Chinatowns -- Pacific States -- Fiction; Chinese Americans -- Fiction; Short stories
“And you have grown little, Pan,” retorted Pat. It was a year since they
had seen one another and Pan was much smaller than any of his girl
schoolfellows.
“Do you like to go to the big school?” asked Pan, noticing the books.
“I don’t like it very much. But, say, Pan, I learn lots of things that
you don’t know anything about.”
Pan eyed him wistfully. finally she said: “O Pat! A-Toy, she die.”
“A-Toy! Who is A-Toy?”
“The meow, Pat; the big gray meow! Pat, you have forgot to remember.”
Pat looked across A-Toy’s head and far away.
“Chinatown is very nice now,” assured Pan. “Hum Lock has two trays of
brass beetles in his store and Ah Ma has many flowers!”
“I would like to see the brass beetles,” said Pat.
“And father’s new glass case?”
“Yes.”
“And Ah Ma’s flowers?”
“Yes.”
“Then come, Pat.”
“I can’t, Pan!”
“Oh!”
Again Pat was walking home from school, this time in company with some
boys. Suddenly a glad little voice sounded in his ear. It was Pan’s.
“Ah, Pat!” cried she joyfully. “I find you! I find you!”
“Hear the China kid!” laughed one of the boys.
Then Pat turned upon Pan. “Get away from me,” he shouted. “Get away from
me!”
And Pan did get away from him—just as fast as her little legs could
carry her. But when she reached the foot of the hill, she looked up and
shook her little head sorrowfully. “Poor Pat!” said she. “He Chinese no
more; he Chinese no more!”
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 a present of a pretty,
painted porcelain cup and saucer. Chung’s was of the blue of the sky
after rain, and on the blue was painted a silver crane and a 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
beautiful in sight, form, and color that there seemed nothing in it to
be improved upon. Yet was Choy discontented 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 long night and one long day after the pretty cups had been
brought home, did Choy remain mute and still, refusing to eat her meals,
or to move from the couch upon which she had thrown herself at sight of
her sister’s cup. Choy was sulking.
On the evening of the long day, little Chung, seated on her stool by her
mother’s 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. It
was a charming little piece of china of a deep violet velvet color,
fluted 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 a story about that pagoda, for she had overheard her father tell
her mother that it was the famous Crocodile Pagoda.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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