Ling Chang's
Golden Life
by Kevin Wallentine
Ling Chang was a wealthy man. Ling
always had the finest rice to eat the best clothes to wear, and
attended the top schools. As a child he was given a beautiful
tangram set that would entertain him for hours.
Ling Chang had always bought his
way into life, and he bought all his friends.
One day, when Ling saw a beautiful woman, he fell in love with
her. He told her that if she married him, she would be rich, and
have anything she wanted. She refused, and at first Ling was sad,
but then he remembered that "time is money," and went
back to work.
All through his life Ling depended
on gold, and never had any real friends. Ling was always recording
the amount of money he had with his horsetail calligraphy brush.
One day, Ling Chang had a conversation with his one real friend.
His friend told him that he should give some of his money to the
poor, because after life, money isn't worth anything.
A few days later Ling fell ill, and realized he was close to death.
As he lay there, he began to contemplate the wise words of his
true friend. While he was thinking, he realized all the things
he wanted to do, and how his money couldn't by him any more time
on earth, to do the things he wanted to do.
Poor Ling Chang had
realized too late that "an inch of gold won't buy an inch
of time."