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Story of Ashima

Author:Bi Wenguang Source:Lunan Folk Tales Updated:2019-04-28

There is an Ashima stone in Minor Stone Forest, waiting for her brother Ahei despite wind and rain.

Rebubala family brought up proposal of marriage to Ashima, and kidnapped her as refused. Ahei knew this, so he climbed over 49 mountains and hurried back from a distant ranch to save Ashima. When getting home, he found that Ashima had been kidnapped for 3 days. Then he rode on a magic horse and crossed 81 rivers to get to Rebubala family. After several twists and turns, he finally saved Ashima.

These brother and sister felt very happy and rode to go back home. It was really a long journey with mountains and valleys. Soon it became dark and wind grew stronger. They continued to go home, hoping to be back as soon as they could. After a gust of wind, dark clouds rolled in the sky with rumbling thunder. A storm was about to come so they had to dismount, but they could see nothing at night and both got lost. With strong wind and rain, they couldn’t be seen or heard. A torrent flood came down and water became deeper, they were separated and could not find each other. It was not until the flood gradually receded that Ashima and Ahei met again. But both of them got lost and felt frozen. They began to worry. At that time, a bee flew toward them, circled them for three laps, and started to talk to them: “come to my place for a rest tonight in the cave”. Then the bee stopped on Ashima's kerchief. Ashima waved it up and followed its route with brother Ahei.

The bee guided Ahei and Ashima to Stone Forest - a humid and slippery place. Ashima reached out and tried to find a stone to help, but she was stuck on the cliff and could not take her hand off again. She had to say sadly to brother Ahei: "brother Ahei, figure a way to save me, go to find a white pig and a white rooster as sacrifice for the god.”

Listening to her, Ahei was sad and anxious. He wiped his tears, climbed over 49 mountains and crossed 81 rivers to finally found a white rooster, but could not find a white pig anywhere. He had to take a black pig instead and dig a basket of white mud on the mountain to cover it on the pig. With both white pig and white rooster, he prepare to go back to Stone Forest happily; on his way back, however, he was so tired that  he fell asleep as soon as he sat down after climbing over the last mountain. At this time, there was another heavy rain, which woke him up to find that the white mud on the black pig was all washed away. Ahei could neither worship nor save Ashima, he felt so regretful that he cried hard; but god would not let Ashima go, so she would stick to the big stone forever. Time passing with continuous rain wash shows us what we see at present. The pond beside Ashima stone is the rain that washed away the white mud on the black pig.

Attachment: Ashima is a famous long narrative poem among Sani people in Lunan County. This long poem has been circulated in the folks and then recorded in Yi language with many versions. The versions that have been translated into foreign languages include Ashima, Beautiful Asima, Pain for Young Girl and related Shikafulema, and Legend of Bamao Village, etc. Ashima Original Data Collection compiled by Li Zuanxu and published by China Folk Literature and Art Press in 1986 collected 20 translations, 9 manuscripts, and 13 music recordings of the original poem. In recent decades, Ashima has been attracting many people’s attention. Early in 1945, it was performed in rap on stage in Kunming. In 1949, it was adapted by Shabuma and performed in the form of singing and dancing in Yiliang and Lunan, Yunnan. From 1950 to 1953, there were edited poems and introduction essays by Yang Fang and Zhu Depu et. al. In 1953, on the basis of further comprehensive data collection, the poem was edited by Huang Tie, Yang Zhiyong, Liu Qi, and Gong Liu et. al, and was first published in the third issue of Yunnan Daily Supplement Art Life  In January 1954. After that, Yunnan People's Publishing House published it many times; and China Youth Publishing Group,  People’s Literature & Art Publishing House, and Chinese Youth Publishing House also published Ashima in Yi language and Chinese by Ma Xueliang, Luoxiwuge, Jin Guoku, and Fan Huijuan. For decades, Ashima has been translated into eight languages including English, German, French, and Russian for communication overseas.

The legend of Ashima stone is the extension and development of Ashima literary image.

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