- Gim Hyung-yul’s Daughter-in-Law Is Punished
- 1 From 1902, while conducting the work of renewing heaven and earth, Sahng-jeh-nim and His disciples often stayed at Gim Hyung-yul’s house.
- 2 At such times, there was no place for Hyung-yul’s eldest daughter-in-law to sleep, and when there were guests in a room, she could not pass in front of the door. Also, she had to wash Sahng-jeh-nim’s clothes and attend on Him at every meal.
- 3 Once, in the winter of 1908, perhaps due to a lengthy period of familiarity, she reacted to the sight of Sahng-jeh-nim entering the house by fearlessly saying, “Here comes that madman again.”
- 4 The moment she said this, the wind swept her up, and she was hung by her nose from the end of a branch of a jujube tree, like a cow being hung by its nose ring.
- 5 No matter how hard she kicked and struggled, she could not get down and the branch would not break.
- 6 When people approached to let her down, their feet stuck firmly to the ground. She hung from the tree for three days and nights.
- 7 When her family in Go-sahn Township heard of this, they were shocked and came right away.
- 8 Her mother ran over to get her down yelling, “How long are You going to leave her like this?” But as she raised her hands to help her daughter, the mother’s neck stiffened. The mother’s and father’s feet stuck to the ground.
- 9 Because Hyung-yul’s daughter-in-law and the people stuck to the ground were crying and yelling, Sahng-jeh-nim turned them into mutes. In agony, they could only make the muffled sound “Mmm . . . mmm . . . .”
- 10 Sahng-jeh-nim said, “I do not want to hear even that sound.” And He made them unable to utter any sound at all. Anyone who came near the tree got stuck to the ground and became mute.
- 11 Some villagers watching this spectacle said, “It would be better if He forgave them. How can He be so heartless?” Then, their feet stuck to the ground as well. After that, no one would dare say anything.
- 12 Those stuck to the ground tried to dig under their feet, but could not get free. For three days, Sahng-jeh-nim did not allow anyone to give them food.
- 13 Ho-yun pleaded, “Please no more. Let her down.”
“That wretch should change her ways,” said Sahng-jeh-nim.
- 15 A while later, Sahng-jeh-nim asked Hyung-yul, “Would it be right to leave her as she is or to let her go? Which should I do?”
- 16 Hyung-yul considered asking for her to be released, but afraid she would be left hanging even longer if he did, he said, “Please do as You wish. If You want her to die, then let her die. If You want her to live, then let her live. I agree that she is too brazen, and I would not miss her.”
- (JSD Dojeon 2,107)
