Legends and Stories of the New Territories
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each other. Soon the net was torn to pieces, and the buffaloes slipped out of the net and disappeared, and when the astonished fisherman turned round to Pooi To, he had disappeared too.
The
After this Pool To went to the capital city, and stayed in the house of a rich man named,Ch'an () a native of Naam 'Chau (HM). Later stories reached Chan that there was another Pooi To in the city. Chan and his four sons could not believe it, but as the people who told them persisted, Chan resolved to find out for himself. Leaving Pool To in the house, he went with his sons into the town, and found, to his surprise, another monk exactly like Pooi To sitting there. Then Chan prepared a box of honey-ginger, which he gave to the new Pooi To, together with a knife to cut the ginger and a handkerchief dipped in fragrant water. monk put the box on his lap, and started to cat the ginger, but however much he ate, the same amount remained in the box. So Chan decided that this man must indeed be Pooi To, and telling his two younger sons to remain with him, he went home again with the others. When they opened the door of their house they found Pooi To sitting there and on his lap was a box of honey ginger, a knife and a handkerchief dipped in fragrant water. He held out the knife to Chan, saying, "This is not sharp enough to cut the ginger. Sharpen it." While Chan was doing this, the two younger sons returned home, and reported that they had followed the monk in the city to the monastery of Ling Tsau (+). Then Pooi To asked to be given two pieces of yellow paper, and he wrote some characters on the back of each. No one could under- stand the characters or even knew what language they were, and when Chan asked him what he was writing Pooi To gave no reply. He folded the papers together, and shortly afterwards disappeared.
3
About that time a certain official or minister named 'Chue,Ling1K'ei (*) was on his way down from Korea to China in a small vessel. He met a typhoon and the boat was tossed about the sea for nine days and then driven on to the shore of an island. The island consisted of a steep mountain, and here Chue and his companions wandered about trying to find food and help. At last they came to a grasscutters path which they followed. After walking about ten miles they heard the sound of monastery bells and smelt the fragrance of burning joss sticks. Filled with hope they knelt and prayed to Buddha to bring them to safety. Then they came to a monastery, large and beautifully decorated, and saw ten or more priests outside, but coming nearer they found that they were made of stone. The travellers were amazed, and being afraid began to pray to be forgiven of their sins. In the distance they heard a voice shouting to them, and searching in the direction of the voice they came across another priest, but found he also was made of stone. Many times they heard voices calling them, but could find nothing but stone figures. Then they said to each other, "Those are all Saints, we are unworthy wicked men, so how can we see them," and they knelt down and prayed very earnestly for for- giveness. When they had finished praying they looked up and saw a real priest coming towards them, who welcomed them kindly and brought them into the monastery. A meal was set before them, all the dishes were
July 1935.
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