Hou Yi Shot Down the Suns

后羿射日

When Yao was the leader of the confederation of tribes，ten suns ap-geared in the sky. The crops were scorched，and the grass and treeswere destroyed. The common people were starved to death. At the same time，the monsters and demons² ran wild and did great harm to the people. Yao sent Hou Yi to kill them. Hou Yi killed the sharp teeth monster in the wilderness，slew the cruel dragon in the turbulent river，captured the storm demon¹ in the valley of Qingqiu Mountains，cut the longest snake in Dong Ting Lake and captured the lar-gest beast in the mulberry forest. After destroying all the monsters，he shot down the nine blazing suns keeping only one in the sky. Then，the mass could live a sta-ble life again. Yi became the hero eulogized by the later generations.

据《淮南子·本经训》记载:唐尧为帝王的时候，天空中同时出现了10个太阳，庄稼被烤焦，草木被晒死，老百姓因为没有粮食而被饿死。同时，怪兽也出来为害人民。于是，尧就派遣后界在畴华之野杀死了凿齿，在凶水之上杀死了九婴，在青丘之泽降服了大风，在洞庭湖畔斩杀了修蛇，在桑林擒住了封。消灭这些怪兽之后，后界又把天上的太阳射下来了9个，只留下一个。老百姓重新又过上了安定的日子。界则成为后人称誉的英雄。