The river separated girl and boy,
And made them so unhappy and annoy.
They begg'd Heavenly Mother for mercy,
Then was permitted to meet once yearly.

They'd meet on seventh day of seventh moon.
That day of next year would not come so soon.
When that day did come, they could only look
At each other across the deep wide brook.

If they wanted to talk, they could not hear
As the brook kept them apart all the year.
Then from nowhere came millions of magpie,
Which formed a bridge to let the cowboy hie.
The boy stepp'd on magpie bridge across it,
To meet the girl with help of birds of wit.

5) Beauty Pan and Dwarf

The girl Pan was a maid in a rich house.
The master's lewd and brib'd her with a blouse.
The mistress was jealous and slapped her face,
And oft made her kneel before the fireplace.

There lived a dwarf not far in the same town,
Who for living sold pancakes looking brown.
As no one would marry him, he's thirty
And still single. He also looked so ugly.

The mistress wanted to drive the girl out,
And so she gave the beauty to the lout.
She thought that it was an excellent match,
Beauty and dwarf formed a very good batch.

“It's not fit to live here longer.” dwarf thought.
“Move afar to another town we ought.”
Whenever she looked at him, she would barf,
But she had to follow where went the dwarf.

In a new town they rented a small house.
It was so shabby almost full of mouse.
The beauty slept alone in other room,
Leaving the poor ugly husband in gloom.

The dwarf had a brother, who had kungfu.
In the kungfu world, he was a guru.
He travel'd in other towns to make friends,
He would fight bravely, if he met some fiends.

One night he dreamt of his dearest brother.
He'd go back home and should no more wander.
When he reached the town they used to live,
He learnt his brother moved with some motive.

He was told where he could find his brother.
He hurried to the town in bad weather.
On the way he came to a high mountain,
A notice said it's a tiger's domain.

A tiger would attack people in daylight.
It'd be safe if travelers went at night.
The kungfu brother, Wu, was very brave.
He would send the tiger into its grave.

He met the tiger which jumped on him fast.
It wanted to eat him like its repast.
He gripp'd its neck fur as he stepp'd aside.
He pressed it down; on its back he did ride.

He fist'd it until it could stir no more.
None had killed a tiger like him before.
People learned it and looked on him as hero.
They carried him into town with gusto

The mayor received and made him as head
Of his police since he beat tiger dead.
He's glad to get the job and settl'd down now.
He'd look for his brother, no matter how.

In the town he asked round for a short man,
And found his brother with a pretty woman.
He embraced the dwarf, and helloed the wife.
He inquired about how they fared in life.

As Pan saw Wu was handsome, strong and tall,
She began to like him; in love she'd fall.
He was police head and slept in yamen,
So after supper, he had to leave, then.

Next time when Wu came to see his brother,
Pan asked him to move in, be cared better.
He agreed, and Pan let him sleep in her room.
And the dwarf slept in corner by her loom.

One day early the dwarf finish'd his bake,
Left home after breakfast to sell pancake.
Wu got the day off from his yamen work.
For brunch, Pan served him with rice, peas and pork.

Now she took the good chance, with him to flirt,
But Wu was angry, left without his shirt.
When dwarf was back, she said Wu flirt'd with her,
As she refused, he left soon in anger.

Though the dwarf did not believe her at all,
He could say nothing. He was a goofball.
Then Wu was sent on errand to some town.
So he came to see the dwarf with a frown.

He warned his brother in a serious tone,
That he shouldn't leave his wife at home alone.
A beauty was not always with virtue;
Besides, other men would oft come to sue.

The dwarf had to sell pancake for living,
And couldn't bind the wife with him by a string.
She had ne'er slept with him on the same bed.
She couldn't have love for a dwarf, not a shred.

There lived in the same town a young man, Qing,
Who owned drugstores, often for girls chasing.
One day by chance he pass'd the door of Pan,
And admired her beauty, to be her fan.

As Qing was handsome, Pan liked him at once,
but how could they get together, for nonce?
There was an old woman, who lived next door.
Qing knew she was a matchmaker, and poor.

She could have a plan to let lovers meet,
In secret, but still need'd to be discreet.
As a neighbor, the woman knew Pan well.
She told Pan, the man in love with her fell.

She arrang'd for them to meet in her house,
In excuse to the dwarf to sew her blouse.
Each time they met like dry wood falls in fire.
They wish'd to live like this to their desire.

But they feared the dwarf'd find their affair out;
So they plott'd how to get rid of the lout.
Then when the dwarf fell sick, which gave them chance.
Qing gave Pan poison, who poisoned th' nuisance.

Now they lived together without fear,
As they're on bed, none'd suddenly appear.
Now they were happy like fish in water,
Like larks in the sky would sing and hover.

逸士这起篇白蛇传故事我一直钟爱，要是能把童生养蛇以及千年轮回再多演绎一番，哪怕是武侠式的演绎就好了。
有一段时间我研究蛇，特别是研究印度的眼镜王蛇White Cobra，便想到白蛇这个传奇。当时研究有印度渊源，也曾对蛇执迷了好长一段时间。现在感觉渐渐舒远了，只记得纽约动物园有一只白的王蛇。可惜疫情也不知她怎么样了。

https://www.ylib.com/author/john/dance3.htm

https://youtu.be/7aucuKhNVGs

小時候在電臺上聽楊仁麟的全部評彈白蛇傳。連續好幾個月﹐還有與茅山道士鬥法。
如果都寫上﹐本身就可以寫一本書。太複雜了。

But they forgot the dwarf had a brother,
Who was now away to somewhere farther.
One day Wu did return to his yamen.
The illegal couple felt the bad omen.

He invited some neighbors to inquire,
And was told his dear brother did expire.
He was enraged and wanted to revenge.
As Qing had kungfu, this was a challenge.

Wu took a sword with him to seek for Qing,
And did find him somewhere in good timing,
As in fear Qing was about to escape.
Wu caught him and yelled, “You, big wicked ape!”

Wu's kungfu was better than that of Qing;
He jumped up to attack Qing like lightning.
Qing used a sword while Wu used a sharp knife;
And after twenty rounds, Wu took Qing's life.

Then he went to the dwarf's house and killed Pan.
He went to yamen as he's a good man.
He confessed his killing to the mayor,
Who sentenced him to exile to labor.




6) Chen, a Singsong Girl

Qinhuai River was a place of renown.
The pleasure boats on it were, too, well-known.
It was very close to Nanking city.
The patrons were all from high society.

There were singsong girls on the pleasure boats;
The patrons were all rich, wearing fine coats.
There's a girl called Chen, who could sing and dance.
All patrons who saw her fell into trance.

The last Ming emperor was sad these days,
To please him, a courtier thought of some ways.
He would find some pretty girls who could sing,
And could also play sweet tunes on the string.

As pretty girls were known always in south,
The courtier went south and reach'd river mouth.
On a pleasure boat he found pretty Chen,
And let her sing so that he could listen.

He paid the bawd thousand taels of silver,
And took her away from Qinhuai river.
He presented her to the emperor,
But he wasn't in the mood to have clamor.

So the courtier had to bring the girl back.
So the girl lived there with nothing to lack.
Sometimes she danced and sang for family
And sometimes she did them for guests only.

That time Manchu in the north would invade
Ming Dynasty with their swift cavalcade.
In such a case, the emperor sent Wu,
A brave general, to resist Manchu.

Wu came to Peking to see His Majesty
Who relied on him for nation's safety.
Wu's family lived in the capital.
Wu went home and his parent felt dismal.

War costs life. No guarantee he's alive.
It depends on individuals to strive.
Although Wu was brave and had fighting skill,
He had to choose between killed or to kill.

The courtier invited Wu to his home.
They had dinner, drank good wine and ate pome.
There came the singsong girl to entertain.
She danced, and could just solo in refrain.

Wu was till single, and fell in love with her.
Aft dinner he asked host for the dancer.
The host was glad to let him have the girl.
Wu was so happy to feel his head whirl.

He took the dancing girl to his own home,
And wanted to put her under his dome.
Then Wu must leave for the frontier in north
He led a large strong army and rode forth.

He guard'd the Pass at east end of Great Wall.
It was very hard to foe's hands to fall.
Howe'er, misfortunes never come alone.
None of dynasties could long keep their throne.

At the time there were rebels e'erywhere,
As corruption o'er nation was severe.
Rebels beat local government army
And march'd to capital in victory.

After three days' fight, they entered Peking.
Then the emperor had himself hanging.
Thus perish'd the corrupt Ming Dynasty.
Rebels establish'd their own dynasty.

Their dynasty was short-lived in Peking,
Like the dew on the grass in the morning.
Their head made a fatal mistake ever.
He killed Wu's parents like cutting fodder.

Besides, he took the young girl Wu cared most.
Wu got news and must revenge at all cost.
He led his army back to capital.
Then followed in his wake Manchu marshal.

Rebels were defeat'd by allied army,
And then escaped to areas so hilly.
Wu chased them and entirely wiped them out,
In his pursuit he heard a girl's shrill shout.

He found his lovely Chen at the roadside.
She's left there as rebels away to stride.
Wu got a coach for her and they march'd west,
Till they reach'd the farthest province for rest.

In that province We ruled his own domain,
Far from Peking, he had his power sustain.
He and Chen lived happily together,
Till he suddenly found the girl older.

So he got a couple of girls much younger,
Began to ignore Chen altogether.
Chen left the house and lodg'd in a temple nigh.
Each day she'd read Buddhist books and then sigh.

Wu was a strong and an ambitious man.
Since he's far from Peking, he'd a great plan.
He declared independence suddenly,
And wanted to found his own dynasty.

At first he thought it's too far from Peking
That Manchu army could never reach him.
But he's totally wrong and war began;
The Manchu cavalry did cross the span.

Wu was vanquish'd and slain in battle at last.
And his faithful followers ran away fast.
Only Chen stayed in the temple peacefully,
And died in her old age naturally.




7) Fox Genie

Once upon a time there dwelt a rich man
In a big village, from an ancient clan.
He lived with mom; his dad died long ago.
He was now single, which gave him much ado.

Five years ago he married a girl in joy.
Two years later she died in birth of a boy.
Now the son was three years old and healthy.
The grandma looked after him carefully.

The man owned a shop selling salt and rice,
All necessities in life. He's so nice.
From time to time he left home to buy goods,
And often traveled by the way thru woods.

Once in the woods, he saw a girl crying.
He went close to ask what she's suffering.
“My stepmother intended to kill me,
I escaped here and don't know where to flee.”