A long time ago, the world was drenched in a flood, sparing only a brother and his younger sister, who survived by hiding in a wax-sealed gourd. Having floated inside the gourd in the flood for several days, they arrived at a place of nowhere.

One day, the flood began to recede, and the mountains and trees gradually appeared. Soon the gourd rested on a big branch. An eagle, while flying over the top of a mountain, caught sight of the gourd and heard sounds coming from the inside. Thinking there might be someone alive inside, the eagle grasped the gourd and placed it atop the mountain.

Later, during the night, a mouse also discovered the gourd, and heard sounds coming from the inside. Thinking the sounds might be made by some one alive, the mouse nibbled at the wax seal and was finally able to crack open the gourd. At the sight of light, the brother and sister crawled out of the gourd. In the deserted world, they were the only survivors.

The Old Golden Turtle walked to them and said, "In order to carry on the human race, you two have to get married."

The brother and sister replied together, "We are blood siblings, so how can we marry?"

"There are only you two human beings in this world. In order to carry on the mankind, you have no other choice," replied the old turtle.

Feeling embarrassed and uneasy, the brother came up with an idea: "My sister and I will burn incense separately. If the wisps of incense blend together in the air, we will marry each other."

As a result, the incense smoke blended into a single wisp indeed. However, the sister was still unwilling to marry her brother.

Therefore her brother again said, "We will roll millstones separately on the mountain. If the two millstones can join together without leaning to either side, we will marry."

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