Graceful Words, Noble Character

Prologue:

I am a spring

The mountain's autumn dew nourished me, and the winter frost tempered me.

I became crystal-clear, radiant and bright.

The clear stream cherished me and begged me to stay, but you cannot bear the weight of my dreams.

In the stillness of all things, a tender bud said to me:

"Flowing spring, flow gently and carry my longing far away."

I reached the river, and as I drifted with the current, I could no longer tell truth from falsehood.

Grime began to eat away at my body,

And worse still, it gnawed at my heart.

I became despondent and listless.

The vast ocean

Washed away some of the grime clinging to me,

But I longed even more for that stretch of green.

Give me a pair of wings!

Let me return to the depths of the mountain forest, back home.

The sun heard my cry

And turned me into a bank of clouds.

Little by little, I drew near you.

Don't ask me why I want to return to your embrace.

Because I am only a frail, flowing spring.

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.