Once upon a time, there was a dark and treacherous lake called the Whirlpool Waters. Legends said that terrible monsters lived there, and that nightmares came out of the water to haunt the dreams of men.
Deep in the blackest depths swam the Rǎn Yí Yú.
It was a fearsome sight to behold. It had the sleek, scaly body of a fish, but its head was long and twisting like a snake. It possessed six strange, clawed legs that crawled along the muddy bottom, and its eyes were large and shaped like horse's ears, glowing with a pale, eerie light.
To look at it, you would surely think it was the most evil creature in the world. It looked ugly, dangerous, and full of dark power.
In the village nearby, people were suffering. A strange sickness had come upon them. Every night, they were tormented by terrible visions and dizzy spells. They felt as if evil spirits were spinning their minds, making them fall ill and lose their way.
"The curse is too strong!" cried the people. "Even the priests cannot help us!"
The oldest elder shook his head. "There is only one thing powerful enough to fight this darkness," he said, "and that is the Rǎn Yí Yú. But it lives in the abyss, and it looks like a demon itself."
A brave young fisherman named Lin decided to go. "If it is evil, let it be evil," he said. "I will catch it, and we will see."
After many hours, Lin pulled up his net. There, writhing and hissing, was the monster. Its snake-head turned, its six legs twitched, and its horse-ear eyes stared coldly. It was indeed terrifying.
But Lin remembered the legend. He cooked the flesh of the strange fish according to the ancient rites.
The meat was tough and tasted of the deep earth. But as soon as the people ate it, a miracle happened.
- The spinning sensation in their heads stopped instantly. They felt steady as a mountain.
- The dark, evil fog that had been floating around the village was driven away.
- Wherever the smell of the fish reached, bad spirits shrieked and fled, for they could not bear its powerful, protective energy.
The Rǎn Yí Yú was not evil. It was simply pure, raw protection. It looked frightening because it had to fight frightening things.
"Ah!" said the people, now healthy and strong. "We judged you by your looks! You are not a monster, you are our shield."
The Rǎn Yí Yú, in the water below, let out a low hiss. It did not care for praise. It only knew that it was the natural enemy of all curses and sickness.
From that day on, people wore amulets shaped like the fish with the snake head and six feet. Whenever they felt dizzy or afraid, they remembered the creature of the abyss, and they felt safe.
For they learned that sometimes, the thing that looks most like a nightmare is actually the only thing that can save you from it.
And they lived in safety and peace, happily ever after.