Jade Dragon And Golden Phoenix

Long, long ago, there was a snow-white Jade Dragon, living in a rock cave on the east bank of the Celestial River. In a great forest across the river lived a beautiful Golden Phoenix.

Leaving their home every morning, the dragon and the phoenix met each other before taking their different ways. One flew in the sky, while the other swam in the Celestial River. One day, they both came to a fairy island. There they found a shining pebble, whose beauty fascinated them.

"Look, how beautiful this pebble is!" Golden Phoenix said to Jade Dragon. "Let's carve it into a pearl," said Jade Dragon. Golden Phoenix nodded in agreement. Then they started working on it, Jade Dragon using his claws and Golden Phoenix her beak. They carved the pebble day after day, month after month, until they finally made it into a perfect small round ball. In high spirits Golden Phoenix flew to the sacred mountain to gather dewdrops while Jade Dragon carried a lot of clear water from the Celestial River. They sprinkled and washed the ball with dew and water. Gradually the

 ball turned into a dazzling pearl. They had become so attached to each other and both loved the pearl so dearly that neither wanted to go back to the cave and the forest. Therefore, they settled down in the fairy island guarding the pearl.

It was a magic pearl. Wherever it shone, things grew better. Leaves stayed green all year round, flowers of different seasons bloomed together and the land yielded a richer harvest.

One day, the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens left her palace and saw the brilliant rays shed by the pearl. Overwhelmed by the sight, she was eager to acquire it. She sent one of her guards to steal the pearl from Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix at midnight while they were fast asleep. When the guard came back with it, the Queen Mother was very pleased. She did not show it to anyone, but immediately hid it in the innermost room of her palace, to reach which one had to pass through nine locked doors.

When Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix woke up in the morning, they found the pearl had gone. Frantically, they searched high and low for it. Jade Dragon looked into every nook and cranny at the bottom of the Celestial River, while Golden Phoenix combed every inch of the sacred mountain, but in vain. They continued their unhappy search day and night, hoping to recover their treasured pearl.

On the birthday of the Queen Mother, all the gods and goddesses in Heaven came to her palace to offer their congratulations. She prepared a grand feast, serving her guests with nectar and celestial peaches, fruit of immortality. The gods and goddesses said to her, "May your life and happiness last forever."

The Queen Mother was so excited that at a sudden she declared, "My immortal friends, I want to show you a precious pearl which can never be found either in Heaven or on earth."

So she unfastened nine keys from her girdle and unlocked the nine doors one after another. From the innermost room of her palace she took out the bright pearl, placed it on a golden tray and carried it carefully to the center of the banquet hall. The whole hall was instantly lit by the pearl. The guests were fascinated by its radiance and greatly admired it.

In the meantime, Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix were continuing their fruitless search. Suddenly Golden Phoenix saw the bright light and turned to Jade Dragon, "Look, isn't that the light from our pearl?"

Jade Dragon stuck his head out of the Celestial River and looked, saying, "Of course! No doubt about it! Let's move and get it back."

They flew towards the light, which led them to the palace of the Queen Mother. Landing there, they found the immortals crowding around the pearl and praising it lavishly. Pushing through the crowd, Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix shouted together, "This is our pearl!"

The Queen Mother was so enraged by their claim that she snapped, "Nonsense! I'm the Queen Mother of Western Heavens. All treasures belong to me!"

Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix were infuriated by her remarks. They protested by saying, "Heaven did not give birth to this pearl, nor was it grown on earth. It was carved and polished by us. It took us many years of hard work."

Shamed and furious, the Queen Mother clutched the tray tightly while ordering her palace guards to eject Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix. But they fought their way back and were determined to snatch the pearl from the Queen Mother. The three struggled over the golden tray with all their might. As the tray shook amidst the tussle, the pearl fell off, rolled towards the edge of the stairs and then dropped into the air.

Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix rushed out of the palace, trying to save it from being dashed to pieces. They flew beside the falling pearl, until it finally landed onto the earth. When it touched the ground, the pearl immediately turned into a clear, green lake. Jade Dragon and Golden Phoenix could not bear to part from it, so they changed themselves into two mountains, standing forever by the side of the lake.

Since then, Jade Dragon Mountain and Golden Phoenix Mountain have quietly stood beside the West Lake.

Source:

Editor: Carrot Chan