The Story of a Mongol
Petra Williams, Group 3: Fiction, Zhuhai International School
cold wind blew; the trees were bare. Hong Mei walked briskly down the Great Wall of China, steam
coming out of her mouth, her ponytail blowing in her face. Unknowingly, she strayed from the path.
There were no tourists around -- no one to help. Suddenly, she tripped over something. She picked
herself up and peeked down to see a tattered, seemingly ancient book. She opened it: the writing was
small, faded and written in Mongol.
Hong Mei could write and speak Chinese, but could also understand Mongol, as her grandmother spoke it.
Fascinated, she sat down against the Wall and read:
A Story of a Mongol
By Bataar Temür
Day 1 of ownin a diree
My name is Bataar Temür. My Mama gave me dis book for my Birday. She say that I needa practice
my riting cause I’m not dat good at it yet. She say it called a diree, where I rite wat I want and wat I feel.
Hong Mei snapped to attention when she heard someone calling her name. She knew her family had
come to find her, but she didn’t want to leave. The wind carried the voice all over. If she ran she might crash
into them and they would take the book away. She decided to stay and hide. She settled back down, but saw in
dismay that many pages were too faded to read. She flipped the pages until she finally found something, about 2
years later.
Day 753
I wasn’t worried before, but now she’s getting worse. Mum is older and weaker than most people here.
It’s winter now, she needs more food, we all do. I hope that the Chinese will trade with us.
Day 762
I can’t believe it! They denied us again! It’s going to be a long long winter.
Day 784
I didn’t eat dinner tonight, even though we had a feast. Not because the Chinese traded with us, of
course not. One of our horses died. My horse. I couldn’t eat it. Neither could my mum. It would be too cruel. I
sat in my room and cried while my dad and neighbors ate.
Day 786
My mum can’t get out of bed, I’m sick with worry.
Day 787
She’s still and cold like she’s frozen. Glazed over and unblinking, her eyes. This is the night I
recognized death.
Day 789
I will make them pay, the Chinese. They should have traded. I will take my revenge in time. Revenge,
sweet revenge.
Day 791
My dad also swore revenge. My mother wasn’t the only one to die of starvation. The Mongols are
going to do something.
Day 792
I’m so confused, the Chinese, building a wall. My father told me the Chinese said that a Dragon
mapped out the path, that the wall will be a dragon. It’s to keep us – the Mongols – out.
Hong Mei heard her family come closer. She ran, slipped on ice and crashed into wall. She chased the
many pages that blew out and flew away.
Day 4442
I’m almost ready to be in the army. Most teenage boys my age wouldn’t want to join but I am actually
excited. My father went out today ready to raid the Chinese wall. I wish him good luck.
Day 4444
I was told today they failed; my dad died. They have destroyed my whole family. But I will take my
revenge, I will come back and fight, I will.
Day 4705
Yesterday was my 18th birthday. Today I joined the army.
I rode my mother’s black mare to the training fields. I couldn’t let her die: she and my diary are all I
have now. I didn’t want to ride her to war but I can’t afford a foal.
A