This week, on myths and legends, it's the story of the white snake, an extremely popular Chinese legend.

You'll see how one act of kindness can echo down through the centuries,

and that you probably shouldn't date animals. On the creature of the week, there is murder vomit.

Because that's apparently a thing.

This is Myths and Legends, episode 164A. Here I go again.

This is a podcast where I tell stories from mythology and folklore. Some are incredibly

popular stories you think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories that might

be new to you, but are definitely worth listening. Without giving too much away, today's story is

set in China. In the 12th century, and it's considered one of China's four great folk tales.

We're not going to start in the 12th century today though, but in the 6th century BC,

we're a beggar who's just trying to make a buck, is going to use a snake gallbladder to do so.

The beggar crouched over the rock. He gripped the small iron knife in his right hand,

while the left held the rock. On three, he told himself. He held his breath. One,

two, the hand gripped the rock and threw it away. Beneath, a tiny white snake was momentarily

stunned by the light. The beggar's hand shot down and caught the snake just behind the head,

pinching it. It rried in his hands and tried to bite it in with its tiny jaws. But he had it. He

smiled. Back at his small camp just off the road, he pinned the little snake down in the dirt,

putting a thumb to its throat to hold it, while he carefully went in with the knife.

What are you doing there? The beggar heard. And the man sighed and pulled his knife away from

the writhing reptile, looking to see Lu Tai, a local timber merchant, who'd been passing by.

The beggar said that he was working. He just stood to the cup of wine at his side,

and the snake yet pinned to the dirt. He was going to cut out the animal's gallbladder

...