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Ancient myths
1. One day the goddess Nü-kua, whose body was that of a dragon but whose head was of a human form, grew weary of the loneliness of earth. After long thought she stooped and took from the ground a huge lump of clay. From this she fashioned with her dragon claws a tiny creature. The head she shaped after the pattern of her own, but to the body she gave two arms and two legs. She set the little thing back on the ground and the first human being came to life and danced and made sounds of joy to delight the eyes and ears of the goddess. Quickly she made many more of these charming humans, and felt lonely no longer as they danced together all about her.
2. Then, as she rested a while from her task and watched the sons and daughters of her own creation go off together across the earth, a new thought came to her. What would become of the world when all the humans she had made grew old and died? They were fine beings well fitted to rule over the beasts of the earth; but they would not live forever. To fill the earth with humans when these had gone to make more to take their place would mean an endless task for the goddess. And so to solve this problem Nü-kua brought together man and woman and taught them the ways of marriage. Now they would create for themselves their own sons and daughters, and these in turn could continue to people the earth throughout time.
3. After this gift of marriage from Nü-kua, further blessings came to man! from her husband, the great god Fu-hsi. He again had a human head but the body of a dragon. He taught men how to weave ropes to make
nets for fishing, and he made the lute from which men first drew music. His also was the priceless gift of fire. Men had seen and feared the fire, which was struck from the forest trees by the passing of the Lord of the Thunderstorm. But Fu-hsi, who was the son of this same lord, taught men to drill against wood and make fire for thire own use, for warmth and cooking
2. Then, as she rested a while from her task and watched the sons and daughters of her own creation go off together across the earth, a new thought came to her. What would become of the world when all the humans she had made grew old and died? They were fine beings well fitted to rule over the beasts of the earth; but they would not live forever. To fill the earth with humans when these had gone to make more to take their place would mean an endless task for the goddess. And so to solve this problem Nü-kua brought together man and woman and taught them the ways of marriage. Now they would create for themselves their own sons and daughters, and these in turn could continue to people the earth throughout time.
3. After this gift of marriage from Nü-kua, further blessings came to man! from her husband, the great god Fu-hsi. He again had a human head but the body of a dragon. He taught men how to weave ropes to make
nets for fishing, and he made the lute from which men first drew music. His also was the priceless gift of fire. Men had seen and feared the fire, which was struck from the forest trees by the passing of the Lord of the Thunderstorm. But Fu-hsi, who was the son of this same lord, taught men to drill against wood and make fire for thire own use, for warmth and cooking
4. Already the creatures of Nü-kua's making could speak their thoughts to one another, but Fu-hsi now drew for them the eight precious symbols with which they could begin to make records for those who were to come after. He drew three strokes to represent Heaven; the three strokes broken == represented earth. That symbol whose middle stroke was solid == represented water, that whose middle stroke was broken == represented fire. A solid stroke above == gave the sign for mountains, a solid stroke beneath == the sign for storm; a broken line below = showed wind, a broken line on top == showed marshland. With these eight powerful symbols man could begin to record all he observed of the world about him.
5. for long years men lived their lives in a world of peace. Then, suddenly Where spread from Heaven to earth a conflict that threatened to put end to all creation. This was the battle between the Spirit of water, Kung-kung, and the Spirit of Fire, Chu-jung. Down to earth came the turbulent, wilful Kung-kung to whip up huge waves on river and lake and lead his scaly hordes against his arch-enemy, Fire. Chu-jung fought back with tongues of flame and scorching breath and halted the rebel Water in his path. Kung-kung's armies dispersed and he, their leader, turned and fled. But his flight brought with it a peril greater yet. For, dashing blindly off to the west, Kung-kung struck his head against the mountain Pu-chou-shan, which was none other than the pillar that in the western corner held up the sky.
6. Kung-kung made good his escape, but he left the world in a disastrous state. Great holes appeared in the sky, whilst the earth tilted up in the west. In that region great cracks and fissures appeared which are still to be seen to this day. All the rivers and lakes spilled out their waters, which ran off and still run eastwards: off to the south-east, where the earth had slipped down low and ran the waters together to form a vast ocean there. Meanwile out of the shaken mountain forests fire still raged forth, and wild beasts of every kind left their lairs to maraud through the world of helpless, terrified men.
6. Kung-kung made good his escape, but he left the world in a disastrous state. Great holes appeared in the sky, whilst the earth tilted up in the west. In that region great cracks and fissures appeared which are still to be seen to this day. All the rivers and lakes spilled out their waters, which ran off and still run eastwards: off to the south-east, where the earth had slipped down low and ran the waters together to form a vast ocean there. Meanwile out of the shaken mountain forests fire still raged forth, and wild beasts of every kind left their lairs to maraud through the world of helpless, terrified men.
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