Tales of the Dragon PalaceAI

Early in the Dading era, a scholar travelling with an envoy of Silla was blown by the wind to a certain place where all the people had long beards and spoke a tongue a man of Tang could understand. It was called the Land of the Long Beards. It was populous and thriving; its buildings, clothes and caps differed slightly from those of the Middle Kingdom. The land was called Fusang Isle, and its officials bore such titles as Chief Elder, Wave-Stiller, Watch-Runner and Isle Patrol. The scholar paid calls at several places, and everywhere in that country he was treated with respect.

Annotation: The far shore should be as rich as the Dragon Palace, with pillars of white jade, steps of green jade, beds of coral and curtains of crystal… only then would it do right by these poor people, and these poor children.

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The cuttlefish: an old tale calls it the petty clerk who keeps the River Lord's accounts. Whenever it meets a large fish it lets out ink several feet across to hide itself.

Annotation: Little Wu's elder brother was always one to step forward, often taking up the cause of those bullied in the guild. Just like a cuttlefish knight-errant, with his ink brush for a spear, he did what was right and feared no one, however mighty.

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The thousand-pinch crab: shaped like a crab and the size of a coin, with a very hard shell; even a strong man squeezing with all his might cannot kill it. The common saying is that a thousand people could pinch it and it would not die, hence the name.

Annotation: Little Qian's father was strong and sturdy; whenever ships were loaded or unloaded, his strength was always called for. Just like the Thousand-Pinch General, with a crab shell for a shield, no blade or spear could pierce him, and his strength knew no end.

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The flying fish: in the waters of the Lang by Mount Lang there is a fish a foot long that can fly; when it flies it soars into the clouds, and when it rests it returns to the bottom of its pool.

Annotation: Little Fei's mother, while she lived, was swift and tireless on her feet; for years the guild relied on her running to and fro, carrying fresh seafood to every household in the city. Just like the Flying Fish Messenger of the sea, she rose to the sky and plunged into the deep, and could travel a thousand li in a day.

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The clam: it senses when wind and rain are coming, and can fly using its shell as wings.

Annotation: Ruoruo's parents knew the ways of the sea better than anyone. Like the clam sensing wind and rain, they took their ship for wings, giving orders and commanding the crew, riding the waves and the wind, sailing as if they flew.

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The well fish: the well fish has a hole in its head; each time it draws in water, it forces it out through the hole like a flying spring scattering over the sea, and boatmen vie to catch it in empty vessels. Seawater is salty and bitter, but after passing out through the hole in the fish's head it turns fresh, like spring water. I, Chengshi, heard this told by the Indian monk Putisheng.

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