seven not-chinese brothers

there were seven brothers who were handsome and charming, hardworking and modest, honest and noble and accomplished in every way. these seven brothers lived with only their mother because their father was dead, and they lived in a land where they didn't belong. it's a long story as to how they came to be in this land, but it became difficult to think about leaving, so they stayed.

the king was a cruel tyrant who took pleasure in tormenting the foreigners, and he decided one day to take his cruelty to new heights. he brought the foreigners together and told them that any of them who were willing to betray their beliefs by eating a certain forbidden food could live, but the rest would die.

the king spotted the seven brothers in the crowd, huddled around their mother, and he liked the looks of them. he decided he'd like to have these seven beautiful young men in his royal court so he called them over and told them that he liked both their good looks and the fact that there were exactly seven of them. he advised them to eat the forbidden food and come live with him at his palace. he promised them powerful positions if they'd turn their back on their ancestry.

so the choice was betray your beliefs and live a life of luxury in the royal court or hold onto your beliefs and be tortured to death. the king had his henchmen bring out the torture tools to show the brothers exactly what they'd be in for - racks and wheels, hooks and hammers, giant cooking pots, and grills filled with burning coals.

the king told the brothers that because he was compelling them through torture to betray their beliefs, that it didn't really count as betrayal and he was sure they'd be forgiven. you could tell by the way he said it the king didn't have any idea what he was talking about. but the brothers knew. they prefered to die honorably than to live dishonorably. they yelled out, all together, what are you waiting for?!

the king was furious. he commanded his guards to start with the oldest brother. they brought him forward, tore off his shirt, tied down his hands, and beat him until they were exausted. then, they put him on the wheel and stretched him until all his joints were dislocated. the evil guards built up the fire under this brother and stretched him tighter on the wheel until he was burning and his blood and guts were falling into the fire. but he held firm. he didn't cry out in pain - he just continued to yell at the king and condemn his injustice. he said, cut me! burn me! twist my joints! the virtue of my people is invincible! my brothers, fight the good fight!

and so he died.

then the king's henchmen found the next oldest brother and pulled him out of the crowd. they tied him to the rack and gave him a chance to eat the forbidden food, but he refused. so they started tearing him apart with hooks and they tore all his skin off including his scalp and he was bleeding out. but he held firm. he didn't cry out in pain - he just continued to yell at the king and condemn his injustice. he said, cut me! burn me! twist my joints! the virtue of my people is invincible! my brothers, fight the good fight!

and so he died.

the third oldest brother endured having his his hands and feet disjointed, having his arms and legs pulled from their sockets, having his fingers and arms and legs and elbows all broken. but all this breakage didn't break his spirit. the guards were so infuriated by his acceptance of these punishments that they tore his scalp off with their fingernails and immediately brought him to the wheel, and while his back was being broken on the wheel, he saw his own flesh torn all around and his blood pouring and his guts leaking out. but he held firm. he didn't cry out in pain - he just continued to yell at the king and condemn his injustice. he said, cut me! burn me! twist my joints! the virtue of my people is invincible! my brothers, fight the good fight!

and so he died.

so they dragged in the fourth, saying, obey the king! save yourself! but he said to them, you do not have a fire hot enough to scare me! and when the king heard this, he gave orders to cut out this brother's tongue, and so this brother who had once sung beautifully endured his torture in silence but soon enough his body gave out.

and so he died.

the fifth brother leapt up, eager to show his courage and uphold the virtue of his people. he refused to eat the forbidden food so the guards anchored him to the floor at his knees and twisted his back onto the wheel so that he was completely curled back like a scorpion. all his joints were torn apart. his body was completely broken and he could barely breathe. but he held firm. he didn't cry out in pain - he just continued to whisper to the king and condemn his injustice. he said, cut me. burn me. twist my joints. the virtue of my people is invincible. my brothers, fight the good fight.

and so he died.

now the sixth brother was a mere youth. the guards led him in and the king asked him if he'd eat the forbidden food. he refused so they strapped him to the wheel and carefully drew his small body out until he was stretched and broken. they built up the fire and roasted him. they heated skewers in the fire and pushed them through his body, piercing and burning his guts. but he held firm. he didn't cry out in pain - he just continued to yell at the king and condemn his injustice. he said, cut me! burn me! twist my joints! the virtue of my people is invincible! my brothers, fight the good fight!

and so he died.

the seventh brother was but a small boy. the king felt compassion for the child because he was in chains so the king tried to persuade him not to go the way of his brothers. the seventh brother asked to be let out of the chains, and the king was glad that at least one brother finally saw reason, so he ordered the child be unchained. as soon as he was freed, he ran to the nearest grill, turned and yelled, we are humans - just like you! we have feelings - just like you! you cut my brothers and burnt them! you twisted their joints while i was forced to watch! but the virtue of my people is invincible! my brothers fought the good fight - as do i!

and with those words, he leapt into the grill of hot coals.

and so he died.