Chinese Fables and Folk Stories/A Chinese Prodigal Son

A CHINESE PRODIGAL SON

浪子歸家

I

Kong-Hwa's father and mother were farmers. They had a pleasant home and would have been very happy together, but after Kong-Hwa was four years old, he was a bad, disobedient boy.

He would not listen to his mother's teachings. She was a good woman and tried by different ways to make him do right. In school he was considered a very bright boy and learned fast, but he would not obey his teacher.

Kong-Hwa was only seven years old when he came home one day with his books. He had run away from school.

As he came into the room where his mother was working, he cried out, "Mü-Ts'ing, why do you do that?"

She was cutting into little bits a fine large piece of cloth that she had woven to make the family clothes of. "Why do you spoil the cloth, mother?"

"Yes, my son, it is true I spoil the cloth. It is now good for nothing. It will not make clothes for your father, clothes for yourself, nor clothes for me. It is wasted, and will not be of use even for dust cloths. It is not good for anything. Do you know why I did that, my boy?"

"No, Mü-Ts'ing, why did you do it?"

"For this reason, my son: I am anxious that you shall be good and study your lessons in school every day, and I hope and hope that after a while you will be a good and wise man and do something for your father, your mother, and your nation. And I also hoped to make your clothes out of this cloth.

"But your teacher says you run away, go to the see-saw, play in the water, climb trees, throw stones at the little birds all day and will not study.

"You are using your time as I have used the nice new cloth—cutting it up in useless little pieces. I once thought you were a wise child, but you are not. You are very foolish."

Kong-Hwa cried and felt sad, while his mother talked, and then he said, "I will go back to school to-morrow. Now can you mend the cloth or make another piece, Mü-Ts'ing?"

"I will wait and see if you really mean to be a good boy," said his mother.

The next morning he arose early, took his books, and went directly to school; but in a few days he was as bad as before.

The school children and the neighbors complained about the boy who did so much mischief. His mother had only the one little son, and as they came to her with complaints, she felt that she could almost die with grief.

She lay awake all night thinking, "What can I do to teach my boy the good? Who can give a boy lessons if not his own mother? Oh, I must think of some way."

Next morning Kong-Hwa was up at the usual time and went into the kitchen for food. But the kitchen was dark; there was no fire, no food.

He said to himself, "It is queer; so late and no breakfast. He went to his mother's room and called, "Mü-Ts'ing;" but there was no answer. He then went close to her bed and touched her, but she did not move. He then ran to his aunt and told her to go and see—that his mother was surely dead.

She answered, "It may be that the gods have taken her away because you have been such a bad boy. Now will you be a better boy?" And he promised. Then she ran to her sister's home to see if she was dead.

Kong-Hwa stayed outside trembling with fear, while his aunt went in. She soon saw that her sister was not dead and told of the promise of Kong-Hwa.

"Did my boy think I was dead?" asked his mother. "Well, keep him at your house for two or three days and send him to school. Let him think, and think, and he may be a better boy."

Kong-Hwa's aunt told him that if he learned his lessons and obeyed his teacher, it might be the gods would allow his mother to stay with him after all. While his aunt prepared breakfast for him, he asked many questions. "What did you do with my mother? Will there be a funeral?"

"Never mind," said the aunt, "go to school and do not be so bad any more, and we shall see what happens. It may be your mother will live again."

II

For two days Kong-Hwa was good—no schoolmate complained, no neighbor complained. He studied his lessons and obeyed his teacher. Then he went again to his mother's house. He saw that she was alive, and in a few days he was again as bad as ever. "I can not teach him, he must learn things for himself," said his mother; "I do not know what else I can do."

And it was so until he was twelve years old. His mother tried to help him to do right, but it seemed of no use.

Shortly after he was twelve years old, he came home from school one day and said, "Mü-Ts'ing, I want to go to Siang-Sze. I will leave school. No one likes me; no one plays with me. I do not like school and I will not go anymore. I shall be a merchant and make money."

His mother thought he was too young to know what he wanted, and so paid little attention to him. But he insisted, and finally she said, "Go to your father."

His father was surprised and asked, "You wish to make money? How can you make money without money? Siang-Sze is a long way off and it will cost you much to go there. Then you will need more to be a merchant."

Kong-Hwa said, "Give me enough to reach Siang-Sze and I will go." He insisted until his father beat him and said, "Now go back to school. I will hear no more of this."

Kong-Hwa was keen and determined. He borrowed money, quietly, a little here and a little there, and then he ran away to Siang-Sze.

For many days his mother tried to find him. She did not think he would go far by himself. Finally she learned that he had gone to Siang-Sze and gave up searching for him.

Nine years had gone by when a man from Siang-Sze told of seeing Kong-Hwa there. His parents wrote to him, but no answer came. Thirteen years passed by and they thought, "We shall never see his face again."

One day Kong-Hwa, who still lived in Siang-Sze, said to a friend, "I must go home now, if I can get money enough. I have learned some life lessons and now I am going."

His friend said, "We have good times in Siang-Sze. Why do you leave?"

"It is not the place where I ought to be," answered Kong-Hwa. "I have tried many things here and in all the thirteen years have not had success. No one will have me for a bookkeeper. I tried to be a merchandise agent, and in two months I was discharged. I then worked in a bank for forty days, when they paid my salary and told me to go. To-morrow I need money to pay my rent, three months due; but I have no money. I order clothes, and they say, 'No money, no clothes.' I ask friends to lend me some, and they do not even answer me.

"I see now I have been very foolish. I have been here thirteen years and I try to have a good time. I drink, I smoke, I dance, I go to theaters and halls every night—every night. I spend all of my money when I have work. Now I have no work; all my friends have left me; they will not trust me for a piece of silver. I have been very bad. I was a bad boy at home. My mother was good and gave me many lessons which I would not learn.

"Because my mother was so good, I have no excuse for my miserable condition now. I must go home and show her I am sorry at last. I know now that in all the world there is no friend like a mother.

"I will write to her to-morrow and say in my letter, 'Mu-Ts'ing, I am going to leave the opium, theater, and dance—all bad things.' I will ask her to send me money to come home, and I will then take my father's place on the farm.

"I will take the oxen and plow the rice fields, plant the corn, and tell my father to rest. I will help my mother so she need not cook nor do any other work. There is no one like father and mother, and no place but my home for me now."

Kong-Hwa wrote the letter and sent it by a friend, telling him to say "good words" for him; for he felt that he deserved nothing after causing his parents so much sorrow.

"Thirteen long years and at last a letter from our dear son," cried Kong-Hwa's mother.

His parents were filled with joy and asked the bearer of the good news all about him. How long would it take for the letter and money that they would send to reach him? Would he come at once?

His mother wrote: "My son, Kong-Hwa, come to our home. We feel that you will do what you say in your letter. The house, the land, and all we have is yours and we will rejoice to have you come and care for them. The time will seem long until you are here."

Kong-Hwa went to his parents as soon as the letter and money came to him. And he was a good man from that time and served his parents and made their old age glad. He did everything as he had said he would. He took the oxen and plowed the rice fields. He planted the corn, and he helped his mother in the house, and all were happy.