"Not unless you run very slowly," the tiger said. "I'm old, and I'll soon
join my sire in the Forest of Endless Night."
"Sounds nice," Suyee said, trying to be polite. In truth, she thought the
forest was scary and night was altogether too dark. And then, because she
was tired, she told the tiger about her blind sister.
He listened patiently, and when she was done, he said, "Child, come
here and pull on my fang." It sounded like a trap to Suyee, but as she was a
child, traps didn't scare her much. She walked to the tiger, wrapped one
hand around its last tooth, and pulled. The fang popped out easily, trailing
only a little blood.
"Put my tooth under your sister's pillow tonight," the tiger said. And
with that, it closed its eyes and died.
Suyee decided not to tell her mother about the tiger's gift. Her mother
was poor and tired, and had very nearly lost hope. That night, Suyee tucked
her sister into bed and slipped the bloody fang under her small head.
The next morning, Suyee awoke to the sound of her mother's laughter, a
sound she hadn't heard in almost a year. Suyee ran outside. Her mother and
sister were holding hands and spinning as they laughed.
"It's a miracle," her mother said.
Suyee looked at her sister, and her sister's great golden tiger eyes
looked back. Her sister smiled, and two sharp fangs glinted in her mouth.
"Come, Suyee," her sister said, "and run with me through the forest."
Thỏ
Vào năm Mão, Peisun quyết định hoạ nỗi lòng của mình lên xấp bánh
tráng mỏng màu nước trà.
Nàng nhổ năm chiếc râu thỏ dài và thắt chúng lại bằng một sợi chỉ.
Nàng lấy trộm một thỏi mực quí của Lão Kim và mài nó lên một viên sỏi
tròn trịa thấm đẫm nước mắt của chính nàng. Rồi nàng chấm ngọn bút lông
vào vũng mực đen nhánh.
Bức họa đầu tiên trông quá nhoè nhoẹt. Nàng quên vén giữ ống tay áo
phải, và nó đã xoá nhoà bức tranh. Một con nai đen nhỏ bé tìm cách nhảy ra
