2. Kiám-chhái i tìm chio̍h-thâu lo̍h Tn̂g-siâⁿ
Hông-tè siang-chhiú phok chi̍t-ē. "Heh, ūi-peng!" Ūi-peng tō cháu kòe-lâi. "Lia̍h chit-ê lâng." Ūi-peng kā poe-lâng lia̍h khí-lâi. "Kiò kòe-chú-chhiú lâi," Hông-tè kóng. "Taⁿ sī án-chóaⁿ lah!" poe-lâng chhut-siaⁿ hoah, khí tōa kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ. "Góa kám ū chhòng siáⁿ sioh?" I khai-sí háu chhut-siaⁿ, he chóa chò ê ke-si mā hoat-chhut sa-sa kiò ê siaⁿ.
"Chia chit-ê lâng chò chi̍t-ê ke-khì," Hông-tè kóng, "soah mn̄g lán kóng i kám ū chhòng siáⁿ. I bô liáu-kái ka-tī. I kan-ta ē-hiáu hoat-bêng, m̄-chai sī án-chóaⁿ i boeh án-ne chò, mā m̄-chai hit-ê mi̍h ū siáⁿ lō͘-iōng."
Kòe-chú-chhiú the̍h chi̍t-ki lāi kiàm-kiàm ê gîn pó͘-thâu cháu kàu-ūi. I khiā leh, nn̄g-ki hián-lō͘ kin-bah jîn-jîn ê chho͘ chhiú-kut chún-pī hó-sè, i ê bīn kòa chi̍t-ê pêng-chēng ê pe̍h-sek bīn-khak.
"Sió-tán leh," Hông-tè kóng. I kiâⁿ kàu piⁿ-á ê toh-á, téng-koân ū chi̍t-ê i chhòng-chō ê ke-khì. Hông-tè ùi ka-tī ām-kún the̍h-chhut chi̍t-ki sió-sió ê kim só-sî. Hông-tè kā só-sî chhah-ji̍p hit-tâi sè koh cheng-bi̍t ê ke-khì, kā hoat-tiâu ká ân. Jiân-āu i pàng khui hō͘ ke-khì ūn-choán.
Hit-ê ke-khì tō sī chi̍t-ê kō͘ kim-sio̍k hām chu-pó só͘ chò ê hoe-hn̂g. Ūn-choán ê sî, chiáu-á tī kim-sio̍k chhiū-á téng chhiùⁿ-koa, hô͘-lî tī bî-hêng chhiū-nâ tiong kiâⁿ-tāng, sè-sè ê lâng tī ji̍t-kng hām chhiū-iáⁿ tiong-kan cháu lâi cháu khì, kō͘ sè-sè ê khôe-sìⁿ ná ia̍t-hong, ná thiaⁿ húi-chhùi chiáu ê koa, koh khiā tiām tī sè kah bē-tàng koh sè, iū-koh tin-tin tiang-tiang chhut-siaⁿ ê chúi-chôaⁿ piⁿ-á.
"Che kám m̄-sī chin súi?" Hông-tè kóng. "Lí nā mn̄g góa tī chia chhòng siáⁿ, góa ē-tàng hō͘ lí chin hó ê hôe-tap. Góa hō͘ chiáu-á chhiùⁿ-koa, góa hō͘ chhiū-nâ su-su chhut-siaⁿ, góa siat-tēng lâng tī chit-phìⁿ chhiū-nâ sàn-pō͘, hiáng-siū chhiū-hio̍h, im-iáⁿ hām koa-siaⁿ. Che tō sī góa chò ê it-chhè."
"M̄-koh, oh, Hông-siōng ah!" poe-lâng án-ne khún-kiû, i kūi tī thô͘-kha, ba̍k-sái lâu móa i ê bīn. "Góa chò ê mā sī lūi-sū ê tāi-chì. Góa hoat-hiān bí-lē, góa poe khí tī chá-sî ê hong tang-tiong. Góa khòaⁿ lo̍h só͘-ū iáu teh khùn ê chhù hām hoe-hn̂g. Góa phīⁿ tio̍h hái ê bī, ùi góa hit-ê koân-koân ê só͘-chāi, khòaⁿ kòe soaⁿ-lūn, góa sīm-chì ē-tàng khòaⁿ tio̍h hái. Góa ná-chhiūⁿ chiáu-á án-ne poe khí; oh, tī téng-koân, tī thiⁿ-téng hia, góa kóng bē-chhut ū gōa-nī-á súi, hong tī góa ê chiu-ûi chhoe, hō͘ góa ū-sî ná chi̍t-ki ú-mô͘, ū-sî ná chi̍t-ki khôe-sìⁿ, tō ná-chhiūⁿ chá-sî thiⁿ-téng ê khì-bī án-ne! Hō͘ lâng kám-kak gōa-nī-á chū-iû chū-chāi! He sī bí-lē, Hông-siōng ah, he mā sī chin-chiàⁿ ê súi!"
"Sī ah," Hông-tè thiàⁿ-sim kóng, "góa chai lí kóng-ê bô m̄-tio̍h. In-ūi góa kám-kak góa ê sim tòe lí tī thiⁿ-téng iô-tāng, góa siūⁿ boeh chai-iáⁿ: He chhiūⁿ siáⁿ? He kám-kak án-chóaⁿ? Ùi hiah-koân khòaⁿ hn̄g-hn̄g ê chúi-tî sī siáⁿ-khoán? Góa ê chhù hām lô͘-po̍k sī siáⁿ-khoán? Ná káu-hiā? Hn̄g-hn̄g ê siâⁿ-tìn sī-m̄-sī iáu-bōe khùn-chhéⁿ?"
"Nā án-ne, lí tio̍h pàng góa cháu!"
"M̄-koh, ū sî-chūn," Hông-tè kóng, piàn-chò koh-khah siong-sim, "ūi-tio̍h pó-chhî í-keng ū ê chi̍t-tiám-á súi, lán tio̍h hòng-khì lēng-gōa chi̍t-tiám-á súi. Góa pēng m̄-sī kiaⁿ lí, lí pún-lâng, m̄-koh góa kiaⁿ-ê sī lēng-gōa ê lâng."
"Siáⁿ-mih lâng?"
"Lēng-gōa ê lâng, in-ūi khòaⁿ tio̍h lí, ē kiàn-chō chi̍t-ê chhin-chhiūⁿ che, ū kng-iām ê chóa hām tek-á ê mi̍h-kiāⁿ. M̄-koh, hit-ê lâng ê bīn-chhiuⁿ pháiⁿ-khòaⁿ, sim-koaⁿ siâ-ok, bí-lē bô koh chûn-chāi. Góa só͘ kiaⁿ-ê sī hit-lō lâng."
"Sī án-chóaⁿ? Sī án-chóaⁿ?"
"Siáng ē-tàng kóng, ū chi̍t-kang hit-lō lâng, chhēng chit-chióng chóa hām lô͘-tek ê ke-si, khó-lêng bē tī thiⁿ-téng poe, bē hiòng China Tn̂g-siâⁿ tìm tōa chio̍h-thâu?"
Bô lâng tín-tāng, mā bô lâng kóng-ōe.
"Phut-tiāu i ê thâu," Hông-tè kóng.
Kòe-chú-chhiú hui-tāng i ê gîn pó͘-thâu.
"Kā hong-chhoe hām hoat-bêng-ka ê sí-thé sio-tiāu, koh kā in ê hóe-hu tâi chò-hóe." Hông-tè kóng.
Ūi-peng tō chiàu chí-sī khì chò.
Hông-tè oa̍t hiòng hit-ê khòaⁿ tio̍h poe-lâng ê lô͘-po̍k, kóng: "Lí ê chhùi tio̍h ha̍p khah ân leh. Che put-kò sī chi̍t-tiûⁿ bāng, chi̍t-ê pi-ai koh bí-lē ê bāng. Hit-ê tī hn̄g-hn̄g chhân-nih mā ū khòaⁿ tio̍h ê chò-sit-lâng, khì kā i kóng, i nā jīn-ûi che put-kò sī hoàn-kak, i tō ū siúⁿ. Chit-ê siau-sit nā thoân chhut-khì, lí hām hit-ê chò-sit-lâng sûi-sî tio̍h sí."
"To-siā lí ê jîn-chû, Hông-siōng."
"M̄-sī, che m̄-sī jîn-chû," lāu Hông-tè kóng. I khòaⁿ tio̍h, tī hoe-hn̂g ûi-chhiûⁿ gōa-bīn, ūi-peng tng-teh sio hit-tâi sàn-hoat tio̍h chá-sî khì-bī ê, bí-lē ê chóa hām lô͘-tek ê ke-khì. I khòaⁿ he o͘-ian peh-chiūⁿ thiⁿ-téng. "M̄-sī, kan-ta sī hui-siông bê-he̍k koh kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ." I khòaⁿ tio̍h ūi-peng tī hia teh óe chi̍t-ê khang, boeh tâi hiah-ê hóe-hu. "Chi̍t-lâng ê sèⁿ-miā boeh án-chóaⁿ hām pah-bān lâng ê sèⁿ-miā pí-phēng ah? Góa tio̍h ùi chit-ê siūⁿ-hoat tit-tio̍h an-ùi."
I the̍h ām-kún liān-á ê só-sî, koh chi̍t-pái ká ân bí-lē sió hoe-hn̂g ê hoat-tiâu. I khiā tī Tn̂g-siâⁿ khòaⁿ hiòng kok-thó͘, an-lêng ê siâⁿ-tìn, chheⁿ-sek ê chhân-hn̂g, iáu ū khe hām hô. I thó͘ chi̍t-ê tn̂g-khùi. Sió hoe-hn̂g khòaⁿ bē-tio̍h ê iù-lō͘ ki-koan chhut chi̍t-ê siaⁿ, tō khí-tāng; sió jîn-bu̍t tī chhiū-nâ kiâⁿ-tāng, sè-sè ê bīn keng-kòe chiò ji̍t ê khàng-tē, hó-khòaⁿ ê phôe-hu teh hoat-kng, sió-sió ê chhiū-á tiong-kan, poe-kòe koân-siaⁿ chhiùⁿ-koa ê, ū kng-iām nâ kap n̂g ê sè-chiah chiáu-á, poe ah poe, poe ah poe, tī hit-ê sió-sió ê thiⁿ-téng.
"Oh," Hông-tè kóng, ba̍k-chiu kheh-kheh, "khòaⁿ hiah-ê chiáu-á, lí khòaⁿ hiah-ê chiáu-á!"
(Soah)
--
2. 檢采伊 tìm 石頭落長城
皇帝雙手 phok 一下. "Heh, 衛兵!" 衛兵 tō 走過來. "掠這个人." 衛兵 kā 飛人掠起來. "叫劊子手來," 皇帝講. "今是按怎 lah!" 飛人出聲喝, 起大驚惶. "我敢有創啥 sioh?" 伊開始吼出聲, he 紙做 ê 家私 mā 發出 sa-sa 叫 ê 聲.
"遮這个人做一个機器," 皇帝講, "煞問咱講伊敢有創啥. 伊無了解家己. 伊干焦會曉發明, 毋知是按怎伊欲 án-ne 做, mā 毋知彼个物有啥路用."
劊子手提一支利劍劍 ê 銀斧頭走到位. 伊徛 leh, 兩支顯露筋肉仁仁 ê 粗手骨準備好勢, 伊 ê 面掛一个平靜 ê 白色面殼.
"小等 leh," 皇帝講. 伊行到邊仔 ê 桌仔, 頂懸有一个伊創造 ê 機器. 皇帝 ùi 家己頷頸提出一支小小 ê 金鎖匙. 皇帝 kā 鎖匙插入彼台細 koh 精密 ê 機器, kā 發條絞絚. 然後伊放開予機器運轉.
彼个機器 tō 是一个 kō͘ 金屬和珠寶所做 ê 花園. 運轉 ê 時, 鳥仔 tī 金屬樹仔頂唱歌, 狐狸 tī 微型樹林中 kiâⁿ-tāng, 細細 ê 人 tī 日光和樹影中間走來走去, kō͘ 細細 ê 葵扇 ná 擛風, ná 聽翡翠鳥 ê 歌, koh 徛恬 tī 細甲袂當 koh 細, 又閣 tin-tin tiang-tiang 出聲 ê 水泉邊仔.
"這敢毋是真媠?" 皇帝講. "你若問我 tī 遮創啥, 我會當予你真好 ê 回答. 我予鳥仔唱歌, 我予樹林 su-su 出聲, 我設定人 tī 這片樹林散步, 享受樹葉, 陰影和歌聲. 這 tō 是我做 ê 一切."
"毋過, oh, 皇上 ah!" 飛人 án-ne 懇求, 伊跪 tī 塗跤, 目屎流滿伊 ê 面. "我做 ê mā 是類似 ê 代誌. 我發現美麗, 我飛起 tī 早時 ê 風當中. 我看落所有猶 teh 睏 ê 厝和花園. 我鼻著海 ê 味, ùi 我彼个懸懸 ê 所在, 看過山崙, 我甚至會當看著海. 我若像鳥仔 án-ne 飛起; oh, tī 頂懸, tī 天頂遐, 我講袂出有 gōa-nī-á 媠, 風 tī 我 ê 周圍吹, 予我有時 ná 一支羽毛, 有時 ná 一支葵扇, tō 若像早時天頂 ê 氣味 án-ne! 予人感覺 gōa-nī-á 自由自在! 彼是美麗, 皇上 ah, 彼 mā 是真正 ê 媠!"
"是 ah," 皇帝疼心講, "我知你講 ê 無毋著. 因為我感覺我 ê 心綴你 tī 天頂搖動, 我想欲知影: 彼像啥? 彼感覺按怎? Ùi hiah 懸看遠遠 ê 水池是啥款? 我 ê 厝和奴僕是啥款? Ná 狗蟻? 遠遠 ê 城鎮是毋是猶未睏醒?"
"若 án-ne, 你著放我走!"
"毋過, 有時陣," 皇帝講, 變做閣較傷心, "為著保持已經有 ê 一點仔媠, 咱著放棄另外一點仔媠. 我並毋是驚你, 你本人, 毋過我驚 ê 是另外 ê 人."
"啥乜人?"
"另外 ê 人, 因為看著你, 會建造一个親像這, 有光艷 ê 紙和竹仔 ê 物件. 毋過, 彼个人 ê 面腔歹看, 心肝邪惡, 美麗無閣存在. 我所驚 ê 是彼號人."
"是按怎? 是按怎?"
"Siáng 會當講, 有一工彼號人, 穿這種紙和蘆竹 ê 家私, 可能袂 tī 天頂飛, 袂向 China 長城 tìm 大石頭?"
無人振動, mā 無人講話.
"刜掉伊 ê 頭," 皇帝講.
劊子手揮動伊 ê 銀斧頭.
"Kā 風吹和發明家 ê 死體燒掉, koh kā in ê 火烌埋做伙." 皇帝講.
衛兵 tō 照指示去做.
皇帝越向彼个看著飛人 ê 奴僕, 講: "你 ê 喙著合較絚 leh. 這不過是一場夢, 一个悲哀 koh 美麗 ê 夢. 彼个 tī 遠遠田 nih mā 有看著 ê 做穡人, 去 kā 伊講, 伊若認為這不過是幻覺, 伊 tō 有賞. 這个消息若傳出去, 你和彼个做穡人隨時著死."
"多謝你 ê 仁慈, 皇上."
"毋是, 這毋是仁慈," 老皇帝講. 伊看著, tī 花園圍牆外面, 衛兵 tng-teh 燒彼台散發著早時氣味 ê, 美麗 ê 紙和蘆竹 ê 機器. 伊看彼烏煙 peh 上天頂. "毋是, 干焦是非常迷惑 koh 驚惶." 伊看著衛兵 tī 遐 teh 挖一个空, 欲埋 hiah-ê 火烌. "一人 ê 性命欲按怎和百萬人 ê 性命比並 ah? 我著 ùi 這个想法得著安慰."
伊提頷頸鍊仔 ê 鎖匙, koh 一擺絞絚美麗小花園 ê 發條. 伊徛 tī 長城看向國土, 安寧 ê 城鎮, 青色 ê 田園, 猶有溪和河. 伊吐一个長氣. 小花園看袂著 ê 幼路機關出一个聲, tō 起動; 小人物 tī 樹林 kiâⁿ-tāng, 細細 ê 面經過照日 ê 空地, 好看 ê 皮膚 teh 發光, 小小 ê 樹仔中間, 飛過懸聲唱歌 ê, 有光艷藍 kap 黃 ê 細隻鳥仔, 飛 ah 飛, 飛 ah 飛, tī 彼个小小 ê 天頂.
"Oh," 皇帝講, 目睭瞌瞌, "看 hiah-ê 鳥仔, 你看 hiah-ê 鳥仔!"
(煞)
--
2.
The Emperor clapped his hands. "Ho, guards!" The guards came running. "Hold this man." The guards seized the flier. "Call the executioner," said the Emperor. "What's this!" cried the flier, bewildered. "What have I done?" He began to weep, so that the beautiful paper apparatus rustled.
"Here is the man who has made a certain machine," said the Emperor, "and yet asks us what he has created. He does not know himself. It is only necessary that he create, without knowing why he has done so, or what this thing will do."
The executioner came running with a sharp silver ax. He stood with his naked, large-muscled arms ready, his face covered with a serene white mask.
"One moment," said the Emperor. He turned to a nearby table upon which sat a machine that he himself had created. The Emperor took a tiny golden key from his own neck. He fitted his key to the tiny, delicate machine and wound it up. Then he set the machine going.
The machine was a garden of metal and jewels. Set in motion, the birds sang[s] in tiny metal trees, wolves walked through miniature forests, and tiny people ran in and out of sun and shadow, fanning themselves with miniature fans, listening to tiny emerald birds, and standing by impossibly small but tinkling fountains.
"Is it not beautiful?" said the Emperor. "If you asked me what I have done here, I could answer you well. I have made birds sing, I have made forests murmur, I have set people to walking in this woodland, enjoying the leaves and shadows and songs. That is what I have done."
"But, oh, Emperor!" pleaded the flier, on his knees, the tears pouring down his face. "I have done a similar thing! I have found beauty. I have flown on the morning wind. I have looked down on all the sleeping houses and gardens. I have smelled the sea and even seen it, beyond the hills, from my high place. And I have soared like a bird; oh, I cannot say how beautiful it is up there, in the sky, with the wind about me, the wind blowing me here like a feather, there like a fan, the way the sky smells in the morning! And how free one feels! That is beautiful, Emperor, that is beautiful too!"
"Yes," said the Emperor sadly, "I know it must be true. For I felt my heart move with you in the air and I wondered: What is it like? How does it feel? How do the distant pools look from so high? And how my houses and servants? Like ants? And how the distant towns not yet awake?"
"Then spare me!"
"But there are times," said the Emperor, more sadly still, "when one must lose a little beauty if one is to keep what little beauty one already has. I do not fear you, yourself, but I fear another man."
"What man?"
"Some other man who, seeing you, will build a thing of bright papers and bamboo like this. But the other man will have an evil face and an evil heart, and the beauty will be gone. It is this man I fear."
"Why? Why?"
"Who is to say that someday just such a man, in just such an apparatus of paper and reed, might not fly in the sky and drop huge stones upon the Great Wall of China?" said the Emperor.
No one moved or said a word.
"Off with his head," said the Emperor.
The executioner whirled his silver ax.
"Burn the kite and the inventor's body and bury their ashes together," said the Emperor.
The servants retreated to obey.
The Emperor turned to his hand-servant, who had seen the man flying. "Hold your tongue. It was all a dream, a most sorrowful and beautiful dream. And that farmer in the distant field who also saw, tell him it would pay him to consider it only a vision. If ever the word passes around, you and the farmer die within the hour."
"You are merciful, Emperor."
"No, not merciful," said the old man. Beyond the garden wall he saw the guards burning the beautiful machine of paper and reeds that smelled of the morning wind. He saw the dark smoke climb into the sky. "No, only very much bewildered and afraid." He saw the guards digging a tiny pit wherein to bury the ashes. "What is the life of one man against those of a million others? I must take solace from that thought."
He took the key from its chain about his neck and once more wound up the beautiful miniature garden. He stood looking out across the land at the Great Wall, the peaceful town, the green fields, the rivers and streams. He sighed. The tiny garden whirred its hidden and delicate machinery and set itself in motion; tiny people walked in forests, tiny faces loped through sun-speckled glades in beautiful shining pelts, and among the tiny trees flew little bits [?birds] of high song and bright blue and yellow colour, flying, flying, flying in that small sky.
"Oh," said the Emperor, closing his eyes, "look at the birds, look at the birds!"
--
// 2022-5-11
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