Chinese Fairy Tales
THE BIRD WITH NINE HEADS
LONG, long ago, there once lived a king
and a queen who had a daughter. One day, when the daughter went walking
in the garden, a tremendous storm suddenly came up and carried her away
with it. Now the storm had come from the bird with nine heads, who had
robbed the princess, and brought her to his cave. The king did not know
whither his daughter had disappeared, so he had proclaimed throughout
the land: “Whoever brings back the princess may have her for his bride!”
Now
a youth had seen the bird as he was carrying the princess to his cave.
This cave, though, was in the middle of a sheer wall of rock. One could
not climb up to it from below, nor could one climb down to it [14] from
above. And as the youth was walking around the rock, another youth came
along and asked him what he was doing there. So the first youth told
him that the bird with nine heads had carried off the king’s daughter,
and had brought her up to his cave. The other chap knew what he had to
do. He called together his friends, and they lowered the youth to the
cave in a basket. And when he went into the cave, he saw the king’s
daughter sitting there, and washing the wound of the bird with nine
heads; for the hound of heaven had bitten off his tenth head, and his
wound was still bleeding. The princess, however, motioned to the youth
to hide, and he did so. When the king’s daughter had washed his wound
and bandaged it, the bird with nine heads felt so comfortable, that one
after another, all his nine heads fell asleep. Then the youth stepped
forth from his hiding-place, and cut off his nine heads with a sword.
But the king’s daughter said: “It would be best if you were hauled up
first, and I came after.”
“No,” said the youth. “I will wait
below here, until you are in safety.” At first the king’s daughter was
not willing; yet at last she allowed herself to be persuaded, and
climbed into the basket. But before she did so, she took a long pin
from her hair, broke it into two halves and gave him one and kept the
other. She also divided her silken kerchief with him, and told him to
take good care of both her gifts. But when the other man had drawn up
the king’s daughter, he took her along with him, and left the youth in
the cave, in spite of all his calling and pleading.
The youth
now took a walk about the cave. There he saw a number of maidens, all
of whom had been carried off by the bird with nine heads, and who had
perished there of hunger. And on the wall hung a [15] fish, nailed
against it with four nails. When he touched the fish, the latter turned
into a handsome youth, who thanked him for delivering him, and they
agreed to regard each other as brothers. Soon the first youth grew very
hungry. He stepped out in front of the cave to search for food, but
only stones were lying there. Then, suddenly, he saw a great dragon,
who was licking a stone. The youth imitated him, and before long his
hunger had disappeared. He next asked the dragon how he could get away
from the cave, and the dragon nodded his head in the direction of his
tail, as much as to say he should seat himself upon it. So he climbed
up, and in the twinkling of an eye he was down on the ground, and the
dragon had disappeared. He then went on until he found a tortoise-shell
full of beautiful pearls. But they were magic pearls, for if you flung
them into the fire, the fire ceased to burn and if you flung them into
the water, the water divided and you could walk through the midst of
it. The youth took the pearls out of the tortoise-shell, and put them
in his pocket. Not long after he reached the sea-shore. Here he flung a
pearl into the sea, and at once the waters divided and he could see the
sea-dragon. The sea-dragon cried: “Who is disturbing me here in my own
kingdom?” The youth answered: “I found pearls in a tortoise-shell, and
have flung one into the sea, and now the waters have divided for me.”
“If
that is the case,” said the dragon, “then come into the sea with me and
we will live there together.” Then the youth recognized him for the
same dragon whom he had seen in the cave. And with him was the youth
with whom he had formed a bond of brotherhood: He was the dragon’s son.
“Since
you have saved my son and become his brother, I am your father,” said
the old dragon. And he entertained him hospitably with food and wine.
One
day his friend said to him: “My father is sure [16] to want to reward
you. But accept no money, nor any jewels from him, but only the little
gourd flask over yonder. With it you can conjure up whatever you wish.”
And,
sure enough, the old dragon asked him what he wanted by way of a
reward, and the youth answered: “I want no money, nor any jewels. All I
want is the little gourd flask over yonder.”
At first the dragon
did not wish to give it up, but at last he did let him have it, after
all. And then the youth left the dragon’s castle.
When he set
his foot on dry land again he felt hungry. At once a table stood before
him, covered with a fine and plenteous meal. He ate and drank. After he
had gone on a while, he felt weary. And there stood an ass, waiting for
him, on which he mounted. After he had ridden for a while, the ass’s
gait seemed too uneven, and along came a wagon, into which he climbed.
But the wagon shook him up too, greatly, and he thought: “If I only had
a litter! That would suit me better.” No more had he thought so, than
the litter came along, and he seated himself in it. And the bearers
carried him to the city in which dwelt the king, the queen and their
daughter.
When the other youth had brought back the king’s
daughter, it was decided to hold the wedding. But the king’s daughter
was not willing, and said: “He is not the right man. My deliverer will
come and bring with him half of the long pin for my hair, and half my
silken kerchief as a token.” But when the youth did not appear for so
long a time, and the other one pressed the king, the king grew
impatient and said: “The wedding shall take place to-morrow!” Then the
king’s daughter went sadly through the streets of the city, and
searched and searched in the hope of finding her [17] deliverer. And
this was on the very day that the litter arrived. The king’s daughter
saw the half of her silken handkerchief in the youth’s hand, and filled
with joy, she led him to her father. There he had to show his half of
the long pin, which fitted the other exactly, and then the king was
convinced that he was the right, true deliverer. The false bridegroom
was now punished, the wedding celebrated, and they lived in peace and
happiness till the end of their days.
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