The Wanderers
By: Mitch Steinberg

In China, a very long time ago, a family was wandering through the kingdom. They had been looking for a nice place to settle, but they couldn't find any. Every day they wandered. They wandered through deserts and swamps. They stopped for a rest every once in a while and then continued.

The older brother of the family, Mai Li Woo, hated traveling and wanted to leave his family. They wouldn't let him. The younger brother of the family, Ling Li Woo, thought of the traveling as an adventure. He never knew whom he might meet or what he might see. Ling Li Woo loved it. He enjoyed traveling so much that he even always was the first to volunteer to put up the tents at night.

Every morning after they got dressed, the family ate breakfast. This day it was Mai Li Woo's turn to go collect berries. Ling Li Woo wanted to go with him so he could explore. When they got deep in the woods Mai Li Woo said to his brother, "Little brother, I didn't get enough sleep last night. Will you pick berries for me? I'm sure that you can find more than me."

So Ling Li Woo set off to find some berries. When he came back he had very few. That day the Woos had a small breakfast. It was good, but small.

After breakfast, the Woos packed up their tents and left. Every few steps, Mai Li Woo would grunt or say something about how he hated traveling. He didn't like his family very much. Ling Li Woo loved his family very much - even his grumpy brother.

At midday, the Woos always stopped for a rest. Ling Li Woo made himself some rice and vegetables that he had prepared the day before. The rice was very good. The vegetables were very good too. But Mai Li Woo was very lazy and didn't feel like cooking anything. Instead he asked his parents to prepare him some food. They were reluctant, but they eventually agreed and made him some rice. To Mai Li Woo it tasted horrible and he only ate a little bit.

A few hours later they stopped again . They decided that they found a good spot and set up. Everybody put up their own tent except for Mai Li Woo. He decided to ask his younger brother to help him. He pleaded, "Please little brother, will you help me put up my tent? I can't do it. I didn't get enough sleep last night."

Ling Li Woo helped his brother put up the tent, but he did something a little different this time. By accident, Ling Li Woo forgot to close the top all the way. There was a hole in the tent. It was small and on the top so you couldn't see it. It was also only visible from the inside.

At dinnertime Mai Li Woo had some rice and vegetables except he made them this time. They were some of the best rice and vegetables he had ever tasted. Soon after dinner the Woos went to sleep. It started to rain. The tents got wet but all of the people stayed dry. Or so they thought...

Mai Li Woo was very wet and didn't feel very good. He couldn't travel because he was sick. His family also couldn't travel because they weren't willing to leave him behind. In a few days Mai Li Woo was still a little bit sick but he could walk, so the family continued. That night Mai Li Woo set up his own tent. Lucky for him, it didn't rain this time.

After a few more weeks of wandering, the perfect spot for a house was found. The house was built and the family settled in. After what had happened during the past couple of months, Mai Li Woo never asked someone to do something for him again. Ling Li Woo did everything he was supposed to do and did most everything he wanted.

Just remember: The wise man seeks everything in himself. The ignorant man seeks everything in somebody else.

--Chinese Proverb--

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