Long ago a family of humble shepherds made its home in the remote hills of China. Each day the shepherds led their animals to graze in the pastures near the bamboo forest. Frequently a little panda would wander from the forest to join the flock. Perhaps the young panda mistook the sheep for its own kind, for in those days pandas were all white. One day, as the panda roamed among the sheep, a huge leopard sprang from the forest. The sheep scattered and ran away, but the little panda was too slow to escape. He surely would have been killed by the leopard if not for the bravery of a young shepherdess. She ran to her friend's aid and began beating the leopard furiously with a stick. The leopard turned from the panda and attacked the girl. Although she fought bravely, the shepherdess was no match for the leopard. News of the shepherdess' brave deed quickly spread through the forest. When the other pandas heard the story, they began to cry and throw ashes upon themselves in mourning. As they wiped their tears away, their dirty paws left dark smudges around their eyes. As they hugged each other, their paws stained their arms and legs. And when the pandas tried to muffle the sound of their sobs by covering their ears, they blackened them as well. Ever since that day, pandas have worn these markings out of respect for the shepherdess who died so that one of their kind might live.