“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.”