THE LUCK OF MAH WONG

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 45, 22 February 1930, Page 18

THE LUCK OF MAH WONG

Mali Wong's husband was drowned in a storm; her two young sons were stolen away with their junk by river pirates. ■ - To keep the rice bowl full and the chopsticks going in her humble little -: two-mat dwelling, Mah Wong had to -•• go out. fishing and she did not make .very good catches. ■'.-.■ One day Bhe was rowing between the liver and the sea, when her net felt strangely heavy. She drew it up. 1 There was nothing in it but a big :. tuft of seaweed and a little lizard-like ;■■■ creature scrambling about it. It was so - :.;.pretty Mah. Wong thought she would ■■'•,-:; take 'it home; but in the struggle to - ■:;"■*- catch it she held the tip of its tail too ■-~-;, tight and the last joint dropped off. ■ When she got home, the small newt proved to be oven more beautiful than when she had first drawn, him from the '. /water. : It had peacock frills and rosy ' fringes, and its glittering eyes were jade-green. Mah-Wong thought she would put him in the big porcelain bowl where she kept her two archer fish. The archer •fish -showed great respect, and even .";!-• seemed to do kow-tow. - • Beforo M» •. Wong retired for the night the lizard laid his glancing head along the edge of the bowl and looked at her appealingly. Mah Wong offered him her own supper, which he accepted '-..-.hungrily before 'sinking to the bottom of the bowl. <? , ■;•' In $he f^eadih/iishj:pf the night Mah „ Wong'9^dreams were.troubled. She someone with soft,? heavy feet was walking about her frail little house, dragging great weights; behind him. She sat up in bed, and at the ■?;,- moment a monstrous .black claw hocked '£":.. open, the sliding door .between the two .\r£-. apart.men.ts.,' : ; : '?V A: l'flamerred mouth,vthat showed a v'i.fofkiedj'l flickering: tongue, hovered over ,', ithe old'fisherwomanjiwho started to her c,rfeetin, horror. ■■...■,"'■■',■.■, . ~', ''\v.''-''"-IJo :iot'distress.yourself, venerabl* ■■mother!"'? ,'; the ': '.'creature' ' replied. <<Thouglt-indeed I.;ani;a^cLragon my maturo'4^ benign., ..^Jj^m "grateful, too, for th6¥hbii6irabli9"#pst and lodging •which you'offered* rue. Lie down and sleep in -safety.'/ : even the Emperor date to disturb a-dwelling protected by, a being i such as I am." . Tho dragon's, -'tones were' like Gripping'honey,'hia breath like fragrant incense. Extraordinary to relate, Mah Wong fell asleep again quite easily. When she awoke her house ■was empty of the giant fold 3, and the lizard was asleep, like a sunken, jewel, v at the bottom of the bowl. She could have- believed it a dream had not the ittle: creature once more put up its head and said in a whisper, "Mah Wong, put me in your sleeve again arid take/ me down to the sea. . I will help you with your fishing." The order was obeyed. ■ When they were out in the wide tidal river the lizard slipped out of her sleeve and over the gunwale of the boat. Straightaway the water was filled/ with fins, feelers, coils, and paddling legs as far'as eye could reach. The dragon was a most .excellent fisher. It was a goodttlring he had a great appetite himself, for he caught more fish than Man Wong could ever eat or sell. Time went on. The old woman pros-pered;-the partnership^between her and the dragon continued and-changed into friendship.' She told him the troubles <of alllief life. : ■'V ••. .:■'■':■ One'day, when the two were fishing 'fax up'therivera junk came by. The tlragon threw two of his coils across it and drew it alongside Mah '^Wong's boat;-'' :-*• ■•-^ ;'■■"'-■ : "But the junk is mine!" she'eried. It was manned by the pirates who liud stolen her sons long ago. There at<?od her sons thomsclves! .(.The dragon brushed the pirates over- - board; and left them to swim to land jib best they might. Gently bo placed Mah Wong oil board. ' "Farewelll" he said.' "My work for you is ended, and in tho Isle of Diagoas they call for mo to be king." And he disappeared beneath tho flood. THE COOK Butterscotch. —Brown sugai, 4 brealc- ' fastcupsful; butter, 4oz; lemon juice, 1 .". teaspoon; water, * cupful. Put all in- ; gredients into a saucepan, stir over the fire till the sugar is dissolved; let it ■■■. boil quickly,, stirring occasionally, till it begins to froth up and is rather ' ', thick., Drop a little in cold water, and %' if it is sufficiently cooked it should be - quite crisp. When done pour in a buttered tin. Cut up in squares before quite cold. : ,• - "ANNIE LAUBIE." "i ~ ... Wadestown. - "ONE YEAE OLD . . ." "My baby sister will bo one year old . on. Wednesday. She can stand by herself, but not, walk." ' '..•;.■ "DADDY'S EOSE.EUD." Kilbirnie. ■ -;■ . • .KOMANCE ... Two of the largest doors in tho world -are to be erected in the world's largest - hangar at ', Akron,; Ohio, in North America. Each of the doors (there will be a pair at Jeach- end) will be three times the weight of an ordinary locomotive, and will run on 40 wheels when opening and closing. Yet a small child will be able, by. pressing a button, to cause them to move back or forward, for each ■floor will be operated by an alternating current motor. . ~■ "Not 'so romantic," you will por- ' Tiaps say, "as the little door Alice longed to go through, in Wonderland." , Ah, but think ■ what will come out . between these doors—a gigantic airship nearly a quarter of a inilo long! Is there not romance about such a brave monster as that, challenging the clouds, brooding above the cities?