Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-07-09
WUN LUNG
THE HEADLINER
=----------------
BywILLIARf II. OSBORNE


90 by Time flies ike the old in
isible she dragon who visits the tenn
pie every hundred years. 1t is not so
long ago that little Wun Lung and his
Fow Kee, sat at the feet Of
the smaller Sun JOY in the Street Of the
six Hundred Full Blown Roses. Wun
Lung and Fow Kee were men-or
thought they were. Sun JOY was
woman. Their combined length did not
exceed nine feet. Sun Joy was demure
and coy and winsome. Wun Lung was
lively and good natured. Fow kee was
burly and jealous and i'll natured. lie
and Wun Lung kow-towed, as II were,
at the shrine Of sun Joy-and at that
shrine, so it would seem, Wun Lung
had the inside track. And for that Fow
Kee would pull Wun Lungs short, soft
pig tail-and Wun Lung would simply
laugh.
But Wun Lung had something be-
side his good nature torecommend HIM
and that something made him much
admired by little sun Joy and much
envied by Fow Kee. For Wun Lung,
although he never realized it for many
years, was a natural born acrobat.
Many believe that feet were made 10
walk upon. With Wun Lung it was an
even toss up as TO hands, head or feet.
He could wriggle ike a snake IN the
grass. He could tie himself into
knot like a skein Of silk. And he DIDN'T
keep an this to himself. For the first
great event in the lives Of Fow hee
and sun Joy happened on the Gay
when. under the admirable tuition Of
Wun Lung. they each were able to walk
from end TO end Of the bamboo pole IN
the market place-the pole where the
rickshaws are all lined up. And when
they had learned they did the trick
not once but 20 times a day
Wun Lung and Fow kee, still bowing
low at the shrine Of sun JOY, grew uI
into Young men-Sun JOY grew into 2
young woman.
And one day something happened
Fow Kee was in trouble. over what nc
one knew. He had looked upon th'
/ glowing opium too often-he had liyee
too hard. lie had disregarded tina
commandment which to US Is TN
eighth. being also the three Thousand
and first Injunction Of Confueius. II
other words, he disregarded the Law
Of private property, and one night h
silently stole away. And that lei
Wun Lung only to kowtow before sui
Joy. But one day he too went-wen
in the daytime, with the good Will Q
his neirhbors in the Street Of the -.
Hundred Roses. He went to make HI
fortune in the new land favored OF al
lands. But he went, as he said, but L
return.
In a little side street in San Fran
cisco Wun Lung set up the inevitapl
laundry. And as he washed and irone
he thought Of little sun JOY and NJ
spirits rose and he sang in his milk
ouavering oriental voice, the songs q
his home land. And many came {
look upon him. for he had one inter
I esting popularity which others Of III
race aid not have. For If Nun Lun
Z was on one side Of his ironing boar
Z and desired TO reach the other side, ,
I merely vaulted high in the air-an
there he was. He made quick lit
side steps over to the stove, ana ,
2 wbirled round and round on the ba
Z Of one foot. like top. And he laughe
q as he did it.
z One DAY a scowling, skulking Chin
z man attracted by the crowd, stuck n
Z bead inside and uttered a guttur'
2 exclamation. Wun Lung respono'
2 with a smile and a kind word. His VI
q ;tor was Fow Kee. Fow kee came
z Unexplained that he was rich and pro
2 nerous He did not explain why b
2 clothes we're slightly ragged, but
z did suggest that If Wun Lung eou
= mt M twenty-five American dollars
q could make Wun Lung a rich ma
d Wun Lung put them up and vested
- become rich. Fow kee disappeare
limo few. Wun Lung moved 20 @
/ cago. The crowd there admired M
4 also. He explained that his name WI
= lung. really meant Agile 6lohon.
\ was in Chicago that he again met re
Kee. This time Fow kee looked Pre-
1 nervous. but he still scowled. II w
n lung had not become rich on n
3 twentv-fve il was apparent that ia
4 Kee had. Fow Kee watched some
/ Wun Lungs antics about the launo'
4 with considerable interest. In the gat
\ ering dusk he whispered in Wun Lung
l car. Wun Lung grew wide eyed in 81
4 prise. The next day Wun Lung 81
Il up shop.
1 In the Imperial Theater in the n
4 +ropolis. the headliners were the k'
Il lung treupe-the Chinese mot ia
anese mind. but Chinesel grotesq
n acrobats. They had been runm
Il Cor four weeks and were still POI
/ lar The troupe consisted only
|! Wun Lung and Fow kee. Inc s'a
81 was rugged mp like a Chinese laund
= and What they did was done there
4 even 70 the mild quavering songs
The inimitable Wun Lung. Mh
4 tbev had first started, Fow h
4 4 hack a Z