The Brother-in-Law with a Dog Head and a Human Bod...

Part Ⅵ　Myths and Legends of Guanyin and Other Stories

Three Myths of Guanyin

1.Guanyin Becoming a Nun

In ancient times，there was a Xingmin kingdom，and Guanyin was born in the king's palace.

This king was called Miao Zhuang King，whose jurisdiction was over 3,000 miles.He had three daughters.The eldest daughter，Miao Ying，was born smart.The second daughter was called Miao Yu and was beautiful.Although the third daughter was more beautiful than her two elder sisters，she was sentimental and compassionate.She pitied the caged birds in the palace from an early age.Whenever she saw the birds in the cage，she let them go.She also shed tears of sympathy when she saw the goldfish that were not free in the fish tank.Sometimes her father went hunting and brought back some deer and rabbits，the third princess always took them to the wild and said to them，“Poor little creatures！Your mother must be waiting for you in anxious.Go home quickly.”

The third princess was so kind that people in the palace called her Miao Shan Princess（Miao Shan means having a good heart）.

When the three princesses grew up，the eldest sister recruited her husband and the second sister got married.And the third princess was old enough to choose a husband.The king planned to promise the third princess to a fat and bulky son of a wealthy family，but the third princess refused.“I am determined not to marry，and I have vowed to become a nun.”said she.Her father and mother did not agree with that and said to her，“As a princess，how can you be a nun？”From then on，the princess Miao Shan secretly lived on a vegetarian diet and chanted Buddhism in the back garden.Her father knew about it and said to her，“In the cold days of winter，if you can water the withered flowers in the garden alive，you will be allowed to become a nun，or you will be executed.”She said，“I will do what you said.”So she watered the flowers every day.Her sincerity moved the goddess of flower.With the help of the goddess of flower and by the hard work of Miao Shan，a year later，a miracle appeared in the garden：The withered flowers turned green and the dead flowers became alive.In the heavy snow，all flowers in the garden were in full bloom.The king had no choice but to ask the other princesses to persuade their younger sister.They said to her，“A-mei（means younger sister），why not enjoy the splendor and wealth but ask for trouble？”The third princess said，“I want to become a nun.I will not change my will forever.I will be willing to suffer any trouble.”The king said to her，“If you want to become a nun，you have to do three more things.”Firstly，her father asked her to water the vegetable field.Her feet were small，and her shoes were uncomfortable.It was painful for her to climb the hillside，but she did it.Secondly，her father asked her to plant three dou and three litres of sesame seeds，and she agreed.Her sincerity moved 500 village gods.The mountain god，the land god，the bridge god and the road god were ordered to help her plant the sesame.And all sesame grew out.Thirdly，her father ordered the servants to scatter the sesame to the hillside and told the third princess to pick them back one by one.If she failed to do that，she would be put to death.It was so hard for her that she cried desperately on the hillside.The mountain god said to her，“Third Princess，don't worry.We will help you pick it up.”With saying，the mountain god and the land god called in hundreds of birds and ordered them to pick the sesame back.And soon the same number of sesame was picked up.

The king had no choice but to go to the abbot of Baique Temple personally to ask for some advice.He said to the abbot，“My third princess is determined to become a nun.I have no other choice but ask the master to accept her for a pretence.You know，I don't really want her to become a nun.I hope you torture her a hundred times，try your best to make her unable to endure the pain，and then she will return to the secular life.If you can persuade her，I'll reward you.If you can't do it，I'll have your head cut off.”

In this way，the princess Miao Shan was granted permission by her father to become a nun.When she came to Baique Temple，the abbot ordered her to cook for more than 500 monks and carry water and the firewood.The abbot told her，“If you can do it，you will stay and practise Buddhism.If you can't do it，you will be asked to return to your secular life.”Then the princess Miao Shan carried water，cut wood and cooked every day.She was so tired that she was almost out of her breath，but she gritted her teeth and persevered.One day，she was too exhausted to take a nap.In a trance，she saw a Dharmapala in front of her and said to her，“Princess，you have sincerely practiced and moved Amitabha.Now go to see Buddha.”The Third Princess followed the Dharmapala to a Buddhist temple，where she saw a Buddha with a benignant look sitting and a monk standing beside.With kowtowing to them，the Third Princess said，“Honorable Buddha，please accept my respects.”Buddha said，“You are dedicated to self-cultivating and perseverance.I would like to accept you as my disciple，so that you can transform into a man or a woman and benefit others.”With saying this，the Buddha pushed the monk beside him and said，“This is your senior brother.His name is Manjusri Bodhisattva.I give you a Buddhist monastic title Guanshiyin（Avalokitesvara），and also Guanzizai.Go now！”

When Guanyin woke up，she was very happy.She took great pains to fetch water and cook for ten days in a row.One night，she undressed and went to bed to sleep.The nun living with her uncovered her quilt and was shocked to see that she transformed into a man.She went to report it to the elder and the elder reported it to the king.The king flew into a rage and said，“I'm the king of the country.How dares she do such a shameless thing！”The king decided to burn Baique Temple and his daughter.

On the day when Baique Temple was set on fire，Guanyin hid in the bamboo forest behind the temple and did not be burnt.Then her father sent soldiers to catch her and ordered to execute her.The king personally oversaw the execution.On the execution ground，when the executioner killed Guanyin with one knife，the knife was cut off into two sections.The king thought the executioner didn't do it hard enough，so he killed the executioner and ordered to hang Guanyin with a white silk.

After the third princess died，the queen，her mother，came to the execution ground and said to the king，“Since my daughter is dead，let me see her body.”When her mother walked to the front of her body，suddenly there was thunder and lightning.In the strong storm and heavy rain，a white dragon flew away with carrying her body.

Amitabha ordered Manjusri Bodhisattva to take her to Xiangshan Mountain and they became Amitabha's two disciples，known as the Left and the Right Waiter.

Guanyin went to Xiangshan Mountain and practiced devoutly.The king burned Baique Temple and 500 innocent nuns.He became so angry that his body got 500 nameless sores.No doctor in the palace could cure his illness，so he had to post a list to ask for the famous doctors around the world.

After hearing this news，Guanyin dressed up as a male doctor and came to the palace to help the king cure the sores.Guanyin said，“Your Majesty，this sore can be cured only by combining two medicinal inducers.”“What are they？”“Only when one hand and one eye of your biological daughter are matched，then can you be cured.”

The king immediately ordered her eldest daughter to give him one hand and one eye as medicinal inducers.The eldest daughter said，“I'm willing to do anything to help cure your illness.”However，her husband refused，“If she loses one hand and one eye，what will she be like？It is outrageous to use this kind of prescription.Your honour，please don't trust the crazy doctor.I don't want her to do this.”So the king had to asked his second daughter to give him one hand and one eye as the medicinal inducers.The son-in-law agreed，but the second daughter cried bitterly，“You'd better kill me than let me give you my hand and my eye.”She cried so loudly that the king had no choice but to burst into tears.The doctor said to him，“My honour，don't worry about it.You'd better go to Xiangshan Mountain，where you can find the medicinal inducers.”

The king immediately sent the prime minister to Xiangshan Mountain.At the front of the temple，a monk told the prime minister，“Are you here to seek the medicinal inducers to cure the king's sores？I'll tell you the truth.The king's third princess is not dead，and she is living in the temple.You may ask her for help.”Then the prime minister told the third princess what had happened to her father.Without saying a word and any hesitation，the third princess went into the meditation room and cut off a hand，dug out an eye and handed them to the prime minister，who brought them back to the king at once.After taking it orally and using it externally as instructed by the doctor in the palace，the king recovered from his illness.The doctor told the king，“Since your sores have been cured，please go to Xiangshan Mountain personally to redeem the vow.”

Half a month later，the king took his family and courtiers to Xiangshan Mountain to pay their respects and visited the third princess.The third daughter asked，“Father，is it better for you to be a king or for me to become a nun？”The king felt guilty and walked towards to hug his daughter，crying loudly.The eldest daughter and the second daughter felt ashamed and cried，“We are not even as good as beasts comparing with our younger sister.”In a blink of an eye，the eldest daughter turned into a lion and the second daughter into an elephant.When Buddha knew about this，he sent a white parrot to preach the Buddha's decree：To name Guanyin as“the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with Extra Hands and Eyes”.However，the white parrot made a mistake and sent the word to“with thousands of hands and eyes”instead of“with extra eyes and hands”.Therefore，Guanyin became“the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara with Thousands of Hands and Eyes”.

2.Sudhana Bowing to Guanyin

Long ago，Guanyin and Sudhana found that when a man died in the east，people hung the dead one's head on a tree or threw him in the mountain to be eaten by crows and jackals，which was called“celestial burial”.In some places，people even killed and ate the old men.So Guanyin and Sudhana decided to persuade people to be kind to the dead separately.The two bet that if anyone failed to persuade people to be kind，the one should bow to the other.So，Guanyin was reborn in an old couple's home.When she grew up，she was very filial to her parents.When the old couple were ill，she served soup and medicine for them without a rest.After the old couple died，she made a big wooden box and buried them in the mountain.People around found that it was a good way to do it.And the thing spread all of a sudden and everyone followed her example.

But as for Sudhana，wherever he went，he failed to persuade people to be kind to the dead ones.As a result，he had to bow to Guanyin Bodhisattva.Since then，there has been an old saying in the east that“Sudhana Bowing to Guanyin”.

3.Guanyin Covering the Sky

When Guanyin came to Dali，she saw the sky between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake covering with sharp rocks.The rocks were all upside down and looked scared as if they were about to fall.People were afraid to look at the sky and dared not go farming.Guanyin Bodhisattva took off her turban and covered the sky，which became the sky we can see now.The blue sky is so lovely，which is the credit created by Guanyin Bodhisattva.

There are also various kinds of clouds in the sky，which are formed by the rising flames on the ground.

The Myth of Guanyin Subduing Luo Cha（Rakshasa）

When Dali Bazi was still a land of rivers and lakes，a demon named Luo Cha occupied it and established the State of Luo Cha.Luo Cha specialized in eating people's eyes and flesh，causing the number of people in Dali Bazi to become less and less.And most of the living people were blind.

One day，an old man with white hair and ruddy complexion came to the Wutai Peak of Cangshan Mountain in Dali.He led a small white dog and sat on a big rock on the mountainside.For several days，he did not eat or drink or move.People thought he was a monster.Some courageous young men went up the mountain to see him，and some even tried to drive him away.But no matter how people shouted，he still did not open his eyes and did not answer them.Some impatient young men were so angry that they killed his little white dog and burnt it to eat.And some rash men gathered some dried pine wood and put the strange old man in the fire to burn.After being burnt for a day and a night，the old man did not die.Instead，he became more energetic.After he came out of the fire and called out two sounds of that small white dog，the men who had eaten that dog's meat barked like the dog from belly，which scared people to kneel for mercy.The old man said to them kindly，“As long as you know you made a mistake，you'd better turn over a new leaf.”Realizing that the old man was not an ordinary person，the villagers invited him to live in the village and scrambled to send him food.But the old man said，“I am a monk and I am free of the worldly cares.Thank you very much.”

One day，some villagers complained to him，“There is a devil named Luo Cha in this place.This bird-headed monster has two wings around his waist.He can walk and fly and peck people's eyes as he wishes.He cruelly injured some villagers，and we beg you to save us from the suffering and the distress.”After hearing it，the old man left without saying a word.People thought he had no way to deal with Luo Cha，so they shook their heads and sighed.

But after the old man left the village，he went around to see the traces of Luo Cha and his son.When he knew that the old nice man Zhang Jing in Xixian（Xizhou）was the minister of Luo Cha，he took advantage of his alms to get close to Zhang Jing slowly.Later，Zhang Jing introduced him to Luo Cha and his son.When Luo Cha and his son saw the old man's extraordinary appearance，they warmly received him.They laid out a lot of human eyes and flesh for the old man to eat.The old man said，“Iam a vegetarian and I eat no meat.”Finding Luo Cha and his son were in a good mood，the old man offered to borrow a piece of valuable land.Luo Cha agreed and asked the old man，“How many lands do you want to borrow？”The old man said，“I want a land which is big enough to cover my cassock and my little dog's three hops.”Luo Cha smiled and readily agreed.The old man was afraid that Luo Cha and his son would break their promise，so he added，“There is no proof for what you said.We'd better sign a contract.”Then they sighed a contract on Jinsuo Island in Erhai Lake with Zhang Jing as the witness.They all agreed to hold a land demarcation ceremony at the foot of Zhonghe Peak of Cangshan Mountain very soon.

On that day，tens of thousands of people came to watch this ceremony.Fearing that Luo Cha would go back on his word，the old man ordered 500 golden roosters and 72 Dishas（the star determining killings on earth）as a tight encirclement.He also ordered the Sinmun of Silla to arrange soldiers on all sides and strictly guard them.

Luo Cha and his son swore an oath to all the people，“Heaven and earth，sages and protectors，ghosts and gods，my son and I made an alliance with all the people and sent the land to the monk.Let his cassock spread and the white dog jump three times.Besides，the Buddhist monk cannot ask for it more.And we cannot go back on our word.If we break our promise，we two will fall into the back of the mountain and never see the day and the sun.The guardian gods will testify it.”The old man clapped his hands and praised Luo Cha and his son.After a few words，he took down his cassock and covered all Dali Bazi.He let the dog's first jump from the foot of Cangshan Mountain to the east of Erhai Lake，the second jump from the east of Erhai Lake to Xiaguan，and the third jump from Xiaguan to Shangguan.Luo Cha and his son sensed the trouble and immediately yelled to renege.At this time，500 golden roosters appeared in the clouds.72 Dishas also echoed in the underground.Luo Cha and his son did not dare to come to grip with the situation.So they begged，“Please，holy monk，have mercy on us.If you borrow all the land，where do we live？”The old man said，“Don't worry.I have another heaven and earth to invite you to live.”With saying this，he immediately built a palace of golden building and jade at the mouth of the upper Yangxi River under the Lianhua Peak on Cangshan Mountain，which was even more unusual than heaven.The building used white jade as a step and gold as a floor.The old man turned snails into human eyes，water into wine，sand into white rice and led Luo Cha and his son indoors.

Then he secretly ordered the god of the land and the four feet god to move a big rock.After Luo Cha and his son entered into the palace，they used the huge rock to plug up the cave door tightly.And then the old man turned into a wasp and flew out.Luo Cha was shocked and spit out his tongue.The old man asked the blacksmith Li Zixing to burn some molten iron and pour it on Luo Cha's tongue.Then he built a tower on the big rock at the top of the cave to lock Luo Cha and his son forever.Only afterwards did people realize that the old man was the incarnation of Guanyin.

In the capture of Luo Cha，Zhang Jing，the Sinmun of Silla，500 golden roosters and 72 Dishas had all contributed their efforts.Therefore，Guanyin named Zhang Jing as the king of Binju，500 golden roosters as 500 gods，and 72 Dishas as 72 altar king emperors，and distributed them in Dengchuan，Dali，Binchuan，Heqing，Fengyi，Eryuan and other places.Most of them were posted in Dali and each had his post.The Sinmun of Silla was named the head of the 500 gods，and all the gods above mentioned were directly under his authority.Later，following the advice of Guanyin，the Sinmun of Silla built a Buddhist Kingdom of Wafting Incense in Dali，and the Sinmun of Silla was dubbed as the founding emperor.It is said that the people in the Buddhist Kingdom of Wafting Incense abstained from eating meat and prayed to Buddha，burnt incense and worshipped Guanyin on the 3rd，6th and 9th of the lunar month.The original sitting place of Guanyin was called the Buddha Hall，and the Guanyin Temple was built under the foot of Zhonghe Peak.On every festival，the king brought his ministers to Guanyin Temple to show the gratitude for the kindness of Guanyin in subduing Luo Cha.

The Myth of Hunting

In ancient times，people covered themselves with leaves and drank raw water and ate raw meat.At that time，the trees were thick and tall，with strong branches and a pair of bright and far-sighted eyes.When the men hunted for wild animals，the trees helped them and told them where the beast went，and the men followed the directions.So no animal could escape from the hunter.People killed many wild animals every day.

The hunting goddess got worried and came to Guanyin's house and pleaded，“I hope that Bodhisattva will send a compassionate rescue to save my livestock.If the situation goes on like this，my cattle will be driven out in less than two years！”

After hearing this，Guanyin agreed to help her.Guanyin hurried to dig some mud，soaked it with water，then kneaded it into many balls and put them into a basket.And then Guanyin asked the hunting goddess to go with her，carrying the basket to the place where people were living.

The two just climbed to a mountain when they heard a burst of shouting.Guanyin looked up quickly and saw some branches.The branches were pointing at a red deer，which was running away desperately，and people were chasing after it.

Guanyin took over the basket from the hunting goddess and took out a few balls of mud.When people got closer，she threw it out unexpectedly.

“Ouch！”People cried out in unison，and each man's feet were firmly stuck to two clumps of mud，which turned into the two calves under the knees.

Guanyin put the rest of the mud on the eyes and faces of the trees.In this way，the branch had no mouth，ear，nose and eye any more.

Because of the calves，people could not run fast.Furthermore，they could not get help from the trees.So，they were no longer able to catch the animals to eat，and very soon they were hungry to be skinny and could not walk steadily.

After Guanyin knew it，she called the dog to help people hunt and chase wild animals.The dog could not catch up any wild animal，and returned to Guanyin with a sad face and said，“The animals can run very fast，and I can not see them after they climb over a mountain or a valley.Even a shadow can not be seen.How can I chase one？”

After thinking for a moment，Guanyin found the hunting goddess and said to her，“You must go back and smash a pot of garlic.Put the hind feet of all animals into the garlic pot and soak them for a while.”

The hunting goddess did as the command of Guanyin.Since then，the ground on which the wild animals had walked left a smell of garlic.The dogs help people drive the wild animals by the smell of garlic.Until now，when dogs are chasing wild animals，they still dig and sniff on the ground.

The hunting goddess knew that she was cheated by Guanyin，but it was too late to repent，so she had to hide the animals when the people went hunting.And Guanyin told people to beg the hunting goddess to release some animals.So every time people go hunting，they beg for the hunting goddess.This is the origin of offering sacrifices to the hunting goddess.

The Myth of People Plowing with the Cow

In ancient times，people used to plow the fields and plant crops on their own strength.They worked very hard.It would be great if the wild animals on the mountains could help them do some work，they often thought.

One day，a hunter went hunting up the mountain.He found that the bharal was very skillful at climbing the rocks and slopes.He said to himself，“With the help of this animal，it might be possible to plow the field faster.”Then he caught the bharal alive instead of shooting it with bows and arrows.He pulled the bharal back to his home，made a wooden plow out of solid chestnut wood，and drove the bharal into the field to work.The plough with the bharal was much faster than using a stick.The hunter was extremely happy to see it.The news spread quickly among the village.Very soon，all the farmers went to catch bharals，and made them plow the fields.In this way，people could cultivate more lands and get more foods than before.So up to now，people in Xishan Mountain still have a folk song to praise plowing the fields with bharals：

Though we are living in different places，

We all plow the field with bharals.

Male bharals plow the field all day long，

Female bharals plow with alternatives.

New plowshares plus old plowshares，

Can make the plough easier.

After a long time，there were more and more people in the world，the number of bharals could not keep up with people's needs in ploughing the land，and the food which people could harvest got insufficient gradually.Knowing this，the Jade Emperor came up with an idea.He called a thrush to the earth and said to the people，“Since you don't have enough food to eat，you'd better eat one time every three days，and eat three bites of meat and one mouthful rice for each time.”The phrase“three bites of meat”said by the Jade Emperor originally meant to hunt the animals on the mountain to eat，and“one mouthful rice”meant to eat grains.But the thrush sent the message wrongly into“you'd better eat three times a day，three bites of rice and a mouthful of meat for each time”.As a result，the food was even less，so people had to pull the bharals to plow their fields even harder，which made the bharals painful and could not bear it any more.

One day，a cow passed by and saw a bharal ploughing the field.Whenever it made a plowshare，its feet knelt on the ground with bleating.Moreover，it jumped up and down with a whip.It was very hard for the bharal to plough.The cow went up to the bharal and said，“It is not so difficult to plow the land.Ican plow much faster than you.The land each time you plowed is not as big as my footprint.”After hearing it，the bharal said to the cow，“It would be great that you plow the field for me.”The cow was so pitiful to the bharal that it set up the plough and plowed the field briskly.From then on，the cow has been used to plow the land，and the plowed lands have been enough for people to grow crops and grain.

The Myth of the Rice Tree

Could people plant crops when the world began？No，they couldn't.In those days，people lived by hunting，catching fish and collecting wild fruits.Planting crops was started by the Father Field and the Mother Land.

The Father Field and the Mother Land were the gods of five kinds of cereals（rice，millet，broomcorn millet，wheat and beans），and they were a couple living in a place called Baidan.The Father Field went uphill to hunt animals and caught fish in the river；while the Mother Land collected wild fruits.The old couple were busy all day long for feeding their three sons.

One day，the Father Field went hunting.No sooner did he climb to the top of a mountain than he smelled a sweet and refreshing fragrance，and he felt full at once.Feeling puzzled，he went to the place from which the fragrance came.After walking for three days and three nights，he climbed over nine mountains，crossed over nine valleys，and then came to a Bazi（a flat place between valleys），where he saw a lot of people riding elephants，driving bison，wild horses and wild boar，watering trees，turning over soil，fertilizing and weeding.The big trees there were full of fruits as large as a pail，and the fragrance came from the trees.

The Father Field was stunned to see this.A white-bearded grandpa called to him with a smile：

“Father Field，Father Field，please look it carefully.Among the different sorts of occupations，planting crops is the best.Please come and taste the fruits.”

After saying this，the white-bearded grandpa waved his hands and the fruits of the tree flew to the Father Field's hand immediately.The Father Field peeled off the fruit.Its flesh was white and watery，which tasted very delicious and sweet.He only ate half of it，but he was full enough and was about to belch.

The Father Field thought to himself：If only people in Baidan had planted this kind of tree too.So he asked the white-bearded grandpa for the advice.The grandpa told him，“This tree is called the rice tree.When planting the rice tree，you should loosen the soil，water it，fertilize it and weed it diligently and frequently without the fear of working hard.”

Although planting this kind of rice tree would suffer pains and be troublesome，the Father Field was not afraid of it.He was determined to take its seed back，so he asked the grandpa for it.The grandpa shook his head and said to him，“I'm afraid you can't bear the bitterness.It took you three days and three nights without any loads to come here.It will definitely take your more time to go back with heavy loads.You need nine days and nine nights to climb over mountains and valleys.”

The Father Field said，“I'm not afraid to walk for nine days and nine nights.Please give me the rice seeds.”

The grandpa said，“Besides，you should know，many birds and animals on the road are waiting to grab the rice seeds.”

The Father Field said，“I am a hunter，and I have ways to deal with all kinds of birds and animals.”

“What if tigers and leopards come to you？”

“I have crossbows and poison arrows.”

“What if bronze bulls or iron horses come to you？”

“I have ropes and whips.”

“What if black bears and gray wolves come to you？”

“Dig traps and bury crossbows.”

“What if dogs and cats come to you？”

“Feed them with leftovers.”

“What if roes and deer come to you？”

“Cut them with long knives，and hit them with sticks.”

“What if goats and sheep come to you？”

“Cut grass and feed them salt.”

“What if sparrows and swallows come to you？”

“Beat them with bamboo poles，and scare them with scarecrows.”

“What if chickens and ducks come to you？”

“Hold the duck's neck and lift the chicken's leg.”

The grandpa was still worried and asked，“What if you have nothing to eat for nine days and nine nights？”

“Tighten my belt.”

“What if being thirsty for nine days and nine nights？”

“Lick my lip.”

After knowing the Father Field's determination，the grandpa picked up three rice seeds and whispered some words to the Father Field's ear and sent him on his way.

Holding the rice seeds，the Father Field climbed over nine mountains，descended nine valleys，and kept fighting with birds and animals all the way.He shot tigers and leopards dead，killed bears and wolves，drove roes，deer，sparrows and swallows away，and tamed bulls，horses，dogs，cats，goats，sheep，chicken and ducks.On the ninth day，he finally returned to Baidan.

After telling the Mother Land about the rice tree，the Father Field vomited blood and fainted.The Mother Land burst out crying.The three sons also bent over his body and cried loudly.

Hearing the cries，the Father Field regained his consciousness and told his three sons to plant the crops properly and the rice trees well.After whispering to his wife what the white-beard grandpa had told him，he died.

After the Father Field died，the Mother Land led her three sons to plant the rice trees.She loved her sons so much that she did all the work by herself.She made hoes out of stone pieces and ploughshares with bent wooden sticks.She also asked for help from bulls and horses.At last，the rice sprouted，grew up，and yielded fruits.However，due to the overwork，the Mother Land was so tired that she vomited blood and died soon.Before she died，she called her three sons to her bedside and whispered to each son's ear the words the grandpa had said.She divided three rice trees to them and asked each to plant one.

However，after the mother died，the three sons paid no attention to what the grandpa had said，and they slept all day and all night doing nothing.Bronze bulls and iron horses could not wake them up.Even cats and dogs could not wake them up.It was not until the cock invited the sun to shine their eyes that they rubbed their eyes and got out of beds.

The eldest brother went to see his rice tree and only saw the soil.Without water，the grass grew，and the rice tree was dying.He pulled out the grass but had no time to water it or loosen the soil.Later，his rice tree became the sorghum.

When the second brother came to see his rice tree，he saw the same situation with his elder brother.He was busy with watering it，but it was too late for him to loosen the soil and get rid of the weed.So，his rice tree became paddy rice.

The third brother was the last one to come out to see his rice tree and found that his rice tree was dying.He had no time to loosen the soil，water it，or remove weeds.He did not know what to do about it but scratched here and there.And later，his rice tree became tares.

What did the white-bearded grandpa say？It was“Without industrious labor，good seedlings will turn into grass.Only with hard work，the rice will grow into a tree.”

The Myth of the Father of Five Kinds of Cereals

There was no sky or earth before.Later，when the sky and the earth appeared，there was no food to eat.People had to dig wild vegetables and peel the barks from trees to appease their hunger.

In order to make people eat good things，a young man，Bada，kept walking for a hundred days to seek for Guanyin to state the grievances and begged for some seeds of grains.Guanyin took out five small gourds and a big gourd from the basket of flowers and told him，“These five small gourds contain the seeds of foods you eat.The first gourd with three sections contains the buckwheat seeds，which should be planted on the high mountain.The second gourd with two sections contains barley seeds，which should be planted on the hillside.The third narrow-necked gourd contains soybean seeds，which should be planted on the sandy ground at the foot of the mountain.The fourth curved gourd contains indica rice seeds，which should be planted on both sides of the rivers and streams.The fifth gourd with one section contains glutinous rice，which should be sprinkled in the paddy fields.And the big gourd contains tree species.You have to wait until the seeds in the five small gourds have been sprinkled before you sprinkle the seeds in the big gourd.Don't forget it.”

Bada came home happily with the five small gourds and the big gourd.He wanted to sprinkle the seeds as soon as possible to let people eat the five kinds of cereals earlier.Carrying the big gourd and the small gourds on his back，he sprinkled the seeds while walking as Guanyin commanded.He spread the buckwheat seeds，barley，beans and millet on the high mountain，the mountainside and the foot of the mountain in turn.Bada was focusing on sprinkling the seeds from the five small gourds.Unexpectedly，the stopper of the big gourd fell down.When he finished sprinkling all the grains along Yulong Mountain，Xueba Mountain，Laojun Mountain and Luoping Mountain to Gaoligongshan Mountain，the tree seeds in the big gourd leaked out.When he opened the big gourd，it was empty inside.Bada was about to walk back，but he found that the mountains he walked over were covered with dense trees.He could not walk back now.

Five kinds of cereals grew out of the earth and people were too happy to sleep.They lit torches overnight and went to the hillsides and fields to see the cereals.People were very grateful to Bada for bringing back the grains，but where was he？When people saw the trees tall enough to cover the sky，they knew Bada must have been unable to come back after sprinkling the seeds.They went out together and lit bright torches to seek for him from this village to that village，from this field to that field，from this mountain to that mountain.They kept shouting loudly，but they couldn't find him.

In order to commemorate the contribution of Bada to the benefit of the people，they went to ask Guanyin to name Bada“the King of Five Cereals”.Every year，on the 25th of June in the lunar calendar，every family member eats new pears，tastes new rice and lights torches to welcome Bada.In the evening，the girls and the boys dance with holding small fire handles and run around along the ridge and mountain roads，indicating that they are looking for Bada.The old people sit under the big torches，playing the sanxian（Three Strings，one of the Bai people's musical instruments），sing Dabenqu（a unique art of the Bai people，which combines rap and singing）.People pay tribute to Bada by singing the following song：

The torches are shining highly and brightly；

Fields and Bazis are filled with good harvests.

Barley is harvested and millet is ripe；

Granaries are full of buckwheat and beans.

Brewing jars of wine to honor Bada；

Offering the five cereals to the God of Five Cereals.

Wishing a bumper harvest year after year，

We are rejoicing together.

The Myth of Men in Confinement after Childbirth

It was said that the ancient people lived collectively by clans in caves deep in the mountains.All people depended on women for food and clothing.Women did all the work，so they were very capable but they were very tired.They were responsible for hunting，cutting down trees，building tents and exploiting lands and picking up wild fruits in the mountains，and they were for fighting as well.At that time，men only did household chores at home，looking after the house and giving birth to child.

It was strange that men gave birth to child from calf bends at that time.Every time when a man gave birth to a baby，he was very painful.He often kept shouting loudly for seven days and seven nights.He always asked the woman to kill 30 sheep，300 chickens，boil 3,000 eggs for him and ate up all of them before he could give birth to a baby.

Women found that men were lazy and greedy，so they said，“If the Heaven lets us women give birth to babies，we'll enjoy it.We only have to bear the pain and give birth to a baby in one day.We only need eat three chickens and three hundred eggs.”

The Heaven heard this and agreed to let women give birth to babies.Women only ate three chickens and three hundred eggs each time after they give birth to a baby.

So，the men had to let women give birth to babies at home，and they had to hunt in the mountains，cut woods，reclaim the wasteland，defend the home，and do the hard work.Therefore，the custom of women running household chores and giving birth to babies has been passed down.

The Father Earth in Charge of Four Seasons

In ancient times，the whole world was dark and chaotic.Later，Pan Gu created the earth and distributed the sun，the moon and stars.Pan Sheng，Pan Gu's younger brother，created all things，and then creatures came into being.Shen Nong taught people to make five kinds of cereals and provided them with a source of livelihood，but people did not know when to plant it and when to harvest it.Later，Fu Xi created Bagua（Eight Trigrams：eight combinations of three lines each—all solid，all broken，or a combination of solid and broken lines joined in pairs to form 64 hexagrams used in divination），setting a year and four seasons according to the heat and the cold of the sun to the earth.But who would manage the four seasons of the year？After Pan Gu and Pan Sheng discussed about it，they called the five brothers of Jin（gold），Mu（wood），Shui（water），Huo（fire）and Tu（earth）to jointly manage the four seasons.

But the five brothers made a mess of things because each thought differently.Sometimes all of them ignored things，so even a small thing could not be settled down.Later，the big brother Jin called his four younger brothers to discuss how to divide the four seasons，one for charging a few days.But how four seasons could be properly divided by five brothers？After several days of discussion，nothing was settled.

One day，the youngest brother Tu went out for playing.Mu，the second brother，who was hot-tempered，asked all his other brothers to divide the four seasons.

When the youngest brother Tu came back，he was so angry to hear his four elder brothers had divided the four seasons and he got no one.He kept crying and shouting loudly.Although Huo got the name of“fire”，he was cold by nature.He pretended not to hear it and ignored it.Mu kept scolding Tu，“How can you manage the four seasons in such a young age？What's wrong with us working so hard to manage it and let you eat and do nothing at home？”Jin and Shui had always been mild-mannered and fair-minded，and they felt it was inappropriate not to let their youngest brother Tu take part in the management.Therefore，they each proposed to give up 18 days to Tu for managing the season.Huo agreed to give up 18 days.Though Mu is an impetuous person，he had to give up 18 days.Tu had to agree with the suggestion that each brother gave up 18 days to him and he got the same amount of days as theirs to manage.However，he was still not satisfied and often cried when he took office.Although he was young and had a short time to manage，people thought that the Father Earth was also in charge of the four seasons.

The Myth of the Beauty Stone

At the foot of Foding Peak in the west of Taihe Village in Dali，there is a piece of stone with ten feet long.People call it“the Beauty Stone”.There is a magical legend in Dali area about the origin of the“the Beauty Stone”.

The king of the Bai people had a son who was over 20 years old and didn't find a suitable girl to be his wife.In order to get his son married as soon as possible，the king called all the young and beautiful women of the royal family into the palace to be chosen by the prince.But the prince did not like any of them.The king said angrily，“Why do so many stunning beauties fall short of your wishes？From now on，I don't care about your marriage any more.You can choose any girl as you wish.”Soon，the king gave the prince an imperial edict to go to all parts of the country to choose his wife.Before the prince left，the king said to him，“All the grass and trees here are mine，and as well as the people.You take the imperial edict to all parts of the country to choose your wife！If you take a fancy to one，just stick the imperial edict on her door.”

The prince took the imperial edict and went out of the palace，but no matter which village he went to，the people ran away just like mice seeing cats.Every door was closed and everyone was afraid to see him.Therefore，although the prince almost visited the whole area of Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake，he did not find a wife.So the prince had to return back in low spirit.

The prince was tired and felt hot on the way back to the palace，so he sat down on a big stone by the road to rest.The prince thought to himself，“Why are people so afraid of me？Is it this imperial edict？”The more he thought，the harder he blamed this imperial edict.In a fit of pique，he attached the imperial edict to the large stone and mounted the horse and left.

Oddly enough，he only took three to five steps when the big stone stood up and followed him quietly like a human being.When the prince walked fast，it walked fast；while the prince walked slowly，it walked slowly.At first，the big stone only jumped step by step，but as the prince's horse ran faster，the big stone flew off the ground.

When the prince looked back and found himself being chased by a big stone，he was scared out of his wits.He tried his best to beat the horse and ran towards the palace，trying to get rid of the big stone.But no matter how fast his horse ran，the big stone could keep up with it.The prince shouted for help as he tried to escape.

It happened that the king and his ministers were out to see the scenery of the sea and the mountains on the gate tower.Everyone present were stunned to see the prince being chased by a huge flying stone.In order to save his son，the king took the bow and arrow from the guards and shoot at the big stone.With the sound of a boom，sparks flew everywhere，and the big stone fell on the top of Foding Peak.

It was said that this big stone was the incarnation of the third princess of the dragon king of Erhai Lake.When the stone was shot，it had a few drops of blood and marks of arrow holes.Whenever the moon shines on Cangshan Mountain，this big stone will become a beautiful figure of a dragon lady.Therefore，people call it“the Beauty Stone”.

The Flying Man in Cangshan Mountain

Long long ago，Dali Bazi was full of water.There was a vast ocean from Eryuan's Xiashankou in the north to Fengyi's Dingxicen in the south.People living on the surrounding hillside had a tough life.

There was a young man named Ah Hu on Longquan Peak of Cangshan Mountain.He was very strong，courageous and kind.People liked him very much.

One day，Ah Hu went hunting and found a cave on the cliff of the top of the mountain and many crows were shouting“wah-wah”in front of the cave.The more he looked，the more strange he felt，so he climbed up the cliff.Arriving at the cave entrance，he saw a large colorful bird egg inside.Out of curiosity，he took it home.

That night，when Ah Hu was sleeping in a daze，Guanyin suddenly came to his bedside and said to him，“This is a phoenix egg，and whoever eats it will have half a fairy without practicing.Just eat it！This is the arrangement of the immortals.But in the future，you should do more good deeds and accumulate virtues.In case of you encounter any difficulty，you can come to see me in the west.”With saying that，Guanyin disappeared.

Ah Hu did eat the phoenix egg the following day.Soon，he was pleasantly surprised to see he grows a pair of wings.He clearly remembered what Guanyin had said in the dream and tried his best to do good things for the people.He was busy with helping people subdue wild animals and the floods.People all appreciated him and admired him.They regarded him as the god sent by the immortals to the world.

One day，the villagers complained to him，“Since we are living on the slope，we are getting less and less to eat and are often hurt by poisonous snakes and beasts.It would be nice to find a place to live in the Bazi.But the Bazi is full of water.Ah Hu，can you think of some ways for us？”Ah Hu said，“Sure，I'll give it a try.”

From then on，Ah Hu，relying on his flying skills，often hovered over the Bazi，looking for a hole to draw water out.Later，he found that the southern part of Xieyang Peak of Cangshan Mountain was the best outlet.As long as a hole was opened in the rock there，the water from Dali Bazi could be drawn out.

He happily returned to the hillside and told the villagers what he had seen and thought.People agreed with him.Some strong men followed Ah Hu to dig the mountain for water with tools.However，several days passed，and they could not cut through the rock.The rock in that place was very special.Even the villagers cut a hole in it the day before，the rock grew into its original shape again the following morning.No matter how hard they cut，they could not cut through it.Ah Hu told them to go back to have a rest.He then spread his wings and flew to the Western Heaven to ask Guanyin for help.He flew over hills after hills，mountains after mountains.He was worrying about where to find Guanyin when Guanyin appeared in the clouds.Ah Hu was about to speak，but Guanyin stopped him and said，“I have known everything.Just come with me！”Guanyin walked in front with colorful auspicious clouds，and Ah Hu fanned his wings to follow her.

Arriving at Xieyang Peak，Guanyin descended from the sky to the surface of the water.Guanyin took down a gold hairpin from her head and threw it at the rock wall，which was difficult to cut.With a loud noise，the rock was opened into a big hole.And there was still a large rock attached to it，forming a bridge.Later，people called it“Tiansheng Bridge”（which means the bridge formed naturally）.Then the water in the Bazi spouted out from all directions through the Tiansheng Bridge.Soon there was less and less water in Dali Bazi and some lands were slowly exposed.

With the help of Ah Hu，the villagers moved from the mountain to the Bazi.Later，the water in the Bazi became less and less，and the number of people increased more and more.

The Brother-in-Law with a Dog Head and a Human Body

Once upon a time，there were two sisters.The elder sister married an official with a dog's head and a human's body.People called him the dog-head official.

One day，the younger sister went to visit her elder sister.The elder sister said to the younger one，“Your brother-in-law's head is a dog's head，and the food he eats is different from ours.What he eats is dishwater.Please remember not to laugh at him or he will bite you to death.”The elder sister repeated it to the younger one over and over，“If you really can't help laughing，you can pick up a pair of chopsticks and run away.If you can't run over him，you just throw him a chopstick and he'll pick it up and run back home.”

The younger sister impatiently said，“Sister，why are you so wordy？I'm not going to laugh when I see my brother-in-law.”The elder sister was relaxed to hear that and then she went to work in the field.

As the sun set，the brother-in-law returned.When the younger sister saw his dog head with a human body，she wanted to laugh.Just now，the elder sister came back and was anxious to shake her hand to motion her younger sister not to laugh，so the younger sister held back her laugh.At supper，the elder sister brought her husband a wooden basin of dishwater.Her husband dropped his head and licked the dishwater with relish.Seeing this，the younger sister could not help herself any more，and she laughed loudly.Her brother-in-law，gnashing his teeth in anger，jumped to his feet and tried to bite her.The younger sister was so scared that she hid here and there.Her elder sister stamped her feet in a hurry and shouted to her sister，“Chopsticks！Get the chopsticks！”The younger sister understood her meaning and grabbed a pair of chopsticks and hurried out of the door，which made her brother-inlaw very angry and followed her out.

The brother-in-law ran after her desperately while the younger sister ran so hard that her feet were sore and she was out of breath.After running for a while，the younger sister quickly threw a chopstick to her brother-in-law.When he saw the chopstick，he did not care to chase her but picked it up and ran back home.But after he put away the chopstick，he chased her again.Then she threw another chopstick to him，who picked it up and went home again.Later，the younger sister lost all her chopsticks and was extremely exhausted，and she couldn't run any further.When the brother-in-law was about to catch up with her，the younger sister saw several old women beating buckwheat on the hillside ahead.She hurriedly ran up to them，and said breathlessly：

“Da'ma（the address for the elder women），please help me！My brother-inlaw is trying to kill me.”These women sympathized with her，so they covered her with bamboo baskets and pressed it with clods.

No sooner had the girl been hidden than the dog-head official was here.He rummaged around，throwing buckwheat sticks all over the place，but he could not find his sister-in-law.He asked，“Da'ma，did you see a girl running over here？”These old women replied，“We have been dealing with buckwheat all day long in this place，but we haven't seen any girl.”The dog-head official believed what they said and turned back home.

After the dog-head official returned home，the more he thought of it，the angrier he got，so he took out the book of divination.He made a divination and opened the book.The book said：She is under the sky and under the ground.When he read it，he became more furious and said，“This is bullshit.It's totally wrong！”With saying it，he threw the divination book into the fireplace and burned it.

It is said that the divination book burned by the dog-head officer is the oldest one，which could divine the future accurately.Since then，the divination has become inaccurate，because the dog-head official had burned that divination book.