Xī Hóng Shì And The Bucket

Xī Hóng Shì And The Bucket
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xī Hóng Shì was wandering through the shady forest one hot summer's day, long ago in Guizhou province in old, old China....

He wandered here and there, so thirsty from the hot day, but he couldn't find any brooks or streams to drink some cooling water from! So imagine his happiness when he came across an old well close to Yixian village! He clapped his hands and ran over to pull up some cool well water....

Yet as soon as he drew near, he heard small sobbing cries coming from down inside the well! And to his great surprise, when he looked down the well, he saw a small boy of Yixian village that had fallen down into the well! Xī Hóng Shì cried out, "Don't worry, little one! i'll get you up and home again! Just grab on to the bucket and i'll pull you up!"

And that is just what Xī Hóng Shì did.... He cranked the bucket up, turn after turn, and soon the little boy popped up at the top, crying and sitting in the bucket! Xī Hóng Shì whooped with delight, and helped the little boy back onto the ground; holding his hand, he took the little boy back to his home in Yixian village....

The boy's family was overjoyed to see their little child, and shook Xī Hóng Shì's hand many times.... When he told them the story of bringing the little boy up in the bucket, the family insisted on being taken to the well in the woods to see this bucket for themselves....

When they all arrived at the woodland well outside of Yixian village, the little boy's father let out a big whoop, and the little boy's mother cried tears of joy, and the little boy's brothers and sisters all raised a happy clamor! They took the bucket from the well and raised IT on their shoulders, and the whole family carried the bucket back to the village square, shouting cries of joy the whole way....

Once in town, they paraded the bucket through the village streets, telling the story of how the bucket saved the boy from drowning in the woodland well.... The village elders came out and gave thanks to the bucket, and all the people of the village touched the bucket reverently as IT passed by.... Xī Hóng Shì followed behind, happy but uncertain of why his name was not being mentioned in the story, and why the village elders were not thanking him....

Finally, an official event was organized in the village square, and the whole village turned out for speeches about the heroic bucket and ITs brave actions that day! The bucket was awarded Yixian village's highest honor, and many wishes were bestowed upon IT for a long and prosperous usefulness.... Xī Hóng Shì sulked by the side of the village square with his arms crossed and a big frown on his face, as the people of Yixian village lit fireworks and brought out table after table of delicious food and drink, all dedicated to the brave bucket and the little boy IT had saved....

In the end, the bucket was covered in bronze by the village metalsmith, and awarded to the little boy's family in memory of the great event.... The bronzed bucket found a place of honor in the family's house, to be used at the most important and splendid occasions; and when not in special use, IT would hold the ashes of the family's ancestors and would be venerated daily by the father and mother, and the little boy and all his brothers and sisters....

No one ever had a second thought about grumpy Xī Hóng Shì, who went back through the hot muggy woods to his own home, pouting and grumbling the whole way about the foolish folk of Yixian village....