"My Lady of the Beautiful Morning" believed in the education of
story-telling; and she did not limit her stories wholly to tales with
"morals," but told those that awakened the imagination. This she did for
Lucy's sake and Charlie's, believing that all little people should pass
through fairyland once in their lives.
She used, like Queen Scheherazade of the Arabian Nights, to gather up
stories that pictured places, habits, and manners of the people, to
relate; and this year, when the garden began to flower, she had many
such to tell under the trees. Sky-High was always a listener. He was
always permitted to be with the family in the evening. He loved
wonder-tales. They carried him off as on an "enchanted carpet."
One evening Mrs. Van Buren said, "I have a new idea. Sky-High might tell
_us_ some stories. He speaks English well when he chooses.
Sky-High, tell us some tale of your own country. You have wonder-tales
in China."
"In the stories of my country animals talk," said Sky-High.
"Tell us some of your stories in which animals talk," said Lucy,
clapping her hands.
"Animals always talk, everywhere," said Sky-High. "In China we interpret
what they say."
The word "interpret" was rather a big one for Lucy. But as Sky-High was
given to using unexpected words, the little girl was herself beginning
to indulge in a larger vocabulary.
So Sky-High began to relate an old Chinese household story.