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I AM AN AFRICAN CHILD

I am an African child
Born with a skin the colour of chocolate
Bright, brilliant and articulate
Strong and bold; I'm gifted
Talented enough to be the best
I am an African child

Often the target of pity


My future is not confined to charity
Give me the gift of a lifetime;
Give me a dream, a door of opportunity;
I will thrive
I am an African child

Do not hide my fault


show me my wrong
I am like any other;
Teach me to dream
And I will become
I am an African child

I am the son, daughter of the soil


Rich in texture and content
Full of potential for a better tomorrow
Teach me discipline, teach me character, teach me hard work
Teach me to think like the star within me
I am an African child

I can be extra-ordinary
call me William Kamkwamba the Inventor;
Give me a library with books
Give me a scrap yard and discarded electronics
Give me a broken bicycle;
Plus the freedom to be me
And I will build you a wind mill
I am an African child

We are the new generation


Not afraid to be us
Uniquely gifted, black and talented
Shining like the stars we are
We are the children of Africa
Making the best of us
Yes! I am an African child
The Hands of the Blacks by Luis Bernardo Honwana

I don’t remember now how we got on to the subject, but one day, Teacher said thatthe palms of the
Blacks’ hands were much lighter than the rest of their bodies. This is because only a few centuries ago,
they walked around with them like wild animals, sotheir palms weren’t exposed to the sun, which made
the rest of their bodies darker. Ithought of this when Father Christiano told us after catechism that we
were absolutelyhopeless, and that even the pygmies were better than us, and he went back to this
thingabout their hands being lighter, and said it was like that because they always went aboutwith their
hands folded together, praying in secret. I thought this was so funny, this thingof the Blacks’ hands being
lighter, that you should just see me now. I do not let go ofanyone, whoever they are, until they tell me
why they think that the palms of the Blacks’hands are lighter. Doña Dores, for instance, told me that
God made Blacks’ hands lighterso they would not dirty the food they made for their masters, or anything
else they wereordered to do that had to be kept clean.

Señor Antunes, the Coca-Cola man, who only comes to the village now and againwhen all the Cokes in
the cantinas have been sold, said it was a lot of baloney. Of course,I do not know if it was really such,
but he assured me, it was. After that I said, “All right,it was baloney,” and then he told me what he
knew about this thing of the Blacks’ hands.It was like this: “Long ago, many years ago, God the Father,
Jesus Christ, the VirginMary, St. Peter, many other saints, all the angels that were in Heaven, and some of
the people who had died and gone to Heaven—they all had a meeting and decided to createthe Blacks. Do
you know how? They got hold of some clay and pressed it into somesecond-hand molds and baked the
clay of creatures, which they took from the heavenlykilns. Because they were in a hurry and there was no
room next to the fire, they hungthem in the chimneys. Smoke, smoke, smoke—and there you have them,
black as coals.And now, do you want to know why their hands stayed white? Well, didn’t they have
tohold on while their clay baked?”
d
When he told me this, Señor Antunes and the other men who were around us werevery pleased and they
all burst out laughing. That very same day, Señor Frias told me thateverything i had heard from them
there had been just one big pack of lies. Really andtruly, what he knew about the Blacks’ hands was
right—that God finished men and toldthem to bathe in a lake in Heaven. After bathing, the people were
nice and white. TheBlacks, well. They were made very early in the morning and at this hour, the water in
thelake was very cold, so they only wet the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet before dressing
and coming to the world.

But i read in a book that happened to mention the story, that the Blacks have handslighter like this
because they spent their lives bent over, gathering the white cotton ofVirginia and i dont know where
else. Of course, Doña Estefania did not agree when i toldher this. According to her, it is only because
their hands became bleached with all thatwashing.

Well, i do not know what to think about all this but the truth is that however

calloused and cracked they may be, Black hands are always lighter than the rest of him.And that’s that!

My mother is the only one who must be right about this question of a Black’s hands being lighter than the
rest of his body. On the day that we were talking about it, i wastelling her what i already knew about
the question, and she could not stop laughing.When i was talking, she did not tell me at once what she
thought about all this and sheonly talked when she was sure that i wouldn’t get tired of bothering her
about it. Andeven then, she was crying and clutching herself around the stomach like someone whohad
laughed so much that it was quite unbearable. What she said was more or less this:
“God made Blacks because they had to be. They had to be, my son. He thought theyreally had to be.
Afterwards, He regretted having made them because other men laughedat them and took away their
homes and put them to serve as slaves and not much better.But because He couldn’t make them all white,
for those who were used to seeing them black would complain, He made it so that the palms of their
hands would be exactly likethe palms of the hands of other men. And do you know why that was? Well,
listen: it wasto show that what men do is only the work of men... that what men do is done by handsthat
are the same—hands of people. How, if they had any sense, would know that beforeanything else they are
men. He must have been thinking of this when He made the handsof those men who thank God they are
not black!”

After telling me all this, my mother kissed my hands. As i ran off to the yard to play ball, i thought that i
had never seen a person cry so much as my mother did then
Outwitting a Crocodile

A Traditional Malaysian Folktale

Retold by Chok Yoon Foo from Malaysia

Sang Kancil is a clever, tricky mouse deer who is always finding himself in predicaments with animals that
want to eat him or harm him, but he cleverly manages to escape each time. In this story, Sang Kancil
outwits a big, bad crocodile.

Sang Kancil was a clever mouse deer. Whenever he was in a bad


situation, he always played a clever trick to escape. In this story, Sang
Kancil outwitted Sang Buaya, a big, bad crocodile, who wanted to eat
him.

There were many trees whereSang Kancil's lived along the river, so he
never had trouble finding food. There were always lots of leaves. He
spent his time running and jumping and looking into the river.

Sang Buaya, the big bad crocodile, lived in the river with other
crocodiles. They were always waiting to catch Sang Kancil for dinner.
One day when Sang Buaya was walking along the river, he saw some
delicious fruit on the trees on the other side the river.

Sang Kancil wanted to taste the tasty-looking fruit because he was a


Image from little tired of eating leaves. He tried to think of a way to cross the river,
http://dimdima.com/khazana but he had to be careful. He didn't want to be caught and eaten by
He stepped on each Sang Buaya. He needed to trick Sang Buaya.
crocodile, counting each
one, and finally reached the
other side of the river. Sang Kancil suddenly had an idea He called out to the crocodile, "Sang
Buaya! Sang Buaya!" Sang Buaya slowly came out of the water and
asked Sang Kancil why he was shouting his name. He asked Sang
Kancil, "Aren't you afraid I will eat you?" Then he opened his big mouth very wide to scare Sang Kancil.

Sang Kancil said, "Of course, I am afraid of you, but the king wants me to do something. He is having a big
feast with lots of food, and he is inviting everyone, including you and all the other crocodiles. But first, I
have to count all of you. He needs to know how many of you will come. Please line up across the river, so I
can walk across your heads and count all of you."

Sang Buaya was excited and left to tell the other crocodiles about the feast with all the good food. Soon,
they came and made a line across the river. Sang Kancil said, "Promise not to eat me because or I can't
report to the king how many of you are coming. They promised not to eat him.

Sang Kancil stepped on Sang Buaya's head and counted one. Then he stepped on the next one and said,
"Two." He stepped on each crocodile, counting each one, and finally reached the other side of the river.
Then he said to Sang Buaya,"Thank you for helping me to cross the river to my new home."

Sang Buaya was shocked and angry. He shouted at Sang Kancil, "You tricked us! There is no feast, is
there?" All of the crocodiles looked at Sang Buaya angrily. They were angry because he let Sang Kancil trick
all of them.

Sang Kancil loved his new home on the other side of the river because he had a lot of tasty food to eat. Poor
Sang Buaya was not so lucky. After that, none of the other crocodiles ever talked to him again.
What is educated filipino by francisco benitez
1. 1. What is Educated Filipino?WHAT IS AN EDUCATED FILIPINO? --- By FranciscoBenitez.
What is an educated Filipino and what qualities shoulddistinguish him today?The conception
of education and of what an educated man isvaries in response to fundamental changes in
the details andaims of society. In our country and during this transition stage inour national
life, what are the qualities which an educated manshould possess?Great changes have
taken place in the nature of our sociallife during the last forty years. The contact with
Americans andtheir civilization has modified many of our own social customs,traditions, and
practices, some for the worse and many for thebetter. The means of communication have
improved andtherefore better understanding exists among the differentsections of our
country. Religious freedom has developedreligious tolerance in our people. The growth of
public schoolsand the establishment of democratic institutions have developedour national
consciousness both in strength and in solidarity.With this growth in national consciousness
and national spiritamong our people, we witness the corresponding rise of a newconception
of education - the training of the individual for theduties and privileges of citizenship, not only
for his ownhappiness and efficiency but also for national service andwelfare. In the old days,
education was a matter of privateconcern; now it is a public function, and the state not only
has
2. 2. the duty but it has the right as well to educate every member ofthe community - the old as
well as the young, women as well asmen - not only for the good of the individual but also for
theself-preservation and protection of the State itself. Our modernpublic school system has
been established as a safeguard againstthe shortcomings and dangers of a democratic
government anddemocratic institutions.In the light of social changes, we come again to
thequestion: What qualities should distinguish the educated Filipinoof today? I venture to
suggest that the educated Filipino shouldfirst be distinguished by the power to do. The
Oriental excels inreflective thinking; he is a philosopher. The Occidental is thedoer; he
manages things, men and affairs. The Filipino of todayneeds more of his power to translate
reflection into action. Ibelieve that we are coming more and more to the conviction thatno
Filipino has the right to be considered educated unless he isprepared and ready to take an
active and useful part in the work,life, and progress of our country as well as in the progress
of theworld. The power to do embraces the ability to produce enoughto support oneself and
to contribute to the economicdevelopment of the Philippines.Undoubtedly, a man may be,
and often is, an efficientproducer of economic goods and at the same time he may not
beeducated. But should we consider a man who is utterly unable tosupport himself and is an
economic burden to the society inwhich he lives as educated merely because he possesses
thesuperficial graces of culture? I hope that no one will understandme as saying that, the
only sign of economic efficiency is the
3. 3. ability to produce material goods, for useful social participationmay take the form of any of
the valuable services rendered tosociety trough such institutions as the home, the school,
thechurch and the government. The mother, for example, whoprepares wholesome meals,
takes good care of her children andtrains them in morals and right conduct at home,
rendersefficient service to the country as well as the statesman or thecaptain of industry.I
would not make the power to do the final and only test ofthe educated Filipino; but I believe
that in our present situation,it is fundamental and basic. The educated Filipino, in the
thirdplace, must have ingrained in his speech and conduct thoseelements that are
everywhere recognized as accompaniments ofculture and morality; so that, possessing the
capacity for self -entertainment and study, he may not be at the mercy of thepleasure of the
senses only or a burden to himself when alone.There are, then, at least three characteristics
which I believeto be the evidence of the educated Filipino - the power to do, tosupport
himself and contribute to the wealth of our people;acquaintance with the worlds progress,
especially with that ofhis race, people, and the community, together with love of ourbest
ideals and traditions; and refined manners and moralconduct as well as the power of growth.
APPENDIX B
Common Irregular verbx

Base Present Past Past


Form Third Third Participle
Person Person

arise arises arose arisen


be is was/were been
bear bears bore borne
begin begins began begun
bite bites bit bitten/bit
blow blows blew blown
break breaks broke broken
bring brings brought brought
buy buys bought bought
catch catches caught caught
choose chooses chose chosen
come comes came come
creep creeps crept crept
dive dives dived/dove dived
do does did done
drag drags dragged dragged
draw draws drew drawn
dream dreams dreamed/dreamt dreamt
drink drinks drank drunk
drive drives drove driven
drown drowns drowned drowned
eat eats ate eaten
fall falls fell fallen
fight fights fought fought
fly flies flew flown
forget forgets forgot forgotten
forgive forgives forgave forgiven
freeze freezes froze frozen
get gets got got/gotten
give gives gave given
go goes went gone
grow grows grew grown
hang hangs hung hung
hide hides hid hidden
know knows knew known
lay lays laid laid
lead leads led led
lie lies lay lain
light lights lit lit
lose loses lost lost
prove proves proved proved/proven
ride rides rode ridden
ring rings rang rung
rise rises rose risen
run runs ran run
see sees saw seen
seek seeks sought sought
set sets set set
shake shakes shook shaken
sing sings sang sung
sink sinks sank sunk
sit sits sat sat
speak speaks spoke spoken
spring springs sprang sprung
steal steals stole stolen
sting stings stung stung
strike strikes struck struck
swear swears swore sworn
swim swims swam swum
swing swings swung swung
take takes took taken
tear tears tore torn
throw throws threw thrown
uses used used used
wake wakes woke/waked woken/waked/woke
wear wears wore worn
write writes wrote written
Beliefs, Social Structures, and Practices
The Choson Dynasty, also known as the Yi Dynasty, has long been celebrated for
its artistic, scientific and intellectual achievements, including the 1443 invention of the
Korean alphabet (
han'gul
) by the greatest
of all Choson kings, King Sejong. The Choson
Dynasty, which means the kingdom of morning serenity, is one of modern history's
longest dynastic rules, lasting over 500 years. This achievement is even more impressive
in light of Korea’s strategic and, some m
ight say, precarious geopolitical location at the
center of the East Asian corridor.
How did Korea achieve such political stability? What social forces were at work?
The Choson Dynasty adopted Confucianism as its state religion and developed
concomitant so
cial structures, ultimately establishing cultural values, which supported
continuous dynastic rule.
These cultural values of the Choson Dynasty, centerpieces to the Ch'unhyang
story, still resonant in contemporary Korean life. The idea of an interdependent
,
collective self rather than an independent, autonomous self, of role dedication rather than
self
-
fulfillment, and the privileging of harmony and order rather over justice or progress
are all typically Confucian cultural values that have carried over from
the Choson era into
the present.
Choson Dynasty officially began in 1392 when Yi Songgye, an army general, was
declared king, following his successful coup against the Koryo government. With the
support of Neo
-
Confucian scholar
-
officials, he and the twent
y
-
six Yi kings that followed
him adopted and enforced the principles of Confucianism, a belief system founded by the
Chinese philosopher Confucius, as the for guide their actions as well as virtually every
citizen of their dynasty.
Confucius taught that m
en of wisdom and virtue, chosen for their knowledge and
moral quality, should lead the government. They were to rule, not by force or law, but by
example. This theory of government was an ideal held for centuries by many countries of
East Asia; the applica
tion of the theory, however, was less than ideal. Korean rulers
during the Chosen reign established social structures and institutions to enforce
Confucian ideology and practice.
King T’aejo (Yi Songgye) instituted the Chinese examination system to recruit
wise and moral men into government. Men that could demonstrate through rigorous
examination that they understood proper governance, classic literature, and morality, as it
was taught in the sacred books of Confucian philosophy, were appointed to governmen
t
positions. Once in place, they were expected to lead by moral example.
Tikki-Tikki Tembo
A Chinese Folktake

Once upon a time in faraway China there lived two brothers, one named Sam, and one named Tikki Tikki
Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako.

Now one day the two brothers were playing near the well in their garden when Sam fell into the well, and
Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom
Barako ran to his mother, shouting, "Quick, Sam has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"What?" cried the mother, "Sam has fallen into the well? Run and tell father!"

Together they ran to the father and cried, "Quick, Sam has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"Sam has fallen into the well?" cried the father. "Run and tell the gardner!"

Then they all ran to the gardner and shouted, "Quick, Sam has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"Sam has fallen into the well?" cried the gardner, and then he quickly fetched a ladder and pulled the poor boy
from the well, who was wet and cold and frightened, and ever so happy to still be alive.

Some time afterward the two brothers were again playing near the well, and this time Tikki Tikki Tembo No
Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako fell into the well,
and Sam ran to his mother, shouting, "Quick, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem
Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"What?" cried the mother, "Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom
Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako has fallen into the well? Run and tell father!"

Together they ran to the father and cried, "Quick, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry
Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom
Barako has fallen into the well?" cried the father. "Run and tell the gardner!"

Then they all ran to the gardner and shouted, "Quick, Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry
Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako has fallen into the well. What shall we do?"

"Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom
Barako has fallen into the well?" cried the gardner, and then he quickly fetched a ladder and pulled Tikki Tikki
Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako from
the well, but the poor boy had been in the water so long that he had drowned.

And from that time forth, the Chinese have given their children short names.
AUNG SAN SUU KYI
Aung San Suu Kyi was born in Rangoon (now named Yangon). Her father, Aung San, founded
the modern Burmese army and negotiated Burma's independence from the British Empire in 1947;
he was assassinated by his rivals in the same year. She grew up with her mother, Khin Kyi , and two
brothers, Aung San Lin and Aung San Oo , in Rangoon. Aung San Lin died at age eight, when he
drowned in an ornamental lake on the grounds of the house. Her elder brother emigrated to San
Diego, California, becoming a United States citizen. After Aung San Lin's death, the family moved to
a house by Inya Lake where Suu Kyi met people of very different backgrounds, political views and
religions. She was educated in Methodist English High School (now Basic Education High School No.
1 Dagon) for much of her childhood in Burma, where she was noted as having a talent for learning
languages. She is a Theravada Buddhist . Suu Kyi's mother, Khin Kyi, gained prominence
as a
political figure in the newly formed Burmese government. She was appointed Burmese ambassador
to India and Nepal in 1960, and Aung San Suu Kyi followed her there, she studied in the Convent of
Jesus and Mary School, New Delhi and graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi with a
degree in politics in 1964. Suu Kyi continued her education at St Hugh's College, Oxford, obtaining a
B.A. degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 1969. After graduating, she lived in New York
City with a family friend and worked at the UN for three years, primarily on budget matters, writing
daily to her future husband, Dr. Michael Aris. In 1972, Aung San Suu Kyi married Aris, a scholar of
Tibetan culture, living abroad in Bhutan. The following year she gave birth to their first
son,
Alexander Aris, in London; their second son, Kim, was born in 1977. Subsequently, she earned a PhD
at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1985. She was elected as an
Honorary Fellow in 1990.
For two years she was a Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced
Studies (IIAS) in Shimla, India. She also worked for the government of the Union of Burma.

In 1988 Suu Kyi returned to Burma, at first to tend for her ailing mother but later to lead the
pro-democracy movement. Aris' visit in Christmas 1995 turned out to be the last time that he and
Suu Kyi met, as Suu Kyi remained in Burma and the Burmese dictatorship denied him any further
entry visas. Aris was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1997 which was later found to be terminal.
Despite appeals from prominent figures and organizations, including the United States, UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan and Pope John Paul II , the Burmese government would not grant Aris a visa ,
saying that they did not have the facilities to care for him, and instead urged Aung San Suu Kyi to
leave the country to visit him. She was at that time temporarily free from house arrest but was
unwilling to depart, fearing that she would be refused re-entry if she left, as she did not trust the
military junta 's assurance that she could return.

Aris died on his 53rd birthday on 27 March 1999. Since 1989, when his wife was first placed
under house arrest, he had seen her only five times, the last of which was for Christmas in 1995.
She was also separated from her children, who live in the United Kingdom, but starting in 2011, they
have visited her in Burma.

On 2 May 2008, after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, Suu Kyi lost the roof of her house and lived
in virtual darkness after losing electricity in her dilapidated lakeside residence. She used candles at
night as she was not provided any generator set. Plans to renovate and repair the house were
announced in August 2009. Suu Kyi was released from house arrest on 13 November 2010.
THE SOUL OF THE GREAT BELL
BY LAFCADIO HEARN
The water-clock marks the hour in the _Ta-chung sz'_,--in the Tower of the Great Bell: now the mallet is lifted
to smite the lips of the metal monster,--the vast lips inscribed with Buddhist texts from the sacred _Fa-hwa-
King_, from the chapters of the holy _Ling-yen-King_! Hear the great bell responding!--how mighty her voice,
though tongueless!-_KO-NGAI!_ All the little dragons on the high-tilted eaves of the green roofs shiver to the
tips of their gilded tails under that deep wave of sound; all the porcelain gargoyles tremble on their carven
perches; all the hundred little bells of the pagodas quiver with desire to speak. _KO-NGAI!_-all the green-and-
gold tiles of the temple are vibrating; the wooden goldfish above them are writhing against the sky; the
uplifted finger of Fo shakes high over the heads of the worshippers through the blue fog of incense!
_KONGAI!_--What a thunder tone was that! All the lacquered goblins on the palace cornices wriggle their
fire-colored tongues! And after each huge shock, how wondrous the multiple echo and the great golden
moan and, at last, the sudden sibilant sobbing in the ears when the immense tone faints away in broken
whispers of silver,--as though a woman should whisper, "_Hiai!_" Even so the great bell hath sounded every
day for well-nigh five hundred years,-_Ko-Ngai_: first with stupendous clang, then with immeasurable moan
of gold, then with silver murmuring of "_Hiai!_" And there is not a child in all the many-colored ways of the
old Chinese city who does not know the story of the great bell,--who cannot tell you why the great bell says
_Ko-Ngai_ and _Hiai_!

Now, this is the story of the great bell in the Ta-chung sz', as the same is related in the _Pe-Hiao-Tou-Choue_,
written by the learned Yu-Pao-Tchen, of the City of Kwang-tchau-fu.

Nearly five hundred years ago the Celestially August, the Son of Heaven, Yong-Lo, of the "Illustrious," or
Ming, dynasty, commanded the worthy official Kouan-Yu that he should have a bell made of such size that
the sound thereof might be heard for one hundred _li_. And he further ordained that the voice of the bell
should be strengthened with brass, and deepened with gold, and sweetened with silver; and that the face
and the great lips of it should be graven with blessed sayings from the sacred books, and that it should be
suspended in the centre of the imperial capital, to sound through all the many-colored ways of the City of Pe-
king.

Therefore the worthy mandarin Kouan-Yu assembled the master-moulders and the renowned bellsmiths of
the empire, and all men of great repute and cunning in foundry work; and they measured the materials for
the alloy, and treated them skilfully, and prepared the moulds, the fires, the instruments, and the monstrous
melting-pot for fusing the metal. And they labored exceedingly, like giants,-neglecting only rest and sleep and
the comforts of life; toiling both night and day in obedience to Kouan-Yu, and striving in all things to do the
behest of the Son of Heaven.

But when the metal had been cast, and the earthen mould separated from the glowing casting, it was
discovered that, despite their great labor and ceaseless care, the result was void of worth; for the metals had
rebelled one against the other,--the gold had scorned alliance with the brass, the silver would not mingle
with the molten iron. Therefore the moulds had to be once more prepared, and the fires rekindled, and the
metal remelted, and all the work tediously and toilsomely repeated. The Son of Heaven heard, and was
angry, but spake nothing.

A second time the bell was cast, and the result was even worse. Still the metals obstinately refused to blend
one with the other; and there was no uniformity in the bell, and the sides of it were cracked and fissured, and
the lips of it were slagged and split asunder; so that all the labor had to be repeated even a third time, to the
great dismay of KouanYu. And when the Son of Heaven heard these things, he was angrier than before; and
sent his messenger to Kouan-Yu with a letter, written upon lemon-colored silk, and sealed with the seal of
the Dragon, containing these words:--

"_From the Mighty Yong-Lo, the Sublime Tait-Sung, the


Celestial and August,--whose reign is called 'Ming,'--to Kouan-Yu the Fuh-yin: Twice thou hast betrayed the
trust we have deigned graciously to place in thee; if thou fail a third time in fulfilling our command, thy head
shall be severed from thy neck. Tremble, and obey!_"

Now, Kouan-Yu had a daughter of dazzling loveliness, whose name--Ko-Ngai--was ever in the mouths of
poets, and whose heart was even more beautiful than her face. KoNgai loved her father with such love that
she had refused a hundred worthy suitors rather than make his home desolate by her absence; and when she
had seen the awful yellow missive, sealed with the Dragon-Seal, she fainted away with fear for her father's
sake. And when her senses and her strength returned to her, she could not rest or sleep for thinking of her
parent's danger, until she had secretly sold some of her jewels, and with the money so obtained had
hastened to an astrologer, and paid him a great price to advise her by what means her father might be saved
from the peril impending over him. So the astrologer made observations of the heavens, and marked the
aspect of the Silver Stream (which we call the Milky Way), and examined the signs of the Zodiac,--the
_Hwang-tao_, or Yellow Road,--and consulted the table of the Five _Hin_, or Principles of the Universe, and
the mystical books of the alchemists. And after a long silence, he made answer to her, saying: "Gold and
brass will never meet in wedlock, silver and iron never will embrace, until the flesh of a maiden be melted in
the crucible; until the blood of a virgin be mixed with the metals in their fusion." So Ko-Ngai returned home
sorrowful at heart; but she kept secret all that she had heard, and told no one what she had done.

At last came the awful day when the third and last effort to cast the great bell was to be made; and Ko-Ngai,
together with her waiting-woman, accompanied her father to the foundry, and they took their places upon a
platform overlooking the toiling of the moulders and the lava of liquefied metal. All the workmen wrought
their tasks in silence; there was no sound heard but the muttering of the fires. And the muttering deepened
into a roar like the roar of typhoons approaching, and the blood-red lake of metal slowly brightened like the
vermilion of a sunrise, and the vermilion was transmuted into a radiant glow of gold, and the gold whitened
blindingly, like the silver face of a full moon. Then the workers ceased to feed the raving flame, and all fixed
their eyes upon the eyes of Kouan-Yu; and Kouan-Yu prepared to give the signal to cast.

But ere ever he lifted his finger, a cry caused him to turn his head; and all heard the voice of Ko-Ngai
sounding sharply sweet as a bird's song above the great thunder of the fires,--"_For thy sake, O my Father!_"
And even as she cried, she leaped into the white flood of metal; and the lava of the furnace roared to receive
her, and spattered monstrous flakes of flame to the roof, and burst over the verge of the earthen crater, and
cast up a whirling fountain of many-colored fires, and subsided quakingly, with lightnings and with thunders
and with mutterings.

Then the father of Ko-Ngai, wild with his grief, would have leaped in after her, but that strong men held him
back and kept firm grasp upon him until he had fainted away and they could bear him like one dead to his
home. And the servingwoman of Ko-Ngai, dizzy and speechless for pain, stood before the furnace, still
holding in her hands a shoe, a tiny, dainty shoe, with embroidery of pearls and flowers,--the shoe of her
beautiful mistress that was. For she had sought to grasp Ko-Ngai by the foot as she leaped, but had only been
able to clutch the shoe, and the pretty shoe came off in her hand; and she continued to stare at it like one
gone mad.
But in spite of all these things, the command of the Celestial and August had to be obeyed, and the work of
the moulders to be finished, hopeless as the result might be. Yet the glow of the metal seemed purer and
whiter than before; and there was no sign of the beautiful body that had been entombed therein. So the
ponderous casting was made; and lo! when the metal had become cool, it was found that the bell was
beautiful to look upon, and perfect in form, and wonderful in color above all other bells. Nor was there any
trace found of the body of Ko-Ngai; for it had been totally absorbed by the precious alloy, and blended with
the well-blended brass and gold, with the intermingling of the silver and the iron. And when they sounded
the bell, its tones were found to be deeper and mellower and mightier than the tones of any other bell,--
reaching even beyond the distance of one hundred _li_, like a pealing of summer thunder; and yet also like
some vast voice uttering a name, a woman's name,--the name of Ko-Ngai!

And still, between each mighty stroke there is a long low moaning heard; and ever the moaning ends with a
sound of sobbing and of complaining, as though a weeping woman should murmur, "_Hiai!_" And still, when
the people hear that great golden moan they keep silence; but when the sharp, sweet shuddering comes in
the air, and the sobbing of "_Hiai!_" then, indeed, all the Chinese mothers in all the many-colored ways of
Pe-king whisper to their little ones:
"_Listen! that is Ko-Ngai crying for her shoe! That is KoNgai calling for her shoe!_"
The Story of Ramayana
Dasharatha was the King of Ayodhya and had three wives and four sons. Rama was the eldest
and his mother was Kaushalya. Bharata was the son of Dasharatha’s second and favorite wife,
Queen Kaikeyi. The other two were twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna whose mother was
Sumithra. In the neighboring city the ruler’s daughter was named Sita. When it was time for Sita
to choose her bridegroom (at a ceremony called a swayamvara) princes from all over the land
were asked to string a giant bow which no one could lift. However, as Rama picked it up, he not
only strung the bow, he broke it. Seeing this, Sita indicated that she had chosen Rama as her
husband by putting a garland around his neck. Their love became a model for the entire
kingdom as they looked over the kingdom under the watchful eye of his father the king.

A few years later, King Dasharatha decided it was time to give his throne to his eldest son
Rama and retire to the forest. Everyone seemed pleased, save Queen Kaikeyi since she
wanted her son Bharata to rule. Because of an oath Dasharatha had made to her years before,
she got the king to agree to banish Rama for fourteen years and to crown Bharata, even though
the king pleaded with her not to demand such a request. The devastated King could not face
Rama and it was Queen Kaikeyi who told Rama the King’s decree. Rama, always obedient, was
content to go into banishment in the forest. Sita and Lakshmana accompanied him on his exile.

One day Rama and Lakshmana wounded a rakshasas (demon) princess who tried to seduce
Rama. She returned to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka. In retaliation,
Ravana devised a plan to abduct Sita after hearing about her incomparable beauty. He sent one
of his demons disguised as a magical golden deer to entice Sita. To please her, Rama and
Lakshmana went to hunt the deer down. Before they did though, they drew a protective circle
around Sita and told her that she would be safe for as long as she did not step outside the
circle. After Rama and Lakshmana left, Ravana appeared as a holy man begging alms. The
moment Sita stepped outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabbed her and carried her to
his kingdom in Lanka.

Rama then sought the help of a band of monkeys offer to help him find Sita. Hanuman, the
general of the monkey band can fly since his father is the wind. He flew to Lanka and, finding
Sita in the grove, comforted her and told her Rama would come to save her soon. Ravana’s
men captured Hanuman, and Ravana ordered them to wrap Hanuman's tail in cloth and to set it
on fire. With his tail burning, Hanuman escaped and hopped from house-top to house-top,
setting Lanka on fire. He then flew back to Rama to tell him where Sita was.

Rama, Lakshmana and the monkey army built a causeway from the tip of India to Lanka and
crossed over to Lanka where a cosmic battle ensued. Rama killed several of Ravana’s brothers
and eventually confronted the ten-headed Ravana. He killed Ravana, freed Sita and after Sita
proved here purity, they returned to Ayodhya where Bharata returned the crown to him.
The Tale of the Two Brothers
Anpu and Bata
Once, there were two brothers. Anpu was the name of the elder and Bata was the name of the
younger. When their parents died, Anpu was already married and had a house of his own, but his
little brother was to him, as it were, a son; so he took his little brother to live with him. When the little
brother grew into a young man, he was an excellent worker. He was who made for him his clothes;
he was who followed behind his oxen to the fields; he was who did the plowing; he was who
harvested the corn; he was who did for him all the matters which were in the field. There was not an
equal in the land. Behold the spirit of a god was with him.
Every morning, the younger brother followed his oxen and worked all day in the fields and every
evening he returned to the house with vegetables, milk, and wood. And he put them down before his
elder brother who was sitting with his wife, and he drank and ate, and after he lay down in his stable
with the cattle. And at the dawn of the next day he took bread which he had baked and laid it before
his elder brother, and he took with him his bread to the field, and he drove his cattle to pasture in the
fields.
And as he walked behind his cattle, they said to him, "Good is the herbage which is in that place";
and he listened to all that they said, and he took them to the good place which they desired. And the
cattle which were before him became exceedingly excellent, and they greatly multiplied in number.
Now at the time of plowing his elder brother said to him, "Let ourselves make a good yoke of oxen
ready for plowing, for the land has come out from the water; it is ready for plowing. Furthermore,
come to the field with corn, and we will begin the plowing tomorrow morning." this the elder brother
said, and his younger brother did all things as his elder brother had told him to do.
And when the morning came, they went to the fields with all of their things; and their hearts were
greatly pleased with the tasks they had to do for the beginning of their daily work.
After this, as they were in the field, they stopped for corn, and the elder brother sent his younger
brother, saying, "Hurry, bring us the corn from them for planting.
And the younger brother returned home to find the wife of his elder brother, as she was sitting
brushing her hair. He said to her, "Get up, and give me corn, so that I may run back to the field, for
my elder brother is in a hurry, do not delay. She said to him, "Go open the bin, and take as much as
you wish, so that I may not let my braids of hair fall while I am brushing them."
The youth went into the stable; carrying a large measure, for he wished to take much corn; he
loaded the measure with wheat and barley, and he left carrying it on his shoulders. She said to him,
"How much of the corn that is wanted, is that which is on thy shoulder ?" He replied to her, "Three
bushels of barley, and two of wheat, in all five; these are what I carry upon my shoulders". And she
seductively spoke with him, saying, "There is great strength in you, for I see your strength every
day." And her heart knew him with the knowledge of the passion of youth. And she arose and came
close to him, and spoke with him, saying, "Come, stay and play with me, and it shall be well for you,
and I will make beautiful clothes for you."
Then the youth became like a panther of the south with fury at the seductive evil of her words to him;
she greatly feared for the consequences. And then he spoke angrily to her, saying, "Look, you are
like a mother to me, your husband is like a father to me, for he who is older than I has raised me.
What is this wickedness that you have said to me? Never say it to me again. But, meanwhile, I won't
tell anyone of it, for I will not let it be said by the mouth of any man" He lifted up his burden, and he
went to the field and came to his elder brother; and they took up their work, to labor together at their
task.
Rebuked, and because Anpu loved his brother very much, his wife became jealous and wanted to
destroy Bata.
Now afterward, at evening, his elder brother was returning to his house; and the younger brother
was following behind with his oxen, loading himself with all the things of the field, Driving the oxen
before him, he took them to lie down in their stable which was in the farm.
Meanwhile, the wife of the elder brother was afraid of what she had said. So she took a parcel of fat,
and used it to make it look as though she was one who is evilly beaten, intending to say to her
husband, "It is your younger brother who has done this wrong." Her husband returned in the evening
as was his normally did each day: and as he came into his house, he found his wife ill from the
violence: she did not give him water to wash his hands as she normally did, she did not make a light
for him, and his house was in darkness, as she was lying down seems very sick.
Her husband said to her, "Who has done this to you?" She said, "No one has spoken with me today
except your younger brother. When he came to take the corn for you he found me sitting alone; he
said to me, 'Come, let us stay and play together, tie up your hair': This he said to me. I did not listen
to him, but I said to him: 'Look, am I not your mother, is not your elder brother like a father to you?'
And he was afraid, and he beat me to stop me from telling you, and if you should let him live I shall
die. Now look, he is coming in the evening; and I complain of these wicked words, for he did this
even in the daylight."
And now the elder brother became like a panther in the south; he sharpened his knife; he took it in
his hand; he stood behind the door of the stable to kill his younger brother as he came in the evening
to return his cattle to the stable.
Now the sun went down, and he loaded himself with vegetables in his usual manner. He came in,
and the first cow entered the stable, and she said to her keeper, "Look your elder brother is standing
in the dark before you with his knife to kill you; run from him." He heard what his first cow had said
and didn't enter. The next entering, the cow said it again. He looked beneath the door of the stable;
he saw the feet of his elder brother as he was standing behind the door, with his knife in his hand.
He threw down his load to the ground and fled swiftly as his elder brother chased after him with his
knife.
The younger brother cried out to Ra Harakhti (the Sun-god), saying, "My good lord! you are the one
who divides the evil from the good." And Ra, the sun, about to rise heard his cry; and so Ra made a
wide canal of water between him and his elder brother, and it was full of crocodiles; with the one
brother on one bank, whilst the other was on the other bank; and the elder brother hit his hands
together at being unable to kill him. And the younger brother called to his elder brother on another
bank, saying, "Stand still until the sun rises for the day; and when Ra rises, I shall swear my
innocence to you before him, and as he can distinguish between the good and the evil. And has not
your wife been as a mother to me? And I shall leave you forever; Now, since you want to kill me I
shall avoid every place where you are; I shall go to the valley of the Acacia.
Now when the land was lightened, and the next day appeared, Ra Harakhti rose, and one brother
looked at the other. And the youth spoke with his elder brother, saying, "Why have you come after
me to kill me secretly when you have not heard the words of innocence from my mouth? For I am
truly your brother, and you are to me as a father, and your wife even as a mother: is this not true?
Anpu answered, "Why did you beat up my wife and almost kill her?" Bata answered, "I did no such
thing. Have I not told you that I have always looked upon her as my mother?"
"Truly, when I was sent to bring corn for us, your wife said to me, 'Come, stay and play with me;'
forsee this truth has been turned over for you into its opposite." And he made him understand of all
that happened with him and his wife. And he swore an oath by Ra Harakhti, saying, "Your coming to
kill me secretly with your knife was an abomination." Then the youth took a knife, and cut off of his
flesh, and cast it into the water, and the fish swallowed it. He fell and fainted, and his elder brother
cursed his own heart greatly; he stood weeping for him from far off; as he knew he could not pass
over to where his younger brother lay, because of the crocodiles. And the younger brother called
unto him, saying, "Whilst you have dreamed an evil thing, wilt you not also dream a good thing, just
like that which I would do for you? When you go to your house you must look after your cattle
properly, And now as to what you shall do for me; I know you shall come to seek after me if you see
it enough. And this is what shall happen; I shall draw out my soul, and I shall put it upon the top of
the flowers of the acacia, and when the acacia is cut down, and it falls to the ground, and you come
to look for it, if you search for it even for seven years do not let your heart grow wearied. For thou will
find it, and then you must put it in a cup of cold water, and know then that I shall live again, that I will
make better that which has been done wrong. And you shall know of this, that is to say, that good
things are happening to me, for when one person shall give a cup of beer to you in your hand, and it
shall tremble; do not stop them, for truly it shall come to pass with you."
So Anpu went home. He found his wife near the river washing off the black and blue dye with which
she had painted herself. Filled with great anger, Anpu killed his wife and cast her to the dogs. Then
he sat down, poured ashes on his head, and mourned for his younger brother. Bata reached the
Valley of the Acacia. There was no one with him; he slew wild animals of the desert for his food and
built himself a house under the sacred acacia tree, the tree sacred to the gods, which bore his soul
upon the topmost flower. And after this he built himself a tower with his own hands, in the valley of
the acacia; it was full of all good things, that he might provide for himself a home.
One day as he walked out of his house, he met the Nine Gods who knew of his innocence and
goodness. Ra said to the god Khunumu, "Look, make a woman for Bata that he may not remain
alone. And Khunumu made for Bata a wife to dwell with him. She was indeed more beautiful than
any other woman in the whole land. She was like a goddess as the essence of every god was in her
and Bata loved her very much. The seven Hathors came to see her: they said with one mouth, " She
will die a sharp death."
And Bata loved her very exceedingly, and she dwelt in his house; he passed his time in hunting the
beasts of the desert and brought and laid them before her. He said, "Go not outside, lest the sea
seizes you; for I cannot rescue you from it, for I am a person like you; my soul is placed on the head
of the flower of the acacia; and if another find it, I must fight with him." And he opened unto her his
heart in all its nature.
Now after saying these things Bata went hunting in his daily manner. And the young girl went to walk
under the acacia which was by the side of her house. Then the sea saw her and cast its waves up
after her. She ran from before it. She entered her house. And the sea called unto the acacia, saying,
"Oh, would that I could seize her!" And the acacia brought a lock from her hair, and the sea carried it
to Egypt and dropped it in the place of the fullers, the makers of Pharaoh's linen. The smell of the
lock of hair entered into the clothes of Pharaoh; and they were angry with the fullers of Pharaoh,
saying, "The smell of ointment is in the clothes of Pharaoh." And the people were rebuked every day,
they knew not what they should do. And the chief fuller of Pharaoh walked by the bank, and his heart
was very evil within him after the daily quarrel with him. He stood still, he stood upon the sand
opposite to the lock of hair, which was in the water, and he made a servant go into the water and
bring it to him; and there was found in it a smell, exceedingly sweet. He took it to Pharaoh, and they
brought the scribes and the wise men, and they said unto Pharaoh, "This lock of hair belongs to a
daughter of Ra Harakhti: the essence of every god is in her, and it is a tribute to thee from another
land. Let messengers go to every strange land to seek her: and as for the messenger who shall go
to the valley of the acacia, let many men go with him to bring her." Then said his majesty, "Excellent,
this is exceeding is what has been said to us;" and they sent them. And many days after these things
the people who were sent to strange lands came to report to the king: but those that went to the
valley of the Acacia did not return, for Bata had killed them, but he let one of them return to give a
report to the king. His majesty sent many men and soldiers, as well as horsemen to hold Bata, and
to bring her back. And there was a woman amongst them, and to her had been given in her hand
beautiful ornaments of a woman. And this time the girl came back with her, and they rejoiced over
her in the whole land.
And his majesty loved her exceedingly and raised her to a high estate, and he spoke to her saying
that she should tell him concerning her husband. And she said, "Let the acacia be cut down, and let
one chop it up." And they sent men and soldiers with their weapons to cut down the acacia, and they
came to the acacia, and they cut the flower upon which was the soul of Bata, and he fell dead
suddenly.
And when the next day came, and the earth was lightened, the acacia was cut down. And Anpu, the
elder brother of Bata, entered his house, and washed his hands; and a person gave him a cup of
beer, and it became troubled, and another one gave him another of wine, and the smell of it was evil.
Then he took his staff, and his sandals, and likewise his clothes, with his weapons of war; and he
went forth to the valley of the acacia. He entered the tower of his younger brother, and he found him
lying upon his mat; he was dead. And he wept when he saw his younger brother truly was lying
dead. And he went out to seek the soul of his younger brother under the acacia tree, under which his
younger brother lay in the evening.
He spent three years in seeking for it but found it not. And when he began looking in the fourth year,
he desired in his heart to return into Egypt
The Rubaiyat
By Omar Khayyam
Written 1120 A.C.E.

I
Wake! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight
The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes
The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.

II
Before the phantom of False morning died,
Methought a Voice within the Tavern cried,
"When all the Temple is prepared within,
Why nods the drowsy Worshipper outside?"

III
And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted--"Open then the Door!
You know how little while we have to stay,
And, once departed, may return no more."

IV
Now the New Year reviving old Desires,
The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
Where the White Hand Of Moses on the Bough
Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.

V
Iram indeed is gone with all his Rose,
And Jamshyd's Sev'n-ring'd Cup where no one knows;
But still a Ruby kindles in the Vine,
And many a Garden by the Water blows,

VI
And David's lips are lockt; but in divine
High-piping Pehlevi, with "Wine! Wine! Wine!
Red Wine!"--the Nightingale cries to the Rose
That sallow cheek of hers t' incarnadine.

VII
Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring
Your Winter-garment of Repentance fling:
The Bird of Time has but a little way
To flutter--and the Bird is on the Wing.

VIII
Whether at Naishapur or Babylon,
Whether the Cup with sweet or bitter run,
The Wine of Life keeps oozing drop by drop,
The Leaves of Life keep falling one by one
THE LITERATURE OF MYANMAR
The literature of Myanmar, formerly Burma, has a long history. The Mayazedi inscription (A.D. 1113)
is the earliest extant specimen of Burmese literature. It narrates the dedication of the Golden
Buddha by a prince and the gift of slave-villages to the image, ending with a prayer for the donor and
his friends. Over a thousand such dedicatory inscriptions were set up in the next 700 years,
containing eloquent poems and prayers of poetic merit.
In the fifteenth century up to the nineteenth century, palm-leaf (scratched with a stylus) and folded-
paper literature became common. Such works were filled with Buddhist piety and courtly refinement
of language. The authors were monks, educated courtiers, and court poetesses. Prose works during
this period were few, mostly Buddhist scriptures and chronicles of kings. Poetry was varied: there
were historical ballads, panegyric odes, the pyo (Buddhist story in verse), and the ya-du (poems of
love or nature). The writers also used the ―mixed style‖ or prose and poetry together. Examples of
this are the Yagan, a serio-comic epic, and the Myil-Ta-za, a letter of an abbot to the king.
Modern fiction began with the novel. An example is Tet-Pon-gyn, a classical novel.
With the founding of the University of Rangoon in 1920 came an increase in output of Burmese
literature. Foreign literature, especially English works, was transplanted. With independence in 1948,
Burmese has gradually replaced English as the medium of instruction, and literature has become
nationalistic.

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