Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 280: Korea- The Voice of The Bell (Griffis)

Transcript

EP 280: Korea- The Voice of The Bell (Griffis) · Sandman Stories Presents

• 0:25
  Welcome back, listeners to Sandman Stories Presents.
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  Folklore podcast where I read you to sleep.
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  Or until the next story. I am your host, Dustin.
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  And if you'd like to hear me raunchy and sweary, there's a
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  Sandman Stories After Dark Patreon you can join at any
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  level. And it's just me reading dirty
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  tales. Today we are back in the book of
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  Korean folk tales written down. By WE Griffiths.
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  And as you know by now, I had to rewrite some of the story as
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  Griffith seems to be paid by the letter.
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  This is a sad story of sacrifice.
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  Which does result in the death of a child.
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  Just a warning for those who might not want to listen to.
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  That sort of story. OK, let's begin.
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  The voice. Of the Bell When Tejo, the Great
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  general and 1st king of Korea, founded a new dynasty, he moved
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  the capital near the great River Han.
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  He resolved to build a mighty city called Hanyang, or the
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  place north of the river. It was to have a high wall
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  around it and lofty gates on each side.
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  However, the people. Commonly called the city.
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  Soul. Or capital.
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  All roads in the Kingdom lead to it.
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  He was happy when the workmen came upon a bell while digging
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  the foundation for Dongde Moon. It was a lucky omen, and they
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  carried it at once over to the king.
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  He hung it over the entrance to his palace, and it hangs there
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  still. But such.
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  A bell could only make a tinkle, while King Tejo wanted one that
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  would ring out loud and long. He was especially anxious about
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  this for Inshila, once a rival state, one of the biggest bells
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  in the world had hung there, and Tejo wanted one that was even
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  better than that famed striker of the.
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  Hours. He wanted to have even a larger
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  bell to hang in the central square in the heart of soul.
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  So they can be heard by. Every man, woman and child in
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  the city. After that it must be able to
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  flood miles of hills and valleys with its melody.
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  By this sound, the people would know when to get up.
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  Cook their breakfast, sit down for.
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  Supper. Or go to bed.
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  On special occasions his subjects would know when a
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  King's possession was passing, or when a royal Prince or
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  Princess was getting married. It would sound out a dirge when
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  His Majesty being dead, all the land must mourn, and people wear
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  white. Clothes for three.
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  Years and Korea becomes a land of mourners.
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  The guardian spirit of the city would have its home in the bell.
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  Word was sent out by messengers who wrote on big horses, little
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  ponies, donkeys and bulls to all the provinces, publishing the
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  King's command to all governors, magistrates and village.
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  Heads. To collect copper and tin to
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  make the bronze bell. The bell was to stand 10 feet
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  above the ground and be 8 feet. Across that is.
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  As high and wide as a Korean bedroom on the top was going to
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  be two terrible looking Dragons forming the framework.
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  By which the bell was to be hung.
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  Weighing so many tons that it would balance 500 fat men on a.
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  Seesaw. Only heavy beams made of whole
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  tree trunks could hold it in the belfry.
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  Which must be. Strong enough to stand the
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  shaking when the monster was wrung.
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  It had no Clapper inside, but outside was a long log swung by
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  heavy ropes from pulleys above. The men pulled it back and let
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  it fly, striking the boss on the Bell's surface.
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  This awoke the music of the bell, making it tall.
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  Boom, rumble, growl, hum, croak or roll, sweep melody
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  accordingly, as the bellman desired.
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  So the procession of bulk. Hearts on the.
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  Road to Seoul creaked with ingots of copper.
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  Many donkeys had swollen gallons of bean soup at the in stables.
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  Before they dropped. Their load of metal in the city,
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  meanwhile, hundreds of bulls bellowed under their weight of
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  the brushwood and timber put on their backs to feed the furnaces
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  which were to melt the metal for the mighty bells casting.
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  A deep pit was dug to hold the core in the.
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  Mold and hundreds of fire clay. Pots and.
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  Ladles were made ready for when the red hot stream would be
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  ready to flow. All the boys in Seoul were
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  waiting to watch the fire kindle, the smoke rise, the
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  bellows roar, the metal run and the foreman give his signal to
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  tap when the fire imp on the volcano heard what was going on.
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  He was awfully. Jealous, never thinking that
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  common men could handle such metal.
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  Properly direct a. Roaring flames and cast so.
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  Big a bell. He snorted at the idea that King
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  Tejo's men could beat the bells that hung in China's mighty
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  temples or in Chila. 'S pagodas.
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  But when there wasn't enough. And the copper collectors were
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  still at their work. One of them came to a small
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  village and called. It a house where.
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  Lived an old woman carrying a baby.
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  Boy strapped to her back. She had no coin, cash, metal or
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  fuel to. Give, but was quite ready to
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  offer either herself or the. Baby.
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  In a tone that showed her willingness, she said.
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  May I give you this boy? The collector paid no attention
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  to her, but continued on, taking nothing from the old woman.
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  When in Seoul, however, he told the story, and thus it came to
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  pass that many heard of the matter and remembered it later.
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  So when all was. Ready the fire Clay crucibles
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  were set. On the white hot.
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  Coals the blast. Roared until the bronze metal
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  turned into liquid then. At the word.
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  Of the master the hissing molten stream ran out and filled the
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  mold, patiently waiting till the.
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  Metal had cooled, alas. They found the bell had cracked.
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  The casting was raised by means of heavy tackle.
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  Erected at Great. Expense on the spot and the bell
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  was broken up into. Bits by Stallworth Blacksmiths.
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  Wielding heavy hammers. Then a second casting was made,
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  but again when cooled it was found to be cracked.
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  Three separate. Times has happened until.
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  The price of the palace had been paid.
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  For work. Fuel wages.
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  And yet there was no bell. King Tejal was in despair.
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  Yet instead of crying or pulling his topknot or berating the
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  artisans who had done the best, they.
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  Could. He offered a.
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  Large reward. To anyone who could point out.
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  Where the trouble lay. And show what it was lacking and
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  thus. Secure a perfect.
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  Casting. Then out stepped a Workman from
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  the company. Who?
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  Told the story. Of the old woman and said that
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  the bell would crack after cooling unless her.
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  Proposal was accepted. Anyway, he said.
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  The hag was a sorceress. And if the child were not a real
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  human being, no harm could be done so.
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  The baby boy. Was sent for and when the.
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  Liquid metal had half filled the pit was.
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  Thrown into the mass, there was some feeling about feeding a
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  child to the fire demon. But when they hoisted the
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  cooled. Bell up from the mold low.
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  The casting was a. Perfect success and.
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  Everyone apparently forgot that a human life had entered the
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  bell. Soon, with file and chisel, the
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  great work was finished. The hanging ceremonies were very
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  impressive when the bell was placed in the City Central
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  Square. Where the broad.
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  Streets from Namdemun and those looking to sunrise and sunset
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  met together, suspended by heavy iron links from the staple on
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  the stout timber frame. The Bell's mouth was.
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  Exactly a foot. Above ground, then around and
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  over it the. Belfry was built.
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  The names of the chief artisans who cast the bell, and of the
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  royal. Officers who supervised.
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  The hanging ceremonies were engraved on the medal.
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  It was decided. However, not to.
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  Strike the bell until it was fully housed.
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  And the suspended log. As thick as the mast of a ship.
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  Was made ready to send forth the initial boom.
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  Meanwhile, 10s of thousands of people.
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  Waited to hear. The very first.
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  Music of the. Bell Everyone believed it would
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  be good luck and that they would live longer for it.
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  The boys and. Girls were listening so hard.
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  They could barely get to bed. And some were afraid they might
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  fall asleep when it rang. The little folks whose eyes were
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  usually fast. Shut at sunset.
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  Begged hard to stay. Up that night until they could
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  hear the bell. But some fell asleep because
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  they could not help it. And their eyes closed.
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  Before they knew. It what shall the name of the
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  bell be? Your Majesty?
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  Asked A wise. Counselor, call it.
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  Injung said King Tejo that means man decides for every night at 9
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  O clock, let every. Man or boy decide to go to bed.
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  Except magistrates, let not one male person be found on the
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  streets on pain of being paddled.
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  From that hour until midnight, the women shall have the streets
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  themselves to walk in. The royal law was.
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  Proclaimed by trumpeters, and it was also.
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  Ordained. That at every morning and
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  evening, at sunrise and sunset, the band of music should play at
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  the opening and shutting up the city gates.
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  So Injung or masculine decision is the Bell's name to this day.
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  And as of yet the bell was silent.
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  It had not spoken, but when it did sound.
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  The people of Seoul discovered that it was the most wonderful
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  bell ever. Cast.
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  It had a memory and a voice. It could wail as well as sing,
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  in fact. Some to this day declared that
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  it can cry for, whether in childhood, youth, middle or old
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  age, in joy or gladness. The bell expresses.
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  Their own feelings by its change of note.
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  Lively or gay in warning or congratulation.
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  At 9:00 on the first night of the 7th Moon, the Great.
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  Bell of Soul. Sounded the 7th month, being the
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  month of the Star Maiden of the Loom, and the Ox Boy with his
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  train of attendants, who stand on opposite sides of the River
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  of Heaven. And cross over the bridge of
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  birds. At 9:00 all the men were in
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  their rooms, ready to put on their pyjamas and go to bed at
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  once, while all the women fully. Clothed in their best were on
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  their. Doorsteps ready, each with a
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  Lantern in her hand. For.
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  Their outdoor. Stroll 4 strong men seized the
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  rope, pulled back on the striking log a whole yards
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  distance, and then let it fly. The timber bounded back, and out
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  gushed a flood of. Music that rolled across the
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  city in every. Direction and over the hills,
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  filling leagues of space with their sweet sound, the children
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  clap their hands and dance with joy.
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  They knew they would live long. For they had heard the sweet.
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  Bells first music. The old people smiled with joy.
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  But what was the surprise of the adult folks to hear the bell
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  could talk, Yes. It actually sounds like it made
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  a sentence until it ended, like a baby's cry.
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  Yes. There was no mistake about it.
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  This is what it. Said my mother's fault, my
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  mother's fault, and to this day the mothers in soul.
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  As they clasped. Their darlings to their bosoms
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  resolved, that it shall be no. Fault of theirs if they ever
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  lack love or care, they. Delight in their little ones
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  more. And lavish on.
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  Them a tender affection. Because they hear the great.
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  Bell Talk warning parents to guard what heaven has committed
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  to their care. The end
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  this. Was a sad.
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  Story and it also. Shows some.
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  Of the old Korean stuff. So there was a time when no man
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  could go out and only women could go out.
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  The bell is. True, hearing of human sacrifice
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  in the bell is true. I was unsure of it at. 1st but I
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  looked up the. Wonderful, wonderful Korean
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  historian Robert Neff and found articles of his and it, yeah,
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  that sort of thing happened in Japan.
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  They had it with bridges. Where they had to.
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  Bury a person alive in there. So sad story but I did like it
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  and the podcast shout out is to our show hosted by Conscious and
• 12:19
  frequently Co hosted by Beat Unique.
• 12:21
  The show brings me so much good music.
• 12:25
  I've learned about Marlowe, Jackie Mendoza, Sample the
• 12:28
  great, I Make mad beats and many others.
• 12:31
  Conscious also keep things local with his Ozone Orlando's own
• 12:35
  segment which highlights local music.
• 12:37
  I'm a huge fan of the show and of local music and so if you
• 12:40
  love their show as much as I do, go and give them a like a rating
• 12:43
  and a review. And the listener shout out is to
• 12:46
  San Fernando, Trinidad. According to Google, San
• 12:50
  Fernando, officially the city of San Fernando, is the most
• 12:53
  populous city and the second most populous municipality in
• 12:56
  Trinidad and Tobago after Chaguanas Sando, as it is known
• 13:00
  to many local Trinidadians, occupies 19 square kilometers
• 13:04
  and is located on the southwestern part of the island
• 13:06
  of Trinidad. It looks like a sunny and
• 13:08
  beautiful. Place and my.
• 13:10
  Awesome Co worker made some punch that was Trinidadian punch
• 13:12
  and it was. So tasty.
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  Peanut punch I do. Believe.
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  And so I really hope. To visit there someday.
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  And to my listener in Ando, I say thank you and good night.