绿柳坊这个地方突然来了二个卖艺人。男的黑壮粗犷，女的白净美丽，大家称他们黑牛与白蛇。两人夜晚去投靠求当地宗长杨家的大管家，在孙少爷杨祖寿的仗义担待下，在杨家废弃的南园子屋子住一宿。未料第二天白娘子害喜，走不了。生了儿子称马思乐。数年后，马思乐帮着放羊，一日没有回家。当时抗战已爆发，红毛流寇到处流窜，绿柳坊附近的三山六洞十八涧聚了一股土匪，清晨土匪送信到杨家，说绑架了马思乐，要黑牛拿白娘子来换。

In Chinese folklore a white snake symbolizes a woman, especially an evil type of woman, while a black bull typifies a man, robust, strong and virile. "Black Bull and White Snake", a film version of Young Nien-ts'u's best-selling novel of the same title, is exactly about a white snake-woman, having been sold into prostitution at an early age, is rescued by a black bull of a man only to fall back into the gutter again. A production from the Grand Motion Picture Company, "Black Bull and White Snake" stars Chiang Ching and newcomer Tien Yeh.