I
Kong-Hwa’s father and mother were farmers. They had a pleasant home and would have been very happy together, but after Kong-Hwa was four years old, he was a bad, disobedient boy. [[168]]
He would not listen to his mother’s teachings. She was a good woman and tried by different ways to make him do right. In school he was considered a very bright boy and learned fast, but he would not obey his teacher.
Kong-Hwa was only seven years old when he came home one day with his books. He had run away from school.
As he came into the room where his mother was working, he cried out, “Mü-Ts’ing, why do you do that?”
She was cutting into little bits a fine large piece of cloth that she had woven to make the family clothes of. “Why do you spoil the cloth, mother?”
“Yes, my son, it is true I spoil the cloth. It is now good for nothing. It will not make clothes for your father, clothes for yourself, nor clothes for me. It is wasted, and will not be of use even for dust cloths. It is not good for anything. Do you know why I did that, my boy?”
“No, Mü-Ts’ing, why did you do it?”
“For this reason, my son: I am anxious that you shall be good and study your lessons in school every day, and I hope and hope that after a while you will be a good and wise man and do something for your father, your mother, and your nation. And I also hoped to make your clothes out of this cloth. [[169]]
“But your teacher says you run away, go to the seesaw, play in the water, climb trees, throw stones at the little birds all day and will not study.
“You are using your time as I have used the nice new cloth—cutting it up in useless little pieces. I once thought you were a wise child, but you are not. You are very foolish.”
Kong-Hwa cried and felt sad, while his mother talked, and then he said, “I will go back to school to-morrow. Now can you mend the cloth or make another piece, Mü-Ts’ing?”
“I will wait and see if you really mean to be a good boy,” said his mother.
The next morning he arose early, took his books, and went directly to school; but in a few days he was as bad as before.
The school children and the neighbors complained about the boy who did so much mischief. His mother had only the one little son, and as they came to her with complaints, she felt that she could almost die with grief.
She lay awake all night thinking, “What can I do to teach my boy the good? Who can give a boy lessons if not his own mother? Oh, I must think of some way.”
Next morning Kong-Hwa was up at the usual time [[170]]and went into the kitchen for food. But the kitchen was dark; there was no fire, no food.
He said to himself, “It is queer; so late and no breakfast.” He went to his mother’s room and called, “Mü-Ts’ing;” but there was no answer. He then went close to her bed and touched her, but she did not move.
He then ran to his aunt and told her to go and see—that his mother was surely dead.
She answered, “It may be that the gods have taken her away because you have been such a bad boy. Now will you be a better boy?” And he promised. Then she ran to her sister’s home to see if she was dead.
Kong-Hwa stayed outside trembling with fear, while his aunt went in. She soon saw that her sister was not dead and told of the promise of Kong-Hwa.
“Did my boy think I was dead?” asked his mother. “Well, keep him at your house for two or three days and send him to school. Let him think, and think, and he may be a better boy.”
Kong-Hwa’s aunt told him that if he learned his lessons and obeyed his teacher, it might be the gods would allow his mother to stay with him after all.
While his aunt prepared breakfast for him, he asked many questions. “What did you do with my mother? Will there be a funeral?” [[171]]
“Never mind,” said the aunt, “go to school and do not be so bad any more, and we shall see what happens. It may be your mother will live again.”