1、Nu Wa Mends the Sky
It is said that there were no men when the sky and the earth were separated.It was Nuwa who made men by moulding yellow clay.NThe work was so taxing that her strength was not equal to it.So she dipped a rope into the mud and then lifted it.The mud that dripped from the rope also became men.Those made by moulding yellow clay were rich and noble,while those made by lifting the rope were poor and low.
In a ancient times,the four corners of the sky collapsed and the world with its nine regions split open.The sky could not cover all the things under it,nor could the earth carry all the things on it.A great fire raged and would not die out;a fierce flood raced about and could not be checked.Savage beasts devoured innocent people;vicious birds preyed on the weak and old.
Then Nuwa melted rocks of five colours and used them to mend the cracks in the sky.She supported the four corners of the sky with the legs she had cut off from a giant turtle.She killed the black dragon to save the people of J1zhou,and blocked the flood with the ashes of reeds.
Thus the sky was mended,its four corners lifted,the flood tamed,Jizhou pacified,and harmful birds and beasts killed,and the innocent people were able to live on the square earth under the dome of the sky.It was a time when birds,beasts,insects and snakes no longer used their claws or teeth or poisonous stings,for they did not want to catch or eat weaker things.
Nuwas deeds benefited the heavens above and the earth below.Her name was remembered by later generations and her light shone on every creation.Now she was traveling on a thunder-chariot drawn by a two-winged dragon and two green hornless dragons,with auspicious objects in her hands and a special mattress underneath,surrounded by golden clouds,a white dragon leading the way and a flying snake following behind.Floating freely over the clouds,she took ghosts and gods to the ninth heaven and had an audience with the Heavenly Emperor at Lin Men where she rested in peace and dignity under the emperor.She never boasted of her achievements,nor did she try to win any renown;she wanted to conceal her virtues,in line with the ways of the universe.
2、女娲补天
传说很久很久以前,没有天,没有地,没有山川湖泊,没有花草树木,没有飞禽走兽,更不用说有人类。在盘古开天辟地之后才有了万物生灵。不知哪一年,西天突然塌了一块,天河中的水哗哗地从缺口流下人间,淹死了无数人畜,天下顿时沦为泽国。
当时,有个姑娘名叫女娲,住在再大的水也淹不到的山崖洞里。她目睹百姓颠沛流离,动了恻隐之心,立誓要把天上缺口补起来。她离开所住的崖洞,爬过无数高山,淌过许多大河,到处寻求补天的办法,可是都无结果。
她疲倦极了,坐下来歇息,不知不觉睡着了,做了一个很奇怪的梦,梦中有一位神仙告诉她,昆仑山顶堆满许多五色宝石,用大火将宝石炼过,就可以拿来补天。
女娲醒来后,就直奔昆仑山。昆仑山高耸陡峭,更有狮虎等恶兽无数,等闲人上不了山。但她一心一意想早日找到补天的宝石替天下百姓消灾,道路崎岖险恶,全不加理会,日夜兼程,来到昆仑山下。
举头一望,到处是处锯似的荆棘、犬齿般的乱石,不但上山无路,山顶更高不可攀。然而她不怕险阻,拨开荆棘,攀过乱石,手脚伤痕累累,脸也被剌花,仍不分日夜往上爬,正当爬得疲惫不堪时,荆棘丛中突然扑出一只老虎,对她张牙舞爪。女娲正要躲避,老虎抢先一步一把抓住了她,张开血盆大口,要咬她的头。她镇定地说:“老虎,你先别性急,我这个头可以给你吃,可要等我去山顶找到宝石,补好天上缺口,你再来吃好不好?”
老虎似知人意,就放她走了。女娲再往上走,山越来越陡,雾也越来越浓,累得走不动了。她跌跌撞撞,爬爬滚滚,始终不停步。突然一阵狂风吹来,一只金毛雄狮从林中跃出,一口咬住女娲的头发。老虎从后面赶上来,对着狮子咆吼说:“这妞儿是我先抓到的,说好她补完天后让我吃,你竟敢抢先?”
狮子听了放下女娲,和老虎厮斗起来。结果狮子不敌,被老虎赶跑了。但老虎生怕女娲再让狮子抢去,就尾随女娲,一直跟到山顶。
女娲在山顶上终于找到五色宝石。她捡了许多,堆在山顶上,烧起一把大火,炼了九九八十一天,把宝石炼成熔浆。眼看熔浆炼成,女娲高兴极了,一次又一次用双手捧起熔浆拿去补天,直至天上缺口滴水不漏,她才舒了口气。这时,地上的百姓见天河水不再漏下来,纷纷重整家园,再过快活的日子。
女娲知道大功告成,完成了心愿,于是履行诺言,满心欢喜地对老虎说:“你现在可以吃我了!”
说完,她伸长颈项,等老虎来吃。说也奇怪,老虎并不来吃,反而和气地说:“像你这样一个为民造福、舍已为人的姑娘,我怎么能吃?况且,你将天补得完整无缺,我看了也开心。只是你还有剩余熔浆,多补一些,不是更牢靠吗?”
女娲听了,觉得老虎的话有道理,于是把剩下的熔浆全捧起来,高举双手,预备将缺口再加填补。眼看就要到天顶了,哪知突然从南海刮来一股狂风,吹得树倒山摇,女娲手中捧着的熔浆也吹掉了。
女娲一急,竟哭了起来。老虎见她这样,就对她说:“姑娘先不要哭,快骑到我背上,我们去把熔浆追回来。”
女娲果然止住泪,立即骑到老虎背上。老虎飞身跳下山崖,脚踏彩云,向光彩夺目的熔浆追去。
老虎背着女娲飞过三山五岳,飞过黄河长江,因为风太急了,始终没有追上。其后风渐渐平息了,他们加快脚步,哪知色彩斑斓的熔浆又慢慢向茫茫的大地落下去,他们唯有加一把劲向下追。追到洞庭湖上空,眼看就要追上了,老虎一时高兴,吼叫数声,慢了脚步。就在这电光火石的一刹那,女娲来不及接回熔浆,眼看着熔浆直泻洞庭湖。
熔浆一落到湖里,霎时间五彩缤纷,霞光万道,照得湖水通明透亮,不久熔浆就变成了七十二座形态不同的山峰,在水中半沉半浮,那白玉盘似的洞庭湖,添上了迷人的景致。
女娲虽然惋惜,但又觉得熔浆落入人间,也是好事。她落下来,站在还没有凝固的山峰上,脚下踩的是绿宝石熔浆,留下了一双深深的脚印。她再行几步。原来带软的山峰就凝结了,成为一个小岛。
也不知过了多久,娥皇、女英追寻夫君舜帝来到这儿,知道舜的噩耗,哭死在山上,后人就称这座山为“君山”。