The Four Dragons
This is an old story from China.
It tells us how the four great dragons helped the Chinese people.
Four dragons are flying over the land.
They are Yellow Dragon, Black Dragon, Long Dragon, and Pearl Dragon.
They see an old woman.
She is sad.
"Why are you sad?" asks Yellow Dragon.
"Look at my dry fields," she says.
"We have nothing to eat. We need rain."
The four dragons want to help.
Yellow Dragon says, "I have an idea."
The four dragons go to see the Jade King in the Great Palace in the sky.
"Jade King," says Yellow Dragon, "we need rain for the people's fields. They cannot eat."
The Jade King says, "I will make rain for them."
"Thank you," says the Yellow Dragon.
The next day, there is no rain.
There is no rain for ten days.
The four dragons are angry with the king.
"Where is the rain?" they ask.
"I have an idea," says Pearl Dragon.
The four dragons go to the sea and get water.
They put the water on the fields.
"It's raining," says the old woman.
"Thank you!"
The fields grow and the people can eat.
They are very happy with the four dragons.
But the Jade King hears of the rain.
He is angry.
His men take the four dragons to the Great Palace in the sky.
The Jade King says, "You are very bad. I make rain, not you! You will live in the mountains for all time."
The Jade King puts the four dragons in four mountains.
The four dragons can never go home.
But the dragons are happy because the people can eat.
After a long time in the mountains, the four dragons become four great rivers.
They are the four great rivers of China!
They are the Yellow River, the Long River, the Black River, and the Pearl River.
