Dazi's Necklace

Five girls were bathing in the river. When Dazi arrived, the girls invited her into river to bathe with them.  Usually these girls shunned her, jealous of her beautiful handmade necklace.  The girls told her they offered their necklaces to the water spirit as a gift, and she should do the same.  Seeing the other girls necklaces were gone she also took of her necklace and threw it into the river as a sacrifice.  "You silly girl" they laughed "did you really think we would throw away our necklaces?"  The girls swam to shore uncovered their necklaces hidden in the sand, laughing as they returned to the village.  Dazi ran down the river hoping to find the necklace.  While she was searching, a voice from the water told her to jump into the pool. Trusting the voice she jumps, but lands on dry land under the water.  There she meets an old woman, covered with sores. "Nurse my sores" she spoke. Dazi did as she was asked in return the old woman gave her a necklace far more beautiful than the one she lost. She also warned Dazi about the serpent like water spirit who kept her captive.  Returning to the village everyone was in awe of the new necklace.  The mean girls ran to the river.  They found the old woman who asked them also to nurse her wounds, but they laughed at her and demanded she give them necklaces like Dazi's.    While talking to the old woman, the river spirit came home and ate the girls.  The villagers all assumed they drowned swimming. Moral: Kindness has it own rewards.