Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 2 - 2 | Page 186

The sailors arrived at Africa. They heard drums beating and people singing. They were there! All of them were dressed in traditional African clothing. They were wearing hats made out of feathers, clothing made out of lion skin and fabrics, and some wore wristbands made from leaves. “Hello!” said the king of Africa in African. Like the Indians, they were very friendly and gave them gifts like drums and bells. When they guided the sailors around Africa, the sailors saw many animals they had never seen before, such as the African elephant, hyenas, and hippos! The animals were all quite noisy. The lion roared, the hyenas laughed, and the hippos, well, um, they continued fighting for a female hippo! The sailors gave the Africans silk, which was precious to China, and the Africans also exchanged them with a giraffe as tall as a house! Finally, they returned to China. The people were all waiting for the sailors to unload the ships and see the treasures inside. All the people were awestruck with the treasures and the animals they brought back. Some of the squid meat was even still there on the ships! When they went into the palace and saw the emperor, Zheng He bowed to him. He had not only done his mission, but he had also experienced different cultures from other countries, and most importantly, made friendship with them. That changed China forever.