Chinese Cinderella Summary This book is the autobiography of a young Chinese girl, Adeline Yen Mah.

Born the fifth child to an affluent Chinese family, her life begins tragically. Adelines mother died shortly
after her birth due to complications bought on by the delivery, marking her as cursed, or bad luck, by her
siblings. This situation is compounded by her fathers new marriage to a young French-Asian woman who
has little affection for her husbands five children. Niang proves to be difficult and distant towards all of the
children, particularly Adeline, whilst favoring her own younger son and daughter born soon after the
marriage. Denied love from her parents, she finds some solace in relationships with her grandfather Ye
Ye, and her Aunt Baba, sympathetic-yet-weakened adult figures. Adeline immerses herself in striving for
academic achievement in the hope of winning favor from her father, who reacted positively to her medal
for academic success.
When the Japanese take over mainland China, her father disappears from their hometown of Tianjin for
an extended period of time. Soon after, Niang and her older boy follow. The next couple of months are
considered wonderful, since the children are under the care of their grandparents, Nai Nai and Ye Ye.
However, Nai Nai's death leads to the return of her father and their move from Tianjin to Shanghai. There,
her father has bought a large mansion where the entire family is supposed to live.
After standing up to Niang's ill treatment of Youngest Sister, Adeline suffers the worst at the hands of her
stepmother. She is denied carfare, frequently forgotten at school at the end of the day, and whipped for
daring to attend a classmates birthday party against Niangs wishes. Adeline records her entire childhood,
through several schools and houses, through the people she meets and one very special duckling pet
Precious Little Treasure (or PLT for short) that she cares for. She records her sisters wedding, her school
friends, and her on-going quest for knowledge.
Adeline finds great success at school and gets elected as class president, a time of momentous joy for
her and her classmates. However, when her classmates choose to bring the celebration to her house, her
parents lash out and threaten to move her to a far away school. Niang's brusque nature and her father's
ambivalence shock Adeline's school friends, who rally about her on the next day of school. However,
when she gets home, she is shocked to find out that she is being sent to a boarding school in Tianjin
immediately. Her ensuing goodbyes with Aunt Baba and Ye Ye are sorrowful, but filled with uplifting
words. On the flight over, when filling out her new school enrollment record, her father forgets the spelling
of Adeline's Chinese name, adding insult to injury.
Incredibly, her time at her new school (a convent in Tianjin) is capped by its desertion with the inevitable
march of the People's Liberation Party. After being inadvertently saved by her lovely aunt from Niang's
side of the family, Adeline returns to live with her family, now in Hong Kong. She is quickly sent to another
boarding school, Sacred Heart. Even though Adeline is repeatedly moved up to grades above those of her
peers, it is only when she wins an international play-writing contest in high school that her father finally
takes notice and grants her wish to attend college in England. Despite her parents heartbreaking neglect,
she eventually becomes a doctor and realizes her dream of being a writer

DONKEY CART
Setting
It took place in
Small town in the northwest, China
The place was described as having lots of trees and a long stony path which the most convenient
transport is through a donkey cart.
This has been a danger to some travelers when robbers hide in the trees and ambush them.
Plot
Exposition: A teacher traveler couldn't endure the isolation in the town so he decided to come back home
through adapting cart.
Rising Action: He was very disappointed & afraid that upon knowing only Lin Ng was the available to ride
her that time yet decided to take the risk but brought a large stone for defense.
Climax: Lin Ng told the real story behind the rumor about the death of leather dealer.
Falling Action: he doubted Lin Ng's story but later believed him so he dropped the stone.
Resolution: Lin Ng requested him to write his friends in town for him to have a longer journey; the teacher
assured that he would fulfill it.

A teacher in a small town in the northwest of China named S.T Hwang decided to go back home because
he can't endure the isolation. However, on the departure point most of the carts were engaged in carrying
local products so S.T Hwang spent his time at the restaurant to eat and rest while waiting for the next cart.
Time passed he was informed that an available cart had arrived. Hwang recognized the driver as Lin Ng,
an old man with most unsavory reputation but he decided to take a risk. While in the journey Lin Ng told to
S.T Hwang the truth about his unsavory rumors which made our main character realize that Lin Ng wasn't
a bad person after all. He later believed him so he dropped the stone he brought before he took the ride

until they reach the train station. Lin Ng requested to him to write his friends in town about Lin Ng and S.T
Hwang assured of it.

THE LONGEST CHRISTMAS SEASON IN THE WORLD

Christmas in the Philippines revolves mainly around the spirit of giving and merry making. Many Filipino
yuletide traditions have their roots from the Spanish colonial era. The misa de gallo, for example, is a predawn mass celebrated during the nine days preceding Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the final Christmas
mass is celebrated with much ceremony, color and lights. The midnight mass on Christmas Eve with its
rituals dates back to the period when mass was still said in Latin. It is also customary for Filipino families
to sit down to a feast on Christmas Eve after the Christmas Eve mass. Called the Noche Buena, the feast
is in part a thanksgiving for the blessings of the year past, as well as a prayerful feast for a prosperous
year to come. Traditionally on every table are the jamon (ham) and queso de bola (cheese). Christmas
morning sees children setting out to visit their godparents. It is customary for Filipino children to kiss the
hands (mano) of their godparents on Christmas Day. Godparents, in turn, have gifts (aguinaldo) waiting
for the children. Older children are equally fond of giving and receiving gifts. The Filipino's penchant for
taking Western practices and imbibing them into their own can be seen in their gift-giving practices.The
monito-monita, roughly translated to mean secret friend, traces its roots to the Western folklore of Saint
Nick, or Santa Claus, or Kris Kringle. In offices and schools, the tradition of giving gifts to friends has
become a tradition. Another tradition is the hanging of lanterns in front of the house. Not content with
having a Christmas tree (green, white or aluminum - it doesn't really matter), the Filipino home will not be
found without a parol (lantern) during the Christmas season. Traditional parols are usually made with
colored paper and bamboo sticks, usually fitted with lighting devices or lightbulbs to bring out colors
during the evening. San Fernando in Pampanga, a province northwest of Manila, is famous for making
lanterns that produce a kaleidoscope of colors through an ingenious lighting system that relies on bulbs
switching on and off in a programmed sequence. It is perhaps the tradition of generosity and celebration
that has led most economic analysts to expect the economy to perk up during the Christmas season. For
companies operating in the Philippines, not giving a Christmas bonus by late November or early
December is equivalent to a major corporate faux pas, and is a definite no-no if one wants to cultivate
loyalty and goodwill among employees. Spurred by increased spending by a population that is relatively
cash-rich during late November through December, stores normally experience brisk business during the

season. It is no wonder then, that malls pour substantial amounts of money toward making their stores
more attractive and "Christmas-y" during the season. In recent years, this tradition of gift-giving has given
rise to an entire cottage industry which transforms shopping centers out of usually empty hallways and
vacant lots. Called the tiangge, these are actually flea markets that sprout during the Christmas season.
The more famous ones are in the Greenhills shopping center in San Juan and in Divisoria in Central
Manila. In these flea markets, one will find inexpensive gift items that can be haggled down to bargain
prices. It is not uncommon for shoppers to buy in bulk in these flea markets. These have become so
popular that even some five-star hotels have ventured into holding tiangges in their function halls. It is said
that the Philippines has the longest Christmas season in the world. For where else can you find Christmas
carols being played as early as late October, and Christmas decors being taken down only after the Feast
of the Three Kings on January 6? Indeed, while songs may mention of snow and sleds, in the Philippines,
Christmas has gone beyond a changing of seasons. It has become a state of mind shared by an entire
people.

Caroling
Footnote to Youth
Dudong,17, is impatiently waiting for his father to return home so that he can tell him of his love for Teang
and his desire to marry her. He feels that at 17 he is a grown man and is ready for the next important step
in his life. When he tells his father that he has asked Teang to marry him and wants his blessing, there is
a long and cruel silence. His father asks if he must marry her because Dudong is very young. Dudong
resents his father's question, and finally his father gives his consent.
Nine months later, Dudong is waiting outside while Teang gives birth to their first son, Blas. He feels
young and inexperienced, a contrast to how he felt nine months ago. Dudong did not want any more
children, but they came anyway. For the next six years, Teang gave birth. Seven children in all.
Teang did not complain. However her body was now shapeless and thin from bearing so many children
and from the hard work of caring for them and the household. Even though she loved Dudong, she cried
and wished that she had not married so young. There had been another suitor, Lucio, who was nine years
older than Dudong. She chose Dudong because he was so much younger. Lucio had married after she
married Dudong, however, he was childless. She wonders if she had married Lucio, would she be
childless? She feels that would have been a better lot in life. But she loves Dudong, even though life has
made him old and ugly.
One night Dudong goes outside and thinks about his life. He wants to have the wisdom to know why life
does not fulfill Youth's dreams. Why did life forsake you after love? He never finds the answer.

When Blas turns 18, he comes home and tells Dudong that he wants to marry Tena. Dudong at this time
is only 36 years old, but he is portrayed as a much older man. Dudong does not want Blas to marry so
young. He asks the same question his father asked him. Does Blas have to marry Tena? He does not
want him to make the same mistake he did. Blas also reacts with resentment. Dudong realizes that he is
dealing with Youth and Love, and they will triumph over this situation. After that, comes real life. He gives
his consent, feeling sad and sorry for his son.
He called this "Footnote to Youth" because a footnote is an additional comment or reference on the
content of the text. He is telling youth to pay attention to the lesson of this story.

Happiest Boy in the World by NVM Gonzalez

Julio , who had come from Tablas to settle in Barok, was writing a letter, of all people, Ka Ponso, his
landlord, one warm June night. It was about hiks son, Jose, who wanted to go to school in Mansalay that
year. Jose was in fifth grade when Julio and his family had left Tablas the year before and migrated to
Mindoro; because the father had some difficulty in getting some land of his own to farm, the boy had to
stop schooling for a year. As it was, Julio thought himself lucky enough to have Ka Ponso take him on as
tetant. Later, when Julio's wife Fidela gave birth to a baby, Ka Ponso, whi happened to be visiting his
property then, offered to become its godfather. Afetr that they began to call each other compadre. "Dear
Compadre," Julio started to write in Tagalog, bending earnestly over a piece of paper which he had torn
out of Jose's school notebook. It was many months ago, when, just as now, he had sat down with a
writing implement in his hand. That was when he had gone to the municipio in Mansalay to file a
homestead application, and he had used a pen, and to his great surprise, filled in the blank forms neatly.
Nothing came of the application, although Ka Ponso had assured him he had looked into the matter and
talked with the officials concerned. Now, with a pencil instead of a pen to write with, Julio was sure that he
could make his letter legible enough for Ka Ponso. "It's about my boy, Jose." he wrote on. "I want him to
study this June in Mansalay. He's in the sixth grade now, and since he's quite a poor hand at looking after
your carabaos, I thought it would be best that he go to school in the town." ...The kerosene lamp's yellow

flame flickered ceaselessly. The drank smell of food , fish broth, particularly, that had been spilled from
many a bowl and had dried on the form, now seemed to rise from the very texture of the wood itself. The
stark truth about their poverty... ""This boy, Jose, compadre," he went on, "is quite an industrious lad. If
you can only let him stay in your big house, compadre, you can make him do anything you wish--any
work. He can cook rice, and I'm sure he'll wash the dishes." ..."I hope you will not think of this as a great
bother," Julio continued, trying his best to phrase his thoughts. he had a vague fear that Ka Ponso might
not favorably regard his letter. But he wrote on, slowly and steadily, stopping only to read what he had put
down. "We shall repay you for whatever you can do for us, compadre. It's true we a;ready owe you for
many things, but your comadre and I will do all we can indeed to repay you." ...Suddenly he began
wondering hoe Jose would move about in Ka Ponso's household, being unaccustomed to so many things
there. The boy might even stumble over a chair and break some dishes...He feared for the boy. ...Julio felt
he had nothing more to say, and that he had written the longest letter in his life... He sat back again and
smiled to himself. About six o'clock the following morning, a boy of twelve was riding a carabao along the
river-bed road to town. He was very puny load on carabao's broad back. Walking close behind the
carabao, the father did not cross the stream but only stood there by the bank. "Mind to look after the
letter," he called out from where he was. "Do you have it there, in your shirt pocket?" The boy fumbled for
it. When he had found it, he said, "No, Tatay, I won't lose it." ...Then Julio started to walk back to his
house, thinking of the worl that awaited him in his clearing that day... ...Jose grew suddenly curious about
the letter he carried in his shirt pocket. He stopped his carabao under a shady tree by the roadside. A bird
sang in a bush nearby. Jose could hear it even as he read the letter, jumping from word to word, for him
the dialect was quite difficult. But as the meaning of each sentence became clear to him, he experienced
a curious exultation. It was as though he were the happiest boy in the world and that the bird was singing
for him. He heard the rumbling of the stream faraway. There he and his father had parted. The world
seemed full of bird song and music from the stream.

THE WOODEN BOWL

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old mans hands
trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table. But the
elderly grandfathers shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the
floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became
irritated with the mess. We must do something about father, said the son. Ive had enough of his spilled
milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There,
Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or
two, his food was served in a wooden bowl! When the family glanced in Grandfathers direction, sometime
he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp
admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One
evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the

child sweetly, What are you making? Just as sweetly, the boy responded, Oh, I am making a little bowl
for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. The four-year-old smiled and went back to work .
The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their
cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took
Grandfathers hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every
meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a
fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Christmas Day In The Morning

Rob wants to get his father something special for Christmas this year -- something that shows how much he
really loves him. But it's Christmas Eve, and he doesn't have much money to spend. What could he possibly
get? Suddenly, Rob thinks of the best gift of all...

Toller of the bells

PRESCOTT - Teachers at Washington Traditional School try to incorporate community
service into their curriculums as much as possible. And it shows.
"It's pretty amazing our school collected 2,513 cans (of food)," said first-grade
teacher and Washington Traditional student council representative Pam Percival.
Percival said the entire population at Washington Traditional is 360 students.

"Other schools have as much (food), and they have three times as many kids," she
said. "My room was filled (with boxes of food)."
Everything went to the Salvation Army. Percival said the school held the food drive
for two weeks, with the student council as sponsor.
In addition, the two first-grade classes at Washington Traditional brought in more
than $850 in coins to buy toys for the kids on the Salvation Army's Angel Tree in the
mall. Some families pitched in even more money, bringing the total past $1,100.
"I'm just so proud of all the Washington kids for being so giving," Percival said.
Kindergarten teacher Penny Nicholas saw the difference in her students as well. She
said every year, she talks about what her kids have done for Christmas before, and
what they plan to do this year. Then, she introduces a new question.
"How are we going to make Christmas special for someone else?" she asks.
Nicholas explains to her students that some kids will not get toys for Christmas.
Then, she tells her kids about the toy and food drive for the Salvation Army. This
year, her students brought in $200 worth of toys.
"They bought toys for babies. They bought toys for teenagers," she said.
The Salvation Army also gave her students a chance to help in another way: by
ringing the Salvation Army bells for donations.
Nicholas' class took a field trip this past Tuesday morning to the front of Albertson's
Grocery Store at the corner of Montezuma and Sheldon streets. The kids sang
Christmas carols and rang their bells.
"We did it for the Salvation Army, so the Salvation Army could get money for the
people that didn't have food or toys this Christmas," said 6-year-old Aaron Shellhart.
"It was fun ... I feel good because it's helping people."
Emma Vervoorn, 6, had fun as well. She brought in canned vegetables for the food
drive.
"It's good to give (the needy) food because they're going to be starving when it's
cold," Emma said.
Nicholas said she believes it is important to teach caring and character in school, in
addition to academics.
"Everyone needs help sometimes," she said.

The Arabian Nights: One Thousand and One Nights

Summary and Analysis of "Ali Baba and the Forty
Thieves"
Summary

The are two Persian brothers, Ali Baba and Cassim. Cassim is married to
a rich wife, while Ali Baba works hard to support himself and his own family.
One day, Ali Baba is cutting firewood in the forest, cursing his poor fortune,
he caught sight of an approaching band of thieves, saddled with loot.
Frightened, he hides in a tree, and watches as the Captain of the
Thieves opens a magical portal in a boulder by reciting the words "Open
Sesame!" (The actual phrase differs depending on translation.) They entered,
and the portal closes behind them. Ali Baba assumes they are hiding their
goods in the cavern.
After they leave the cavern, no longer saddled with their loot, the Captain
uses the same words to close the portal before the band departs. Once they
disappear, Ali Baba raids the cave himself, and discovers it packed wall to
wall with valuables. He collects as much gold as his mules can carry, and
brings it back home to his wife. It is enough wealth to last a lifetime.
Ali Baba's wife borrows a scale from Cassim's wife to measure the gold
before Ali Baba hides it, and the latter woman uses a trick (she puts wax on
the scale to capture the gold) to determine what they are measuring.
Cassim and his wife insist Ali Baba tell them of his secret, and he complies.
Cassim sets out for the cavern himself, and is equally amazed. Unfortunately,
he forgets the magic words, so is stuck inside the cavern. When the 40
thieves arrive again, they kill him, cut his body into quarters, and hang him
up in the cave to scare anyone else who may trespass.
Concerned when Cassim does not return, Ali Baba investigates to discover
the corpse, which he takes home. He works with Cassim's wife - promising to
marry her himself after a period of mourning - and Cassim's
maid, Morgiana, to bury Cassim without drawing any attention to the
situation. To this end, Morgiana blindfolds a cobbler named Baba
Mustapha, and brings him to a non-descript room so he can sew Cassim's
body back together without recognizing the house or family.
Meanwhile, the thieves find the body missing, and realize someone else
knows about the cave. The Captain dispatches one of them to infiltrate the
town and listen for news of some strange deaths. That thief eventually meets
Baba Mustapha, and learns that he had recently stitched up a body. The thief
blindfolds the cobbler, who is able to reproduce his path to the house, which
the thief then marks with white chalk so he can find it again with the rest of
the band.
Morgiana, however, spots the mark and senses that something is wrong. To
foil the plan, she marks a handful of neighboring houses with chalk as well.
When the thieves return to find they have been duped, the Captain kills the
man who had found the house, and sends another thief to find it. A blind-

folded Baba Mustapha again leads to Ali Baba's house, and the thief marks it
this time with red chalk. However, Morgiana catches on and does the same
thing to other houses.
The robbers are confused again that night, and the Captain murders the
second man before deciding to handle the task himself. He repeats the same
process with Baba Mustapha, but this time memorizes the location himself
rather than using chalk.
Then he returns to the house disguised as an oil merchant in need of lodging
for the night. The other thieves are hidden in oil jars carried by mules; only
one jar actually has oil in it. They plan to sneak out once Ali Baba is asleep,
and kill him.
Once again, Morgiana is not fooled; when she goes out to borrow some oil,
she discovers the men in the jars, and boils oil from the final jar, killing them
with it. The Captain investigates later that night, and escapes before he can
be killed.
Morgiana tells Ali Baba what happened, and they bury the corpses. In
gratitude, Ali Baba grants Morgiana her freedom. (In some versions, this does
not happen until later.)
The danger is not over yet, though; the captain wants revenge. He disguises
himself as a merchant and befriends Ali Baba's son so that he is invited for
dinner. Morgiana senses something fishy, and hatches a plan. She and
another servant perform for the men; during her dance, she stabs him.
When Ali Baba learns the truth, he is so grateful that he gives Morgiana his
son's hand in marriage. Ali Baba is now the only living soul who knows the
cave's secret words, so he passes it along only to his sons and they live
happily in prosperity.