Shan Hai Jing: Tales of Mountains and Seas

A long, long time ago, there was a giant egg floating in darkness. Inside that egg, a being named Pangu was sleeping. He slept for thousands and thousands of years while he grew bigger and bigger.

One day Pangu woke up, but he could not move! The egg was too small for him now. So he pushed with his hands and shoulders. Crack! The egg began to break open. The heavy, dark part sank down and became the earth. The light, bright part floated up and became the sky. Pangu stood between them, holding them apart with his strong body. Every day the sky rose higher. Every day the earth grew thicker. Every day Pangu grew taller too.

After a very long time, Pangu had done his wonderful work. He rested, and something magical happened. He became part of everything in the world. His breath became the wind. His eyes became the sun and moon. His body became the mountains, rivers, and soil. Now the world was ready, full of wonder and waiting for life to begin.

Long ago, the world was new and beautiful but very empty. Mountains stood tall and rivers flowed, but no one was there to see them. Nuwa walked across this quiet land all by herself. She had the face of a woman and the long, curving body of a snake. She heard birds call and wind blow through the reeds, but she never heard another voice like her own.

One day Nuwa stopped by a big yellow river. She looked at her face in the water, but the face could not talk back. So she scooped up some soft yellow clay and shaped a tiny figure with arms and legs and a little head. She breathed gently on it, and it stood up and laughed! Nuwa laughed too. She was not alone anymore. She made more and more little clay people. When her hands got tired, she dipped a willow branch in the clay and shook it. Wherever the drops landed, new people popped up. Soon her people spread across the land, talking and exploring everywhere. Nuwa watched them happily, knowing she would always look after them.