The Temple of Fruitful Women

It is written that in the town called Eternal Purity there was once a famous temple to which barren women went to pray for fruitfulness. This in itself is not remarkable. The wonder is that, in almost every case, the woman was delivered of a healthy child, just nine months after her visit to the holy shrine.

Here is the procedure they followed: after praying and consulting the sacred wands, the woman desirous of conceiving would enter a small chamber where she would spend the night alone in pious meditation and sleep. The chamber's single door was sealed and a member of her family stationed outside it all night so that no one might enter. In the morning, the woman was let out and she returned to her home to await the first flutterings of life within her body.

Now then, when the women were questioned by their husbands as to the minner of the miracle which had transpired in the temple, the replies were many and varied. One woman might say that a god told her in a dream that a son was forming himself in her womb: another might answer that a spirit from the other world, in the form of a potent and superbly-built man, appeared before her and climbed into bed (concluded on page 62) Temple of Fruitful Women (continued from page 51) with her; still another woman might lower her eyes and insist that she could not speak of these holy matters. And there is another thing of interest to be told: some women would never return to the temple, even when their husbands commanded them to do so; yet others went back again and again, impressing the community with their piety and presenting their husbands with son afterson.

This state of things went on for many years in the little town of Eternal Purity, and everyone was well content. For you must know that the people of that place were of a quaint sort who placed much faith in miracles.

But it came to pass that a new governor was appointed to the district, Lord Wang by name. Lord Wang was young and full of new ideas and his faith in miraculous happenings was tempered much by doubt and skepticism. When told of the babies that were born as a result of prayer, he stroked his fine black beard and said to himself, "Now then, this is all very well: but why may not these women do their praying at home instead of traveling for miles to the temple and spending the night in a cheerless cell? This is a situation to be investigated."

Lord Wang paid a visit to the temple, where he was received with much ceremony, to the sound of drums and bells, and accorded every honor. When finally seated in audience with the Superior of the temple, he brought up the subject of the miraculous impregnations, and asked many questions about the prayers, the chambers and the procedure. He inspected the chambers and found they had but one door, before which he was told a member of the woman's family stayed all night so that there might be no question of any mortal man entering and sowing seed within her in a more usual way. "I am satisfied," said Lord Wang at last, "and will send my own wife here, for she has been most negligent in her duties and has not yet a child in her belly though we have been wed already five months."

"Nay, Great One," quickly said the Superior, "that will not be necessary. Your esteemed and most fragile lady need not make the long journey to this temple. She may pray in your palace."

"So?" said Lord Wang. "My wife can pray at home, but the wives of lesser men must needs spend the night here? Why should this be?"

"Great Lord," replied the Superior hastily, "is it not logical that you, who are the protector and benefactor of our temple, should be looked upon with special favor by the gods?"

"You speak wisely: it is indeed most fitting." And, after a ceremonious and courtly farewell, the young governor left the temple.

Returning to his palace, he summoned his assistant and said, "Find two young harlots and bring them before me at once." The assistant, hearing these words, was stricken with admiration for the lusty appetite and great prowess of his master, but he soon discovered that Lord Wang wanted merely to talk to the harlots and did not desire the blandishments of their flesh.

When closeted alone with the harlots, Lord Wang swore them to secrecy, gave them certain instructions, and then presented each of them with a bottle of ink. One received a bottle of black ink, the other a bottle of red. He then told them to dress in the clothing of honest women and go to the famous temple.

These things they did. They consulted the sacred wands, said their prayers, and were conducted to separate chambers. Certain of the governor's staff passed themselves off as members of the girl's families, and spent the night in front of the sealed doors.

Now then, you must be told that one of these two harlots was prettier and better-formed than the other. Though both were comely, the one named Mei-chieh was like a tiny goddess, with hands and feet of the most exquisite smoothness and smallness. Moreover, in her face there was that rare and admirable expression that is found in women of all stations but most often in professional love-makers, that expression that seems to speak of secret and subtle delights and which enkindles the blood of all men who behold it. Such was the beauty and magic of Mei-chieh, to whom Lord Wang had given a bottle of black ink.

Mei-chieh had not been locked within her chamber very long when she heard a gentle scraping of stone, felt a draft and opened her eyes to see a hidden aperture opening in the wall. A young monk entered, on silent feet. "Who," whispered the lovely Mei-chieh, "are you?"

"A god," replied the monk, "who has come to bless you, little housewife, with a child." He pulled down the coverlet of the bed and looked upon the flesh that had ensnared the hearts of countless men before him. "By the sun and moon," he cried softly, "this is a dish truly fit for the gods!" And he took his desire with her with such relish and robustiousness, and so many times, that even Mei-chieh, to whom such things were commonplace, could not contain her rapture and uttered small sharp cries of fulfillment. She was, however, a business woman above all, and she did not forget the instructions of Lord Wang. At that point when the young monk was senseless to all things in the world save the bursting of his soul's rocket, she dipped her finger in the bottle of black ink and gently drew it across his shaven head ...

. . .

Imagine the surprise of the temple's Superior when, in the dark of the next morning he was awakened by a visit from Lord Wang. "Great One," chattered the Superior, "what is your will?"

"Call out your monks," said Lord Wang, "and line them up before me this instant. No words! Do as I tell you."

The monks were summoned, and all fourteen stumbled sleepily into the presence of the governor.

Lord Wang asked for a lamp. Lifting it, he walked down the line of monks, and inspected their hairless heads. As he did so, he was shaken by two emotions: a boundless rage at the impious lechery of these allegedly holy men, and an equally boundless admiration for the industry and devotedness of Mei-chieh. For, although the head of every monk was marked with ink, only three of the marks were red. The other eleven, without exception, were black.

To finish this story, it is only needful to say that the monks and their Superior went to the beheading-block, and that the temple was put to the flames. The husbands of the town called Eternal Purity rejoiced at the justice of Lord Wang, but a great many wives, in the quiet of the night, wept secretly; or so at least it is written.