Mai An Hoa
Carp
In the Americas, we have no dragons. But we do have carp. Here the carp is generally viewed as a lowly species of fish, a bottom feeder with no redeeming value, little more than an aquatic rat. In many parts of Europe, the carp is considered a game fish and are actively sought after; a large carp is considered a trophy. And in many Eastern cultures the carp is venerated, an object of respect and the subject of festivals.
There is a legend told in China (there’s always a legend in China) about carp. More than 300 carp swam up a river, struggling against dreadful rapids and eluding vicious predators, until they reached a towering waterfall. This cascade was called Lung Men, the Dragon’s Gate. Only the luckiest, the strongest, the most courageous of the carp were able to reach the Dragon’s gate, and of those only a single fish was able to leap and surge up the waterfall itself. When it reached the top, the carp leapt out of the water and became a dragon.
If you ever wonder why carp are disdained in the Americas, it’s because we have no dragons.
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