Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-04-24
THE CROCODILE PAGoDA.

When the father OF Chung and ChOy
returned from the big city where
lived their uncle, he brought each of
his little girls present OLA pretty
painted porcelain cup and saucer
Chung's was of the blue of the sky
after rain, and on the blue was paint
ed a silver crane and bird with a
golden breast. Choy's cup was of a
milky pink transparency, upon which
light bouquets of flowers appeared to
have been thrown; it was SO beauti-
full sight, form and color that there
seemed nothing in it to be improved
upon. Yet was Chop discontended
and envied her sister, Chung, the cup
Of the blue of the sky after rain. Not
that she vented her feelings in any
unseemly noise or word. That was
not Choy's way. But for one Iona
night and one long day after the
pretty cups had been brought home,
did Choy remain mute and still, re.
fusing to eat her meals or to move
from the couch upon which she had
thrown herself at sight Of her sis
ter's cup. Choy was sulking.
On the evening of the long day.
little Chung, seated on her stool by
her mothers side. asked her parent
to tell her the story of the picture on
the vase which her father had brought
from the city for her mother. I!
was charming little piece of china
Of a deep vioiet-velvet color. futed
on top with gold like the pipes Of
an organ. and in the centre was a
pagoda enamelled thereon In gold and
silver. Chung knew that there must
be story about that pagoda. for she
had overhead her father tell her
mother that 1t was the famous croco-
die pagoda.
There are no crocodiles In the pic.
ture. Why Is 1t called a crocodile
pagoda?" asked Chung.
Listen, my Jes'mine flower" re-
piled the mother. She raised her
voice, for she wished Choy, her Or.
-hid flower. to also hear the story.
"Once upon a time there was a
big fmily of crocodiles that lived in
a Ripping River by beach whose
sands were of gold. The young croco-
diles had a merry life of 1t, and their
father and mother were very good
and kind to them. But one day the
young crocodiles wanted to climb a
hill back of the beach of golden sand
and the parents, knowing that their
children would perish If allowed to
have their way, told them Nay, nay
The young crocodiles thereupon
scooped a large hole in the sand and
laid down therein. For half a moon
they lived there, without food or
drink, and, when their parents cried
to them to come out and sport as
before in the Ripping River, they
paid no attention whatever, 50 sadly
sulky their mood.
Zone day there came along a num-
Der of powerful beings, who, when
they saw the golden sands of the
Ripping River, exclaimed, How glori.
ously Illuminating is this beach! Let
us build a pagoda thereon They
saw the hole which the young croco-
diles had made, but they could not
see the hole-makers at the bottom
thereof. So they set to work ana
filled the hole, and on top thereof
they built great pagoda. That is
the pagoda Of the picture on the
vase"
"And did the children crocodiles
never get out?" asked Chung in a
sad little voice.
mo, daughter" replied the moth
er. after the pagoda was on top
of them they began to feel very
hungry and frightened. 1t wss so
dark. They cried to their father and
mother to bring them food and find
them way to the light; but the
parent crocodiles, upon seeing the
pagoda arise, swan far away. They
knew that they never more should
see their children. And from that
day till now the young crocodiles
have remained in darkness under the
shut on forever from the light
Of the sun and the Ripping River"
Please, honorable mother" spake
q weak little voice. may / have some
tea in my pretty pink porcelain cup:-
1T CT E<n- L. NhnI-ocs-