Romances in Long Poems

[xlwoo]

Theriver separated girl and boy,
Andmade them so unhappy and annoy.
Theybegg'd Heavenly Mother for mercy,
Thenwas permitted to meet once yearly.


They'dmeet on seventh day of seventh moon.
Thatday of next year would not come so soon.
Whenthat day did come, they could only look
Ateach other across the deep wide brook.


Ifthey wanted to talk, they could not hear
Asthe brook kept them apart all the year.
Thenfrom nowhere came millions of magpie,
Whichformed a bridge to let the cowboy hie.
Theboy stepp'd on magpie bridge across it,
Tomeet the girl with help of birds of wit.*


*AncientChinese people had vivid imagination. They took the Milky Way for theCelestial River in the sky, Altair for the cowboy and Vega for thegirl weaver. As for why it is the magpies, not crows or any otherbirds, to form the bridge, it is because ancient Chinese peoplethought that magpies were lucky birds who would bring people luck ifa magpie called in the tree before one's house.

[xlwoo]

5)Beauty Pan and Dwarf


Thegirl Pan was a maid in a rich house.
Themaster's lewd and brib'd her with a blouse.
Themistress was jealous and slapped her face,
Andoft made her kneel before the fireplace.


Therelived a dwarf not far in the same town,
Whofor living sold pancakes looking brown.
Asno one would marry him, he's thirty
Andstill single. He also looked so ugly.


Themistress wanted to drive the girl out,
Andso she gave the beauty to the lout.
Shethought that it was an excellent match,
Beautyand dwarf formed a very good batch.

[xlwoo]

“It'snot fit to live here longer.” dwarf thought.
“Moveafar to another town we ought.”
Whenevershe looked at him, she would barf,
Butshe had to follow where went the dwarf.


Ina new town they rented a small house.
Itwas so shabby almost full of mouse.
Thebeauty slept alone in other room,
Leavingthe poor ugly husband in gloom.


Thedwarf had a brother, who had kungfu.
Inthe kungfu world, he was a guru.
Hetravel'd in other towns to make friends,
Hewould fight bravely, if he met some fiends.

[xlwoo]

Onenight he dreamt of his dearest brother.
He'dgo back home and should no more wander.
Whenhe reached the town they used to live,
Helearnt his brother moved with some motive.


Hewas told where he could find his brother.
Hehurried to the town in bad weather.
Onthe way he came to a high mountain,
Anotice said it's a tiger's domain.


Atiger would attack people in daylight.
It'dbe safe if travelers went at night.
Thekungfu brother, Wu, was very brave.
Hewould send the tiger into its grave.

[xlwoo]

Hemet the tiger which jumped on him fast.
Itwanted to eat him like its repast.
Hegripp'd its neck fur as he stepp'd aside.
Hepressed it down; on its back he did ride.


Hefist'd it until it could stir no more.
Nonehad killed a tiger like him before.
Peoplelearned it and looked on him as hero.
Theycarried him into town with gusto


Themayor received and made him as head
Ofhis police since he beat tiger dead.
He'sglad to get the job and settl'd down now.
He'dlook for his brother, no matter how.

[xlwoo]

Inthe town he asked round for a short man,
Andfound his brother with a pretty woman.
Heembraced the dwarf, and helloed the wife.
Heinquired about how they fared in life.


AsPan saw Wu was handsome, strong and tall,
Shebegan to like him; in love she'd fall.
Hewas police head and slept in yamen,
Soafter supper, he had to leave, then.


Nexttime when Wu came to see his brother,
Panasked him to move in, be cared better.
Heagreed, and Pan let him sleep in her room.
Andthe dwarf slept in corner by her loom.