Han

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The Supreme Sovereign ordered the water god Gong Gong to create a flood as punishment and warning for human misbehavior. Gong Gong extended the flood for 22 years, and people had to live in high mountain caves and in trees, fighting with wild animals for scarce resources. Unable to persuade the Supreme Sovereign to stop the flood, and told by an owl and a turkey about Xirang or Growing Soil, the supernatural hero Gun stole Growing Soil from heaven to dam the waters. Before Gun was finished, however, the Supreme Sovereign sent the fire god Zhu Rong to execute him for his theft. The Growing Soil was taken back to heaven, and the floods continued. However, Gun's body didn't decay, and when it was cut apart three years later, his son Yu emerged in the form of a horned dragon. Gun's body also transformed into a dragon at that time and thenceforth lived quietly in the deeps. The Supreme Sovereign was fearful of Yu's power, so he cooperated and gave Yu the Growing Soil and the use of the dragon Ying. Yu led other gods to drive away Gong Gong, distributed the Growing Soil to remove most of the flood, and led the people to fashion rivers from Ying's tracks and thus channel the remaining floodwaters to the sea.

Jan Walls & Yvonne Walls, Classical Chinese Myths (Hongkong, Joint Publishing Co., 1984), 94-100.

The goddess Nu Kua fought and defeated the chief of a neighboring tribe, driving him up a mountain. The chief, chagrined at being defeated by a woman, beat his head against the Heavenly Bamboo with the aim of wreaking vengeance on his enemies and killing himself. He knocked it down, tearing a hole in the sky. Floods poured out, inundating the world and killing everyone but Nu Kua and her army; her divinity made her and her followers safe from it. Nu Kua patched the hole with a plaster made from stones of five different colors, and the floods ceased.

Werner, E. T. C. Myths and Legends of China, (Singapore, Singapore National Printers Ltd, 1922, 1984), 225; Vitaliano, 1973, 163.

King Zhao appointed Li Bing to be the Prefect of Shu. Li Bing found that Shu was plagued by floods caused by a river god, who demanded two young girls every year. Li Bing went himself, offering his own daughters. But when the river god refused his invitation to meet in person, Li Bing took the form of a bull and, with the help of his archers, he defeated the god.

Ke Wen-le and Hou Mei-xue, Stories from Chinese Mythology (Nankai University Press, 1991), 395-399.

The Dragon King had difficulty finding a husband for his daughter. Although she was unusually beautiful and intelligent, she rejected all his choices.

"Father," she said, "I am not interested in money and status. I want a man who is honest and brave."

The Dragon King then directed his couriers to search for such a man. One day, General Eel reported that he had found a worthy candidate. His name was Ah Er, and he lived in poverty with his brother on a river bend, making a living as a hunter. His reputation for honesty and bravery was known far and wide.

The Dragon King was uncomfortable with the idea of marrying his daughter outside the Aquatic Family, and he was doubtful that the man's character was as reported. The princess was delighted by the prospect, though, so the King decided to follow a plan suggested by Counselor Lobster.

That night, Ah Er dreamed that an old man came and told him that a maiden awaited him by the river, and that he should ask her hand in marriage. Ah Er awoke and told his dream to his older brother Ah Da. Ah Da listened with envy and replied, "You can't take such a dream seriously. Go back to sleep."

Ah Er went back to sleep, and Ah Da sneaked out and went to the river. Ah Er woke up again, wondered at his brother's absence, and thought the dream might be true, so he hurried to the river, too. He arrived shortly after Ah Da.

There, in the moonlight, a beautiful maiden lay on a rock with her hair trailing in the river. Both brothers went to her and asked her hand in marriage. She looked from one to the other and said, "Whom shall I choose? Which of you is most honest and brave?"

"I am," they both replied together.

"Well, then. Whichever of you is the most honest and brave can fetch a luminous pearl which shines at night. It is in the keeping of the Dragon King in the Eastern Sea. I will give each of you a magic clasp which will allow you to journey into the sea. The one who brings me the pearl will become my husband."

Ah Er set off on foot, and Ah Da borrowed a horse to ride. They journeyed to the east for many days over many miles. One day, Ah Da arrived at a flooded village. A torrential rain lasting almost ten days had submerged the fields and many houses; the people had escaped to the mountainside. The water showed no sign of retreating, and the people were worried that their waterlogged crops would die.

As Ah Da passed, he heard the people saying that the only way to bail out the water was to borrow the Golden Dipper from the Dragon King. "I'm on my way to the Dragon King now!" he said. Since he had just finished his last bread when he came there, he offered to borrow the Golden Dipper in exchange for some bread. The people, greatly cheered, agreed, and pooled their food to give him, and they helped him on his way across the river.

Two days later, Ah Er arrived at the village. He had finished his bread days ago and had been living on wild animals that he hunted. He spent a full day helping the villagers salvage their belongings from the flood, and he learned of their need for the Dragon King's Golden Dipper. "I'm going to the Dragon King anyway," he said, "How about I borrow it for you while I am there?" The villagers were surprised to meet someone else who was off to meet the Dragon King, but they readily agreed. Ah Er promised to bring the Dipper, and he swam across the river to go on his way.

When Ah Er reached the shore of the Eastern Sea, he found Ah Da lingering there. The waves of the sea were huge and violent, effortlessly sweeping even large boulders across the beach. Ah Da had been too frightened to risk the waves, but Ah Er entered them without hesitation. His magical water-cleaving clasp caused the water to separate before him, opening a wide passageway into the sea. Seeing this, Ah Da nervously followed.

They soon arrived at the palace of the Dragon King. The King welcomed them and invited them to his treasure house. The two brothers were amazed at the dazzling sight. The large room was filled with every kind of treasure, covering the tables and walls everywhere they looked. "Take whatever you like," the Dragon King said. "The only rule is that each of you may take only one piece."

Ah Da was attracted by a shelf full of luminous pearls, the largest of which shone with a light that filled the entire room. Thinking to win the hand of the maiden by the river, he put it in his bag. He wanted to take many of the other treasures, too, but the doorkeeper pushed him out.

Ah Er saw the luminous pearls, too, but remembering his promise to the villagers, he took only the Golden Dipper.

The two brothers then left. When they reached the shore, Ah Da mounted his horse and hurried on ahead. The people of the flooded village crowded around him when he approached, anxious for the Golden Dipper. "The Dragon King refused to let me borrow it," he lied, and he went on his way.

The next day, Ah Er arrived at the village and shouted to the people that he had the Golden Dipper. The people joined to help him bail out the flood. With just three scoops, the floodwater was removed, revealing in the process a large oyster. They opened the oyster and found a large black pearl. As the grateful villagers had nothing else of value, they gave the pearl to Ah Er as a reward and a remembrance.

Ah Da arrived home first, and he lost no time bringing his pearl to the maiden on the river. He pressed the shining stone into her hands and again asked her to marry him. She, however, insisted that they wait to see the pearl by night. When Ah Da returned that night, though, he was dismayed to find that the pearl had lost its luster. In exasperation he threw down the pearl and crushed it underfoot. A vile, smelly liquid oozed from it.

Ah Er arrived three days later. He went to the maiden and said, "Forgive me, miss, but I was not able to get the pearl you wanted."

"But what is that in your pack?" she asked.

"Just an ordinary pearl given to me as a gift," he said, taking it out.

Ah Da sneered at how dark it was. "Even the stones in the river shine more than that," he said.

"Let us wait to see it at night," the maiden said.

That night, when Ah Er removed the pearl from his pack, it shone brighter than the moon. The maiden took it an threw it in the air. Ah Er, dazzled by the light, closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, there before him was a golden palace, with the luminous pearl set atop its roof. The maiden and Ah Er, hand in hand, walked into the palace to their wedding. Ah Da tried to follow but was stopped by the palace guards.

John Minford, trans., Favorite Folktales of China (Beijing: New World Press, 1983; reprint, Singapore: Graham Brash (Pte) Ltd., 1984), 21-32.