THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
by Steven D.
After a long hard day of working in the
fields an exhausted farmer named Wong threw open the door to his
hut. Wong noisily stomped in to the kitchen and demanded his evening
rice from his wife. When he got his rice his wife asked him how
the tax crops were doing. Wong replied that he hadn't planted
them yet.
"What!!!" screamed his wife,
"You mean that the tax crops weren't planted yet !!!!!"
"Well I have a hard enough time supporting us also!!!!"
Wong yelled angrily.
LATER THAT NIGHT...
Wong was so angry at his wife, he decided a visit to his friend's
house would do him good. So while everybody was sleeping Wong
slipped out of his bed and quietly grabbed his knapsack filled
with every thing he would need to survive on his way to his friend's
farm. When Wong left his hut there was only a sliver of a moon
to guide him to Chung's farm near a village called Mang-Shang.
On the way to Chung's, Wong knew that he would have to go through
woods so he decided to sleep at the edge of the woods.
LATER IN THE WOODS...
Wong was searching for a clear spot to sleep. Eventually Wong
found a really clear spot and except for one stick the spot was
clear. Wong kicked the stick away but the stick coiled around
Wong's leg. It was then that Wong realized the "stick"
was really a snake! Wong meandered around not knowing what to
do. The snake got bored and uncoiled itself and slithered away.
Realizing this Wong ran away from the clearing in the wrong directio
Wong ran all day and night until he eventually tripped over a
black log, or was it a log? Then the log stood up and showed its
tusks. Wong realized it was really a boar. The boar charged without
warning at Wong. Wong barely survived the first attack. Wong got
up and ran smack into a dragon! The dragon got rid of the boar
and then turned to Wong.
"Why are you out here?" the wise dragon asked Wong.
"I got in an argument with my wife and I ran away because
I was so mad." replied Wong.
"I see" muttered the wise dragon.
"Here, look at this cloud. It will show you your wife's future,"
said the dragon. What Wong saw greatly displeased him. He saw
his wife working in the fields and that upset him.
"How can I prevent this from happening?" yelled Wong.
"You could always return home and apologize," replied
the dragon.
"Then that's what I will do." said Wong, strongly.
"Here, take this stone. It will protect you on your journey
home. Also read what's carved on the stone after you get home
and apologize to your wife," the dragon told Wong.
It took Wong three days and four nights to get home. When Wong
got home it was dinner time. Wong loved the smell of rice when
he was hungry. As usual Wong threw open the door to the hut. Wong
stomped into the kitchen and said
"Mung I am sorry for arguing with you and leaving home."
"Me too," replied Mung (Wong's wife). (that's another
story)
Later that night Wong looked at the stone and carved on it was
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.