Once upon a time, in the land of Yōngzhōu (modern day Guǎngxī Area [廣西地區]), there lived a man from the Wú Family [呉氏]. He had two wives. From his union with one of them, a daughter was born, and they named her Yè Xiàn.
Tragedy struck when both of Yè Xiàn’s parents passed away while she was still young. She was left in the care of her father’s other wife, who also had a daughter of her own. This second wife became Yè Xiàn’s adoptive mother.
However, life with her adoptive family was far from idyllic. Yè Xiàn’s adoptive mother treated her with contempt, subjecting her to endless chores. Whether it was mowing the lawn or fetching water from the nearby pond, Yè Xiàn’s days were filled with toil.
One fateful day, as Yè Xiàn collected water from the pond, she noticed a fish swimming nearby. Moved by compassion, she decided to set it free (in the story she just brought the fish from… somewhere… and set it free in the pond where she collected her water… for some reason). Little did she know that this simple act of kindness would change her life forever. The fish, grateful for its newfound freedom, would become her loyal companion.
Every time Yè Xiàn approached the pond, the fish would peek its head above the water’s surface, as if greeting an old friend. Their bond grew stronger, and Yè Xiàn found solace in this unlikely friendship.
But darkness loomed. Yè Xiàn’s adoptive mother, ever cruel, had her eyes on the fish. She hatched a plan to capture and consume it. The fish, wise to danger, never revealed itself when the adoptive mother was near. Undeterred, the scheming woman devised a cunning trick. She swapped her opulent clothes for Yè Xiàn’s humble attire, hoping to deceive the fish into thinking she was the maiden.
The ruse worked. As the adoptive mother approached the pond, blade concealed in her sleeve, she struck. The fish emerged, believing it was Yè Xiàn, and met its tragic end. The adoptive mother took the fish to her kitchen, simmered it, and devoured it, leaving only bones behind. These bones, discarded amidst a pile of collected waste, would serve as fertilizer for the land.
Meanwhile, Yè Xiàn remained unaware of her aquatic friend’s fate. She stood in an open grassland, weeping for a loss she couldn’t comprehend.
As Yè Xiàn stood in the grassland, her tears watering the earth, a mysterious man descended from the heavens. His hair was wild, and his eyes held ancient secrets. He spoke to Yè Xiàn, revealing the fate of her aquatic friend—the fish whose bones now lay discarded beneath a pile of waste.
“Retrieve those bones,” the man instructed, “and conceal them within your room. They may prove useful one day.”
Yè Xiàn obeyed, gathering the fish bones and placing them carefully in a hidden corner. Days passed, and a grand festivity bloomed in the locality where Yè Xiàn resided. Her adoptive mother and half-sister, adorned in finery, departed for the celebration, leaving Yè Xiàn behind to guard the garden’s fruits. The unfairness of it all weighed heavily on her heart.
But then, magic stirred. The fish bones responded to Yè Xiàn’s longing. They transformed, weaving an elegant green dress and conjuring a pair of golden shoes. Yè Xiàn donned her newfound attire—a shimmering testament to her friendship with the fish.
At the festivity, Yè Xiàn moved among the crowd, her magical ensemble drawing curious glances. Yet danger lurked. Her adoptive mother and half-sister were there, their eyes scanning the revelers. Yè Xiàn’s heart raced; exposure meant punishment.
In her haste to escape, one golden shoe slipped from her foot. It fell, unnoticed, onto the festival grounds. A cave-dwelling man discovered it and, recognizing its worth, sold it at a bustling (it was never specified as bustling) market in Tuó-huán Nation (probably). The shoe eventually found its way into the possession of the king himself.
The king, captivated by its decadence, wondered about the woman who had worn such exquisite footwear. His search spanned the entire kingdom, and finally, he arrived at Yè Xiàn’s humble dwelling. To his delight, the golden shoe fit her perfectly—a Cinderella moment in the land of Yōngzhōu.
The king extended an offer of marriage, and Yè Xiàn, her heart both grateful and amazed, departed for Tuó-huán on a chariot. Meanwhile, her adoptive mother and half- sister faced a different fate. Their cruelty had not gone unnoticed. Stoned to death as punishment, they paid the price for their mistreatment of Yè Xiàn.
This was a tale told by Lǐ Shì-yuán, the Wú Dòng of Yōngzhōu, via “Yǒuyáng Zázǔ”*「酉陽雑俎」(completed circa 860 C.E.) and translated into Japanese by Prof. Zhāng Zǐ-chén via “Nihon-kiso-bunka-no-tankyū: Nihon-minkan-denshō-no-genryū”「日本基層文化の探究: 日本民間伝承の源流」(1989; pp 275~276) by Hisako, Kimishima & et al.)*
This post is made by Shōichi L. Yajima with the help of Tamonbahu and Bane of Babylon Team.