New Tales of the Great Wall
Nathan Yu, Group 1:
is so boring!” James said with a sigh, as he put down his chopstick. It was the summer holidays
and James was bored out of his mind. He had already done everything he could possibly have
thought of and ran out of ideas on what else to do.
Jam
Fiction, Victoria Shanghai Academy
James’ Grandpa smiled and nodded. “Well, why don’t you help clear out the store room!”
es didn’t think it was such a great idea but since he was so bored, anything was better than
doing nothing.
“
T
After lunch, Grandpa took out a set of keys and opened up the store room. This room was always locked
and James always wondered what was inside. Finally, James took a look inside the room. The room contained a
collection of old books in boxes. It was dusty and rusty inside the store room. James made a face and thought
“
Oh gross!”
Grandpa yawned and said, “I will take an afternoon nap. Sort out these books but remember, do not open
this cabinet!” Grandpa put the keys in a drawer in the living room. “Wow….holiday adventure! If Grandpa told
me not to open the cabinet, there must be something really secretive inside!” thought James and tiptoed to
Grandpa’s room. Grandpa was asleep and snoring so loudly as usual!
“
Good chance now” thought James. So he opened the drawer to take out the keys and tried the keys one by
one. At last! James found nothing but an old book with edges of the pages ripped. So he brushed off the dust and
sat down to read.
There was no title on the cover of the book but there was a picture of a Chinese emperor. When he opened
the book, there was a picture of the Great Wall and a man. He started to read…
Qin Shihuang was born 259BC ago and was the first Emperor of China…..
Suddenly, right before his eyes, James saw a small Wall that was just being built. There was a Chinese
General that was watching the many men doing work on the Wall. James was hiding in the bushes to avoid the
General catching him to be his slave but he wanted to be brave and started walking toward the Wall. As he
walked toward the Wall, time seemed to fly by and pictures of the Mongolians trying to invade China…and then
pictures of modern day people visiting the Wall. James was enjoying seeing so many things that he did not
notice a rock in front of him. He tripped and hit his head. A wrinkled hand reached out to help him and asked in
Putonghua “Ni Mei Shi Ma?” (Are you OK?). James looked up and saw a blurry vision…of Grandpa!
Grandpa said “Why are you dribbling and sleeping?” Then he said “All things take patience to build. Now,
quickly tidy up the books as I said please.”
James stood up and smiled. He was no longer bored.
***