In The Five Chinese Brothers, one gets in trouble because of an act of kindness gone awry.
Of course, just like so many little boys, the lure of treasures trumps thoughtfulness. The first Chinese brother grew tired.
The boy drowned.
The story has a happy ending (except, of course, for the drowned boy, who would have died eventually anyway, as we all must, and his distraught family).
I loved the story as a child, and still do. It was written by an Claire Huchet Bishop, an American, in 1938. The pictures are considered by some to be racist--the mustard texture of the brothers' faces startles us now.
What does this have to do with Cape May?
Go to the ferry jetty at Douglass Park. Wait for a ferry to pull out. (Just listen for a long blast of a horn , followed by three quick toots.)
As the ferry meanders out of the canal, look on the opposite side of the jetty. In a moment or two, you will see the bay recede.
As the bay recedes, the bay's bottom is suddenly exposed.Shrimp bounce about, the crabs scamper every which way, the clams start to piss, and an occasional fish flops about on the exposed sand.
A few seconds later, the water rushes back in.
Words do not do justice to the spectacle.
Not sure this will ever make Exit Zero, the Cape May Herald, or the Gazette, but it catches my eyes every time.
You can check the ferry schedule for the next show. And you can't beat the price.
The first Chinese brother could swallow the sea. The second Chinese brother had an iron neck. The third Chinese brother could stretch and stretch and stretch his legs. The fourth Chinese brother could not be burned. The fifth Chinese brother could hold his breath indefinitely.A boy asked the first brother to swallow the sea, in order to catch rare and valuable fish. The Chinese brother agreed, so long as the boy would obey him when he called him back.Claire Huchet Bishop
Of course, just like so many little boys, the lure of treasures trumps thoughtfulness. The first Chinese brother grew tired.
It is very hard to hold the sea.
The boy drowned.
The story has a happy ending (except, of course, for the drowned boy, who would have died eventually anyway, as we all must, and his distraught family).
I loved the story as a child, and still do. It was written by an Claire Huchet Bishop, an American, in 1938. The pictures are considered by some to be racist--the mustard texture of the brothers' faces startles us now.
What does this have to do with Cape May?
Go to the ferry jetty at Douglass Park. Wait for a ferry to pull out. (Just listen for a long blast of a horn , followed by three quick toots.)
As the ferry meanders out of the canal, look on the opposite side of the jetty. In a moment or two, you will see the bay recede.
As the bay recedes, the bay's bottom is suddenly exposed.Shrimp bounce about, the crabs scamper every which way, the clams start to piss, and an occasional fish flops about on the exposed sand.
A few seconds later, the water rushes back in.
Words do not do justice to the spectacle.
Not sure this will ever make Exit Zero, the Cape May Herald, or the Gazette, but it catches my eyes every time.
You can check the ferry schedule for the next show. And you can't beat the price.
1 comment:
Wow, I loved that book too. I think I still have my original copy around here somewhere. Next time we're in Cape May, I am definitely going to go watch this phenomena. Thanks!
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