The Legend of the Jewel Serpent,

by J. W. Cassandra

My writing titled "The Legend of the Jewel-Serpent" is a unique, mixed-genre story from my anthology titled Dragon Legends and Tales.

The work balances upon the frontier of mythic fairy tale and heroic legend. Within this dragon story, the charm of fairy tales meets the ancient dignity of chronicles, ushering in an origin myth of a truly unique atmosphere.

The tale could previously be read on the former website updivine.com. It has now been uploaded to this website with a completely renewed, literary English translation, which faithfully restores the style of high fantasy legends. On the English-language page, you shall find this revised version.

Scroll down to the story, and take a journey into the mythic world of dragons! I wish you a pleasant time!

When the Earth was still populated by dragons, once at the dawn of human memory, a legend arose. This legend has been passed down for centuries, for millennia, since time immemorial, by the blazing fires born of legends, shared by those who know the secrets of the human soul. In the days of this legend, on the border where Western Dragonland met Eastern Dragonland—where a vast wilderness stretched, shorn by a winding river—people sheltered in their tents, and every child was brought into the world to fight against the dragons. Protected by their well-running horses, their falcons flying with the wind, and their fearsome weapons, even the least battle-hardened men marched bravely against the evil beasts that preyed upon their lands, abducted their daughters, and ravaged their lives.

And so it had been since time immemorial.

Until, one fine day, a maiden hurrying to the riverbank—who was so beautiful that suitors vied for her hand—espied a tiny serpent slithering right upon the path that led to the water. She stopped to gaze at the little serpent. And lo, there was truly something to behold! Every single scale of the tiny serpent sparkled and glittered with miniature gems. Upon its head sat a petite golden crown with three prongs, and atop each prong gleamed a small, radiant diamond. And as if all this were not enough, it spoke to the girl in a human tongue, saying, "Maiden, give me a sip of fresh water from your jug, and behold, you shall see a miracle!"

The maiden gave the jeweled and crowned little serpent a drink. It bowed its head in gratitude and sighed, "If you carry me to your home hidden against your breast, and nourish me with fresh milk every morning until the night of the third full moon, you shall be grateful for the rest of your days—and not only you, but all your descendants, along with the people of your house!"

The maiden did not hesitate: she drew out an embroidered kerchief, into which the jewel-serpent slipped, and she tucked it away. Then, having drawn her water, she hurried home, for an omen of the evil dragons' approach had appeared in the heavens: the shadow of wings blotted out the sky and the shining sun. Midnight darkness fell upon the land, yet the tiny serpent hiding in her breast began to shed light from its every gem, its golden crown, and its sparkling diamonds, and so the maiden quickly found her way home.

Around the tents, spears and swords bristled toward the sky in defence; horses snorted nervously, and the warriors, primed for battle, encircled their homes.

The maiden's brother urged her into the shelter of their tent, and she had scarce stepped inside when the dragon host had already swept down. A wild fray and desperate struggle began: bows were drawn, bowstrings twanged, loosed arrows hissed, and swords clashed. Enraged, painful roars, blood-curdling dragon howls, and dreadful shrieks echoed, and the ranks of the brave warriors dwindled away at a fateful pace.

Then the little serpent slipped forth and said, "Just give me a little milk to drink, and you shall see, you will not regret it!" The maiden gave it a drink, and the little serpent suddenly slid under the tent flap and vanished. Yet, the maiden did regret it—oh, how she regretted it! All the more so, because the people of the Middle Wilderness believe that a little serpent asking for milk brings good fortune. How much more so if it is jewel-scaled and diamond-crowned! Even the eldest of the elders had never heard of such a thing, and it was deemed a most auspicious omen. Its disappearance, however, foreshadowed ill-fortune. No sooner had the little jewel-serpent vanished than the Dragon King appeared in the heavens, cutting off the advance of the furious dragon host. The light of his crown blinded the dragons, bringing them back to their senses, while the fiery glare of the crown-diamonds drove them back to whence they came: to the very depths of the dragon-hell of yore… Only those dragons remained who had not fallen upon mankind, but had protected and taught them. But then, they had taken no part in the war against the people of the Middle Wilderness.

Not only the dragons, but also the warriors were blinded by the lavish radiance, yet the true miracle was only just unfolding: the wounds of the injured healed, all the dead were restored to life, and the folk of the entire village broke into a joyful dance. Everyone sought the favour of the little serpent, who, of course, had somehow reappeared by then. Yet the little serpent chose only the maiden of the water-jug, deigning to look at no one else.

And so it lived among them, and every morning the maiden nourished it with fresh milk. Thus time wore on until the day of the third full moon. Then the little jewel-serpent drank the milk and spoke: "When the moon is full, come out with the bravest of men; I shall await you on the path by the riverbank! But bring only three men with you! Take heed, let not another soul follow!"—and with that, it slithered away into the grass.

A fierce debate arose as to who the three bravest might be. Yet though they crossed swords, broke lances and wrestled one another, it was all in vain—there was not a single warrior of whom the council of the elders dared to declare with certainty: he is the one… And time was fast running out. Night was falling, the sun bid farewell upon the clouds in a fiery glow, and the moon drew nigh, growing ever brighter. At midnight, the little serpent awaited the three bravest men and the maiden of the water-jug…

Then lots were drawn: the choice fell upon the secret love of the maiden of the water-jug, her brother, and her rejected suitor… There was nothing else to be done, so the three of them wended their way with the maiden.

As they reached the river, the little serpent slithered forth: "Choose from the gems of my scales! Let every warrior choose but a single gem! You are fortunate, for no one has followed you, not even crouched in hiding… save perhaps as a shadow… Should anyone dare to come after you, I would sense it, and woe betide him!"

No sooner had these words left its mouth than a bitter wail shattered the silence of the riverbank: it was the evil witch of the village, who had flown above them in the guise of a falcon. She had only forgotten that malice casts a shadow upon the full moon, sounding an alarm for the little jewel serpent… And already the evil spirit plummeted, never to rise again.

"Well, then, choose, warriors!"

"But how?" they asked. "What is the rightful choice?"

"Your hearts shall whisper it; hearken to them!"

Then the maiden's rejected suitor chose the diamond—the most magnificent of all upon the crown.

"I spoke not of the diamonds! I mentioned my scales, warrior!"

"Oh, forgive me, wondrous jewel-serpent! I do not know what possessed my mind!"—and with that, he drew a jade scale. The maiden's brother chose a piece of amber, and her secret love a ruby.

The little serpent nodded, "Exactly as I expected! Now, you, warrior of the jade, set forth upon the moonbeam path! You who took the amber, head toward the Occident! And you with the ruby, head toward the Orient! On your chosen paths, all three of you shall find your fortune!" With that, it blew an emerald scale into the maiden's hair, and sweeping her away, it vanished.

Aye, fortune indeed! But what manner of fortune? And how were they to reach the place they must, if they knew not even what they were meant to find? And how were they to find the maiden?

Then, a fearsome voice thundered from somewhere high within the clouds, "When you return, you shall find us both!"

They could do nothing else: they set forth, three of them in three different directions. The rejected suitor sprang upon to the back of a falcon in order to fly up to the moonbeam path. He left his horse and weapons behind, for the falcon could not have borne their weight… And the falcon soared into the azure sky, with the Suitor upon its back. Then, when they were halfway, the falcon called back to the warrior, "Give me something to eat and drink, for I am weary!" But the warrior had nothing, and so he did not give it food or drink. Even if he had possessed food and drink, he would not have given them, because he was envious.

Then the falcon bucked him off its back and plummeted toward the ground in a steep dive. The warrior tumbled through the air, but thanks to the jade scale, he caught a beam of silver light. It carried him up to the moonbeam path, and he wended his way. He waded through a silvery mist, as if in the morning dew, but he did not know what to do. After a long, long journey, he grew weary, and so he sat down upon a mound that had risen out of nowhere.

"Come, warrior, be the Knight of the Silver Light!" Once, he suddenly heard a silvery voice say. As he looked around, he saw a silver-winged cricket.

"Where should I come?"

"Why, to the Palace of Wonders at the end of the moonbeam path! The Moon Fairy lives there, and he who is so fortunate as to reach her shall be dubbed the Knight of the Silver Light!"

With that, the Suitor rose and set forth, for to be dubbed a knight was his most eager desire of his heart. The silver-winged cricket led him all the way to the Palace of Wonders. Miracles. "From here, you must manage on your own!" it chirped in its silvery voice. "If you discover the secret of the magic door, you may enter. If not, the Moon Fairy shall bring about your doom!"—and with that, the cricket vanished.

The Suitor walked all around the Palace of Wonders. But it was spinning in a dazing blur, and even when the magic door appeared, it instantly vanished from his sight. His eyes dazed, so long had he been searching for the entrance… Then he drew out the jade scale, and its light halted the spinning. He touched the scale to the door, and the portal of the palace swung open. As he stepped inside, only then did his eyes begin to marvel in earnest! The walls shimmered in rainbow hues, a silver mist sifted from the ceiling, and doors, opening and closing, granted glimpses into lavish, radiant halls before concealing everything once more… until at last, he beheld the fairy sitting upon a throne. A silver light emanated forth from her; she sparkled and glittered, her marvelously beautiful form enveloped in a silver cloak. Over her shoulders tumbled a thick, silvery cascade of hair, reaching all the way to the ground, and upon her head sat a fairy crown…

And her gaze was enchanting, yet fearsome: the Suitor knew at once that the Moon Fairy held even his deepest, most guarded secrets…

"A deceitful desire has guided you upon this journey, warrior: the Maiden of the Water-Jug can never be yours! Even if the secret of eternal life were yours by my hand, and I were to dub you Knight of the Silver Light, you could not slaughter those in whom you see an enemy! For even if you could do so, love would still separate you from the Maiden of the Water-Jug, for you seek the ruin of those who are dearest to her heart! But even if this desire did not poison your heart and soul, you could not be my knight, for you have walked the path neither the Occident nor the Orient. You are not a true warrior; greed and malice infect you!"—and with that, she cast upon him the judgment-bringing, piercing light of her fairy gaze. The Suitor fell dead upon the moonbeam path, and tumbled from thence back to the riverbank from whence he had first set forth.

Meanwhile, the maiden's brother headed toward the Occident with his piece of amber. For a long time he simply journeyed onward, ever toward sunset, yet he found nothing to guide his way. He, too, had set out neither armed nor on horseback; he meandered along footpaths and pressed straight through the ember-woods, which drew their name from the cindery glow of the twilight. He wandered through lands untrodden by man, and whenever he did not know which way to turn, he drew out the amber scale, which showed him the direction. Once, the warrior grew so weary that he sat down upon a stone beside the path. As he was sitting there, a host of ants flocked past. He watched where they were marching, for ants reveal from which direction rain is to be expected…

Then the ants stopped, and one of them spoke: "You would do well, warrior, to seek the rock upon which the Dragon King hung his sack high within the clouds! If you journey from whence we come, you shall stumble upon it sooner or later!"

"And what is that sack needed for?"

"For this, warrior: that you may take it down and bear it to the Dragon King. For if you manage to bring it down from thence, it means that you have defeated the Magus of the Occident, who guards the sack… And then you may deliver it to the Dragon King. Or, you may first seek out your companion who journeys toward the Orient, to aid him…"

The warrior thanked them for the guidance and the answer, and set forth. Along the way, the rain began to fall, and storm battered him; it thundered and lightened cruelly, black lightning alternating with flashes of red, purple, and white… But the warrior, the maiden's brother, simply pressed onward, toward where he sensed the Rock of the Occident and the Magus of the Occident to be. He could not even imagine how he might reach that place—high up within the clouds—nor how he would secure the sack. As the lightning scalloped the dense darkness, he suddenly discerned a huge, steep, and slippery rock. Yet he could not ascend it; it was as though he were trying to scale the Glass Hill. [1] As he puzzled over what to do, the amber scale suddenly flashed. He drew it out, and such a twilight glow poured forth from it onto the stone that it split the rock in twain, revealing steps within, upon which he had only to climb to reach the peak hidden high within the clouds. As he ascended, his feet constantly slipped; the steps proved to be too narrow, then too high, then they vanished entirely, only to appear somewhere else... However, the amber scale mastered the steps with its amber fire, and the warrior, the brother of the Maiden of the Water-Jug, finally ascended to the summit of the cliff, high within the clouds.

Aye, but with his legs dangling from a cloud, the Magus of the Occident awaited him there with a mocking smile…

"You shall not reach the sack, warrior!"

The warrior did not answer. At the magus's words, the wind caught the sack, and it was feared that its mouth would come untied. Meanwhile, the sky turned sable-black, and a sable night fell upon everything. Not even the lightning flashed; a star-extinguishing darkness enveloped everything. The warrior prayed silently, and then the amber scale attracted the sack with its light.

"Untie its mouth, look inside, warrior! Everything you find within may be yours!"

The warrior was already reaching out toward the mouth of the sack to loosen the cord, but a little bird, enclosed within the amber scale, was fluttering there, and its song stayed his hand:

"Do not untie the sack of the Occident free of guile,
Heed not the words of its Magus, false and vile!
Bear it in haste to the Orient, aid your brother there,
For your sibling is not under this magus's care!"

The bird's song then stayed the warrior himself, too. Then the Magus of the Occident burst into song, as well:

"Untie the sack of the Occident with speed,
To the song of a foolish bird, give no heed!
Loosen the cord and take your life's pay,
Follow the Magus of the Occident 'til your last day!"

In that moment, the amber revealed the true reward: famine, diseases, pestilence, torment, and death… The warrior shuddered, tightened the cord fast upon the mouth of the sack, and tumbled downward the cliff as swift as the wind; he cared not for the steps, he cared not for anything! At last, he came to his senses inside the rock: it had closed upon him, and he found no cleft anywhere to escape. As he was searching for a way out, the amber scale aided him once more: its light cast upon the stone, and the cliff opened just wide enough for the warrior to pass through. As soon as he slipped out into the daylight, it closed behind him instantly.

He was lost in wonder as he looked around: lush-leafed trees, winding paths, flowers, and birds—life was everywhere! And the light was no longer that cindery twilight-glow: a life-giving sunbeam caressed everything. The warrior checked to ensure that he still possessed the sack and the amber scale, and then he set forth to find his companion, who had taken his path toward the Orient. He journeyed for a long time until he found him, for the Rock of the Occident lay hidden in one far corner of the Earth, while the secret of the Orient awaited the other warrior in the opposite corner of the world.

Meanwhile, the third warrior—the beloved of the Maiden of the Water-Jug—had already been journeying toward the Orient for a long, long time. He, too, could not imagine what he was meant to find, yet he pressed onward steadfastly toward the Orient. For ages, he had been striving toward his aim, over hedge and ditch, when in the dawning light, a sheet of water glinted before his eyes. The sea! And within the sea, as remote as the heavens, a rock floated. It rose to the very heights of the sky, its sheer cliffs whispering of deadly peril even from afar.

The maiden's beloved sat down upon the seashore, pondering what to do. Then, a fish emerged from the water, snatched the ruby scale from his hand, swallowed it, and dived beneath the waves. The warrior could not believe his eyes: the waters of the sea parted where the fish swam with the ruby, and he could cross over to the rock dry-shod. Aye, but what was he to do next? As he gazed at the rock, the fish returned the ruby to him and spoke: "You can scale this rock only if you receive aid! Rub the ruby scale; perhaps that shall help you!"

"But what am I meant to find there?"

"A sack guarded by the Magus of the Orient, which was hidden there by the Dragon King. You shall find it, you shall see!"—and with that, the fish dived and vanished into the sea. And the waves grew ever higher, tossing the warrior about and engulfing him, until it was to be feared that he would drown. Somehow, however, he managed to rub the ruby, and then a sparkle-winged bird, girdled with flames, descended from on high. It took him upon its back and soared up with him to the aurora of the Oriental sky, to the summit of the cliff where the sack was swinging…

And there, upon the purple edge of an Oriental cloud, sat the Magus of the Orient himself. He smiled mockingly, encouraging him thus: "Well, warrior, take down the sack!"

The warrior reached out for it, but the sack burst into flame. Then the sparks showered upon it, flaring into a tempest of fire, which extinguished the blaze of the sack before dying out, and the little sack was just as it had been before… Wonder of wonders, not a single hair upon the warrior's head was scorched, nor did the flames catch him!

The warrior took down the sack, and at that moment, he heard the Magus of the Orient from somewhere once more, though he could not see him: "Open the sack, and you shall possess the greatest treasure that only exists in the world!"

But the warrior hesitated. The Magus of the Orient burst into a song:

"Untie the sack of the Orient with speed,
To unleash its treasure, give no other heed!
Loosen the cord and take your life's pay,
Follow the Magus of the Orient 'til your last day!"

He was already reaching out for it when the bird of the amber scale—for upon its back had he flown thither—stayed his hand with its song:

"Do not untie, warrior, the sack of the Orient,
Heed not the false Magus of the Orient!
Bear it in haste to aid your beloved, free!
For her brother awaits you at the sea!"

The warrior came to his senses at the bird's song; he tightened the cord fast upon the mouth of the sack, and sprang upon the bird's back, which descended with him right upon the seashore. There, the Brother of the Maiden of the Water-Jug was indeed awaiting him, and after they had both told each other what had befallen them, the amber and ruby scales carried them back to the riverbank in a blink of an eye, to the very spot from whence they had first set forth. There, they found their third companion, dead. For during the age of dragons, time passed differently than it does in our days, and that which had been unfolding for centuries could be undone by a single moment enclosed within an inclusion. Or, the shell of the moment preserved past events, along with the beings, the earth, and everything, belonging to them. And within that moment enclosed in an inclusion, the tiny jewel-serpent and the Maiden of the Water-Jug awaited them.

The little serpent took the sacks of the Occident and the Orient from the warriors, who stood gaping in wonder. And lost in wonder they were, indeed! For the little jewel-serpent shuddered and suddenly transformed: none other towered above them than the Dragon King himself! The radiance of his crown blinded the warriors, and the fiery light of his diamonds enveloped them, enveloping the Maiden of the Water-Jug as well; and from this, the warriors became sevenfold braver and stronger, and the Maiden of the Water-Jug grew sevenfold more beautiful and good, even though she had been the wonder of all even before. In her hair, the emerald—the gift of the tiny jewel-serpent—shone like living fire. Then, from the awe of the miraculous transformation, they were brought back to themselves by the words of the Dragon King,

"You are fortunate to have managed to find the sacks while remaining ignorant all along. And even more fortunate you are to have brought them back safe and sound! For if any of you had undone the mouth of either sack, you would have brought the greatest misfortune upon yourselves and upon the Earth alike! The sack of the Occident is the sack of curses and black magic, which brings death, strife, war, disease, famine, and thirst upon mankind. The sack of the Orient is the remedy, the new dawn, hope, purity, love, prosperity, and abundance. Yet he whose heart is corrupt, and who, being tempted by the Magus of the Orient, opens the sack, by death shall he die! For he is unworthy of what he beholds. He who resists temptation is worthy. Together, the two sacks are the treasury of all the knowledge, wisdom, sorcery, and magical power of the dragons. They conceal treasures, should the Moon Fairy, enchanting with her silver light, cast her silver gaze upon them at the full moon!"

As he spoke, the Moon Fairy cast her silvery gaze upon the sack of the Orient, and then upon the sack of the Occident. And since the moment of the third full moon designated by the little jewel-serpent still endured—which was the magic hour for the execution of the moon-charm in those days—the warriors and the maiden became eyewitnesses of miraculous events! From the flame flaring up from the amber scale, the Phoenix soared, whose song ushered in the new epoch guarded by the wise Dragon King…

The Maiden of the Water-Jug wedded her beloved, and her brother married the maiden who had been waiting for him broken-hearted all the while; and they lived in love, abundance, health, and prosperity until their days were done. The house of the Maiden of the Water-Jug was blessed indeed, and their offspring became the first people of the new epoch…

The Phoenix and the Dragon King later vanished to another Earth from hence, and the dragons followed them, for they cannot exist without a king. Yet, which of them may be the Dragon King is shrouded in mystery even to this day…

It is also said across the Earth, wherever the fires of legends are kindled, fed, and passed on among men, that the tiny jewel-serpent—namely, this wise Dragon King of the legends—was the wisest and most powerful of all dragon kings. For only he conceived the thought to entrust all that blights life into a sack guarded by the Magus of the Occident, and all that may bring a remedy into the other, guarded by the Magus of the Orient—though prematurely, it also would bring only destruction. For only the Moon Fairy could aid mankind, so that the two sacks might unite and usher in the new epoch. And with it, the sacks bore the seeds of the new human race, who shall one day find within their hearts and minds the wise knowledge of the mighty Dragon King, and then the true dawn may finally break. The fires, which are the fires of legends, blaze toward the sky every night across the world with this promise. And the Phoenix and the Dragon King shall return when this true dawn breaks…

For these people are the descendants of the Maiden of the Water-Jug, who live here among us and preserve the legends so that they may pass them on to those who hope for the breaking of the true dawn…

Written: 13/08. 2020., J. W. Cassandra
Translated: 27/08. 2020., J. W. Cassandra
Revised translation: 27 /07. 2026., by J. W. Cassandra

[1] We have in Hungarian folklore such a name in the folk tales, not beyond, but on the near side of a hill or mountain, called 'Glass Hill or Mountain'. The hill in the tale is made of pure glass.

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