Mongolia

(map)

A hunter named Hailibu, wandering deep in the mountains, came upon a small white snake sleeping along his path. Being of a kind and generous nature, he tiptoed past so as not to wake her. Just then, a gray crane swooped down and seized the snake. The snake screamed for help, and Hailibu quickly set an arrow in his bow and shot at the escaping crane, which dropped the snake and flew away. Hailibu said to the snake, "You poor thing, go home to your parents." The snake nodded and crawled off, and Hailibu went his way.

When passing the area the next day, Hailibu met the white snake again, escorted by several other snakes. The white snake came to him and said, "I am the Dragon King's daughter. You saved my life yesterday. My parents asked that I take you to them so that they can express their gratitude in person." She continued, "When they offer a reward, ask for nothing but the stone which my father keeps in his mouth. With this, you will be able to understand all animals. But you must never tell anyone else what you hear, or your whole body will turn to stone."

Hailibu nodded and followed the snake into a deep valley. They stopped before a large door, and the Dragon King came forward. "You saved my beloved daughter," he said, "and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here is my treasure; take whatever you want." He opened the door and led Hailibu into a storeroom full of pearls and jewels. The Dragon King led him from there to other rooms full of such riches. After they had gone through all 108 rooms, Hailibu still had chosen nothing, and the Dragon King said, "Dear Sir, do none of my treasures please you?" Hailibu replied, "They are fine, but not useful for a hunter such as myself. May I have the precious stone in your mouth as a remembrance?" The Dragon King hesitated but handed over the stone.

As Hailibu was leaving, the little white snake warned him again not to reveal anything he learned by means of the stone. "Danger will befall you if you do. Do not forget this!"

Hunting became easy for Hailibu after that, for he was able to hear all about the locations and plans of the birds and animals. After several years, he heard a flock of birds, as they flew overhead, saying, "We must leave this area! The mountains are going to erupt tomorrow and flood the fields. Who knows how many animals will be drowned!"

Hailibu hurried home to warn his neighbors. "You are in danger and must leave here today! Please believe me! Don't wait, or it will be too late!" But the people just looked at him like he was crazy. In despair, Hailibu cried, "Do I have to die to convince you?"

A few old men said to him, "You have never misled us before, but what you say about the mountains erupting and flooding our fields is incredible. What makes you so sure of it?"

Hailibu thought to himself that telling them the whole story was the only way to convince them, and he could not leave them all to die. So he told them how he had acquired the magical stone, how he had heard of the disaster from the birds, and why he had not revealed any of this before. As he talked, he slowly turned into stone.

The villagers felt great sorrow when they saw this, but they made haste to leave to another place, driving their herds before them. Rain poured down all that night. In the morning a great peal of thunder shook the earth, and the mountains belched forth a great flood of water.

When the villagers returned, they found the stone which Hailibu had turned into and placed it at the top of the mountain. Generations since have offered sacrifices at the Hailibu Stone in his memory.

John Minford, trans., Favorite Folktales of China (Beijing: New World Press, 1983; reprint, Singapore: Graham Brash (Pte) Ltd., 1984), 68-74. Also in M. A. Jagendorf and Virginia Weng, The Magic Boat and Other Chinese Folk Stories (New York: Vanguard, 1980): 161-164.