民间故事|Gift for the lover

once upon a distant time, people made love by giving up some part of their bodies to their lovers. Everyone possessed^{1 leather bags into which their mates placed some part of their bodies as they made love. A fingernail or strand2（线，串） of hair, an eyelash（睫毛） or a bit of skin were commonly exchanged.}

But it was not uncommon^{3 to hear of fingers or ears or a whole arm or leg being slipped into a bag in moments of great love or great passion. There were even a few stories of lovers who actually climbed into the leather bags and disappeared, literally4 swept away by their emotions.}

The donated body parts sometimes rejuvenated^{5 miraculously6, the handicap（妨碍，不利条件） evoked7 by their love. Of course, those who climbed into the leather bags of another never emerged again. It was commonly thought that such people were reborn, perhaps as a family member of their lovers .}

In those days the phrases giving yourself to your lover and making sacrifices for love were taken quit e literally.