Once upon a time, there lived a young, pulchritudinous maiden on the white, meadow fields of Sanjiang named Xui. Xui was the youngest daughter of King Xan and Queen Sophie. She was considered the loveliest of all the maidens on the earth. She had black, mesmerizing eyes that enchanted the mortal men and long, brown hair that cascaded down to her legs. She had lips as white as snow and legs as agile as a cat. She was the joy of her mother’s heart and the apple of her father’s eye. The fame of Xui’s surpassing beauty spread over the earth, and men from everywhere journeyed to gaze upon her with wonder and adoration and to do her homage as though she were in truth one of the immortals. They would say that not even Chio, the river goddess of love and beauty, could equal this mortal.

One fine day, hot and tired from playing with her friends, Xui came upon a crystal-clear river deeply shaded by silvery willows. No more delightful place for rest could be imagined. So, the vivacious, little girl started frolicking about with her friends. After a while, she decided to have a swim in the river. So, she undressed and slipped into the cool, delightful water, swimming idly to and fro in utter tranquility. But the river that she was swimming in was none other than Chio, the daughter of Jun, the king of the immortal gods. Chio was the green-eyed goddess of love and beauty. She had lovely strands of golden hair that shined brightly in the yellow sun, and enchanting, green, bewitching eyes that lured men to their doom. Even though she was gifted with surpassing beauty and had the ability to transform into any form, she was always jealous of charming, mortal women like Xui. Seeing the enchanting maiden swimming in her enthralling, white water, the bewitching goddess became angry and jealous. Mad with acrimony and malcontent with her looks, Chio cried out to her beloved father, “Listen to me father. Transform Xui into a beast so that I can be the most beautiful woman on the earth.” Jun heard his daughter’s anguishing cry but he also knew that he could not hurt a young maiden brimming with life. So, he decided to transform Xui into a handsome horse, pleasing his daughter and at the same time not hurting the innocent girl.

Xui could not grasp what was happening; she seemed to feel something stir in the depths beneath her. But before she could realize, she was swept with the swirling river’s flow and thrown out of the river, unconscious. When Xui returned back to her conscious state of mind, she felt uncanny. She saw that she had grown hoofs and hair, and somehow felt taller than before. Perplexed, she did not know what to do. However after hours of thinking, she started walking back to her grand palace. “Look at that horse!” exclaimed a passerby. “I have never seen such a majestic horse in my life.” Suddenly, Xui realized that she was no longer a human but a horse. She knew that this was the will of the gods and that she could not change it.

As Xui walked into King Xan’s royal court, several noble men claimed the handsome beast. Nevertheless, the magnificent horse was purchased by a handsome, young man named Chan. Chan was the son of Jan and Ally, a sea nymph who fell in love with the king of the immortal gods, and gave birth to Chan and his sister, Kina. Chan fell in love with the horse at first sight, and paid a handsome price for it. He knew that this horse was going to help train for battle. On the other hand, Xui fell in love with Chan. She was seduced by Chan’s alluring, blue eyes and his stunning, masculine stature. She wanted to marry him and be his wife for the rest of her life.

Chan carried Xui to his palace, and proudly showed her to his sister, Kina. Xui would go out to hunt with Chan on her back, almost every day. She loved those moments when Chan would cling to her back and hold her tight in a firm grip. Years passed away like this; man and mare enjoying the pleasures of life in each other’s arms. However as the wheels of life turned, it was time for Chan to marry. All these years, Xui had been so attached to Chan that she could not bear to see him with another girl. However, she had faith in her love. Meanwhile, Chan had begun to spend more time in the royal court with his parents and Kina, rather than going out hunting. Xui would spend hours waiting her beloved, just to catch a glimpse at him.

As the month of March came by, Chan was engaged to a lovely, young girl named Lyka. Hearing this news from Kina, Xui could not bear it anymore. She felt dejected, lonely and heartbroken. Her heart was bursting out in pain and her life was filled with complete darkness. So, she decided to end her life. That night, Xui went to a well covered with white flowers and plunged a dagger deep into her heart. Dark, red blood gushed out of her body covering the white flowers, turning them red. These flowers became the roses which is the symbol for love and affection.