Fairy tale Genghis Khan's snake

I was a minister of Genghis Khan when I was young. My duty is to draw a new version of the empire on paper. This is a very worrying job, because Genghis Khan's empire is expanding every day, and his territory is also expanding. In order to do my job well, I will personally ride to the border to measure the land, and nail a wooden sign on the border that says "This is Genghis Khan's territory" to warn nearby residents not to step in.

On the border, I met a defiant man. That's a snake.

"Don't come over." It jerked up and spit out red letters. "I am the most poisonous snake in the world. I can kill your horse with one bite. "

Its appearance scares me. When I was a child, I read an illustrated book about snakes, which contained an introduction of this kind of snake. This is indeed a poisonous snake. It is possible to kill my horse, but it is by no means the most poisonous snake in the world. As for why you say this, I think it's probably a bluff, scaring me away as an intruder.

"I am the minister of Genghis Khan. Step down quickly! " I pretended to be dignified and thought that if it bit my horse and turned to me, I would have to run for my life, because its venom was enough to bite me again.

Unexpectedly, the snake immediately changed another expression. "Do you know Genghis Khan? Then you know where he is, great! " The snake shook its weak body as soft as a rope. "I won't hurt your horse, I'm just scaring you. You see, I am so small that I can't eat even if I bite to death. "

I am proud to see the snake's reaction. In order to show my noble status, I sat in front of the snake like a sculpture and said, "I'm not a friend of Genghis Khan, I'm just his minister."

"I don't know what a minister is. I only know that Genghis Khan is a good boy and a friend I have known for a long time. He is a good boy, and I have been looking for him. "

His words made me a little angry. I reminded him that Genghis Khan was not a child. He is the supreme man. His vast territory is unimaginable. Everyone gives in to him, and he won't make friends with a poisonous snake. In order to make the snake understand, I showed it the latest map of the empire. "Look, this is his territory, from one side of the sea to the other. What a great man he is. "

But the snake shook its head. "He doesn't need so much land. All he needs is a house and a sheep. Yes, yes, he likes lambs best, and lambs like him. "

I don't understand what it is saying. It knows nothing and lies. He is a friend of Genghis Khan. How ridiculous! I put on an ugly face of a servant. At this time, the snake climbed up a tree full of small sparrows. It looked back at my strange appearance and said:

"Don't always do this, it's ugly."

"I am the minister of the empire. I have to do this. This represents majesty. "

"But you will scare away my birds. They are very timid. "

I can't help it I have to move my position to catch birds with it. Before long, it climbed down the tree with a small sparrow in its mouth. The frightened sparrow flew away from the tree with a loud cry and flew back suddenly a few minutes later.

"You can catch a few more." I said. "Those stupid birds have all gone back."

"I am satisfied with this one. I am not hungry with it." Said the snake. "And you can't say sparrows are fools, they are brave. They are willing to risk being eaten in order to take the tree seeds back to feed the children. They're great. Isn't it? "

I don't understand its fallacy. In my mind, only Genghis Khan can be called great.

"hey!" The snake sighed, "I think my Genghis Khan and your Genghis Khan may not be the same person. My Genghis Khan is a child. He doesn't have that much land. He is a poor child. "

His words made me understand something in his heart a little. I want to hear the story of him and Genghis Khan in detail. Maybe we can find some clues to prove that what it says is a lie. So, I casually sat on the grass and asked it to tell its story. Snakes are also very cooperative with me. It is happy to share its friends' stories with others.

From the story of the snake, I gradually understood the whole story. Its friend's name is indeed Genghis Khan. His Genghis Khan hardly bathed, his face was dirty, and his property was only a broken felt house and a lamb. He doesn't speak loudly, sometimes he is stupid, and there are always some strange reasons in his mind.

They met on the grassland, and Genghis Khan, who was still a child, broke into the snake territory.

"Don't come here, I'll kill your sheep." The snake said fiercely to Genghis Khan.

Genghis Khan hugged his only sheep tightly and said, "My lamb wants to eat grass. Look, it's thin and hungry. It hasn't eaten grass all day. "

"That won't do. This is my place. No one can come in." The snake didn't give in at all. It even stood upright and spit out a horrible red tongue.

Genghis Khan was about to cry because the lambs in his arms were bleating with hunger. After a moment's silence, he pointed to several soldiers with bows and arrows in the distance and said angrily to the snake, "You always possess greedily like their emperor."

This sentence shocked the snake, because it was the first time that it heard someone speak ill of the emperor, although it always wanted to say it in its heart.

"They don't let my sheep eat the grass there. They said that all the land and grass belonged to the emperor. However, their emperor never cultivated land or herded sheep. Land and grass are of no use to him. "

Hearing this, the snake felt ashamed and a little wronged. Because the grass in the territory is of no use to it, it only needs sparrows and eggs. In order not to make Genghis Khan cry, the snake quickly said, "I am not an insatiable person." All right, all right. Let your lamb come here to eat grass. "

Genghis Khan immediately smiled through tears, bowed deeply to the snake, and then put the lamb into the snake's territory. He sat with the snake and watched the lamb eat grass quietly, so they became friends.

"Your mutton is really nice." Said the snake. "You must always comb its hair."

"Because it is my friend. Treat friends and take care of each other. "

"Will the lamb take care of you?"

"Of course." Genghis Khan said. He pointed to a felt house on the barren land in the distance. "My house is very broken and ventilated everywhere. I will hold a lamb when I sleep at night. It can keep me warm. "

"Poor thing!" The snake couldn't help saying, "You have almost nothing."

"I have a felt house and a little lamb."

"But, you have too little. You should have a big house with a heater. There is also a flock of sheep, so you can eat mutton. "

I didn't expect Genghis Khan to say, "I don't need too much. I am satisfied with a felt house and a lamb. " There is wind on the grassland, and the felt house will shelter me from the wind; I'm hungry, and the lamb will make me goat's milk. I can't ask too much. If I ask too much, I will become an emperor and a nuisance. You know, everyone doesn't like the emperor, and everyone is afraid of him. "

The snake is very happy to know such a person who can tell it the truth of life, and it also accepts his truth humbly. In the past, it always kept catching sparrows. Whenever it sees sparrows, whether hungry or not, it will bite them. But ever since I met Genghis Khan, he has restrained himself from catching birds at will.

Genghis Khan takes his lamb to the snake territory every day. It's safe here, and soldiers won't drive them away, because there is a deadly poisonous snake here, and even soldiers with knives dare not approach it easily. To show his gratitude, Genghis Khan gave the snake a gift-a small hat made of wool.

"This is lamb. Thank you for letting it eat grass. "

The snake put on a hat. Although it was inappropriate, it liked it very much. It turns around happily, like a small white flower on the grassland. At that time, the sun set on the grassland, and the sunset on the grassland was beautiful.

That winter, Genghis Khan left the snake Because he wants to find grass to feed his sheep. When leaving, Genghis Khan said that he would thank it one day.

"Wait for me to come back safely!"

The above is the story of the snake and Genghis Khan. I listened quietly. Genghis Khan, who looked like a child, was holding a lamb in his arms. But I'm not sure if the imaginary Genghis Khan and I are the same person. In order to find out, I took a snake to see my Genghis Khan. When the snake heard that it was going to meet its friend, it put on its little wool hat and got into my backpack happily. I rode a horse and took a snake to the imperial city to see the emperor.

Fortunately, this snake is indeed a friend of Genghis Khan, because it wears a unique wool hat, so it is easy to identify. However, ministers did not allow the snake to approach Genghis Khan. It's a poisonous snake. It needs to be kept in a cage, otherwise it will threaten the safety of the emperor. I am a little sad to see the snake wronged.

Genghis Khan sat on a glittering throne and looked at the snake from a distance. He can't wait to show off to his friends how great and successful he is: "I am the emperor of the empire now." I have countless lands, countless houses, countless cattle and sheep, and countless slaves and servants. "

"But you don't need so much!" The snake in the cage said, "you don't need so much land, houses, sheep and servants, you just need a felt house and a lamb." And you don't want to be an emperor, because everyone hates the emperor and everyone is afraid of the emperor. This is what you told me yourself before. "

The snake's words caused an uproar in the court, and ministers rolled up their sleeves discontentedly and said that they would punish the short-sighted snake. I regret not telling the snake some rules of human conversation, such as how to speak more tactfully, how to hide my true thoughts, and how to make the other person sound happier. But on second thought, it is a snake after all, and it is impossible to think like a human.

Genghis Khan waved to the ministers, and when they calmed down, he said to the snake, "Before, you were very kind to me and let my sheep graze on your territory, so I survived. Now I have everything. Tell me, I can give you anything you want. "

The snake was tactfully silent for a moment, as if thinking about what it wanted, but finally said, "I want to find my friend." His name is Genghis Khan. "

"I am Genghis Khan, and I am your friend."

"No, you're not. My Genghis Khan is a child. He is thin, stupid and short, with almost nothing. He doesn't have as much beard and strength as you. He spoke softly. He is very kind. He ... "

"Stop it, stop it." Genghis Khan waved, "you are quick to say what you want, don't mention anything else. My time is precious, and I have to discuss with ministers how to attack a rich city. "

"I don't want anything but that."

"You must, because I am the emperor, and my orders must be obeyed. I want everyone to know that I value my friends very much. "

The snake has been silent because it really can't think of anything.

"Well, then I will give you a palace, a magnificent palace. That place is very big, and there is nothing lacking in living there. "

Genghis Khan said and waved again, and everyone in the hall stepped down.

I took the snake to the palace granted by Genghis Khan. Outside the palace is Genghis Khan's army. The snake climbed out of the cage and said to me angrily, "You are really bad. You brought me to see him when you knew he was not my Genghis Khan. You see, he is very angry, and I will never leave this palace. "

My heart is heavy. I want to tell the snake that Gao Ren is his friend, but he is no longer a child. But I finally swallowed this sentence and comforted: "Yes. He's not your friend. Your friend must be somewhere in the grassland, living in a small yurt and holding his lovely lamb. "

"But, why can't I find him? You know, I've been looking for him for a long time and waiting for him for a long time. "

"Grassland is very big, it is difficult for you to find him. Maybe he likes wandering. He must find delicious grass for his lamb. You know, he loves the lamb, and the lamb loves him. But he will remember you in his heart, just as you remember him. Look, aren't you thinking about him when you wear your hat? "

"Yes, I often miss him."

"That's right. When you first met Genghis Khan, you said you would kill his sheep. I don't suppose you really bite? You're just scaring him, right? "

The snake nodded. "Your horse is like his sheep. Even if I kill it, I can't eat it. " . I won't hurt them, I'm just a little snake. "

Its words made me even sadder. Some things will change many people, but not a snake. It will always be a small snake, always thinking of its Genghis Khan.

"Let me take you back to your place!" I said, "I am a minister of the empire. I will draw a boundary line for your territory on the map so that others will not drive you away." Wait for your Genghis Khan to return safely. You have to wait with peace of mind! "

"hmm!"

So I secretly hid the snake in my luggage and took it out of the palace. I want to send it back to my territory. No one will know that I did it, because the palace is so big, who will care about a small snake?

On the way back from sending the snake, I felt so sad that I wanted to cry. I know the snake will never wait for its Genghis Khan to come back. I lied, and I felt guilty and uncomfortable like a child. Holding the vast territory of the empire, I saw a group of small sparrows flying around the grassland, and I remembered what the snake said: "Small sparrows are also great."

Later, when his leg became ill, he could no longer be a minister of Genghis Khan, so he retired early. On a lush grassland, I built a small felt house and raised a flock of sheep. This sheep doesn't belong to me. It belongs to an old woman. She had two sons who were soldiers, but both brothers died on Genghis Khan's journey to the west. So, I helped her herd sheep and she shared my goat's milk.

I often miss my snake friend and hope that one day I can visit him in his territory of only a few square meters. However, my legs can't walk, and I have no extra money to buy a horse. I can only miss it in my heart day after day.

Please forgive me, my little snake, for leaving you waiting there alone.

Published in fairy tale world magazine