Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 -1 2019 | Page 81

Qilin of Friendship
Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Wong, Po Ying Emily - 11
The fisherman
I waded into the bay as the morning haze cleared. Before my eyes unfolded an armada of majestic warships
- some as big as small islands - sailed closer one after another. They looked like mighty towering
elephants, skimming through the waves of the sea. The ships’ silhouettes, against the morning sun, glowed
with an aura of power and might. Alarmed, I splashed back to shore, into the town centre, warning the
villagers to be cautious.
A cry rose from shore. I ran to the chattering crowd of villagers, and they made way for the soldiers that
were descending from the ship. They wore gold, sparkling armor that was a hundred times better than our
rusty shields and swords. One of the soldiers seemed to loom above all the others, apparently the leader of
the fleet.
“Dear people!” he bellowed,” we are from China, and we are here to profit and trade! I demand to see your
king!”
Excited, some villagers ran inland, eager to ask the king to meet this commanding general.
The general barked an order to his crew, and our villagers stared in awe as they carried down all sorts of
goods - huge porcelain vases, tapestries woven from soft velvet thread, and gold piled up as high mountains.
As mere Swahili villagers, we had grown up with giraffes, elephants, and zebras. We had never paid a
thought about the world beyond our village - we only ever thought about our own wonders in Swahili.
And now, having all kinds of new and fascinating treasures in front of our eyes, it simply was amazing.
Cheers broke into my thoughts. The king had commanded his soldiers to take out the best of our island’s
wares to trade, and soon everyone was bartering and trading, laughing and smiling, each wanting to get a
piece of the strange yet beautiful goods from China.
The week seemed to slip past silently, and soon it was finally time for the departure of the Chinese fleet.
The fleet left just as majestically as it came. In the shadow of the twilight sun, a roar was heard, and the
splash of a thousand oars hitting the water broke the silent night.
The soldier
“Land! Land!” the watchkeeper cried.
I could just make out a hazy, thin line creeping closer and closer - the Swahili Coast, the long and awaited
destination! After ten days at sea, we had reached our last stop, the place that held all the wonders and
promises before we returned to China. A ripple of excitement resonated through the ship.
As we neared the coast, I could see puny fishing boats lining the shore. Strange looking rocks protruded
from the ground, and the rising sun cast a long, crimson glow on the shoreline.
Admiral Zheng called,” Dear people! We are here to profit and trade! I demand to see your king!”
Soon their king walked out in a tattered velvet robe and conversed with our leader.
For the next few days, I saw things that I had never seen before, things that amazed me. There were two
animals that I admired most. One was very tall, with a neck that stretched to the sky and a docile, pointy
face with two stubby horns that the Swahili called Twiga. When the Admiral saw the Twiga, he exclaimed,
“A fine Qilin for the Emperor!” The other one was rather like a large donkey with black and white stripes,
and a rounded snout. The Admiral called it the ‘Yin Yang Steed’.
Admiral Zheng made more profit than ever in this tiny place. For days and weeks we bought Swahili’s
goods – elephant tusks, rhino horns and gemstones of every color. Finally, it was time for us to head back to
China after almost two arduous years at sea. We headed out with the tall-neck standing proudly on board.
Admiral Zheng He
As I was sleeping in my cabin, the holler of the watchkeeper broke its way into my dreams. “Land! China!
Home!”
At last, we had arrived home, with our hulls filled with treasures from foreign lands. I smiled, recalling all
the special places we had visited and established relationships with.
As I walked onto deck, Captain Zhu Zhen greeted me with the slightest hint of a smile.
“Good morning, Admiral. Our voyage has been most successful. The Emperor will be pleased. And we
have, most importantly, developed profitable trading relationships that will last for years to come. I am sure