Chinese Folktale Long ago, there lived a kind woman by the seashore. She had five sons, the five Liu brothers: Liu the First, Liu the Second, Liu the Third, Liu the Fourth, and Liu the Fifth. They looked so alike that no one could tell them apart—even their own mother sometimes got confused. However, each brother had his own special ability. The eldest, Liu the First, could drink an entire ocean and then release it back. Liu the Second feared no fire. Liu the Third could stretch his legs to any length. Liu the Fourth had a body stronger than the hardest iron. And the youngest, Liu the Fifth, understood the language of birds and animals. They lived happily and comfortably. Liu the First fished. Liu the Second tended the hearth fire. Liu the Third and Liu the Fourth worked in the fields. And Liu the Fifth herded geese and sheep. One day, a wealthy and cruel ruler who hunted in the region arrived where the Liu brothers lived. At the edge of the forest, he spotted a young boy herding a flock—it was Liu the Fifth. Beside him lay a beautiful goat. The ruler seized his bow and took aim at her. Frightened, Liu cried out—and in one leap, the goat vanished into the woods. A deer peeked out from the bushes. Liu shouted to it in deer language: "Save yourself!"—and the deer disappeared. All the animals hid. The ruler, bewildered and bitter, stood alone in the deserted forest. Liu was overjoyed that he had managed to help his forest friends. Then the evil ruler ordered Liu the Fifth captured. He was taken to the city and thrown into a cage with a hungry tiger. The ruler thought the tiger would tear the bold peasant apart, but Liu the Fifth spoke to the tiger in its own tongue, and the fierce beast did not touch him. Learning of this, the ruler grew even more bitter. He ordered Liu the Fifth beheaded. But in prison, Liu the Fourth—whose body was stronger than iron—took his younger brother's place. He stayed in the cell while Liu the Fifth calmly walked home. They looked so similar that no one noticed. The next morning, Liu the Fourth was brought to the city square. The executioner swung his heavy, powerful sword at Liu's neck—but the blade shattered into pieces. The ruler, furious, then ordered the bold peasant thrown from a high cliff. That night, Liu the Third—who could stretch his legs to any length—slipped into the prison and took his brother's place. Again, no one knew. At dawn, Liu the Third was taken to a high cliff. If a man were thrown from such a rock, he would surely die. The executioner pushed Liu the Third off, but he calmly stretched out his long, sturdy legs and landed unharmed. The cruel ruler, beside himself with rage, returned to his palace and that same day ordered the rebellious Liu burned at the stake. A huge bonfire was lit in the square before the ruler's palace. Guards with bows and arrows surrounded the area. Crowds gathered from all sides to watch. Meanwhile, Liu the Second, who feared no fire, made his way to the prison and quietly replaced Liu the Third. No sooner had he done so than the ruler signaled for the execution to begin. The executioner seized Liu the Second and threw him into the great fire. Flames rose as high as houses. Liu the Second vanished into black smoke. The people wept in pity. The cruel ruler laughed maliciously. But soon, as the smoke cleared, everyone saw Liu the Second standing in the fire, smiling and unscathed. The ruler nearly choked with fury. "What kind of man is this?" he cried. "Fire does not burn him, rocks do not harm him, swords cannot cut him, and even a tiger does not touch him! But it cannot be—I, a mighty ruler, cannot be defeated by a mere peasant!" So the cruel ruler decided to take Liu far out to sea, tie a large stone to his neck, and drown him. "Perhaps he doesn't fear water?" thought the ruler. "Still, the stone will keep him from surfacing. Let him remain on the seabed!" That night, Liu the First—who could drink the entire ocean—made his way to the prison and took his brother's place, waiting. That evening, he was taken to a boat. The ruler and his retinue followed in another vessel. Soon they sailed out to sea. In the deepest waters, Liu the First was tied with a heavy stone around his neck and, at the ruler's cruel signal, thrown into the waves. As soon as Liu the First sank beneath the water, he began to drink the