Читать книгу Favorite Children's Stories from China & Tibet - Lotta Carswell-Hume - Страница 11

The Story or the Fairy Boat

Central China

Once upon a time there was a little boy whose name was Ho Lai. But little Ho Lai did not have a mother; he had only a cruel stepmother who was very horrid to him. Every day she sent him out with a basket on his arm to gather up frogs.

One day Ho Lai went out to the fields as usual, but while he was hunting frogs to appease his cruel stepmother, he came across a bag filled with coins. Not knowing to whom the money belonged, the boy decided to sit down and guard the bag, in hopes that the owner would return to claim it.

Nearly all day he sat there and watched. At last a man appeared, hunting for his lost money. He was so pleased to discover that Ho Lai had kept it for him that he offered the boy half the bag's contents. But little Ho Lai said that he did not wish for a reward, as he had done no more than his duty.