On a spring day of Juche 44 (1955) when the construction of the Phyongnam Irrigation project was near completion President Kim Il Sung had the car stopped on the side of a crop field of a rural village to acquaint himself with the preparations for farming in the Yoldusamcholli plain. There he found an old man absorbed in sowing some seed.
Going up to him, the President asked him gently what he was sowing.
The old man answered it was foxtail millet. Smiling, the President said why didn't he turn the land into a paddy field where water was expected before the rice-transplanting season.
The old man frankly unbosomed himself, saying he would do so, working all night through, if he could see water flowing there, but he was not sure he would see water so soon.
Never minding his words, the President turned to the officials accompanying him and said his words hinted how much he had suffered from the lack of water. Then he told the old man the water would come certainly in more or less half a month and told him to boldly turn the land into a paddy field and make preparations to grow rice.
Deeply touched by the words of the President, the old man said he would not fail to make it a paddy field.
After the President left, the old man kept to his words with confidence.
Irrigation water flowed into the field soon and heavy ears of rice drooped on the stalks in the former foxtail millet plot.
Looking at the stack of rice in the yard, the old man recollected with deep thanks the advice of the President.
It was certainly handy the glorious leader was there to give that advice.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a documentary about your particular "poster boy", Phil. ;-)
ReplyDeleteA very aged Russian lady spoke of when her peasant family were visited by a gravely ill Lenin, out taking some fresh air in the countryside. The family had no electricity. They got it. (Socialism is Soviet power and electrification, as somebody said, eh?) The lady remarked that her family called light bulbs "liitle Illyitches" from then on.
even worse ... his son (or sun?) is still touring the country: http://www.kcckp.net/en/news/index.php?22
ReplyDeleteforget all hail the leader, defend Coatesy!
ReplyDeleteHi Gray, if memory recalls that little gem was spun as Stalin and his supporters started cooking up a personality cult around Lenin.
ReplyDeleteAny yes Mod, for the unconditional defence of and solidarity with Coatesy!
I meant to post this link http://tendancecoatesy.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/banned-for-blog-ymca-suppresses-dissent/
ReplyDeleteDeeply touched by the words of the President, and the gun barrels of his bodyguards, the old man said he would not fail to make it a paddy field.
ReplyDelete