Xiao Ling and The Dragon's Scale

Page 8

The sun had already shone when she reached home - and from afar, Xiao Ling could see the worried form of her mother. The mother looked around and, when she spotted Xiao Ling, finally sighed in relief and called out to her, "Xiao Ling, where have you been? I've been looking for you."

Xiao Ling still didn't say anything. Her eyes were fixed to the ground as she bit her lower lip to hold back her tears. Her mother spotted this and asked whether anything was wrong. With glistening eyes, the little girl looked up to her mother and spilled everything: how she went looking for the dragon, how the dragon gave her the scale, and how she - out of pity - gave the scale to the old man instead.

"And now I can't cure Father..." she managed to say between her sobs. Her mother gently looked at her and brushed her tears. "There, there... How nice of you thinking about finding a cure for your father," she said. "I am proud of you, you're such a thoughtful daughter." The mother then assured the little girl that they would surely find another way to cure her beloved father.