A long time ago, Hangzhou was a dry beach. There was no small river or stream for dozens of miles around. The people who lived here had to carry buckets of water all the way to fetch water every day. They worried about this little water day and night, and never had a happy day.

Some of the older generation knew that there was a clear spring in the mountains behind Lingyin, because it was blocked by a very thick stone wall and could not flow out. Over the years, many young people had gone up the mountain and tried to chisel through the stone wall, but they were unsuccessful. Slowly, fewer people knew about it.

There was a young man in the back village named Shui'er. He had no parents since he was a child, and grew up with his grandfather. Since he was six years old, he has been carrying water with his grandfather for fifteen years. On this day, it was Shui'er's twentieth birthday, and the old grandfather prepared a big pot of noodles for him, and the two grandchildren spent the day happily. In the evening, the old grandfather called Shui'er to the front and told him all about the clear spring in Lingyin's back mountain. Shui'er was happy, tightened his belt, rolled his sleeves, and went to call a few young men who were usually good. Everyone discussed going up the mountain to chisel the stone wall together, so that this clear spring must flow into the village. Grandpa saw that Shui'er had such great ambition, and he was so happy that he shed tears. He prepared dry food overnight so that they could go up the mountain in the morning.

The next day, Shui'er and his group of ten people, with hammers and chisels, were ready to go up the mountain. Before leaving, the old grandfather said to the boys: "You go to chisel the stone wall, and you have to chisel it down in one breath. If you stop, it will grow back to its original appearance, and it will be in vain. Also, when the stone wall is chiseled through, a rock slurry inside will spray out, and the spray will turn people into stones. You must remember!" Shui'er and the others agreed and went up the mountain.

When they got to the mountain, they immediately started to chisel the stone wall. Chisel, chisel, chisel from Qingming in March to Duanyang in May, the chisel was a little short, and there were blood bubbles on both hands, but the stone wall was still not chiseled. Four young men said, "Maybe the old man remembered the wrong place. There is no clear spring here! Go back and pick it up with a bucket!" He went back by himself.

There were six of them left, from May Duanyang to August Mid-Autumn Festival, the chisel was a little shorter, and the hands were covered with thick cocoons, but the stone wall was still not chiseled through. Two young men said, "Chisel to the end in one go, who knows when it will be chiseled, and the family should go back and have a look!"

Autumn has passed, winter has come, and the snow in the mountains is as deep as half a person, and the northwest wind is howling, stabbing people like sharp knives. Shui'er and the four of them did not breathe a sigh of relief. Chisel, chisel, until the next spring, when the rhododendrons bloom brightly, the stone wall has been chiseled deep, deep.

It was the third of March, and Shui'er suddenly heard a gurgling sound on the other side of the stone wall. He put his ear close to the stone wall and couldn't help but scream, "Ah! Spring water! This is the sound of spring water flowing!" Everyone jumped up with joy. Shui'er turned around and said to his companions, "Hurry up and go away, the stone slurry is about to spray out!" Seeing that the spring water was about to flow out, no one was willing to leave there. Seeing that everyone refused to go, Shui'er shouted in a hurry: "If you don't run away, I will stop and not chisel!" Hearing him say this, everyone was afraid that he would really stop and give up all his previous efforts, so they had to run away. At this time, Shui'er struck the last hammer, and only heard a loud "rumble" sound, and the stone pulp spurted out, condensing the water into a stone man more than three meters high! Then, a clear spring water gurgled down the valley, flowed through the village, and poured into a depression by the beach, which was filled with water - this is now West Lake.

From then on, this place no longer had to worry about running out of water. The mountain that the water had chiseled was later called Stone People's Ridge.