artwork by Christina Keiko Tomita

CHINESE (SHANGHAI) 乖囡，乖，眼睛闭紧。蓓蒂不响，眼睛闭紧。阿婆说，老早底，有一个大 老爷，真名叫公冶长，是懒惰人，一点事体不会做，只懂鸟叫，有一 天，一只仙鹤跳到绿松树上，对大老爷讲，公冶长，公冶长。大老爷走 到门口问，啥事体。仙鹤讲，南山顶上有只羊，侬吃肉，我吃肠。大老 爷高兴了，爬到南山上面，吃了几碗羊肉，一点不让仙鹤吃。有天，一 只叫天子跳到芦苇上讲，公冶长，公冶长。大老爷走到门口问，叽叽 喳喳，有啥事体。叫天子讲，北山顶上有只羊，侬吃肉，我吃肠。大老 爷蛮高兴，跑到北山上面，拎回半爿羊肉，一点不让叫天子吃。有一 天，有一天，绍兴阿婆一面讲，一面拍，蓓蒂不动了，小手滑落下来。 思南路一点声音也听不见了。阿婆讲第五个回合，一只凤凰跳到梧 桐树上面，蓓蒂已经睏了。阿婆讲故事，习惯轮番讲下去，讲得阿宝 不知不觉，身体变轻，时间变慢。

ENGLISH Beidi's father, one day, brings home a bunny from the Institute. Beidi was pleased; Shaoxing Granny was not, because the food supplies were tight; veggies were becoming harder to buy; Granny refused to let the rabbit into the room, and only allow it to eat the grass in the small garden. On Sundays, Beidi tore off the leaves from the basket, and then let the bunny eat them. Beidi said to the bunny, bunny eat quickly, eat quickly, Granny is coming. […] One day Granny rushed over and said, Beidi Beidi, I know how many veggies we have, I know it well. Granny snatched the leaves, and dragged Beidi into the kitchen; Beidi just cried; she only ate rice, and plucked the vegetables into Granny's bowl. Granny said, eat veggies, the teeth will whiten then. Beidi said, no white. No sound from Granny; vegetable stalks were eaten; the leaves were snapped into Beidi's bowl; Beidi continued to cry. Granny said, wait until Granny becomes a corpse to weep and mourn, now, quick to eat. Beidi was sobbing and eating at the same time. […] Beidi said, the bunny is going to die too. Granny said, yes. Beidi said, the grass in the garden, it has been eaten up. Granny grabbed Betty tightly and said, good baby, we can't take care of the bunny anymore, we can only take care of our own, we have to eat for ourselves. Beidi burst into tears. No sound from Granny. There was not a single car passing by; no sound was in this area. Granny patted Betty and said, you're a tiny girl who was as big as a vegetable stalk, now you are growing up and up, good baby; listen to me, close your eyes, sleep tight. No sound from Beidi; her eyes closed tightly. Granny said, long long ago, there was an elder, whose name was Gongye Chang the lazy man, who could not do anything at all; he only knew how to talk to birds; one day, a crane jumped onto a green pine tree and said to the elder, Gongye Chang, Gongye Chang. The elder went to the door and asked, who is it? The crane said, there is a sheep on the top of the southern mountain, you eat the meat, let me eat the guts. The elder was happy; he climbed to the top of the southern mountain, and ate several bowls of sheep meat; he did not let the crane eat any of it. One day, a lark jumped onto the reeds and said, Gongye Chang, Gongye Chang. The elder went to the door and asked, noisy, who is it. The lark said, there is a sheep on the top of the northern mountain, you eat the meat, let me eat the guts. The elder was happy; he climbed to the top of the northern mountain, and brought back half of it; he did not let the lark eat any of it. One day, one day; Shaoxing Granny talked and patted; Beidi kept silent; the tiny hand slipped down. The sound of Sinan Road could not be heard. When Granny came to the fifth turn, a phoenix jumped onto the top of a plane tree; Beidi was already sleepy. Granny had a habit, which is to tell a story in a loop; Bao listened to the story as well; without realizing it, his body became lighter; time slowed down.