Li, the Daughter-in-Law
The Beginning
Long ago, in the hills of China, there lived a family. The second son, Hsi, was to be married shortly, and a bride was duly selected. Li, the young girl, came to her mother-in-law’s house and was immediately given an overwhelming amount of work to do.
The Strange Tree
In the courtyard stood a peculiar tree that shed round copper leaves each morning. The family gathered the leaves and, after boring holes through them, used them as money. The process of boring a hole in the center of the leaves was difficult. One had to heat the copper flat and then hammer it onto a thin wedge to create the hole. Li was assigned this task, and though her fingers became bruised, she persevered without complaint.
The Moment of Despair
One day, unable to bear the pain in her fingers, she sat down and shed tears. Just then, an old man, hobbling by, asked her the cause of her sorrow. Li recounted her misfortune to him. The old man listened attentively and then said, “Look at that stone figure! It has an arm pointed towards the tree. Break the arm, and the tree will die.”
The Consequences
Quick as thought, Li broke the arm of the stone idol, and instantly the tree turned yellow. When the mother-in-law saw this, she guessed that Li was behind the mischief. Brandishing a sword, she rushed at the frightened girl in a fit of rage. Terrified, Li ran for her life and hid in a nearby forest. The mother-in-law searched high and low, but there was no sign of the girl, so she returned home, fuming with anger.
A New Life
To escape her mother-in-law’s wrath, Li wandered deeper into the forest. Afraid to return home, she survived by foraging for wild fruits and juicy roots. Soon, a transformation occurred. A pair of white wings sprouted from her sides, and she could finally fly like a bird. She flew to a tree overlooking a Buddhist pagoda, where she spent her time.
The Monk’s Intervention
A monk residing in the pagoda noticed the strange creature and became eager to capture her. One day, he placed some food in an earthen vessel and left it at the bottom of the tree before hiding himself. Soon enough, the hungry Li swooped down and began eating the food. The monk, chanting some spells, managed to catch her. Li attempted to escape by flying away, but she could only flutter her wings.
The Return to Normalcy
Having eaten human food, her magical powers failed her. She then shared her sorrowful tale with the monk. As a result, her feathers fell away, and she returned to her normal self. Moved by her plight, the monk took her home and admonished the astonished mother-in-law, “Treat your daughter-in-law well; otherwise, she will change into a ghost and haunt you. I have witnessed this myself.”
A Happy Ending
Impressed and somewhat frightened by the monk’s words, the mother-in-law heeded his advice. From that day on, Li lived happily with Hsi, free from fear and embraced by kindness.