Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 267

New Tales of Old Shanghai
Kennedy School, Roberts, Poppy - 8
O
nce in Old Shanghai there lived a boy called Xu. He loved solving mysteries, and there were a lot of
dangerous things to solve in Shanghai.
One day Xu snuck away from his house to try to find dangerous things in the world but he always remembered
his Mum’s warning. She said
“Never go away from this house as there are many dangerous things out there like dragons and kidnappers.”
But Xu really really liked solving mysteries. So he went out on his own. Do you know what happened to him?
When he was out, all alone, he saw a… Dragon. It was really scary! Its whole body was red with anger. His eyes
had dark blue scars. His teeth were really white and really really long and sharp. Xu slowly began to move
backwards hoping to escape before the dragon caught him. But he was too late. The dragon’s long arms reached
out to grab Xu. The dragon picked him up and began to twitch and turn. Back at his house his mother was busy
and she didn’t even notice that her son had totally disappeared.
Xu was struggling to breathe because the dragons arms had caught his neck tightly. Suddenly, the Dragon got
distracted. His mouth dropped open and his hands unclenched and Xu slid out of the Dragon’s hand and ran all
the the way home.
When he reached his house he burst in.
“Mum, Mum, you will never believe this. I went out into the world at night to try to find some dangerous things
and I found a Dragon. He didn’t see me ‘till I screamed, then he grabbed me. I thought I’d never escape, then he
accidently opened his hand. I slid out and I ran all the way home so here I am. Then Mum said “Hang on. Did
you say you actually went out into the world despite me saying it is really dangerous?
“Yes’’ Xu replied. “I was wrong. It really is dangerous. I didn’t believe you. I’m sorry.”
Then Xu’s mother shouted “GO TO BED THIS INSTANT.”
“But why?” Xu asked.
“Because you nearly got killed and you did not listen to me.”
“Ok” Xu said, and he went upstairs. At his desk, he got out his notepad and started writing a sorry letter to his
mother. This is what the letter said.
Dear Mother
I am sorry I went out into the world without telling you. I would do anything to make you forget. Even if it
means I have to miss dessert which you know I love so much.
So Xu went downstairs and gave her the note. She read it and as soon as she had finished she said,
“You know you scared me to death.”
“No, I didn’t know” Xu said. “But I am sorry. It won’t happen again I promise because I hate the outside
world. I am never going out there again. I am always going to stay in this house” Xu said.
And they lived happily ever after.