The Most Joyful Feeling in the World - 55 Stories That Touch Us

Author: Jin He
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: Saving others can save oneself
Mountain climber Kil stands on the narrow path leading to the peak of the Alps. His guide has already packed his belongings. The guide shakes hands with Kil, and the two are about to part here. The guide is heading down the mountain, while Kil is preparing to make the ascent to the peak. The guide doesn’t forget to give Kil some advice. “Remember, you must never fall asleep. No matter what, keep looking forward, keep walking, and never stop.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve climbed mountains many times before. I believe I can conquer this peak and descend safely.” After saying goodbye, the guide heads down the mountain. Kil sets off with confidence on the journey to the summit.
Kil climbs alone, and to be honest, it’s harder than he expected. He’s expending a lot of energy, and the time is passing slowly. Soon, Kil starts to sway from exhaustion and eventually gets lost. It’s pitch black around him, and the wind is biting cold. There’s still a long way to the campsite. Kil is frozen solid, and his leg muscles are stiff, making it impossible to walk. But what’s hardest to bear is the relentless drowsiness. To fight off sleep, he strains his eyes open, but it’s useless. Suddenly, Kil notices a large rock in front of him. He feels a bit relieved—maybe he can take shelter behind it and rest for a while. But when he gets closer, he realizes it’s not a rock.
“!” Although the object shows no signs of movement, it’s clearly a person, and they’ve lost consciousness. Upon closer inspection, their breathing is extremely faint. If they stay there like this, they might not survive. Kil hesitates. Under the harsh conditions where even his own life is at risk, carrying someone down the mountain is extremely dangerous. But with the person right on the brink of death, Kil can’t just stand by.
There’s no time to hesitate. Kil switches his backpack to his front and starts carrying the person. Step by step, he pushes through the pitch-black darkness toward the campsite. Kil grits his teeth and moves his legs with all his strength. Although it takes twice as long as climbing alone, he finally arrives safely at the campsite.
Kil saves the person he came with, who is now suffering from frostbite, but they survive. Drinking hot coffee and warming his body, Kil realizes… a truth. If he hadn’t seen the person behind his backpack, he might have fallen asleep, and the person who would have frozen to death on the mountain would have been him. By valuing the life of others, Kil also saved his own life. P74-75