The Liu Brothers

Long ago, there lived a kind woman by the seashore. She had five sons, the five Liu brothers: Liu the First, Liu the Second, Liu the Third, Liu the Fourth, and Liu the Fifth. They were so alike that no one could tell them apart. Even their mother sometimes got confused. But each brother had his own special ability. The eldest, Liu the First, could drink an entire sea and then release it back. Liu the Second was unafraid of fire. Liu the Third could stretch his legs to any length. Liu the Fourth had a body stronger than the toughest iron. And the youngest, Liu the Fifth, could understand the language of birds and animals.

They lived happily and comfortably. Liu the First caught fish. Liu the Second kept the fire going in the house. Liu the Third and Liu the Fourth worked in the fields. And Liu the Fifth herded geese and sheep.

One day, a rich and cruel ruler of the region came to hunt in the area where the Liu brothers lived. At the edge of the forest, he saw a herd and a young shepherd boy. It was Liu the Fifth. Beside him slept a beautiful mountain goat. The ruler grabbed his bow, took aim, and shot at it. Startled, Liu shouted—the goat leaped away and disappeared into the forest. A deer peeked out from the thicket. Liu shouted to it in the deer's language: "Run for your life!"—and the deer vanished. Playful hares hopped into the clearing. Liu shouted in the hare's language—and the hares bounded away. All the animals hid, and the forest grew still. The ruler shot his arrows in vain, losing them one after another. He was furious. But kind Liu was glad he had managed to save his forest friends.

Enraged, the cruel ruler ordered Liu the Fifth to be captured. He was taken to the city and thrown into a cage with a hungry tiger. The ruler thought the tiger would tear the brave boy apart, but Liu the Fifth spoke to the tiger in its own language, and the fierce beast left him unharmed.

When the ruler learned of this, he grew even angrier. He ordered Liu the Fifth to be beheaded. But then Liu the Fourth, whose body was stronger than the toughest iron, sneaked into the prison where Liu the Fifth was held. He took his brother's place, and Liu the Fifth calmly walked out and returned home. They were so alike that no one noticed the switch.

The next morning, Liu the Fourth was brought to the town square. The executioner tried to behead him, but the heaviest and sharpest sword struck Liu the Fourth's iron neck and shattered into pieces. Furious, the ruler ordered him to be taken back to prison and thrown off a high cliff the next morning.

That night, Liu the Third, who could stretch his legs to any length, sneaked into the prison and took Liu the Fourth's place. Again, no one suspected a thing.

At dawn, Liu the Third was taken to the high cliff. If a person was thrown from that cliff, they would surely die. The executioners pushed Liu the Third off, but he calmly stretched his miraculous legs and stood on them as if nothing had happened. The enraged ruler galloped back to his palace. That same day, he ordered the rebellious Liu to be burned at the stake.

The executioners built a huge bonfire in the square in front of the ruler's palace. Guards with bows and spears surrounded the square. Crowds of people gathered from all around.

Meanwhile, Liu the Second, who was unafraid of fire, sneaked into the prison and quietly took Liu the Third's place. He had barely done so when the ruler gave the signal to begin the execution.

The executioners grabbed Liu the Second and threw him into the center of the enormous bonfire. The flames rose higher than the houses. Liu the Second disappeared into the fire and black smoke. The crowd wept with pity, while the cruel ruler laughed maliciously.

But soon the smoke cleared, and everyone saw: Liu the Second stood in the midst of the flames, smiling as if nothing had happened. The ruler nearly choked with rage.

"What kind of man is this?" he shouted. "He doesn't burn in fire, doesn't break from a fall, swords can't harm him, and even a ferocious tiger won't touch him! No, it cannot be that I, the mighty ruler, cannot defeat a simple peasant!"

And so, the cruel ruler decided to take Liu far out to sea, tie a heavy stone around his neck, and drown him. "Perhaps he isn't afraid of water?" thought the ruler. "But the stone will keep him from surfacing. Let him remain at the bottom of the sea!" That evening, he ordered the execution to be carried out.

With great difficulty, Liu the First, who could drink the entire sea, sneaked into the prison. He took his brother's place and waited.

That evening, he was taken to a ship. The ruler and his entourage boarded another ship. The ships sailed far out to sea. At the deepest point, a huge stone was tied around Liu the First's neck, and at the cruel ruler's signal, he was thrown into the waves.

As soon as Liu the First disappeared beneath the water, he began to drink the sea. The ruler saw the sea disappearing and turned pale with fear. Soon, the seabed was exposed. The ships capsized, and the ruler and his entourage became stuck in the sea mud.

Meanwhile, Liu the First untied the stone and calmly walked ashore. Then he released the sea back. The ruler and his followers remained at the bottom.

And the people rejoiced at the death of the cruel ruler and praised the invincible Liu brothers.

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The Liu Brothers

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