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Updated: May 19, 2025
He made her go out upon the street, with the other girls he had bought, to beg for a living. This kind of life was especially hard for Hu-lin. She longed to play in the fields, above which the huge kites were sailing in the air like giant birds. She liked to see the crows and magpies flying hither and thither. It was great fun to watch them build their stick nests in the tall poplars.
Just at that moment there was a loud banging on the front gate. "Who can be knocking in that fashion?" asked the young man in astonishment. "Alas! it must be Black Heart, my master," said Hu-lin, beginning to cry. "Don't be frightened," said the youth, soothingly stroking the child's head. "You have saved me, and I shall certainly do as much for you. If this Mr.
Early one morning when Hu-lin was feeling very sad about the way she was treated, she resolved to run away, but, alas! she had not gone more than a hundred yards from the houseboat when she saw Black Heart following her. He caught her, scolded her most dreadfully, and gave her such a beating that she felt too faint to stir.
Hu-lin, you're a wise child. Where did you learn so much?" At that moment the gander turned pale at hearing the gate slam loudly and the bar thrown into place. "Good gracious! what ever shall we do?" asked Hu-lin. "What will he say if he finds us here?" "No telling," said the other, trembling, "but, my dear little friend, we are certainly caught, for we can't get away without his seeing us."
When the first light of a new day filtered through the paper-covered window above the miser's bed, Hu-lin awoke with a start, and at first she could not think where she was. Ch'ang was staring at her with wide-open frightened eyes that seemed to be asking, "What can it all mean? It is more than my goose brain can think out."
Black Heart doesn't agree to a fair proposal he shall have a black eye to remember his visit by." It did not take long for the grateful young man to buy Hu-lin's liberty, especially as he offered as much for her freedom as her master had expected to get when she was fourteen or fifteen years of age. When Hu-lin was told of the bargain she was wild with delight.
"It's not likely he would understand goose-talk if he did," replied Ch'ang, smiling. "However, I suppose it's always best to be on the safe side, so I'll whisper what I have to say." Putting his bill close to her ear, he told Hu-lin of his recent discovery, and ended by asking her to tell him what it all meant. The child forgot her own misery at hearing his wonderful story.
"If it had not been for me you would still be a wrinkled miser." "Quite right, dear Ch'ang, quite right," said the young man soothingly; "you were not mad; so I gave you the name Ch'ang, which means mad, and thus made a mad goose of you." "Oh, I see," said Hu-lin and Ch'ang together. "How clever!"
Ask Hu-lin, if you don't believe me." The man turned towards the little girl. "Yes, indeed you are, sir," she replied in answer to his look. "Never have I seen a man so beautiful." "At last! at last!" he cried, laughing joyfully, "I am free, free, free from all my troubles, but how it has come about is more than I can say!"
Bamboo, not yet fully awake, stumbled out of the tablet room, and his father locked the iron doors. Hu-lin was a little slave girl. She had been sold by her father when she was scarcely more than a baby, and had lived for five years with a number of other children in a wretched houseboat. Her cruel master treated her very badly.
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