always like the look of wolves—imagined himself one at heart—and saw no
harm in it.
Ting-An and the ox continued to work. They covered the seeds and
watered them, even on the hottest of days. Soon, the animals began to
sprout.
The oxen grew fast and strong. The pigs and geese grew fat, the deer
and horses graceful, and the chickens loud. The wolves and porcupines
didn't seem to grow at all.
Every few hours, the ox walked up and down the rows of his soon-to-be
subjects and delivered speeches about hard work and loyalty. He was a
charismatic creature, and his words were heartfelt. The animals grew faster
and stronger and promised him their fealty.
And then, just as most of the animals began falling from their stalks, the
wolves burst from the ground, fully formed, and began to kill the others.
Ting-An watched from the safety of the house, stricken with fear. The ox,
however, would not stand by and watch his people slaughtered. He rushed
into the fray, goring wolves with his horns and crushing their skulls with his
mighty hooves, and when he died, hours later, it was in the brave defense of
his people.
At dawn, the surviving wolves loped off into the woods, smiling and fat,
and Ting-An was left with a row of half-dead porcupines to show for his
work.
Cọp
Năm lên năm tuổi, Suyee mong ước có một em gái, và vào năm Dần,
ước mơ của cô bé thành sự thật. Ðứa em gái ra đời mạnh khoẻ chỉ trừ một
điều: mắt nó không mở được. Sau một tuần cũng không mở. Sau một tháng
cũng không. Sau một năm, hai năm, rồi ngay cả năm năm, cũng không.
Suyee cùng mẹ và em du hành đến tận những miền biển cả xa xôi để
thỉnh cầu chữa chạy cho đôi mắt của bé gái. Mỗi người lại chỉ bảo một
phương thức khác nhau.
