THE LEGENDS AND FOLKTALES

The ogre of Rashomon

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Long, long ago in Kyoto, the people of the city were terrified by accounts of a dreadful ogre, who, it was said, haunted the Gate of Rashomon at twilight and seized whoever passed by. The missing victims were never seen again, so it was whispered that the ogre was a horrible cannibal, who not only killed the unhappy victims but ate them also. Now everybody in the town and neighborhood was in great fear, and no one durst venture out after sunset near the Gate of Rashomon.</div>
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Now at this time there lived in Kyoto a general named Raiko, who had made himself famous for his brave deeds. Some time before this he made the country ring with his name, for he had attacked Oeyama, where a band of ogres lived with their chief, who instead of wine drank the blood of human beings. He had routed them all and cut off the head of the chief monster.</div>
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This brave warrior was always followed by a band of faithful knights. In this band there were five knights of great valor. One evening as the five knights sat at a feast quaffing SAKE in their rice bowls and eating all kinds of fish, raw, and stewed, and broiled, and toasting each other's healths and exploits, the first knight, Hojo, said to the others:</div>
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"Have you all heard the rumor that every evening after sunset there comes an ogre to the Gate of Rashomon, and that he seizes all who pass by?"</div>
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The second knight, Watanabe, answered him, saying:</div>
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"Do not talk such nonsense! All the ogres were killed by our chief Raiko at Oeyama! It cannot be true, because even if any ogres did escape from that great killing they would not dare to show themselves in this city, for they know that our brave master would at once attack them if he knew that any of them were still alive!"</div>
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"Then do you disbelieve what I say, and think that I am telling you a falsehood?"</div>
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"No, I do not think that you are telling a lie," said Watanabe; "but you have heard some old woman's story which is not worth believing."</div>
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"Then the best plan is to prove what I say, by going there yourself and finding out yourself whether it is true or not," said Hojo.</div>
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Watanabe, the second knight, could not bear the thought that his companion should believe he was afraid, so he answered quickly:</div>
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"Of course, I will go at once and find out for myself!"</div>
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So Watanabe at once got ready to go—he buckled on his long sword and put on a coat of armor, and tied on his large helmet. When he was ready to start he said to the others:</div>
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"Give me something so that I can prove I have been there!"</div>
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Then one of the men got a roll of writing paper and his box of Indian ink and brushes, and the four comrades wrote their names on a piece of paper.</div>
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"I will take this," said Watanabe, "and put it on the Gate of Rashomon, so to-morrow morning will you all go and look at it? I may be able to catch an ogre or two by then!" and he mounted his horse and rode off gallantly.</div>
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It was a very dark night, and there was neither moon nor star to light Watanabe on his way. To make the darkness worse a storm came on, the rain fell heavily and the wind howled like wolves in the mountains. Any ordinary man would have trembled at the thought of going out of doors, but Watanabe was a brave warrior and dauntless, and his honor and word were at stake, so he sped on into the night, while his companions listened to the sound of his horse's hoofs dying away in the distance, then shut the sliding shutters close and gathered round the charcoal fire and wondered what would happen—and whether their comrade would encounter one of those horrible Oni.</div>
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At last Watanabe reached the Gate of Rashomon, but peer as he might through the darkness he could see no sign of an ogre.</div>
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"It is just as I thought," said Watanabe to himself; "there are certainly no ogres here; it is only an old woman's story. I will stick this paper on the gate so that the others can see I have been here when they come to-morrow, and then I will take my way home and laugh at them all."</div>
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He fastened the piece of paper, signed by all his four companions, on the gate, and then turned his horse's head towards home.</div>
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As he did so he became aware that some one was behind him, and at the same time a voice called out to him to wait. Then his helmet was seized from the back. "Who are you?" said Watanabe fearlessly. He then put out his hand and groped around to find out who or what it was that held him by the helmet. As he did so he touched something that felt like an arm—it was covered with hair and as big round as the trunk of a tree!</div>
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Watanabe knew at once that this was the arm of an ogre, so he drew his sword and cut at it fiercely.</div>
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There was a loud yell of pain, and then the ogre dashed in front of the warrior.</div>
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Watanabe's eyes grew large with wonder, for he saw that the ogre was taller than the great gate, his eyes were flashing like mirrors in the sunlight, and his huge mouth was wide open, and as the monster breathed, flames of fire shot out of his mouth.</div>
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The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched. He attacked the ogre with all his strength, and thus they fought face to face for a long time. At last the ogre, finding that he could neither frighten nor beat Watanabe and that he might himself be beaten, took to flight. But Watanabe, determined not to let the monster escape, put spurs to his horse and gave chase.</div>
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But though the knight rode very fast the ogre ran faster, and to his disappointment he found himself unable to overtake the monster, who was gradually lost to sight.</div>
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Watanabe returned to the gate where the fierce fight had taken place, and got down from his horse. As he did so he stumbled upon something lying on the ground.</div>
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Stooping to pick it up he found that it was one of the ogre's huge arms which he must have slashed off in the fight. His joy was great at having secured such a prize, for this was the best of all proofs of his adventure with the ogre. So he took it up carefully and carried it home as a trophy of his victory.</div>
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When he got back, he showed the arm to his comrades, who one and all called him the hero of their band and gave him a great feast. His wonderful deed was soon noised abroad in Kyoto, and people from far and near came to see the ogre's arm.</div>
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Watanabe now began to grow uneasy as to how he should keep the arm in safety, for he knew that the ogre to whom it belonged was still alive. He felt sure that one day or other, as soon as the ogre got over his scare, he would come to try to get his arm back again. Watanabe therefore had a box made of the strongest wood and banded with iron. In this he placed the arm, and then he sealed down the heavy lid, refusing to open it for anyone. He kept the box in his own room and took charge of it himself, never allowing it out of his sight.</div>
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Now one night he heard some one knocking at the porch, asking for admittance.</div>
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When the servant went to the door to see who it was, there was only an old woman, very respectable in appearance. On being asked who she was and what was her business, the old woman replied with a smile that she had been nurse to the master of the house when he was a little baby. If the lord of the house were at home she begged to be allowed to see him.</div>
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The servant left the old woman at the door and went to tell his master that his old nurse had come to see him. Watanabe thought it strange that she should come at that time of night, but at the thought of his old nurse, who had been like a foster-mother to him and whom he had not seen for a long time, a very tender feeling sprang up for her in his heart. He ordered the servant to show her in.</div>
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The old woman was ushered into the room, and after the customary bows and greetings were over, she said:</div>
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"Master, the report of your brave fight with the ogre at the Gate of Rashomon is so widely known that even your poor old nurse has heard of it. Is it really true, what every one says, that you cut off one of the ogre's arms? If you did, your deed is highly to be praised!"</div>
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"I was very disappointed," said Watanabe, "that I was not able take the monster captive, which was what I wished to do, instead of only cutting off an arm!"</div>
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"I am very proud to think," answered the old woman, "that my master was so brave as to dare to cut off an ogre's arm. There is nothing that can be compared to your courage. Before I die it is the great wish of my life to see this arm," she added pleadingly.</div>
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"No," said Watanabe, "I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request."</div>
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"But why?" asked the old woman.</div>
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"Because," replied Watanabe, "ogres are very revengeful creatures, and if I open the box there is no telling but that the ogre may suddenly appear and carry off his arm. I have had a box made on purpose with a very strong lid, and in this box I keep the ogre's arm secure; and I never show it to any one, whatever happens."</div>
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"Your precaution is very reasonable," said the old woman. "But I am your old nurse, so surely you will not refuse to show ME the arm. I have only just heard of your brave act, and not being able to wait till the morning I came at once to ask you to show it to me."</div>
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Watanabe was very troubled at the old woman's pleading, but he still persisted in refusing. Then the old woman said:</div>
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"Do you suspect me of being a spy sent by the ogre?"</div>
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"No, of course I do not suspect you of being the ogre's spy, for you are my old nurse," answered Watanabe.</div>
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"Then you cannot surely refuse to show me the arm any longer." entreated the old woman; "for it is the great wish of my heart to see for once in my life the arm of an ogre!"</div>
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Watanabe could not hold out in his refusal any longer, so he gave in at last, saying:</div>
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"Then I will show you the ogre's arm, since you so earnestly wish to see it. Come, follow me!" and he led the way to his own room, the old woman following.</div>
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When they were both in the room Watanabe shut the door carefully, and then going towards a big box which stood in a corner of the room, he took off the heavy lid. He then called to the old woman to come near and look in, for he never took the arm out of the box.</div>
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"What is it like? Let me have a good look at it," said the old nurse, with a joyful face.</div>
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She came nearer and nearer, as if she were afraid, till she stood right against the box. Suddenly she plunged her hand into the box and seized the arm, crying with a fearful voice which made the room shake:</div>
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"Oh, joy! I have got my arm back again!"</div>
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And from an old woman she was suddenly transformed into the towering figure of the frightful ogre!</div>
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Watanabe sprang back and was unable to move for a moment, so great was his astonishment; but recognizing the ogre who had attacked him at the Gate of Rashomon, he determined with his usual courage to put an end to him this time. He seized his sword, drew it out of its sheath in a flash, and tried to cut the ogre down.</div>
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So quick was Watanabe that the creature had a narrow escape. But the ogre sprang up to the ceiling, and bursting through the roof, disappeared in the mist and clouds.</div>
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In this way the ogre escaped with his arm. The knight gnashed his teeth with disappointment, but that was all he could do. He waited in patience for another opportunity to dispatch the ogre. But the latter was afraid of Watanabe's great strength and daring, and never troubled Kyoto again. So once more the people of the city were able to go out without fear even at night time, and the brave deeds of Watanabe have never been forgotten!</div>
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The ogre of Rashomon

Long, long ago in Kyoto, the people of the city were terrified by accounts of a dreadful ogre, who, it was said, haunted the Gate of Ras...

2:31:00 am

The Guest

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An old hag lived in a house with her grandson. She was a very bad woman who thought of nothing but playing mischief. She was a witch and tried to harm everybody with witchcraft.</div>
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One time a stranger came to visit some friends who lived in a house near the old woman. The visitor was a fine hunter and went out with his host every morning and they brought home a great deal of game. It made the old woman envious to see her neighbor have so much to eat, while she had little, and she determined to kill the visitor.</div>
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She made a soup of wolf's and man's brains, which was the most poisonous food she could think of. Then she sent her grandson to invite the stranger to eat supper at her house.</div>
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"Tell him that I desire to be polite to the guest of my neighbor, but be sure you do not tell him what I have cooked."</div>
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The boy went to the neighboring hut and said, "Stranger, my grandmother invites you to come to her hut and have a good feast on a supper that she has cooked. She told me not to say that it is a wolf's and a man's brains, and I do not say it."</div>
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The man thought a moment, and then replied, "Tell your grandam that I will come."</div>
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He went to the hut where the old woman pretended to be very glad to see him. They sat down at the table and while she was placing a large dish of soup before him, he put a bowl on the floor between his feet. He excused himself for putting his hand before his mouth because his front teeth were gone, and every time he poured the spoonful into the bowl.</div>
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When he had finished he said, "It is the custom in my tribe to bring your hostess a bit of some delicious food to show that you appreciate her hospitality. Here is a bowl of rare food which I give to you, but it will not be good unless you eat it at once."</div>
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He gave the soup to the old witch, and the moment she tasted the broth she herself had prepared she fell down dead.</div>
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The Guest

An old hag lived in a house with her grandson. She was a very bad woman who thought of nothing but playing mischief. She was a witch and...

2:26:00 am

The Spirit of the Singing House

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The singing house of an Eskimo village is used also for feasting and dancing, and always has a spirit owner who is supposed to remain in it all the time. Once a woman was curious about this spirit and wanted to see it. For a long time she had wanted to know more about this spirit of the singing house, but the villagers warned her that she would meet with a terrible fate if she persisted in trying to see it.</div>
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One night she could wait no longer, and went into the house when it was quite dark so the villagers would not see her go. When she had entered she said:</div>
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"If you are in the house, come here."</div>
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As she could see and hear nothing, she cried, "No spirit is here; he will not come."</div>
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"Here I am; there I am," said a hoarse whisper.</div>
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"Where are your feet?" she asked, for she could not see him.</div>
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"Here they are; there they are," said the voice.</div>
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"Where are your shins?" she asked.</div>
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"Here they are; there they are," it whispered.</div>
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As she could not see anything, she felt of him with her hands to make sure he was there, and when she touched his knees she found that he was a bandy-legged man with knees bent outward and forward. She kept on asking, "Where are your hips? Where are your shoulders? Where is your neck?" And each time the voice answered, "Here it is; there it is."</div>
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At last she asked, "Where is your head?"</div>
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"Here it is; there it is," the spirit whispered, hoarsely.</div>
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But as the woman touched the head, all of a sudden she fell dead. <em>It had no bones and no hair.</em></div>
</div>

The Spirit of the Singing House

The singing house of an Eskimo village is used also for feasting and dancing, and always has a spirit owner who is supposed to remain in...

2:23:00 am

The Bird Wife

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Itajung, one of the Inuit tribe, was vexed because a young woman would not marry him, so he left his home and traveled far away into the land of the birds. He came to a small lake in which many geese were swimming. On the shore he saw a great many boots. He cautiously crept near and stole a pair and hid them.</div>
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Presently the birds came out of the water, and finding a pair of boots gone they were alarmed, and quickly forming into two long lines with their leader at the point where the lines met, they flew away crying, "<em>Honk! Honk! Honk!</em>"</div>
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But one of the flock remained behind crying, "I want my boots! I want my boots!"</div>
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Itajung came forth from his hiding-place and said, "I will give you your boots if you will become my wife."</div>
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"That I will not do," she replied.</div>
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"Very well," he said, and turned around to go away.</div>
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"I don't want to, but I will be your wife if you will bring back my boots," she called.</div>
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He came back and gave her the boots, and when she put them on she was changed into a woman.</div>
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They walked away together, and wandered down to the seaside and, as she liked to live near the water, they settled in a large village by the sea. Here they lived for several years and had a son. Itajung became a highly respected man, for he was by far the best whaler in all the Inuit tribe.</div>
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One day they killed a whale and were busy cutting it up and carrying the meat and blubber to their homes. Many of the women were helping, but though Itajung was working very hard, his wife stood lazily looking on.</div>
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"Come and help us," he called to her.</div>
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"My food is not from the sea," she replied. "My food is from the land. I will not eat the meat of a whale; neither will I help."</div>
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"You must eat it; it will fill your stomach," said he.</div>
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She began to cry, and said, "I will not eat it. I will not soil my nice white clothing."</div>
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She went to the beach and searched for feathers. When she found some, she put them between her fingers and the fingers of her child. They were both turned into geese and flew away. When the Inuit saw this they cried, "Itajung, your wife is flying away."</div>
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Itajung became very sad. He no longer cared for the meat and blubber, nor for the whales spouting near the shore. He followed in the direction his wife had taken, and went over all the land in search of her.</div>
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After traveling for many weary months, he came to a river where a man with a large axe was chopping chips from a piece of wood, and as fast as he chopped them they were turned into salmon and slipped out of the man's hands into the river and swam down to a large lake near by. The name of the man was Small Salmon.</div>
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As Itajung looked at the man he was frightened almost to death; for the back of the man was entirely hollow, and Itajung could see right through him and out at the other side. He was so scared that he kept very still and crept back and away out around him. He wanted to ask if the man had seen his wife, for that was what he asked everyone he came to. So he went around and came from the opposite direction, facing the man.</div>
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When Small Salmon saw him approaching he stopped chopping and asked, "Which way did you approach me?"</div>
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"I came from that direction," said Itajung, pointing in the way he had last approached.</div>
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"That is lucky for you, for if you had come the other way and had seen my back, I should have killed you at once with my hatchet."</div>
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"I am glad I don't have to die," said Itajung. "But haven't you seen my wife? She left me and came this way."</div>
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"Yes, I saw her. Do you see that little island in the large lake? That is where she lives now, and she has taken another husband."</div>
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"Oh, I can never reach her," said Itajung in despair. "I have no boat and do not know how to reach the island."</div>
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"I will help you," said Small Salmon kindly. "Come down to the beach with me. Here is the backbone of a salmon. Now shut your eyes. The backbone will turn into a kayak and carry you safely to the island. But mind you keep your eyes shut. If you open them the kayak will upset."</div>
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"I will obey," said Itajung.</div>
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He closed his eyes, the backbone became a kayak, and away he sped over the water. He heard no splashing and was anxious to know if he really was moving, so he peeped open his eyes a trifle.</div>
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At once the boat began to swing violently, but he quickly shut his eyes, and it went on steadily, and he soon landed on the island.</div>
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There he saw a hut and his son playing on the beach near it. The boy on looking up saw and recognized him, and ran to his mother, crying:</div>
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"Mother, Father is here and is coming to our hut."</div>
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"Go back to your play," she said; "your father is far away and cannot find us."</div>
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The lad went back, but again he ran in, saying:</div>
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"Mother, Father is here and is coming to our hut."</div>
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Again she sent him away; but he soon returned, saying: "Father is right here."</div>
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He had scarcely said it when Itajung opened the door. When the new husband saw him he said to his wife, "Open that box in the corner of the hut."</div>
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She did so, and a great quantity of feathers flew out and stuck fast to them. The hut disappeared. The woman, her new husband, and the child were transformed into geese and flew away, leaving Itajung standing alone.</div>
</div>

The Bird Wife

Itajung, one of the Inuit tribe, was vexed because a young woman would not marry him, so he left his home and traveled far away into the...

2:17:00 am

The Woman Magician

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Long ago, in Aggo, a country where nobody lives nowadays, there were two large houses standing far apart. In each of these houses many families lived together. In the summer the people in the two houses went in company to hunt deer and had a good time together. When fall came they returned to their separate houses. The names of the houses were Quern and Exaluq.</div>
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One summer it happened that the men from Quern had killed many deer, while those from Exaluq had caught but a few. The latter said to each other, "They are not fair; they shoot before we have a chance;" and they became very angry.</div>
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"Let us kill them," said one.</div>
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"Yes, let us kill them, but let us wait till the end of the season, and then we can take all the game they have in their storehouse," said the others. For the game was packed in snow and ice and was taken home on dog sledges when the hunting was over.</div>
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When it came time to go home both parties agreed to go on a certain day to the storehouses and pack up the game ready to start early in the morning. This was the time for which the men of Exaluq had been waiting.</div>
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They started off all together with their sledges, but when they got a long distance from the camp and very near to the storehouse, those from Exaluq suddenly fell upon the others and slew them, for the men from Quern had never suspected that there was any ill-feeling.</div>
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Fearing that if the dogs went back to camp without their masters, the women and children would guess what had happened, they killed the dogs also. When they returned, they told the women that their husbands had separated from them and had gone off over a hill, and they did not know what had become of them.</div>
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Now one of the young men had married a girl from Quern, and he went to her house that night as usual, and she received him kindly, for she believed what she had heard about the men of her party straying off. She and all the other women thought the men would soon find their way back, as they had hunted in these parts so long that they knew the land.</div>
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But in the house was the girl's little brother who had seen the husband come in; and after everybody was asleep he heard the spirits of the murdered men calling and he recognized their voices. They told him what had happened, and asked the boy to kill the young man in revenge for their deaths. So he crept from under the bed and thrust a knife into the young man's breast.</div>
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Then he awakened all the women and children in the great row of huts and told them that the spirits of the dead men had come to him and told of their murder, and had ordered him to avenge them by killing the young man.</div>
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"Oh, what shall we do? What shall we do?" they cried. "They have killed our men and they will kill us!" They were terribly frightened.</div>
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"We must fly from here before the men from Exaluq awaken and learn that the young man is slain in revenge," said one of the old women.</div>
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"But how can we fly? Our dogs are dead, and we cannot travel fast enough to escape."</div>
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"I will attend to that," said the old woman. In her hut was a litter of pups, and as she was a conjurer, she said to them, "Grow up at once." She had no fairy wand to wave over them, but she waved a stick, and after waving it once the dogs were half-grown. She waved it again, saying, "Be full-grown instantly;" and they were.</div>
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They harnessed the dogs at once, and in order to deceive their enemies they left everything in the huts and even left their lights burning, so that when the men arose in the morning they would think that they, too, had arisen and were dressing.</div>
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When it had come full daylight next morning the men of Exaluq wondered why the young man did not come back to them, and presently they went to find out. They peeked into the spy-hole of the window and saw the lamps burning, but no people inside the hut. They discovered the body of the dead man, and then when they looked they saw the tracks of sledges.</div>
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They wondered very much how the women could have gone away on sledges, since they had no dogs, and they feared some other people had helped them to get off. They hastily harnessed their own dogs and started in pursuit of the fugitives.</div>
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The women whipped their dogs and journeyed rapidly, but the pursuers had older and tougher animals and were likely to overtake them soon. They became very much frightened, fearing that they would all be killed in revenge for the death of the young man.</div>
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When the sledge of the men drew near and the women and children saw that they could not escape, the boy who had slain the man said to the old woman:</div>
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"The spirits of our murdered men are calling to us to cut the ice. Cannot you cut it?"</div>
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"I think I can," she answered, and she slowly drew her first finger across the path of the pursuers, muttering a magic charm as she did so.</div>
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The ice gave a terrific crack, and the water came gushing through the crevasse. They sped on, and presently she drew another line with her finger, and another crack opened and the ice between the two cracks broke up and the floe began to move.</div>
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The men, dashing ahead with all speed, could scarcely stop their dog team in time to escape falling into the open water. The floe was so wide and so long that it was impossible for them to cross, and thus the women and children were saved by the art of their conjurer.</div>
</div>

The Woman Magician

Long ago, in Aggo, a country where nobody lives nowadays, there were two large houses standing far apart. In each of these houses many f...

2:12:00 am

the Giant

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In days of old an enormous man lived with other members of the Inuit tribe in a village beside a large inlet. He was so tall that he could straddle the inlet, and he used to stand that way every morning and wait for the whales to pass beneath him. As soon as one came along he used to scoop it up just as easily as other men scoop up a minnow. And he ate the whole whale just as other men eat a small fish.</div>
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One day all the natives manned their boats to catch a whale that was spouting off the shore; but he sat idly by his hut. When the men had harpooned the whale and were having a hard time to hold it and keep their boats from capsizing, he rose and strolled down to the shore and scooped the whale and the boats from the water and placed them on the beach.</div>
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Another time when he was tired of walking about, he lay down on a high hill to take a nap.</div>
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"You would better be careful," said the people, "for a couple of huge bears have been seen near the village."</div>
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"Oh, I don't care for them. If they come too near me, throw some stones at me to waken me," he said with a yawn.</div>
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The bears came, and the people threw the stones and grabbed their spears. The giant sat up.</div>
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"Where are they? I see no bears. Where are they?" he asked.</div>
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"There! There! Don't you see them?" cried the Inuit.</div>
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"What! those little things! They are not worth all this bustle. They are nothing but small foxes." And he crushed one between his fingers, and put the other into the eyelet of his boot to strangle it.</div>
</div>

the Giant

In days of old an enormous man lived with other members of the Inuit tribe in a village beside a large inlet. He was so tall that he cou...

2:07:00 am

The magical turtle

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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Apart from Sentosa Island, Singapore comprises over 60 other
islands, several of which are accessible by boat. Hop on a southern island
cruise to explore Kusu Island (Kusu means ‘turtle’ in Hokkien dialect), which
remains tied to several legends. In one, a giant turtle saved a group of
sailors from rough waters by turning itself into an island. The sailors
returned the following year with offerings to show their gratitude. Today, the
island houses a Chinese temple and three Malay kramat, or holy shrines of Malay
saints. And how’s this for a little more magic? The island continues to attract
some 100,000 Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian pilgrims annually. These obscure
religious sites across Singapore also have far-reaching roots in history.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References: Wikipedia</span></div>

The magical turtle

Apart from Sentosa Island, Singapore comprises over 60 other islands, several of which are accessible by boat. Hop on a southern island...

4:27:00 am

Sandy: The Giant Fish-Turned Monk

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDM5JEyu7fmn9rpZJniEKNC4isTIUYPeSLl-sgCKcl0uXYvcwQMF0K3S2ewJ4OQFWQtPLzuEvbc6iSezYNEOm2rVxQHZYvY3r9_IudOgaHPVNdeFRT9z-409e4wY4omSLBovri18dZBu6K/s1600/3bb585ea00014b0e3ebe4c6dd165a358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="304" data-original-width="420" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDM5JEyu7fmn9rpZJniEKNC4isTIUYPeSLl-sgCKcl0uXYvcwQMF0K3S2ewJ4OQFWQtPLzuEvbc6iSezYNEOm2rVxQHZYvY3r9_IudOgaHPVNdeFRT9z-409e4wY4omSLBovri18dZBu6K/s320/3bb585ea00014b0e3ebe4c6dd165a358.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the story of how a warrior turned man-eating fish-ogre becomes a Buddhist friar. His name is Sand Monk, or Sandy or short.<br />
Shortly after Pigsy joins Tang Monk and Monkey King on their pilgrimage, the band arrives at the banks of an impassable river 300 miles wide. What’s worse, it’s inhabited by a ferocious beast that devours any human who strays too close to the shore. But for the Tang Monk and his disciples, this monster is their only hope of crossing.<br />
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This creature was once a heavenly warrior who happened to be just a little too clumsy. One day, in the middle of a grand heavenly banquet, he accidentally shatters a crystal goblet that, regrettably, belonged to the Queen Mother of the West. Having infuriated the palace, he is exiled to the mortal world and turned into a river ogre with a fish spirit. He spends his days hidden in the massive Flowing Sands River, binging on unwary fishermen.<br />
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Until, that is, our three pilgrims arrive. The monster sees them standing near the riverbank, looking desperately left and right for a way to cross. Sandy leaps out of the river and shape-shifts from a giant fish to his ogre appearance—matted red hair, a necklace of nine skulls, and an enormous, magical staff in hand—and pounces on them out of the river.<br />
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Pigsy and the monster battle to a standstill, but as Monkey King joins the fray, the ogre-fish creature dives into the water to escape. Pigsy swims after him, knowing that only by convincing him to help could the party ever cross the river.<br />
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Twice Pigsy fights tenaciously battles with the monster, but cannot defeat him. Finally, Monkey King lures him out of the water and is about to deliver the final blow when the monster hears of their holy quest.<br />
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He decides to give up his evil ways and converts to Buddhism, becoming the human friar. His nine skulls carry the party across the river.

Sandy: The Giant Fish-Turned Monk

This is the story of how a warrior turned man-eating fish-ogre becomes a Buddhist friar. His name is Sand Monk, or Sandy or short. Shortl...

4:24:00 am

Sisters’ Islands

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLibClRl1VaBEpfgXfWKUxTx2IbQXfX38tpc4eOF6pf0hBduCRXkhnNDZI5ugtsNGBSH5_UihoHjsM_-6qlgXoNjw5QXvbof_hkaCQK46YZtA91LHYjytkOtvQuiW_ZsdIkvNt6tRZu2o/s1600/Sisters%25E2%2580%2599+Islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="313" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifLibClRl1VaBEpfgXfWKUxTx2IbQXfX38tpc4eOF6pf0hBduCRXkhnNDZI5ugtsNGBSH5_UihoHjsM_-6qlgXoNjw5QXvbof_hkaCQK46YZtA91LHYjytkOtvQuiW_ZsdIkvNt6tRZu2o/s320/Sisters%25E2%2580%2599+Islands.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lying south of Sentosa, Sisters’ Islands refer to Pulau
Subar Darat and Pulau Subar Laut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Many years ago, there was a pair of sisters Minah and Linah
living by the southern coast of Singapore. Being very attached to each other,
the sisters vowed to marry two brothers so that they could live together
always. However, fate could be cruel sometimes, as one night Linah ran into a
group of pirates by the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stunned by her beauty, the pirate chief was determined to
marry Linah. When the dawn broke, the pirates came and abducted Linah to their
ships. Weeping over the loss of her dear sister, Minah came swimming after the
boats. The stormy waters were merciless, and she was drowned eventually. In a
desperate attempt, Linah broke free and dived into the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The next day, a pair of islands appeared at where the
sisters had drowned. They were named Sisters’ Island by the villagers in memory
of the two ill-fated girls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References:Wikipedia</span></div>
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Sisters’ Islands

Lying south of Sentosa, Sisters’ Islands refer to Pulau Subar Darat and Pulau Subar Laut. Many years ago, there was a pair of si...

4:24:00 am

Singapura

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D2bq2rzIAFKA1G55Ai36BzPmkWBhQjp095-DcYdItgbbgvNtfMzHxOQOmSnLtDvjdzXIVMn0FcRu0mU72O3z8rlIGIiKmjtxDrkoSSyuMX3i259ookoiya9WeM3NE4p8ofJWgG35Noi8/s1600/Singapura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4D2bq2rzIAFKA1G55Ai36BzPmkWBhQjp095-DcYdItgbbgvNtfMzHxOQOmSnLtDvjdzXIVMn0FcRu0mU72O3z8rlIGIiKmjtxDrkoSSyuMX3i259ookoiya9WeM3NE4p8ofJWgG35Noi8/s1600/Singapura.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sang Nila Utama, or Sri Tri Buana, was once the ruler of the
Srivijaya Empire at Sumatra. According to legends, he went on an expedition in
the late 13th century, and discovered an island with white sandy shore. After
learning that the place was called Temasik (Temasek), Sang Nila Utama decided
to cross the waters to reach this newly discovered land.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">However, a storm appeared out of nowhere and nearly capsized
the boat. In a desperate attempt, Sang Nila Utama threw his crown into the
turbulent waters. The weather and the sea immediately became calm, and the crew
reached Teluk Belanga (present-day Telok Blangah) safely. As they landed, a
strange beast was spotted from afar. Upon hearing that it was a lion, an
auspicious symbol, Sang Nila Utama was overjoyed and decided to name the island
Singapura, or Lion City.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The discovery was said to have happened in around AD1297,
and Sang Nila Utama went on to rule Singapura for 48 years before his death.
His palace and burial ground was located on top of Bukit Larangan, or Forbidden
Hill (present-day Fort Canning Hill).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References: Wikipedia </span></div>
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Singapura

Sang Nila Utama, or Sri Tri Buana, was once the ruler of the Srivijaya Empire at Sumatra. According to legends, he went on an expedi...

4:22:00 am

Meet the great Jade Emperor

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpW-PjHvz8rJQVpO5tRqcl_XTdsjl_n7Zy0eJ2Ley-JbpguPheSF5n-uk03PODzHjdlkBHUuDmttnYbx7YvbgqtRc_WxgtAXHlaLgiV_FTk6pEFTcF5n78409mjG7WXak1yCG7Q4RjwRI/s1600/35817bda28b111aa49bd8fdf61878246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="537" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpW-PjHvz8rJQVpO5tRqcl_XTdsjl_n7Zy0eJ2Ley-JbpguPheSF5n-uk03PODzHjdlkBHUuDmttnYbx7YvbgqtRc_WxgtAXHlaLgiV_FTk6pEFTcF5n78409mjG7WXak1yCG7Q4RjwRI/s320/35817bda28b111aa49bd8fdf61878246.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝 yù huáng dà dì) is famously known as the leader of the Heavens in traditional Chinese folklore, especially in Taoism, and also in Journey to the West, the classic novel about Monkey King and Tang Monk on a dangerous quest for Buddhist scriptures. According to the Records of the Virtuous Jade Emperor, he was once the prince of the Shining Wondrous Kingdom (it sounds much more elegant in Chinese).<br />
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This is a kingdom that existed a long, long time ago. Under the rule of the King of Pure Virtue and the Queen of Gilt Moonlight, the kingdom was peaceful and happy. But the king and queen were growing old and still heirless. “When I am gone, who will take care of the kingdom?” worried the elderly king. So he ordered the kingdom’s Taoist priests to pray to the deities for a son. For over half a year, the king and queen also prayed twice a day without fail and without results.<br />
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Finally, their heartfelt appeal moved the Primeval Lord of Heaven. He created a child for the king and queen and then sent a Taoist deity to bring him to the couple.<br />
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That night, fast asleep, the queen dreamed of a saintly glow enveloping the palace. The Taoist descended from the sky, holding a beautiful, radiant infant. Kneeling in front of the saint, the queen begged, “My king has no heir. I plead for your compassion that you may grant us this child.” The Taoist replied, “This is no ordinary child. One day he will attain the highest level of Tao. You must take good care of him.” The queen thanked the deity and held out her arms to receive the boy. The deity passed the child over, but he weighed as much as a mountain and the queen awoke in shock. She hurriedly went to inform the king who, wondrously, had the exact same dream.<br />
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The next day, the queen discovered she was pregnant, and a year later, a beautiful prince was born. His body shone with golden radiance, lighting up the entire kingdom. When he came of age, he gifted the kingdom stores of food and gave treasures to the poor and the orphaned.<br />
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Some time later, the old king passed away. After the prince ascended the throne, he ruled with wisdom and benevolence. But he soon realized that all beings in his kingdom were suffering and had no way of breaking the cycle of death and reincarnation. He thus abdicated the throne and, leaving the kingdom to a virtuous minister, entered the mountains. There, he sought the Way, or the Tao, hoping to unravel the mysteries of the universe and break through the limitations of mortality and suffering.<br />
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He cultivated his spirit arduously for 3,200 kalpas to finally attain enlightenment and become a Taoist saint, and spent another 100,000,000 kalpas gaining enough virtue to become the ruler of Heaven. How long is one kalpa? About the time between a universe’s creation and subsequent recreation.

Meet the great Jade Emperor

The Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝 yù huáng dà dì) is famously known as the leader of the Heavens in traditional Chinese folklore, especially in Taois...

4:21:00 am

Singapore’s Hercules

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn2HodiL8EWXXbu4zhXIy98WfI6X1HnuN-GF6Mx8oz0omf5Mq1Bst4nL1CviEl3OIpdxMWH7m58BjiKPsbpxdykInUKZWHoBvyp4hTPdO_pTCjaHtbA0dC7m7UmvMTIYO1jWvQYqYAlzE/s1600/Singapore%25E2%2580%2599s+Hercules.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="255" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinn2HodiL8EWXXbu4zhXIy98WfI6X1HnuN-GF6Mx8oz0omf5Mq1Bst4nL1CviEl3OIpdxMWH7m58BjiKPsbpxdykInUKZWHoBvyp4hTPdO_pTCjaHtbA0dC7m7UmvMTIYO1jWvQYqYAlzE/s320/Singapore%25E2%2580%2599s+Hercules.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Another well-known Singapore folk tale? Enter Badang, a
Malay hero in ancient Singapore who may have been the country’s only answer to
Hercules, if at all. As a poor fisherman who lived on the banks of the
Singapore River, he would set a trap to catch fish every evening. When he
discovered a water jinn (spirit) had been stealing his fish, he trapped the
spirit, who promised to grant him any power if Badang ate whatever the spirit
threw up. His wish for superhuman strength was granted, and he was soon
appointed court warrior by the Sultan of Singapore. He was challenged to duel
the strongest man in India in a series of contests – the last of which being a
rock-throwing competition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Badang effortlessly flung a huge rock into the waters, and
it landed near the mouth of the Singapore River. Years after the legend had
been told, a rock was discovered at the same spot with an indecipherable
inscription. That rock was blown up to widen the river, but a fragment survives
today – and you’ll easily find the so-called Singapore Stone on display at the
National Museum of Singapore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References: Wikipedia</span></div>
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Singapore’s Hercules

Another well-known Singapore folk tale? Enter Badang, a Malay hero in ancient Singapore who may have been the country’s only answer to...

4:20:00 am

Dschang Liang

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowyBv3lPebnJQKkwo2AHlaTKiZyC3Rf_Z_7A2bZwt8vrT2UOzscHgK3ab44nnbuG6mvraHXXShywx0dSX0-D-4MB1UN_if4sREd2xWmyOYLob3wUslSQ_9Hh91gRy0-ba_Y_rT6rMOWmV/s1600/george-hood-chinese-fairy-tale-weaving-maiden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowyBv3lPebnJQKkwo2AHlaTKiZyC3Rf_Z_7A2bZwt8vrT2UOzscHgK3ab44nnbuG6mvraHXXShywx0dSX0-D-4MB1UN_if4sREd2xWmyOYLob3wUslSQ_9Hh91gRy0-ba_Y_rT6rMOWmV/s320/george-hood-chinese-fairy-tale-weaving-maiden.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
Dschang Liang was a native of one of those states which had been destroyed by the Emperor Tsin Schi Huang. And Dschang Liang determined to do a deed for his dead king’s sake, and to that end gathered followers with whom to slay Tsin Schi Huang.<br />
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Once Tsin Schi Huang was making a progress through the country. When he came to the plain of Bo Lang, Dschang Liang armed his people with iron maces in order to kill him. But Tsin Schi Huang always had two traveling coaches which were exactly alike in appearance. In one of them he sat himself, while in the other was seated another person. Dschang Liang and his followers met the decoy wagon, and Dschang Liang was forced to flee from the Emperor’s rage. He came to a ruined bridge. An icy wind was blowing, and the snowflakes were whirling through the air. There he met an old, old man wearing a black turban and a yellow gown. The old man let one of his shoes fall into the water, looked at Dschang Liang and said: “Fetch it out, little one!”<br />
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Dschang Liang controlled himself, fetched out the shoe and brought it to the old man. The latter stretched out his foot to allow Dschang Liang to put it on, which he did in a respectful manner. This pleased the old man and he said: “Little one, something may be made of you! Come here to-morrow morning early, and I will have something for you.”<br />
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The following morning at break of dawn, Dschang Liang appeared. But the old man was already there and reproached him: “You are too late. To-day I will tell you nothing. To-morrow you must come earlier.”<br />
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So it went on for three days, and Dschang Liang’s patience was not exhausted. Then the old man was satisfied, brought forth the Book of Hidden Complements, and gave it to him. “You must read it,” said he, “and then you will be able to rule a great emperor. When your task is completed, seek me at the foot of the Gu Tschong Mountain. There you will find a yellow stone, and I will be by that yellow stone.”<br />
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Dschang Liang took the book and aided the ancestor of the Han dynasty to conquer the empire. The emperor made him a count. From that time forward Dschang Liang ate no human food and concentrated in spirit. He kept company with the four whitebeards of the Shang Mountain, and with them shared the sunset roses in the clouds. Once he met two boys who were singing and dancing:<br />
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“Green the garments you should wear, If to heaven’s gate you’d fare; There the Golden Mother greet, Bow before the Wood Lord’s feet!”<br />
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When Dschang Liang heard this, he bowed before the youths, and said to his friends: “Those are angel children of the King Father of the East. The Golden Mother is the Queen of the West. The Lord of Wood is the King Father of the East. They are the two primal powers, the parents of all that is male and female, the root and fountain of heaven and earth, to whom all that has life is indebted for its creation and nourishment.<br />
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The Lord of Wood is the master of all the male saints, the Golden Mother is the mistress of all the female saints. Whoever would gain immortality, must first greet the Golden Mother and then bow before the King Father. Then he may rise up to the three Pure Ones and stand in the presence of the Highest. The song of the angel children shows the manner in which the hidden knowledge may be acquired.”<br />
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At about that time the emperor was induced to have some of his faithful servants slain. Then Dschang Liang left his service and went to the Gu Tschong Mountain. There he found the old man by the yellow stone, gained the hidden knowledge, returned home, and feigning illness loosed his soul from his body and disappeared.<br />
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Later, when the rebellion of the “Red Eyebrows” broke out, his tomb was opened. But all that was found within it was a yellow stone. Dschang Liang was wandering with Laotsze in the invisible world.<br />
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Once his grandson Dschang Dau Ling went to Kunlun Mountain, in order to visit the Queen Mother of the West. There he met Dschang Liang. Dschang Dau Ling gained power over demons and spirits, and became the first Taoist pope. And the secret of his power has been handed down in his family from generation to generation

Dschang Liang

Dschang Liang was a native of one of those states which had been destroyed by the Emperor Tsin Schi Huang. And Dschang Liang determined to...

4:18:00 am

Selegie

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XnlTBwugXk69h79TwhWeGx-J6XSw7cUz3dhE8lWRClugoBTrIlmFMYLDI-uaY-twYGsoWyV2OqhbkXCGUrMYSGWYU2El6vi_tiTaxKBU2ebirK4NOodAQfi85J8NHlYFD0rShfBhW5ua/s1600/Selegie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XnlTBwugXk69h79TwhWeGx-J6XSw7cUz3dhE8lWRClugoBTrIlmFMYLDI-uaY-twYGsoWyV2OqhbkXCGUrMYSGWYU2El6vi_tiTaxKBU2ebirK4NOodAQfi85J8NHlYFD0rShfBhW5ua/s320/Selegie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The legend about Selegie Road is that it was the location of
many great battles that took place in ancient Singapore. When Temasek fell in
1377, the last ruler of the kingdom was believed to have fled via this road,
still a dirt track then, to Seletar. He escaped by the waters at the coast of
Seletar and never managed to launch a comeback in a bid to reclaim his
territories.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the later years, a Bugis pirate tribe known as Orang
Selegie was said to have occupy the area around Selegie, where they made Mount
Sophia their home. The name Selegie may mean a Malay word that refers to a
sharpened and hardened wooden spear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Refrences Wikipedia</span></div>
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Selegie

The legend about Selegie Road is that it was the location of many great battles that took place in ancient Singapore. When Temasek f...

4:18:00 am

Why the Sun and the Moon live in the Sky.

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Many years ago, the sun and water were great friends, and they both lived on the earth togther. The sun very often used to visit the water, but the water never returned the visits.<br />
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At last the sun asked the water why he never visited. The water replied that the sun's house was not big enough, and that if he came with all his people, he would drive the sun out of his home.<br />
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The water then said, "If you want me to visit you, you will have to build a very large house. But I warn you that it will have to be very large, as my people are numerous and take up a lot of room".<br />
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The sun promised to build a very large house, and soon afterwards, he returned home to his wife, the moon, who greeted him with a broad smile.<br />
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The sun told the moon what he had promised the water, and the next day, they began building a large house to entertain the water and all his people.<br />
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When it was completed, the sun asked the water to come and visit him.<br />
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When the water arrived, one of his people called out to the sun, and asked him whether it would be safe for the water to enter, and the sun answered, "Yes, tell my friend to come in."<br />
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The water began to flow in, followed by the fish and all the other water animals.<br />
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Very soon, the water was knee-deep in the house, so he asked the sun if it was still safe, and the sun again said, "Yes," so more of them came in.<br />
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When the water was at the level of a man's head, the water said to the sun, "Do you want more of my people to come?"<br />
<br />
Not knowing any better, the sun and the moon both said, "Yes,". More and more of the water's people came in, until the sun and the moon had to sit on top of the roof.<br />
<br />
The water once again asked the sun if it was still okay to keep coming in. The sun and moon answered yes, so more and more of the water's people came in.<br />
<br />
The water soon overflowed the top of the roof, and the sun and the moon were forced to go up into the sky.<br />
<br />
...and they have been there ever since.</div>

Why the Sun and the Moon live in the Sky.

Many years ago, the sun and water were great friends, and they both lived on the earth togther. The sun very often used to visit the wa...

4:17:00 am

Redhill and Tanjong Pagar

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBumJYeOcsSdlVqlCi1fmKPKtkvaDRZ5jOB6nP4k759iNT7ftGZJaoYvj9Xpk4VGMNiGFbr7rZU44BfKEmQBeTEhPhdwNM6xgyv1oV40yDpOyIcxUi2nF47Kqug-dEOYeWc_KDpnta6zW9/s1600/Redhill+and+Tanjong+Pagar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="204" data-original-width="247" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBumJYeOcsSdlVqlCi1fmKPKtkvaDRZ5jOB6nP4k759iNT7ftGZJaoYvj9Xpk4VGMNiGFbr7rZU44BfKEmQBeTEhPhdwNM6xgyv1oV40yDpOyIcxUi2nF47Kqug-dEOYeWc_KDpnta6zW9/s320/Redhill+and+Tanjong+Pagar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A long time ago, the southern coast of Singapore was
infested by numerous fierce swordfish. The villagers and fishermen could not
ply their trades at the sea, as they would be attacked by these fearsome
creatures if they ever ventured near the waters. The people requested help from
the Sultan, but even him and his royal army could not do anything about it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">redhill and swordfish</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A little boy then proposed a solution to the Sultan. Build a
row of barricade made of banana tree trunks along the affected coast, he said.
When the swordfish tried to attack the villagers again, their pointed beaks
would pierce through the barricade and would be trapped immediately.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The plan worked perfectly, and the smart boy became popular
among the villagers as their saviour. This invited jealousy from the Sultan.
Fearing his rule would be threatened in the future, he sent his soldiers to
kill the boy who lived on top of a hill. As the poor boy died, his blood flew
down the hill, soaking the whole hill red. This was how Redhill, or Bukit Merah
(literally means hill red), got its name.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In turn, the place where the barricade of banana tree trunks
were set up became known as Tanjong Pagar, or “cape of stakes”.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Refrences Wikipedia</span></div>
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Redhill and Tanjong Pagar

A long time ago, the southern coast of Singapore was infested by numerous fierce swordfish. The villagers and fishermen could not pl...

4:16:00 am

Dragons

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2vIRVWj6EcLoVRWKqJpVw67pz6JE1qF1FwClYILWsuL5KlmUS2PLVenbJQBJL7ssSd9WUIR3CTCUR32XxpnzXuszJM1dPnCdduXIdX0NVFqrSOfqbMZTEisPt_jNhPDljtomVgdOqLrM/s1600/0-Dragons-Of-Legend-5oz-Chinese-Dragon-Coin-Shipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2vIRVWj6EcLoVRWKqJpVw67pz6JE1qF1FwClYILWsuL5KlmUS2PLVenbJQBJL7ssSd9WUIR3CTCUR32XxpnzXuszJM1dPnCdduXIdX0NVFqrSOfqbMZTEisPt_jNhPDljtomVgdOqLrM/s320/0-Dragons-Of-Legend-5oz-Chinese-Dragon-Coin-Shipper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Myths and legends of Western cultures frequently depict dragons as brutish monsters that are usually slain by heroes; however, Chinese myths paint the dragon as a more elegant and mystical figure. In Daoism, dragons are benevolent spirits who are kind to humans and associated with prosperity. Dragons slept in the winter and emerged in the spring. In art, dragons are shown playing with a flaming ball or pearl, symbolizing thunder. It is believed that the dragons' playing caused the rain to fall. The Long Wang, or 'dragon kings,' were the gods of lakes, rivers and oceans, and offerings were made to them during droughts.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>

Dragons

Myths and legends of Western cultures frequently depict dragons as brutish monsters that are usually slain by heroes; however, Chinese myt...

4:16:00 am

The Necklace and The Comb

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In the early days, the sky hung low and people could easily reach the clouds. Inday, a beautiful girl who was given family heirlooms for her sixteenth birthday, loved to wear her precious necklace and comb even while she worked. One day, as she was husking rice with a mortar and a pestle, she put her jewelry on a cloud to avoid spoiling them. As she pounded on the rice with her pestle, one end also pounded the sky. Before she knew it, the sky went up high with her heirloom pieces. In time, her comb became the quarter moon and the beads of her necklace became the stars.<br />
<br />
Folktales being stories that people created to explain the natural world, “The Necklace and the Comb” is a charming tale on how the moon and stars were formed. Ong likes this story especially because “the imagery is so charming and fanciful.”</div>

The Necklace and The Comb

In the early days, the sky hung low and people could easily reach the clouds. Inday, a beautiful girl who was given family heirlooms for...

4:15:00 am

Chinese Dragon

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Myths and legends of Western cultures frequently depict dragons as brutish monsters that are usually slain by heroes; however, Chinese myths paint the dragon as a more elegant and mystical figure. In Daoism, dragons are benevolent spirits who are kind to humans and associated with prosperity. Dragons slept in the winter and emerged in the spring. In art, dragons are shown playing with a flaming ball or pearl, symbolizing thunder. It is believed that the dragons' playing caused the rain to fall. The Long Wang, or 'dragon kings,' were the gods of lakes, rivers and oceans, and offerings were made to them during droughts.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>

Chinese Dragon

Myths and legends of Western cultures frequently depict dragons as brutish monsters that are usually slain by heroes; however, Chinese myt...

4:14:00 am

Pulau Ubin

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit21zlXNC4zWs00cYmi5k-zzRLOaFnvRBeoVXw_nRkN05rE3b26PUUhotTpk3dr46KzDrRN99IGCzEoChJ6XCX-wE7nku9-IfV_ByS_8x4ajJmrceXTLnE5aBXxI0dHmawDeUSH9Hk_7Js/s1600/Pulau+Ubin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="258" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit21zlXNC4zWs00cYmi5k-zzRLOaFnvRBeoVXw_nRkN05rE3b26PUUhotTpk3dr46KzDrRN99IGCzEoChJ6XCX-wE7nku9-IfV_ByS_8x4ajJmrceXTLnE5aBXxI0dHmawDeUSH9Hk_7Js/s320/Pulau+Ubin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">How did the island of Pulau Ubin form in the first place?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A legendary tale explains that in the early days, an
elephant, a pig and a frog challenged one another to reach the Johor shores
from mainland Singapore. The stakes were high, as those who did not succeed
would be turned into rock. The frog, being the first to try, failed to cross
the straits and was turned into Pulau Sekudu. Pulau Sekudu literally means Frog
Island in Malay.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The elephant and the pig were the next to attempt the feat.
They did not make it too, thus both of them fused together to become the main
island of Pulau Ubin.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References: Wikipedia</span></div>
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Pulau Ubin

How did the island of Pulau Ubin form in the first place? A legendary tale explains that in the early days, an elephant, a pig a...

4:14:00 am

The Monkey and the Turtle

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<br />
The Monkey and the Turtle<br />
A monkey and a turtle were once friends. One day, they saw a banana-plant floating on the water. They decided to split it and planted each half. Monkey thought the top part was better, so he planted it and watched in dismay as it died. Turtle planted the roots and was rewarded with a fine tree with fruits. But since he could not climb to get the bananas himself, he asked Monkey to get it for him.The cunning simian, however, ate all of the fruits! In retaliation, Turtle put sticks around the tree and then tricked Monkey to go down, killing him. Monkey’s friends then tried to exact revenge on Turtle, who deceived them into throwing him into the lake, his home.<br />
<br />
According to Ong, this folk tale “could be the most famous Philippine folk tale because Jose Rizal published an illustrated retelling in Trubners Oriental Record.” She says that part of the appeal of the story is that “it's a battle between the strong and selfish, and the physically weak but crafty. Children might identify with and root for the turtle.”</div>

The Monkey and the Turtle

The Monkey and the Turtle A monkey and a turtle were once friends. One day, they saw a banana-plant floating on the water. They decide...

4:14:00 am

Pulau Blakang Mati

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C9jXOPX9Zp2uRyRcMK9cjJ6xMZjWAdOtHA2G9zsdciAtko-teL0uk5Iv_sspdyY2CItWfyrF76vtUb6EDuWuCS6dnvYJvAIETVbxW-8Y6Tll8xo6WIAzccZWYzVc874Eu_NyMJw4EWHr/s1600/Pulau+Blakang+Mati.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9C9jXOPX9Zp2uRyRcMK9cjJ6xMZjWAdOtHA2G9zsdciAtko-teL0uk5Iv_sspdyY2CItWfyrF76vtUb6EDuWuCS6dnvYJvAIETVbxW-8Y6Tll8xo6WIAzccZWYzVc874Eu_NyMJw4EWHr/s320/Pulau+Blakang+Mati.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The former name of Sentosa was Pulau Blakang Mati, where
Blakang Mati means “behind the dead” in Malay.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">No one knows exactly how the name of the island came about,
but there were many legends about its origin. According to one version, the
island was once a place of piracy and bloodshed in the past. The victims of the
murders haunted the island so much that it was given this not-so-auspicious
name. Another account was that the island was located “behind” Pulau Brani,
which was the burial ground of many ancient Malay warriors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Nevertheless, Pulau Blakang Mati was renamed as Sentosa
(which means “isle of tranquility”) in 1972. With the island becoming a
favourite beach resort among Singaporeans and the tourists, the unhappy legends
were soon forgotten.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">References: Wikipedia</span></div>
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Pulau Blakang Mati

The former name of Sentosa was Pulau Blakang Mati, where Blakang Mati means “behind the dead” in Malay. No one knows exactly how t...

4:12:00 am

Black arts

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The dwell in the South-West are masters of many black arts. They often lure men of the Middle Kingdom to their country by promising them their daughters in marriage, but their promises are not to be trusted. Once there was the son of a poor family, who agreed to labor for three years for one of the wild men in order to become his son-in-law. At the end of that time the wedding was celebrated, and the couple were given a little house for a home. But no sooner had they entered it than the wife warned her husband to be on his guard, since her parents did not like him, and would seek to do him harm. In accordance with the custom she entered the house first with a lighted lantern, but when the bridegroom followed her she had disappeared. And thus it went, day by day. During the daytime she was there, but when evening came she disappeared.<br />
<br />
And one day, not long after they had been married, his wife said to him: “To-morrow morning my mother celebrates her birthday, and you must go to congratulate her. They will offer you tea and food. The tea you may drink, but be sure not to touch any of the food. Keep this in mind!”<br />
<br />
So the following day the wife and husband went to her mother’s home and offered their congratulations. Her parents seemed highly pleased, and served them with tea and sweets. The son-in-law drank, but ate nothing, though his wife’s parents, with kind words and friendly gestures, kept urging him to help himself. At last the son-in-law did not know what to do, and thought that surely they could mean him no ill. And seeing the fresh caught eels and crabs on the plate before him, he ate a little of them. His wife gave him a reproachful glance, and he offered some excuse for taking his leave.<br />
<br />
But his mother-in-law said: “This is my birthday. You simply must taste my birthday noodles!”<br />
<br />
With that she placed a great dish before him, filled with noodles that looked like threads of silver, mingled with fat meat, and spiced with fragrant mushrooms. During all the time he had been living in the country the son-in-law had never yet seen such an appetizing dish. Its pleasant odor rose temptingly to his nostrils, and he could not resist raising his chop-sticks. His wife glanced over at him, but he pretended that he did not see her.<br />
<br />
She coughed significantly, but he acted as though he did not hear. Finally she trod on his foot under the table; and then he regained control of himself.<br />
<br />
He had not as yet eaten half of the food and said: “My hunger is satisfied.”<br />
<br />
Then he took leave, and went off with his wife.<br />
<br />
“This is a serious matter,” said the latter. “You would not listen to my words, and now you will surely have to die!”<br />
<br />
But still he did not believe her, until he suddenly felt terrible pains, which soon grew unbearable, so that he fell to the ground unconscious. His wife at once hung him up by the feet from the beam of the roof, and put a panful of glowing charcoal under his body, and a great jar of water, into which she had poured sesame oil, in front of the fire, directly below his mouth. And when the fire had heated him thoroughly, he suddenly opened his mouth—and can you imagine what came out of it? A squirming, crawling mass of poisonous worms, centipedes, toads and tadpoles, who all fell into the jar of water. Then his wife untied him, carried him to bed, and gave him wine mingled with realgar to drink. Then he recovered.<br />
<br />
“What you ate in the belief that they were eels and crabs,” said his wife, “were nothing but toads and tadpoles, and the birthday noodles were poisonous worms and centipedes. But you must continue to be careful. My parents know that you have not died, and they will think up other evil plans.”<br />
<br />
A few days later his father-in-law said to him: “There is a large tree growing on the precipice which juts over the cave. In it is the nest of the phenix. You are still young and able to climb, so go there quickly and fetch me the eggs!”<br />
<br />
His son-in-law went home and told his wife.<br />
<br />
“Take long bamboo poles,” said she, “and tie them together, and fasten a curved sword at the top. And take these nine loaves of bread and these hens’ eggs, there are seven times seven of them. Carry them along with you in a basket. When you come to the spot you will see a large nest up in the branches. Do not climb the tree, but chop it down with the curved sword. Then throw away your poles, and run for dear life. Should a monster appear and follow you, throw him the loaves of bread, three loaves at a time, and finally throw down the eggs on the ground and make for home as quickly as you can. In this way you may escape the danger which threatens you.”<br />
<br />
The man noted all she said exactly and went. And sure enough he saw the bird’s nest—it was as large as a round pavilion. Then he tied his curved sword to the poles, chopped at the tree with all his strength, laid down his poles on the ground and never looked around but ran for dear life. Suddenly he heard the roaring of a thunder-storm rising above him. When he looked up he saw a great dragon, many fathoms long and some ten feet across. His eyes gleamed like two lamps and he was spitting fire and flame from his maw.<br />
<br />
He had stretched out two feelers and was feeling along the ground. Then the man swiftly flung the loaves into the air. The dragon caught them, and it took a little time before he had devoured them. But no sooner had the man gained a few steps than the dragon once more came flying after him. Then he flung him more loaves and when the loaves came to an end, he turned over his basket so that the eggs rolled over the ground. The dragon had not yet satisfied his hunger and opened his greedy jaws wide. When he suddenly caught sight of the eggs, he descended from the air, and since the eggs were scattered round about, it took some time before he had sucked them all. In the meantime the man succeeded in escaping to his home.<br />
<br />
When he entered the door and saw his wife, he said to her, amid sobs: “It was all I could do to escape, and I am lucky not to be in the dragon’s stomach! If this sort of thing keeps up much longer I am bound to die!”<br />
<br />
With these words he kneeled and begged his wife pitifully to save his life.<br />
<br />
“Where is your home?” asked his wife.<br />
<br />
“My home is about a hundred miles away from here, in the Middle Kingdom, and my old mother is still living. The only thing that worries me is that we are so poor.”<br />
<br />
His wife said: “I will flee with you, and we will find your mother. And waste no regrets on your poverty.”<br />
<br />
With that she gathered up all the house held in the way of pearls and precious stones, put them in a bag and had her husband tie it around his waist. Then she also gave him an umbrella, and in the middle of the night they climbed the wall with the aid of a ladder, and stole away.<br />
<br />
His wife had also said to him: “Take the umbrella on your back and run as fast as ever you can! Do not open it, and do not look around! I will follow you in secret.”<br />
<br />
So he turned North and ran with all his might and main. He had been running for a day and a night, had covered nearly a hundred miles, and passed the boundaries of the wild people’s country, when his legs gave out and he grew hungry. Before him lay a mountain village. He stopped at the village gate to rest, drew some food from his pocket and began to eat. And he looked around without being able to see his wife.<br />
<br />
Said he to himself: “Perhaps she has deceived me after all, and is not coming with me!”<br />
<br />
After he had finished eating, he took a drink from a spring, and painfully dragged himself further. When the heat of the day was greatest a violent mountain rain suddenly began to fall. In his haste he forgot what his wife had told him and opened his umbrella. And out fell his wife upon the ground.<br />
<br />
She reproached him: “Once more you have not listened to my advice. Now the damage has been done!”<br />
<br />
Quickly she told him to go to the village, and there to buy a white cock, seven black tea-cups, and half a length of red nettlecloth.<br />
<br />
“Do not be sparing of the silver pieces in your pocket!” she cried after him as he went off.<br />
<br />
He went to the village, attended to everything, and came back. The woman tore the cloth apart, made a coat of it and put it on. No sooner had they walked a few miles before they could see a red cloud rising up in the South, like a flying bird.<br />
<br />
“That is my mother,” said the woman.<br />
<br />
In a moment the cloud was overhead. Then the woman took the black tea-cups and threw them at it. Seven she threw and seven fell to earth again. And then they could hear the mother in the cloud weeping and scolding, and thereupon the cloud disappeared.<br />
<br />
They went on for about four hours. Then they heard a sound like the noise of silk being torn, and could see a cloud as black as ink, which was rushing up against the wind.<br />
<br />
“Alas, that is my father!” said the woman. “This is a matter of life and death, for he will not let us be! Because of my love for you I will now have to disobey the holiest of laws!”<br />
<br />
With these words she quickly seized the white cock, separated its head from its body, and flung the head into the air. At once the black cloud dissolved, and her father’s body, the head severed from the trunk, fell down by the edge of the road. Then the woman wept bitterly, and when she had wept her fill they buried the corpse. Thereupon they went together to her husband’s home, where they found his old mother still living. They then undid the bag of pearls and jewels, bought a piece of good ground, built a fine house, and became wealthy and respected members of the community.

Black arts

The dwell in the South-West are masters of many black arts. They often lure men of the Middle Kingdom to their country by promising them t...

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THE LEGENDS AND FOLKTALES

About Me

The ogre of Rashomon

The Guest

The Spirit of the Singing House

The Bird Wife

The Woman Magician

the Giant

The magical turtle

Sandy: The Giant Fish-Turned Monk

Sisters’ Islands

Singapura

Meet the great Jade Emperor

Singapore’s Hercules

Dschang Liang

Selegie

Why the Sun and the Moon live in the Sky.

Redhill and Tanjong Pagar

Dragons

The Necklace and The Comb

Chinese Dragon

Pulau Ubin

The Monkey and the Turtle

Pulau Blakang Mati

Black arts

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