Chapter 4 Jian Ho turns into a dragon
The Shoushu long related his lifestory to Meng Chiang nu--
Long ago, near the River Min in the province of Sichuan in China, there lived a woman and her Jian Ho They were good people, but very poor. Every day Jian Ho hiked into the countryside to cut grass. This he gathered and sold to the villagers for fodder and fuel. With his small earnings, mother and son managed to survive.
One year a terrible drought struck the land. Life became even harder for the family. The Jian Ho went out as usual every day, gathering what he little he could. He made less and less money. After a while his mother became ill from hunger.
One day Jian Ho was walking beside a dry streambed and came upon the lushest patch of bright green grass he had ever seen. Amazed by his luck, he quickly cut the whole patch, filled his sack and carried it to the village. Jian Ho sold his grass for more money than he had ever made before. Then he returned home and fed his mother a hearty meal.
The next day Jian Ho returned to the same spot in the hills, hoping he might find another green patch. To his astonishment, he saw that the grass he had cut the day before had grown again, just as thick and green. He worked until sunset, and once again traveled to the village and earned enough money to pay for a fine meal.