leaping shrimp amazons draw their bows

[incandescens]

It's always the second day that you feel tired on, isn't it?

I'm suffering from urges to reread the Journey to the West, even if I do have a pile of other books (and a few magazines) to get through first. Cursed temptation. I shall never make it to enlightenment at this rate.

It was raining as I came home. All right, so it wasn't really dramatic. It was still raining.

---

Th dragons were all delighted to comply. They mustered the following:

The brave Shark as the vanguard,
With big-mouthed Hemibagrus to the fore;
Marshal Carp who plunges through the waves,
Commander Bream who spews out mist.
Colonel Mackerel to patrol the east,
Major Culter to advance to the west.
The Cavalryman Red Eye gallops to the south,
While General Black-Shell breaks through in the north.
Brigadier Croaker commands the central force;
Every unit is a crack force of heroes.
A master of strategy is Chief of Staff Turtle;
Lord Tortoise excels in subtle predictions.
Prime Minister Alligator is full of wisdom,
Garrison Commander Terrapin has great ability.
Advancing sideways, crab soldiers wield their swords,
While leaping shrimp amazons draw their bows.
Secretary Catfish looks after the paperwork,
And calls the rolls of the dragon army.

-- from Journey to the West, translation by WJF Jenner

Comments

[rvdammit.livejournal.com]

"The only way to get rid of temptation is to give in.", a Wilderian quote I believe.

[incandescens]

Indeed, which is why I have been reading up on Wukong's cunning method of making medicine. (One ounce rhubarb, one ounce croton seeds, a pan's worth of scraped soot, and a half-cup of urine from the dragon masquerading as a horse in the stables.)

(And it worked.)