The Plait of the Chinese Singer
Introduction
A long time ago, in China, there lived a boy who possessed a wonderful voice. Whenever he felt happy, he would sing. As he was a cheerful lad by nature, he sang most of the time—while he worked and played. Everyone around would stop to listen because it was the sweetest sound they had ever heard.
The Boy and His Plait
As was customary, the boy grew his silky black hair long. It had never been cut, and he wore it in a plait that hung down his back. As he sang, he twirled the long plait of hair through his fingers.
Fame and Fortune
Those who listened never forgot him, and his fame soon spread far beyond the little village where he lived. It reached the emperor, who resided in the Imperial Palace in the great city of Peking. He sent a message to the boy, ordering him to come to Peking and sing for him. “I must hear this boy with the golden voice for myself,” he proclaimed. “But if he is only half as good as the singers at my court, I shall be surprised, for I have the best singers in all of China at my court.”
The Palace Singers
When the palace singers heard that a boy from a northern village was coming to perform for the emperor, they all burst into laughter. “We are the best singers in all of China,” they declared. “How could a simple country bumpkin from a poor little village hope to sing like us? The emperor must be quite mad to summon him when he has us to sing for him any time he wishes.”
The Journey to Peking
The boy with the golden voice set out on the long journey to Peking. He climbed steep mountains, forded deep rivers, and traversed wild countryside. One day, while he was walking along a rocky path, a fierce-looking fellow leapt out and seized him. The man marched the lad to a cave in the hills, the home of a band of brigands, and took him before the brigand chief.
A Song for Survival
<p“You are my prisoner,” said the chief. “You must pay me a ransom, or you will die.” <p“Alas, I have no money; I am merely a poor peasant,” the boy replied. “But I am on my way to sing for the emperor, and I am confident that what is good enough for him will be good enough for you. So I will sing for you, too.” He then twisted his long, black plait in his hand and sang his loveliest song. All the brigands ceased their chatter and crept closer to listen.
That cooking left the fire, and even the guards around the cave forgot to keep watch on the road below. When the boy finished, the brigands provided him with a grand supper and the best bed, enchanted by his singing. The next morning, two of them escorted him partway to Peking to ensure his safety.
The Emperor’s Palace
At the Imperial Palace, the emperor and all the palace singers gathered to hear the boy. Twisting his silky black plait through his fingers, he sang for them, and as his beautiful voice filled the room, they sat spellbound.
<p“He has an extraordinary voice,” said the emperor. “He shall remain here and sing for us. Give him everything his heart desires.”
Envy and Betrayal
For a long time, the singer stayed at court, but his fame spread far and wide, attracting admirers from other countries. He sought permission from the emperor to tour the world, and the emperor agreed. The boy was pleased to leave, as the palace singers were extremely jealous and unkind to him.
The singer boarded a boat and sailed away from China, travelling far and wide, delighting many nations with his voice. As he grew older, his voice became richer. After several years, he decided to return home, for he had been away too long.
A Welcome Return
Upon returning to the palace in Peking, the emperor welcomed him joyfully. “Come and sing for us,” he commanded. “You have been away too long.”
However, there was murmuring among the palace singers, who were filled with envy as they listened to the singer, whose voice now resonated even more richly than before he left. They noticed that he still twisted his plait around his fingers while he sang, and one of them hatched an idea. “We must cut off the plait,” he whispered to his companions. “Perhaps that is the secret behind his beautiful voice. If he loses his cherished plait, maybe he will be unable to sing any longer, and then he will leave, and we will reclaim our place as the emperor’s favourites.”
The Cut and Consequence
One night, while the singer slept with his plait coiled beside him, the leader of the palace musicians crept in and snipped it off with sharp scissors. He threw the plait of hair into the river. The next morning, the singer woke to find that his beloved plait had vanished. His hair was now short and bristly, sticking out from his head, and he was so unhappy that he could no longer sing. He decided to leave the palace, retreating from the world and the jealous people around him to study and reflect.
A Journey to Wisdom
Years passed, and the singer became a very wise man. His years of study made him the wisest and most respected individual in the land. One day, he glanced in the mirror and was amazed. While he had been studying and contemplating, his hair had grown back to its original length. He opened his mouth and sang once more with pure joy. People crowded into his room to listen, as it was the sweetest sound they had ever heard.
They begged him to sing for them again and again, and soon he was singing constantly. His new songs were even better than those he had sung before, enriched by the wisdom and experience he had gained during his long years of study. It is said that never in the history of man has there been anyone who could sing such marvellous songs that touched the hearts of the people.