by
Brenda USA
A long time ago, there was a widow who lived in a small house near China. Her skillful fingers turned yarn into work of art such as flowers, people and etc.. She had three sons Li Mo, Li Tu, and Li Ju. Her tapestries brought great prices. One day she began working on a picture of a fine house. She worked on it day after day month after month. Everyday she added details. Her eldest son Li Mo, and her middle son Li Tu, tried to make her stop working on the tapestry. The old woman stayed at her loom working by sunlight and candlelight. Tears came from her eyes from strain. When she pricked her fingers with a splinter, she wove the drops of blood into brilliant red flowers and a huge glowing sun above the mountain. Li Mo said, " There's no money to buy rice." And Li Tu, " We're going to starve." But their Mother replied, " I must finish this piece of tapestry." The youngest son, Li Ju became a woodcutter, earning enough to buy rice. His brother complained that he did not make enough money to keep them alive and urged him to work harder. Li Mo said, rubbing his hands, " That piece of tapestry will bring us lots of money." Suddenly Li Mo burst into the room and said, " Aren't you finish yet? Hurry and finish so we can sell it." But his mother would not let him touch it. Then she said, " The tapestry is a picture of everything I hold in my dreams and life." Li Mo and Li Ju wanted to hurry and sell it to buy food and clothes. The wind blew from the western window and it blew into the distance. The tapestry vanished. The old woman fainted. She told her eldest son to go to the East to find her tapestry or else she would die. He headed out east. After a month he became to a mountain pass, where he found a stone hut with a stone horse. He met an old lady and he told her what had happened. The old lady said " The tapestry was taken b the fairies of the Sun Mountain in the east, who were really powerful sorceresses." They love beautiful things, but they will give you it back if you ask. He had a long way to go. He had to cut his finger and place ten drops of blood on her stone horse's flanks so the horse could move. Then he had to ride the horse through the flame of mountain. "The magic will protect you except when he goes through the fire. There you must make a sound. If you utter a cry or show any fear, you will burn into ashes. Then you must cross a sea of freezing waves ordered the old lady; he rode the stone horse through the directed places. He met the fairies. He liked the one wearing the red dress. The fairy in red gave the tapestries back to Li Mo in the morning. He thanked her. He galloped back and safely reached the stone hut. He went home and gave it to his mother, and they pinned it to the wall. Suddenly it grew and grew until it covered the whole wall. Soon it became a landscape and a new home for them to live. Suddenly the fairy was at the front door. As it happened Li Mo married the beautiful fairy, and they lived happily ever after.
Send comments to: Brenda