Once upon a time, there was a beautiful kingdom by the sea called Azure Coast. The people fished and sang, and life was happy. But one year, a strange sickness fell upon the land.
A poisonous mist rose from the waters, turning the air grey and bitter. One by one, the people fell ill. Their skin grew hot and swollen, and they felt heavy and weak. Soon, the entire kingdom was asleep in sickness, and silence filled the streets.
"We are doomed," whispered the people. "No medicine can cure this curse."
Deep down in the darkest depths of the ocean, lived a creature unlike any other.
It was the Hé Luó Yú.
It had one single head, bright and intelligent, but from its neck grew ten long, wriggling bodies, like ten fish joined together as one. It looked strange and complicated, but it was full of ancient magic.
Woof! Woof!
It made a sound exactly like a barking dog, echoing through the waves.
The Hé Luó Yú felt the pain of the people above. It knew that its own flesh held the power to draw out poison and heal inflammation.
"I must help them," it thought.
With a powerful swish of its ten tails, it swam swiftly to the shore.
The King, though weak, saw the strange creature coming out of the foam.
"What are you?" asked the King faintly. "Are you ten fish, or one monster?"
Woof!
"I am one heart, and ten hands," said the creature in its barking voice. "I have come to give you the cure."
The Hé Luó Yú did not fear sacrifice. It offered itself as a gift of healing.
The royal cooks, following the ancient knowledge, prepared the flesh of the divine fish according to the secret way. The meat was tender and fragrant, smelling of fresh sea breeze.
They gave the soup and the meat to the people.
Miracle happened instantly!
- As soon as the warm food touched their lips, the fever went away.
- The swollen pains vanished as if blown away by the wind.
- The poison in their bodies was drawn out and purified.
Within a single day, everyone stood up, strong and healthy again! The grey mist was gone, replaced by clear blue sky.
But the Hé Luó Yú had another power. To show that it was also the protector against disaster, it let out a great Woof! Woof! sound.
Suddenly, a spark fell from the sky, hitting a wooden house. Everyone gasped, expecting a fire. But the house did not burn! A soft, watery shield seemed to cover everything. The fire splashed away like water on oil.
The people cheered. "It protects us from sickness, and it protects us from fire!"
From that day on, the people of Azure Coast loved and respected the Hé Luó Yú. They painted pictures of the one-headed, ten-bodied fish on their walls and boats, knowing that whenever danger came, this strange and wonderful savior would watch over them.
And the kingdom remained healthy and safe, forever and ever.
And they lived in health and safety, happily ever after.