Chinese Literature

“What? Am I not here working the water-wheel as I should be?” Li-chiu replied gravely.

Uncle Yun-pu gave him a fierce look and with an oath climbed up on the wheel himself to join in the work.

The moon crept further up the tree tops and gradually moved towards the west. Slowly, silence took over the fields.

In the east, pearl-white clouds had already made their appearance. A few stars were still lingering in the sky, blinking and twinkling away. The cock had crowed twice. Uncle Yun-pu sat up in the dark and sighed deeply after gazing at the pale sky. Hard work both day and night had left him feeling as if he simply could not keep it up any longer. His bones and muscles all seemed to ache even in his dreams, but nevertheless he would not relax for a minute nor would he complain about fatigue for fear such weakness would affect his sons.

The demands of livelihood lashed him onwards to toil and toil. He could blame no one for it. Now at least he had within his grasp a bit of new hope. He could now look forward to the autumn. Perhaps then, he would be able to realize his dreams.

But at present it was necessary for him to get up very early. It was still summer, a long time before autumn and that world of his dreams.

His children slept as soundly as piglets. How deeply the young slumber! How he envied them their sweet dreams! However, for the harvest in autumn, for that dream world, he had to harden his heart and wake his sons even before the new day had scarcely begun.

“Hey, get up, Li-chiu!”’

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. “Shao-pu, Shao-pu, it’s time to get up.”

“What is it, Dad? It’s not even dawn yet,” muttered Shao-pu stirring in his sleep.

“Tt’s long since daybreak. We must go and work the water-wheels.”

“But we've just fallen asleep. I haven't even had time to turn over. How ean it be daybreak so soon?”

“Ti-chiu, Li-chiu!”

“Get up!”

Wins, huis. .2

“Hey, get up, you lageard!”

Finally Uncle Yun-pu had to pull them up by the ears before he could get them out of bed.

“What’s the matter with you, it’s still pitch dark outside!” said Li-chiu, discovering that it was not yet light. He rubbed his eyes and felt extremely annoyed.

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