His father laughed.
“Come hither,” he bade the lantern man. “Now,” said he to Ah Wing, “choose which lantern pleaseth thee best. To me all are the same.”
Ah Wing pointed to the peacock lantern, and hopped about impatiently, whilst the lantern man fumbled with the wires which kept his lanterns together.
“Oh, hasten! hasten!” cried Ah Wing.
The lantern man looked into his bright little face.
“Honorable little one,” said he, “would not one of the other lanterns please thee as well as this one? For indeed, I would, if I could, retain the peacock lantern. It is the one lantern of all which delights my own little lad and he is sick and cannot move from his bed.”
Ah Wing’s face became red.
“Why then dost thou display the lantern?” asked the father of Ah Wing.
“To draw attention to the others,” answered the man. “I am very poor and it is hard for me to provide my child with rice.”
The father of Ah Wing looked at his little son.