The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-17
THE PEACH-TREE WELL
ADAPTED FROM THE CHINESE
BY LOUISE LAMPREY.

grave, for she remembered the gray
mouse in the wall
"Father.", she cried 1.-The feng-shui
will hear you," And she drew him
away from the well and told him not
to brighten the gray mouse. or the
we'll might overflow and drown the
garden.
Nonsense" said he, but he did not
have any time to explain just then, be-
cause a servant came to tell him he
was wanted at the yamen.
Peach Blossom went back to the
wall and wandered II the gray mouse
could have taken her ball because he
was angry at the little rhyme. and just
as she had made up her mind that he
had, and was wondering II he would
keep it. the ball came rolling gently
to her feet
oh OH" was all she could say at
first. and then she scampered over to
the wall and looked. She found the
hole, and she found something
more--a wee mouse, carefully mod
eied in paste.
Now, we know that Kwoh-fan UNI
derstood all about such work, hut lit
tie Peach Blossom did not know that
any kwoh-fan existed, so she made up
her mind that the feng-shui was
pleased with her for her care Of his
feelings, and had sent back her ball
and little image of himself TO
prove IL.
The next time the sweetmeat seller
came around she put little basket
Of meion-seeds (which the Chinese
eat as we do nutsl and her very
choicest sweetmeats in the hole in the
wall. and the next day the basket came
back with a whole farm population
Of animals buffalo, pig, cat,
and some fowls, all modelled in paste
You can imagine how delighted little
Peach Blossom was. She was more
than ever fond of her corner. and she
played all day there with her dear toy
animals.
Kwoh-fan was so quiet and indus
trious that people often forgot he was
about. and supposed the house to be
empty. One day he heard two men
talking In low tones just under his
window. They said that the mandarin
would start that night on a journey
and that he had great deal OF money
with him. Thatswas all. but Ksehsfa
knew that ii meant evil for the father
thought very hard about what ne
could do In the matter, and finally he
decided.
When little Peach Blossom came
into the garden she ran TO the mole IN
the wall, as she always did. and there
she found curious pipe like mute,
with voice coming through It, The
voice said THE mandarin must not
go tonight. for the cat Ia waiting for
the gray mouse outside the hole"
Kwoh-fan thought that this might
maks Tho mandarin curious and ne
would inquire about the matter. But
he was very busy when little Peach
Blossom went to him, and did not nall
understand what shs said. At last
he told her quite sharply to 30 ana
play in the garden.
The little girl was very sad ana
very frightened. 1t was almost time
for her father to 80 away, and she
could not make him stay 81 home.
Suddenly a thought came to her She
ran to the Peach Tree Well and threw
herself into the water. -.
Luckily II was almost time for the
mandarin to go. and just then hs
sent the nurse for Peach Blossom, or
else the story would end here. But
the child's thick, many-folded silken
clothes kept her afioat for . few min
utes and then her cries were heard
BY the nurse, and the mandarin
found himself , fsW Nninutee later a.
inG ppoA m selaalese 8eE1n q his