Once upon a time, in a quiet little village, there lived a miller and his wife.They were a good family and lived well, getting better and better every year.The mill business was booming, and the family didn’t lack money to spend.
But the good times didn’t last long, and from one day to the next, their wealth gradually became less and less.At first, their income was not as good as before, but later it became difficult to maintain the mill.The miller’s heart was so sad that he tossed and turned every night and could not sleep, nor could he work during the day.
One morning, before dawn, he got up and went out for a walk.He walked to the dam by the mill, where the sun had just risen and the water was glowing with golden light.Just then he heard a clattering sound coming from the water, and when he looked back, he was surprised to see a beautiful woman slowly coming up out of the water.She covered her body with her long hair and looked both mysterious and beautiful.
The miller guessed at once that this might be the legendary water demon.He didn’t know whether to go or stay, and was hesitating when the woman spoke.Her voice was so gentle that she even called out his name and asked why he looked so troubled.
The miller was too frightened to speak for a moment, but hearing how friendly the other party’s tone was, he slowly calmed down and told his family’s predicament in a nutshell.
After hearing this, the Water Demon smiled gently and said, “Don’t worry, I can help you become rich again.As long as you promise me one thing.”
The miller asked what it was.The water demon said, “When a new life is born in your family, you will give it to me.”
When the miller heard this, he thought, “What new life can there be in the house?At most it will be a kitten or a puppy.”So he agreed to the water demon’s request.
After saying this, the water demon sank into the water and disappeared.The miller was in a much lighter mood and ran home with great joy.
But just as he reached the door of his house, the maid ran out happily to announce his good news: “Congratulations, Master!Madam has just given birth to a boy!”
The miller froze and stood still as if struck by lightning.He then realized that he had made a big mistake – it turned out that the Water Demon had already known that Madam was pregnant, and she had deliberately come to trick him into making a promise!
He walked into the house with his head down, and his wife was lying on the bed, looking at him with a smile on her face, “My dear, I’ve given you a son, aren’t you happy?”
The miller, however, wept and told her what had just happened.He said, “Though we are rich now, the price is our child!What shall I do?”
His friends and family were shocked to hear this, and no one knew how to comfort him.
But strangely enough, from that day on, the miller’s fortune really came back.His business grew bigger and bigger, and the money fell from the sky as if by itself, and before long he was even richer than before.
But he didn’t feel happy about it.Because he knew that one day the water demon would come to him for his child.Whenever he took the child out, he would hold his hand tightly, fearing that he would go near the water.He often told the child, “Don’t touch the water, if you do, a hand will reach out of the water and pull you down!”
Year after year, the water demon never appeared.The miller gradually let go of his heart, thinking that perhaps the water demon had already forgotten about it.
The boy grew up slowly, smart and capable.Later, he learned a lot of skills from a hunter and became the best hunter in the village.The village chief admired him and introduced the most beautiful girl in the village to him.The two soon got married and lived happily ever after.
One day, the hunter chased a deer into the forest.The deer fled into an open field and he took the opportunity to shoot it.After disposing of his prey, he went to the sink to wash the blood off his hands.But just as he put his hand in the water, the water demon suddenly emerged from the water, hugged him and dragged him into the water!
The hunter’s wife waited for a whole day but did not wait for him to come back, her heart was especially anxious.She remembered that her husband had warned her many times to be careful of the water demon, but she couldn’t help running to the pool to look for him.Seeing the hunting bag left on the bank, she knew something had happened to her husband.
She stood at the edge of the water and shouted her husband’s name over and over again, but no one responded.She walked around the pool in circles, crying and begging the water demon to let her husband go.In the end, she was so tired that she fell to the ground and fell asleep.
That night, she had a dream.She dreamed that she climbed over a high mountain, through thorns and wind and rain, and finally came to a beautiful meadow where there was a small house.In the house sat a kindly old grandmother.
When she woke up, she decided to follow the directions in her dream.She found the grandmother and cried about what had happened to her.
When the grandmother heard this, she handed her a golden comb and said, “When the full moon rises, you will sit here and use this comb on your hair, then put the comb by the water and see what happens.”
The woman went home and waited for days for the night of the full moon.She took the golden comb to the edge of the pool and did as the grandmother had said.Sure enough, within moments, the water churned up and the golden comb was swept into the water.Then, out of the water floated her husband’s head.
He looked at her, his eyes full of sorrow.But before she could react, a wave hit and her husband’s head was swallowed by the water again.
The woman was so sad that she dreamed of the old grandmother again that night.The next day she went to her again for help.This time the grandmother gave her a golden flute and said, “Wait until the full moon rises, play a song on this flute, and then place the flute on the shore.”
The woman did as she was told.When the flute fell into the water, her husband’s body was exposed and he even reached out to hug her.But once again the waves swept him away.
The woman was in utter despair.But in her dream, she saw the grandmother for the third time.This time the grandmother gave her a golden spinning wheel and said, “When the full moon rises, you sit on the shore and finish spinning the thread with this spinning wheel, then lower the wheel into the water.”
The woman did as she was told.This time, the husband’s whole body came out of the water.He jumped on the bank, took her hand and ran.As they were about to escape, a huge flood suddenly gushed out of the pool and came down on them.
Just in the nick of time, the woman prayed for the grandmother’s help.A miracle happened – they turned into two frogs and were swept away by the flood, but did not die.
When the flood waters receded, they regained their human form, only to be swept away to a strange place.Separated from each other, they could only herd their own sheep for a living and lived many lonely years.
When spring came, fate brought them together again.They met in the valley, although they did not recognize each other, but they felt very close to each other.They herded sheep together every day, accompanied each other, and their hearts were much more solid.
One night, as the full moon rose, the man took out his piccolo and played a familiar tune.As the woman listened, she couldn’t help but shed tears.
The man asked her, “Why are you crying?”
The woman choked and said, “Because this tune is the last time I saw my lover when the moon rose and he was watching me in the water ……”
As the man listened, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and he looked closely at the woman’s face, as if he understood everything in an instant.He also remembered his identity, and the two finally recognized each other.
They hugged each other tightly and never parted again.From then on, they returned to their hometown together and lived a peaceful and happy life.
The Truth Behind the Story
On the surface, this story seems to be a fairy tale about magic, love and destiny, but in fact there are many profound truths hidden behind it:
- Desire and Cost
The miller easily agreed to the water demon’s request in order to get rid of poverty.He thought it was just a small promise, but it turned out that he almost lost his child.This tells us that when we face temptation or rush to solve a problem, we must think twice before making a decision rashly. - Fate and Choice
The water demon did not snatch the child right away, but waited until the time was right to strike.This shows that there are some things in life that seem to be accidental, but in fact have been laid long ago.We have to learn to see things for what they are, not just on the surface. - Love and Sacrifice
In order to save her husband, the woman risked her life again and again to find a way out, and even if she failed, she didn’t give up.This reflects that true love is not only sweet companionship, but also the determination to be willing to give everything for each other. - Hope and Persistence
No matter how big the difficulties are, as long as you don’t give up hope, there is always a solution.Just as a woman eventually gets her husband back through hard work, we should also remain optimistic in life and believe that the future will be better. - Growth and Change
The couple experienced separation and suffering and eventually became stronger and more mature.This tells us that challenges in life, though painful, are also an opportunity for growth.
What can we learn?
- Don’t make promises easily: Especially when you are depressed or under stress, the decisions you make are often not rational enough.
- Cherish the people in front of you: It is a blessing to have a family and loved ones, don’t neglect the truly important people around you because of a momentary hardship.
- Stay the course: No matter what difficulties you encounter, have the courage to face them and never give up.
- Trust Intuition: If something doesn’t feel right to you, then pay more attention and don’t blindly trust others.
- The Power of Love: True love can overcome all difficulties, not even magic or fate can stop it.
This article is not only a fairy tale, but also a vivid life lesson.With a simple plot and imaginative characters, it tells a story about love, responsibility, choice and growth, which is worth repeating and thinking about.
