The Prince and the Zombie Read Online Free PDF Page A

guitar player and his friends.

6
    The Guitar Player and the Quality of Vigilance

    A S THEY WENT ALONG their way, the three friends met a merchant who pretended to enjoy the music of the guitar player very much and invited them to come to his house for tea. On the high Tibetan plateau, also called the Roof of the World, it is important to drink tea with salted butter regularly, from morning till night. This national drink is more than just ordinary tea—it is a rich brew based on black tea that is very comforting and provides lots of physical force.
    Not hesitating, the friends blithely accepted this invitation. After the meal, the musician allowed himself to be drawn into a game of sho , a dice game that is traditional in Tibet and is played for hours at a time with two, three, or four players. The merchant had gotten around a great deal in his life; he had certainly spotted the special ring on the musician’s finger, and he intended to get it away from the young man by any means. Deviously, he cheated at the game of dice. Little by little, the musician lost all the money and gold pieces he had earned through his music. Then, without regret, because he was not very attached to wealth, he prepared to leave with his two friends, who were bored stiff. However, exercising his considerable powers of persuasion, his cunning host succeeded in getting the musician to stay for a final game of sho , in which the merchant declared he would stake all the money and gold pieces he had won against the musician’s ring. The warnings of his two four-footed friends were of no avail, for the guitar player had drunk not only tea but also a few bowls of chang , a beer made with barley very much appreciated by many Tibetans. Under the influence of the alcohol, he had become quite reckless and readily consented to a final game. But the merchant cheated, and the unfortunate young man lost yet again. This time it was the precious gift of the naga princess that changed hands. The worst had occurred. All of a sudden, the musician realized what had taken place—that he had stupidly allowed his dishonest host to get him drunk and rob him. But it was too late! As friendly and hospitable as the merchant had been at the beginning, that is how hard and malevolent he became the moment that his ends had been achieved. With the help of his hired henchmen and his formidable guard dog, a mastiff bred by Tibetan nomads, he threw all three of the friends out onto the street.
    Sad and at the same time furious with himself, the musician departed along with his friends. The three of them together gave the impression of a funeral procession as they walked in silence one behind the other, heads down and with a downcast air. The cat, unable to bear seeing his friend in such a state of despair, began thinking how he might be able to remedy the situation. Then he remembered a very old and good friend of his, a mouse with a lively mind who had the ability to deal with any circumstances. Without mentioning it to anyone, the cat got in touch with his old friend, told him what had happened, and asked him what they might be able to do to recover the ring taken by the dishonest merchant. The mouse had an excellent idea. It snuck into the thief’s house—right under the nose of the guard dog, who saw nothing but a brief flicker—and found the bedroom where the merchant was snoring away. The whole room smelled from chang . Apparently, the culprit had celebrated his victory with plenty of drink. His heavy slumber facilitated the little mouse’s job. It was easily able to take back the ring, which the merchant had left on his night table. Fortunately for the naga princess, the ring had been too small for his finger, and he had set it to the side, hoping to get a tidy sum for it.
    Thanks to his speed and skill, the little mouse recovered the precious object, and now he quickly made good his escape and set off to give it back to the cat. Happy and