在敦煌莫高窟，保存着古代无数不知姓氏艺术家的手绘珍品，本动画片所讲述的，是其中一个古老而优美的故事画赞。 看到波斯商人在荒无人烟的戈壁滩上迷路时，九色鹿为他们指点了方向，花喜鹊得知此事后，埋怨九色鹿做事草率，它担心手拿刀枪的波斯商人会把九色鹿的故事说出去。不久，九色鹿救下落水的弄蛇人，告诉他不要将看到自己的事情说出去，弄蛇人对天发誓会保守秘密。波斯商人拜见国王时，果然如花喜鹊所担心的，讲了他们在荒漠中的奇遇，王后听到，执意要用九色鹿的鹿皮做衣裳，其后，国王张贴布告，说捕到九色鹿者封官重赏。弄蛇人犹豫一番，见利忘义向国王高密，在遍地寻不着九色鹿的情况下他假装落水，九色鹿闻声赶来。

In ancient times, a Persian merchant gets lost in a windstorm. Suddenly a spiritual deer of nine colors appears to guide the man. Later on, the deer rescues a man drowning in a river. In exchange, the man promises not to reveal the deer's whereabouts. The man reaches an imperial palace. The king insists on hunting down the spiritual deer down to make clothes out of the deer skin. The man gives in to his greed and leads an army of warriors to the spot. He falls into the river again, hoping the deer will show up to rescue him. This time, all the warriors' arrows turn into dust and the man is drowned