A Chinese Wonder Book | Page 3

else in all the world, except, of course, his
mother.
"Eat and ask no questions," counselled the Widow Wang. "When you

are satisfied I will tell you everything."
Wise advice! Very soon the young man's chopsticks were twinkling
like a little star in the verses. He ate long and happily, while his good
mother watched him, her heart overflowing with joy at seeing him at
last able to satisfy his hunger. But still the old woman could hardly wait
for him to finish, she was so anxious to tell him her wonderful secret.
"Here, son!" she cried at last, as he began to pause between mouthfuls,
"look at my treasure!" And she held out to him the golden beetle.
"First tell me what good fairy of a rich man has been filling our hands
with silver?"
"That's just what I am trying to tell you," she laughed, "for there was a
fairy here this afternoon sure enough, only he was dressed like a bald
priest. That golden beetle is all he gave me, but with it comes a secret
worth thousands of cash to us."
The youth fingered the trinket idly, still doubting his senses, and
waiting impatiently for the secret of his delicious dinner. "But, mother,
what has this brass bauble to do with the dumplings, these wonderful
pork dumplings, the finest I ever ate?"
"Baubles indeed! Brass! Fie, fie, my boy! You little know what you are
saying. Only listen and you shall hear a tale that will open your eyes."
She then told him what had happened, and ended by setting all of the
left-over dumplings upon the floor for Blackfoot and Whitehead, a
thing her son had never seen her do before, for they had been miserably
poor and had had to save every scrap for the next meal.
Now began a long period of perfect happiness. Mother, son, dog and
cat--all enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content. All manner of new
foods such as they had never tasted were called forth from the pot by
the wonderful little beetle. Bird-nest soup, shark's fins, and a hundred
other delicacies were theirs for the asking, and soon Ming-li regained
all his strength, but, I fear, at the same time grew somewhat lazy, for it

was no longer necessary for him to work. As for the two animals, they
became fat and sleek and their hair grew long and glossy.
[Illustration: "HERE SON!" SHE CRIED, "HAVE A LOOK AT MY
TREASURE!"]
But alas! according to a Chinese proverb, pride invites sorrow. The
little family became so proud of their good fortune that they began to
ask friends and relatives to dinner that they might show off their good
meals. One day a Mr. and Mrs. Chu came from a distant village. They
were much astonished at seeing the high style in which the Wangs lived.
They had expected a beggar's meal, but went away with full stomachs.
"It's the best stuff I ever ate," said Mr. Chu, as they entered their own
tumble-down house.
"Yes, and I know where it came from," exclaimed his wife. "I saw
Widow Wang take a little gold ornament out of the pot and hide it in a
cupboard. It must be some sort of charm, for I heard her mumbling to
herself about pork and dumplings just as she was stirring up the fire."
"A charm, eh? Why is it that other people have all the luck? It looks as
if we were doomed forever to be poor."
"Why not borrow Mrs. Wang's charm for a few days until we can pick
up a little flesh to keep our bones from clattering? Turn about's fair
play. Of course, we'll return it sooner or later."
"Doubtless they keep very close watch over it. When would you find
them away from home, now that they don't have to work any more? As
their house only contains one room, and that no bigger than ours, it
would be difficult to borrow this golden trinket. It is harder, for more
reasons than one, to steal from a beggar than from a king."
"Luck is surely with us," cried Mrs. Chu, clapping her hands. "They are
going this very day to the Temple fair. I overheard Mrs. Wang tell her
son that he must not forget he was to take her about the middle of the
afternoon. I will slip back then and borrow the little charm from the

box in which she hid it."
"Aren't you afraid of Blackfoot?"
"Pooh! he's so fat he can do nothing but roll. If the widow comes back
suddenly, I'll tell her I came to look for my big hair-pin, that I lost it
while I was at dinner."
"All right, go ahead, only of course we must remember we're
borrowing the thing,