Long ago, there lived a hardworking, honest village boy named Chunwang. His household was small--just he and his widowed mother.
One day he and about eight or nine other boys were out together doing their chores, cutting grass and weeds.
One of the older boys said to the others, "Hey, let's go to the ravine and get some water!"
So all the boys except Chunwang left to draw some water from the creek that ran along the ravine. Chunwang continued to cut weeds.
Shortly after, he heard the voices of the boys from afar.
"Somebody get a rope!" cried one.
"I've got my sickle ready!" cried another.
"Quiet, now!" cried still another. "It looks like it's going to sleep by the road. Don't wake it up before we have a chance to catch it!"
Chunwang stopped what he was doing.
Hmm . . ., he thought, a wolf, fox or goblin wouldn't rest or sleep out in the open. Whatever they're after has got to be a good being, not a bad one . . .
He left the field and quietly headed for the place, a nearby spring, where he had heard the other village boys. Sure enough, the boys were there. They appeared to be creeping up on a large deer, a beautiful buck with spots, a "plum deer," resting not far from the spring. Closer and closer they approached the deer.
"Get up, Deer, and run!" shouted Chunwang at the top of his lungs. "Quickly before you're captured!"
The deer woke up and, in no time, it fled the area, way before any of the children got close enough to it.
The children were incensed. They turned on Chunwang and mercilessly beat him, pummeling him over and over, until he just lay on the ground, bruised in a heap. The children then left and went back to their homes.
The children were now long gone. And Chunwang? He just lay stunned, every bone in his body in utter agony. He cried out for help, for anyone who might be near but no one responded. In any case, he couldn't pull himself up; the pain was too great.
Evening fell and now he heard all the many weird, sometimes seemingly unearthly but always scary sounds of night--the howling, screeching and whistling of restless forest animals on the move.
Chunwang cried and cried.
Then, he heard someone approach.
A woodcutter! The young man had heard the boy's sobs and found him. The young woodcutter helped Chunwang up and led him to his own cottage nearby.
What kind of place is this? thought Chunwang, seeing the strange metal lion's head that served as a knob for the gate.
The woodcutter could tell Chunwang was reluctant to go through the gate, so he turned to the boy and said, "Look, you don't have anything to worry about!"
"I . . . I . . . don't?"
"No, you see, you and I have already met today."
"We did?"
"Remember you warned an exhausted deer buck about those children who were ready to do it harm? I am that deer! Now, let's go inside so you can rest and eat."
Notes
from Tan Daxian, Zhongguo minjian tonghua yanjiu (Studies in Chinese fairy tales). Hong Kong: Shangwu, 1981; pp. 57-58.
First part of a folktale collected in Yishui County, Shandong Province.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
The Princess Who Married a Dog -- a Taiwanese Aboriginal Myth From Mainland China
for my friend Rick Matz, who's more than once given me much appreciated encouragement
It's been said that the Bunun people originally came from the Chinese mainland.
Ages ago, a Chinese emperor had a very beautiful daughter. This princess, however, one day came down with a horrible skin disease: her entire body was covered by huge oozing, itchy red boils. These painful and ugly sores tormented the poor princess day and night. She stayed in her room, and at night she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. All day and night long, her cries pricked at the hearts of her parents, the emperor and empress, who by this time had called on every doctor and shaman in the land to help their daughter--all to no avail.
The emperor and empress cried too, knowing they were unable to help their daughter and seeing her condition grow worse and worse.
"Enough of this!" cried the emperor. "I shall find a way to cure our daughter!"
This is what he did: he ordered proclamations put along all the roads. Each proclamation read: "Anyone, be he beggar or otherwise, who can cure the Princess of her skin ailment shall have her hand in marriage."
The emperor and empress then waited for someone, anyone, who could come to the palace and cure their daughter.
A whole month went by, and not one person came to the palace gates with a proposed cure. Where were all these doctors, healers, shamans and herbal masters? Were they afraid to show up? Nobody had an answer. The emperor and empress felt as despondent as ever.
Finally, someone or, rather, something showed up--a stray dog with a torn-off proclamation in its mouth appeared at the gates. One guard was of the mind to kill the dog on the spot, while another felt the dog should be led into the palace. Then, the emperor could decide what to do with it.
The second guard prevailed, and he brought the dog past the gates and into the palace. Once inside, however, the dog bolted from the guard and scampered down the hallway until it reached the princess's room. It hopped onto her bed and began licking her all over, especially her boils.
When the licking had stopped, the boils had all disappeared . . .
The guard then summoned the emperor, who was, of course, amazed.
The dog was given shelter in the palace for the night.
The next day, the emperor went to his daughter and said, "What this dog did is amazing, but we need to get rid of it."
The dog was right by the princess, and its eyes glowered at the emperor.
"Ah, Dog," said the emperor, "you performed a great service. Please don't misunderstand. It's just that you are not a human. If you can in the next thirty days turn yourself into a young man, you may marry the princess."
The dog immediately scrambled out the palace and headed for the mountains. The emperor ordered some guards to follow the dog, which they did, after going up the mountain and passing through a forest. They observed the dog enter a cave. The guards then made camp and took turns watching to see if the dog left the cave.
On the morning of the twenty eighth day, they spotted a figure leave the entrance of the cave. It had the full figure of a man--the arms, legs and trunk. However, it still had the head of a dog. The dog had become a dog-man, nearly the full man required by the emperor to marry the princess.
The dog-man spotted the guards watching him and shouted, "Why are you spying on me? I still have two more days left, so leave this place!"
The dog-man charged towards the guards, who were shocked and frightened. The guards then fled down the mountain.
The guards returned two days later and crept towards the cave. They poked around a bit but no one--neither man nor beast--was around.
Meanwhile, at the palace, the emperor had just concluded an assembly of his subjects. Everyone in the audience was filing out of the assembly room. One young man, however, appeared to be in a deep sleep in his chair. The palace servants tried rousing him but on he slept. A guard was called, and he rushed over to wake up this young man. The guard succeeded in awakening the fellow, who immediately leaped out of his chair and ran out of the assembly room and down the hall to the princess's room.
The guard entered and found the young man and the princess in a loving embrace. Don't ask how or why, but the princess knew this young man had once been the dog that had licked her skin free of boils. The guard
could not, of course, slay someone the princess was embracing, so he summoned the emperor.
"So, you're finally a man now, Dog," said the emperor. "Very well. You may, as I promised, marry my daughter, only you both will need to leave immediately and never ever return to this place!"
The emperor gave his daughter some time to pack her belongings. Then, the princess and her husband fled the palace. Not far behind them were guards who were given the order to murder the young man.
The princess and her husband, evading the guards, made it to the coast, where they took a small boat and, just the two of them, crossed the Straits all the way to Taiwan itself. They landed at what is now called Lugang (Lu-kang), "Deer Harbor." There, they settled down and had many children. These children then became the first Bunun people, the ancestors of those on Taiwan today.
Notes
from Li Fuqing [Boris Riftin], Cong shenhua dao guihua: Taiwan yuanzhumin shenhua gushi bijiao yanjiu. [From myths to ghost stories: a comparative study of Taiwanese aboriginal myths]. Taipei, Zhenxing, 1999; pp. 322-324.
The Bunun live primarily on the southern half of Taiwan.
Our best friend in the animal kingdom is as linked to us in world folklore as in real life like a shadow. Hence, we can read stories from all around the world about canine ancestors, as in the story above, or canine stand-ins for us like Old Man Coyote of North America. No one should take stories about a canine ancestor to be denigrating. Some of these animals represented honored totem-like figures. For example, the Mongols of centuries past would tell the story of either the yellow dog-man or sometimes the blue wolf that somehow impregnated Alan Qo'a/Alan or Alan Gua, the female ancestor of the fearsome Genghis Khan. Other Mongol tribes claim descent from camels, bulls, and lions. (See "The Importance of Animals in the Religion of the Turks and Mongols: Tribal Myths and Hunting Rituals" by Jean-Paul Roux in Asian Mythologies, Yves Bonnefoy, comp. & Wendy Doniger, trans.; Chicago: University of Chicago, pp. 325-326.)
The above myth was told to sinologist and Chinese folklore specialist Boris Riftin by a seventy five year old Bunun man, Quan Shaoren. Stories of marriages between princesses and dogs and the subsequent founding of new races are not limited to Taiwan. In his Myths of the Dog-Man, David Gordon White discusses European folktales from Germany, Ireland, Russia and other nations about princesses marrying dogs with the subsequent founding of new races. In addition, he writes about the ancient Germanic Lombards, who supposedly had among their warriors dog-headed soldiers. The very symbol of the Lombards was an image of a dog. (See Myths of the Dog-Man by David Gordon White; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991; p. 61.)
Other than this story from the Bunun, at least two other aboriginal tribes on Taiwan, according to Ho Ting-jui, have similar stories: the Sedeq and the Ketagalan. Still other Asian groups with stories of dog ancestors include the Li tribe of Hainan, some Hmong groups, the Vietnamese Yao, and the Manipur of India. (See A Comparative Study of Myths and Legends of Formosan Aborigines, 2 Vols. by Ho Ting-Jui; Ph.D. dissertation; Indiana University, 1967; pp. 75-78.)
Motifs: A522.1.1, "Dog as culture hero"; A1611, "Origin of particular tribe(s); B421, "Helpful dog";
cB601.2, "Marriage to a dog"; cB631, "Human offspring from marriage to animal"; S247, "Daughter unwittingly promised to dog rescuer"; T68, "Princess offered as a prize."
The guard then summoned the emperor, who was, of course, amazed.
The dog was given shelter in the palace for the night.
The next day, the emperor went to his daughter and said, "What this dog did is amazing, but we need to get rid of it."
The dog was right by the princess, and its eyes glowered at the emperor.
"Ah, Dog," said the emperor, "you performed a great service. Please don't misunderstand. It's just that you are not a human. If you can in the next thirty days turn yourself into a young man, you may marry the princess."
The dog immediately scrambled out the palace and headed for the mountains. The emperor ordered some guards to follow the dog, which they did, after going up the mountain and passing through a forest. They observed the dog enter a cave. The guards then made camp and took turns watching to see if the dog left the cave.
On the morning of the twenty eighth day, they spotted a figure leave the entrance of the cave. It had the full figure of a man--the arms, legs and trunk. However, it still had the head of a dog. The dog had become a dog-man, nearly the full man required by the emperor to marry the princess.
The dog-man spotted the guards watching him and shouted, "Why are you spying on me? I still have two more days left, so leave this place!"
The dog-man charged towards the guards, who were shocked and frightened. The guards then fled down the mountain.
The guards returned two days later and crept towards the cave. They poked around a bit but no one--neither man nor beast--was around.
Meanwhile, at the palace, the emperor had just concluded an assembly of his subjects. Everyone in the audience was filing out of the assembly room. One young man, however, appeared to be in a deep sleep in his chair. The palace servants tried rousing him but on he slept. A guard was called, and he rushed over to wake up this young man. The guard succeeded in awakening the fellow, who immediately leaped out of his chair and ran out of the assembly room and down the hall to the princess's room.
The guard entered and found the young man and the princess in a loving embrace. Don't ask how or why, but the princess knew this young man had once been the dog that had licked her skin free of boils. The guard
could not, of course, slay someone the princess was embracing, so he summoned the emperor.
"So, you're finally a man now, Dog," said the emperor. "Very well. You may, as I promised, marry my daughter, only you both will need to leave immediately and never ever return to this place!"
The emperor gave his daughter some time to pack her belongings. Then, the princess and her husband fled the palace. Not far behind them were guards who were given the order to murder the young man.
The princess and her husband, evading the guards, made it to the coast, where they took a small boat and, just the two of them, crossed the Straits all the way to Taiwan itself. They landed at what is now called Lugang (Lu-kang), "Deer Harbor." There, they settled down and had many children. These children then became the first Bunun people, the ancestors of those on Taiwan today.
Notes
from Li Fuqing [Boris Riftin], Cong shenhua dao guihua: Taiwan yuanzhumin shenhua gushi bijiao yanjiu. [From myths to ghost stories: a comparative study of Taiwanese aboriginal myths]. Taipei, Zhenxing, 1999; pp. 322-324.
The Bunun live primarily on the southern half of Taiwan.
Our best friend in the animal kingdom is as linked to us in world folklore as in real life like a shadow. Hence, we can read stories from all around the world about canine ancestors, as in the story above, or canine stand-ins for us like Old Man Coyote of North America. No one should take stories about a canine ancestor to be denigrating. Some of these animals represented honored totem-like figures. For example, the Mongols of centuries past would tell the story of either the yellow dog-man or sometimes the blue wolf that somehow impregnated Alan Qo'a/Alan or Alan Gua, the female ancestor of the fearsome Genghis Khan. Other Mongol tribes claim descent from camels, bulls, and lions. (See "The Importance of Animals in the Religion of the Turks and Mongols: Tribal Myths and Hunting Rituals" by Jean-Paul Roux in Asian Mythologies, Yves Bonnefoy, comp. & Wendy Doniger, trans.; Chicago: University of Chicago, pp. 325-326.)
The above myth was told to sinologist and Chinese folklore specialist Boris Riftin by a seventy five year old Bunun man, Quan Shaoren. Stories of marriages between princesses and dogs and the subsequent founding of new races are not limited to Taiwan. In his Myths of the Dog-Man, David Gordon White discusses European folktales from Germany, Ireland, Russia and other nations about princesses marrying dogs with the subsequent founding of new races. In addition, he writes about the ancient Germanic Lombards, who supposedly had among their warriors dog-headed soldiers. The very symbol of the Lombards was an image of a dog. (See Myths of the Dog-Man by David Gordon White; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991; p. 61.)
Other than this story from the Bunun, at least two other aboriginal tribes on Taiwan, according to Ho Ting-jui, have similar stories: the Sedeq and the Ketagalan. Still other Asian groups with stories of dog ancestors include the Li tribe of Hainan, some Hmong groups, the Vietnamese Yao, and the Manipur of India. (See A Comparative Study of Myths and Legends of Formosan Aborigines, 2 Vols. by Ho Ting-Jui; Ph.D. dissertation; Indiana University, 1967; pp. 75-78.)
Motifs: A522.1.1, "Dog as culture hero"; A1611, "Origin of particular tribe(s); B421, "Helpful dog";
cB601.2, "Marriage to a dog"; cB631, "Human offspring from marriage to animal"; S247, "Daughter unwittingly promised to dog rescuer"; T68, "Princess offered as a prize."
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Dogs -- a Legend & a Pourquoi Tale from China
Amber (1996?-2012)
We'll love and miss you forever, Amber
(And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV)
Amber was a big dog. In her prime, she weighed over 90 pounds. We adopted her from the street as a stray when she was already full grown back in 1998.
I guess most dog owners rave about their pets, regarding their abilities, their keen intelligence, and so on. I won't be an exception. Of all the dogs I've ever owned or encountered, Amber had the sweetest disposition. Everyone who met her instantly loved her. She never asked for much in this life, just some companionship and a short walk. Too often I failed to grant either of her modest wishes. Now, of course, it's too late. I'm left just with an empty backyard, some fur here and there, her empty bowls and dishes, and a huge cavern in my heart.
I'm very grateful to God for allowing us to have Amber in our lives all these years.
(1) Lu Yan and His Dog (Han)
Lu Yan was from Shangdang, Shanxi Province.
One day, while he was out for a walk, he came across a stray dog as thin as kindling, obviously starving and near death. Lu Yan pitied the dog and took it home to raise it as his own.
One evening, after some heavy drinking, Lu Yan collapsed on his bed and fell into a deep sleep. He was awoken by his dog's loud barking into his ear. The dog also strongly took hold of Lu's sleeve as if to pull its master off the bed.
Lu Yan, groggy, was forced to stagger out of bed.
As it turned out, the neighboring house had caught fire, and now the fire had spread to Lu's house. His dog had been barking and pulling his sleeve to rouse him from his sleep to save his life! Thus was Lu Yan and his loyal dog able to escape the inferno.
Notes
from "Yi chuan jiu ju" by Di Xin in Fojiao tonghuaji zhi er (Zhongguo zhi bu) [Buddhist stories for children, Vol. 2: China], Zhu Fei, ed.; Taipei: Putishu Zhazhishe, 1975; p. 44.
(2) The Reason Why Dogs and People Get Along (Han?)
One day, long before dogs became our best friends in the animal kingdom, a dog was roaming up in a mountain ravine. As he looked and moved about, he began to do some thinking.
Well, I've got my limitations, this dog thought. There's no doubt about it. What I need to do is partner myself up with some other animal, and together we can each bring something to the table.
Before long, the dog spotted a rabbit darting through the ravine.
Aha, there we go, thought the dog, and he sprinted after the rabbit, finally catching up to it.
"Say there, Rabbit," said the dog, "let's be friends and partners! What do you say?"
"All right," said the rabbit.
That night, after the first day of their partnership, they both lay down to go to sleep. Suddenly, the dog heard something, and, as you know dogs are wont to do, he started barking his head off.
"Hey, hey, hey, Dog!" whispered the jittery rabbit. "Stop it, would you? You keep doing that and the wolf is sure to hear us and find where we are! Then, we'll both be in big trouble."
The dog saw how frightened the rabbit was and thought, So, he's afraid of the wolf. That's the animal I need to team up with, not a timid rabbit!
The next day, after some searching, the dog located the wolf and approached this bigger animal.
"Wolf, I have an offer for you! How about you and I become partners and friends?" asked the dog.
"Fine, Dog," replied the wolf. "Let's be friends and partners."
So the two new friends and partners spend their first day together, and when night fell, they prepared to sleep. Suddenly, the dog heard something.
"Wang! Wang! Wang!" Dog barked.
"Hey, Dog!" hissed the wolf. "Stop that immediately! Are you out of your mind? Do you want the leopard to find us and eat us?"
Hmm, thought the dog, this wolf is just as afraid of the leopard as the rabbit is of the wolf. Why spend my time with Wolf? It's the leopard I need to find!
So the dog ended his alliance with the wolf and sought out the leopard. Deep in the mountains, he found the large cat.
"Leopard, greetings!" said Dog. "How about you and I become friends and partners?"
"Why not?" replied Leopard. "Let's see how it goes."
The two had just spent their first day together and were now ready to lie down for the night when suddenly Dog heard something and began barking like mad.
"Dog! Dog!" whispered Leopard. "What do you think you're doing? You want to get us both killed? Your barking is going to lead the tiger here!"
Huh, thought Dog, this leopard is as scared as they come! What a waste of time! First thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to join up with the tiger . . .
And so the next morning, the dog said goodbye to the leopard and went to see the tiger.
"Hello, Tiger!" said the dog, finally locating the tiger lurking on a hillock. "How about if we join forces? You know, become partners and pals?"
"Hmm," said the tiger, "all right. Let's do so . . . "
And so the dog now became the tiger's companion and ally, sharing everything alike. Then came their first night together. It was close to sleeping time when the dog, hearing a noise somewhere off in the bushes, started barking.
"Whoa, whoa, Dog! What on earth?" asked the tiger in hushed tones. "Do you realize with all that racket you're making you're going to attract the attention of the hunter?"
"The what?"
"The hunter," continued the tiger, "the man! He hears us and we're as good as dead!"
So, thought the dog, even the tiger fears something, the hunter! What am I doing here with the tiger? It's the man I need to be with.
That morning, the dog bid the tiger adieu and headed out to search for the hunter. Later that day, the dog descended the mountain and came upon a village. There were people everywhere! He spotted one man in particular and approached him.
"Hey, Person, " said the dog, "why don't you and I become partners and friends?"
"Ha, ha," replied the man, "sounds fine to me!"
The man than gently stroked the dog's legs and patted his back. The dog, of course, was overjoyed to receive such affection.
That night, the man showed the dog to the eaves of the veranda, where earlier he had prepared a nice bed of soft rice straw for the dog.
"Dog, here's where you can sleep! Good night."
The dog found the rice straw to be nice and warm, and there he spent a very good, comfortable night. Then, very early that morning, the dog heard something and began his customary barking. The dog's new friend came running out.
"Dog, what's going on? Are you afraid of something?" the man asked.
"Y-Yes, actually," said the dog. "I'm afraid of something but I don't know what."
The man laughed, patted the dog, and said, "Dog, as long as you have me, you have nothing to fear."
Well, that calmed the dog down and he went back to sleep. A few hours later, he awoke and again began to bark. Once again, the man came outside.
"Poor dog, you must be hungry!" said the man. "Let me show you where you can get something to eat. How does some rice with meaty ribs sound to you?"
Of course such a meal sounded very good to him, indeed!
This man is so wonderful, thought the dog. He's not afraid of anything, and he takes wonderful care of me. He's the best partner of all! I'm sticking with him!
And so from that day on, dogs and people have been partners and good friends, even though most, maybe even all dogs have never quite learned to give up their habit of barking at night!
Notes
from Minjian chuanshuo [Folk legends], Liu Xiaolu, ed.; Shizhuangshi, Hebei: Hebei Shaonian Ertong Chubanshe, 2004; pp. 170-171.
Pourquoi stories or just-so stories purport to explain the origin of some phenomena such as why turtle shells have ridges or why dogs and cats seem to hate each other. Those that explain the origin of the heavens, earth, sun, and so on fall into the realm of myths, while those like this simpler tale are categorized as folktales.
Motifs: A2493.4, "Friendship between man and dog"; B210.3, "Animals (dogs) and men spoke the same language."
And so the dog now became the tiger's companion and ally, sharing everything alike. Then came their first night together. It was close to sleeping time when the dog, hearing a noise somewhere off in the bushes, started barking.
"Whoa, whoa, Dog! What on earth?" asked the tiger in hushed tones. "Do you realize with all that racket you're making you're going to attract the attention of the hunter?"
"The what?"
"The hunter," continued the tiger, "the man! He hears us and we're as good as dead!"
So, thought the dog, even the tiger fears something, the hunter! What am I doing here with the tiger? It's the man I need to be with.
That morning, the dog bid the tiger adieu and headed out to search for the hunter. Later that day, the dog descended the mountain and came upon a village. There were people everywhere! He spotted one man in particular and approached him.
"Hey, Person, " said the dog, "why don't you and I become partners and friends?"
"Ha, ha," replied the man, "sounds fine to me!"
The man than gently stroked the dog's legs and patted his back. The dog, of course, was overjoyed to receive such affection.
That night, the man showed the dog to the eaves of the veranda, where earlier he had prepared a nice bed of soft rice straw for the dog.
"Dog, here's where you can sleep! Good night."
The dog found the rice straw to be nice and warm, and there he spent a very good, comfortable night. Then, very early that morning, the dog heard something and began his customary barking. The dog's new friend came running out.
"Dog, what's going on? Are you afraid of something?" the man asked.
"Y-Yes, actually," said the dog. "I'm afraid of something but I don't know what."
The man laughed, patted the dog, and said, "Dog, as long as you have me, you have nothing to fear."
Well, that calmed the dog down and he went back to sleep. A few hours later, he awoke and again began to bark. Once again, the man came outside.
"Poor dog, you must be hungry!" said the man. "Let me show you where you can get something to eat. How does some rice with meaty ribs sound to you?"
Of course such a meal sounded very good to him, indeed!
This man is so wonderful, thought the dog. He's not afraid of anything, and he takes wonderful care of me. He's the best partner of all! I'm sticking with him!
And so from that day on, dogs and people have been partners and good friends, even though most, maybe even all dogs have never quite learned to give up their habit of barking at night!
Notes
from Minjian chuanshuo [Folk legends], Liu Xiaolu, ed.; Shizhuangshi, Hebei: Hebei Shaonian Ertong Chubanshe, 2004; pp. 170-171.
Pourquoi stories or just-so stories purport to explain the origin of some phenomena such as why turtle shells have ridges or why dogs and cats seem to hate each other. Those that explain the origin of the heavens, earth, sun, and so on fall into the realm of myths, while those like this simpler tale are categorized as folktales.
Motifs: A2493.4, "Friendship between man and dog"; B210.3, "Animals (dogs) and men spoke the same language."
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Some Words of Encouragement
I almost never post anything personal other than season's greetings and Memorial/Remembrance Day thoughts. Today I'd like to share some information about an incident that happened last month: my Gmail account's being hacked and then reclaimed. I have other accounts, like many people, but my being unable to log into this account meant also access denied to this blog. I love writing on this blog and was not about to take this lying down. So I persevered and finally, thanks first to God and then to Google/Gmail, was able to recover my account and, in effect, my blog.
So I'd like to take a moment and share some things I have learned from this. Preparation and awareness are the best cures. Here are some tips I've learned that will lessen the likelihood of your Gmail and mine ever being hijacked again.
1. Never ever use the same password for multiple sites. Very important. Don't allow laziness or convenience to lead you to this error. You can write your usernames, passwords and security questions in a designated notebook.
2. Change your password frequently. Some advise doing so bimonthly or more often.
3. Follow the recovery steps Google & Gmail provide you. If you're unable to log in, if your password is rejected or if you, as I did, get the telltale message, "You changed your password.....day(s) ago," then you know you have a problem. Just follow through the steps. You can read more about them here: Gmail Account Recovery
4. To make it possible for Gmail to recover your account, you should have some data on hand for the recovery form. You will be asked to remember the date you were first invited to Gmail. Do you remember it? I remembered the year but not the exact date. Fortunately, that seemed to be helpful enough. My guess is if you can remember the exact date, that would make the recovery process all the quicker. If you have saved all your correspondences, go back to the very first or second email in your inbox, one of which would be the invitation. Also note who invited you and his/her email address. You can write all this down in that secure notebook that contains sensitive information. Also write down four or five email addresses that you have a history of communicating with on your Gmail account. You will be asked to supply such email addresses. In any case, approximate responses are better than nothing if you cannot be exact. You will also be asked to supply applications used for that account, such as Docs, News, and so on. If possible, try to note exactly when you began using them. Every time you think of something you can add, such as an email address or other pertinent datum, you can go back and resubmit a recovery form. Sooner or later all the data you add will tally with what the Gmail computer finds, and the tide will turn in your favor; you'll get the message, "Congratulations! You're steps away from reclaiming your account . . ."
5. Note the password and the last time it was successfully used. You will be asked what the compromised, erased, altered, etc. password was and the last time you were able to use it to successfully log in.
6. Have more than one Gmail account for recovery purposes.
7. Above all, don't give up hope. I spent about five very bleak days trying to reclaim my account, and all the efforts paid off, despite my being somewhat inept with technical matters, data, terminology, etc. A lot of naysayers on the web will tell you a hacked account is next to impossible to recover. My experience proves otherwise. Bottom line: If I could recover my account all on my own, so can you!
Best wishes & Good luck!
Fred Lobb
So I'd like to take a moment and share some things I have learned from this. Preparation and awareness are the best cures. Here are some tips I've learned that will lessen the likelihood of your Gmail and mine ever being hijacked again.
1. Never ever use the same password for multiple sites. Very important. Don't allow laziness or convenience to lead you to this error. You can write your usernames, passwords and security questions in a designated notebook.
2. Change your password frequently. Some advise doing so bimonthly or more often.
3. Follow the recovery steps Google & Gmail provide you. If you're unable to log in, if your password is rejected or if you, as I did, get the telltale message, "You changed your password.....day(s) ago," then you know you have a problem. Just follow through the steps. You can read more about them here: Gmail Account Recovery
4. To make it possible for Gmail to recover your account, you should have some data on hand for the recovery form. You will be asked to remember the date you were first invited to Gmail. Do you remember it? I remembered the year but not the exact date. Fortunately, that seemed to be helpful enough. My guess is if you can remember the exact date, that would make the recovery process all the quicker. If you have saved all your correspondences, go back to the very first or second email in your inbox, one of which would be the invitation. Also note who invited you and his/her email address. You can write all this down in that secure notebook that contains sensitive information. Also write down four or five email addresses that you have a history of communicating with on your Gmail account. You will be asked to supply such email addresses. In any case, approximate responses are better than nothing if you cannot be exact. You will also be asked to supply applications used for that account, such as Docs, News, and so on. If possible, try to note exactly when you began using them. Every time you think of something you can add, such as an email address or other pertinent datum, you can go back and resubmit a recovery form. Sooner or later all the data you add will tally with what the Gmail computer finds, and the tide will turn in your favor; you'll get the message, "Congratulations! You're steps away from reclaiming your account . . ."
5. Note the password and the last time it was successfully used. You will be asked what the compromised, erased, altered, etc. password was and the last time you were able to use it to successfully log in.
6. Have more than one Gmail account for recovery purposes.
7. Above all, don't give up hope. I spent about five very bleak days trying to reclaim my account, and all the efforts paid off, despite my being somewhat inept with technical matters, data, terminology, etc. A lot of naysayers on the web will tell you a hacked account is next to impossible to recover. My experience proves otherwise. Bottom line: If I could recover my account all on my own, so can you!
Best wishes & Good luck!
Fred Lobb
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all of my readers and their family members!
Fred Lobb & family
Fred Lobb & family
Sunday, December 18, 2011
The Bride of Sir Gentleman Snake -- Part Three (Hmong)
On and on the babies roared, crying even more than before, as if for some dire reason.
Ah Yang carried the babies down closer to the river.
"I'll let them look at the fish," she told Ah Yi. "Maybe they'll become distracted and stop crying."
"All right, " said Ah Yi, staying behind where she was, by the rocks.
"Oh, Ah Yi!" cried Ah Yang suddenly. "You've got to come over and see!"
"See what, Older Sister?"
"These beautiful multicolored fish! Hurry and come and see them before they swim away! Hurry!"
Poor unsuspecting Ah Yi! She got up, left the rocks and came down to the riverbank.
"Where? What fish?" asked Ah Yi.
"Over there! Over there!" Ah Yang was practically jumping up and down, pointing. "Come closer!"
Ah Yi stood next to Ah Yang and looked in the direction of Ah Yang's finger.
Dong!
Ah Yang pushed her sister Ah Yi down into the rapids of the river. Ah Yi flailed about in the water and cried for her snake husband but to no avail. Her cries became weaker and weaker until her head and arms sank beneath the water.
"Little Sister's become fish food!" said Ah Yang, cooing to Ah Yi's two children. "Little Sister's become fish food!"
She went back up to the rocks with the two children and waited for the snake husband to return.
Well, she was now dressed up in Ah Yi's clothes, she carried Ah Yi's two small children, and, of course, she even looked like her twin, Ah Yi! What could go wrong?
By and by, Sir Gentleman Snake returned from his trip into the forest, empty handed. Ah Yang immediately put on an act, pretending she was angry.
"Where the devil have you been?" she asked. "How could you leave your wife and children out here while chasing after birds? The nerve you have!"
Huh, thought Sir Gentleman Snake. That's not like Ah Yi; that's not like the woman I married!
He stared at Ah Yang.
"Who are you in my wife's clothes, holding my children?" he asked.
"What?!" Ah Yang screeched. "Children, do you hear that father of yours? Did you hear what he just said? Listen to yourself! You must be having vision problems! First of all, you can't even catch a measly crow--some hunter you are! Ha! And now, you are suggesting I'm an impostor? Perhaps your eyesight is failing."
"Well, I . . ."
"Take a close look at me, O mighty eagle-eyed hunter! Am I not wearing your wife's clothes? What's out of place, Husband? the tunic? the skirt? the leggings? Am I also not carrying the two children your wife bore? Or, are you ready to deny them as well?"
She then began to weep. Sir Gentleman Snake did not wish to see his wife cry, if she was really his wife.
"Please stop crying! Let's go on home!"
And so they headed home, and on their way back, the snake husband was not entirely convinced the woman walking next to him, carrying his two sons, was indeed his wife. He held his tongue, though.
They finally reached home, with Ah Yang now successfully taking Ah Yi's place as the wife of Sir Gentleman Snake. A number of years later, Ah Yang bore him a child. She now lived very well with this young and handsome husband, Sir Gentleman Snake, and was as happy as a maggot in pork fat--no cares, no worries, just endless bliss.
She also continued to assume that Ah Yi was dead.
Ah Yang, however, was wrong: Ah Yi was very much alive.
Ah Yang had pushed Ah Yi into the river, and Ah Yang had seen her sink below the water. The daughter of the Dragon King saw what had befallen Ah Yi and rescued her. The Dragon Princess escorted Ah Yi to the underwater palace, and there Ah Yi was given a place to live. There, she was offered a position as a maid of honor and stayed for several years.
Speaking to the Dragon Princess, Ah Yi said, "My Princess, I deeply thank you for saving me and giving me a home for all this time, but I really must leave now and find my children and husband!"
"Very well," replied the Princess. "I understand. I'll see you back to the surface."
The Dragon Princess accompanied Ah Yi to the surface of the river and made sure she landed on the bank safely before returning to her watery realm.
Ah Yi now found herself lost in the forest. She didn't know the direction to the house of Sir Gentleman Snake. Would she be able to find it? Even if she did, would her husband still love her? And her children! She now felt the greatest pains of despair--to have survived in the watery kingdom only to die alone in the forest while searching for her husband and children!
It was precisely at this moment that Ah Yi turned into a little crow and flew up into the sky.
Flying and searching, flying and searching, she finally located her husband's home early one morning and descended to circle it.
Inside the house, Sir Gentleman Snake had just gotten up and was washing his face when he heard the pretty chirping of a small bird, a crow, outside his window. He listened carefully. Was the bird telling him something, giving him a message? The bird seemed to be singing:
"Listen up! Listen up!
Your children's noses are running!
Their little noses need to be wiped!
Listen, up! Listen up!"
He went to check on the children.
Ah Yang had also now gotten up and was washing her face when she too heard the crow sing. The little bird now sang the following:
"Listen up! Listen up!
Ah Yang's got a dirty heart!
Whether she ever washes or not,
She'll always be dirty through and through!
Listen up! Listen up!"
Livid like someone jumping on burning coals, Ah Yang stormed out of the house, picked up a good-sized rock and threw it at the bird, knocking it off the branch and killing it.
Sir Gentleman Snake came out and saw the dead crow lying on the ground.
Poor cute little creature, he thought, fated with just a short, violent life . . . Oh, well . . .
He buried the little crow outside the house.
A few days later, from out of the little bird's grave grew a brilliantly verdant and sturdy tree. Sir Gentleman Snake loved this tree. He would go under its ample branches to rest and to cool off in the heat of the day and to escape from the annoying mosquitoes that seemed to be everywhere except under the branches of this tree.
However, each time Ah Yang tried resting by this tree, she felt as if she were in an inferno and would begin to sweat buckets. Not only that but she would be attacked a by virtual armada of mosquitoes. All this happened more than once. After sweating and being stung once too often, Ah Yang, muttering words that our parents would not much appreciate if they were written down here, stormed into the house for a hatchet. She then chopped the tree down.
Her husband must not have been too happy, but what can one do once a tree is chopped down? He used some of the wood to make a club for beating laundry. The club worked very well for the snake husband and children's clothes, but not so well for Ah Yang's. As a matter of fact, her clothes became even dirtier after using the club.
She snarled, took the club, burnt it to ashes and scattered the ashes in the field. She then went stomping back into the house.
The next day Sir Gentleman Snake was out in the field exactly at the spot were the ashes had been scattered and what did he find? A mud-snail shell! He thought this find was very interesting and beautiful, so he took the shell home and placed it in a tub of water.
Then, on a day when Sir Gentleman Snake, Ah Yang, and the children had gone up the mountain to chop wood, the mud snail stirred. From out of the shell came not the mud snail but, instead, Ah Yi! While the snake husband and Ah Yang were away, Ah Yi tidied up the house, neatly folded her husband's clothes, and washed the everyone's clothes.
The work done, Ah Yi returned to the snail shell just before Ah Yang and the snake husband returned home.
This situation went on for a while without rousing too much suspicion in Sir Gentleman Snake. After a period of time, though, he became suspicious.
I don't see my wife doing anything around the house, he mused, yet the house is always neat and clean! I've never seen her do much laundry, yet all of our clothes are washed and neatly folded.
Then it dawned on him: all these mysterious happenings--the singing, speaking crow; the mysterious tree that seemed to sprout from the crow's grave overnight; the laundry club that could somehow make clean clothes dirtier than before; and the appearance of the mud-snail shell in the field--all of them somehow seemed in their own ways to cast doubts on his wife.
Doubts began to smolder in Sir Gentleman Snake's heart as well but he said nothing.
One day he, Ah Yang and the children were out in the field when he turned to her and told her he had to return to the house.
"Why?" she asked. "We just got here."
"I want to bring some more fertilizer, a couple of sacks more. Wait for me here and watch over the children. I'll be right back."
Actually, Sir Gentleman Snake had made up the need to get the fertilizer. He wanted to see who or what it was that was cleaning his house and doing the laundry. Very stealthily like a jungle cat, he climbed up the house and then lodged himself in the eaves. From there he could see inside the house.
He waited and watched for any movement within the house . . .
Before long, his waiting paid off. He saw a young woman emanate out from the mud-snail shell in the tub. She stood up and stretched. Then she went about sweeping and washing.
Ah Yi! thought Sir Gentleman Snake.
He jumped down from his perch below the eaves and pushed open the door. He ran in and embraced his wife, his true wife, the real Ah Yi. A lot had happened; a lot had changed but not enough changes to matter.
They continued to embrace.
Outside, the bright sunny noon day sky gave way to menacing black clouds. A strong wind whipped through the trees, and soon hail came down.
Ah Yang and the children were still out in the field. As soon as the wind started blowing and the hail started coming down, Ah Yang put down her hoe and fled the area, leaving the children behind.
Off she ran, with a black cloud in pursuit, lobbing hailstones at her head. When she could run no more, the rain became a torrent of water, a river just for her, washing her far, far away, to some place where her corpse became a meal for shrimp.
The wind and the rain then stopped as suddenly as they had appeared. Sir Gentleman Snake and Ah Yi rushed out to the field and picked the crying children up and carried them back home.
From then on, they all lived very happily and lovingly as a family!
Notes
from Miaozu minjian gushi; Li Yingqiu, ed. pp. 129-134.
This story is similar to Han Chinese versions from Southwest China and Taiwan: a sister is murdered by a jealous older sister, who takes her place; the murdered sibling returns in a variety of incarnations (bird, plant, inanimate object, etc.); the murderess is humiliated by the actions of these (re)incarnated objects and animals; the murderess dies a gruesome death. However, the Hmong story differs in that the snake husband never appears to be anything but a true gentleman, unlike in the Han version, where he threatens, at least in the opening, his own future father-in-law. In this story, the sisters' father is given more of a role. Crows/ravens also play a prominent role in the story. Often harbingers of evil in folklore, crows/ravens here also serve positive functions. The Han version also doesn't provide a spouse for the jealous sibling; in the Hmong version, she marries a monkey, which turns out to be a terrible bargain compared to the fortunate younger sister's snake husband. Also of interest is the hailstorm that foreshadows Ah Yang's doom.
This story is classified as AT 33D, "The Snake Husband."
Motifs: D1812.5.1.15, "Hailstorm as a bad omen"; cE613, "Reincarnation as bird"; E631.6, "Reincarnation in tree growing from grave"; cF420.5.1, "Kind water spirit"; K2212, "Treacherous sister"; N741.1, "Concealed wife awaits favorable moment to come forward"; Q467, "Punishment by drowning"; Q552.19, "Miraculous drowning as punishment."
Ah Yang carried the babies down closer to the river.
"I'll let them look at the fish," she told Ah Yi. "Maybe they'll become distracted and stop crying."
"All right, " said Ah Yi, staying behind where she was, by the rocks.
"Oh, Ah Yi!" cried Ah Yang suddenly. "You've got to come over and see!"
"See what, Older Sister?"
"These beautiful multicolored fish! Hurry and come and see them before they swim away! Hurry!"
Poor unsuspecting Ah Yi! She got up, left the rocks and came down to the riverbank.
"Where? What fish?" asked Ah Yi.
"Over there! Over there!" Ah Yang was practically jumping up and down, pointing. "Come closer!"
Ah Yi stood next to Ah Yang and looked in the direction of Ah Yang's finger.
Dong!
Ah Yang pushed her sister Ah Yi down into the rapids of the river. Ah Yi flailed about in the water and cried for her snake husband but to no avail. Her cries became weaker and weaker until her head and arms sank beneath the water.
"Little Sister's become fish food!" said Ah Yang, cooing to Ah Yi's two children. "Little Sister's become fish food!"
She went back up to the rocks with the two children and waited for the snake husband to return.
Well, she was now dressed up in Ah Yi's clothes, she carried Ah Yi's two small children, and, of course, she even looked like her twin, Ah Yi! What could go wrong?
By and by, Sir Gentleman Snake returned from his trip into the forest, empty handed. Ah Yang immediately put on an act, pretending she was angry.
"Where the devil have you been?" she asked. "How could you leave your wife and children out here while chasing after birds? The nerve you have!"
Huh, thought Sir Gentleman Snake. That's not like Ah Yi; that's not like the woman I married!
He stared at Ah Yang.
"Who are you in my wife's clothes, holding my children?" he asked.
"What?!" Ah Yang screeched. "Children, do you hear that father of yours? Did you hear what he just said? Listen to yourself! You must be having vision problems! First of all, you can't even catch a measly crow--some hunter you are! Ha! And now, you are suggesting I'm an impostor? Perhaps your eyesight is failing."
"Well, I . . ."
"Take a close look at me, O mighty eagle-eyed hunter! Am I not wearing your wife's clothes? What's out of place, Husband? the tunic? the skirt? the leggings? Am I also not carrying the two children your wife bore? Or, are you ready to deny them as well?"
She then began to weep. Sir Gentleman Snake did not wish to see his wife cry, if she was really his wife.
"Please stop crying! Let's go on home!"
And so they headed home, and on their way back, the snake husband was not entirely convinced the woman walking next to him, carrying his two sons, was indeed his wife. He held his tongue, though.
They finally reached home, with Ah Yang now successfully taking Ah Yi's place as the wife of Sir Gentleman Snake. A number of years later, Ah Yang bore him a child. She now lived very well with this young and handsome husband, Sir Gentleman Snake, and was as happy as a maggot in pork fat--no cares, no worries, just endless bliss.
She also continued to assume that Ah Yi was dead.
Ah Yang, however, was wrong: Ah Yi was very much alive.
Ah Yang had pushed Ah Yi into the river, and Ah Yang had seen her sink below the water. The daughter of the Dragon King saw what had befallen Ah Yi and rescued her. The Dragon Princess escorted Ah Yi to the underwater palace, and there Ah Yi was given a place to live. There, she was offered a position as a maid of honor and stayed for several years.
Speaking to the Dragon Princess, Ah Yi said, "My Princess, I deeply thank you for saving me and giving me a home for all this time, but I really must leave now and find my children and husband!"
"Very well," replied the Princess. "I understand. I'll see you back to the surface."
The Dragon Princess accompanied Ah Yi to the surface of the river and made sure she landed on the bank safely before returning to her watery realm.
Ah Yi now found herself lost in the forest. She didn't know the direction to the house of Sir Gentleman Snake. Would she be able to find it? Even if she did, would her husband still love her? And her children! She now felt the greatest pains of despair--to have survived in the watery kingdom only to die alone in the forest while searching for her husband and children!
It was precisely at this moment that Ah Yi turned into a little crow and flew up into the sky.
Flying and searching, flying and searching, she finally located her husband's home early one morning and descended to circle it.
Inside the house, Sir Gentleman Snake had just gotten up and was washing his face when he heard the pretty chirping of a small bird, a crow, outside his window. He listened carefully. Was the bird telling him something, giving him a message? The bird seemed to be singing:
"Listen up! Listen up!
Your children's noses are running!
Their little noses need to be wiped!
Listen, up! Listen up!"
He went to check on the children.
Ah Yang had also now gotten up and was washing her face when she too heard the crow sing. The little bird now sang the following:
"Listen up! Listen up!
Ah Yang's got a dirty heart!
Whether she ever washes or not,
She'll always be dirty through and through!
Listen up! Listen up!"
Livid like someone jumping on burning coals, Ah Yang stormed out of the house, picked up a good-sized rock and threw it at the bird, knocking it off the branch and killing it.
Sir Gentleman Snake came out and saw the dead crow lying on the ground.
Poor cute little creature, he thought, fated with just a short, violent life . . . Oh, well . . .
He buried the little crow outside the house.
A few days later, from out of the little bird's grave grew a brilliantly verdant and sturdy tree. Sir Gentleman Snake loved this tree. He would go under its ample branches to rest and to cool off in the heat of the day and to escape from the annoying mosquitoes that seemed to be everywhere except under the branches of this tree.
However, each time Ah Yang tried resting by this tree, she felt as if she were in an inferno and would begin to sweat buckets. Not only that but she would be attacked a by virtual armada of mosquitoes. All this happened more than once. After sweating and being stung once too often, Ah Yang, muttering words that our parents would not much appreciate if they were written down here, stormed into the house for a hatchet. She then chopped the tree down.
Her husband must not have been too happy, but what can one do once a tree is chopped down? He used some of the wood to make a club for beating laundry. The club worked very well for the snake husband and children's clothes, but not so well for Ah Yang's. As a matter of fact, her clothes became even dirtier after using the club.
She snarled, took the club, burnt it to ashes and scattered the ashes in the field. She then went stomping back into the house.
The next day Sir Gentleman Snake was out in the field exactly at the spot were the ashes had been scattered and what did he find? A mud-snail shell! He thought this find was very interesting and beautiful, so he took the shell home and placed it in a tub of water.
Then, on a day when Sir Gentleman Snake, Ah Yang, and the children had gone up the mountain to chop wood, the mud snail stirred. From out of the shell came not the mud snail but, instead, Ah Yi! While the snake husband and Ah Yang were away, Ah Yi tidied up the house, neatly folded her husband's clothes, and washed the everyone's clothes.
The work done, Ah Yi returned to the snail shell just before Ah Yang and the snake husband returned home.
This situation went on for a while without rousing too much suspicion in Sir Gentleman Snake. After a period of time, though, he became suspicious.
I don't see my wife doing anything around the house, he mused, yet the house is always neat and clean! I've never seen her do much laundry, yet all of our clothes are washed and neatly folded.
Then it dawned on him: all these mysterious happenings--the singing, speaking crow; the mysterious tree that seemed to sprout from the crow's grave overnight; the laundry club that could somehow make clean clothes dirtier than before; and the appearance of the mud-snail shell in the field--all of them somehow seemed in their own ways to cast doubts on his wife.
Doubts began to smolder in Sir Gentleman Snake's heart as well but he said nothing.
One day he, Ah Yang and the children were out in the field when he turned to her and told her he had to return to the house.
"Why?" she asked. "We just got here."
"I want to bring some more fertilizer, a couple of sacks more. Wait for me here and watch over the children. I'll be right back."
Actually, Sir Gentleman Snake had made up the need to get the fertilizer. He wanted to see who or what it was that was cleaning his house and doing the laundry. Very stealthily like a jungle cat, he climbed up the house and then lodged himself in the eaves. From there he could see inside the house.
He waited and watched for any movement within the house . . .
Before long, his waiting paid off. He saw a young woman emanate out from the mud-snail shell in the tub. She stood up and stretched. Then she went about sweeping and washing.
Ah Yi! thought Sir Gentleman Snake.
He jumped down from his perch below the eaves and pushed open the door. He ran in and embraced his wife, his true wife, the real Ah Yi. A lot had happened; a lot had changed but not enough changes to matter.
They continued to embrace.
Outside, the bright sunny noon day sky gave way to menacing black clouds. A strong wind whipped through the trees, and soon hail came down.
Ah Yang and the children were still out in the field. As soon as the wind started blowing and the hail started coming down, Ah Yang put down her hoe and fled the area, leaving the children behind.
Off she ran, with a black cloud in pursuit, lobbing hailstones at her head. When she could run no more, the rain became a torrent of water, a river just for her, washing her far, far away, to some place where her corpse became a meal for shrimp.
The wind and the rain then stopped as suddenly as they had appeared. Sir Gentleman Snake and Ah Yi rushed out to the field and picked the crying children up and carried them back home.
From then on, they all lived very happily and lovingly as a family!
Notes
from Miaozu minjian gushi; Li Yingqiu, ed. pp. 129-134.
This story is similar to Han Chinese versions from Southwest China and Taiwan: a sister is murdered by a jealous older sister, who takes her place; the murdered sibling returns in a variety of incarnations (bird, plant, inanimate object, etc.); the murderess is humiliated by the actions of these (re)incarnated objects and animals; the murderess dies a gruesome death. However, the Hmong story differs in that the snake husband never appears to be anything but a true gentleman, unlike in the Han version, where he threatens, at least in the opening, his own future father-in-law. In this story, the sisters' father is given more of a role. Crows/ravens also play a prominent role in the story. Often harbingers of evil in folklore, crows/ravens here also serve positive functions. The Han version also doesn't provide a spouse for the jealous sibling; in the Hmong version, she marries a monkey, which turns out to be a terrible bargain compared to the fortunate younger sister's snake husband. Also of interest is the hailstorm that foreshadows Ah Yang's doom.
This story is classified as AT 33D, "The Snake Husband."
Motifs: D1812.5.1.15, "Hailstorm as a bad omen"; cE613, "Reincarnation as bird"; E631.6, "Reincarnation in tree growing from grave"; cF420.5.1, "Kind water spirit"; K2212, "Treacherous sister"; N741.1, "Concealed wife awaits favorable moment to come forward"; Q467, "Punishment by drowning"; Q552.19, "Miraculous drowning as punishment."
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