1) White Snake Genie

Once upon a time, there lived a little boy;
He often went to a nearby hill to play.
He saw a white tiny snake there one day,
While he was picking a purple pebble for a toy.

The tiny snake was dying of hunger and thirst,
The boy was pitiful and took it home,
And gave it food and water under his dome
Until the tiny snake would almost burst.

A few days later, the snake looked alive,
And the boy put it back to where it's found.
The snake was happy, crawling round and round,
Knowing it was her old home she did arrive.

How time flies; a thousand long years did pass.
The boy was now a young man of twenty-two,
For fifteenth incarnations he had gone thro.
Now he was at the age to desire a lass.

The white snake was now a thousand years old.
As she'd learnt magic, she turned to be a girl,
So pretty with her dark hair in long curl.
She left her home on the hilltop so cold.

She wish'd t' go to the human world to seek
For the boy who'd saved her life long ago.
She wanted for him to have something to do.
She wanted to be his little wife so meek.

On her way downhill the white snake did meet
A green snake of five hundred years of age.
They fought each other out of sudden rage.
Then the white snake the green snake did defeat.

The white snake thereby made green snake her maid,
As her magic was much more powerful,
And she could change herself more beautiful,
Since she's five hundred years older, it's said.

The man lived in Hangzhou, by name of Xu.
He worked as a salesclerk in a drug store.
His dearest parents had died long before.
He lived alone like a lone orphan, too.

How beautiful and scenic is the West Lake.
Lots of visitors go there everyday.
Xu was free and went for sightseeing one day,
When rain suddenly pelted on the lake.

The rain was caused by the white snake with magic.
She knew that Xu would come that very day.
If they could unite, she'd be happy and gay.
She attired herself and put on best fabric.

She lodged in a rented house with her maid.
Both girls sauntered that day on the lakeside.
Xu got face to face with girls side by side.
To such pretty girls full attention he paid.

They introduced to each other as soon.
“I am Miss White, and it's Little Green, my maid.
We live in a house in the city.” she said.
They talked and talked, and it was almost noon.

Just then came out of the blue a sudden shower,
Caused surely by the magic of Miss White.
The girl to her house the man did invite.
He said Yes as he saw her smiling like flower.

In her house they had a dinner party.
Little Green, the maid, cooked delicious dishes.
And Miss White had, indeed, secret wishes.
The maid tried her best to make them marry.

As he was still single, he's glad to have the wench.
So they united in holy matrimony.
They had some guests for the wedding party.
The visitors all sat on wooden bench.

Xu did not know that his wife was a snake,
Or he would certainly be scared to death,
And would be lying on bed without breath,
And would never and ever be awake.

The new couple felt happy after wedding.
Xu must still go to work everyday.
He'd look to his wife all work and no play.
The wife was now for his future planning.

She advised him to have a store of his own
So that he could ever be his own master.
He did not need to obey another,
That he would always feel so bad and moan.

She gave him two hundred taels of silver
For him to use to open a drug store.
He dream'd that he would have his wealth galore,
In the near future when he grew older.

To the seller of a nearby drug store
he handed money, about to close the deal;
He wanted to finish it, and back to meal,
And also back to his family chore.

But it was found that the silver was stolen
From the treasury of local government.
For human things the snake had no judgment,
When Mr. Xu learned it, he felt so sullen.

She just lay hands where silver was abundant,
And never knew that this was a great crime.
She just thought it was easy way at that time.
Her decision to get it was adamant.

Xu was arrested and put into jail.
Then he was exiled to Suzhou City,
He had an uncle living there; he was lucky.
His uncle paid money to get him out on bail.

The uncle of Xu also had a drug shop.
Now he worked for his uncle for a living.
He worked hard and brought his uncle much earning.
He stayed in the store and worked without stop.

The wife soon learned the situation of her man.
By her magic power she flew to Suzhou,
And moved all the store stuffs here from Hangzhou.
She opened a new shop, waiting for her man.

As if by chance, the maid met Xu one day,
In the street when he walked round at lunch time.
He's surprised to see her in his pastime,
And asked her about where now was their stay.

No answer, she just led him to their store.
The couple met in a new city again.
She tried to have him quit the job, but in vain,
Until she showed him round their new drug store.

The uncle was understandable and let him go.
He repaid his uncle the money for the bail.
He ran his shop, forgetting his days in jail.
And a bright future he's looking forward to.

How time flies! Thus elapsed two happy years.
He was glad that his wife was now with child.
One day there came a monk, looking so wild,
Who kidnapped Xu, and the wife's now in tears.

The monk lived in the temple on top of Mt. Jin,
Who could exercise very great magic power,
And could also even remove a tall tower,
To where he wanted it to be with a din.

When he learned a snake married a human,
He was in rage and made a secret wish.
As she's pregnant, he couldn't have her to punish,
That was why instead he took away the man.

Mt. Jin lies on north bank of Yangtze River.
The surroundings are picturesque in sight.
The wife took her maid there the monk to fight,
As by magic she knew her man was there.

Both the snakes came to the monk face to face.
The monk flared up, and yelled to them, “You bitch!”
but he forgot they're not bitch, just the witch.
Although they were surely another race.

The white snake raised up water from the river.
She wanted to flood the temple on the hilltop.
But the advance of the waves got a stop,
As monk threw down his cassock on the water.

At last the snakes were beaten in the fight,
As the monk had much greater magic power.
They had to retreat to a nearby bower,
And then they flew up into air in flight.

As the man insisted in going back,
Finally the monk had to let him go.
When he reach'd the Broken Bridge in Hangzhou,
He saw his wife there to welcome him back.

They went home, waiting for the baby's birth.
She feared the baby would have a snake's head.
And it was also the maid, Little Green's dread.
But the man was enjoying his great mirth.

In due time, the baby was born, a boy.
It was so lovely with the baby fat.
The skin was so soft like the fur of cat.
Both parents were in ecstasy and joy.

A party's held as the boy's one year old.
All friends were invited and came to greet.
The boy helloed the guests, his smile so sweet.
And he chatted with the adults, so bold.

All at once, appeared the monk from Mt. Jin.
He looked fierce at the boy's birthday party.
At his intrusion, the white snake's angry,
But she could not fight the monk with guests in.

They flew to nearest suburb and fought there.
The white snake was at last caught by the monk,
And thus their combat came to final conk.
The green snake fled and hid in a far mere.

There's Thunder-Peak Pagoda near West Lake.
Underneath it, the monk confined the snake,
Who was there bound head and tail on a stake,
So that she had no chance escape to make.

Guests all left, and the house was now empty.
Xu didn't know how to live on with his son.
He had half a mind to commit the arson.
But he must work hard in this society.

Twenty years passed. The boy was now of age.
He was told what happened to his mother.
To seek her, he bade farewell to father.
He went to see the monk in his high rage.

When he learned whereabouts of his mother,
He went to the pagoda and cried hard,
And wish'd to break pagoda into shard,
So that he could release his dear mother.

The white snake underground heard her son's cry,
Which hurt her heart. So she shed bitter tears.
She could do nothing. She was bound for years.
The son's wail was so loud to reach the sky.

He knelt before pagoda for three days.
The heavenly king was so moved on high
That even His Majesty gave a sigh.
To the wish of the son He couldn't say nays.
So the pagoda collapsed right away,
And the snake flew upward on her freed way.

2) Karma of Three smiles

Tang was a painter really so well-known
Almost to people in and outside the town.
He liked sightseeing and traveled a lot,
No matter the weather was cold or hot.

The picturesque scenes helped him very much
In painting with inspirational touch.
He went to a temple to worship Buddha,
And want'd to scale the nearby pagoda.

Tang lived in the famous city—Suzhou,
Where he had a best friend by name of Zhou,
Who was a calligrapher of renown.
For sale in a shop he had his works shown.

In a small town some hundred miles away,
There dwelt a family with surname Chay.
One day the old lady of the family
Went to the temple of Buddha so piously.

She had four pretty maids on her to wait.
They all did their long hair into a plait.
The most beautiful one's called Autumn Scent,
Whose service made the old lady content.

The lady went to Suzhou in a ship,
Where the Buddha in the temple to worship.
Just this maid accompanied the lady.
Other three maids were left aboard idly.

The lady kowtowed on a kneeling mat.
She felt hard to stand as she's a bit fat.
Seeing that, the maid helped her on her feet,
While a man came in from the sunny street.

When Tang set eyes on the girl with fair skin,
He at once wish'd to have her heart to win.
As the lady stood up and stepped aside,
The maid kowtowed too, with her face to hide.

Tang came to kneel beside the pretty lass,
The old lady thought the man was so brass,
As men and girls not allowed to get close,
If they were strangers, they should not appose.

As the girl's skirt spread on the mat so wide,
Tang got knees on it as he knelt beside.
The girl found it as she'd get on her feet.
She looked at the man and their eyes did meet.

When Tang rose, his cap on head was askew.
The girl did smile as she saw the weird view.
Tang mistook as her show of love to him,
And so he fell into fanciful whim.

Now he followed the girl where'er she went.
He was not a man to behave prudent.
Then the lady and girl were back to ship.
Tang hired a boat to be on the same trip.

The lady rose early and wash'd her face.
The maid helped to put on her the necklace.
Then she took the washing basin away,
To the stern when outside was a bright day.

She spilled the lukewarm dirty water down,
Which was all over Tang, wetting his gown.
Agape, Tang looked up at the girl above.
The girl smiled; so he took as sign of love.

The ship and the boat went on the same way.
Both arrived in the town at close of day.
On the bank the girl saw the man again.
She doubted what was in his silly brain.

Like an idiot, Tang looked at her strangely.
She smiled as if watching a comedy.
He had his eyes follow her to the door,
Until he could see her image no more.

If he could live with her in the same house,
He might be easy to get her as spouse.
Then immediately he formed a bold plan,
And so he changed his clothes with the boatman.

Now he looked like a piteous vagabond,
As if he was just saved from a near pond.
Then he knocked at the door of the big house.
The doorman stared at him—like a wet mouse.

He was now starving in need of a job,
While so saying, he gave out sigh and sob.
The doorman reported to the master,
Who had mercy on him as soon winter.

Tang was thus employed as a manservant,
His work was in charge of the garden plant.
As it's winter, he had nothing to do.
He's handsome; some maids took him as hero.

He could seldom see the maid of his mind.
If they met, she ignored him like he's wind.
Other maids ran after him ardently,
But he ignored them indifferently.

The family had two sons of low wit.
And soon several tutors had to quit.
Sons of rich family should have teaching,
Even if they were low-witted sibling.

Once at dinner, the father want'd to test
What they had learnt so far met his request.
They would play the easy word-matching game*,
The result of the sons was a real shame.

The father began with the word “mountain,”
But the elder son said the word “curtain.”
And the second son said the word “forest,”
Which enraged the father like a tempest.

At the time, Tang stood behind the father.
He blurted out the magic word “river.”
The master looked at him, “You, too, can write?”
“Yes.” Tang replied, “And many books to cite.”

“Then, you can teach my sons.” The master said.
Thus he could save money, no tutor paid.
Tang's status rose from servant to tutor.
He'd do his best to make the sons better.

All tutors taught the sons books hard to learn.
They didn't know for what the dull sons did yearn.
Now Tang did not teach the sons things too rife,
But just let them learn what needed in life.

Two years passed. Tang couldn't see much of the maid.
He's at a loss how he'd have a plan laid.
He'd to be patient and a chance to wait.
Or he must think a way to lay a bait.

For two years Mr. Zhou missed his best friend Tang.
Who seemed t' vanish in air and gave friends pang.
Zhou searched for him, but his efforts in vain.
If Tang was found, Zhou would put him in chain.

For two years Tang taught the sons of low-wit.
Both the sons could now write couplets a bit.
The father was so glad and “Thanks.” he said.
Tang had a mind to ask hand of the maid.

But after a second thought, it's too rash.
So he just smiled with his hands to dry-wash.
By chance his old friend Zhou met the boatman,
And thereby learned where Tang was and his plan.

Zhou hired the same boat to where he dropped Tang.
The boatman rowed his boat and loudly sang.
When the boat was anchored before the door,
Zhou stepped ashore to knock at the big door.

Zhou asked to see the master of the house.
Zhou's fame did have his interest to rouse.
They talked pleasantly in the sitting room,
Then about Zhou's missing friend and his gloom.

While Tang was standing behind the master,
He played the role of a good listener.
At last the host let Tang see the guest off.
Zhou strutted away like he was a toff.

Before the host Zhou feigned not to know Tang.
Outside he blamed him to give so much pang.
At last he gave Tang a plot what to do,
So that he could have the maid with him go.

Once back, he told the master he'd resign,
As Zhou had him a future to design.
Zhou'd give high pay and a wife from his maids.
The master'd let him choose, too, from his maids.

The master was thus taken in by Tang.
When he realized, he's like he'd got a bang.
Next day all maids gathered in the large hall.
When Tang entered, in hands he held a ball.

He should give the ball to the maid he chose.
Once selected, none of maids could oppose.
He went to the maid who gave him three smiles.
He promised that she'd have money in piles.

He revealed to her in bedroom that night
His true identity to her delight.
She'd turn from maid to wife of a painter,
So famous; and her fate thus favored her.

That very night, they stole out to Suzhou,
In the boat at the bank arranged by Zhou.
They lived e'er e'er afterward happily,
Like the end in many a love story.



3) Tale of Butterflies

In Hangzhou city there's a public school,
A little far from which there was a large pool.
A lot of students came from far and near,
From various homes and of various born year.

The school supplied students with board and food.
All the furniture was made of hard wood.
A young boy called Liang came from a small town.
A pupil, Zhu, liked to wear dress of brown.

Zhu was actually a girl in disguise;
That time girls not allowed in school, likewise.
Liang and Zhu sat at same desk, side by side.
They kept apart on bench possibly wide.

At the time, boys and girls couldn't e'en touch hands;
Liang didn't know she's girl, as she'd no wrist bands.
But as he helped her much, their friendship grew.
Friendship developed into love, she knew.

They were at school together for three years.
Zhu got letters from home; they'd part in tears.
Liang went with her on her way home for miles.
At length, Liang bade her farewell without smiles.

She told him that she had a twin sister.
She liked her to marry him, good brother*.
Liang gladly promised to come soon to woo.
Hearing his promise, Zhu was happy, too.

Liang returned home soon after Zhu went back.
His mother was sick; her neck skin was slack.
He wished to see Zhu, but now he's not free.
He'd take care of mom, e'en no time to pee.

Mother recover'd after half a year.
He planned to go to Zhu, as he had fear
That Zhu's parents might find another boy
For the twin sister, which would mar his joy.

He sat in study for Zhu to appear,
But here came a girl with rings on the ear.
She said, “I do not have a twin sister,
I'm a girl in disguise to be brother.”

“But really you come half a year too late.
I am not allowed to be your life mate.
My father'll soon marry me to some boy
Which at last has my fond hopes to destroy.”

The boy was stunned at the sudden bad news.
He saw before his eyes only dark views.
How he had returned home, he could not tell.
His mind's in confusion, and sick he fell.

Lovesick is really a fatal disease,
Worse than cancer, and it will make life cease.
Liang's case got from worse to worst, day by day,
Until he breathed no more and passed away.

He left a letter for Zhu, which was sent
To her; she began to weep and lament.
She decided to follow and marry
Him in other world, same tomb to bury.

Children must obey parents, it's the rule.
Zhu could not resist and only to pule.
She had a condition that she should pass
Liang's grave to cry as he's her mate of class.

So on her way to the boy's home, she stopp'd,
Before Liang's tomb, on her knees she dropp'd.
Just then, the tomb exploded with a hole,
Zhu jumped in, what was seen only her sole.
A legend said that their souls turned into
Two butterflies flying there with halo.



4) Cowboy and Girl-Weaver

Once upon a time there lived a cowboy
Who was everyday in mirth and joy.
To the grassland not far he led his cow
To graze there; that's what he was doing now.

In a hut at a brook he lived alone.
His parents died and here's only tomb stone.
What he had for meals was somewhat ripe fruit
From trees nearby in his forest circuit.

Sometimes he got some food on the mercy
Of neighbors who had something so spicy.
Many years gone by, he was now eighteen.
But to everything outside he's green.

He's still single; none would marry a poor boy,
And far and near no one would him employ.
By nature a grown-up boy would desire
A girl of the same age that he'd admire.

There was the Heavenly Mother on high,
Who had seven daughters living so nigh.
All daughters were goddesses forever,
And the youngest daughter was a weaver.

She wove clouds in all shapes so colorful,
That made the blue sky looking beautiful.
But she was surely not a demure doll.
She hated work, being lazy and loll.

She stole down to the human world one day,
And wanted with birds and rabbits to play.
By chance she met the cowboy at a brook,
Who was greatly stunned at her pretty look.

The goddess liked the boy at the first sight.
Her beautiful face suddenly grew bright.
The cowboy liked the girl, it's by nature.
They got together, and talked with pleasure.

At last the girl followed him to his hut,
And when they entered it, the door was shut.
Although they stayed together for a year,
Yet their relationship was very clear.

As both were so naive and innocent,
Their behavior to each other so decent.
By self learning the boy could play the fife;
Therefore the boy and the girl enjoyed life.

Finally the Heavenly Mother found
Her missing daughter was on mortal ground.
So she sent some guards to take the girl back.
The guards almost kidnapped her from the shack.

When the girl was carried away by force,
The boy felt like suffering from divorce.
He ran after her as fast as he could,
But he couldn't catch her as he thought he would.

The Heavenly Mother with a chisel
Drew a line Between the boy and damsel.
Very soon, the line turned to a river,
And so people called it Celestial River.