Chapter Chapter 23 · THE STORY OF HOK LEE AND THE DWARFS

. THE STORY OF HOK LEE AND THE DWARFS

There once lived in a small town in China a man named Hok Lee. He was a

steady industrious man, who not only worked hard at his trade, but did

all his own house-work as well, for he had no wife to do it for

him. ‘What an excellent industrious man is this Hok Lee!’ said his

neighbours; ‘how hard he works: he never leaves his house to amuse

himself or to take a holiday as others do!’

But Hok Lee was by no means the virtuous person his neighbours thought

him. True, he worked hard enough by day, but at night, when all

respectable folk were fast asleep, he used to steal out and join a

dangerous band of robbers, who broke into rich people’s houses and

carried off all they could lay hands on.

This state of things went on for some time, and, though a thief was

caught now and then and punished, no suspicion ever fell on Hok Lee, he

was such a very respectable, hard-working man.

Hok Lee had already amassed a good store of money as his share of the

proceeds of these robberies when it happened one morning on going to

market that a neighbour said to him:

‘Why, Hok Lee, what is the matter with your face? One side of it is all

swelled up.’

True enough, Hok Lee’s right cheek was twice the size of his left, and

it soon began to feel very uncomfortable.

‘I will bind up my face,’ said Hok Lee; ‘doubtless the warmth will cure

the swelling.’ But no such thing. Next day it was worse, and day by day

it grew bigger and bigger till it was nearly as large as his head and

became very painful.

Hok Lee was at his wits’ ends what to do. Not only was his cheek

unsightly and painful, but his neighbours began to jeer and make fun of

him, which hurt his feelings very much indeed.

One day, as luck would have it, a travelling doctor came to the town.

He sold not only all kinds of medicine, but also dealt in many strange

charms against witches and evil spirits.

Hok Lee determined to consult him, and asked him into his house.

After the doctor had examined him carefully, he spoke thus: ‘This, O Hok

Lee, is no ordinary swelled face. I strongly suspect you have been doing

some wrong deed which has called down the anger of the spirits on you.

None of my drugs will avail to cure you, but, if you are willing to pay

me handsomely, I can tell you how you may be cured.’

Then Hok Lee and the doctor began to bargain together, and it was a long

time before they could come to terms. However, the doctor got the better

of it in the end, for he was determined not to part with his secret

under a certain price, and Hok Lee had no mind to carry his huge cheek

about with him to the end of his days. So he was obliged to part with

the greater portion of his ill-gotten gains.

When the Doctor had pocketed the money, he told Hok Lee to go on the

first night of the full moon to a certain wood and there to watch by a

particular tree. After a time he would see the dwarfs and little sprites

who live underground come out to dance. When they saw him they would be

sure to make him dance too. ‘And mind you dance your very best,’ added

the doctor. ‘If you dance well and please them they will grant you a

petition and you can then beg to be cured; but if you dance badly they

will most likely do you some mischief out of spite.’ With that he took

leave and departed.

Happily the first night of the full moon was near, and at the proper

time Hok Lee set out for the wood. With a little trouble he found the

tree the doctor had described, and, feeling nervous, he climbed up into

it.

He had hardly settled himself on a branch when he saw the little dwarfs

assembling in the moonlight. They came from all sides, till at length

there appeared to be hundreds of them. They seemed in high glee, and

danced and skipped and capered about, whilst Hok Lee grew so eager

watching them that he crept further and further along his branch till

at length it gave a loud crack. All the dwarfs stood still, and Hok Lee

felt as if his heart stood still also.

Then one of the dwarfs called out, ‘Someone is up in that tree. Come

down at once, whoever you are, or we must come and fetch you.’

In great terror, Hok Lee proceeded to come down; but he was so nervous

that he tripped near the ground and came rolling down in the most absurd

manner. When he had picked himself up, he came forward with a low bow,

and the dwarf who had first spoken and who appeared to be the leader,

said, ‘Now, then, who art thou, and what brings thee here?’

So Hok Lee told him the sad story of his swelled cheek, and how he had

been advised to come to the forest and beg the dwarfs to cure him.

‘It is well,’ replied the dwarf. ‘We will see about that. First,

however, thou must dance before us. Should thy dancing please us,

perhaps we may be able to do something; but shouldst thou dance badly,

we shall assuredly punish thee, so now take warning and dance away.’

With that, he and all the other dwarfs sat down in a large ring, leaving

Hok Lee to dance alone in the middle. He felt half frightened to death,

and besides was a good deal shaken by his fall from the tree and did

not feel at all inclined to dance. But the dwarfs were not to be trifled

with.

‘Begin!’ cried their leader, and ‘Begin!’ shouted the rest in chorus.

So in despair Hok Lee began. First he hopped on one foot and then on

the other, but he was so stiff and so nervous that he made but a poor

attempt, and after a time sank down on the ground and vowed he could

dance no more.

The dwarfs were very angry. They crowded round Hok Lee and abused him.

‘Thou to come here to be cured, indeed!’ they cried, ‘thou hast brought

one big cheek with thee, but thou shalt take away two.’ And with that

they ran off and disappeared, leaving Hok Lee to find his way home as

best he might.

He hobbled away, weary and depressed, and not a little anxious on

account of the dwarfs’ threat.

Nor were his fears unfounded, for when he rose next morning his left

cheek was swelled up as big as his right, and he could hardly see out of

his eyes. Hok Lee felt in despair, and his neighbours jeered at him more

than ever. The doctor, too, had disappeared, so there was nothing for it

but to try the dwarfs once more.

He waited a month till the first night of the full moon came round

again, and then he trudged back to the forest, and sat down under the

tree from which he had fallen. He had not long to wait. Ere long the

dwarfs came trooping out till all were assembled.

‘I don’t feel quite easy,’ said one; ‘I feel as if some horrid human

being were near us.’

When Hok Lee heard this he came forward and bent down to the ground

before the dwarfs, who came crowding round, and laughed heartily at his

comical appearance with his two big cheeks.

‘What dost thou want?’ they asked; and Hok Lee proceeded to tell them of

his fresh misfortunes, and begged so hard to be allowed one more trial

at dancing that the dwarfs consented, for there is nothing they love so

much as being amused.

Now, Hok Lee knew how much depended on his dancing well, so he plucked

up a good spirit and began, first quite slowly, and faster by degrees,

and he danced so well and gracefully, and made such new and wonderful

steps, that the dwarfs were quite delighted with him.

They clapped their tiny hands, and shouted, ‘Well done, Hok Lee, well

done, go on, dance more, for we are pleased.’

And Hok Lee danced on and on, till he really could dance no more, and

was obliged to stop.

Then the leader of the dwarfs said, ‘We are well pleased, Hok Lee, and

as a recompense for thy dancing thy face shall be cured. Farewell.’

With these words he and the other dwarfs vanished, and Hok Lee, putting

his hands to his face, found to his great joy that his cheeks were

reduced to their natural size. The way home seemed short and easy to

him, and he went to bed happy, and resolved never to go out robbing

again.

Next day the whole town was full of the news of Hok’s sudden cure. His

neighbours questioned him, but could get nothing from him, except the

fact that he had discovered a wonderful cure for all kinds of diseases.

After a time a rich neighbour, who had been ill for some years, came,

and offered to give Hok Lee a large sum of money if he would tell him

how he might get cured. Hok Lee consented on condition that he swore to

keep the secret. He did so, and Hok Lee told him of the dwarfs and their

dances.

The neighbour went off, carefully obeyed Hok Lee’s directions, and was

duly cured by the dwarfs. Then another and another came to Hok Lee to

beg his secret, and from each he extracted a vow of secrecy and a large

sum of money. This went on for some years, so that at length Hok Lee

became a very wealthy man, and ended his days in peace and prosperity.

From the Chinese.