^ F o L k t a L e S ^

Meng Jiangnu's husband Wan, a scholar, was taken from their home and carried away to help with the building of the Great Wall. Meng, saddened by the loss of her husband, waited for news of him. Much time passed without hearing of his whereabouts. One night in her sleep he came to her and told her he was freezing to death. She awoke and made the decision to travel to the area where she thought he was working and take him clothes she had made for him. During her journey she almost froze to death in a snow storm. A crow flew down next to her as she slept in the snow, and upon her awakening showed her how to flap her wings so she could join the crows and fly to her destination. Upon her arrival at the Great Wall she learned that her husband had died. She learned that he had been buried with many other workers in a section of the Great Wall. She searched the wall but couldn't locate his body. Anger arose from within her and poured out of her causing lightning to split the sky and rain to pour from the heavens washing away whole sections of the Great Wall. As the bones of the workers swirled about Meng pricked her finger and asked that her blood penetrate the bones of her husband, Wan. She located his bones and wrapped them in the clothes she had brought for him. The cruel Emperor, Qin shi Huangdi, was furious with her but taken with her beauty. The Emperor gave her a choice of coming with him or being beheaded. Meng responded by asking for three wishes: to have her husband buried in the style of a prince, to have the kingdom mourn him for 49 days, and give him a public funeral. The Emperor granted her the three wishes. After Wan's funeral she thanked the Emperor ...and then threw herself into the sea for she could not stand the thoughts of being with the Emperor. The Emperor commanded that her body be drug from the sea, cut into pieces, and her bones ground into dust. As they threw her dust into the sea thousands of little silvery fish filled the waters. So today if you visit the Great Wall next to the Eastern Sea you and others in China will remember the story of Meng and Wan.

Rappaport's telling of the story and the beautiful watercolor pictures by Yang Ming-Yi make this tale one that will touch your heart.