FOOTBINDING
The name given to the little girl was _Ch'ang-Chu_, which means
"Everlasting Pearl," and a little treasure she proved herself to be to
her parents. She was good-natured and kind-hearted, full of life and
spirit, and gave much joy to those who watched over her. But it was
very seldom--indeed, only on state occasions--that she was called
Everlasting Pearl in her home and among her little friends. More often
she went by the name of _Nü-ku_, or "Girl-dog." Her parents, afraid of
losing her, had given her this name in order to deceive the evil
spirits who might be seeking her life, but who were not likely to
trouble themselves about a "dog."
One day, when Everlasting Pearl was about six years old, she saw her
mother working on a pair of small shoes, and asked for whom they were.
Her mother informed her they were for her, as it was time she had her
feet bound. "Your feet are getting so big and clumsy," she said, "and
you are running about far too much for a girl. It is high time that
you had them bound." Everlasting Pearl made no protest. She knew all
girls had to have their feet bound, and, of course, she could not be
different from the rest.
So when the shoes were finished the footbinding was begun. But oh, the
suffering of it! The mother took a long strip of calico, and wound it
tightly round the little foot, bending the toes right under the sole.
She did not succeed at once in getting the right size, so she undid the
binding and tried again, whilst the little girl cried aloud for pain.
Over and over again the process was begun, but not finished, as the
shoes were so small that the feet could not be squeezed into them. But
at last they were made to fit the shoes, and Everlasting Pearl walked
about with sore and aching feet, wondering if they could ever become as
small as those of some young girls she knew. Night after night she
cried herself to sleep, wondering whether the pain would ever come to
an end, and how she could possibly endure it much longer. But there
were compensations. Month by month and year by year her feet grew
smaller, until her shoes were tinier than those she had worn in her
babyhood. Her little girl-companions admired the tiny feet, and
respected their owner, and both she and her mother received a great
deal of praise from the older women. Her small feet were a sign that
her mother cared for her, and meant to marry her well: so the future
looked bright and promising.