The Princess’s Pearl Shoe

1. The Poor Duojie Zhaxi

The story begins in a small town in Tibet where a very poor elderly couple lived. They had a son named Duojie Zhaxi. The only possession they had was an old axe that had been passed down through many generations.
No matter if it was windy, rainy, or snowy, the old man would take this axe every day, climb up the high hills, chop down a large bundle of firewood, and take it to the town’s restaurant to sell in exchange for some tsampa and tea to support his son and wife.

However, misfortune often befalls the unfortunate. When Duojie Zhaxi turned fifteen, his father fell to his death while chopping wood. The old mother, holding her son, cried and said, “Son, how are we going to live now?” Duojie Zhaxi comforted her, “Mother, don’t be sad. Starting tomorrow, I’ll go up the mountain to chop wood.”
From that day on, regardless of the weather, Duojie Zhaxi would take the axe his father left behind and go deep into the mountains to chop wood. Then he would carry the heavy wood to the town to sell, exchanging it for tsampa and tea to sustain himself and his mother. The neighbors praised him, saying, “Duojie Zhaxi is such a good young man.”

2. The Golden Axe and the Pearl Shoe

One day, Duojie Zhaxi was chopping wood on the mountain. Exhausted, he saw a big round stone that looked like a lion’s head and decided to lie down on it to rest. Suddenly, the stone spoke, “Young man! Young man! Please get off my head. I can give you any treasure you want.”

Duojie Zhaxi was startled at first but quickly calmed down, thinking, “I am a human, and it is just a stone. What am I afraid of?” So, he said to the stone, “Stone Lion Brother, I don’t need any treasure. I just need a tool for chopping wood. Look at my axe, it’s as worn out as an old woman’s teeth.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a clanging sound, and out from the stone came a golden axe, shining brilliantly and incredibly sharp. Duojie Zhaxi jumped with joy. He tried using the golden axe to chop down a large pine tree, and the tree, as thick as his hand, fell with a single blow. He quickly hid the golden axe in his coat and excitedly ran home to tell his mother about it.

With the golden axe, Duojie Zhaxi’s wood-chopping speed greatly increased, and their lives gradually improved. After some time, one day while chopping wood on the mountain, a fierce wind suddenly blew, rolling huge stones everywhere. The wood he had just chopped was scattered all around. As he was picking up the wood, he found a very exquisite little shoe on a tree branch. The shoe had a silk upper embroidered with flowers in seven colors and was studded with shining pearls.

Duojie Zhaxi was amazed and took the shoe to a chef he was friendly with. The chef, who had seen many things, looked at the shoe carefully and finally said, “Wow, this is a precious shoe, but I don’t know whose it is. You should go to the tea shop on West Street and ask there. There’s a merchant named Qiangjiu who knows a lot; maybe he can help.”
Qiangjiu was a merchant who traveled far and wide. He looked at the shoe and immediately smiled, his face full of wrinkles relaxing. He patted Duojie Zhaxi on the shoulder, saying, “Haha, my friend, you’re going to be rich! This is an embroidered shoe worn by the emperor’s princess from the mainland. Let’s go to the capital and sell it to the emperor. You’ll earn a lot of silver.”

Duojie Zhaxi thought for a moment and said, “I can’t go to the capital. If I go, who will take care of my mother?” Qiangjiu said, “Don’t let the good fortune slip away. I’ll have the shop’s staff take care of your mother while you’re away.”

3. Journey to the Capital

Duojie Zhaxi followed the merchant Qiangjiu, riding horses for many days until they finally reached the capital where the emperor lived. Upon reaching the city gate, they saw a huge notice posted on the city wall. Not knowing how to read Chinese characters, they asked an old man with a white beard. The old man sighed and said, “Our emperor has only one precious daughter who was blown away by a demon wind not long ago. They’ve been searching for months but haven’t found any trace of her. The notice says, ‘Whoever finds the princess can either choose to be a high-ranking official or receive a large amount of gold and silver.'”

The merchant was even more excited after hearing this and quickly pulled Duojie Zhaxi to see the emperor. They passed through many streets and gates and finally saw a large complex with golden roofs and red walls. The young man thought it was more beautiful than the colorful clouds on the snowy mountains. Qiangjiu said, “This is the imperial palace.” As they were talking, a group of golden-armored soldiers with long spears blocked their way, shouting, “No noise!”
Duojie Zhaxi was startled. The merchant quickly stepped forward and said, “We are from Tibet. We have some information about the princess and came here to report it.”
The soldiers reported to the emperor, who said, “Quick! Quick! Bring them in!”

Duojie Zhaxi and Qiangjiu followed the soldiers, walking up many stone steps and passing through many halls until they finally saw the emperor. The emperor sat on a golden chair and looked like a kind old man. He listened carefully to Duojie Zhaxi’s story and examined the pearl shoe over and over again, confirming that the information was correct. He then dispatched a red-nosed minister with a hundred soldiers, asking Duojie Zhaxi to lead them to find the princess as quickly as possible.

Duojie Zhaxi thought for a moment and said, “Emperor, I can’t go. I need to chop wood every day to support my elderly mother. If I go to find the princess, what will my mother eat?”
The emperor, instead of getting angry, was very pleased and praised Duojie Zhaxi for his filial piety. He said, “Young man, don’t worry.” He immediately instructed the merchant Qiangjiu to take enough wealth from the national treasury to go back and take good care of Duojie Zhaxi’s mother.

4. Finding the Princess

Duojie Zhaxi led the minister and a hundred soldiers, riding horses swiftly. These horses were those ridden by the emperor and generals, running faster than birds. They rode day and night until they finally reached the place where Duojie Zhaxi usually chopped wood.

They found a drop of blood on a stone and followed the bloodstains, eventually reaching a towering stone cliff. The bloodstains disappeared there, and there was a cave at the base of the cliff, dark and bottomless like a beast’s mouth.

The red-nosed minister said, “It seems the demon lives in this cave. Who will go down and take a look?” The soldiers looked at each other, and none dared to volunteer. Duojie Zhaxi said, “I will go down first!”
The soldiers quickly tied their belts together to form a very long rope. Duojie Zhaxi grabbed the rope and slowly slid down, not knowing how long he had been descending until his feet finally touched the ground.
The cave was pitch black, and he couldn’t see his hand in front of his face. Duojie Zhaxi groped his way forward and suddenly saw a red glowing bead flickering in the distance. As he approached, he realized it was an old woman squatting there cooking. The old woman was surprised to see the young man and, sticking out her tongue, said, “This is the demon’s place. Are you here to die? Run for your life while the demon is still sleeping!”

Duojie Zhaxi said, “I won’t leave. I am here to find the princess. She was only wearing one shoe and was injured. Have you seen her, old mother?”
The old woman said, “Yes! Yes! I cook for the demon, so of course, I’ve seen her. The princess refused to marry the demon, and the demon is very angry and will eat her soon!” Duojie Zhaxi gave the old woman some roasted barley and a piece of dried beef, then quickly asked, “Old mother, please tell me where the princess is and where the demon lives.”
The old woman, munching on the roasted barley, pointed him in the right direction.

5. Rescuing the Princess

Following the old woman’s directions, Duojie Zhaxi entered the stone house where the demon lived. He took out the golden axe from his pocket and swung it gently. Suddenly, the golden axe lit up like a torch, emitting thousands of golden rays. By this light, Duojie Zhaxi saw the room was filled with human bones and skulls, a terrifying sight. On a pile of human skins lay a demon, blue-faced and red-bearded, snoring louder than thunder. On either side of the demon’s forehead were two big toads, their bellies swelling and shrinking, their eyes big and round—these were the demon’s vital toads.

At first, Duojie Zhaxi was scared, as it was his first encounter with a demon. But soon, he calmed down, thinking, “I am human; he is a demon. What should I be afraid of?” He spat into his palms, raised the axe high, and struck at the two toads on the demon’s forehead. The demon screamed in pain and jumped up. Duojie Zhaxi didn’t back down; he quickly moved behind the demon and struck him on the back of the head with the axe. The demon fell to the ground, motionless, like a toppled pillar.

Duojie Zhaxi was so happy he almost danced. He seized the moment to push open the inner door and saw a lovely girl, as radiant as the moon, sitting there crying. Her right foot was bare, and her white ankle was covered in blood.

The princess, not knowing who Duojie Zhaxi was, trembled with fear. Duojie Zhaxi performed a Tibetan greeting and respectfully said, “Princess, don’t be afraid. I was sent by the emperor to rescue you.” The princess, still scared, asked, “What about the demon…” Duojie Zhaxi laughed heartily and said, “The demon? I killed him with two strikes of my axe.”
The princess was so overjoyed that she fainted in Duojie Zhaxi’s arms, her sparkling tears falling onto him. Duojie Zhaxi carried the princess on his back, using the golden axe to light the way, and returned to the spot where they had used the belts to lower him down. By this time, the princess had woken up, feeling both shy and grateful, not knowing how to repay the young man. She took off her diamond ring and placed it on Duojie Zhaxi’s finger.

The old woman who cooked for the demon also crawled over, kneeling and begging to be taken out of the cave. Duojie Zhaxi agreed generously.
Duojie Zhaxi signaled, and the belts were lowered. The first to be pulled up was the old woman, and the second was the princess. At this moment, the red-nosed minister had a wicked thought: “If Duojie Zhaxi can’t get out, the credit will be all mine. Delicious food, I’ll eat even if I choke; profitable deeds, I’ll do even if they’re immoral.” So, he left Duojie Zhaxi behind and escorted the princess back to the capital to claim the reward, traveling day and night without rest.

6. Returning to the Capital

When the princess returned to the palace, the entire city celebrated as if it were a festival. The emperor suddenly remembered Duojie Zhaxi and asked, “Where is the Tibetan boy who found the pearl shoe? Why isn’t he here?” The red-nosed minister sighed deeply and said, “Emperor, don’t mention that ungrateful boy! He ran away halfway like a rat. I risked my life to kill the demon and rescue the princess.” The emperor believed the minister’s words, rewarded him with a lot of gold, and promoted him to the position of inner minister. Only the lovely princess often thought of the Tibetan boy who saved her. But living in the deep palace, she didn’t know about the red-nosed minister’s plot, and as a princess, she was too shy to speak to the emperor about it.

Brave Duojie Zhaxi waited in the cave for a long time, but no one came to pull him up. He realized the minister had played a trick on him and was very angry. He sat on a stone, missing his old mother and thinking about the beautiful princess. As he thought, tears unknowingly streamed down his face.
Suddenly, he heard a “thump, thump” sound nearby. Duojie Zhaxi thought, “Goodness, there’s another demon in the cave!” He quickly grabbed his axe and ran towards the sound. By the golden light from the axe, he saw a huge iron chest. He raised the axe and struck the chest, and with a loud “clang,” the lid flew open, and out sprang a small green dragon, shaking its head and tail.

The small green dragon, with tears in its eyes, said, “Young man, I was imprisoned in this iron chest by the demon for countless years. Thank you for saving my life!” Duojie Zhaxi said, “It’s too early to talk about saving lives. If we can’t get out of the cave, we will both die.” The small green dragon smiled and said, “That’s easy. Watch me.” It then told Duojie Zhaxi to climb on its back. With a big gulp and a swish of its tail, accompanied by a rumbling earthquake-like roar, they rose to the surface.

The small green dragon said to Duojie Zhaxi, “Gold won’t be thrown away, and kindness won’t be forgotten. I have nothing to give you, but I’ll leave you one of my horns as a memento.” After saying this, it bumped its head against the black stone cliff, causing it to shake, and a dragon horn fell at Duojie Zhaxi’s feet. The small green dragon reluctantly flew back into the high sky.
Duojie Zhaxi picked up the dragon horn and returned to the city to visit his mother, finding that she was indeed well taken care of by the emperor. Then he found the merchant Qiangjiu and told him how he had rescued the princess and obtained the dragon horn. Qiangjiu patted him on the shoulder and congratulated him, “Haha, my friend, you’re rich again! This dragon horn is an extremely rare treasure. If we present it to the emperor, not only will you receive many rewards, but we can also expose the lies of the red-nosed minister.”

7. Exposing the Plot

Duojie Zhaxi and the merchant Qiangjiu once again went to the capital to see the emperor. Duojie Zhaxi respectfully presented the dragon horn. The emperor, upon seeing it, said, “Isn’t this the Tibetan boy who found the pearl shoe last time?” Duojie Zhaxi replied, “Yes, it’s me.”

The emperor’s face turned stern, “Last time, you swore in front of me that you would rescue the princess. Why did you run away halfway like a rat?”
The red-nosed minister broke into a cold sweat upon seeing Duojie Zhaxi, thinking, “If I stick to my story, this boy won’t be able to clear his name.” He quickly intercepted the emperor’s words and scolded Duojie Zhaxi, spitting like hailstones on the young man’s face.

Duojie Zhaxi stepped forward and said to the emperor, “Emperor, I say I rescued the princess, and he says he rescued the princess. This matter can be easily clarified by asking the princess to testify.”

Soon, the princess and the old woman entered the hall. Upon seeing Duojie Zhaxi, the princess exclaimed joyfully, “Ah, the young man who saved us is here!”
The red-nosed minister, both frightened and anxious, hurried to the princess and said, “Princess, was it too dark in the cave? Did you mistake someone else for me? I was the one who saved you, not him!”
Duojie Zhaxi said to the red-nosed minister, “Fine, you say you rescued the princess. Then show your proof.”
The red-nosed minister was stumped and stammered, unable to speak. The emperor then asked Duojie Zhaxi, “What proof do you have?”
Duojie Zhaxi replied, “Of course I have proof!” He then took out the diamond ring the princess had given him from his pocket.
At the same time, the princess knelt before the emperor, shyly recounting how Duojie Zhaxi had rescued her. The red-nosed minister never expected the princess to leave the ring with Duojie Zhaxi. Seeing the emperor’s angry face, he was terrified, like a pile of wet cow dung, and knelt before the emperor’s throne, incessantly kowtowing and begging for mercy, tears and snot flowing everywhere. He knew very well the consequences of deceiving the emperor.

Duojie Zhaxi was finally cleared of his grievances, and the truth was revealed.

8. A Happy Union

The emperor greatly admired Duojie Zhaxi’s bravery and honesty and ordered his ministers to treat him to the most lavish banquet. At a feast with 108 dishes, the emperor asked him, “Do you want to become an inner minister, or do you prefer a measure of gold and silver?”

Duojie Zhaxi sincerely replied, “Emperor, I don’t want to be an inner minister, nor do I want gold and silver. I only wish to marry the princess and spend a joyous and blessed life together.”
The emperor was delighted to hear this and agreed to the young man’s request, holding a grand wedding for them. After the wedding, Duojie Zhaxi and the princess happily returned to Tibet to visit his old mother.

As for the merchant Qiangjiu, the emperor rewarded him with plenty of gold and silver. His trading caravans traveled more frequently between Tibet and the mainland, and his business flourished.
Duojie Zhaxi and the princess lived happily ever after, and the merchant Qiangjiu was richly rewarded for helping Duojie Zhaxi. This story teaches us that bravery and honesty always lead to a beautiful ending.