From Horn Book
A gentle and delicate tale from a Chinese source of three centuries ago
tells of kindness overcoming greed and cruelty. A wandering priest, poorest of
the poor, yet with magical powers, arrives in a small village. There he
persuades a village boy to free a caged sparrow, restores the water to aged
Widow Liang's well, and, finally, at the August Moon Festival, teaches greedy
Farmer Wu, the cause of most of the village's misery, a lesson in sharing. And
to little Fu Nan, who has given his birthday money to buy one of Farmer Wu's
pears for the old priest, he gives a scrap of paper that turns into a glorious
kite. This quiet lesson in sharing is distinguished by exquisite, lightly
colored pen-and-ink illustrations that reflect Fu Nan's yearnings, the old man's
wisdom, and the subtle nature of the tale. A source note is appended.
Synopsis A cautionary tale
from ancient China--full of contemporary appeal. A greedy, selfish farmer gets
up comeuppance at the August Moon Festival, when the kindly beggar priest whom
he has slighted performs a magic trick that makes the farmer a laughingstock of
the village. Full color.
