The School Rats Have a Party

In our school there is a beautiful lady rat named Miss Black. She is very stylish and famous, so that all the rats know her. She married a great gentleman named Mr. Brown on Saturday. That night they were very happy, all their friends and relatives came to the party. Miss Black wore a pretty long dress, and a white long veil on her head. It made her black face and body more black. Mr. Brown has two little brown eyes, and little black whiskers. When their wedding was finished, they gave a feast and danced and sang. The guests and ladies danced with their little boots and little high heeled shoes as loudly as they could, but no student heard it, because it was midnight and they were fast asleep.

Next morning, I rose very early and went down the stairs to take a walk. When I passed the doorway, suddenly I heard a noisy voice, then I peeked in at the door. When I saw the happy party, how surprised I was! I cried, "See! See! The rats have a party!" Maybe my voice was too loud for the rats all stood up and took their feast and quickly ran to their home.

TSANG AI-LING, 1937

A Dream on the Journey

It was a night before our literature test. I sat in the study hall, with my book opened before me. I tried to read, but I heard the noisy music and tap dancing steps which I had seen last week in a movie. There seemed to be many beautiful dancers waving their handkerchiefs and winking their eyes at me. Under these noisy sounds and flashing scenes, the words in my book slipped away so smoothly and quickly, before I could catch them and keep them in my brain. I turned over the page and tried another paragraph. The same things went on, and still I could not control myself. I got very tired and weary. So I leaned on the desk and went to sleep, forgetting all about our literature test.

I walked into a mysterious wonderland, the wonderland that "Alice" had not gone in. I was sitting beside a dining table, having a tea-party with Ali Baba and his wife, and Morgianna, who had been once a slave and was now his daughter-in-law. On the other end of the table sat a graceful, mild, fair-haired, grand lady. A golden crown was set upon her head. She was Queen Esther, as Ali Baba told me, the most powerful and kind lady in this land. Then I heard a knock on the door; Ali Baba told me that it must be the other guests invited. Morgianna ran and open the door, and a gigantic, tremendous, white-bearded old man walked in, with a little girl leaning on his arm.

"Hello, Miss Ai-ling, you don't recognize me now, eh? We met three and a half years ago, on the Alps--"

"You're the Alm Uncle!" I cried out before he had finished his speech. I held out my hand earnestly, and we greeted each other happily.

"Here's Heidi. Does she look fatter and taller than before?" He showed me the child. Heidi was still a healthy and innocent little girl. She told me that the "Old grandmother" was still alive, and had white bread to eat every day.

We sat down and began our eating. Suddenly, a sharp voice calling "Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!" was heard. Then we heard heavy foot-steps; a sea-faring man with a wooden leg came in, with a parrot standing on his shoulder.

"Excuse my interruption, Your Majesty. May I join the party?" Long John Silver bowed gracefully to the queen. And Queen Esther nodded her head and smiled sweetly-she was always so sweet and gentle, even to a pirate. So Long John took his seat and joined our party. I was a little afraid of him, when I thought about his killing people in Treasure Island. But Morgianna and Alm Uncle were all very calm, even Heidi, the child. So I felt ashamed of myself.

In the midst of our eating I saw a pretty face peeping in at the door. The big, glorious, black eyes recalled someone to me. I suddenly sprang to my feet and rushed to the door, holding her hand and screaming.

"Oh, Rebecca Randall! Is it really you-oh, I have longed for you!"

It was really Rebecca, the one I loved best among those friends. We held together both with tears in our eyes. The first question I eagerly asked her was:

"How about Mr. Aladdin? Did you-" I meant "Did you marry him?" but I stopped in the middle.

There was no reply. Rebecca blushed, smiled, lowered her head, and began to hum a love song.

During this time I hadn't mentioned that Aunt Miranda was just now coming in after Rebecca. She stared at me, then turned to the rest of the people. When she saw Long John and Morgianna, she pulled her face very long and made her eyes perfectly round, and screamed.

"Dear! Dear! Sea-robber-and slave! Inviting us Sawyers to the party with sea-robbers and slaves! Oh my, I'm fainting!…Rebecca, button up your coat, put on your hat and stop laughing and crying like a three-year-old child! We must leave here as quickly as possible."

She pulled Rebecca hard out of the room. Ali Baba and his wife looked puzzled. Long John was trying to hide his angriness and laughed unnaturally. Morgianna was still so white and calm, only moving her lips a little; she seemed to be trying to say something. Heidi did not know what had happened. She looked at Long John, looked at Aunt Miranda, and then turned to her grandfather.

When Aunt Miranda was pulling Rebecca, a funny little old man darted in at the door and ran hard against Aunt Miranda. They both fell on the ground. Aunt Miranda grumbled, "All of the men in this house are as rude as rubbers." She rose up and disappeared with Rebecca through the door.

The little old man stood confused and panting. Ali Baba asked him, "Mr. Rip Van Winkle, are you driven out by Dame Van Winkle again?" Rip Van Winkle shrugged his shoulders, cast up his eyes, and said nothing.

Just then, there was a bell tinkling far away. "It must be our friend, 'The King of the Golden River'. He has come to take us to the feast of Xerxes, the Persian king. I think we had better say good-bye", said Ali Baba to me. So they sang a song to bid farewell to me. I can only remember the chorus, “Oh, we wish you may have a good mark tomorrow, tomorrow!…” The song got softer and softer, and at last I could not hear it. I opened my eyes and found myself still sitting in the study hall. My book had already dropped on the floor. The bell was ringing, and students were going out one by one. I picked up the book, rubbed my eyes, and read it while I was going out. I found it very interesting so that I could not stop reading. There seemed to be lovely scenes with all those people I had seen in the dream acting in them. I held my book tightly and cried, "A thousand thanks to the people in our wonderland!"

TSANG AI-LING, 1937

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