Hundreds of years ago there was a king who
had a very unusual stone hand mill. It looked
like any other stone hand mill but it had
special powers. All one had to do was say what
one wanted and turn it and out would come what
had been requested. If gold was requested, gold
would come out. If rice was requested, rice
would come out. Whatever was requested, the
small hand mill would produce it.
A thief made up his mind to steal the hand
mill because once he had heard of it he couldn't
get it out of his mind. For days and days he
thought about how to steal it but he could not
come up with a plan.
Then one day he dressed like a scholar and
visited a court official who had access to the
royal palace. They chatted about this and that
and finally the thief said, "I heard that the
King buried his strange hand mill in the ground
because he doesn't trust his ministers."
"What's that? The King doesn't trust his
ministers? Where did you hear such talk?"
"That's what they say in the countryside,"
said the thief, happy he had sparked the man's
interest. "They say the King dug a deep hole and
buried the hand mill because he is so afraid
that someone will steal it."
"That's nonsense!" said the official. "The
King's hand mill is beside the lotus pond in the
inner court."
"Oh, is that so?" said the thief, trying to
control his excitement.
"No one would dare try to steal the King's
hand mill," said that official. "Who would even
think of trying when the thing is lying right
beside the lotus pond where there is always lots
of people coming and going."
The thief was so excited that all he could
say was "Yes" and "That's right" until he was
able to leave.
For many days the thief studied the
situation. Then one very dark night, he climbed
the palace wall and stole the hand mill from
beside the lotus pond.
He was brimming with pride and confidence as
he made his way back to the wall. But once
outside the palace, he was overcome with fear of
being discovered. His heart skipped a beat every
time he met someone on the street. He decided to
steal a boat and go to his hometown to hide
because he knew that once the theft was
discovered, everyone in the city and on the
roads would be questioned.
Once at sea the thief lay back against the
bow of the boat and laughed. Then he began to
sing and dance as he thought about how rich he
was going to be. Then he thought about what to
request from the hand mill. He did not want to
ask for something common and easy to obtain.
"Salt! Salt!" he suddenly shouted. "I'll ask
for salt! Everyone needs salt. I can sell it and
become a rich man. I'll be the richest man in
the country."
He fell down on his knees and began turning
the hand mill, singing as he did, Salt! Salt!
Make some salt! Then he began dancing and
singing about being a rich man.
And the hand mill kept turning and turning.
Salt spilled over the sides of the small boat
but the thief just kept dancing and singing and
laughing, all the time thinking about the big
house he was going to have and the numerous
servants who would serve him lavish meals.
Finally the boat was so full of salt that it
sank to the bottom of the sea. And, since no one
has ever told the hand mill to stop, it is still
turning and making salt, which is why the sea is
salty.
