Hello,
And welcome to today's Read Aloud.
Today's Read Aloud is entitled,
The Junior Thunderlord,
By Lawrence Yip.
Pictures by Robert Van Nut.
Once there was a boy named you who had trouble learning his lessons.
His teacher would get so mad that he would beat you.
But the smartest boy,
Saw,
Felt sorry for him.
Those at the top,
Saw said,
Should help those at the bottom.
You never forgot those words.
Even when he grew up and became a merchant,
He was always helping his neighbors.
However,
There came a time when the rains did not fall for three years in a row.
The crops died in the field so nobody had anything to trade.
You had to go south to find customers for his goods.
He bid farewell to his family.
After traveling through many places,
You eventually reached a strange peninsula called Thunder County,
Where the sea boomed and crashed against the land.
In town,
He found a crowd hauling a cart with drums joined to one another.
The drummers raised a din loud enough to drown out the noise of the surf.
Squeezing his way through the jammed streets,
He sat down at an inn and asked the innkeeper what was going on.
Today we honor the Thunder Lords,
The innkeeper explained.
With their stone axes,
They make the thunder and help the dragons bring rain.
You can find stone chips wherever they fashion their axes.
You had no sooner asked for noodles when a big,
Scowling man shuffled in and plopped down on the same bench.
He was so hairy that he looked like a bear squeezed into a blue leather vest and bright red trousers.
Around his waist was a leopard-skinned sash.
Don't worry,
Sir,
The innkeeper whispered to you.
Bearface is as stupid as he is big.
He doesn't know about money or the simplest things.
Don't pay any attention to him.
He'll go away eventually.
If my friend Shaw had thought that way,
I'd still be in school,
You said.
Please bring him a bowl of noodles for Bearface as well.
When the innkeeper brought their orders,
Bearface immediate plunged a hand into his bowl and crammed noodles into his mouth.
You're disgusting,
The innkeeper scolded Bearface.
Where are your manners?
Use your chopsticks.
Bearface ignored the innkeeper as he gulped down mouthful after mouthful.
Poor fellow,
He eats that way because he's starved,
You said.
Bring him another bowl,
The innkeeper snorted.
Don't be so nice to that slob.
He won't even thank you.
Sure enough,
When Bearface finished his second bowl,
He banged it on the table.
More,
He demanded,
And you felt so sorry for Bearface that he ordered a whole shoulder of pork and stuffed dumplings.
When Bearface had finally gobbled up enough for six,
He reached out a huge greasy hand and yanked you toward him so that they were nose to nose.
I haven't had a real meal like that for almost three years.
In all my wanderings,
You're the only one who's been kind to me.
You stammered.
Think nothing of it.
When you're at the top,
You have to help the person on the bottom.
The big man thought a moment and then belched right into his face.
How true.
It's written on your face that you're in mortal danger,
So I better go with you.
That was the last thing you wanted,
And he told Bearface to stay.
But the big ugly fellow stuck by his promise.
The rest of that day,
Bearface shambled behind you wherever he went.
By late afternoon,
You were sorry he had ever done that fellow a favor.
When he reached the bustling docks,
He turned around.
You've wasted your time,
You said,
For I am leaving on the next boat.
Then I sail too,
Bearface insisted.
And sure enough,
He plotted right after you onto the ship.
The crew tried to throw him off,
But when they couldn't budge the hairy giant,
An embarrassed you paid his fare.
This is the last time I spend any money on you,
You grumbled in exasperation.
They had no sooner left sight of the land when a storm swept in and capsized the boat,
Throwing everyone into the dark waters.
As you began to sink,
He felt himself seized by a big fist and set upon a hairy back.
As you clung to his guardian's neck,
Bearface swam easily through the choppy waves to shore.
When he had saved the crew and the other passengers,
He paddled back out for used goods.
On the beach,
You tried to thank Bearface,
But the hairy man just waved his hand in farewell.
We're even now,
He said.
You grabbed his arm.
Don't go.
You saved my life.
The huge hairy man was surprised.
Think of how it will look.
I've already spent too much time with you.
I don't care,
You swore.
They can call me crazy if they want.
You're my friend.
When Bearface smiled,
It was such a fierce,
Scary scowl that you would have run away if Bearface had not recently saved his life.
The two traveled on.
When you had sold all his goods,
He and Bearface headed for home.
The closer they got to used village,
The worse the drought became and the angrier Bearface grew.
When they reached used village,
The wells were full of dust and the plants were like burned whiskers and the trees mere sticks.
This is awful.
What a botch-up,
A sweating Bearface growled.
You sighed and fanned himself with his hands.
I know,
But what can we do?
Those on the top should always help those on the bottom.
Looking up at the sky,
He shouted,
Come brothers,
My time is done.
You gave a gasp when he saw dark clouds appear on the horizon and sweep toward them.
Bearface held his arms out toward the clouds.
Over here,
Brothers.
The coming storm rumbled in answer.
Bearface's hands changed into paws with golden claws and so did his feet.
Who are you?
You gasped in amazement.
I am Bearface,
A junior Thunderlord,
He boomed.
A black stone axe appeared in Bearface's hands and a band of little drums was suddenly strung across his shoulders.
You mortals thought I was a fool because I didn't know your ways,
But how would you fare up in my sky country?
You fell to his knees.
Forgive me,
Lord,
I did not know.
Bearface smiled affectionately at you,
But I am also your friend.
Then with a whoop,
Bearface began to beat the drums with his axe.
Peals of thunder shook the houses and rattled the roof tiles.
What are you doing down here,
Lord,
You wondered.
I told an uppity dragon what I thought of him,
Bearface explained.
Unfortunately,
He was a king,
So I was condemned to live on the earth for three years.
But now my punishment is over.
Bearface pounded his drums faster and faster.
With each stroke,
Thunder crashed through the village.
Storm clouds drew overhead.
Bearface's leathery vest instantly changed into a powerful blue wings ten feet across.
Now let me show you what it's really like to be on top.
Hugging you against his chest,
Bearface slapped his great wings and soared into the sky toward the dark storm clouds.
Dragons prowled the flanks of the storm,
While creatures just like Bearface drove the huge clouds along the cracks of thunder.
Dark as water buffalo,
The clouds lumbered across the sky.
As soon as the other creatures saw Bearface,
They called out their greetings and swirled around.
I go away for a little while and you let things slide until there's a terrible mess below,
He scolded them.
Then he herded one cloud to the side and said to you,
Push the side of the cloud,
Friend.
When you did,
Rain began to fall.
You can aim better than that,
Bearface hinted.
Down below,
The towns were the size of beans,
But you managed to find his home.
He was careful to squeeze the spongy cloud so that every drop of rain fell there.
When the cloud was gone,
Bearface regretfully said it was time for them to part.
Pulling the sash from his waist,
He told you to take hold of one end and he would lower you down to the village.
Farewell,
Friend,
Bearface said.
When I was at my lowest,
You lifted me up.
I won't ever forget you.
The next moment,
The air whistled past Hugh's ears.
Suddenly,
He was standing right outside his home.
All around him,
The streams and ponds were full and the fields sparkled with life.
As he admired the wet countryside,
He heard his wife greeting him.
After that,
The village always had all the rain it needed.
And when it was pouring its hardest,
Hugh and his wife would go outside to wave up at their friend as he drove his storm clouds overhead.
This is a retelling of a story collected and published in the 17th century by Pu Songlin in his Lai Dai Zhi Yi.
Thank you for listening.
Namaste.
