The San Francisco call., 1901-12-29

TT was the h-st night Of the China
New Year. Chung Coy ran as fast as
his sandals would permit up the mar
row flight Of stairs which led to the
Chinese restaurant. and out on tht
balcony, where the crowd Of CeIestiaIl
were watching for the great procession OF
The dragon. His little legs, encaset
IN pale green trousers, were tied al
the ankles, and his lavender shorr
lblouse) CLEANED In the light OF the many
dragon lanterns swaying In the nighi
breeze. His hair was IN & long queue and
his head he wore a little round black
t.nese cap with button on top. Chung
coy was so afraid he would miss seeing
the dragon. He had never seen it yet.
for be was not very old, and now that the
long expected moment had come he fairly
trembled with excitement
His Ho Chun Cfather) was on the bal
cony and he hurried to nestle up to him,
as Il was cold and the wind was always
blowing in San Francisco It seemed as
II The procession would never come. He
srew tired watching so many people pass,
and perhaps the fumes Of the opium Ho
Chun was smoking got into his brain, but
al any rate the first thing he knew he saw
a great, squiru1y thing approaching him.
It was splitting fire from its eyes
and mouth and at first he felt afraid. Oh,
what a dreadful monster! 1t would surely
5evour him. He heard himself saying:
"'TeIly bad snake-I no likee. Go way.
I haid."
And hen he heard a voice like the NUT
tering Of thunder, and the voice came
out Of the dragons mouth, and it was
saying in the Chinese language: "Samen
Ma Qittle boy), I have come to take you
10 Dragon Land. Slip away from Ho
Chun and fly with me-"
''Oh. no." gasped the trembling boy.
.I velIy much 'haid the big dlagon eat
me up" And then the dragon spoke
again, but this time the voice was as soft
and sweet as music, and the fire no longer
came from his eyes and mouth.
He had such a kind look on his face,
too, and spoke in such a persuasive tone
that the samen jai ceased TO be afraid,
and slipping down from his father he ran
down the narrow steps again and out into
the street and climbed upon the big
Dragons back, and then he saw lots Of
other Chinese boys doing the same thing.
-4E 4-E4A DA4 A-E-A-- - ~--N "a q 60-@ ~@-N
in such z squirming way that he was
afraid he would fall of. And he held on
TO his little silk cap as the dragons speed
increased, for It was his best one, and
he did not wish to lose 1t.
Oh, this was joIlyi He had certainly
never thought that he would ever ride on
the dragons back. And what a lot he
would have to tell No Chun Cmotherl
when he reached home. It was a good
thing No Chun did not know II now, he
said to himself or she would be ''velly
Enuch 'hai6." After squirming through
all sorts Of queer countries the big dragon
stopped so suddenly that they all fell off
his back and down his slippery sides.
chung Coy rubbed his eyes and looked
around him, and oh, how funny! There
we're Just thousands Of dragons Of all
sizes. and this beautiful place was their
home They all had such kind faces and
spoke IN such a gentle way that no one
could feel afraid. There were great groves
Of orange trees, all full OF the mandarin,
the tiny fat Chinese orange Chung Coy
Just loved those ''oIlanges," but he had
never before picked them from a tree.
Ho Chun had always bought them from
the street stands in Chinatown. Then
there were trees OF II chez (nuts) and
long tables just filed with Chinese candy,
delicious preserved ginger, watermelon
and all those good things so dear to the
heart Of a Chinese child.
It was night, but the trees were so full
of the great dragon lanterns that it made
it almost as light as day, and there were
10 dark corners anywhere. There was a
L. - h.
and they were playing the loveliest Chi
nese music, and the shrilI piping Of the
fageolets and the beating Of the tom
a 3ls were indeed beautiful to the ears
- Chung Coy and his friends. And It
looked too funny for anything to see dra-
CONS holding the different instruments
with their claws The Chinese children
an marched in a row TO the music, hold
ing each other by the queue. Chung Coy
had never had so much fun in his little
life as he was having now But just as be
was beginning to feel hungry there ap-
pesred before his gaze a very long table,
just filed with everything that a child
could possibly want, and all served by
the cunningest little dragons.
There were such dainty little china
CUBS without handles, and in them the
most delicious chah Ctea). Everybody
eiggIed all the time in that funny little
Chinese way, and no one told them to
stop. While they were sitting at the
table the dragons brought them each a
big basket Of fireworks. Now, a Chinese
child is even more fond Of fireworks than
an American child, and so they kicked
up their little sandals with delight. and
aher each one had been given a lighted
Chinese punk, they began to pop the
crackers, and oh, what fun it was! There
was such a delightful noise, with so many
popping, and the odor Of the punks was
most pleasant 1t seemed like the more