Lady White Snake (Weiße Schlange): A Tale From Chinese Opera (Chinesische Oper) - Hardcover

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of One-Eye! Two-Eyes! Three-Eyes!, The King o' the Cats, The Legend of Lightning Larry, The Adventures of Mouse Deer, The Sea King's Daughter, The Baker's Dozen, and many more kids' books. His stories also appear often in Cricket magazine.

Aus dem Klappentext

What fate awaits a thousand-year-old white snake that travels from its sacred mountain to the human world, only to fall in love with a mortal? Such is the unusual beginning of this tragic love story, one of the most popular in all of Chinese opera. Lady White's selfless devotion to her earthly husband is considered by the temple priest an abomination. In a spectacular struggle to stay with her husband, our heroine prevails in the end. However, time is sadly not on her side.

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The newlyweds decided to move to the city of Zhenjiang and open an
herb shop of their own. The shop was a great success, for Lady White could
tell just what was wrong with a patient and just what compound to
prescribe. What's more, she showed great dedication in helping the sick, no
matter how poor.

The two were supremely happy with their work and with each other. Adding to
their joy, Lady White soon announced she was expecting a child.

One day when Lady White had gone off to rest, an old Buddhist monk entered
the shop and spoke to Xu Xian. "I am Fahai, the abbot of Gold Mountain
Temple," he said. "I have come to warn you of a great danger. By my
spiritual powers, I have discovered that your wife is a thousand-year-old
snake. She hides her true nature for now, but one day she will surely turn
on you and devour you."

"How dare you say that!" said the young man. "It's nothing but wicked
slander!"

But Fahai told him, "Just make sure she drinks realgar wine for the Dragon
Boat Festival. She'll change back then to her true form, and you'll see for
yourself."