In the Eastern Prefecture, there was a man who made a living by performing snake tricks. He had once trained two snakes, both green in color. The larger one he called “Da Qing” (Big Green) and the smaller one “Er Qing” (Second Green). Er Qing had a red spot on its forehead, making it particularly clever and docile. It would follow commands to coil left or right and perform movements precisely as desired. Because of this, the snake tamer was especially fond of it, treating it differently from other snakes.
A year passed, and Da Qing died. The snake tamer wanted to find a replacement but hadn’t gotten around to it. One night, he stayed at a mountain temple. At dawn, when he opened his bamboo box, Er Qing was gone. The tamer was devastated, filled with grief and anger. He searched tirelessly, calling out loudly, but there was no trace of the snake.
In the past, when they came across dense forests or lush grasslands, the tamer would let the snakes out to relax. They would freely roam for a while and always return shortly after. Remembering this, the snake tamer hoped Er Qing would come back on its own. He stayed and waited until the sun climbed high in the sky, but when despair overtook him, he reluctantly left. Just a few steps out of the temple gate, he suddenly heard a rustling sound from the bushes. Startled, he stopped to look, and there was Er Qing, returning to him. Overjoyed, as though he had found a precious treasure, the tamer set down his shoulder pole and stood by the roadside. The snake also stopped moving.
Looking closely, he saw another small snake following Er Qing. Stroking Er Qing, he said, “I thought you had run away! Did you bring me this new companion?” As he spoke, he took out food to feed Er Qing and offered some to the smaller snake. Though the little snake didn’t leave, it shrank back and didn’t dare eat. Er Qing, using its mouth, fed the food to the little snake, as if a host offering food to a guest. When the tamer fed it again, the little snake finally ate. Once finished, both snakes entered the bamboo box together.
The tamer began training the little snake, finding it to be as agile and skilled as Er Qing. Delighted, he named it “Xiao Qing” (Little Green). With both snakes, he traveled, performing and earning substantial money.
Generally, snakes used in performances were most suitable when under two feet long; anything larger became too heavy and needed replacing. Though Er Qing exceeded two feet, its obedience made the tamer reluctant to replace it. Another two or three years passed, and Er Qing grew over three feet long. It barely fit into the bamboo box, prompting the tamer to decide to release it.
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