The Roc by Pu Songling
At a temple in Tientsin, a serpent devours two herons’ young for three successive years; the following year, a giant bird swoops down at the parents’ cries and tears off the serpent’s head. The attack brings down masonry and the nest, killing one chick; priests shelter the survivor in the bell tower, where its parents feed it until it flies away.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Fantasy, Animal Tale, Short Story · 372 words
First lines
Two herons built their nests under one of the ornaments on the roof of a temple at Tientsin. The accumulated dust of years in the shrine below concealed a huge serpent, having the diameter of a washing-basin; and whenever the heron's young were ready to fly, the reptile proceeded to the nest and swallowed every one of them, to the great distress of the bereaved parents. This took place three years consecutively, and people thought the birds would build there no more. However, the following year they came again; and when the time was drawing nigh for their young ones to take wing, away they flew, and remained absent for nearly three days. On their return, they went straight to the nest, and began amidst much noisy chattering to feed their young ones as usual. Just then the serpent crawled up to reach his prey; and as he was nearing the nest the parent-birds flew out and screamed loudly in mid-air. Immediately, there was heard a mighty flapping of wings, and darkness came over the face of the earth, which the astonished spectators now perceived to be caused by a huge bird obscuring the light of the sun. Down it swooped with the speed of wind or falling rain, and, striking the serpent with its talons, tore its head off at a blow, bringing down at the same time several feet of the masonry of the temple. Then it flew away, the herons accompanying it as though escorting a guest. The nest too had come down, and of the two young birds one was killed by the fall; the other was taken by the priests and put in the bell tower, whither the old birds returned to feed it until thoroughly fledged, when it spread its wings and was gone.[1]
Genres
- Fantasy — A bird large enough to obscure the sun kills an enormous serpent with a single blow.
- Animal Tale — The narrative follows two herons whose repeated losses end with the serpent’s death and one chick’s survival.
- Short Story — One brief narrative recounts the raids on a nest, the giant bird’s intervention, and the surviving chick’s departure.
Tags
giant birds · herons · serpents · nests · temples · animal rescue
What this Textopian page supports
The Roc is listed on Textopian as a short story by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Animal Tale, Short Story
- Length: 372 words
- Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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