Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 454

silky dark veil of the sky was dotted with innumerable stars, framing the moon, making it seem even brighter. Ying Ying stopped
talking to gaze at the sky. While Ying Ying was admiring the scene, Jing Jing tiptoed away to a nearby shrub, and when she was
back, she was holding two lantern flowers, each with a group of fireflies inside. Jing Jing shouted “Hey!” behind Ying Ying, and
when she turned, Jing Jing handed her a lantern. Ying Ying giggled, as her face glowed with happiness. Jing Jing and Ying Ying
ran through the busy streets of Shanghai, giggling and cheering as they went.
They slowed down at Yu Yuan. The big, round moon in the sky was reflected in a shiny pond. They saw all sorts of
lanterns, such as bunny lanterns, lotus lanterns, goldfish lanterns, starfruit lanterns, and their favourite one was a kind that spun in
circles on its own. They were puzzled by how it turned. There were a lot of little kids everywhere, carrying glowing lanterns and
running around. Jing Jing saw a bunny lantern, and Ying Ying asked “Do you know the legend of the bunny lantern?” Jing Jing
shook her head. Ying Ying explained “The legend says that once there was a young girl, who stole magical immortal pills, and
floated up to the moon, where there was only a bunny rabbit, so that’s why they make bunny lanterns.” Jing Jing smiled. Families
sat on benches, and admired the moon, while enjoying star fruit and refreshments they brought.
The two dolls went where paper lanterns with riddles were hung up. Jing Jing went up to a lantern, and read “I have
four legs and a back, but I can’t walk. What am I?” Ying Ying answered giggling “A chair!” Ying Ying went to another lantern and
read “I have teeth but I do not bite. My teeth are good for your hair. What am I?” Jing Jing answered in a mysterious, whispery
voice “A comb. Oooooooooooo-” Both of them burst out laughing, rolling on the ground. They guessed riddles all night, and
they didn’t keep track of the time, because they were having to o much fun.
When they finally finished all the questions, Ying Ying realized that the people were getting less and less, so she looked
at the sky, and exclaimed “Quick! The sun will rise soon, and we need to get home before Hei Li wakes up!” The dolls ran as fast
as their flower-cloth feet would take them, back along the street.
As they were running, they saw an eagle with golden-yellow eyes swoop towards them. Jing Jing got her qipao caught
in the eagle’s claw once, but luckily, a firefly from her lantern had just flown out, and slid the claw off the silk. Ying Ying hid
behind a bush, shaking in fright, while Jing Jing stared, mouth open in shock, as she backed into the same bush. Ying Ying looked
around, and that was when she realized she was not inside any ordinary bush, but she was inside one of the wavy hedges near the
tailor’s house! Jing Jing ran over to Ying Ying, panting. To their relief, the fireflies’ lights were not on. Suddenly, the lights of the
fireflies all flashed together, so bright that the dolls squeezed their eyes shut tight, and the next thing they knew, they were
soaring up.