In the distant past, there lived two lovers. The lovers had shared many years together and on a glorious summer morn, the two became engaged. But the engagement was doomed to fail. One of the pair was from a rich family, who looked down on the other's poor family. And the poor family hated the attitudes of the rich. Caught in the middle, the two lovers were kept from each other for a long time, bound by the chains of others. Eventually, the lover from the rich family drifted away, abandoning passion for approval. But the lover from the poor family never lost their hope. Hope, however, is easily lost, and when the poor lover heard that their companion had moved on, their hope was replaced by sorrow. Plunged into despair, the poor lover cried for many months, the tears pooling at their feet. Months turned into years, and over time, the lover turned into the first bamboo tree, turning still as grief consumed their soul. Even today, bamboo does not need much water, surviving off of their tears alone. And bamboo has rings on their outsides, a reminder of the engagement that never came to be.