The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-18
Sing Fu's Dragon.


Sing Flu was little Chinese lad, aud
he lived in China, way round on the
other side of the earth. He was not
what we would call pretty child. His
black eyes were small and round, and set
obliuuely in his head, his nose was quite
fiat, his complexion was as yellow as
nankeen cloth, and his long, coarse black
hair was oiled and perfumed with musk,
and braided into queue or tail which
hung dangling to his heels; but his fa-
Their and mother thought him very I'M
common boy, so you see they were just
like people on this side of the world.
The house in which he lived was long
and low and had many verandas, and
about it was a large garden in which
we're dwarfed trees, and golden lilies,
and all kinds of roses, white, red, pink
and yellow, for even in China the flow
ers are beautiful.
As Sing Flu was the only child of
wealthy parents, he had almost every
plaything invented since the days Of
Yaou and Shun. He had balls of every
size and pattern, spinning tops that
would run on delicate thread to the
ceiling, butterflies colored like tulips
that could futter about as live insects
do puzzles of ivory, wood and silver,
TOYS that could be changed into many
different things, and at least a thousand
picture books He had also small pen
knife which was made in Sheffield, Eng
land, and large wax doll that came
from Paris; but above all his playthings
he priced his large kite, or dragon,
as it is called in China. The kite
was pretty. Its top was curved like
a bow, and it ended in a sharp peak
like lady's bodice. Its tail was scar
let, and blue, and gold, its body was
green, and its face was a bright yellow
color, not the shade Of lemons or butter
cups, but a deep orange tint like car
riots, which is the royal color in China,
and upon it were painted with India
ink features that very much resembled
those of Sing Flu himself.
One evening when Sing Flu and all the
family were at a tea garden, where a
party was given in honor of the en-
peror's parrot, the playthings began a
talk, which was the cause of-but | will
not anticipate.
a." said the silver puzzle, " was made
by very old man who used in his youth
to make images of Budha. | am made
of the finest silver and it took six months
to finish me-.
They would have made you in fif-
teen minutes in Sheffield, where | was
wrought" said the pen-knife, "and much
more beautiful things than you are made
in London"
"Where are London and Sheffield"
asked the ivory puzzle.
"They are in England" said the pen
knife, standing Oh the point of its big
blade; "and England is the greatest
country in the world"
81 have flown about a good DEAL"
said one of the largest butterflies, ''and
even when have been up the highest l
have never seen England"
Il would like to speak a moment"
said the wax doll from Paris, and as she
was very good looking everybody was
silent. GAS the pen-knife has said,
England is a great county, but he is
mistaken when he calls it the greatest.
France is the greatest, for it is the most
intellectual"
" intellectually said spinning top
that had been running up and down a
thread to amuse itself. "What is that,
most charming creature with the rose
pink cheeks?'
cit is to have the power of learning
and knowing things" said the doll from
Paris.
"Then China must be the most intel
lectual, for no one can equal Chinese
at knowing and learning things" said
the top, running up the thread again.
wish there was some one among us
wise enough to be an authority on these
questions" said one of the ivory toys.
"The dragon is wise enough said one
Of the picture books; "he has sailed in
the sky and seen all the world, and what
ne does not know do, for / contain a
picture of the porcelain tower at
Peking."
"Sure enoughp' cried all the play
things, except the pen-knife from Shelf
field, and the wax doll from Paris.
"sure enough! Let the dragon speak. y
a." said the dragon, "have been
above the clouds, where the sky is black
and cold. I have seen the world spread
out like pancake beneath me, and
everywhere I have seen only China.
There are no such countries as England
and France; the world is China, and
China is the world"
"But," said one of the old balls,
there is certainly land where the
heather live that throng our ports and
sell US opium. I have heard Fi-loot-si
Sing Fu's venerable father, speak OF
them. Tell us, most excellent dragon:
where their land is?''
Probably it is on the extreme confines
of China" said the dragon, "where the
world melts into the darkness. The next
time I fly will gaze at the horizon, and
undoubtedly if any land besides China
exists, I shall see il"
"You'd better fly high, my paper bird
and keep both your eyes open. Wiser
folks than you have failed to discover
any land besides their own" said the
pen-knife sharply, which, considering
the keenness of his blades, is not surpris,
ing.
The next day the sun shone brightly
and the wind did not blow hard, so as
soon as Sing Flu had recited hundred
lines of Confucius, he went upon the
roof with Shang TIE, his tutor, to fly his
yellow dragon.
"Ah the time has come" thought the
dragon. "Now l shall find out whether
China is the world, and the world i:
China, or if France and England are
half of it. IF / can break this enviou:
string 1 will fly to the sun and find out
about everything"
Shang TIE held the dragon high in hi
hands and Sing Flu ran a little way sf
with tie string which which chained i