Four Dragons

The Black Dragon and the Pearl Dragon were not to be outdone. They flew to the sea, scooped up water in their mouths, and then flew back into the sky, where they sprayed the water out over the earth. The four dragons flew back and forth, making all the sky dark with rain. Before long, the sea water began pouring down from the sky. “It’s raining! It’s raining! The crops will be saved!” the people cried and leaped with joy. On the ground the wheat stalks raised their heads and the sorghum stalks straightened up. Unfortunately, the God of the Sea realized what was happening and reported the events to the Jade Emperor. “How dare the four dragons bring rain without my permission!” said the Jade Emperor. Enraged, the Jade Emperor ordered the heavenly generals and their troops to arrest the four dragons. Being far outnumbered, the four dragons could not defend themselves. They were soon arrested and brought back to the Heavenly Palace. “Go and get four mountains to lay upon the four dragons so that they can never escape!” the Jade Emperor ordered the Mountain God. The Mountain God used his magic power to force four mountains to fly to him, whistling in the wind as they approached from afar. The Mountain God pressed the four mountains down upon the four dragons. Imprisoned as they were, the four dragons did not regret their actions. Instead, determined to do good for the people forever, they metamorphosed into four rivers, which flowed past other high mountains and deep valleys, crossing the land from the west to the east, and finally emptying into the sea. And so it was that China’s four great rivers were formed from the four dragons—the Heilongjiang (Black Dragon River) in the far north, the Huang He (Yellow River) in central China, the Chang Jiang (Yangtze, or Long River) farther south, and the Zhujiang (Pearl River) in the very south.

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The Four Dragons

In this folktale, four dragons work to help a community that is suffering from a long drought.

Once upon a time, there were no rivers and lakes on earth, but only the Eastern Sea, in which lived four dragons: The Long Dragon, the Yellow Dragon, the Black Dragon, and the Pearl Dragon. One day the four dragons flew from the sea into the sky. They soared and dived, playing hide-and-seek in the clouds.

“Come over here quickly!” the Pearl Dragon cried out suddenly.

“What do you see?” asked the other three, looking down in the direction where the Pearl Dragon pointed.

On the earth they saw many people putting out fruits and cakes. As they burned incense sticks, they were praying.

A white-haired woman, kneeling on the ground with a thin boy on her back, murmured, “God of Heaven, please send rain quickly to give our children rice to eat.”

There had been no rain on earth for a long time. The crops had withered, the grass had turned yellow, and fields had cracked under the scorching sun.

“How poor these people are!” said the Yellow Dragon. “And they will soon die if it doesn’t rain.”

The Long Dragon nodded. Then he suggested, “Let’s go and beg the Jade Emperor for rain.”

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The four dragons flew back happily. Ten days passed, and not a drop of rain came down. The people were suffering even more. Some were eating tree bark, some were grazing on grass roots, some were eating white clay when they ran out of tree bark and grass roots. Seeing all this misery, the four dragons felt despair, for they realized the Jade Emperor cared only for his pleasure and did not take the people to his heart. The dragons understood that they must relieve the people of their miseries and not depend on any other. But how could they stop the human misery? Seeing the vast sea, the Long Dragon had an idea. “What is your idea? Out with it, quickly!” the other three demanded. “Look, there is plenty of water in the sea where we live. We should scoop it up and spray it towards the sky. The water will fall back to earth like rain drops to save the people and their crops,” said the Long Dragon. “Good idea!” said the others, clapping their hands. However, after thinking a bit, the Long Dragon said, “We will be blamed if the Jade Emperor learns of our plans.” “I will do anything to save the people,” the Yellow Dragon said resolutely. “Then let’s begin. We will never regret it,” said the Long Dragon.

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How do the four dragons’ characteristics and behaviors help develop the main theme in the selection?

• They are gentle, indicating that you shouldn’t judge characters based on their appearances.

• They admire the Jade Emperor, indicating that children should always listen to their ancestors.

• They are hard-working, emphasizing that difficult tasks can be overcome with perseverance.

• They take matters into their own hands, illustrating that personal sacrifice is often needed for the good of a larger group.

What is the main theme of the folktale 'Four Dragons'?

• A) The importance of teamwork and selflessness.

• B) The power of nature over humans.

• C) The consequences of disobedience.

• D) The value of wisdom and knowledge.

Which dragon first noticed the people praying for rain?

• A) The Long Dragon

• B) The Yellow Dragon

• C) The Black Dragon

• D) The Pearl Dragon

What did the four dragons do to help the people suffering from drought?

• A) They asked the God of the Sea to help.

• B) They begged the Jade Emperor for rain.

• C) They scooped water from the sea and sprayed it over the land.

• D) They created a storm to bring rain.

Why were the four dragons punished by the Jade Emperor?

• A) They disobeyed his orders.

• B) They stole water from the sea.

• C) They brought rain without his permission.

• D) They fought against the heavenly generals.

What did the four dragons transform into at the end of the story?

• A) Four mountains

• B) Four rivers

• C) Four clouds

• D) Four stars

What lesson can be learned from the actions of the four dragons?

• A) Always follow the rules.

• B) Help others even if it means personal sacrifice.

• C) Nature is unpredictable.

• D) Power comes with responsibility.