#amy friedman

[philipchircop]

THE CRACKED POT

Once upon a time a woman named Chang Chang worked for a merchant in Sichuan province. The merchant’s home was high atop a hill, and Chang Chang worked as the merchant’s laundress. Every day she had to walk down the hill to collect water from the stream.

When she was young, Chang Chang made two pots to carry her water, and these she hung upon a pole she could carry over her shoulders. She painted…

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[dailydoseoflit]

Story: Amy Friedman

Never underestimate the nine-year-old, especially in this essay from Amy Friedman.

Two Kids, One Burning Stone

After a bit of coughing, some surely genuine and some perhaps feigned to make the experience seem worse than it was for his 12-year-old son, my father turned the cigarette around and handed it to my brother filter first. “Put it to your lips, suck in some smoke, and breathe it into your lungs,” my father instructed him while my mother swatted furiously at the wafting…

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[heckyeahhermes]

Apollo went at once to little Hermes' basket and cried, 'Give me my cows!' Hermes looked up at him, his eyes wide. 'But I'm just a baby. I couldn't steal a cow.' Apollo was furious. 'I'll punish you for this,' he raged, and Hermes leaped from his crib and began to run, Apollo fast on his heels. When the other gods saw this sight, they burst out laughing. 'Look at the great god Apollo chasing a baby,' they laughed, but Apollo cried, 'This little boy is no ordinary creature. He's stolen my cows.' And then Apollo raged to his father, Zeus: 'Father, he must return them to me. Tell him so!' Now Zeus was not pleased with the theft, but even he could not help but smile at the mischief caused by this amazing little lad.

The Divine Mischief-Maker by Amy Friedman