saddled their horses with the greatest rapidity. Then they galloped
out with great cries of homage, till it looked as though some one were
scattering beans and a heavy cloud of dust rose behind them.
They had nearly all of them disappeared, while the scholar's eyes
were still fixed on them full of terror and astonishment, and he could
not imagine whence they had come. He slipped on his shoes and looked;
but they had vanished without a trace. Then he returned and looked all
about his room; but there was nothing to be seen. Only, on a brick
against the wall, they had forgotten a little hunting dog. The scholar
quickly caught it and found it quite tame. He put it in his paint-box
and examined it closely. It had a very smooth, fine coat, and wore a
little collar around its neck. He tried to feed it a few bread-crumbs,
but the little dog only sniffed at them and let them lie. Then it
leaped into the bed and hunted up some nits and gnats in the folds of
the linen, which it devoured. Then it returned and lay down. When the
night had passed the scholar feared it might have run away; but there
it lay, curled up as before. Whenever the scholar went to bed, the dog
climbed into it and bit to death any vermin it could find. Not a fly
or gnat dared alight while it was around. The scholar loved it like a
jewel of price.
But once he took a nap in the daytime, and the little dog crawled into
bed beside him. The scholar woke and turned around, supporting himself
on his side. As he did so he felt something, and feared it might be
his little dog. He quickly rose and looked, but it was already
dead--pressed flat, as though cut out of paper!
But at any rate none of the vermin had survived it.
Note: This tale is taken from the Liau Dschai ("Strange
Stories") of P'u Sung Lang (b. 1622). It is a parallel
of the preceding one and shows how the same material
returns in a different working-out.
XLIII
THE DRAGON AFTER HIS WINTER SLEEP
Once there was a scholar who was reading in the upper story of his
house. It was a rainy, cloudy day and the weather was gloomy. Suddenly
he saw a little thing which shone like a fire-fly. It crawled upon the
table, and wherever it went it left traces of burns, curved like the
tracks of a rainworm. Gradually it wound itself about the scholar's
book and the book, too, grew black. Then it occurred to him that it
might be a dragon. So he carried it out of doors on the book. There he
stood for quite some time; but it sat uncurled, without moving in the
least.
Then the scholar said: "It shall not be said of me that I was lacking
in respect." With these words he carried back the book and once more
laid it on the table. Then he put on his robes of ceremony, made a
deep bow and escorted the dragon out on it again.
No sooner had he left the door, than he noticed that the dragon raised
his head and stretched himself. Then he flew up from the book with a
hissing sound, like a radiant streak. Once more he turned around
toward the scholar, and his head had already grown to the size of a
barrel, while his body must have been a full fathom in length. He gave
one more snaky twist, and then there was a terrible crash of thunder
and the dragon went sailing through the air.
The scholar then returned and looked to see which way the little
creature had come. And he could follow his tracks hither and thither,
to his chest of books.
Note: This tale is also from the "Strange Stories." The
dragon, head of all scaled creatures and insects,
hibernates during the winter according to the Chinese
belief. At the time he is quite small. When the first
spring storm comes he flies up to the clouds on the
lightning. Here the dragon's nature as an atmospheric
apparition is expressed.
XLIV
THE SPIRITS OF THE YELLOW RIVER
The spirits of the Yellow River are called Dai Wang--Great King. For
many hundreds of years past the river inspectors had continued to
report that all sorts of monsters show themselves in the waves of the
stream, at times in the shape of dragons, at others in that of cattle
and horses, and whenever such a creature makes an appearance a great
flood follows. Hence temples are built along the river banks. The
higher spirits of the river are honored as kings, the lower ones as
captains, and hardly a day goes by without their being honored with
sacrifices or theatrical performances. Whenever, after a dam has been
broken, the leak is closed again, the emperor sends officials with
sacrifices and ten great bars of Tibetan incense. This incense is
burned in a great sacrificial censer in the temple court, and the
river inspectors and their subordinates all go to the temple to thank
the gods for their aid. These river gods, it is said, are good and
faithful servants of former rulers, who died in consequence of their
toil in keeping the dams unbroken. After they died their spirits
became river-kings; in their physical bodies, however, they appear as
lizards, snakes and frogs.
The mightiest of all the river-kings is the Golden Dragon-King. He
frequently appears in the shape of a small golden snake with a square
head, low forehead and four red dots over his eyes. He can make
himself large or small at will, and cause the waters to rise and fall.
He appears and vanishes unexpectedly, and lives in the mouths of the
Yellow River and the Imperial Canal. But in addition to the Golden
Dragon-King there are dozens of river-kings and captains, each of whom
has his own place. The sailors of the Yellow River all have exact
lists in which the lives and deeds of the river-spirits are described
in detail.
The river-spirits love to see theatrical performances. Opposite every
temple is a stage. In the hall stands the little spirit-tablet of the
river-king, and on the altar in front of it a small bowl of golden
lacquer filled with clean sand. When a little snake appears in it, the
river-king has arrived. Then the priests strike the gong and beat the
drum and read from the holy books. The official is at once informed
and he sends for a company of actors. Before they begin to perform the
actors go up to the temple, kneel, and beg the king to let them know
which play they are to give. And the river-god picks one out and
points to it with his head; or else he writes signs in the sand with
his tail. The actors then at once begin to perform the desired play.
The river-god cares naught for the fortunes or misfortunes of human
beings. He appears suddenly and disappears in the same way, as best
suits him.
Between the outer and the inner dam of the Yellow River are a number
of settlements. Now it often happens that the yellow water moves to
the very edge of the inner walls. Rising perpendicularly, like a wall,
it gradually advances. When people see it coming they hastily burn
incense, bow in prayer before the waters, and promise the river-god a
theatrical performance. Then the water retires and the word goes
round: "The river-god has asked for a play again!"
In a village in that section there once dwelt a wealthy man. He built
a stone wall, twenty feet high, around the village, to keep away the
water. He did not believe in the spirits of the river, but trusted in
his strong wall and was quite unconcerned.
One evening the yellow water suddenly rose and towered in a straight
line before the village. The rich man had them shoot cannon at it.
Then the water grew stormy, and surrounded the wall to such a height
that it reached the openings in the battlements. The water foamed and
hissed, and seemed about to pour over the wall. Then every one in the
village was very much frightened. They dragged up the rich man and he
had to kneel and beg for pardon. They promised the river-god a
theatrical performance, but in vain; but when they promised to build
him a temple in the middle of the village and give regular
performances, the water sank more and more and gradually returned to
its bed. And the village fields suffered no damage, for the earth,
fertilized by the yellow slime, yielded a double crop.
Once a scholar was crossing the fields with a friend in order to visit
a relative. On their way they passed a temple of the river-god where a
new play was just being performed. The friend asked the scholar to go
in with him and look on. When they entered the temple court they saw
two great snakes upon the front pillars, who had wound themselves
about the columns, and were thrusting out their heads as though
watching the performance. In the hall of the temple stood the altar
with the bowl of sand. In it lay a small snake with a golden body, a
green head and red dots above his eyes. His neck was thrust up and his
glittering little eyes never left the stage. The friend bowed and the
scholar followed his example.
Softly he said to his friend: "What are the three river-gods called?"
"The one in the temple," was the reply, "is the Golden Dragon-King.
The two on the columns are two captains. They do not dare to sit in
the temple together with the king."
This surprised the scholar, and in his heart he thought: "Such a tiny
snake! How can it possess a god's power? It would have to show me its
might before I would worship it."
He had not yet expressed these secret thoughts before the little snake
suddenly stretched forth his head from the bowl, above the altar.
Before the altar burned two enormous candles. They weighed more than
ten pounds and were as thick as small trees. Their flame burned like
the flare of a torch. The snake now thrust his head into the middle of
the candle-flame. The flame must have been at least an inch broad, and
was burning red. Suddenly its radiance turned blue, and was split into
two tongues. The candle was so enormous and its fire so hot that even
copper and iron would have melted in it; but it did not harm the
snake.
Then the snake crawled into the censer. The censer was made of iron,
and was so large one could not clasp it with both arms. Its cover
showed a dragon design in open-work. The snake crawled in and out of
the holes in this cover, and wound his way through all of them, so
that he looked like an embroidery in threads of gold. Finally all the
openings of the cover, large and small, were filled by the snake. In
order to do so, he must have made himself several dozen feet long.
Then he stretched out his head at the top of the censer and once more
watched the play.
Thereupon the scholar was frightened, he bowed twice, and prayed:
"Great King, you have taken this trouble on my account! I honor you
from my heart!"
No sooner had he spoken these words than, in a moment, the little
snake was back in his bowl, and just as small as he had been before.
In Dsiningdschou they were celebrating the river god's birthday in his
temple. They were giving him a theatrical performance for a birthday
present. The spectators crowded around as thick as a wall, when who
should pass but a simple peasant from the country, who said in a loud
voice: "Why, that is nothing but a tiny worm! It is a great piece of
folly to honor it like a king!"
Before ever he had finished speaking the snake flew out of the temple.
He grew and grew, and wound himself three times around the stage. He
became as thick around as a small pail, and his head seemed like that
of a dragon. His eyes sparkled like golden lamps, and he spat out red
flame with his tongue. When he coiled and uncoiled the whole stage
trembled and it seemed as though it would break down. The actors
stopped their music and fell down on the stage in prayer. The whole
multitude was seized with terror and bowed to the ground. Then some of
the old men came along, cast the peasant on the ground, and gave him a
good thrashing. So he had to cast himself on his knees before the
snake and worship him. Then all heard a noise as though a great many
firecrackers were being shot off. This lasted for some time, and then
the snake disappeared.
East of Shantung lies the city of Dongschou. There rises an
observation-tower with a great temple. At its feet lies the
water-city, with a sea-gate at the North, through which the flood-tide
rises up to the city. A camp of the boundary guard is established at
this gate.
Once upon a time there was an officer who had been transferred to
this camp as captain. He had formerly belonged to the land forces, and
had not yet been long at his new post. He gave some friends of his a
banquet, and before the pavilion in which they feasted lay a great
stone shaped somewhat like a table. Suddenly a little snake was seen
crawling on this stone. It was spotted with green, and had red dots on
its square head. The soldiers were about to kill the little creature,
when the captain went out to look into the matter. When he had looked
he laughed and said: "You must not harm him! He is the river-king of
Dsiningdschou. When I was stationed in Dsiningdschou he sometimes
visited me, and then I always gave sacrifices and performances in his
honor. Now he has come here expressly in order to wish his old friend
luck, and to see him once more."
There was a band in camp; the bandsmen could dance and play like a
real theatrical troupe. The captain quickly had them begin a
performance, had another banquet with wine and delicate foods
prepared, and invited the river-god to sit down to the table.
Gradually evening came and yet the river-god made no move to go.
So the captain stepped up to him with a bow and said: "Here we are far
removed from the Yellow River, and these people have never yet heard
your name spoken. Your visit has been a great honor for me. But the
women and fools who have crowded together chattering outside, are
afraid of hearing about you. Now you have visited your old friend, and
I am sure you wish to get back home again."
With these words he had a litter brought up; cymbals were beaten and
fire-works set off, and finally a salute of nine guns was fired to
escort him on his way. Then the little snake crawled into the litter,
and the captain followed after. In this order they reached the port,
and just when it was about time to say farewell, the snake was already
swimming in the water. He had grown much larger, nodded to the captain
with his head, and disappeared.
Then there were doubts and questionings: "But the river-god lives a
thousand miles away from here, how does he get to this place?"
Said the captain: "He is so powerful that he can get to any place, and
besides, from where he dwells a waterway leads to the sea. To come
down that way and swim to sea is something he can do in a moment's
time!"
Note: "The Spirits of the Yellow River." The place of
the old river-god Ho Be (Count of the Stream), also
mentioned in No. 63, has to-day been taken by the Dai
Wang in the popular belief. These spirits are thought to
have placed many hindrances in the way of the erection
of the railroad bridge across the Yellow River. The
"spirit-tablet": images of the gods were first
introduced in China by the Buddhists. The old custom,
which Confucianism and ancestor-worship still follow,
holds that the seat of the gods is a small wooden tablet
on which the name of the god to be honored is written.
Theatrical performances as religious services are as
general in China as they were in ancient Greece.
Dsiningdschou is a district capital on the Imperial
Canal, near the Yellow River.
XLV
THE DRAGON-PRINCESS
In the Sea of Dungting there is a hill, and in that hill there is a
hole, and this hole is so deep that it has no bottom.
Once a fisherman was passing there who slipped and fell into the hole.
He came to a country full of winding ways which led over hill and dale
for several miles. Finally he reached a dragon-castle lying in a great
plain. There grew a green slime which reached to his knees. He went
to the gate of the castle. It was guarded by a dragon who spouted
water which dispersed in a fine mist. Within the gate lay a small
hornless dragon who raised his head, showed his claws, and would not
let him in.
The fisherman spent several days in the cave, satisfying his hunger
with the green slime, which he found edible and which tasted like
rice-mush. At last he found a way out again. He told the district
mandarin what had happened to him, and the latter reported the matter
to the emperor. The emperor sent for a wise man and questioned him
concerning it.
The wise man said: "There are four paths in this cave. One path leads
to the south-west shore of the Sea of Dungting, the second path leads
to a valley in the land of the four rivers, the third path ends in a
cave on the mountain of Lo-Fu and the fourth in an island of the
Eastern Sea. In this cave dwells the seventh daughter of the
Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, who guards his pearls and his
treasure. It happened once in the ancient days, that a fisherboy dived
into the water and brought up a pearl from beneath the chin of a black
dragon. The dragon was asleep, which was the reason the fisherboy
brought the pearl to the surface without being harmed. The treasure
which the daughter of the Dragon-King has in charge is made up of
thousands and millions of such jewels. Several thousands of small
dragons watch over them in her service. Dragons have the peculiarity
of fighting shy of wax. But they are fond of beautiful jade-stones,
and of kung-tsing, the hollowgreen wood, and like to eat swallows. If
one were to send a messenger with a letter, it would be possible to
obtain precious pearls."
[Illustration: "A FISHERBOY DIVED INTO THE WATER AND BROUGHT UP A
PEARL FROM BENEATH THE CHIN OF A BLACK DRAGON."
--_Page 138_]
The emperor was greatly pleased, and announced a large reward for
the man who was competent to go to the dragon-castle as his messenger.
The first man to come forward was named So Pi-Lo. But the wise man
said: "A great-great-great-great-grandfather of yours once slew more
than a hundred of the dragons of the Eastern Sea, and was finally
himself slain by the dragons. The dragons are the enemies of your
family and you cannot go."
Then came a man from Canton, Lo-Dsi-Tschun, with his two brothers, who
said that his ancestors had been related to the Dragon-King. Hence
they were well liked by the dragons and well known to them. They
begged to be entrusted with the message.
The wise man asked: "And have you still in your possession the stone
which compels the dragons to do your will?"
"Yes," said they, "we have brought it along with us."
The wise man had them show him the stone; then he spoke: "This stone
is only obeyed by the dragons who make clouds and send down the rain.
It will not do for the dragons who guard the pearls of the sea-king."
Then he questioned them further: "Have you the dragon-brain vapor?"
When they admitted that they had not, the wise man said: "How then
will you compel the dragons to yield their treasure?"
And the emperor said: "What shall we do?"
The wise man replied: "On the Western Ocean sail foreign merchants who
deal in dragon-brain vapor. Some one must go to them and seek it from
them. I also know a holy man who is an adept in the art of taming
dragons, and who has prepared ten pounds of the dragon-stone. Some one
should be sent for that as well."
The emperor sent out his messengers. They met one of the holy man's
disciples and obtained two fragments of dragon-stone from him.
Said the wise man: "That is what we want!"
Several more months went by, and at last a pill of dragon-brain vapor
had also been secured. The emperor felt much pleased and had his
jewelers carve two little boxes of the finest jade. These were
polished with the ashes of the Wutung-tree. And he had an essence
prepared of the very best hollowgreen wood, pasted with sea-fish lime,
and hardened in the fire. Of this two vases were made. Then the bodies
and the clothing of the messengers were rubbed with tree-wax, and they
were given five hundred roasted swallows to take along with them.
They went into the cave. When they reached the dragon-castle, the
little dragon who guarded the gate smelled the tree-wax, so he
crouched down and did them no harm. They gave him a hundred roasted
swallows as a bribe to announce them to the daughter of the
Dragon-King. They were admitted to her presence and offered her the
jade caskets, the vases and the four hundred roasted swallows as
gifts. The dragon's daughter received them graciously, and they
unfolded the emperor's letter.
In the castle there was a dragon who was over a thousand years old. He
could turn himself into a human being, and could interpret the
language of human beings. Through him the dragon's daughter learned
that the emperor was sending her the gifts, and she returned them with
a gift of three great pearls, seven smaller pearls and a whole bushel
of ordinary pearls. The messengers took leave, rode off with their
pearls on a dragon's back, and in a moment they had reached the banks
of the Yangtze-kiang. They made their way to Nanking, the imperial
capital, and there handed over their treasure of gems.
The emperor was much pleased and showed them to the wise man. He said:
"Of the three great pearls one is a divine wishing-pearl of the third
class, and two are black dragon-pearls of medium quality. Of the seven
smaller pearls two are serpent-pearls, and five are mussel-pearls. The
remaining pearls are in part sea-crane pearls, in part snail and
oyster-pearls. They do not approach the great pearls in value, and yet
few will be found to equal them on earth."
The emperor also showed them to all his servants. They, however,
thought the wise man's words all talk, and did not believe what he
said.
Then the wise man said: "The radiance of wishing-pearls of the first
class is visible for forty miles, that of the second class for twenty
miles, and that of the third for ten miles. As far as their radiance
carries, neither wind nor rain, thunder nor lightning, water, fire nor
weapons may reach. The pearls of the black dragon are nine-colored and
glow by night. Within the circle of their light the poison of serpents
and worms is powerless. The serpent-pearls are seven-colored, the
mussel-pearls five-colored. Both shine by night. Those most free from
spots are the best. They grow within the mussel, and increase and
decrease in size as the moon waxes and wanes."
Some one asked how the serpent and sea-crane pearls could be told
apart, and the wise man answered: "The animals themselves recognize
them."
Then the emperor selected a serpent-pearl and a sea-crane pearl, put
them together with a whole bushel of ordinary pearls, and poured the
lot out in the courtyard. Then a large yellow serpent and a black
crane were fetched and placed among the pearls. At once the crane
took up a sea-crane pearl in his bill and began to dance and sing and
flutter around. But the serpent snatched at the serpent-pearl, and
wound himself about it in many coils. And when the people saw this
they acknowledged the truth of the wise man's words. As regards the
radiance of the larger and smaller pearls it turned out, too, just as
the wise man had said.
In the dragon-castle the messengers had enjoyed dainty fare, which
tasted like flowers, herbs, ointment and sugar. They had brought a
remnant of it with them to the capital; yet exposed to the air it had
become as hard as stone. The emperor commanded that these fragments be
preserved in the treasury. Then he bestowed high rank and titles on
the three brothers, and made each one of them a present of a thousand
rolls of fine silk stuff. He also had investigated why it was that the
fisherman, when he chanced upon the cave, had not been destroyed by
the dragons. And it turned out that his fishing clothes had been
soaked in oil and tree-wax. The dragons had dreaded the odor.
Note: As regards the Dragon-King of the Eastern Sea, see
Nos. 18 and 74. The pearl under the dragon's chin comes
from Dschuang Dsi. With regard to So Pi-Lo and
Lo-Dsi-Tschun, see No. 46.
XLVI
HELP IN NEED
Some twenty miles east of Gingdschou lies the Lake of the Maidens. It
is several miles square and surrounded on all sides by thick green
thickets and tall forests. Its waters are clear and dark-blue. Often
all kinds of wondrous creatures show themselves in the lake. The
people of the vicinity have erected a temple there for the Dragon
Princess. And in times of drought all make pilgrimage there to offer
up prayers.