making brushes.
With ears upright, eyes bright and alert, a slender waist, and a short tail - the image was unmistakably that of a rabbit.
The turtle took the painting, placed it within his neck, and withdrew it so completely that it could not be seen.
Having secured the painting carefully, the turtle bade farewell to the Dragon King. The Dragon King spoke again:
“In ancient China, Emperor Qin Shi Huang sent his subject Xu Fu in search of the elixir of immortality. Once he departed, he never returned - how pitiful that is. There is no subject as loyal as you. Go swiftly to the human world and bring a rabbit here. If my illness is cured, I shall reward you with land, to be passed down through your descendants for generations.”
The turtle took his leave and returned home to get ready for his journey. By then, his relatives had already heard the news and gathered to see him off. His mother spoke with concern:
“Your father, greedy for food, once bit a fishing hook and died at a young age. And now you, too, set out to seek medicine to cure the King’s illness. Devote yourself fully to the task - but if you fail to obtain it, do not even think of returning. Rather, die there and let your bones rest in that place.”
The turtle replied,
“I will devote myself with all sincerity to finding the medicine, cure the King’s illness, and put your mind at ease. Please do not worry.”
Then his wife spoke her farewell.
“A husband and wife are not meant to be apart even for a moment. Yet loyalty to one’s ruler is greater than the bond between husband and wife. Even if you should die in service to the King, I will bear no regret. I will care well for your aged mother and raise our young children properly, so do not worry about the household. Simply bring the rabbit here and cure the king’s illness.”
Hearing her words, the Turtle said,
“Truly, you are the wife of a loyal subject. I will do as you say. Please take good care of Mother, and do not let the children wander far.”
After bidding farewell to his wife, his relatives came one by one to offer their parting words - cousins, uncles, in-laws - even a snail from the land.
Encounter in the Mountains
At last, the turtle set out toward the land. He cut through the blue waves and swam diligently until he reached the shore. Searching for the place where rabbits dwell, he wandered from mountain to mountain. Each peak held legends, and every valley bore traces of stories long past.
After roaming across countless mountains, he finally arrived at one place. The sun was setting, and mist began to spread through the valley, covering the mountains. All around was silent, without a single sign of life.
He hid himself among the rocks, dozed briefly, then continued on his journey. Walking through the night, he reached a peak where the morning sun shone, and the sound of a waterfall roared loudly.
As he sat down to rest, a creature passed by, its body drenched in morning dew, droplets falling from its entire form. Seeing the turtle, it greeted him first.
“Where do you come from?”
Looking closely, the turtle saw that the creature looked remarkably like himself.
“Wherever I go, I am but a wanderer, with no fixed home. But who might you be?”
“Our ancestors once served as officials in the underwater palace of the southern seas. But my grandfather, being upright in character, spoke honestly to the king and was slandered by lesser men, and thus exiled to the human world. Since then, he never returned to his homeland, living instead in the mountains, reciting poetry among the rocks.
People who saw him praised him, comparing him to Qu Yuan of Chu, the loyal minister, and called him Master Namseong. Qu Yuan, as you know, was exiled for offering honest counsel to his ruler and ultimately cast himself into a river - his integrity and righteousness were beyond reproach.
His wife waited endlessly for his return, and in time, she too came to live on land. From then on, our family settled here, bearing children and continuing our line. Since we have inherited my grandfather’s title through generations, the father is called Namseong, the son Namseong, the grandson Namseong - and so it continues even to the great-grandchildren.”
Hearing this, the turtle realized that the creature belonged to the same lineage as himself.
“Truly, the affairs of the world are beyond comprehension. In the time of our ancestors, there was once a tale that six brothers of our lineage, divided into different branches and dwelling in the waters, joined their strength to uphold the Three Sacred Mountains. I had believed that their line had ended without descendants, yet hearing your words, it seems that you are indeed of that lineage.”
The Namsaeng began to weep as he spoke.
“We were born of the same ancestor, yet scattered across water and land, only now to meet - how could I not rejoice? But for what reason have you, with such a noble presence, come so far?”
The turtle replied, concealing his true purpose:
“A great calamity has befallen our underwater palace. There is no one there skilled in choosing a proper dwelling place, and so, having heard that rabbits who live in the mountains possess keen sight, I have come to invite one to our palace. Yet I do not know what a rabbit looks like. For months I have wandered from mountain to mountain, but I have not yet encountered one.”
The Namsaeng answered,
“When important matters arise in the mountains, all the furred beasts gather to discuss them. Recently, word came from a squirrel that on the fifteenth day of this month, there will be a gathering at Mount Nang’a. Stay at my home, and on that day, come with me - you will surely see a rabbit there.”
This was most welcome news. Overjoyed, the turtle followed the Namsaeng to his home.
The Assembly of the Mountain Beasts
At last, the day of the gathering arrived. The turtle, together with the Namsaeng, went to Mount Nang’a. Countless animals gathered, each displaying its splendid coat - Qilin, elephants, lions, bears, monkeys, tigers, deer, roe deer, rabbits, lynxes, foxes, mice, squirrels, raccoon dogs, wild boars, badgers, weasels, eagles, toads - indeed, it seemed that every creature of the mountains had assembled.
Once all had gathered, they began to arrange their seating. Each insisted on yielding the highest place to another, and for a time, the place was filled with lively commotion. When all urged the Qilin to take the highest seat, it declined.
The Qilin, a mythical creature of Chinese legend, is said to appear only when a virtuous ruler ascends the throne or when a great person is born.
“I am not a creature of this world. Hearing that a noble ruler has newly ascended in the land of the Eastern sages, I merely stopped here on my journey. How could a traveler take the highest seat?”
As the Qilin refused to the very end, a separate place was arranged for it to the side. At the center sat the tiger, the ruler of the mountains, and beside him were seated the deer, the roe deer, the rabbit, the fox, the lynx, and others in orderly rows.
After the commotion subsided and the seats were settled, the tiger spoke of the purpose of the gathering.
“The reason we have gathered today is to discuss the danger that has befallen us. Humans grow more frightening with each passing day, devising countless schemes to hunt and devour us. The forests are diminishing, leaving us with fewer places to hide. At this rate, our kind may vanish entirely - how pitiable our fate has become. Let us put our heads together and seek a solution.”
The raccoon dog stepped forward and said,
“The most detestable among them are the hunting dogs. They are creatures just like us - covered in fur and walking on four legs - yet they cling to humans and take the lead in killing their own kind. When hunters enter the mountains, we flee with all our strength and barely manage to hide deep within burrows, only for those dogs to chase us down and bark relentlessly. Despite all their effort, the prey they catch belongs to the hunter, and they themselves gain not even a morsel of meat. Yet for no reason at all, they slaughter their own kind. From now on, we should capture and devour all hunting dogs.”
The tiger replied, somewhat subdued,
“Your words are true. Their actions are indeed detestable. But they accompany the finest hunters - if we act rashly, we will be struck down by bullets. No matter how resentful we may feel, we cannot simply devour them all.”
After various discussions, the fox quietly stepped forward and had the squirrel’s stores of acorns and chestnuts brought forth, and even demanded that the wild boar’s large offspring be offered as food for the tiger. The wild boar was filled with anger, yet had no choice.
Seeing this, the righteous bear could remain silent no longer and spoke:
“We gathered here today to find a way to escape danger. Yet now the poor mouse and squirrel have lost the food they stored for winter, and the helpless wild boar must sit and watch its child be devoured. If we remain any longer, who knows what further misfortune may befall us? Let us end this here and return.”
The tiger, embarrassed, had nothing to say. Muttering vaguely, he brought the meeting to a close. But the fox, angered by the bear’s words, harbored resentment in his heart.
“That foolish bear - I will deal with him one day.”
The Turtle Lures the Rabbit
The animals of the mountains dispersed, each returning home without having achieved anything of value.
The turtle, who had remained quietly beside the Namsaeng throughout the gathering, observing and listening to all that took place, now rose. As the meeting ended, he followed closely behind a rabbit who was making its way back.
When they reached a quiet place where no one else was around, he softly called out to the rabbit.
“Good sir, Master Rabbit.”