The Marriage of the Yellow River God

Since ancient times, the Yellow River has brought great calamities to the Chinese people. Every year, it would flood, carrying away the prosperity of the population in its waters. Instead of building dams and levees, the ignorant and deceived people performed various religious rituals to appease the anger of the Yellow River god. Among the people, there are many legends and tales about this. Here is one of them.

Long ago, there lived in the state of Wei a wise and just man named Xi Men-bao. He was appointed as the governor of the Ye region, which was located along the banks of the Yellow River.

The sight of his new domain did not bring joy to the governor. Wherever he looked, there was poverty and hunger.

"I want to know," he said to himself, "why my people are so unhappy and poor." And so, dressed as a simple peasant, Xi Men-bao secretly went through the villages.

What did he discover? This is what he found out.

The governor of the region had assistants: a tax collector and the head of the guard. These assistants did nothing but exploit and ruin the peasants. Together with the shamans, who taught the people to believe in gods and offer sacrifices, they came up with the idea of giving the most beautiful girl as a bride to the Yellow River god every year to appease him.

For the wedding ceremony of the Yellow River god, they collected a lot of money from the residents and divided it among themselves.

Every year, the shaman would go through the villages and look for the most beautiful girl for the Yellow River god.

"If the Yellow River god does not receive a beautiful bride, he will get angry, send his waters to the crops and homes of the peasants, and destroy them," she would say.

All the wealthy gave the shaman rich gifts so that she would not choose their daughters as brides. Therefore, every year, a beautiful girl from a poor peasant family was thrown into the depths of the Yellow River. On the wedding day, the unfortunate bride was dressed up, placed on a small raft decorated with flags and colorful lanterns. To the sound of music, the raft was sent downstream. The raft floated until the waters of the Yellow River swallowed it in their depths: this meant that the Yellow River god had accepted his bride.

And so, when the day of the new wedding of the Yellow River god arrived, Xi Men-bao himself came to see off the bride. He saw a small raft on which sat a girl, her head covered with a red scarf.

"Let me see if the bride of the Yellow River god is beautiful enough," said Xi Men-bao.

He lifted the scarf, looked into the tear-stained face of the girl, and stepped back:

"What, do you want to deceive the Yellow River god? Does he need such an unattractive bride? And she is even crying!" he angrily said to his assistants and sternly ordered the girl, "Leave this place immediately, you are not worthy to be the wife of the Yellow River god!"

The girl quickly stood up and disappeared into the crowd of relieved onlookers.

Then Xi Men-bao turned to the shaman and said loudly:

"We cannot find a girl worthy of the Yellow River god now, so you will have to go to him yourself. Tell the god that as soon as we choose another bride, we will send her to him immediately."

Hearing the governor's order, the shaman trembled, her tongue failing her.

"Me, go into the river?" she asked. "I will drown!"

"The bride was not afraid to drown, but you are afraid!" Xi Men-bao angrily replied. "Well, hurry up, hurry up, and come back immediately!"

And he ordered his soldiers to place the shaman on the raft and push it into the river.

They waited a long time for the shaman to return, but she never did.

"Why hasn't the shaman returned? Maybe she got lost? Then let's send her assistant after her." Xi Men-bao ordered the soldiers to push the shaman's assistant into the river.

But she did not return either.

Xi Men-bao put on an even sterner expression and shouted:

"Ah, you scoundrels! Instead of carrying out my orders, you deliberately anger the Yellow River god! Tax collector, you will have to deliver my message to the god. Come on, hurry up, don't make him even angrier!"

Pale and trembling, the tax collector did not move. The soldiers had to force him into the waves of the Yellow River. Then Xi Men-bao ordered the head of the guard to be sent there as well.

After this, Xi Men-bao told the people the truth about these deceivers, took the ill-gotten wealth from the villains, and distributed it to the poor. From then on, they stopped giving girls as sacrifices to the Yellow River god.

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The Marriage of the Yellow River God

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