Princess Hase’s Story - Part Two

 

Though Hase-Hime's stepmother ill-treated her, the girl was patient and obeyed her stepmother's words and never gave any trouble. So Princess Terute had no cause for complaint against her.

Hase-Hime was a very diligent student and her favourite subjects were music and poetry. She would practice for hours every day. 

Her father taught her the art of Koto, which was the Japanese harp. Her father also taught her the art of writing letters and verses. 

At the age of twelve princess Hase-Hime could play the instrument beautifully.

During the Festival of Cherry Flowers, there was a great festivity in the court and the emperor ordered Princess Hase-Hime and Princess Terute to perform before him. 

The emperor sat on a raised dais so that the subjects could not see the emperor's face, but he could look at all of them.

Though Hase-Hime was very young, she was a skilled musician. 

On this occasion, she played well too. 

Princess Terute was a lazy woman and never took the trouble to practice daily. She broke down in her accompanying instrument and had to request one of the court Ladies to take her place.  

This was a great disgrace. However, princess Terute failed to understand the reason for her failure and she grew jealous of her step-daughter.

To make things worse for princess Terute, the emperor was impressed with Princess Hase-Hime’s talent and gave many beautiful gifts to the little princess for playing so well at the Festival of Cherry Flowers.  

It so happened that after some time, Princess Terute had a son of her own.

However, instead of loving the boy, all princess Terute could think of was if Hase-Hime had not been there her son would have all the love of the father. 

Princess Terute did not learn to control her thoughts and soon she decided to take her stepdaughter's life. 

It so happened that she ordered some poison and poisoned the sweet wine which had come to the palace. 

She put this poisoned wine in a bottle and in a similar bottle she poured some good wine as well.  

Hase-Hime was playing with her little brother at that time. She was telling the little boy wonderful stories about the toy Warriors and heroes that they were playing with. They were both enjoying themselves, when princess Terute came to their chambers.

Adapted from Japanese Folk Tales

Princess Hase's Story - Part One

Many years ago in the place of Nara, there was Prince Tayonari Fujiwara. His wife was Princess Murasaki. They had been married by their families when they were very young and they lived happily with each other. However, there was one cause of great sorrow for the couple. They did not have any children.

Prince and his lovely wife, after long consultation, decided to visit the temple of the Goddess of Mercy at Hase. 

They believed that the Mother of Mercy would come to answer the prayer of mortals in the form that the mortals needed the most and they were sure that the Goddess would bless them with what they wanted. 

So Prince Tayonari and his wife went to the temple of the Goddess of Mercy at Hase.  

After that, a daughter was born to princess Murasaki and the royal couple were very happy. 

They decided to call the girl Hase-Hime or the Princess of Hase because she was a gift of the Kwannon at that place.

However, when the little girl was five years old, princess Murasaki fell ill. None of the doctors could save her. 

The mother knew that she was counting her days and she called her little daughter beside her. “Your mother will not be able to live with you any longer. You must remember that you must grow up to be a good girl. Do not give trouble to any one of your family. If your father marries again, someone will fill my place as your mother. Look upon your father's wife as your mother and be good to her.” 

Hase-Hime listened to her mother and she promised to do as she was told. 

After this Princess Murasaki breathed her last.

Sometime later, Prince Toyonari married again and he married a woman by name Princess Terute. Terute was a very cruel woman. Terute could not shake away the feeling that Hase- Hime was not her own child. She did not love her stepdaughter at all and she was very unkind to the little girl. 

Adapted from Japanese Folk Tales

The story of Lightning and Thunder

In the days of old, Thunder and Lightning lived among the Earth. Thunder was an old mother sheep and Lightning was her son. Lightning was a ram. When the ram got angry, he used to go about and burn houses.

When Lightning did this his mother used to yell at him and ask him not to do any more damage. 

But Lightning did not care for what his mother said and he continued to do the same thing whenever he was in a very bad mood. 

Finally, the people could take it no more and they complained to the king of the place. 

The king made the two of them live in the far side of town as far as possible from the other people's houses.  

However, Lightning still continued with his behaviour. 

So finally, the king made an order that Thunder and Lightning should leave the town and not come back here. 

Though the sheep and the ram left town, it was not of much help to the people because the ram was still capable of burning the forest when he got angry. 

So when the people complained to the king again, the king banished Lightning and Thunder from the Earth and made them live in the sky.

Since then, Thunder and lightning went to the sky. 

When Thunder is angry he still commits damages as before. 

But people can hear his mother, the Thunder scolding him and asking him to stop.

However, when the mother has gone some distance away from the naughty son, people can still see that the ram does damage and his mother's voice cannot be heard.

Adapted from Nigerian Folk Tales

The Princess and the Messenger - Part Four

Seeing the princess, Liu I felt that she was the most loveliest woman in the whole world.

But Liu I stopped himself and turned away.

When Liu I returned home, he sold less than the hundredth part of what he had received from the royals of Dungting.

With that alone, he became far wealthier than any of his neighbours. He decided to take a wife. He had heard that there was a widow who lived in the north with her daughter. The father was no more and the widow and her daughter lived in utter poverty.

However the girl was beyond beautiful.

So Liu I agreed to marry her.

Before the wedding, when the bride was unveiled, Liu I saw that she looked just like the dragon-princess.

“Are you related to the dragon princess of Dungting?” He asked her, looking confused.

The girl smiled but did not reply.

They married each other.

Some time later they had a son.

That was when the woman told her husband. “I am the Princess of Dungting Sea. When you rejected my uncle’s proposal, I was heartbroken. That was why I disguised myself as the widow’s daughter. Now that we have a child, I hope you will love the child’s mother as well.”

Since that day, Liu I loved his wife even more.

Once, Liu I’s wife told him about how dragons had a long life compared to humans and how she could solve it if they went back to the Sea of Dungting.

Since that time, Liu I and his family disappeared from the land.

It is believed that Liu I turned immortal and lived in a splendid castle with his family in the oceans.

Adapted from Chinese Folk Tales

The Princess and the Messenger - Part Three

After that the king became very cheerful and ordered food and drink to be brought in for his guest.

At that time a gentle breeze began to blow followed by the soft rain. 

A youth with a purple gown and a huge hat entered the hall. The man was wearing a sword at his side. Beside him was a radiantly beautiful girl. Liu I looked at her and realized that this was the Dragon princess who had been herding the sheep.

Before Liu I could talk to her, the king presented Liu I to the young man. “This is my brother, Tsiang Tang.”

Tsiang Tang thanked Liu I for bringing the message of the dragon princess to them. 

After that Tsiang Tang turned to the king. “I have fought against those dragons and defeated them.” 

“How many enemies have you defeated?” 

“Six hundred thousand dragons.” Tsiang Tang replied haughtily. 

“And what did you do to the husband?” The king asked Tsiang Tang.

“I ate him alive.” Tsiang Tang replied.  

That evening, Liu I saw that there was a great feast arranged in the castle. Music and dancing was prevalent throughout the place. Trombones and trumpets resounded and drums and kettle drums thundered through the place. The people there sang about how Tsiang Tang defeated the enemy.

On the following day when another banquet was held, Tsiang Tang was not quite himself. He drew Liu I towards him and was very careless with his talk. “The princess of Dungting is beautiful. She has had the misfortune of having a bad husband and today her marriage is annulled.  We should find another husband for her. If agree to this match it would be to your advantage.” Tsiang Tang shrugged. “However, if you do not want to marry her, you may go your way and we will never meet each other.”

Liu I was angry with Tsiang Tang for having brought this matter up so carelessly. “I brought the message from the princess because I felt sorry for her. I did not want any advantage for myself. To kill a husband and carry the wife is not something that I will do and I do not want to take the princess as my wife because of your careless proposal.”

Tsiang Tang apologized to Liu I. “Please do not take any offense.” 

Liu I took his leave and the queen gave another farwell banquet in his honour.

By this time Liu I had been given many rich gifts from all the people in the palace. 

The princess, however, could not bring herself to bid goodbye to Liu I. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she could say nothing to Liu I as he walked out of the palace.

Adapted from Chinese Folk Tales

The Princess and the Messenger - Part Two

Liu I bowed before the king. 

The king studied the man. “What has brought you here?” 

Liu I explained how the monarch’s daughter was herding sheep in the hillside after being thrown out of the house by her husband. 

On hearing him, the king sighed unhappily. “This is my fault because I have picked a worthless husband for my youngest daughter.” The king then studied Liu I. “You are a stranger and yet you were willing to help my daughter in distress. I am very grateful to you.” 

However, saying this the king began to sob. 

Then he gave his daughter’s letter to a servant and asked the servant to take the letter to the interior of the palace where the women lived. 

Some time later loud cries of distress were heard from the inside of the palace. 

The king was alarmed.  “Tell the women not to cry so loudly. Then Tsiang Tang may hear them.” 

Liu I was confused. “Who is Tsian tang?”

“Tsian Tang is my brother.” The king replied. “He was formally the ruler of the river Tsian Tang. But now he no longer rules that place.” 

Liu I was even more confused. “Why must Tsian Tang not know about your daughter's plight?” 

The king shook his head. “He is wild and uncontrollable and he would cause great damage.  There was a village on earth which was covered in waters from a deluge for nine long years. That was Tsiang Tang's work. And that is why the king of heaven grew angry with my brother and threw him out of the heavens. I had to chain him to a column in my palace to make sure that he did not become wild and uncontrollable again.” 

The king had not even finished speaking when a tremendous sound came from around the palace and split the skies and made the very earth tremble. 

A Red dragon, a thousand feet tall, with strong scarlet scales and a red beard game flying up. He was dragging through the air, a column to which he had been bound together with a chain. Then the dragon flew into the skies and disappeared from there.

Liu I fell in terror. “Who is that?” 

The king held up Liu I. “Do not be afraid. That is my brother. That is Tsiang Tang, who is going to Ging Dshou in great rage.”

Adapted from Chinese folk tales

The Princess and the Messenger - Part One

Long ago, during the Tang Dynasty there lived a man called Liu I. 

Liu I had failed his examination and did not get his doctorate. So he had to return home. 

As he was traveling back home a bird flew up in the field and his horse was frightened because of it and ran a few miles before Liu I could stop the horse.

There in the strange surroundings, Liu I saw a strange sight. 

He saw a beautiful girl but the girl looked very sad. She was herding sheep on the hillside.

Liu I was unable to continue curiosity and went to the girl. “What is the matter? Why are you so sad?” 

The girl heard his question and began to sob. “I am in need and I feel ashamed. Since you are kind enough to ask, I will tell you. I am the youngest daughter of the Dragon King of the sea of Dungting. I was married to the second son of the Dragon King of Ging Dschou.” The woman sobbed some more. “My husband ill treated me. I complained to his parents but they loved their son blindly and did nothing. When I complained again, they both became angry and I was sent here to herd sheep.” 

After saying this the woman burst into tears and lost all control of herself. 

Slowly she caught herself and nodded at Liu I. “The sea of Dungting is far from here. But I know that you will have to pass it on your homeward journey. Would you please give a letter to my father on the way to your home? “

Liu I was touched by her words. “I will be very glad to deliver the letter to your father. However the sea of Dungting is long and broad. How am I to find your father there?”

The girl nodded. “On the southern shore of the sea stands an orange tree. This tree is called the Tree of Sacrifice. When you go there, you must loosen your girdle and strike the tree three times with your girdle. Then someone will appear. Follow the person and you will see my father and tell him all this and please give him this letter.” 

She got her letter in her hands and gave it to Liu I. 

Liu I took the letter and thrust it in his bag. 

Then he studied the sheep that she was herding. “Why are you here herding sheep?” 

The girl shrugged. “These are not ordinary sheep. They are rain sheep.”  Liu I was confused. “What are rain sheep?” 

“They are thunder rams.” 

That is when Liu I looked closely and saw that the sheep walked very majestically.

Liu I then looked at the beautiful woman. “After I deliver this letter for you, will you still treat me like a stranger?” 

The woman shook her head. “You will be my dearest friend.” 

After a month of traveling, Liu I reached the Sea of Dungting. There he asked around and found the Tree of Sacrifice. He loosened his girdle and struck the tree three times. 

A warrior emerged from the waves of the sea.

Liu I told the warrior that he was here on an important mission to see the king. 

Then the Warrior turned to the ocean and the waves turned into a solid street through which the warrior led Liu I. 

The dragon castle came before him with a thousand gates and magic flowers. There was an exotic fragrance from the hall at the end of all the corridor. “What is this?” 

“This is the hall of spirits.” The warrior told Liu I. 

Liu I saw that there were jewels of every single kind that he had ever known, around him. 

Liu I waited for the king for a long time.

At last, unable to stop himself, he asked the warrior why it was taking such a long time for the king to come. 

“The king is talking to the priest of the sun in the coral tower about the sacred book of fire.” The warrior told Liu I.

Liu I was curious. “Why is the king interested in the sacred book of fire?” 

The Warrior nodded. “The king is a dragon and dragons are powerful through water. The priest is human and human beings are powerful through fire. Fire can bring down great palaces with a single torch. Fire and water are different from each other so the king is talking with the priest to find a way in which fire and water can complete each other.”

After they had finished talking, a majestic man in a purple robe came before Liu I. 

He was the dragon king.

Adapted from Chinese Folk Tales