“Well, perhaps it does a little,” said Peek-a-Boo with a giggle; “but in my country it is considered very nice for girls to have tiny feet.”
“My cousin Dorothy is a little girl like you,” remarked Ray, “and her feet are almost as large as mine.”
Both girls gave a little shriek at this piece of news and Peek-a-Boo said, “O-o-o! that must be dreadful!”
“O, no, it isn’t,” answered Ray quickly; “I think it is fine to have feet that you can run and jump with.”
Yan Lu laughed aloud and Peek-a-Boo giggled behind her fan.
“Would you like to play?” asked Peek-a-Boo suddenly.
Before Ray could answer Yan Lu whispered something to the Princess and she said, “Truly I forgot it is the great kite-flying day and my grandfather flies a ship.” She turned to Ray and said, “Come quickly.” He followed the two little girls down the garden path and all at once he saw the queerest sight. A number of people, old and young, were flying kites.
They were very much interested in it and Ray had never seen such queer-looking kites before. They were all sorts and sizes, and all at once Peek-a-Boo clapped her hands and cried, “There is my grandfather with his great ship.” Ray looked and saw an old man with a kite shaped like a great ship, and he was running hither and thither with it like a boy.
It was fun for Ray to watch him and he grew so excited that he ran to the old man and asked if he might help.
After much effort the great kite rose in the air and everybody seemed pleased. Ray watched a small boy whose kite was so far up in the air that it looked like a tiny white speck. All at once the boy began to draw down the kite, and when he caught it Ray saw that it was in the shape of a great fish.