Byrne's "MARCO POLO" from 1YA

Radio Record, Volume V, Issue 4, 7 August 1931, Page 3

Byrne's "MARCO POLO" from 1YA

In the year 1298 a naval battle occurred between the Genoese and the Venetians, in _ which the latter were defeated. Among the.7000 prisoners taken by the Genoese was a Venetian gentleman named Marco Polo, who had been a great traveller. He had taken part in the first mission to Kubla Khan, and had gone on when the two missionaries had turned back. While this Marco Polo was a prisoner in Genoa, he beguiled his tedium 'by talking of his travels to a certain writer, who wrote them down. "The

travels of Marco Polo’ is one of the great books of history.

H. G.

Wells

in "The

Outline of History."

"FyEFORE I die, Pll leave you the story of . Marco Polo. They’ve said, ‘That’s all there igpbout Marco Polo.’ But the scholars are.a queer, blind people." ‘ And this is the story that the nonagenarian told. Brian Ore as it is recorded in ""Messer Marco Polo." It was nearing night on the first day of spring, and there was a chill about the canals of Old Venice. Young Marco Polo threw down his quill in the .counting-house, where he was learning his trade, and wandered out with the discontent of the season on him. There was a lot of shipping in, much of it from the glamorous East, which was at-this time attracting the attention of merchants of Venice. They were bringing back many wonderful trophies-silks and satins, jewels, spices and rare curios. The great Mongol Empire was a rich trading place for its wealthy and powerful ruler Khubla Khan, who was both friendly and learned, had extended his dominions almost to Asia Minor. The captains and traders of these adventurous vessels congregated in a certain Venetian wineshop, where they argued and boasted, made friends and killed enemies. ; "Tll go in and talk to the strange foreign people," said Marco Polo, for on this night neither the great Venetian lady nor the plump little gown-maker, who was eager for kissing, attracted him. Indoors there was a babel of tongues such as he had never heard before.

Men were drinking and dicing, shouting when they won and cursing when they lost. One man was apart. There was no mistaking he was a great man, for he was so restful against the great commotion. You might know from his looks that he was an Eastern man-perhaps from that strange country Tanan.

Marco Polo knew him to be a Chinaman, because none of the strange happenings in that place surprised him. He went on calmly smoking his pipe when all others were shouting and gesticulating. So Marco Polo went over and saluted him politely. "T wonder if you mind my sitting fon by you for a while?" he said. "I érdeive you are from China." The captain smiled-"‘You guessed right."

And so it came about that young Marco learned of the wonders of the ‘East. "I wonder if you ever met anyone by the name of Polo over therethey are foreigners in the court of the great Khan." Yes, the captain had heard of them. They were great men; he had never ‘met them. One he knew had a great eye \ for a horse and for a woman. — ‘That would be my Uncle Matthew," exclaimed the boy. -‘And the other was a trader"--"That.would be my father, Nicholas Polo."

"For God’s sake, you are the nephew of one and the son ot the other," remarked the captain. "They are fine men and’ high 1: the esteem of the Khan." . . moe, And so they fell to talking about China and how the captain hac last seen the beautiful "Tao Tuen," whom they called ‘Golden Bells. She was the daughter of the great Kubla Khan-a little brown slip of ‘a girl in green coat and trousers, with a flower in her hair. As the captain had slipped past her in his barque she had called out in her tinkling voice and asked him where he was going. The boat stopped, and when ‘the captain said he was going to foreign parts she wished him a safe voyage, saying she would be thinking of him and looking for his return. "Golden Bells will worry about you. And take this flower for luck," she said tothe mariner, giving him a flower from her hair. Princes had ‘come to woo her, but she didn’t want them. "Anil so she remains in her garden with'a great poet and magician to keep her company. She is not the one to refuse love but the right hour ‘has not yet come." Time ‘went by and Marco Polo still thought of "Golden Bells." But even if he went there, what would she want admiring one such

as he when there were princes to choose from. ut it would be worth walking the world to see her. Father and uncle returned in due time, and on their next journey they took him, though his apprenticeship was not yet served. Only because he agreed to take the Western relision to the court of the great Khan. The

‘mighty empire was still under the doctrines of Confucius, and the teachers from the Pope had not yet penetrated the court at Peking, and Kubla Khan, who had heard of the Western religion, was anxious to know more concerning it, to test if it were more logical than his own. So the young Polo sought audience with the Pope and learned direct from him the doctrine that he was to take to the heathen. He took also the blessing for a safe and profitable trip. Poor little Golden Bells. He wanted to tell her about the Bitter Tree.

And so the three set out on their trip to the East, with their great train of pack-horses ‘and camels. Moons were born and died. They passel Babel, through Cashmir, through the Tartar lands, and came to the town of Lob and, as a new moon arose, entered the Desert of the Singing Sands. In terror a third of the caravan fled in one night. Others dropped out or deserted as they neared the heart of the desert. Some lost their reason and went screaming into (Concluded on page 9.);

66 9 9 Marco Polo from IYA

(Continued from page 3.)

> mas the endless sand. "When they left the Hill of the Bell there were only six left and a multitude of white-sheeted ghosts. Mirages taunted them, ever giving hope that their trial was ended, but they vanished into endless sand. On the last day of the moon they were all but in sight of the desert’s edge, and didn’t know it, when a sandstorm descended upon them in all its fury. There was red darkness everywhere, and Marco could not be found. He had ‘lain down to die, sobbing, "Oh! My Lord Jesus! Oh, little Golden Bells!" HH magician in Khubla Khan’s court was brooding, and Golden Bells was depressed. "There’s rare entertainment for you in the crystal glass," said «he. "The warlocks of . the desert of the Gobi have a young td down, and they’re waiting for the ul to come out. Come, I’ll show ‘you. He started out to preach what he thought the truth to China." Golden Bells thought it not fun, and implored the magician to save him. "Well, I might." And so Marco Polo was brought into the presence of the Great Khan and his beautiful daughter. "There is a welcome for you here, Marco. There is none here will criticise or make it hard for you.. There is eagerness for and interest in your message." So Marco delivered to them the message of Christianity. He quoted the words spoken, on Galilee and of the life and death of Christ, and they listened intently. But the great Khan seemed disappointed, and when he had finished Marco was conscious ‘of two things-the politeness of the Chinese and the pity in the eyes of Golden Bells. He had a private audience afterward, but Kubla Khan would never believe without miracles. His popes and magicians could perform them, and the word of the ardent Christian would avail little until he could perform like miracles. "But, sir, it was & great miracle that brought me out of the desert of the Gobi." "A miracle of the Lord’s! A miracle of Golden Bells here. Her magician saw you and sent out the desert patrols." ROKHN in spirit, Marco turned from the court, but Golden Bells restrained him. "Aren’t I your convert, Marco Polo?’ Marco sat in the jasmine encircled garden and spoke of Christ, but ¢ Golden Bellis thought it a tragedy that ‘in, such a beautiful garden on such a "beautiful night they should be talking of _ what happened long, long ago. She admired him: for his earnestness and was happy in his presence. No longer could she sing of lover deserted, for even the moon smiled. She was happy -very happy. ‘ "There is little ‘in your faith about women. Must not the young men look at the young women?" "No, Golden Bells, the young men must not look too much on the young women." Golden Bells couldn’t understand. Her religion taught admiration of the beauty of women. Why-.must they not look upon them with their eyes? "Look at me, Marco Polo. Is there evil in men that you must avoid? DoTI hurt your eyes?" . Marco was afraid of sin, but to the -Oriental there were only two sinsmeanness .and cruelty-and. she. knew that in Marco there was neither. It

was all too difficult for Golden Bells, and in despair Marco Polo made preparations to return to Venice.; A pain stabbed the princess at such a thought, and she implored him not to leave the beautiful: moonlit garden. But he had come for converts. He would return and become a white monk in a monastery; where he would pray for Golden Bells. "T want to be loved, not prayed for, Marco Polo.’ She stamped her foot. "And there you have it out of me anid

POTTS SHS LUT e LUD LPL Lob great shame to you for having made me say it that was desired by many. Surely ’tis not the wish of the Hard God you are making out of the Kindly person, that would have my _ heart broken. I’m sorry I’ve said it, but I’m afraid of losing you." And as she sobbed in his arms the battle, the disappointment, and the fear went out from him. And the great poet in the great court wrote another song-the marriage song of the Golden Bells. you next see Marco Polo seventeen years after he had come to China , and fourteen years after his wife, Golden Bells, had died... He was a ruler of one of the provinces of the great Khan, a lean, hard man, one of the straightest in ministering justice. All knew of his great suffering, and they made allowances when he was moved to anger. He had come in from one of the borders of the Arctic lands and the great Kubla Khan came to him from his bed, for he was dying. Marco must go back to Venice. He had done nothing to dissatisfy the great ruler, who loved him even more than he did his own sons. But when he died Marco would find things hard,

for there ‘were many who would do him injury. . Marco had forgotten Venice, and the willows and hibiscus all reminded him of the happiness that had long since departed. He.wanted. to stay there, lingering in the garden where he had known Golden Bells. Poet and Sorcerer joined with the King in his prediction of evil days if he did not leave. A sign from her and he would 0. There in the bottom of the moonlight trod little Golden Bells with her eyes pleading, pleading-"Go now, Marco Polo. Go." Her lips moved, but there was no sound. He rushed forward, but there was nothing but darkness. "J’l] be seeing her soon, sir," he said to the Khan. There was a war between the \Wenetians and the Genoese and he would go right into the hottest part of the fighting. "But it would be just my luck to be taken prisoner and to end my time in some dark gaol. But we can only hope for the best." Ana Mareo Polo took his farewell "for

the present. 9

C.W.

S.