Legends of Great Wall  Light a Beacon-Fire  for Beloved Concubine-part three

Swallows Strike Pass Tower Door and Die

     Long, long ago, in a dynasty nobody remembers, lived in Jiayu Pass tower a pair of swallows who left the tower to searchfor food in the daytime and came back in the evening. Year in and year out the swallows lived a free and peaceful life.Officers and soldiers guarding the pass saw the swallows flyin and out, pick up dirt to make their nest and catch worms to feed their young. They never did any damage to the passtower; instead, their occasional twittering brought life to the pass. They were really lovely.
     One day the swallows flew out to search for food. They went so far that when they came back to the pass the city gate was shut already. They couldn't get in.
     Hovering outside the city, one swallow said, "Open thegate, please, We are swallows. Let us in."
    A soldier said, "No. It's impossible. The city gate opens n the morning and closes in the evening. This is the tipulation from above. We dare not disobey."
    "We are neighbours," said the swallows. "We know you nd you know us. Please open the gate and let us in. Your uperiors will not blame you."
    "This is a military key point. Without our officer's order, obody is allowed to open the gate after it is closed. Who doesso will be killed."
    "But we are swallows. Do you treat us the same as you reat humans?" said one of the swallows.
      "Birds and men are treated equally in key military points," was the answer.

      The swallows piteously entreated the soldiers, but they still refused to open the gate. The sun had set by then. Therewere no trees or houses outside the pass. The swallows could find no place to rest. They couldn't find the right directionin the dark and finally struck against the wall and died.
     Now if you hit the wall outside the western gate of Jiayu Pass with a stone you can hear a sound like the twittering ofswallows. It is said the sound is produced by the spirits of thetwo dead swallows. This site is listed as one of the eight scenic spots in Suzhou.
     Of course the twittering sound is not produced by swal- lows but by the building itself. The wails at Jiayu Pass, withits lower part larger than the upper portion, form a naturalloud-speaker where the wall is curved. This is the case with Luocheng wall. Besides, the bricks used in building the walls are quality bricks so the walls are stable and the echoing sound is strong. When you hit the corner wall with a stone, if other elements such as the wind is just right, you will hear the sound of the birds.

General Cannon

     There used to be a stalwart general on the Great Wall who was intelligent and brave. Not only good in fighting, he also showed great concern for the masses. Everybody called him General Shi.
     Born in the south, and grown up in the north, General Shi had guarded the Great Wall for a long time. Soon afterhe took over, he led his subordinate officers in surveying theportion of the Great Wall in his charge and the topographynear the wall. After coming back, he worked out a plan onhow to reconstruct and defend the Great Wall. Then he askedhis soldiers and workers to reconstruct the wall. A few monthslater the low walls became higher, the flimsy walls became thicker and the damaged crenel walls were mended. All the castles at the mouth of the mountain were renovated. It looked as if a new Great Wall had been built.
     General Shi assigned more than enough troops along the Great Wall. Also, more than enough swords, spears, bows, arrows, cannons and stones were prepared. Outside the wall,moats and horse-trapping grates were dug. He had numerouscaltrops laid on paths where the enemy might advance. Thedefence under General Shi was impregnable.
    In order to let his soldiers live and eat better, General Shi had them turn the wasteland into farmland. Wheat andcorn were grown in the flatlands and at the foot of moun-tains; vegetables were grown near castles and on hills; fruittrees, such as apple, pear and peach, were planted. The soldiers not only had enough grain, but also plenty of fresh li was made successfully. Soon large-scale production of the

vegetables and fruits to eat.

     The land north of the Great Wall was fertile, too. It was a pity to let the land lay waste. General Shi talked to the chieftain of Xiongnu; both sides agreed that within ten li of the Great Wall the Han people could crop their land while the Xiongnu could graze their sheep and cows outside that area.

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