A Folktale from China

BEAUTIFUL FIRE

By Endang Firdaus

Long ago, in China, there lived a smart boy named Ming. “Mother, when can I go to school like my old brother?” he said to his mother. He got jealous if his old brother went to school.
“You’ll go to school if you’re enough old,” Ming’s mother answered. But Ming did not want to wait for. One day he went to Mr Hung’s school. Mr Hung was a wise man and the king liked him very much. He accepted smart children only to become his students.
Ming gave a salute to Mr Hung. He said, “Teacher, please accept me to be your student.”
Smiling, Mr Hung looked at Ming. “Come here next year,” he said and closed the gate of his school.
Everyday Ming came to Mr Hung to ask him to be his student. At last Mr Hung said, “I’ll accept you as my student if you can find what ‘Beautiful Fire’ is. Go home now. Look for the answer.”
Happily, Ming went home. It was nearly dark. Ming saw a torch lighting his yard. “It’s ‘Beautiful Fire’. One torch can light the wide yard,” thought Ming. “Tomorrow I’ll take it to Mr Hung.”
When Ming woke up in the morning, the torch was extinguished. He cried. His father laughed at him. He said, “Ming, the torch isn’t needed in the day-time. His job is replaced by the sun.”
Ming went to the kitchen. He saw fire there. The color of fire was blue, yellow, and red. Ming’s mother was grilling some fish on it. When she added some firewood to it, fire became big. “This is ‘Beautiful Fire’,” thought Ming. “It can cook our food and boil water.”
Ming went to Mr Hung’s school. He wanted to report ‘Beautiful Fire’ he found. “It is not ‘Beautiful Fire’,” said Mr Hung.
Night came. Ming’s father took fire to make warm the living room. Ming came to fire. It was like fire in the kitchen. Ming took out firewood from fire and made fire extinguished. The room became cool. Ming’s father was angry. Ming put firewood into fire. But, he put too many firewood into it. It made the room too hot. Ming’s father was very angry.
Ming went to Mr Hung’s School. “’Beautiful Fire’ is fire in our living room. It can make us warm,” he said.
“Hahaha!” Mr Hung laughed. “Ming, Ming, it’s only the usefulness of fire. It is not ‘Beautiful Fire’.”
Ming was very very disappoint. He went home. Arriving there he came into his room. He saw a candle lighting there. The candle’s fire lighted the room. “This is ‘Beautiful Fire’,” thought Ming, looking at his shadow on the wall. Quickly Ming took the candle to Mr Hung. But, on the way, the candle’s fire was extinguished. Ming was so sad.
Ming’s misery was not long. He was interested when he heard the sounds coming from people at the side of the street. “The King will pass here!” they shouted. “He’ll come to Mr Hung’s birthday.”
Fireworks were flamed to welcome the King. A big firework flew high to the air and burst beautifully. Ming looked up. Instantly, he knew that he found the answer. Soon he went into the King and his men passing. The King’s men got angry. “Catch the boy!” they shouted. Ming run very fast. He came to Mr Hung who was standing at the gate of his school to welcome the King.
Ming gave a salute to Mr Hung. In a hurry he said, “Teacher, I have found the answer! It’s there!”
Ming pointed to the sky.
Mr Hung looked up.
A firework burst beautifully in the night sky. Ming said, “Firework! It’s ‘Beautiful Fire’, Teacher!”
Happily Mr Hung laughed. He really admired to Ming who was smart and never stopped to get his want. He said, “You’re right. But your answer is not really right. The right answer is the fire of spirit. It’s the most beautiful fire in the world. And you have it in your heart.” Mr Hung pointed to Ming’s breast. He continued, “By your spirit, you’ll conquer every dangerous you’ll get. Welcome to my school, boy! I accept you to be my student!” He then open the gate of his school wide and asked Ming come into before the King.