A new ghost, wasted and haggard, met an old friend who had been dead for about twenty years and now looked fat and sleek.
"How are you?" asked his friend, when they had greeted each other."I am so hungry I can hardly stand it. You must know all the dodges. Tell me what to do."
"That is easy. Frighten men by working wonders, and they will give you food."
The new ghost went to the east side of the village, where he found a family of devoted Buddhists. There was a mill to the west of the house, and the ghost started turning the mill as he had in life. The master of the house said to his children:
Music
"Buddha has taken pity on our poverty and sent this ghost to turn the mill for us."
He brought up cartloads of wheat, until by night the ghost had ground dozens of bushels and had to leave exhausted.
Movies
"You cheated me!" he swore at his friend.
"Try again. Next time you'll get food."
Television
So he went to the west side of the village to a family of devoted Taoists. There was a mortar by the gate, and the ghost started pounding the pestle as he had in life.
Books
"Yesterday this ghost helped someone else," said the master of the house. "Today it has come to help me. Let us carry grain to it."
He bade the maids winnow grain, and by evening the ghost was worn out, but not a bite or sup had he received. He went back that night in a passion.
"We are relatives by marriage, not ordinary friends!" he accused the other ghost. "Why should you cheat me? I have slaved for two whole days but not gotten one bowl of food."
"You have simply been unlucky," replied his friend.
Heroes
"It is hard to make any impression on Buddhists and Taoists. If you work wonders in ordinary households, you are bound to be given food."
Then the new ghost went to a house with a bamboo pole at its gate. Going in, he saw women eating by one window. There was a white dog in the courtyard, and the ghost picked this up so that it seemed to be walking on air. When the family saw this they were amazed, and declared that they had never seen such a wonder before. They consulted a fortune-teller.
"You have a hungry visitor," he told them. "All will be well if you kill the dog and sacrifice it in the courtyard with sweetmeats, wine and rice."
They did this, and the ghost made a hearty meal. After that he took his friend's advice and went on working wonders.
University of East Anglia
Norwich,East
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: None
Major: english and american studies
Clubs: the communists, the drunkards, and the fools
2003 to 2003
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA
Graduated: N/A
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: film stuff
Minor: asian studies
Clubs: range riders
2001 to 2005
Modesto High
Modesto, CALIFORNIA
Graduated: 2001
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Major: partying down
Clubs: partying up and down -- vp
i seriously want to make this videogame about the silk road, send me a message i promise you that it'll be awesome. are you listening konami
e. n. j.'s Companies
Lammell's Playhouse 7 Pasadena, CA US Popcornist 1st
Gentlemen's Neo-Confucian Whaling Brigade seas, beaches, oceans, shores, Nantucket / Lahaina / Straits of Magellan US Noble Savage/Scourge of the Western World Ambergris Collection
1800's dreamtime
e. n. j. is studying. Posted at 12:07 AM Sep 6, 2008 view more
don't know if this will reach you while the season's still fresh, but I wanted to wish you a happy all american thanksgiving. I remember feeling a wee bit homeshick during the holidays overseas, and I thought I'd pass on the love to a friend abroad. How's it hangin, by the way?
hello sir! happy birthday to you, we think of you often and fondly....mr brown is 25 today we celbrated by watched zombies puke blood.......where will you be in 28 days?
big happy birthday heart!!!!!
lake
I can't decide if, objectively, this is actually funny, so I thought I'd get your input. I was cracking up by myself in my apartment last night thinking about it. Picture this: brutally stabbing Fozzy the Bear to death with a blunt kitchen knife with blood shooting out everywhere and Fozzy screaming, "No, no, I'm not ready to die!"
dude, we talk online almost everynight even though u're in my continent and i'm in your country... yet we never commented each other on myspace... hmmmmmmmm
