He took the snake out and set it free, in a green field by a little stream.
2
The white snake was very afraid at first, with the grass above her head like a green forest and men's legs striding by like great pillars. Once she was lost and nearly died of thirst, and only the dew falling in the morning saved her life.
Slowly she learned the wild ways: how to lie on white rocks and so become invisible; how to stay still as death when men were close; and how to move like quicksilver to escape from the sharp-eyed eagles. But she never forgot Soo-sen and loved him always with her quiet, silent heart.
In this way sixteen years passed slowly by.
Then, late one afternoon, when the sun lay like an orange flower on the sky's edge, she saw a strange new plant in her path. She knew at once that it was a magic plant, because it glowed like a lantern and had a perfume like incense, and somehow she knew she was meant to eat it.
It was a magic plant, glowing like a lantern and with a perfume like incense.
Hardly had she taken a mouthful than she started to change, change, change . . .
Her scales melted away and in their place came soft skin like brown water. Hair like black silk came flowing down her neck. And she found she had legs, long, strong, and slender.
The white serpent had turned into a beautiful maiden.
Then, from out of nowhere, came clothes that wove themselves about her body, with white threads, golden threads, black threads, red and silver threads, until she was dressed in beautiful robes from head to toe, and she had two crossed swords upon her back to protect herself.
The white serpent had turned into a beautiful maiden, with two crossed swords upon her back.
A voice like thunder spoke from heaven: "Little white one, the gods are pleased in your ways and have rewarded you with human shape and magic power. Go now and call yourself Pei Su-ching, but marry no man, for this is forbidden."
This name the gods had given her meant White Modest Beauty. As she stood there, wondering and happy, she thought of Soo-sen, and in that moment her cool, still heart seemed to burst into warm flame for love of him. She decided that, come what may, she must find him. For now she was a snake no longer, but a woman, with a woman's feelings.
She searched far and near, through town and country and village, but no one could tell her any news of Soo-sen. She grew more and more sad, more and more lonely. But soon she was to gain a friend.
For at the same moment, far off in the mountains, a tiny tree-snake, green as an emerald, lifted up her sparkling head and sighed: "How tired I am of having only the trees for my home and only the breeze for a companion!"
Then a voice like a hundred winds came rushing through the forest, bending the branches and tearing at the leaves. "Little green one," said the voice, "so shall it be. For the gods are pleased with your ways. You shall become human and call yourself Ching-ching."
This name meant Greeneyes, and in a minute she too had become a lovely girl, with shining clothes and a sword on her back. She looked into a rock pool and cried out in joy: "Why, I am beautiful! I am so beautiful!"
Indeed she was beautiful. But for a few days her skin stayed pale green, like moonlight falling upon grass, and one day as she was gazing at herself in the water she saw reflected there the face of another who was even more beautiful than she, and much fairer. It was White Modest Beauty, looking into the pool over Greeneyes' shoulder.
Greeneyes suddenly felt a terrible jealousy. "Draw your sword, pale maiden," she hissed, "for the world is too small for two such as we. Only I am the gods' true choice."
No sooner were these words out of her mouth than she regretted them, for she was a gentle person at heart. But jealousy is a fearful thing.
She looked into a rock pool and cried out in joy: "Why, I am beautiful!"
"I see you still have a serpent's tongue, green maiden," hissed back White Modest Beauty, her eyes flashing blue fire. "Let's see if your sword is as sharp."
Drawing their swords, they rushed together.
Long the two snake-maidens fought, on the ground like warriors and in the air like great birds, using all their magic powers. And while they fought, the skies flashed and thundered so that people around hid in their houses and whispered: "Surely the gods are angry."
All at once Greeneyes gave a great cry and fell to the ground, down, down, like a shooting star, and knelt before White Modest Beauty.
Long the two snake-maidens fought, on the ground like warriors and in the air like great birds.
"My life is yours to take," she whispered. "But I am truly sorry for my sharp tongue."
But White Modest Beauty could never have killed her, and at these words she burst into tears. "No, no!" she cried, embracing Greeneyes, "let us be friends, little sister. I have been so lonely these past months."
So White Modest Beauty and Greeneyes swore to be friends forever and then set out together to find Soo-sen.
3
The two new friends wandered many, many miles, over soils that were black and soils that were red, over lands cold and hot, among people that were tall and short and dark and fair, but still no one could tell them anything of Soo-sen.
One day they reached the banks of the great Yangtze River, one of the largest rivers in all the world.
They reached the banks of the great Yangtze River, one of the largest rivers in all the world.
As they stood looking at the river, a great storm arose. They knew it was no ordinary storm but a magic one, because there was no wind, and yet the waves rose high as trees and crashed back like great temples falling.
Little Greeneyes cried: "Look! Look!"
Slowly from the water there rose a huge black fish, tall as a man and with a great ugly face, and he carried a three-pronged spear. It was the Lord of the Waters, more than one thousand years old, who had decided at last that he must see the land world for himself. He was very wise and had great magic power.
As the two girls stood watching and the waves roared and crashed about the great fish,
