The Stone That Saved China
Yew Chung International School - Primary Section, Michelle Lo, Fiction: Group 2
I
n ancient times, during the Song Dynasty, there lived a Chinese man called Brother Bi.
Brother Bi was a General. He was strong and muscular, but he was also arrogant and
boastful. He was also slightly gullible, although he never showed it.
One night, Bi was patrolling the Forbidden City when he heard a rustle. “Reveal
yourself!” shouted Bi, drawing his sword. A stranger stepped out of the shadows. “No need to use
that sword,” the stranger said smoothly. He reached into his black cloak and showed Bi a heavy
silk pouch. “See this? This pouch is filled with enough gold for you to buy your own estate. You’re
so brave, strong and kindhearted, why don’t you let me into the palace and I’ll give you the gold.”
Bi took the gold happily and opened the gates as the stranger swept past.
The next morning, Bi woke up to a cry. “The Emperor! He’s dead! Murder! Treachery!” Bi leapt
out of bed, his heart sinking. He rushed to the scene, where the emperor lay sprawled across the
floor, covered in blood, his silk robes torn and a dagger stuck in his back. Bi gasped in horror, his
mind whirling. Did I kill the emperor by letting that stranger in? he wondered. He couldn’t tell
anyone, or he’d lose everything- his job, his wealth, his pride, and his life.
Several days passed before Bi attended the emperor’s funeral. Everyone was clothed in white
mourning robes, and it was a somber, gloomy occasion. No one spoke as the Emperor’s body was
lowered into the grave. Bi bowed his head in prayer, and stayed by the shrine until everyone had
left. He prayed to the spirits. “What can I do?” he asked them.
“General!” The deep voice startled Bi in mid-prayer. Bi looked up in terror and almost fainted.
There, by the tombstone, was the spirit of the Emperor, speaking to him!
Help! thought Bi. He couldn’t bear to face the Emperor’s soul, let alone talk to it.
“I know you let that Mongol spy in,” said the Emperor sternly.
“I-I had n-no idea he w-was a M-mongol spy! H-how can I redeem myself, Your Highness?”
stammered General Bi. He gulped.
“As well as murdering me, the Mongol spy took the magical gemstone that has been passed
through my family for generations. This stone can protect all of China from its enemies. Bring me
the stone, and China will be safe once more.”
“But how will I find it?”
The spirit began to speak in low, rhythmic tones.
“The man with the straw hat will save us all,
Look where the dragon lives on the wall.
He will wear on his feet sandals of wood,
Answer this riddle and you will do good.”
The Emperor’s spirit vanished, leaving General Bi puzzled. He wandered around town, talking
to farmers and looking for men with straw hats and wooden sandals. Of course he found out
nothing. After several hours, Bi was tired from walking and decided to stop for some tea to
refresh his mind. He went to the Tea House, and it suddenly dawned on him that he had found
what he was looking for.
“Of course! ‘Tea’ (
茶
) has the characters of straw, man, and wood combined. So the stone
should be hidden in the Tea House!” Bi entered the Tea House and breathed in the fragrant smell
