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A Legend of Tiger-Head Shoes

Long, long time ago, in a village of the famous ancient city Yangzhou there once lived a boatman, Dayang (big sheep), a virtuous young man with a generous heart and was always willing to help others. Once upon a time, the village came an elderly traveler who was subjected to a lot of care by Dayang. Before her leaving, she felt so much appreciated that hence gave gave the young man a painting, on which is a pretty girl sewing a pair of tiger shoes with the needle and thread. The boatman was very fond of this painting, as soon as he returned home, he immediately hung the painting on the walls of his bed.

One night, the girl in the painting suddenly came out and spent a good time with Dayang. Since then, they met every night together and one year later, a boy was given birth, who brought both more joy and the sweet days seemed just begun. Unfortunately, after village chief heard about the Dayang’s painting, he then with a lot of men insolently snatched this magic picture away. Dayang hated the vicious village, yet could do nothing. The greedy village hung the picture on the bedroom wall just as what Dayang did, expecting every day that the painting woman could be down to earth. To his disappointment, nothing had happened.

The child of Dayang grew up, and he always kept calling his mother, Dayang had to repeatedly fool him that his mother had gone to the far West not being able to get back. Nevertheless, Dayang’s words did not help, the child insisted on looking for his mother, and finally set foot on a journey to find her. He worked day and night sailing to the West, non-stopped, culminating in the forest where he found his mother living with a number of fairies. “Oh, my child, how do you come so far to the mother?” Mother said, two drops of crystal tears shed on the child’s cheek. “Mom, you know, I missed you too much.” The child sobbed. “It is only until you wear the tiger-head shoes I sewn for you into the village’s bedroom that we can truly reunited. Child, close your eyes, let me send you home.”

After a blustered whirlwind, the child was surprised to find that he has arrived home. He told the village head that nobody but he could make the drawn women come into reality. In such a delight, the greedy village took the child into his own bedroom. When seeing the mother, the child called loudly to her: “Mom, let’s go.” Just then, a stunning flash occurred illuminating the whole room, and all of a sudden the painting woman turned out, hugged the child and was about to leave. However, the way out had already been blocked by the greedy village who arrogantly threatened the woman to be his wife. Been denied, the chief angrily rushed over the mother and son. The boy bravely came forward to fight with him. While this time, the pair of tiger-head shoes loosed from the boy’s foot down and immediately turned into a gorgeous tiger, which quickly fell into the evil village chief. The chief’s cry and the tigers roar resounded through the entire village … The tiger-head shoes saved the mother and son and their families to the end. Since then, people began to produce such tiger shoes for their children, hoping them to be able to bless the child and family’s safety.

Editor: Feng Hui


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