"The Supreme Sovereign ordered the water god Gong Gong to create a flood as punishment and warning for human misbehavior . Gong Gong extended the flood for 22 years , and people had to live in high mountain caves and in trees , fighting with wild animals for scarce resources . Unable to persuade the Supreme Sovereign to stop the flood , and told by an owl and a turkey about _Xirang_ or Growing Soil , the supernatural hero Gun stole Growing Soil from heaven to dam the waters . Before Gun was finished , however , the Supreme Sovereign sent the fire god Zhu Rong to execute him for his theft . The Growing Soil was taken back to heaven , and the floods continued . However , Gun 's body did n't decay , and when it was cut apart three years later , his son Yu emerged in the form of a horned dragon . Gun 's body also transformed into a dragon at that time and thenceforth lived quietly in the deeps . The Supreme Sovereign was fearful of Yu 's power , so he cooperated and gave Yu the Growing Soil and the use of the dragon Ying . Yu led other gods to drive away Gong Gong , distributed the Growing Soil to remove most of the flood , and led the people to fashion rivers from Ying 's tracks and thus channel the remaining floodwaters to the sea . [ Walls , pp . 94-100 ]"
"Show of hands , how many people think that is the same story ? Flood Stories from Around the World"
"The Supreme Sovereign was fearful of Yu 's power , so he cooperated and gave Yu the Growing Soil and the use of the dragon Ying ."
"Flood Stories from Around the World"