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The Serpent Slayer

When I first began telling stories, I did not keep a bibliography of my work. It did not seem important at the time. I was telling up to three times a week at Storyteller Café, Mesa, Arizona, needing up to 18 stories a week. Learning stories quickly and creating concerts were my goals. 

 
Years later I went through the stacks of story summaries and wished desperately I had been more diligent in my efforts to keep a works cited of some kind. Fortunately, I was able to find one of my favorite books The Serpent Slayer by Katrin Tchana. This collection contains one of my favorite stories as well as many other stories of strong women.
 
The Serpent Slayer (abridged)
 
The serpent became hungrier wishing human flesh rather than livestock. The magistrate began a lottery to send a young girl to the serpent annually which appeased the serpent and upset the village. 
 
Li Chi went to the magistrate willing to volunteer as the serpent’s sacrifice that year if the magistrate would grant her three items: a strong sword, a gold bowl, and a faithful and brave dog. To have a volunteer was wonderful so naturally he gladly granted all three items to Li Chi.
 
Li Chi went to the serpent’s cave and cooked a delicious meal for the serpent. As the serpent was drawn to the bowl, the dog scratched and bit at one eye as Li Chi stabbed at the other blinding the serpent. Li Chi then cut off the serpent’s head with great difficulty. She then gathered the bones of the other girls to grant them a proper burial.
 
To this day the village celebrates the bravery of Li Chi and her brave dog.
 
Bravery is not measured by age or size. May there always be those like Li Chi and her faithful dog when the serpent of injustice raises its ugly head.
 
Tchana, Katrin. The Serpent Slayer. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2000.