The daughter of the Sun God was known as Nü Wa，
a delightful little girl， beloved of all who met her.
While her father was busy at work，
bringing light and heat to mankind，
she ran through the fields of wildflowers
in her favourite pair of red shoes.
One day， she saw the great golden disc
of the sun rise out of the sea，
and became consumed with a desire
to see its origin for herself.
She asked her father to bring her， but he refused，
because the far side of the Eastern Sea
from where the sun rose
was too far away， too hot， too dangerous
for a little girl.
Disobedient for the first time in her life，
Nü Wa decided to make her own way there.
She swam through the Eastern Sea，
but it was further than she thought.
She grew tired.
When a great wave came along，
she did not have the energy to resist it
and was drowned.
Nü Wa's spirit became a bird with red feet，
and red markings on her head
like the wildflowers she had loved in life.
She was known as the Jingwei bird，
for the cry she emitted： "Jingwei， jingwei."
The Jingwei bird hated the ocean
for taking her life， and vowed to fill it.
Lifting pebbles and twigs in her beak，
she ferried them far out to sea
and dropped them into the water.
The Eastern Sea mocked the little bird
for the futility of her actions，
but the Jingwei bird continued.
"As long as I have patience， and do not waver，"
she told the ocean， "There will come a day
when I fulfil my task， and you are no more."
For her steadfastness， Jingwei is also known as
the Promise Bird.
