The Moon Maiden

Journey into the mystical realm of the Moon Maiden, where the fate of Princess Yun Chi hangs in the balance. As King Chan Ko foresees a dire threat from a celestial dragon, a thrilling contest ignites among the realm's bravest princes. Among them, Prince Ting Tsun stands apart, not just for his courage but for his ingenious plan to save the princess and rid the moon of all its fearsome dragons. So, snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams. 

The music in this episode is Hagoromo by Sayuri Hayashi Egnell. 

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Dreamful is produced and hosted by Jordan Blair. Edited by Katie Sokolovska. Theme song by Joshua Snodgrass. Cover art by Jordan Blair. ©️ Dreamful LLC

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:21

Welcome to Dreamful Podcast Bedtime stories for slumber. In this bonus episode I will be reading the Moon Maiden. So snuggle up in your blankets and have sweet dreams.

Speaker 1: 0:43

Thank you, king Chang'e was more than a monarch. He was one of the best soothsayers in all the discovered world, having studied under no less a master than the famous Chai Leng. Even the most skeptical then will admit that Changko, as a geomancer, must have stood far above the average. As a geomancer, must have stood far above the average. Chai Ling was particular in the selection of his pupils. Once each week, at his beginning, his Majesty was accustomed to cast the signs so that he might know what to expect. Thus, if rain was due on a Wednesday, he was forewarned and fore-umbrellad, and if war was predicted for Friday, he was forearmed and ready to give two blows for one. He knew of the third flood a whole week before it happened and, you may be sure, had a palatial boat, provisioned and ready laden with rice and musical instruments a good three days before the waters came. Rather unexpectedly, it became imperative for King Changko to take horse on an urgent journey. Despite the call for great haste, he refused to make one step before casting the signs, though to do so made necessary an hour's labor. Do so made necessary in hours' labor. On his plane, chang'e scrubbed three circles with their bisecting lines. He drew the sun, moon and stars in their relative places, gazed for a moment and groaned, groaned, ayu and Aya. Well and mighty groan.

Speaker 1: 3:27

There was no error in the work. No other reading was possible. Upon the following night, a dragon would swoop down from the moon and carry off the princess Yunqi. That was the reading, and there could be no doubting its truth. It may be imagined that grey hair is mid-quick appearance in the monarch's beard. His journey was highly necessary. No postponement could be arranged. Yet the princess Yun-Cqi, his daughter, was well beloved and not to be given up so long. A sword, a temper, and Javelin was sound of shaft. But who was to wield the sword and who to thrust Javelin? Who, indeed who, if not the four score and ten valiant young princes of the realm who even then deplored a death of daring deeds to be performed?

Speaker 1: 4:41

No sooner the thought than King Chang'e summoned the princes into audience. Briefly, he described the peril that threatened, told of the dragon's cunning, of his strength that increased with every blow given or received. Not a pleasant picture King Chungho drew at first. But when, in conclusion, he stated the reward, every prince in the chamber drew sword and wished that the dragon might come For, said Chanko, if all of you together slay the dragon, then, if she so pleases, the princess may make her choice of you. But if any prince unaided slays a dragon, then I say to you that such victorious prince, and none other, shall wed the princess Yunqi. There was such a clinking of armor that the magpies clustering the palace roof made off on wing. There was such a testing of newly strung bows that the sky rained arrows for a day.

Speaker 1: 6:03

Prince Ting Sun, as comely wore your youth, as ever twirled sharp steel, took to himself a notion that his sword alone must blood the dragon. He can hardly be censured. Anyone is likely to be greedy when a royal princess is in danger and her hand awaits a heroic defender. But Ting Sun, with his bravery, mixed sagacity to himself, he reasoned thus Suppose I do succeed in killing the moon dragon, suppose I do succeed in killing the moon dragon, will his inferior brothers not come seeking vengeance? Without doubt they will. My only hope is to slay them all Now, and their ruler with them. Then the danger will be removed forever and I can eat rice and comfort Without the need of a sword on the table. I must kill all of the moon dragons. With such an ambitious plan in mind, prince Ting Sun visited a sewing woman and had her make him a cloak precisely like that worn by the Princess Yun QiChi. He shaved his promising beard and put whiting upon his cheeks, painted his eyebrows and practiced a willowy walk. All in all, he made a fairish, pretty maiden and quite deceiving to the eye.

Speaker 1: 7:50

When the sun had snuggled down behind the mountains, prince Ting Sun walked in the palace gardens, taking those paths most favored by the princess. He fondled the delicate wisteria. He touched his face to the wide, expanded roses Beneath the purpled-flowered polonia. He paused in rapture. By look and action he was a maiden taking her pleasure in the flowers.

Speaker 1: 8:27

Out of the calm evening air came a mighty and horrendous whistling roar. No need to tell the prince its cause. In his early days he had heard silly nurses attempt such a whistling, trying to frighten him into being a good boy. If you don't, the dragon will get you. He had laughed at the affronted nurses, but now his face was crinkled with grim lines, serious lines that spelled determination. Not a trace of laughter there.

Speaker 1: 9:08

The whistling changed to a hissing. The air became noxious with hot breath. Four tremendous padded talons enfolded Prince Ting Sun. A scream of terror, a winging of wings that lifted, gone, vanished. A scream of terror. No, that is not true. It was a scream of mock terror. Can you think the prince was frightened, prince Ting Sun? He screamed merely to make his deception doubly sure.

Speaker 1: 9:51

The prince, to casual gaze, was a maiden. Maidens are supposed to scream when snapped up by a dragon. Small blame to them for that. Up, higher and swifter for that. Up, higher and swifter. Up through the uncharted, the star-littered spaces, sweat Prince Ting Sun, born by the dragon. The wind shrieked past him. Higher, still higher. The little stars twinkled above, higher the little stars twinkled below. The air grew thin and cold. Prince Ting grew faint, for his breathing was of no consequence. There was no air to breathe. There was nothing but space and stardust. The dragon's mouth went wide in a whiny whistle. From close by came an answer. The prince opened his eyes. He saw a tapering streak of flame On earth. He would have named it Comet, but stretching his eyes wider, he perceived that it was merely another dragon. His fiery breath trailing far spread. Other dragons appeared. Ting soon imagined that he must be approaching their lair. He prayed that his arm might be strong. With another scream, the dragon folded his wings and dropped lightly upon a silvery plain. The journey was done. The moon underfoot. The journey was done. The moon underfoot.

Speaker 1: 11:59

The Dragon King ruled in a subterranean palace. The entrance was merely a shining, smooth hole, but the interior was luxury itself, with brocaded tapestries and jade floorings and translucent moonstone ceilings. In the throne room knelt Ting Sun before the king, for he still played the part of a maiden. He knelt as if seeking mercy. Her beauty is not what I expected. Ground the king. Take her away. Perhaps another day she will seem fairer. Let her food be sesame and coriander seeds. Oh, what a clumsy walk. Prince Ting Sun Sat on a couch, turning in his mind a plan by which to vanquish his captors. The stillness was dissolved by music of moving silks. A smiling damsel bowed before his highness. Oh, I am glad to see that you do not weep like the others. Are you a princess from the earth or from Venus? From the earth, replied Ting Sun, but he forgot to gentle his voice. The moon maiden shrank back. You are not a princess she accused.

Speaker 1: 13:39

No, I am not a princess. These garments are deceit. I was Prince Ting Sun when upon the earth Now I am Ching Pan, your slave. The moon maiden was quickly reassured and entered into talk with Ting Sun, or humble Changpon as he then called himself. She told the prince that she had lived with her parents on the far side of the moon until the dragons came Now. She had no parents, and when the feast season of brightest light arrived until the dragons came Now, she had no parents. And when the feast season of brightest light arrived, the dragon king, chao Ya, his name, would make her his bride. She knew the number of dragons twenty-eight one for each night in the month, and there was never more than one home at a given time. They could be slain only with the dragon king's sword, a weapon that could slay the king himself, but in the hopes of prince ting fell. As she spoke, the king always kept the sword fastened at his waist. Yes, the dragon king sometimes slept, but never more than once a day and never for more than a few minutes when, just as the moon went down, just as the moon went down, so Ting Sun, in his spotless maiden garb, came upon the king asleep, and, snatching up the monarch's sword, awoke him and slew him. The blade had not yet done its sweep when it cleft the skull of a dragon who should have been guarding his king from harm.

Speaker 1: 15:38

The prince rejoiced at success, albeit rather modestly. His task had but started. There was many a chance for disaster. Death might lurk in a faltering blow, a lagging step, a momentary closing of the eyes. By day, the prince slept. By night he kept his post at the palace entrance as each dragon came crawling into his lair.

Speaker 1: 16:19

Prince Ting Sun reached his heart with the dragon king's sword. One thrust for each dragon, one thrust each night until the month had passed. In such manner, his valiant highness destroyed the whole vile brood. His plans had carried through the triumph. Now he was free to return home and claim for his own the princess Yunqi, and a happy day it would be.

Speaker 1: 16:51

He was happy now, though extremely happy. Why shouldn't he be happy? The prince argued stoutly with himself. Yet his argument was not convincing. He would be compelled to leave the moon maiden. So his reasoning was hollow. He was not happy, he was sorrowful. He had grown fond of. He was sorrowful, he had grown fond of the other world princess. But he must return to his own country. King Chang'e had promised his daughter to whosoever should slay the dragon In taking up battle. Prince Ting had given agreement to the terms. He was betrothed to the princess Yunqi.

Speaker 1: 17:49

The moon maiden was asleep when Prince Ting went to say goodbye. He would not wake her, he would go at once. After a last sad look. The sleeping princess stirred and murmured For another instant. The royal youth paused. He heard his name murmured. He heard more enough to amaze him, to weaken his will almost to the changing point. A moment more of listening and Prince Ting Sun must inevitably have remained upon the moon. But he would hear no more. He rushed from the palace palace, ashamed of his weakness, yet thrilled with pride.

Speaker 1: 18:48

The moon hung low above the ocean when Ting Sun made his fearsome leap. He descended in the cushioning waters and so took no hurt. Fortune was with him in that leap. A vessel manned by venturesome explorers chanced upon him. Otherwise the spot where he fell must have been his grave, for ships are years apart in that faraway region. The sailors drew him aboard their junk and treated him with every respect. It was quite clear in their minds that he must be a god. Certainly he could be nothing less than a great magician, be nothing less than a great magician.

Speaker 1: 19:45

When the ship touched at Macau, prince Ting Sun was the first to step ashore. He found the city celebrating burning much-colored paper to the ruler of married happiness, feasting and making music, and making music, accosting a stranger. He asked the cause of such jubilation, explaining that he had only that moment arrived from a far country. The stranger answered we celebrate a marriage. Your Grace, prince Yan, has taken the fairest bride in all the world. From what country do you come? Whom did Prince Yan marry, asked Ting Sun, by the Princess Yan Chi, of course. What country did you say? Indeed, exclaimed the prince. And I came for the moon, leaving the fellow with his eyes popped and mouth agape. He hastened on. He was compelled to hasten. His feet would keep stab with his tumultuous heart. So the princess Yanji was married.

Speaker 1: 20:56

King Changho had broken his word Far better if Prince Ting had remained upon the moon. Upon the moon was someone who, pausing only for momentary snatches of sleep. Prince Ting journeyed the straightest road the Quan Lun Mountain. On this mountain lived and lives the friendly mother demon Si Wang, magician of great power. To her, prince Ting gave his necessary oath and in exchange received his desire. Wings feathered the pinions of a phoenix. The way is long, the way is steep, but hearts must be served With wings. Unfaltering Prince Ting Sun cleaves the sky no-transcript.