Page:Chinese Fables and Folk Stories.djvu/172

168 He would not listen to his mother's teachings. She was a good woman and tried by different ways to make him do right. In school he was considered a very bright boy and learned fast, but he would not obey his teacher.

Kong-Hwa was only seven years old when he came home one day with his books. He had run away from school.

As he came into the room where his mother was working, he cried out, "Mü-Ts'ing, why do you do that?"

She was cutting into little bits a fine large piece of cloth that she had woven to make the family clothes of. "Why do you spoil the cloth, mother?"

"Yes, my son, it is true I spoil the cloth. It is now good for nothing. It will not make clothes for your father, clothes for yourself, nor clothes for me. It is wasted, and will not be of use even for dust cloths. It is not good for anything. Do you know why I did that, my boy?"

"No, Mü-Ts'ing, why did you do it?"

"For this reason, my son: I am anxious that you shall be good and study your lessons in school every day, and I hope and hope that after a while you will be a good and wise man and do something for your father, your mother, and your nation. And I also hoped to make your clothes out of this cloth.