Post by Kiet on Feb 24, 2007 19:15:44 GMT -5
"Long ago, before the world was the world, Dàn Lóng Máng lounged by what would become the Pool of Souls, staring in to the limpid water - for this was before the Pool was filled with the Sleeping Ones. Dàn Lóng Máng became lazy and began to scratch at his great scales. My sweet child, he scratched his scales five times, and with each scratch, Dàn Lóng Máng dislodged one of his great scales. They fell from his hide, and as soon as they hit the surface of the Pool, sweet child, they became infused with life and became full dragons, large and powerful, though not as large and powerful as Dàn Lóng Máng. They were all given life by the Pool in the same instant, so not one was older or wiser than the next. Their names were Huang-Jin, Qi, Bao-Wei, Khalil, and Kiet, and though they were all equal, they were all very different.
Huang-Jin and Qi, being of similar mind, sailed through the skies of the valley together. Khalil and Kiet were also of similar mind, my sweet child, but they swam in the skies of the lowlands. Bao-Wei, unlike the others, did not pair off and stayed in the jungle, tending to the banyan tree that still grows there today, my sweet child.
Qi, who sometimes is not that bright and says things she does not mean, my sweet child, shouted from the valley in her musical voice: “Dàn Lóng Máng loves us more than he loves Khalil and Kiet, because we do good things for the creatures of the world so they that they will love and worship us.”
Khalil, who does some things for reasons only known to himself, my sweet child, shouted from the lowlands in his roaring voice: “Dàn Lóng Máng loves us more than he loves Huang-Jin and Qi, because we cause strike fear in the hearts of the creatures of the world so that they will fear and worship us.”
Both pairs heard the other’s proclamation and became enraged with jealousy. They tore across the land and sky toward each other and crashed together with such force as they came and fought with tooth, tail, and claw that the ground was pushed up around them toward the sky.
Bao-Wei heard and saw all these things and became troubled, for the dragon did not like to see the others warring so. So Bao-Wei descended into the jungle in search of the wisest, strongest, bravest, and most cunning of all of the creatures of the world. My sweet child, Bao-Wei searched the jungles, and then went into the lowlands and the valleys to search there as well. But, my sweet child, as Bao-Wei looked in the valleys, gathering up all of the wisest, strongest, bravest, and most cunning of all of the animals of the world, Huang-Jin and Qi, and Khalil and Kiet came tumbling down from the mountains they had made of the western edge of the world, falling toward the earth – for they were too passionate in their war to see that they were dropping from the sky. Bao-Wei hurried and brought all of the creatures of the world she had found to a place in the eastern valley. Those animals were Shǔ the Clever, a rat; Líng the Diligent, an antelope; Baras the Courageous, a tiger; Kirsa the Wise, a fox; Irbis the Noble, a leopard; Moghai the Intuitive, a snake; Zhān the Proud, a horse; Xiàng the Gentle, an elephant; Hóu the Cunning, a monkey; Lao-Yīng the Resilient, an eagle; Láng the Loyal, a wolf; and Gōng-Zhū the Judicious, a boar.
They stood in a field of grass with silver tufts in the valley, my sweet child, and formed a half moon shape, facing the battling dragons as they came toward them. The animals opened their mouths and turned their heads toward the heavens. Then, each animal proclaimed it’s loyalty to the god that they held dearest.
Líng, Láng, and Gōng-Zhū lauded Huang-Jin, shouting in one voice, “Benevolent and wise Huang-Jin! You are like the purest of waters or the clearest of skies, unmarred and unscathed by evil! Blessed are you and the commandments you give us, for in following them, we may also help to make this world a better place!”
Kirsa, Baras, and Irbis praised Kiet, roaring, “Fearsome Kiet, there is none that do not respect you or your power! Your enemy trembles with fear at the mere mention of your name, such is its strength! You are stronger than the rocks under the earth and fiercer than the sun! Woe is to the one who finds himself under your claw!”
Xiàng, Moghai, and Lao-Yīng called out to Qi, raising their voices together in song: “Gracious and beautiful Qi! It is you who have built the fires in our hearts that inspire the want to fill the world with beauty and love. You are our divine inspiration, and all our works are to praise you and show your magnificence!”
Shǔ, Hóu, and Zhān exulted Khalil, their voices ringing out with laughter: “Fine is the day when Khalil draws blood from his enemy’s throat! You are as quick as the western wind and a silent as the dead of night! Your wit is sharper than any tooth or claw! Guide our own weapons so that we may drink the blood of our enemies!”
Upon hearing this, my sweet child, all of the dragons stopped fighting and turned to listen, their eyes glistening with wonder at the creatures’ words. Then, each dragon unwound itself from the others in their battle and came to rest before the animals. They were so pleased by what the animals had said about each of them that they gave the animals gifts, but my sweet child, each also did this so that they would look better than the other dragons. My sweet child, the gifts that they gave these animals would bless future generations of their kind for all time, but before this, they did not have these wonderful things.
Huang-Jin gathered Líng, Láng, and Gōng-Zhū to him and spoke to them in his great voice: “Líng, to you I give horns so that you may defend my honor from tooth and claw. Láng, to you I give a powerful nose so that you may sniff out those who do not do my will. Gōng-Zhū, to you I give tusks so that you may dispense my justice upon those who have disobeyed me. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Kiet snaked around Kirsa, Baras, and Irbis who gave her praise and coiled her body around them, bringing them close to her great jaws and sharp teeth. She purred to them, her eyes nearly shut: “Kirsa, to you I give grace so that you may walk quickly and nimbly on this earth. Baras, to you I give great strength along with a striped hide so that you may hide easily and strike hard. Irbis, to you I give spots and stealth, so that you may walk this earth quietly and not be seen. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Qi let out a gleeful yell and danced around Xiàng, Moghai, and Lao-Yīng before she sang back to them: “Xiàng, to you I give a long trunk so that you may make beautiful music and herald my comings. Moghai, to you I give venom so that you may surreptitiously bite the heels of your oppressors. Lao-Yīng, to you I give keen eyesight so that you may watch over all the beautiful things of this world. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Khalil cackled and roared at Shǔ, Hóu, and Zhān, then swooped down before them and grinned, his teeth shining in the sunlight. “Shǔ, to you I give a set of sharp teeth to make up for your small size. Hóu, to you I give thumbs so that you may manipulate the world around you as you see fit. Zhān, to you I give the gift of speed so that you may charge your enemies in an ambush and escape before they are able to retaliate against you. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
With their new gifts, the animals joined alongside the gods and the battle continued. But, my sweet child, a mortal animal is no match for any of the great dragon gods, and all of them fell that day in the field of silver grass.
When the gods saw what they had done to the beautiful animals they had gifted, and how well each had used their clever gifts, they were saddened. They cried to Bao-Wei in their sorrow. “Bao-Wei! What have we done? We have destroyed such wonderfully gifted beauty. What shall we do?”
Bao-Wei shook her great head and bowed it to the animals who lay dead at their feet. “My heart is glad that you have stopped your quarrel, but heavy at the loss of such fine creatures. I do not have the power to revive them all, and I will not leave one fallen while another stands.” And so, my sweet child, Bao-Wei’s siblings felt guilty and they all helped Bao-Wei to return the souls of the animals to their bodies and bring them back into the world. They returned the gifts they had given them and allowed these gifts to be passed on to the animals’ children for each ensuing generation as an apology for their hurtful pride and warring spirits, vowing that no great rift would come between then again, but that the gods would live in balance and harmony.
Dàn Lóng Máng looked down from the heavens and was pleased by the actions of his children. He was so pleased, my sweet child, that he chose to rebuild many of the areas they had destroyed. He shook his great figure and many thousands of glimmering scales fell upon the lands and made them blossom with new life. Although he could not undo what his children had done, he could hurry the process of healing by easing their minds with beauty. In his great shaking one of his mighty claws came loose and embedded itself where the great battle had taken place and the brave animals had died and been brought to life again, and he declared that it would remain there for all time to remind his children of the results of their quarrelling.
That claw is still in the valley today, my sweet child, right where it fell from Dàn Lóng Máng. Though some have forgotten the story, others make pilgrimages to that very same field of silver grass to stand at the base of Dàn Lóng Máng’s claw and call out to the god they hold dearest, giving them thanks, asking for intercession, or any other form of praise or worship as they see fit."
Huang-Jin and Qi, being of similar mind, sailed through the skies of the valley together. Khalil and Kiet were also of similar mind, my sweet child, but they swam in the skies of the lowlands. Bao-Wei, unlike the others, did not pair off and stayed in the jungle, tending to the banyan tree that still grows there today, my sweet child.
Qi, who sometimes is not that bright and says things she does not mean, my sweet child, shouted from the valley in her musical voice: “Dàn Lóng Máng loves us more than he loves Khalil and Kiet, because we do good things for the creatures of the world so they that they will love and worship us.”
Khalil, who does some things for reasons only known to himself, my sweet child, shouted from the lowlands in his roaring voice: “Dàn Lóng Máng loves us more than he loves Huang-Jin and Qi, because we cause strike fear in the hearts of the creatures of the world so that they will fear and worship us.”
Both pairs heard the other’s proclamation and became enraged with jealousy. They tore across the land and sky toward each other and crashed together with such force as they came and fought with tooth, tail, and claw that the ground was pushed up around them toward the sky.
Bao-Wei heard and saw all these things and became troubled, for the dragon did not like to see the others warring so. So Bao-Wei descended into the jungle in search of the wisest, strongest, bravest, and most cunning of all of the creatures of the world. My sweet child, Bao-Wei searched the jungles, and then went into the lowlands and the valleys to search there as well. But, my sweet child, as Bao-Wei looked in the valleys, gathering up all of the wisest, strongest, bravest, and most cunning of all of the animals of the world, Huang-Jin and Qi, and Khalil and Kiet came tumbling down from the mountains they had made of the western edge of the world, falling toward the earth – for they were too passionate in their war to see that they were dropping from the sky. Bao-Wei hurried and brought all of the creatures of the world she had found to a place in the eastern valley. Those animals were Shǔ the Clever, a rat; Líng the Diligent, an antelope; Baras the Courageous, a tiger; Kirsa the Wise, a fox; Irbis the Noble, a leopard; Moghai the Intuitive, a snake; Zhān the Proud, a horse; Xiàng the Gentle, an elephant; Hóu the Cunning, a monkey; Lao-Yīng the Resilient, an eagle; Láng the Loyal, a wolf; and Gōng-Zhū the Judicious, a boar.
They stood in a field of grass with silver tufts in the valley, my sweet child, and formed a half moon shape, facing the battling dragons as they came toward them. The animals opened their mouths and turned their heads toward the heavens. Then, each animal proclaimed it’s loyalty to the god that they held dearest.
Líng, Láng, and Gōng-Zhū lauded Huang-Jin, shouting in one voice, “Benevolent and wise Huang-Jin! You are like the purest of waters or the clearest of skies, unmarred and unscathed by evil! Blessed are you and the commandments you give us, for in following them, we may also help to make this world a better place!”
Kirsa, Baras, and Irbis praised Kiet, roaring, “Fearsome Kiet, there is none that do not respect you or your power! Your enemy trembles with fear at the mere mention of your name, such is its strength! You are stronger than the rocks under the earth and fiercer than the sun! Woe is to the one who finds himself under your claw!”
Xiàng, Moghai, and Lao-Yīng called out to Qi, raising their voices together in song: “Gracious and beautiful Qi! It is you who have built the fires in our hearts that inspire the want to fill the world with beauty and love. You are our divine inspiration, and all our works are to praise you and show your magnificence!”
Shǔ, Hóu, and Zhān exulted Khalil, their voices ringing out with laughter: “Fine is the day when Khalil draws blood from his enemy’s throat! You are as quick as the western wind and a silent as the dead of night! Your wit is sharper than any tooth or claw! Guide our own weapons so that we may drink the blood of our enemies!”
Upon hearing this, my sweet child, all of the dragons stopped fighting and turned to listen, their eyes glistening with wonder at the creatures’ words. Then, each dragon unwound itself from the others in their battle and came to rest before the animals. They were so pleased by what the animals had said about each of them that they gave the animals gifts, but my sweet child, each also did this so that they would look better than the other dragons. My sweet child, the gifts that they gave these animals would bless future generations of their kind for all time, but before this, they did not have these wonderful things.
Huang-Jin gathered Líng, Láng, and Gōng-Zhū to him and spoke to them in his great voice: “Líng, to you I give horns so that you may defend my honor from tooth and claw. Láng, to you I give a powerful nose so that you may sniff out those who do not do my will. Gōng-Zhū, to you I give tusks so that you may dispense my justice upon those who have disobeyed me. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Kiet snaked around Kirsa, Baras, and Irbis who gave her praise and coiled her body around them, bringing them close to her great jaws and sharp teeth. She purred to them, her eyes nearly shut: “Kirsa, to you I give grace so that you may walk quickly and nimbly on this earth. Baras, to you I give great strength along with a striped hide so that you may hide easily and strike hard. Irbis, to you I give spots and stealth, so that you may walk this earth quietly and not be seen. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Qi let out a gleeful yell and danced around Xiàng, Moghai, and Lao-Yīng before she sang back to them: “Xiàng, to you I give a long trunk so that you may make beautiful music and herald my comings. Moghai, to you I give venom so that you may surreptitiously bite the heels of your oppressors. Lao-Yīng, to you I give keen eyesight so that you may watch over all the beautiful things of this world. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
Khalil cackled and roared at Shǔ, Hóu, and Zhān, then swooped down before them and grinned, his teeth shining in the sunlight. “Shǔ, to you I give a set of sharp teeth to make up for your small size. Hóu, to you I give thumbs so that you may manipulate the world around you as you see fit. Zhān, to you I give the gift of speed so that you may charge your enemies in an ambush and escape before they are able to retaliate against you. Fight with me against my brethren to prove that I am the greatest of all the gods!”
With their new gifts, the animals joined alongside the gods and the battle continued. But, my sweet child, a mortal animal is no match for any of the great dragon gods, and all of them fell that day in the field of silver grass.
When the gods saw what they had done to the beautiful animals they had gifted, and how well each had used their clever gifts, they were saddened. They cried to Bao-Wei in their sorrow. “Bao-Wei! What have we done? We have destroyed such wonderfully gifted beauty. What shall we do?”
Bao-Wei shook her great head and bowed it to the animals who lay dead at their feet. “My heart is glad that you have stopped your quarrel, but heavy at the loss of such fine creatures. I do not have the power to revive them all, and I will not leave one fallen while another stands.” And so, my sweet child, Bao-Wei’s siblings felt guilty and they all helped Bao-Wei to return the souls of the animals to their bodies and bring them back into the world. They returned the gifts they had given them and allowed these gifts to be passed on to the animals’ children for each ensuing generation as an apology for their hurtful pride and warring spirits, vowing that no great rift would come between then again, but that the gods would live in balance and harmony.
Dàn Lóng Máng looked down from the heavens and was pleased by the actions of his children. He was so pleased, my sweet child, that he chose to rebuild many of the areas they had destroyed. He shook his great figure and many thousands of glimmering scales fell upon the lands and made them blossom with new life. Although he could not undo what his children had done, he could hurry the process of healing by easing their minds with beauty. In his great shaking one of his mighty claws came loose and embedded itself where the great battle had taken place and the brave animals had died and been brought to life again, and he declared that it would remain there for all time to remind his children of the results of their quarrelling.
That claw is still in the valley today, my sweet child, right where it fell from Dàn Lóng Máng. Though some have forgotten the story, others make pilgrimages to that very same field of silver grass to stand at the base of Dàn Lóng Máng’s claw and call out to the god they hold dearest, giving them thanks, asking for intercession, or any other form of praise or worship as they see fit."