“The whiskers of the dragon,” according to a book of the Yuan dynasty,
“are three feet long and purple in color. If dragon whiskers are
mounted upon a crystal handle like a horsehair whip and are placed in a
room at night, flies and mosquitoes will not enter.” We are further
informed that “if this instrument is swished through the air it will
make such a noise that chickens, dogs, cows, and horses on hearing it
will try to hide. If dragon whiskers are placed in deep water all
scale-covered animals will swim immediately to the spot, thinking that
their master, the dragon, is there.”
A strange fire plays about the body of the dragon. This differs from
the fire with which we are familiar in that it blazes brightly when
brought into contact with water. If, however, terrestrial fire touches
the dragon flames, the latter will immediately be extinguished.
As long as the dragon has moisture in the form of water or clouds
surrounding its body, it retains its marvelous powers of motion and of
mutability, but when this moisture dries up, the dragon becomes
powerless and dies.
It is said that the blood of some dragons is red; of others, black.
Rubies are often supposed to be petrified drops of the red variety.
We are informed of the remarkable fact that dragons change their bones
periodically and as regularly as snakes shed their skins and deer their
horns. Dragon bones are supposed to be buried in many high mountains,
and their presence has much to do with the determination of fêng-shui.
Lofty peaks that are frequently tipped with clouds or enveloped in mist
are believed to contain the bones of some great dragon which attract to
themselves the moisture of the passing clouds.
The saliva of the dragon, we are told, is purple in color, and is
considered the most fragrant of all perfumes. It is said to be employed
in the manufacture of a very valuable incense. “Dragon’s saliva
incense” was formerly sent as a tribute to the emperor by one of the
western provinces.
One writer expresses a remarkable theory of the dragon’s posthumous
state. He says that when they die dragons turn into crabs. Dragons are
punished for minor offenses, according to the will of heaven, by having
their ears cut off; for greater offenses, by being sent to the earth,
where they are exposed to the view of men in a state as if dead.
Three things of which dragons are exceedingly fond are bamboo trees,
arsenic, and the flesh of swallows. The graceful branches of the bamboo
are very pleasing to the eye of the dragon who, when there is no human
being in sight, delights to lie under their shade and hear the wind
rustling the leaves above. Arsenic, which is to mortal man a deadly
poison, is food to the dragon. In fact, it is a favorite article of
diet, and dragons grow fat upon it. The delicacy, however, for which
the dragon has the greatest fondness, is swallows’ flesh. Woe to the
man who ever tries to cross a body of water in a boat after having
eaten a dish of roasted swallows, for a peculiar fragrance, which
dragons are always able to detect, will cling to his person. The man in
the boat will be pursued by one of these animals, who will cause a
storm to rise, the boat will be upset, and the unfortunate person
precipitated into the water, where he will fall easy prey to the ruler
of the sea. Under ordinary conditions the dragon shows no fondness for
human flesh, but with such provocation we are told that he should be
considered entirely excusable.
At the autumnal equinox, according to one source, the majority of
dragons descend into the sea where they hibernate for six months. In
fact, the home of dragons is on the floor of the ocean where they dwell
in beautiful palaces. At the vernal equinox dragons leave the sea and
ascend again into the clouds. Destructive typhoons and equinoctial
hurricanes along the coast, in the spring and autumn, are caused by the
disturbance of the waters when the great animals thus enter or leave
their maritime home.