At the beginning, the Jiang tribe settled on the plain along
the Yellow River. A girl of this tribe named Jiang Yuan was virtuous and
reverent to God. Jiang Yuan was betrothed and then married to Emperor Ku, but she
was barren, so she presented pure offerings to God and sacrificed and prayed
God to take away her childlessness. The next day she went out to the field, and
saw a big foot print on the road, she was curious because of the huge size. So
she put her own foot inside the big foot print to measure it. Suddenly she was
moved and felt strange. Then she knew she had trod in the foot print of God,
and had become pregnant.
She came back to her home, and rested. When she had
fulfilled her months, she gave birth to a son, who came forth like a lamb, there
was no bursting, nor rending, no injury, no hurt. But the birth of this child
was so odd that Mother Jiang Yuan felt bewildered and tried to abandon her
newborn baby. First the boy was placed in a narrow lane, but the sheep and oxen
protected him with loving care. They walked carefully pass the baby, and fed
him with grains. Then he was placed in a wild forest, where he was met with by
the wood-cutters, who sheltered him from rains. At last he was placed on the
cold ice, but the birds screened and supported him with their wings, and
protected him nice and warm. When the birds went away, the boy began to wail. His
cry was long and loud, so that his voice filled the whole land.
Mother Jiang Yuan heard her son’s crying and brought him back.
So she named him Qi, meaning “the Abandoned One.” As soon as Qi learned to
crawl, he was able to look for food by himself. He looked majestic and
intelligent and grew up quickly, soon he was able to grow crops and became an
expert in planting, growing luxurant crops. And God also bestowed on him a
variety of excellent seeds, so that his production began to flourish, his row
of paddy shot up beautifully; his hemp and wheat grew strong and close; his gourds
yielded abundantly.
Many people gathered around him, and he led the whole tribe
to Tai. He proceeded on the plan of helping the growth. Having cleared away the
thick grass, he showed the ground with the yellow cereals. He managed the
living grain , till it was ready to burst; Then he used it as seed , and it
sprang up; It grew and came into ear; It became strong and good ; It hung down
, every grain complete; -- And thus he
was appointed lord of Tai, and was called Hou Ji.
Hou Ji led his people to worship God at Tai. He gave his
people the beautiful grains: -- the black millet, and the double-kernelled; the
tall red, and the white. They planted extensively the black and the
double-kernelled, which were reaped and stacked on the ground. They planted
extensively the tall red and the white, which were carried on their shoulders
and backs home for the sacrifices.
Hou Ji strictly observed the rites of purification, the
rites of offerings, and the rites of sacrifices, which were ordered by God. He
let some hull the grain; some take it from the mortar; some sift it; some tread
it. In this way they prepared their grain. Then they proceed to make sprits. It
is then distilled, and the steam floats about. They made the stands both of
wood and of earthenware, and load the stands with the offerings. They gather southernwood
and offer it with the fat; they offer roast flesh and broiled. They sacrifice a
ram to the God. As soon as the fragrance ascends, God smells the sweet savour
and well pleased.
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