The Wangfu Cloud（the Husband-Yearning Cloud）
The mountains and rivers in Dali are magnificent.There are eighteen beautiful streams，like sparkling silver chains，hung between the mountains.The Cangshan Mountain has 19 peaks，one of which is called Yuju Peak.Every December in the Chinese lunar calendar，a white cloud appears on the top of Yuju Peak，as if a beautiful girl standing on the top of the peak and overlooking Erhai Lake.The scenery is breathtaking.But each time when this cloud appears，there is a heavy wind blowing around Dali city，and the waves are billowing in placid Erhai Lake.The wind does not stop until it blows a rock out of Erhai Lake.This magic cloud has got a beautiful name“the Wangfu Cloud（the Husband-Yearning Cloud）”.
It was said that more than a thousand years ago，there was a beautiful and warm-hearted princess of Nanzhao Kingdom.Her eyes were as bright as Erhai Lake，and her heart was as pure as the clean water of Qingbi Stream.The princess was nineteen years old at that time，but the king of Nanzhao Kingdom had not yet recruited her a husband.Many sons of princes and nobles had tried to propose to the princess，but she was unsatisfied with any of them.
In the spring，the princess met a young hunter at Raosanling Festival（a traditional festival of the Bai people）.The young hunter lost his parents when he was a child and lived alone in the cave of Yuju Peak.The princess sympathized with him and was attracted by his good look and strength.The hunter also liked the princess because she was beautiful and friendly to people.
Since the first time she met with the hunter，the princess had been missing him day and night.She had no appetite for any food during the day and couldn't sleep well at night.One day，the king suddenly told the princess that he had betrothed her to the general，and he would choose an auspicious day to celebrate their wedding ceremony.After hearing the news，the princess kept crying for a whole night，and her eyes were swollen with tears.The following morning，just as the morning fog cleared up，she looked at the green mountains outside the window，and felt very upset.Just now，a magpie came and fell on the branch before the window，chirping and chirping，which made the princess even more annoyed.She said to it，“Little magpie，little magpie，do you know my sadness？”
Unexpectedly，the little magpie gently nodded its head.
Then the princess said in a hurry，“Magpie，please take a message to the hunter of Yuju Peak and tell him to come here to save me.”
The little magpie nodded again and flew away.
The little magpie flew to the Yuju Peak when the hunter just returned from hunting at Yunnong Peak and was about to enter the hole.The little magpie stopped in the osmanthus tree at the mouth of the cave and kept chirping at the hunter.
The hunter asked it in a puzzled way，“Little magpie，do you want to tell me something？”
The little magpie said，“The king of Nanzhao will marry the princess to the general.The princess asks you to save her as quickly as possible.”
After the hunter met the princess，he missed her every day.Hearing the news，he felt his heart was burning like a pot of fire.He immediately carried his bow and arrow down the hill.Halfway down the hill，he met an old man with white hair.The old man was carrying a basket，limping in front of him.
The hunter asked him，“Grandpa，where are you going？What's wrong with your leg？”
The old man replied，“I went to the mountains to look for medicines，but I broke my leg unexpectedly.Ay！I'm afraid I won't come back home till dark！”
“Grandpa，let me carry you！”
The old man agreed.With the old man on his back，the hunter hurried on his way.After a while，the old man asked the hunter，“Young man，why are you in such a hurry？”
Knowing that the old man was very kind，the hunter told him that he was going to save the princess.
“The palace wall is so high and the palace has so many guards.How can you save the princess in this way？”
“Grandpa，please tell me how to save the princess！”
The old man thought for a moment and said to him，“There is a peach tree on the cliff of the Phoenix Eye Hole.If you can eat a peach，you will acquire the ability to rescue the princess.But it is not easy to pick the peach.No one has ever succeeded！”
“I'm not afraid of anything only if I can save the princess.”
The hunter just finished his words when he felt a flutter on his back.Looking back，he found the old man had already disappeared.The old man must be the god of Cangshan Mountain to help him，he thought.After bowing to the top of the mountain，he went straight to the Phoenix Eye Hole.
The hunter reached the Phoenix Eye Hole and stood on the Fairy Bed.He saw the straight cliff directly into the abyss below.What the old man said was right.There was a peach tree on the cliff，and the peaches on the tree were glowing red among the green leaves.Climbing down the cliff would break him if he missed one step，the hunter thought.However，in order to save the princess，the hunter did not hesitate to go down.He finally climbed to the peach tree.He picked a large and red peach，and ate it.The moment when he ate the peach，the fatigue disappeared immediately.He lifted his feet lightly and flew up into the sky.That night，the hunter flew into the palace in the moonlight and saved the princess to Yuju Peak.
The princess and the hunter became husband and wife in the cave of Yuju Peak.They went hunting and farming together during the day；sang and danced together at night.Their hole was full of smiling dragon flowers，dancing jasmine flowers，azaleas，and camellia.They lived happily ever after.
After the princess disappeared，the king of Nanzhao sent people to find her every day，but they could not find the princess.The king was very worried，and he asked Master Luoquan for advice.Master Luoquan was a high priest of the Luoquan Temple in Haidong，and he was treacherous and could cast various spells.After walking into the palace，he told the king that he had used the magic lamp in Tianjing Pavilion to see the princess and the hunter on Yuju Peak.
Hearing this，the king was so angry that he could not speak for a while.His daughter dared to marry a hunter without his permission.How could he keep his dignity？If he could not control his daughter，how to manage the ordinary people in the future？The more he thought of it，the angrier he got.Then he sent the general to lead the troops to catch the princess and the hunter in Cangshan Mountain.
Master Luoquan said to the king，“The hunter has extraordinary skills.If too many people know about your decision，not only will soldiers fail to catch them，but also the news will spread and the people will laugh at us.Just let me use magic to subdue them！”
So Master Luoquan ordered a crow to send a message to Cangshan Mountain.
One day，the hunter and the princess were sitting in front of the cave singing.Suddenly a crow flew in，shook its wings and spoke to them.The crow claimed that Master Luoquan had sent it to order the princess back to the palace.The crow said，“If the princess does not go back，the master will block the Cangshan Mountain with heavy snow and let her and the hunter freeze to death.”
The princess said to the crow，“I have married the hunter and will be with him for life and death.”
The clear sky became dark after the crow flew away，the north wind blew strongly，and large snowflakes fell.The whole Dali soon became a vast expanse of whiteness，and the snow covered Cangshan Mountain.Three feet of snow piled up at the mouth of their cave，and bitter cold was pouring into the cave.All the hides hung at the mouth of the cave were blown away by the gale.The wood in the mouth of the cave was weighed down by the snow and could not burn.The princess，who had been used to living in the palace，could not bear the bitter cold，and she kept shivering.
The hunter was very sad and said to the princess.“I heard that Master Luoquan had a kasaya and the person wearing it will feel warm in winter and cool in summer.I'll go to fetch it for you，and then you can withstand the snowstorm.”The princess said anxiously，“Master Luoquan attempts to kill us，so he covered Cangshan Mountain with the heavy snow.If you go to Luoquan Temple to take the kasaya，you will walk right into the trap.Don't go there！”
The hunter comforted the princess and said，“How many wolves，tigers and leopards have died under my palms？Why will I be afraid of a master？Don't worry.I'll be right back soon.”
The hunter went to the mouth of the cave，stretched out his arms，jumped up against the storm，and flew straight to the sea.He flew to Luoquan Temple and picked up the kasaya from behind the zen seat of Master Luoquan.He tied the kasaya to his body then to flew back to Yuju Peak.Master Luoquan suddenly chased out of the temple when he flew over the sea，chanting a spell，and attacked the hunter with the futon.With the futon just hitting him，the hunter fell from the sky like a wild goose，and turned into a stone mule as soon as he landed at the bottom of Erhai Lake.
The princess stood in the snow，waiting for her husband back to the cave.From morning to night，from night to day，she couldn't see her husband.She was extremely anxious when the crow sent by Master Luoquan told her the news of her husband's death.The hunter had been killed by Luoquan，and was turned into a stone mule.The stone would be buried forever at the bottom of Erhai Lake.The princess was in great pain，and she died in the cave after a few days.After her death，her spirit kept rushing to the top of Yuju Peak and turned into a white cloud，rising and falling，as if to visit the deep of Erhai Lake.At this time，white clouds were floating above Erhai Lake，echoing the white cloud on the summit of Cangshan Mountain.The wind blew fiercely and raised huge waves at once until the water was blown away and the stone mule appeared.
From then on，people have called the white cloud the Wangfu Cloud（the Husband-Yearning Cloud），which appears every year in the twelfth lunar month on the top of Yuju Peak.