Stippled Fish, Suzette Vida
A long time ago, in a village tucked away in the Middle Kingdom, a scholar took two wives, and they each bore baby girls. But then one wife died, and the scholar soon after that, leaving the baby, Yeh-Hsien, to the care of her stepmother.
Yeh-Hsien was a lovely girl, and kind also, outshining her stepsister in all ways but because of this, her stepmother treated her poorly, giving her the dirtiest, most unpleasant chores she could think of. But though her life was unhappy, Yeh-Hsien was not alone, for she had befriended a fish.
Now, this fish was no ordinary animal, being large with luminous golden eyes. Every day it came out of the water to rest on the bank and share Yeh-Hsien's meal, for, though she had little to eat, Yeh-Hsien was generous of nature. But her stepmother became suspicious of Yeh-Hsien's good temper and spirits and set to ferreting out her secret. When she discovered the secret of the fish, the stepmother disguised herself as Yeh-Hsien and called the fish from the water. Then, as it came to land, she drew a dagger, stabbed the poor creature, then took it inside to cook for the evening meal.
Lost without her friend, Yeh-Hsien sneaked away, determined to hide her tears from her stepmother. As she wept, letting tears streak her cheeks, she heard a voice. Frightened Yeh-Hsien looked up, to find the spirit of a wizened, weather-beaten old man with hair hanging loosely over his shoulders. Speaking quietly, the spirit told her to gather the fish's bones from the dung heap, place them in four pots, and bury one pot at each corner of her bed. Yeh-Hsien found solace in this act, and often returned to speak with the bones, unsurprised when they answered her.
Autumn passed into Winter, and Winter passed into Spring, bringing blossoms and the spring festival, the time when young men and women gathered to meet one another. Yeh-Hsien begged her stepmother to let her go but the woman, fearing that Yeh-Hsien would outshine her own child, ordered her to remain at home and clean house.
After her family had gone, Yeh-Hsien went to the bones in the pots to ask for clothes to wear to the festival; as she brought each pot forth from the earth, she found fine clothes and jewellery, a kingfisher cloak, and two tiny slippers, woven of golden thread, soled of gold. Taking the clothes, she dressed carefully; when she was done, the bones warned her to "be careful, and not lose the slippers."
Yeh-Hsien walked to the festival, where she enjoyed herself for some time. But her stepmother and stepsister grew closer, staring and suspicious; afraid she would be discovered, Yeh-Hsien fled. As she ran, a golden slipper fell from her foot.
When she arrived home, Yeh-Hsien was once again dressed in rags. Going to her room, she tried to speak to the bones, but they said nothing, so she tucked her remaining slipper in her bedstraw and retired for the night. The following day she went to speak to the bones again but still there was no answer. And so the days continued.
In time, a merchant found the tiny golden slipper Yeh-Hsien had lost, and sold it to another; that one sold it to another; and that one also sold it to another. So the slipper passed through many hands until one day, it came to the King of a neighbouring land.
Fascinated by the tiny thing, the King sent men to find the woman of the small feet. At first, the King's servants went from door to door, but the slipper was too small for all they visited. So the King had his men make a pavilion by the road's side and hang an announcement that "the golden slipper was to be given to its owner". Then the men hid away from the road and waited.
Soon, all the women in the village had been to try the slipper, but it fitted none. Yeh-Hsien waited 'til darkness fell, then crept away from the house and down to the road's side to take back her golden slipper. But just as she laid her hands upon it, the King's men sprang forth and arrested her!
When the King saw Yeh-Hsien, he was angered by her appearance. How could such a rag-girl own such a lovely slipper? Surely it was a trick! But as he looked closer, he began to see the marks of Yeh-Hsien's beauty and grace-and her tiny feet. Returning home with the King and his men in tow, Yeh-Hsien soon produced the other slipper; when she placed both on her feet, her rags vanished and she was draped in fine clothes and jewellery, kingfisher cloak and tiny slippers once more. Seeing this, the King asked for Yeh-Hsien's hand; she gave it most willingly,
As punishment for their treatment of Yeh-Hsien, the King ordered that her stepmother and stepsister were not to move in with her and were never to visit. And so they stayed in their old home until one day, when they were crushed to death by a shower of flying stones.
