by Khoa Le
“Is it the northern invaders?” Mulan cried, squinting through the darkness as the shouts came closer. A group of men came into view dragging Dou Jiane!
“This man was found having secret talks with the enemy!” bellowed one man. “He planned to betray our emperor!”
“Father, tell me it isn’t true!” Xianniang implored.
The men dragged him to the tent of the emperor. The gold and red silk tent flaps rustled as the emperor himself stepped out.
“Dou Jiane,” said the emperor, his voice loud and deep. “Is it true?”
Dou Jiane was quivering as he said. “It is, your excellency.”
“Then you will die at dawn for this great crime,” said the emperor, sadly. “Such a shame. The king of our best army, with our two greatest warriors. Why would you betray what they have fought so hard for?”
Xianniang let out a sob of grief and raced away. Mulan rushed after her friend.
“How could he?” Xianniang wailed. “I cannot let him die, even if he did betray our Emperor.”
“Do not worry,” Mulan reassured her friend. “I have a plan.”
The next morning, all the troops gathered for the execution.
Mulan and Xianniang stepped out of Xianniang’s tent. They were both dressed in their girls’ clothes and wearing their hair in the female way. They each held a knife in their teeth and walked silently.
Gasps followed them.
“That warrior is a woman?”
“Both our greatest fighters are girls?”
“How can it be?”
Mulan and Xianniang said nothing as they approached the Emperor in front of his tent.
Beside him, on the ground, knelt Dou Jiane. The executioner was ready and waiting.
“What is this?” the Emperor asked in confusion. “Who are you?” he demanded.
Mulan and Xianniang knelt before him. Mulan took her knife from her mouth and said, “Your Excellency, I am Mulan. I disguised myself as a boy to take my father’s place in the war, for he is frail. I was selected and trained to be a great warrior by Xianniang. She is now my sister in arms. Although Dou Jiane betrayed you, he has also brought fame to your armies through his daughter, for Xianniang is one of your greatest warriors. Since Xianniang trained me, I am also a great warrior because of Dou Jiane. So, we ask for mercy for him. He is all Xianniang has.”
The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “Dou Jiane would have thrown away all that you have fought for, and yet you still ask me to spare his life?”
Xianniang took the knife from her own mouth. “We do.”
The Emperor stared at them both for a moment, then smiled. “And this is a spirit of true warriors. Mercy, especially for the weak.” He raised his voice as he looked around the gathered men. “We can learn much from these women. I will do what they ask and spare this man.”
Mulan and Xianniang were thrilled! They thanked the emperor and Xianniang ran to her father.
The Emperor’s mother, a famously wise lady, peered at Mulan closely. “It is not only mercy she shows, but protection. Mulan, you have shown that you will protect those in need, even at a great cost to yourself. You came to war to protect your father and you revealed your secret to protect Dou Jiane. I would like to reward you.”
And so, when Mulan finally went home from the war, she rode the finest horse in the empire, laden with treasures that had once been beyond her wildest dreams. The legend of Mulan had spread even to her own village, but her family were still shocked when they saw her, because they had not dared to believe it.
Heidi’s New Adventures
Adapted from Heidi, by Johanna Spyri
There once was a young girl named Heidi who lived in Switzerland many years ago. She was an orphan and she lived with her aunt, Dete, in a small town in the foothills of a mountain range called the Alps. Heidi missed her parents but she tried to tell herself that life with Dete was a new adventure, and they would have wanted her to make the most of it.
However, just as Heidi was starting to feel settled, Dete got a new job working as a maid in a smart house in the big city. She wasn’t allowed to take Heidi with her, so she arranged for Heidi to go and live with her grandfather instead.
Heidi had never met her grandfather, but she had heard many tales of him and they made her nervous. He lived all by himself near the top of one of the big mountains. Because of this, not many people saw him, but those who did said he was very grumpy. Heidi was worried that she was going to be trapped alone on a mountaintop with a mean old man.
The morning of the dreaded day dawned bright and beautiful. They set off from the closest village to Grandfather’s house and then began to walk up, up, up until their legs burned. Heidi had never been so high in her life. The air was even more crisp and clear than lower down the mountains and the grass was bright green and lush. Grandfather’s cottage looked rather pretty and Heidi found it hard to believe someone so bad-tempered could live somewhere so lovely—until the door flew open and she found herself staring into Grandfather’s furious face.
He tried to send them away, but Dete firmly insisted that he take Heidi. As Dete left, she whispered. “Don’t be afraid, he’s a good man really.”
Heidi took a deep breath. This was a new adventure.
To Heidi’s surprise, Grandfather’s cottage was rather homely inside and he had made up a bed for her, despite what he had said to Dete. Heidi said thank you and tried to chatter away as merrily as she could. Grandfather didn’t answer much, but he didn’t stop her talking.
When it was lunchtime, he was generous with food, and poured her a big glass of goat’s milk. Heidi thought it was delicious and when she said so, the first hint of a smile cracked Grandfather’s face. “That is fresh this morning from the goats outside. Their names are Little Swan and Little Bear. You can meet them after lunch, if you like.”
“I should love to!” cried Heidi. She drained her glass and finished her lunch, then helped Grandfather to clear up.
“Good girl,” he said, gruffly.
Outside on the mountain, Heidi had to get used to the feeling that she might fall off at every step. They were so high up and the slopes were so steep! But the two white goats were sure-footed as anything. Grandfather introduced her to a boy called Peter, who was the goatherd. “I’m pleased you’re here,” Peter beamed. “I have no friends my own age up here.”
The two of them became firm friends very quickly. Grandfather didn’t believe in school, so he taught Heidi what he knew at home and she spent her days out on the slopes with Peter and the goats, and her evenings with Grandfather, who wasn’t mean at all. She grew strong on goat’s milk and good food.
Then, one day, Dete wrote with the news that Heidi had been hired as a companion to a little girl called Clara, who had been very ill. She lived in Frankfurt. Heidi didn’t want to leave the mountains for the big city, and Grandfather didn’t want her to go either, but Dete wouldn’t listen.
Arriving in Frankfurt days later, Heidi felt like a startled rabbit. The city air was warm and choked with fumes. Everything was so noisy. People chattered and shouted, engines rumbled, doors banged, dogs barked—and there were so many of all of them.
It’s just another adventure, she told herself.
The big house was gloomy and ruled over by a mean housekeeper, called Mrs. Rottenmeier. She took Heidi to meet Clara. Clara was a few years older than Heidi. She was too weak to walk, so she had to lie in bed all day, every day.
Heidi felt lonely and scared. She may as well have been all alone in the big city for all any of the family cared about her. Nevertheless, she did her best to keep Clara company and soon the girls became friends. Heidi knew it must be hard for Clara to be cheerful when she was stuck in bed all day.
As time passed, Heidi tried her best to fit in with the household and be a ray of sunshine for Clara. But it was hard to do when she felt
that her world was becoming increasingly dull and gloomy. She ached with homesickness for the mountains, for grandfather, and for Peter. She lost her appetite and grew thin. The healthy rosy blush faded from her cheeks.
One morning, Heidi went in to see Clara and found her looking frightened.
“Why, Clara, whatever is wrong?” Heidi asked.
“Last night, I saw a ghost!” Clara whispered. “It walked right past my door, all white and spooky!”
Heidi gasped, feeling very scared.
Mrs. Rottenmeier said there was no such thing as a ghost—until she saw the ghost the next night and woke the whole house up with her screams!
Heidi lived in fear of being visited by the ghost. She struggled to get to sleep and wished even more that she could escape to the mountains.
Then, one night, Clara woke to see the ghost again. This time, it didn’t just pass her door but came right into the room. Clara screamed, but then stopped and gasped. “Why, Heidi, it’s you!”
As lights flickered on all over the house and everyone came rushing to Clara’s aid, they saw that the thin, pale, ghostly figure was in fact Heidi.
Heidi’s eyes blinked open and she was very confused to find herself in Clara’s room. “What’s going on?”
“Heidi, you were sleepwalking. You were the ghost!” Clara told her.
The doctor was called right away. He took a long look at Heidi’s pale face and tired eyes, and saw how thin she was. “I’m afraid this child is withering away in town,” he told Mrs. Rottenmeier. “She must go back to the mountains right away before she becomes bedbound too.”
Heidi was thrilled to go home. Almost as soon as she set foot on the mountain grass, the flush returned to her cheeks. After several days of good food and fresh air, she felt like herself again and was back racing around with Peter outside.
“What a miraculous recovery!” Grandfather laughed.
This gave Heidi an idea. “Grandfather, I think Clara should come to the mountains! Maybe it would make her better, too?”
Grandfather agreed that it was worth a try. Heidi wrote to Clara and all the necessary arrangements were made. A special wheelchair was brought so that Heidi could push Clara around on the mountain.
When Clara arrived, she was a little nervous at first.
“Just think of this as an adventure,” Heidi said. Clara smiled.
As Heidi had hoped, Clara grew to love everything—the mountain village, the flowers, the goats, even Grandfather! Like Heidi before her, she grew stronger in the mountain air, eating good food.
Heidi and Clara were so inseparable that Peter began to feel jealous. He’d preferred it when it was just him and Heidi. He wished that they could go off and play by themselves.
One day, Heidi and Clara were sitting on the grassy slope by Grandfather’s house, picking flowers and chattering. Clara’s wheelchair sat a little way away. Peter crept up to it and pushed it down the slope before hiding behind a tree.
When Heidi saw the wheelchair racing down the hill, she jumped up to try to catch it. But she was too slow. The chair hurtled toward some rocks and hit them at such high speed that it broke into pieces.
“My chair!” Clara wailed.
Heidi was crushed for her friend. Without a chair, Clara had no way to move around.
Peter felt ashamed of what he had done and ran home, crying.
Grandfather carried Clara back to the cottage and set her down in an armchair. He told the girls that it might be time for Clara to go home now.
“No!” said Clara. “I won’t leave. I am so much stronger now. Look!” She pushed herself to her feet and stood, unsupported—if a little wobbly. Then, she took one step, then another.
“Clara that’s amazing!” Heidi cheered.
The next morning, Peter came to the cottage with all of the parts of the wheelchair in a cart. He sheepishly admitted what he had done and said sorry to Clara.
“But Peter, you helped me,” Clara said. “For now, I can walk!”
Peter, Clara, and Heidi spent a long time learning how to repair the wheelchair, and helping Clara to get strong enough to walk again.
When Clara’s grandmother came up to visit, she was astounded to be met by the sight of her little granddaughter looking happy and healthy, walking down to greet her.
Heidi, Clara, and Peter all stayed friends for the rest of their lives and wherever they went and whatever they did, they looked upon everything as a new adventure.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Adapted from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
There once was a young girl called Alice, who lived in the English countryside. One late summer’s day, she went for a walk with her older sister. They walked a long way and then sat down on the riverbank to each read their own books. Alice had a book of facts that she was very interested in, but as she read, she was distracted by a scurrying noise. She looked up and saw, with surprise, a white rabbit dressed in a smart jacket, hurrying past her.
Now, it was very strange to see a white rabbit that wasn’t a pet. And even more strange to see it wearing clothes! Then, Alice’s jaw dropped wide open as she heard the rabbit speak!
“Oh dear, I am very late,” White Rabbit fretted. It pulled a tiny pocket watch out of its jacket pocket, checked the time, and shook its head before dashing on.
“Hello!” Alice called to White Rabbit, but it paid her no attention and ran on into the trees. Alice wondered what event a rabbit could possibly be late for! Her book forgotten, she scrambled to her feet and hurried after it.
She caught sight of it again just as it disappeared into a rather large rabbit hole between two trees. She knelt down and stuck her head into the rabbit hole. It was pitch black and she could see nothing at all. The hole really was enormous, big enough for her to crawl inside. She shuffled in a bit farther, then a bit more. “Hello, Mr. Rabbit?” she called.
There was no reply.
Alice pushed a little farther in, squinting in the darkness. And then suddenly, there was nothing under her hands and she fell forward, tumbling into black nothingness.
She landed, finally, with a big bump. “Oof!”
She was in a strange hall, lined with many doors of all shapes and sizes. Some looked big enough to let a giant through and others would barely fit Alice’s own shoe. The White Rabbit was nowhere to be seen.
Alice looked for a door that seemed about her size and tried to open it. The handle wouldn’t turn; it was locked. She tried every door in the hall, but they were all locked. She spotted a key on the floor and tried it in each door. Finally, it opened one, but the door was so small, Alice couldn’t fit through it, even if she made herself into a tiny ball and breathed in.
Then, she noticed a small glass bottle filled with pink liquid sitting on a table. There was a label on the bottle, saying “Drink me.”
Alice shrugged. She tipped the bottle back and drank it in one gulp. Instantly, she started to shrink smaller and smaller until she was the perfect size for the door!
Alice ran through the door and found herself outside. She wandered down a grassy lane until she happened upon a very strange sight. A small man wearing a huge top hat was sitting at a heavily laden tea table. Next to him was a hare and between them, curled up in a pretty porcelain teacup, was a sleepy-looking dormouse. There were many spare seats at the table. Alice went and sat in one.
“No room, no room!” The Mad Hatter and the Mad March Hare cried, shooing at her.
“There’s lots and lots of room,” said Alice, frowning.
“Oh well, if you’re here, you might as well answer a riddle,” said the Mad Hatter.
Alice was pleased. She liked riddles. “Go on then.”
“Why is a raven like a writing desk?” the Mad Hatter asked.
Alice thought hard but she couldn’t think of a clev
er answer. “I don’t know,” she said.
“Neither do we,” giggled the March Hare.
Alice thought they were making fun of her and felt cross. “What’s the point in wasting time asking riddles you don’t even know the answer to?”
“TIME!” The Mad Hatter exploded. “Don’t talk to me about him. We argued a few months ago and that’s why it’s always six o’clock.”
“And that’s why we’re stuck at this never-ending tea party,” said the Mad March Hare.
“I quite agree,” said the dormouse, sleepily.
Alice stood up. “This is the stupidest party I’ve ever been to. I’m leaving.”
She walked on and found herself in a garden, lined with white rose bushes. To her surprise, standing on one side of the garden, painting the white roses with red paint, were several live playing cards, just as tall as her.
“Hurry,” one of the cards was moaning. “The Queen of Hearts will be here in a minute and she hates white roses.”
Another card nodded as he hurriedly slopped paint on. “Only red will do!”
Before Alice had a chance to ask them what on earth was going on, a fanfare sounded and the most peculiar procession wound its way into the garden.
There were several more playing cards, lots of animals—including the white rabbit—and finally, a king and a queen, all dressed in red clothes covered with hearts.
That must be the King and Queen of Hearts, Alice thought to herself.
The Queen suddenly stopped, glaring at the freshly painted roses, which were dripping onto the ground below. “Who did this?” she demanded.
The playing cards who had been painting shuffled their feet. “Uh, we did, your majesty.”
“OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” the Queen bellowed. Then, she caught sight of Alice. “Who are you?”