How the Phoenix got her fine plumage

A very long time ago before men had learnt how to hunt and set traps, all the birds lived together
peacefully in a great forest. Theirs was a happy and carefree existence, the forest supplied all their
needs. There was a plentiful supply of nuts, fruits seeds and berries for the birds to feed on and they
had no enemies. Because food was to be found everywhere in seemingly endless supplies, the birds
came to be rather wasteful. One would pick at a pear here, another would take a bite out of a
blueberry there, dig a few seeds out of a guava, and discard the rest of the fruit. They all shared the
same carefree spirit, except for one, the phoenix.
The phoenix was a real worrier. She was always telling the other birds to be careful and to prepare
for a time that food might not be so plentiful. All the other birds ignored her; some even started
calling her nasty names. Eventually nobody wanted to have anything to do with phoenix; they
thought there was something not quite right about her, always scolding them and giving out advice
they considered useless. They carried on with their usual wasteful habits.
Whereas most of the birds had colourful plumage, phoenix was quite ordinary to look at. Some might
say a little ugly, even. Her head was a little bit too big compared to her body. Her feathers were a
dull brownish grey. She worried about the future. What if something bad were to happen tomorrow?
One day the fruit might stop growing on the trees, or the trees might drop their leaves, or just fall
over, even! She determined to prepare for the worst and started collecting all the fruits and berries
and seeds other birds discarded. She stowed them away in places like hollow trees, buried them in the
ground or underneath the roots. At first one or two of the others were a bit curious, but then they just
got bored. They laughed whenever they spotted phoenix scavenging, and mocked her.
One day a great storm hit the forest, and what phoenix had been worrying about all these years came
to pass. Leaves and whole branches were blown off the trees and carried far away by the powerful
wind. Some trees were blown over altogether, and with the protection of the dense foliage now gone,
the heat of the sun penetrated the forest and dried everything up! Suddenly the birds found they had
to fight each other for the odd berry or a stray nut. They pecked at the hard, dry tree trunks, hoping to
extract some nourishing sap. Phoenix started sharing out all the scraps of food she had stored up all
over the forest. Now every single bird, large and small, wanted to be her friend. Thanks to phoenix
all the birds had something to eat every day. Eventually the gods sent some clouds over the land,
which cooled things down a bit, and some rain fell. Green sprouts started to appear again, just as the
food stores phoenix had built up started to run out. Slowly the forest returned to its old self, and the
birds recovered.
But they didn’t forget their new friend, phoenix. To show their gratitude every bird in the whole
forest selected its most beautiful and colourful feather and presented it to phoenix. When they were
finished phoenix had been transformed into the most fantastic and multi colourful creature in the
forest.
At least that’s what I’m told. I’ve never seen phoenix myself, and I don’t know anybody who has.
The friendly bird from the forest who told me this story also told me that phoenix stays hidden deep
inside the forest, where no human being can ever penetrate. Perhaps that’s just as well, because if any
human ever laid eyes on her, the sheer brilliant beauty of phoenix would surely blind that person’s
eyes.
Ishtar’s journey into the Underworld
Ishtar was the Lady of the Gods, the Goddess of fertility. She had been unlucky in love. Her
husband Tammuz, the great love of her youth, had died when he was still very young. She had
fallen in love with Gilgamesh, that great king, but he had spurned her advances.
In Babylon, the dead were sent to the Underworld, a place of darkness ruled over by the Goddess
Irkalla. It was said that in this place they lived on dust and mud. After being rejected by
Gilgamesh, Ishtar became depressed and decided she would descend into the Underworld to be
with Tammuz. So dressed in her finest garments, brilliant jewellery and her high crown, Ishtar
entered the cave that leads into the Underworld. Irkalla’s realm was surrounded by seven walls,
each with its own gate that had to be passed to get to the dark Place where the dead resided.
When she got to the first gate, Ishtar called out to the watchman: “Yo watchman, please open
this gate and let me enter!” The watchman’s faced peered at her from over the gate. He didn’t
say anything, but he didn’t open the gate either. So she called out again: “Watchman, if you
don’t open this gate for me I will force it open, I will break it down, and I will set free all the
dead that reside in this dreadful dark place. I will set them free from their gloom and the rule of
your merciless mistress and take them to the land of the living! The dead will be so plentiful on
earth that they will take over from the living!”
Nedu, as the watchman was called, looked at this fine lady, her crowned head held high, in her
splendid attire, and said: ”Please lady, don’t break down the gate. I will go and take your
message to the Lady Irkalla. Please wait untuil I get back.” When Irkalla heard that Ishtar
demanded to be admitted to her realm, she was terribly angry. She thought she would teach this
intruder a lesson, and instructed her watchman to admit the proud lady. Nedu returned to the first
gate, and opened all the bolts and locks. “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady”, he said.
“Welcome to the place from where nobody ever returns.” As he spoke, he took Ishtar’s crown.
She wanted to know why he had taken her crown. “Oh lady,” he said, “if you wish to enter you
must submit to the law of Lady Irkalla!” She bent her head and went through the first gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the second gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and locks,
and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where nobody
ever returns.” As he spoke, he took the eight pointed star which adorned her neck. She wanted to
know why he had taken her jewel. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady Irkalla!” She bent
her head, her radiance gone, and went through the second gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the third gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and locks,
and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where nobody
ever returns.” As he spoke, he took the gold and bejewelled bracelets from her wrists. She
wanted to know why he had taken her bracelets. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady
Irkalla!” She bent her head, her radiance gone, and without her magnificent gold ornaments, and
went through the third gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the fourth gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and locks,
and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where nobody
ever returns.” As he spoke, he took the shoes off her feet. She wanted to know why he had taken
her shoes. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady Irkalla!” She bent her head, her radiance
gone, and without her magnificent gold ornaments, barefooted she went through the fourth gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the fifth gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and locks,
and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where nobody
ever returns.” As he spoke, he took the splendid veil that covered her face. She wanted to know
why he had taken her veil. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady Irkalla!” She bent her
head, her radiance gone, and without her magnificent gold ornaments, barefaced and barefooted
she went through the fifth gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the sixth gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and locks,
and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where nobody
ever returns.” As he spoke, he took her magnificent outer robe. She wanted to know why he had
taken her outer robe. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady Irkalla!” She bent her head, her
radiance gone, and without her magnificent gold ornaments, without the protection of her outer
robe, barefaced and barefooted she went through the sixth gate.
Ishtar walked the short distance to the seventh gate. The watchman opened all the bolts and
locks, and said: “Enter into the realm of Irkalla, fine lady. Welcome to the place from where
nobody ever returns.” As he spoke, he took her dress. She wanted to know why he had taken her
dress, leaving her quite naked. “Oh lady,” he said, “this is the law of Lady Irkalla!” And naked
now, she bent her head, her radiance gone, and without her magnificent gold ornaments, without
the protection of her outer robe, barefaced and barefooted she went through the seventh gate,
where she found Irkalla.
Irkalla, the Queen of the Underworld had the head of a lioness and the body of a woman; in her
arms she carried her pet, a deadly serpent. She summoned Belisari, the lady of the desert who
was her scribe, and who came carrying the clay tablets on which all of Irkalla’s decrees would be
written down. Behind these two the dead gathered. There was no light in their eyes; they were
dressed not in cloth but feathers, and instead of arms and hands they had the wings of birds. They
lived in darkness. Ishtar became frightfully anxious seeing them, and she wished she had never
ventured in this dark place. She had expected to find Tammuz here, but now she realised that
this was a hopeless quest. Desperate, she begged Irkalla to allow her to return to the land of the
living. Irkalla uttered a cold and contemptuous laugh and when she spoke it was as if an icy wind
blew against Ishtar’s naked body. Irkalla said: “Ishtar, you may be the Lady of the Gods, but you
are in my realm now, and nobody returns from this place of darkness. This is called the House of
Darkness for good reason, and whoever enters here, magistrate or warrior, king or shepherd,
milkmaid or goddess, can never return. Whoever enters this house has no more need of light.
Dust will be your bread and mud will be your meat. Your dress will be a cloak of feathers. The
gates are already bolted behind you, lady!”
Having said this, Irkalla summoned Namtar, the demon of the plague. Namtar appeared from the
darkness, a viper’s head on a human body, naked underneath a cloak made of bones, and eagles
claws instead of feet. He embraced Ishtar, making sure that the plague spread over her whole
body. Feathers grew on her, and the light disappeared from her eyes. She tasted dust and ate
mud. All memory of her past existence, of her great love Tammuz, disappeared with the light.
On earth a great change came when Ishtar descended into the Underworld. Love and desire
became strangers to man and animal alike. Birds no longer sang. Bulls no longer searched out the
cows. Stallions were no longer attracted to mares. Rams no longer cared for ewes. Wives no
longer caressed their husbands when they returned from business or war. Husbands no longer
longed to lie with their wives. The women in Ishtar’s temple became lonely, nobody wanted to
spend time drinking and singing and making merry with them. Shamash, the sun god, was deeply
perturbed when he saw the changes that had befallen earth. He could foresee the disaster that
awaited earth. Without procreation, without regeneration, there would be no life left on earth
once the people and animals who were there now died off. The beings that the gods had created
would all be extinct. He knew this was because of Ishtar’s descent into the Underworld, but he
also knew that his power was not great enough to overcome Irkalla. So Shamash went to see Ea,
the great god, and told him that earth’s creatures were not renewing themselves. “How is this
possible?” asked Ea. Shamash then related that Ishtar had descended to the Underworld, in
search of Tammuz, and had not returned.
Ea then created a being he called Udushunamir, which he made devoid of all emotion or fear.
With the power of all the gods, Ea sent him as an emissary to the Underworld court of Irkalla,
where he would demand the water of life from the dark queen. Because Udushunamir had been
created by Ea, the great god, Irkalla had no power over this creature, and could not stop it
entering her realm. So Udushunamir entered the Underworld, and stood before Irkalla, where he
demanded in the name of the great gods that Irkalla provide him with the water of life, and that
Ishtar be brought from the darkness. Of course Irkalla was furious at this demand. Her body
trembled with rage as she roared and cursed both Ishtar and the emissary and all the gods
everywhere, but to no avail. Udushunamir, being devoid of all emotion or fear, was unaffected
either by the terrible sights in this dark place or by Irkalla’s curses. Irkalla could do nothing but
submit, and she ordered the water of life be given to this creature, and so it was. She then
summoned Namtar and ordered him to bring the Lady of the Gods from the Darkness.
Ishtar, covered in feathers and her feathers covered in dust, was brought before Udushunamir,
who then liberally sprinkled the water of life all over her. The dust fell off Ishtar. The mud fell
off Ishtar and the feathers and bird’s wings fell off her. She was alive again. So she stood before
her enemy, Irkalla, her head still bowed, colourless, weaker than a newborn human, just as naked
and shaking like a leaf in the storm, but dead no longer. Udushunamir guided her through the
darkness to the seventh gate, where Nadu the watchman handed her the dress he had taken from
her earlier. She covered her nakedness with it. She passed through the seventh gate and
Udushunamir guided her to the sixth gate. The watchman opened it and gave her back her outer
garment, which she put on over her dress. She passed through the sixth gate and Udushunamir
guided her to the fifth gate. The watchman opened it and he handed her back her splendid veil.
She took the veil and covered her bare face, then passed though the fifth gate. Udushunamir
guided her to the fourth gate, where the watchman handed her back her shoes. She put them on
her bare feet, and proceeded through the fourth gate. Udushunamir guided her to the third gate.
The watchman opened it and handed her back her bejewelled bracelets. She took the bracelets
and put them on her bare wrists. She passed through the third gate and Udushunamir guided her
to the second gate. The watchman opened it and gave her back the magnificent eight pointed star.
Ishtar accepted the jewel and put it back on her neck. She walked through the second gate and
Udushunamir guided her to the first gate. The watchman opened it and gave her back her high
crown. She took it in her hands, and put it back on her head. Now Ishtar, her garments and
ornaments reinstated, could leave the realm of Irkalla.
When she emerged from the cave, the earth was silent. There was no birdsong. No sounds came
from the herds of cows and goats. No sailors’ songs came from the harbour. No music came
from her temple. But as she walked from the cave her power returned, her neck straightened and
her head bowed no longer, her splendour shone brilliantly and she walked as a goddess once
more, a smile on her face. The stallion bayed and the bull bellowed. The rams reared high.
Soldiers and merchants alike made excuses to rush home to their wives’ fond embraces. The
women in Ishtar’s temple picked up their instruments and sang beguiling words to the men
passing by below. All of creation rejoiced in the return of Ishtar. And all the gods rejoiced too,
knowing that their creations would renew themselves and would survive to honour and serve
them.

Momo conquers the Lord of the

Demon’s island
An old farmer went to gather firewood. His wife was doing her washing in the river that ran past
their house. Just as she had finished wringing out the clothes, and was spreading them out on the
grassy bank to dry, she thought she saw something curious floating in the river. It was a gigantic
peach! She hurried into the house, brought out a broom with a long handle, and rushed into the water.
Using the broom handle she was able to push the peach towards the shore. Half carrying, half
pushing it she managed to get it into her kitchen, just about! It was enormous and very, very heavy.
She cleaned it and put it on a white sheet in the middle of the floor.
Her husband arrived home carrying the firewood on his back. He washed and entered the house, and
of course the first thing he saw was the giant peach.
”What have we got here?” His wife told him how she acquired it. He got out is biggest knife and cut
the fruit in half. They had just eaten a few bites each and marvelled at the fantastic taste, when with a
loud CRRAACK! The kernel burst open and out stepped a little baby boy!
The farmer and his wife didn’t have any children, having lost all their babies early to various
diseases, so they concluded that this child must be a gift to them from the kind spirits of the river.
They named him Momo. They took good care of him, and the baby boy grew up into a very big and
strong youngster, but one who was very kind and considerate. He was always going round the village
helping neighbours, dislodging carts that got stuck in the mud, helping to carry heavy loads,
rebuilding houses that had fallen down during a storm, catching a piglet that had run away,
frightened by the thunder.
Everybody loved him: “He’s a peach of a boy, this Momo!” He also spent some time with the other
young men in the village and from them he learned how to handle a sword, and how to use judo to
wrestle an opponent to the ground.
During long winter evenings the people in the village would gather round a fire and take turns telling
stories. One of the stories that made the strongest impression on Momo was about Demon’s Island,
the home of a legendary old warlord who had turned into a demon and had amassed an amazing
treasure trove. One morning Momo announced to his parents that he was going away to find this
Demon’s Island; he wanted to get his hands on some of that treasure.
The farmer tried to dissuade him, it was only an old folk tale, no such place as Demon’s Islandreally
existed! His mother joined in: even if he did find it, it would surely be guarded by scores of warriors,
armed to the teeth. But Momo was not to be moved; he had his mind set on this adventure. So mother
got some millet flour out of her store and prepared some dumplings, so that he would have some
home cooked food for his journey. As she wrapped the dumplings in some dried bamboo leaves, she
asked the kind spirits of the river to look after the child they had sent her.
Momo told his parents not to worry, he would come back soon. He went on his way, carrying a sack
full of dumplings and armed with one of his father’s old wood cutting blades.
After several hours of walking, Momo met a dog sleeping by the roadside. As the boy approached,
the dog got up and wagged his tail. “Ho there, peach of a boy! What brings you here?” Momo told
him he was on his way to Demon’s Island, to capture some of the treasure hidden there. “Well, well,
well,” barked the dog, “isn’t that something! It’s a long way, you know, did you by chance bring
some food for the journey in that sack you’re carrying?” Momo held up his sack. “My mother made
these dumplings for me. Her millet dumplings are the best inJapan!”
“Let me taste one,” said the dog, “if they’re really as good as you make out, I’ll show you the way to
Demon’s Island.”
The boy gave the dog a dumpling, and he enjoyed it very much indeed. He barked his pleasure and
said: ”Let’s go!”
The next day their path took them through a wood. A monkey jumped down from a tree and
addressing the dog, said: “What’s this I see? Where are you taking that manboy, my friend?” Momo
replied: “We’re going to Demon’s Islandto find the treasure!” The monkey laughed out loud.
“You’re either very brave or very foolish,” he said. “Did you bring some food to keep you going on
your quest?” Momo held up his sack. “My mother made me some dumplings! In the whole of Japan
there are none tastier!” “Well,” replied the monkey, “let me taste one, and I might just accompany
you some of the way.” Momo gave him a dumpling, and soon after the three of them were on their
way again.
Evening was approaching and they decided to rest. They walked into the wood a little way to find a
nice shelter, and having found such a place , sat down in the grass. Momo was just about to get some
dumplings out for their evening meal, when they heard a loud squealing. They had disturbed a
partridge who’d been sleeping there. “Who are you people to disturb me in my nest?” the bird
wanted to know. Momo apologized to the partridge for upsetting him, and explained his quest. “I
see,” said the partridge. “In that case I’ll forgive you. Are you going to eat some of those dumplings
before you put your heads down?” Momo took out some dumplings. “My mother made these for
me,” he told the partridge, “would you like one?” The next morning, as Momo, the dog and the
monkey were about to set off, the partridge joined them, saying: “I could do with some company. I’ll
come with you.”
That afternoon they reached the Demon’s Island. They saw a large fortress, surrounded by a high
stone wall. They could see a large gate, with solid wooden doors, which appeared locked shut. The
partridge said: “I’ll fly inside, so that I can see what’s going on in there. I’ll call out to you when it’s
safe to enter.” The monkey said: “When I get your signal, I will climb over the wall and open the
gate so that Momo and dog can get in!”
The partridge flew over the wall into the fortress. After a brief while he reappeared on the wall and
cried out to them. The monkey rushed up to the wall, and effortlessly climbed over it an opened the
gate from the inside so that Momo and the dog could enter.
Inside they tried to find the Demon Lord’s quarters, but they were spotted by one of his warriors,
who raised the alarm. Soon a dozen or so of them came rushing out, brandishing their weapons and
screaming their war cries. But Momo was stronger than any of them, and slayed one after another of
the warriors.
The dog and the monkey were very clever and ran around causing confusion, snapping at the
warriors’ ankles and pulling their helmets off. Soon they had vanquished all of them and entered the
Demon Lord’s quarters. When he saw that his warriors had been defeated, he ran up to Momo,
puffing up his chest, and tried to push the boy to the ground. But Momo used his wrestling skills, and
managed to throw the Demon Lord on his back. With monkey’s help he tied his arms and legs. Then
Momo demanded to know where the treasure was hidden. He promised the Demon Lord he would
spare his life if he told him. The Demon Lord decided he had lost, and told Momo to look under his
throne. There Momo found a very large iron key. The Demon Lord explained that it opened the door
behind his throne; that was the entrance to the treasure room. Momo unlocked the door, and on the
other side they found a room filled to the rafters with gold, silver, precious stones and jade, fine silk
cloth and tortoise shell.
Momo filled one sack, and tied it to the dog’s back. He filled another sack and tied it to the monkey’s
waist. The biggest sack he carried himself. He told the partridge: “I don’t think you’ll be able to fly if
I tie a sack to you.” But he found some rings inlaid with precious stones which he put on the bird’s
toes.
They left the fortress and started on their journey back. When he returned to the village, Momo
shared his riches with his parents and their neighbours, and everybody was very happy. The dog and
the monkey and the partridge stayed in the village and were treated as special guests for the rest of
their lives.

The cowherd and the beautiful weaver

Or: The ballad of Niu Lang and Zhi Nu
Deep in the Chinese countryside a poor boy called Lai lived with his older brother and his wife. They
just had a small piece of land where they managed to grow just about enough food for the three of
them to live on, and they only had one cow.
Lai didn’t get treated very well, but he never complained. It was Lai’s responsibility to look after the
cow. Every morning he took her to the foothills of the mountains, where the cow grazed on the long
grass and leafy bushes. Every night the cow would give them a little milk.
Lai was quite lonely, his brother and sister-in-law only spoke to him when they wanted something,
and he’d taken to talking to the cow. The cow never said anything back to him, of course. Lately, the
main topic of conversation between Lai and the cow had been Lai’s longing to find a wife.
He felt he was old enough now to start his own family, but they were so poor, he knew they would
not have enough food to feed another person.
One fine day Lai was sitting on a rock under the hot sun, watching the cow and pondering his fate.
The cow looked up from her grazing, and looked at the boy.
She came walking up to him. “Listen, boy” the cow said softly, “maybe I can help you.” The boy
jumped up, and looked around, expecting to see somebody behind him. There’s nobody there! Just he
and the cow, and a few birds flying over the meadow.
“It’s me!” the cow spoke again. Lai shook his head and took a step back, ready to run away. The cow
lifted her head. “Don’t worry, boy,” she said, “only you can hear me speak.”
“But how is this possible,” asked the boy, quite astounded and still pretty scared. “You’re a cow!
You can’t speak!” The cow let out a long mooo.
“I don’t know exactly how it works, she started, but you’re always very kind to me, and maybe there
is a way I can help you fullfil your dreams.”
Lai had to sit down again. He realised there was some kind of magic going on, he certainly didn’t
understand it, so he asked “How do you know what my dream is? And how could a cow help me?
Are you going to turn into a beautiful young woman?”
The cow shook her head. “You know the lake where you take us to drink sometimes? The other side
of the meadow there?” Lai nodded. He knew the place well.
The cow continued, “This afternoon some fairies will be there, bathing and swimming. You should
go there. Make sure they don’t see you, but look around for their dresses. You should take one of the
dresses, one only, mind you, and hide it. Something good will happen.”
The boy shook his head again. “You want me to sneak up to the fairies and steal their clothes? That’s
not a very nice thing to do! How could something good come from that?”
The cow mooed again. “Trust me”, she said, “if you do as I suggest, something good will happen.
You should go now, by the time you get to the lake, the fairies will be there.” Having said that, the
cow turned around and walked away. She started grazing again.
The boy scratched his head. “Cow!” he shouted, and ran after her. “How come you know all this?
How come you can suddenly speak?” But the cow just carried on grazing. The magic had obviously
worn off.
For a few moments the boy wondered what to do. The only thing he could think of was hat some
friendly spirit had taken over the cow for a few minutes. Maybe there was somebody or something in
the land of the spirits who wanted to help him.
It was true, as the cow had said, that he always tried to be kind and gentle. Not just to the cow, but to
his brother and his wife and the other people in the village as well. It was just possible that somebody
wanted to reward him , even though he himself thought it was just his duty to act like that.
But what did he have to lose? He reckoned he could reach the lake in less than half an hour; if there
was nothing there, he could be back here in an hour at the most. He patted the cow.
“Very well, my good friend,” he said softly, “let’s go see if you really want to help me. I’ll be back in
an hour. Don’t wander off!” With that, he turned around and started running across the meadow, in
the direction of the lake. The cow just carried on grazing.
Lai ran and skipped and tumbled. His heart beating in his throat. His curiosity mounted by the
minute, as did his anxiety. Eventually he reached the long grassy dunes that surrounded the lake. He
slowed down and moved tentatively.
He thought he could hear something, singing? Someone singing? Or was it just the birds. No, now he
could definitely hear voices, singing, he was sure now.
Gingerly, he climbed to the top of the dune, and peeked over it. There in the lake he could see several
figures swimming and cavorting in the water.
What an amazing sight! There were about six or seven of them, he’d never seen anything so
breathtakingly beautiful in his life! He remembered what the cow had said about the clothes.
He started searching for them, taking care to stay out of sight. Then he spotted them, seven neatly
folded dresses, side by side. He crept closer and grabbed the nearest one, then ran and his behind the
first tree.
A few minutes later the singing voices came nearer, and he peeked from behind the tree trunk. He
could see the fairies picking up their dresses and putting them on, then flying up into the air, still
laughing and singing.
But of course one of them stayed behind. The poor fairy looked everywhere for her dress. Lai could
see she was getting more and more distressed and he felt sorry for her.
He came out from his hiding place, carrying her dress. When the fairy saw him, her first reaction was
to run away. But then she saw that he was carrying her dress.
“What are you doing with my dress!” she shouted at him. The poor boy couldn’t speak. He had never
seen such a beautiful creature, and he’d fallen head over heels in love with her.
“Well?” the fairy spoke again, “what have you got to say for yourself?” “P-p-please don’t b-b-be
angry,” Lai stuttered. “I-I-I-…,” but he couldn’t finish his sentence.
The fairy stood there looking at him, but of course, being a kind and gentle creature herself, she
couldn’t stay angry for very long. She began to feel a little sorry for this poor shy boy.
As well as being kind and gentle, fairies can see right through people, and she could see that this boy
was so shy because he was falling in love with her.
Finally, Lai found enough courage to explain himself. “I didn’t mean to upset you,” he started, “but
my cow told me that something good would happen if I took your clothes.” At first the fairy wanted
to laugh. “I see,” she said the, “this must be a very special cow indeed. We’d better go and have a
word with her.”
She took her clothes from Lai and they set off together, to the meadow where he had left his animals
grazing. On the way there she told him her name was Qi Xianv, which means the Seventh Princess,
and he told her all about his life, about his brother and sister-in law and their meagre existence, and
the fact that they were so poor that he couldn’t possibly afford to take a wife.
When they reached the meadow, the fairy could see immediately that a friendly spirit was living in
the cow’s body, who wanted to make the boy’s life better.
She looked at Lai again, and realised that now she is beginning to fall in love with him. Ouch!! This
was a big problem for her, because fairies are not allowed to fall in love with mere humans.
The long walk and the conversation they had seemed to have given Lai more courage. He asked Qi
Xianv if she would consider marrying him. She knew she should say no, and that she should just fly
away and join the other fairies.
But against her better judgement, she said “Yes!” They embraced there and then in the meadow.
That’s how the poor cowherd and the beautiful fairy came to live together as man and wife.
They set up home together and Qi Xianv started weaving cloth. She turned out to be quite good at it,
and they were able to make enough money to live on. After a while Qi Xianv gave birth to a healthy
baby boy, and the three of them lived a happy, peaceful, life.
One day the cow got very sick. Lai looked after her as well as he could, but the cow got sicker and
sicker. Even the fairy couldn’t do anything about it.
Since that one day in the meadow, the cow had never spoken again. One day, however, when Lai was
bringing some fresh water into the shed, she spoke to him again.”My dear boy,” she said. “this old
cow’s body is getting too fragile. Soon I’ll be gone. But if you do as I tell you, I can leave you some
protection.”
Lai nodded, “I’ll do whatever you say,” he said. “After I’m dead, keep my skin in one piece. Keep it
in a safe place, and you’ll find it will be very useful in an emergency,” spoke the cow. Lai promised
to do so. A few days later, the cow passed away. Lai hid her skin in a secret place beneath their little
house.
In the meantime, in Fairyland, where all the fairies lived, the goddess in charge of the fairies was
very unhappy. She had been very upset when the fairies came back from their little excursion to the
lake without their sister Qi Xianv.
She’d sent the fairies out again to look for her, time and again, week in week out, they had been
searching for her all over China. They searched in the forests. They searched on the plains. They
searched in the mountains. They searched in the rivers. They searched in the villages and the cities.
They searched all along the coast. But they always came back empty handed.
They just couldn’t find her anywhere, and the goddess got more and more miserable as time went by.
But the fairy goddess was very determined, and she kept sending out new search parties.
Some of the other goddesses were poking fun at her that she kept losing fairies. She just could not
afford to give up.
So one sad day, yet another search party of fairies was flying over the countryside, when one of them
spotted a fair figure tending a vegetable patch.
She alerted her companions and they swept down to get a closer look. They recognised their missing
sister, and without asking for explanations they took held of Qi Xianv and pulled her up into the sky
with them.
Later that afternoon, Lai came back to the hut from the forest where he’d been gathering herbs, to
find his son, sitting all by himself, crying for his mummy.
His wife was nowhere to be found. His son pointed up to the sky, and flapped his arms about. Lai
realised that the fairies must have come for his wife. At first he was totally despondent, and broke out
in tears.
Then he remembered the cowskin. He took it from its hiding place and wrapped it around himself,
like a cloak. Immediately he felt a strange new power inside himself. He picked up his son, and
started to run.
To his amazement he found himself flying! Up they went, higher and higher. He had no idea where
they were going, but his cowskin cloak seemed to know the way. It took them over mountains, over
valleys and over rivers. It took them way beyond the clouds.
Eventually, Lai saw a strange golden arch in the distance. It looked like some kind of a gate, and he
thought it must be the entrance to Fairyland. He was right, and the guard fairies at the gate had
spotted him approaching.
They alerted their boss, the fairy goddess, and she flew into a rage. How dare this little simple human
peasant come all the way up here! She would stop him there and then!
Using all her considerable magic powers, she conjured up a torrential stream in the sky between Lai
and the gate to Fairyland. Lai’s cloak came to a halt. Lai could see there was no way he could get
across or around this torrent.
He cried out in despair. On the other side of the gate, the fairies had gathered together to watch this
amazing piece of magic, Qi Xianv among them.
She could just make out the figures of her husband and son on the other side of the water, and she
also started screaming. Some of the other gods and goddesses who lived nearby came to see what the
commotion was all about.
They saw the crying fairy at the gate, and the crying man with his crying son at the other side of the
river that had just appeared there out of nothing. “What’s going on,” they demanded to know,” why
are you keeping these lovers apart?”
The fairy goddess explained the whole situation to her colleagues. “The law of the fairies is quiet
clear,” she concluded, “fairies are not allowed to associate with humans, and the law must be
upheld!”
All the gods were agreed that the law is the law, but some of them looked at the poor separated pair
and felt there should be some room for compromise.
“Show some mercy!” shouted one of the gods, “let her go back to him!” The fairy goddess shook her
head. “No! No! No!”
“Let the boy live in Fairyland,” suggested another. The fairy goddess shook her head. “No! No! No!
That is quite impossible!” “I know,” said yet another goddess, “Each year you could allow the fairy
one day to be with her husband!”
All the other gods and the fairies who were watching thought this was a terrific suggestion, and they
all started clapping and shouting their approval.
The fairy goddess looked at Qi Xianv, and she looked at Lai, and she said: “All right, this is what
we’ll do.” She summoned all the fairies, and told them to round up all the birds they could find in the
sky.
As they came back with thousands and thousands and thousands of birds of all shapes and sizes and
colours, the fairy goddess arranged the birds in such a way that they formed a bridge over the
torrential stream she had created.
She told Qi Xianv that she could cross the bridge of birds and stay with Lai for that day. Once she
returned to Fairyland in the evening, the birds would be sent back to wherever they had come from.
And from that day onwards, on every anniversary of that day the fairy goddess summoned all her
fairies to gather together all the birds in the sky to form the bridge which made it possible for Qi
Xianv and Lai to meet.

The lovers who became butterflies

A long time ago in a certain part of China, only boys were allowed to go to school. It was
thought that girls should not be educated, but should remain ignorant.
In fact they were rarely allowed out of the house, and if they did go out they should be
accompanied by a male.
Zhu Ying Tai was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and she was possessed of a boundless
thirst for knowledge. She was always questioning her father, her mother, her brothers, the
servants.
She was envious of her brothers when they started school, and she was determined that she
herself should go to school as well and get an education.
She pestered her parents day in day out. They kept telling her, No, it just is not done for a girl to
go to school, but she would not give up.
They tried to take her mind of school by buying her nice clothes, dolls and other toys. Nothing
could dissuade her. School became an obsession.
Her parents loved her very much, and after some time they started to think what they could do to
satisfy Zhu’s lust for learning.
The only thing they could think of was that Zhu should pretend to be a boy. She could go to
school if she dressed up in boys’ clothing!
That’s how Zhu finally entered school. She didn’t find it too difficult to live like a boy. She was
only interested in learning and hardly ever got involved with any of her schoolmates after
lessons.
In any case, they thought this new boy was a bit strange, and were quite happy to leave him
alone. There was only one boy she became friendly with.
His name was Liang Shan Bo, and he was a studious young man with very gentle manners. They
often studied together, and gradually they became good friends.
Years passed, and Zhu did very well. By this time Zhu had become aware that her feelings for
Liang had grown strong, beyond the way two fellow students would normally feel, even if they
were the best of friends.
Liang too, felt something similar, he couldn’t quite understand why he felt so strongly attracted
to this other boy.
Then one day, Zhu’s parents send one of their servants with a message that she is to return home
immediately. The servant doesn’t tell her very much, other than to insist that it is her father’s
wish that they return without delay.
Zhu fears the worst, maybe her mother is on her deathbed! So she travels home with the servant,
and she is mightily relieved to find both her parents in good health.
But she is shocked when her father tells her the reason why she has been summoned home. One
of her father’s business associates has a son, just a little older than Zhu, and they have arranged
for the two to get married.
Zhu is in despair; now she realises that she is in love with Liang, and it is him she wants to
marry. Zhu then arranges for the servant to go back to the school, and to ask Liang to come to the
town, and to take a room at a local inn.
The next day the servant returns and informs Zhu that her friends is lodging in the inn. She
dresses up as a boy once more and goes to see Liang.
She tells Liang that because of a family problem, she won’t be able to come back to school, but
that she has a cousin who is staying at their house.
Liang should make her acquaintance, Zhu says she feels sure that when the two of them meet,
they will fall in love, and Liang should then ask her parents for the cousin’s hand in marriage.
Zhu tells Liang to present himself at the house later that afternoon.
She goes back home to change back into her girl’s clothes. She is going to play the part of her
cousin, she feels sure that when Liang sees her as she really is, he too will realise that what he
has been feeling for his friend all this time is nothing but love!
Eventually her servant comes to announce that Liang has arrived, and she goes to meet her
friend. She introduces herself as Zhu’s cousin, but Liang is struck by the likeness between this
cousin and his friend.
Now that Zhu finally stands before him in without any disguise she cannot control herself, and
she bursts out crying and tells Liang the whole story of who she really is, and how much in love
she is with him.
At first Liang is angry that he has been deceived, but then he is relieved, because he too realises
that he is deeply in love with Zhu.
Zhu then tells Liang about the arranged marriage her parents have planned for her, and they
agree that he must ask Zhu’s father for her hand in marriage.
That same afternoon, Liang asks to see the father. Of course, he doesn’t have any idea who this
young man is. When he hears that Liang wants to marry his daughter, he just laughs.
He questions Liang about his parents, where they come from, what they do, how much money do
they have? Liang’s parents don’t have very much, his mother works as a weaver, and his father is
a fisherman.
They can only pay for Liang’s education by living a very frugal life. Zhu’s father dismisses him,
tells him to go back to school and to find a girl in his own social class.
He forbids Zhu to have any more contact with Liang, and tells his servants to make sure she
doesn’t leave the house unsupervised.
Liang stays in the inn, he cannot face going back to school alone, and he feels he has to stay
close to Zhu. But he has lost his appetite and he can’t eat anything.
He sits at his window every day, all day long, and looks out to see if he can catch a glimpse of
Zhu.
He gets sick, and pines away. Zhu can’t get out of the house, the servants are not prepared to
disobey their master.
She spends her days crying for her lover. One of the servants has offered to take messages to the
inn and back. That’s how one sad day she learned that Liang had died.
Zhu cries more and more, but her parents carry on with the preparations for the wedding
regardless. Her father is certain that eventually she will forget this poor student, and will accept
her duties as a good daughter and wife.
But Zhu doesn’t stop crying, she cries and cries until all the tears in her body are used up. Then
she starts crying blood, instead of tears, small pearls of blood come out of her eyes. The day of
the wedding arrives.
Zhu will be carried in a palanquin to her new husband’s house. She instructs her bearers to take
the route that oases the cemetery where Liang is buried.
When they get there, she orders them to stop, and she gets out to say a prayer over his grave. As
she kneels down by the grave, a butterfly appears, it seems as if it came out of Liang’s grave.
It circles around her head, and she watches it, spellbound. She is sure this butterfly looks just like
her dead lover, Liang. She stretches her arms out towards the butterfly, which flies up a bit, over
her head.
She lifts her head and her arms towards it, and as the butterfly flies higher up, she realises that
her arms have turned into butterfly wings, and she can join him now, at last, and together they fly
away from this place full of dead people.
Her servants come looking for her, but they don’t see anybody. All they can see is a pair of
butterflies cavorting over the graves, then disappearing into the blue distance.

The woman who flew to the moon

In a very distant past, much longer ago than anybody can possibly remember, ten suns lived in the
sky. This meant it was always daylight, and the surface of the earth was scorching hot. It was truly a
very uncomfortable place to live, and the people who lived here at that time must have been
exceedingly miserable.
Some gods were quite happy to accept this situation, because their homes were high up in the sky,
and the excessive heat down on the earth didn’t bother them too much. Some other gods however,
saw all the problems these ten suns caused for the people down below and started feeling rather sorry
for them. They put their old wise heads together and tried to think of a solution, but they discovered
they were not very good at finding solutions, so in the end they decided to offer a reward to anybody
who could solve the problem of the ten suns.
Down on earth, many wise men scratched their bald heads and searched their learned brains. None of
them could work out how to get rid of the suns. Some great warriors tried to start a war against the
suns, but those suns just kept on sailing merrily through the sky, stoically refusing to be engaged in
battle. Hou Yi was a giant of a man, who was both a wise man and a warrior. He realised something
very special, something quite extraordinary, would be required, to have any chance of removing the
suns. He came up with the idea of using a giant bow and giant arrows to shoot the suns out of the
sky.
He travelled all over China to select just the right type of bamboo and cane and set about
constructing the largest bow and the largest and sharpest arrows anybody had ever seen. The bow
was so large that it took two thousand ordinary men to lift it up and carry it to the top of the highest
mountain. It took another two hundred men to carry up one of the arrows and put it in place on the
bow. Fortunately Hou Yi was not just a giant of a man, he was also incredibly strong. A hundred men
helped him pull the bow string tight, and taking careful aim, he shot an arrow at the nearest sun. He
shot it down!
Everybody was so exhausted by the effort that they had to rest for a week before attempting the feat
again. Again, two hundred men carried one of the arrows up the mountain, and a hundred men helped
Hou Yi to pull the bow string tight, and taking careful aim, he shot the arrow at the nearest sun. He
shot that one down as well! And after another week’s rest Hou Yi shot down the third sun, and then
one was shot down every week, until they had shot down nine suns altogether, leaving just the one
that is still there today.
As you can imagine, life on earth changed dramatically. Suddenly there was day and night, light and
dark. Rivers that had dried up flowed from the mountain tops down to the sea. Crops grew all over
the land, forests flourished. The gods were very pleased indeed, and as a reward for Hou Yi, they set
about preparing a special magic potion for him. This was the potion of long life. When they
presented it to him, the gods told Hou Yi to only drink one drop once a year, and that each drop
would extend his life by ten years. They told him that he should only ever drink just this one drop
once a year, as to take more would lead to something very, very bad indeed happening to him. They
didn’t tell him what this something very, very bad might be, but they had sufficient trust in Hou Yi’s
wisdom that he would obey them.
Hou Yi had a wife called Chang Er, and when her husband brought home the potion, she was
mightily intrigued. Hou Yi explained the potion’s powers to her, and what the gods had told him. He
forbade her ever to touch the flask. He promised that each year, he would give her one drop, at the
same time as he took his, and this way they could look forward to a very long and happy life
together. But Chang Er was a little greedy, and more than a little impatient. She could see no reason
why she should not have more than one drop. Perhaps if she took one or two good mouthfuls, she
might live forever. Perhaps even be young forever! Just imagine that! She determined that she would
have just a few mouthfuls. But of course she couldn’t do anything while her husband was at home.
So one day she told Hou Yi that she wanted to bake some very special cakes to offer to the gods and
to celebrate their good fortune, and presented her husband with a list of exotic ingredients. Hou Yi
mounted his horse and went off to collect the ingredients for his wife. As soon as she was alone,
Chang Er went to the large chest where the potion was kept, and took out the flask.
She took a big gulp, the taste was quite pleasant, and it made her feel quite good. That’s not bad at
all, she thought, and took another big gulp, which made her feel even better. “Pah!” she snorted,
“What awful thing could possibly happen to me from taking such a pleasant drink. I’m sure the gods
only told my husband that story because they don’t want us to live forever, like they do! They’d be
jealous! Haha!” She took another gulp, and she thought she started feeling quite different from
normal. Much lighter on her feet. Taking a few steps to the left, and a few to the right, felt like hardly
any effort at all, and when she looked in the mirror she was sure she already looked about ten years
younger! Fantastic, she thought, wait till my husband sees me like this! He’ll be so proud of me! She
took another big gulp, and she felt so light that she thought the only thing that was keeping her feet
on the ground was the weight of her dress. She loved feeling so light and young, and she took another
gulp. When she jumped out of delight, she almost bumped her head on the ceiling, that’s how high
she jumped! Effortlessly!
She spread her arms and did a few dance steps, and considered how graceful her movements were
now that she was so light. She felt so light and delighted that she took several more gulps at once.
Then she noticed that she was floating! She didn’t just feel weightless, she was lighter than the air.
Ephemeral!
Ever so gracefully Chang Er floated out of the window, and up, above her house, and up, above the
tallest trees, and up, above the tallest mountains, and up, into the clouds sailing gracefully through
the sky. Up she floated, and the city beneath her got smaller and smaller, and she just kept rising and
rising, up and up. If only Hou Yi could see her now! Chang Er tried to look down below her, and
tried to change direction, flapped her arms and legs and tried to go down again. With a shock she
realised that whatever she did, she could not go down. She just kept going higher up into the sky.
Beyond the clouds and into that vast expanse of sky surrounding the earth. She shouted, she cried,
she pleaded. She clenched her fists and swung her legs. She kicked at nothing with her feet and she
kept on rising. Eventually she crashed into the moon, and that’s where she still is, to this very day.
Every year the gods send her the ingredients to make some special cakes for them, which they call
mooncakes!

How the frog came to be the king of the

rivers and marshes
How Frog came to be King of Rivers and Marshes

There was a time when animals and people lived on the earth harmoniously side by side. Each
respected the other, and they went out of their way to be friendly and useful to each other.
The elephant being the King of the animals decided one day that there should be a King of the Rivers
and Marshes. He thought it would be useful to have somebody responsible for alerting people to the
coming of the first rains, so that they would have time to get ready and start preparing their tools and
seeds.
The king of the animals sent out his trusted town cryer, the cockerel, with a message that any animal
who wished to be considered should attend the King’s court the following morning. The cockerel
dutifully made his way all round the animal village, passing the King’s messages to all and sundry.
The next morning the elephant came into his court yard after having partaken of his breakfast, and
found a number of candidates for the post had gathered there. The cat was there, and the monkey.
Toad and frog stood side by side, flamingo was there and the crab had also turned up.

The elephant inspected each one of the candidates, and started weighing up their qualities for the
position.
To the cat he said: “Cat, you don’t even like water. You run away and hide at the first sight of rain.
How can I make you the king of Rivers and Marshes?” So the cat was dismissed.
To the monkey he said: “Monkey, I am very happy to see you here, but you are so playful and
forgetful, I am afraid you might forget your duties because you always put playing first. I can’t
consider you for the position”. So monkey was dismissed.
To the flamingo he said: “Flamingo, you would be very good for the post, you love being in the river,
but I am afraid your voice just is not loud enough. Nobody would hear you! I can’t make you the
king of rivers and marshes.” So flamingo was dismissed.
To the Crab he said: “My dear Crab. How could I make you the King?. You don’t even have a head!
Where would we put your crown? You can’t be the king of the Rivers and Marshes, I’m afraid.” So
crab was dismissed.
That just left toad and frog. The elephant scratched his head with his trunk, “Fellows”, he said, “I
can’t really make up my mind between the two of you. I am sure you would both be very good at the
job, you both have wonderful voices. I just can’t choose”. Then the cockerel suggested there could be
a race to decide the issue. The king agreed immediately. “Let there be a race”, he proclaimed. “We
will start here in the court yard, and the first to get to the river bank will be crowned king of the
Rivers and Marshes!”

And so the race was organised. The king, followed by a host of animals, made his way to the river
bank so he could see with his own eyes who the winner would be. The cockerel remained in the court
yard with the two contestants, so that he could give the starting signal. When all was ready and in
place, the cockerel let out a might screech, and toad and frog were off. They jumped and double
jumped and triple jumped as fast and as long as they could. Toad was actually the quickest, and he
had built up a small lead when suddenly he came to a halt. There in front of him was a wide and deep
ditch. Toad could not remember it being there before, it must have been created during the last storm.
Toad was not at all sure that he would be able to jump across. In the meantime frog had caught up
with him, and also stopped. “Harrooh”, he exclaimed, “a little ditch, that’s nothing for me!” He took
a mighty jump, using all the strength he had in his formidable hind legs, and comfortably made it to
the other side. Toad knew he had to get across, so he took a deep breath, and used all his strength to
jump, but poor toad, he just did not make it. He hit the side of the ditch, and tumbled all the way
down to the bottom.
So Frog was the first one to reach the river bank and won the race. The elephant congratulated him,
and he was duly crowned king of the Rivers and marshes. At his coronation, the king of all the
animals, elephant, made a big speech. “Frog”, he said, “now that you are the King of the rivers and
Marshes, your first duty is to announce the coming of the first rains, so that all the farmers can get
ready to start doing their important work. You shall do this by singing you Croo Croo song as loud as
you possibly can, and for as long as it takes to get the message to everybody!”

That is the reason why to this day, when people hear the frog’s song, they are very happy, because
they know that the dry season is over and the rain they need to grow their crops is on its way.

The Considerate Hunter

Once upon a time there lived a hunter called Ajakasi. Many hunters lived in his village. Some hunters
used guns, some used bows and arrows, others used sticks and cutlasses to do their hunting.
Ajakasi went on a hunting expedition early one morning. He went deep into the bush. He wondered
around all day long, but the bush seemed deserted, and by late afternoon he had not even seen a bird.
He was terribly tired and hungry. He decided to go back home. Just as he was about to turn back, he
heard an unusual sound coming from somewhere in the distance. He listened carefully, thinking he
finally got lucky; he hard peeap peeap peeap uuwuurgh oowuurgh uuuwuurgh.
He said to himself, goodness, that sounds like a big animal, maybe even a lion, I’ll sneak up carefully
and see if I can find it. He headed in the direction from which the sound was coming, and soon he
came upon a clearing in the forest, and right there in the middle of the clearing was a big hole. He
approached gingerly, and craned his neck so as to be able to see inside the pit, and what did he see?
He saw a lion.
Instinctively he jumped back, then after collecting his nerves, he approached the hole again, and
craned his neck so as to be able to see inside the pit; then he saw a snake in the same pit! And he saw
a man, crouching in one of the corners. Ajakasi couldn’t help but wonder what was happening down
there, why was the lion not eating the man?
Then he also saw a rat! He couldn’t believe is eyes, so there was a lion down there, and a huge snake,
and a man and a rat!
The lion was he first to spot Ajakasi. Please Mr Hunter, get me out of this pit! I‘m terribly hungry!
Ajakasi shook his head, and with a trembling voice, said: I’m really sorry Mr Lion, but I can’t do
that! A hungry lion? How can I pull you out? As soon as I get you up here you’re going to have me
for your lunch!
The lion growled in response. Don’t you think I could have eaten this man here, he asked. Or the
snake, or the rat? We all agreed not to eat each other but to stick together, so that we might all get out
of here. I guarantee that if you help us you will be safe
The man in the pit joined in: Please Mr Hunter, believe us, the lion is telling the truth, please get us
out of here, please help us. The snake joined in, hissing, and the rat was squeaking. The hunter was
touched.
All right, he said, all right, I’ll help you. Just hold on while I find something. He went into the trees,
and found the longest possible rope, he tied one end to the nearest tall tree, and pulled it hard to test
it. When he was satisfied that it would be strong enough to pull all those creatures out of the pit. He
threw the loose end into the hole. And who was the first to come out? Of course, the lion, the snake
came out next, and then the rat and finally the man crawled to the surface. The lion gave Ajakasi a
heavy handshake. Ouch, screamed Ajakasi, you’ve hurt me! That was painful! Is that how you’re
going to thank me?
No, no, no, no, said the lion, Thank you very much indeed, Mr Hunter, I will see you again. With that
the lion disappeared into the jungle. The snake thanked him too, and slithered away. The man
thanked him, and ran off.
The rat was the last to thank him; I won’t forget your kindness, he said before scurrying off in the
undergrowth.
Ajakasi was left all by himself; it was getting dark and he remembered how hungry he was, so he too
set off back to his hut in the village.
Several days later, very early in the morning, even before the sun had crawled over the horizon, he
heard somebody knocking loudly on his door.
Bhoumm Bhoumm Bhoumm! Who is there, asked Ajakasi. But there was no reply. He opened the
door, and there stood the lion. Ajakasi was scared to the marrow, and almost threw the door shut
again, but the lion raised a paw in greeting. Mr Lion, sighed Ajakasi, you really scared me there! I’m
sorry about that, said the lion, I suppose that can’t be helped. I can’t very well turn up here in broad
daylight, can I now? Ajakasi had to agree. Well then, said the lion, you did something wonderful for
me the other day, you were very brave to help the four of us get out of that pit. So I have come to
thank you, just come over here. The lion stood back and Ajakasi stepped outside. There, in front of
his house he found a huge pile of wild meat. All for you, said the lion, and wandered off.
Ajakasi was very excited. He sat to work immediately cleaning the meat and cutting it up. He kept
some in his hut and took the rest to the city to sell. He got a lot of money for it! A few more days
went by, when Ajakasi was woken again by the same noise coming from his door. He opened the
door carefully, and found the lion there again. The lion directed him to the usual spot, and there was
an even bigger pile of meat! Again, Ajakasi cleaned the meat, cut it up and took it to the market to
sell. He got even more money. The remarkable thing was that the lion kept coming back every three
or four days to bring more meat. Ajakasi became a very rich man. He could pay his children’s school
fees, he built a new house, he bought new clothes for himself and all his family members He was
turning into a very happy man.
Then one day, he noticed a hole in the roof of his new house. Oooh, what is this? He went to inspect
and to his surprise he saw a rat peeping through the hole. Aaaii, said Ajakasi, who are you, and what
are you doing to my roof, making holes in it? The rat said: Don’t you remember me? I’m the rat you
rescued from the pit in the jungle, some time ago now. If it hadn’t been for you coming along I
would surely have ended up as supper for the lion or the snake! I’ve come to bring you something to
thank you, just wait there a minute.
Ajakasi was left speechless, he watched as the rat disappeared, but came back presently, lugging an
enormous sack, which he dropped through the hole at Ajakasi’s feet. Take these things, the rat said,
as a token of my appreciation , and then he disappeared as quickly as he had come. Ajakasi, tugged at
the sack, and opened it.
When he saw what was inside he almost fainted. The sack was filled with gold, diamonds, emeralds
and other precious stones and minerals
Now Ajakasi was almost the wealthiest man in the whole village. Only the chief was richer. It so
happened that a few months later thieves broke into the chief’s compound while he was away on a
trip. They took everything that had any value. When he returned the chief was soooo sad, he wept for
days on end. People came from all over the district to bring him presents and to console him. Ajakasi
also went to see him and took some pieces of gold. One day the man who was rescued from the pit
by Ajakasi passed through the village and called at the chief’s compound. He asked to see the chief,
saying that he had some information about the theft. The chief had him ushered into his private
quarters immediately, he was still very sad and tearful, and asked his visitor to tell him everything he
knew without stalling. Don’t cry again, nana, the man started, I know who it was who stole all your
jewels and your rich kente cloths. Who is that man? The chief shouted. Where is he?
Don’t worry, said the visitor, he is here in the village, it is the hunter Ajakasi.
The chief fell down on his chair. Ajakasi? I don’t believe it, he is such a good man!
The man raised his hand up. Don’t you remember, Oh great chief, Ajakasi was just a poor wretched
hunter, but look at him now, he has built a new house, almost as big as your own, he has bought new
clothes for himself and all his family, he pays his children’s school fees, and he never goes out
hunting any more, yet he always has plenty of meat on his table. How is he able to do all that…? He
is surely the one who stole all your things.
The chief was now very angry. He called some of his soldiers and commanded them to arrest Ajakasi
and bring the thief before him immediately. This was done. The soldiers went to Ajakasi’s house,
tied him up and brought him before the chief. He was mercilessly beaten. He tried to explain how it
was that he had come by his riches, but when he mentioned the lion bringing him meat, the soldiers
just beat him more, and when he mentioned the rat bringing him gold and precious metals in a sack,
the chief shouted: Enough! Tie him to the stocks, and tomorrow morning we will execute him!
So, Ajakasi was put in the stocks and condemned to death as punishment for a crime he didn’t
commit. He realized he would be executed the next morning and there was nothing he could do about
it. After darkness had fallen and the last of the village people had gone home, he felt a strange
sensation around his ankles. What is this, he wondered, what is going on now? He heard the hissing
of a snake, and when he looked down he saw a large snake slithering on the ground in front of him.
I would normally be afraid of you, said Ajakasi, but as I’m going to die anyway tomorrow, I’m not
really worried. Well, said the snake, you’re right not to be worried. You probably don’t remember
me, but I am the snake you rescued from that pit in the jungle all those weeks ago now. I have come
to thank you for what you did.
Oh. It was nothing really, said Ajakasi, but I’m afraid it’s a little bit late. I’m about to be executed! I
have been accused of a crime I never committed.
We’ll see about that, said the snake. I have a plan. I have some medicine here, which I’ll hide under
your belt. I understand the king has a very beautiful daughter. That’s right, confirmed Ajakasi, she is
his only child. Even better, said the snake. I am going to give her a little bite, and poison her. She
will surely die, but the medicine in the bottle is an antidote, the only thing that will cure my bite.
When you save the life of the king’s only child, he will be forever in your debt, and he surely will not
want to kill you any more! With that the snake slithered towards the chief’ living quarters.
Be careful, don’t get caught! whispered the hunter.
As the sun sent its first rays over the eastern wall of the compound, Ajakasi heard some screams
coming from the chief’s living quarters. Women were wailing. Ouwooaagh! The king’s only
daughter! Owowowow! A snake has bitten her! Owowowow! The snake has run away!
Owowowowo! Why is this happening?! Owowowow!
People were running towards the house.
Ajakasi shouted at them: I can bring this girl back to life! A soldier came up to Ajakasi, and shouted
at him: Shut up, you’re only a common thief!
Ajakasi pleaded with him: I am sincere, I can really bring the girl back to life, go and tell the chief!
The soldier spat at him, and told him again to keep quiet. But as he was running to the chief’s house,
the soldier thought to himself: what if the condemned man was telling the truth? The chief would be
grateful to him and he would surely be rewarded. He had nothing to loose by telling the chief.
At first, when the chief was told that Ajakasi could bring his daughter back to life, he didn’t want to
know. That man is only trying to postpone his execution, he thought. But when he looked at the body
of his dead daughter, and saw his distraught wife, he changed his mind. After all, there was nothing
to be lost, and everything to be gained. You never know what secrets these hunters learn in the
jungle. So he ordered his soldiers to cut Ajakasi loose and bring the man to him.
When Ajakasi got to the dead girl’s bedside, he asked for a bowl and some water. He poured in the
medicine that the snake had given him, and stirred it with his fingers until it was well mixed into a
smooth sauce. This he mopped up with a piece of plain cotton cloth, and he squeezed the liquid into
the dead girl’s nostrils. The chief and his wife and all the soldiers were watching his every move.
Ajakasi knew very well that if the girl didn’t revive he would be dead on the spot.
But the girl twitched her nose. Itchee! Itchee!
She sneezed! The chief shouted: She sneezed! Slowly the girl opened her eyes, and the chief jumped
up and down for joy. The girl’s mother rushed to her side and the soldiers started to dance. The girl
spoke to her mother: mommy, where am I? I’m hungry, can you get me some fufu?
Ah, the chief and his wife were so excited! A servant brought in some fufu with a wonderful soup,
and the girl ate everything.
Ajakasi was carried shoulder high all around the village. When things quietened down a little the
chief sent for him.
Ajakasi, the chief addressed him, you have done me a great service, the greatest possible service, so I
am going to save your life. But you must tell me, honestly and without lying, why did you have to
steal all my property.
Ajakasi replied: O my great chief, I really didn’t steal your property, as I’ve been trying to tell
everyone. He then told the chief his remarkable story, what had happened in the jungle, how he
found the lion, the snake, the rat and the man in the pit and how he got them out. How the lion
thanked him by bringing him meat, which he sold at a great profit; how the rat brought him gold and
diamonds and other precious minerals, some of which he sold and got even more money for.
But his fellow human being thanked him by getting him into trouble. If it had not been for the snake
coming to his rescue at the last minute, he would not be standing here to tell his tale.
The king was astonished by the tale. He apologized to Ajakasi for not believing him and he ordered
all his possessions to be restored to him. To show the chief he did not harbour any grudges, Ajakasi
organized a big feast, which went on long into the night.

The reason why the crab has a shell

Once upon a time there lived a woman whose name was Aftermath. She had one daughter, whose
name was Akuvi. Her husband had died when the girl was still very young. As Akuvi grew up she
began to rebel against her mother’s authority. If Aftermath asked her to fetch water she would refuse,
if Aftermath asked her to pound some yam, the girl would snarl and sulk. Mother used to curse her
daughter, but all to no avail. “You think I’m hard on you, she would say, just wait if you keep
behaving like this you’ll meet your fate one day!” This went on for quite some time, until one day the
mother again asked Akuvi to fetch some water from the well. Akuvi refused bluntly. “Why do I
always have to fetch your water, mother? Why can’t you get it for yourself. You have arms and legs
just like I do!” Aftermath got so angry at her daughter’s insolence that she took a cane and beat her.
This in turn made Akuvi very angry. “that’s it! She said, That’s it! I’ve had enough, I’m going!”
With that she took some of her clothes, packed them in a bundle and left home. She really had no
idea where she was going, she had nobody to turn to, she didn’t know anybody outside the small
village they lived in.
As there was nowhere else to go she headed towards the forest. After she’d been walking for some
time, she came across a small farm. On the edge stood an old hut, and outside the hut sat an old lady.
Akuvi had never seen such an old lady, she must be at least a hundred years old! Akuvi walked up to
the old lady, who looked her in the eye, and asked “Who are you and where are you from?” Akuvi
just about opened her mouth to answer, when the old lady shouted “Stop! Don’t speak! I know all
about you!” She wagged her crooked fingers at the girl. “Your mother tried her best to bring you up
well, but you wouldn’t have it, would you? You thought you knew better. You wouldn’t listen to
your mother, well, now you’re here, you’ll see something else! Welcome, my dear! ”
The old lady took her in, gave her some food and a corner of her hut where she could lie down to
sleep. The next morning the old lady took Akuvi to her field, where she grew some vegetables; yam,
cassava, beans. The old lady spread her arms and said to Akuvi: “what you see here is my farm, I
grow everything here, and you will have to help me. Everytime I send you to pick something, these
plants will talk to you. Some will say: Don’t touch me please, I’m too young, or: I’ve only just been
planted, I’m not ripe yet! I want you to ignore them don’t take any notice; just pick the one that
protests loudest.”
That same afternoon the old lady sent the girl to the farm to pick some cassava and yam so that they
could pound some fufu for their supper. As she entered the field the plants started talking to her. One
of them said: Look girl, I’m too old to be here, and fed up being stuck here in this field, come and
pick me!” Another said: “Please don’t pick me, I’ve just been planted! Go to the next one!” With all
these voices coming at her from all directions Akuvi got scared; nothing like this had ever happened
to her in her entire life. She wanted to run away but she was frightened of what the old lady would do
to her. So she gathered up all her courage and started picking the plants that were saying they were
not ripe enough or mature enough to be picked, just as the old lady had told her to do. She took the
vegetables home and the old lady instructed her to peel them and boil them. She finished this task,
and then looked for mortar and pestle to pound the fufu, but she couldn’t find these anywhere. So she
went to the old lady and asked her what she should use. The old lady told her: “I haven’t got a mortar
or pestle and I still eat fufu. I still manage to pound it!” All Akuvi could say was: “Well, how do you
do it? Can you show me?” The old lady raised an arm, and said to Akuvi, “Go to the back of the
house. There you’ll find a log, bring it here. When Akuvi came back with the log a few minutes later,
the old lady was lying on the ground, and instructed Akuvi to put the wood under her head.
Resting her head on the log, she told Akuvi to use her nostrils as the mortar; pointing to them she
said: “This is where you’ll pound the fufu!”
Akuvi was shocked, never had she heard of anything like this before. But the old lady reassured her:
“Don’t worry dear, I always do it like this and it comes out perfect every time. Now it became clear
to Akuvi that the old lady had magical powers. Her nostrils expanded into a big bowl, and Akuvi was
able to pound the fufu. When she finished the old lady told Akuvi to go her room where she kept a
pot full of soup, and to bring it out to her. Akuvi hung the pot over the fire to heat the soup, and
brought out a little table for the old lady to eat at. The old lady sat down and started to eat. Akuvi
washed her hands and sat down with the old lady as she was by now very hungry.
But the old lady stopped her taking any food. “Don’t even think about it. Before I let you have any of
this food, you have to tell me what my name is.” Akuvi didn’t know the old lady’s name, she had
absolutely no idea. How could she? Nobody in the village had ever even mentioned her. She started
guessing some names, Mawutor, Mawuko, but all the names she could think of were the wrong ones,
and she was not allowed to touch any of the food. After the old lady finished her meal she gave the
pot to Akuvi to fetch some water from the river. Obediently Akuvi took the pot and made her way to
the river. As she approached the water, she saw a crab. The crab called out to her: “Hey there, little
girl! I know what’s happening to you, that old witch has got you guessing her name, hasn’t she? I can
help you because I know her very well!”
Akuvi was very excited: “Mr Crab, if you know her name please tell me and help me out of my
misery!” The crab answered: “Her name is Zeglo. Call her Mama Zeglo!” Akuvi jumped in the air,
she was so happy, at last she would get something to eat. She thanked the crab profusely, and set off
home again. But she was so happy, she was dancing and jumping all the way home, carrying the pot
filled with water on her head. She stumbled over some stones that were strewn on the path, the pot
fell off her head and broke into a hundred pieces. She started to cry, she knew the old lady would be
furious with her. Slowly she finished the walk home, and as she came up to the house the old lady
was sitting outside, waiting for her. When the old lady saw her, she asked immediately: “What
happened to my pot? Where is my water?”
Akuvi answered “Mama Zeglo, I fell down on the path and your pot broke.”
The old lady was astonished that Akuvi had guessed her name correctly, so she asked her: “How did
you find out my name? Who told you?”
Akuvi replied that she met a crab by the river who told her. The old lady jumped up, she was indeed
furious. “I’m going down to the riverside, I’ll find that stupid old crab and teach him a lesson!” She
got up, took her stick and a calabash and walked briskly towards the river. She fully intended to
punish the crab for his indiscretion. And she did indeed find the crab still rooting around in the sand
on the riverbank, and addressed him in an angry tone: “Why on earth did you disclose my name to
that young girl? What business is it of yours?” The crab hardly deigned to look at the old lady. “Why
don’t you bugger off, he said. Who do you think you are; can’t I mention your name to anybody?”
The old lady got even more annoyed, and she raised her stick and hit the crab on the back. Wallop!
And again: Woosh!
The crab jumped sideways and shouted at the old lady: “Hey what! What are you playing at? Hitting
me? You don’t know me! Just you wait!” The crab dived under the water, and started scooping up
white sand, splashing it all over the old lady’s head so that all her hair turned white. She got ever
more angry, so angry that she just threw the calabash at the crab, which landed on his back and got
stuck there. She tried to pull it off, but try as she might, it was stuck hard. The crab groaned, and the
old lady cursed, but they could not remove it. That’s why when you see a crab now, it’s got a hard
shell on his back, and when you see an old lady, her hair is white all over!

The lazy townspeople

Once upon a time there was a town where all the people were exceedingly lazy. They didn’t like to
do any kind of work at all! They didn’t clean up their yards, they didn’t keep their streets clean, and
they couldn’t be bothered to weed their vegetable patches. The place was disgusting, it was a
disgrace. The chief hated it, he quite liked cleanliness, and every so often he would start a clean-up
campaign. But only a handful of people ever turned up to lend a hand, and even then they would stop
working after one or two days, and the weeds would grow again and in the blink of an eye the place
would be just as bad again as it ever was.
One day a hurricane blew through the town; after it had passed the place looked even worse than
before, but the worst thing was that an enormous tree had been blown over and thrown right across
the main road leading to the market place. The first trader came along, carrying his produce, and
found the road blocked by the tree. He said: I haven’t got time to move this tree! I’ve got to get my
produce to the market!” So he walked around the tree, and carried on his way. And a second and a
third trader came along and did exactly the same thing. Nobody could be bothered to do anything
about the obstruction. People were coming and going, looking at the tree and just walking around it.
The chief heard about the tree blocking the road. He asked; “Why don’t some of these people get
together and move it?” But days went by and nobody did anything about it and the tree remained
where it was. The chief came up with a plan to teach his townspeople a lesson. Very early the next
day, before the sun had come up, he took some of his servants and got them to dig a hole under the
tree. He hid some gold in the hole and got his servants to cover it up again. Then he made them swear
to keep this affair a secret. Back at his palace, he instructed his town crier to go round and summon
all the citizens to gather at the spot of the fallen tree that afternoon.
When they were all together the chief made a speech to his people suggesting that if all of them
worked together, it would not take very long to remove the obstacle. One of the farmers said: “The
hurricane put that tree there, let’s ask the hurricane to move it out of the way.”
“Yes, said another, why should we exert ourselves?”
“What’s wrong with walking around it?” asked another. The chief was exasperated. He was just
about to give up when a skinny young man stepped forward. He was just a poor farmer, who had no
living relatives in the town: “I will have a go,” he said, and started pulling and pushing to shift the
heavy tree. The other townspeople just stood there and watched, some making fun of the young man.
The chief waited for a short while to see if anybody would come forward to help the young man, and
when he saw that nobody else made a move, instructed his servants to lend a hand. Once the tree had
been moved to the side of the road, the Chief went up to the young farmer, and took him to the spot
where he’d buried the gold that morning. The chief told him to dig there, and promised him that he
could keep whatever he found there. The young farmer started digging in the road, and very quickly
uncovered the gold. He was overjoyed.
The chief said to him: “All this gold is yours to keep. You have deserved it, and you can do with it as
you please.” And to the lazy townspeople he said: “Let this be a lesson to you all! Laziness doesn’t
get you anything. Rewards come to the person who is prepared to work hard.”