==============================================================
To reach ALL SJD members, please send to sjd@satjadham.net ...
Do NOT include any other addresses when sending to the list...
Include as LITTLE of the original messages as possible........
Message sent by: SerMikey@aol.com
==============================================================


Note from the author:

When I was nine years old, I went to visit my relatives in the village called 
Thako. Thako is located in the southern part of Laos. During my visit, I 
learned how to plant rice and listened to many legends. Below are my three 
favorite legends and I would like to share them with you all. I hope you will 
enjoy them just as much as I do.

-Chanthava Chanthavong 
---------------------------------

Not a Kiss, Not a Smile

By Chanthava Chanthavong 

A long, long, time ago, there was a girl who was so pretty that all the young
men in the village were madly in love her. She received proposal after
proposal, but she didn't accept any of them. However, she did leave a glimmer
of hope that someday she would be the wife of the one who loved her so
much that he would choose death if she died. None of the men accepted her
condition for marriage.

One day the beautiful woman became ill and died shortly after. All her
relatives were heart-broken. The cremation was arranged. During the
cremation, one of the young men could no longer endure this grief. Suddenly, 
he jumped into the fire and perished.

After the fire was completely out, another suitor arrived who heard belatedly 
about the beautiful lady's death. Because he was so deeply in love with her, 
he carefully collected the charred bones in a piece of white cloth, tied up 
and hung it from his neck. He wandered around trying to find the shaman who 
could bring the dead back to life.

Finally, he found the hermit and he explained the whole story to the hermit. 
He
begged the hermit to use his magic on the bones so that life would be 
restored to his sweetheart. The kind hermit sympathized with the poor man and 
began his magic spell. Presto!!! Upon the completion of the ceremony, the 
young man was amazed to see not only his adorable sweetheart, but also a 
handsome young
man.

The hermit was unable to decide whether he should give the girl to the man
who asked for his help or to the man who was brought back to life with her
The hermit thought it would be best to have the girl make her own decision. He
asked the girl, "Which of the two men would you choose for your husband?" The 
girl replied politely, "I promised that I would be the wife of the one who 
dared to die
when death came upon me."

The girl became the wife of the beloved who had jumped into the fire and
died with her. As for the other man, who had life restored to the lady,
found himself all alone. He mumbled to himself, "Poor me...not a kiss, not a 
smile, not even a tender glance from the bewitching young girl that I brought 
back to life."

_
*****************************************************************
Visit SatJaDham Homepage at: http://www.satjadham.org (or .net)
*****************************************************************