One Tail at a Time

Moon Cake

One Month, that is all I have left with my brothers and Shifu before I have to go home.  It feels like I have been here forever and though I know I'll probably cry when I go, I'm happy that Im going to be with my Zhen Zhen and Mama again and having such pretty dresses and three tails to show off, I spend most of my time daydreaming about all the wonderful things my brother is going to say about  clever me.

I can even recite a concept from the Tao Te Ching which Shifu is teaching me about.

"Being and non-being give birth to each other.  Difficult and easy accomplish each other. Long and short form each other.  High and low distinguish each other.  Sound and tone harmonize each other.  Before and after follow each other as a sequence."  I tell my clever reflection in the mirror while Fu Yu just makes faces in it again.

"Fu Yu, Mama is right you know.  What Shifu is teaching me, he is teaching you too and being a Sprite of the Peach Tree Grove, or even the whole world, what you are learning is very special that no other Sprite is being allowed to learn." I tell him with my stern voice.

"Alright smarty pants, what does that even mean?" he asks over the top of his tongue which is stabbing the air between himself and his reflection and making me giggle.

"It means enjoying life while taking only what you need without hurting others along the way." I tell him most knowledgeably even though I really don't know what that means any more than he does,  but I don't let him know that even though I know Shifu will be teaching me more about it later.

But for now, we are getting ready for a special trip which Senior Die Feng will be leading.  He is being super nice to me since Mama left me behind, he even had Chang Shan make me a candy stick shaped like me with my three tails, but Fu Yu snatched it out of my hand before I could even get a lick. That naughty sprite!

Now hes standing in front of the mirror and trying to lick the last of it off his face with his tongue.  I can't be mad with him though because Senior Die Feng put him in the corner for two hours and that made him cry which only made me sad for him.  In the end I went and sat in the corner with him and played Fingers Out until eventually Shifu came to rescue us.

Shifu even commended me for being a kind girl to my friend, who he is slowly warming to.  I don't know why Shifu didn't like him in the beginning but he is being kinder to him since Mama left, I guess its because he doesn't want to get into trouble with her seeing as Fu Yu will tell her everything I get up to here.  And that makes me giggle, because Mama really isn't all that scary, but I can see Shifu and Mama will have words if I get hurt here so I figure he is being extra nice to Fu Yu so that doesnt happen.

"Hurry up or we'll be left behind." I say as I rush out the door in another new dress that Shifu bought me.  It seems that he likes buying me dresses, because everytime he goes away, he always comes back with a new dress and even hair pins.  I think Shifu just like buying them because my brothers cant wear them and it makes Shifu happy to see a little girl wearing the things that he likes.

Now racing into the hall with Fu Yus sticky candy face firmly attached to my hair bun, I am quickly placed into Shanhus small group while the others join Senior Die Feng.

"This is a special trip." he tells everyone even though his eyes are on me.  "It is Autumn in the Mortal World, so we have been granted leave to enjoy ourselves" he says smiling at happy me who is just about to start squealing, only Shanhu must have realized because he quickly takes my hand into his while Shifu watches my excitement from his seat with a happy grin on his face.

"But Shifu, are you not coming?" I ask because I really dont want to have fun without him.

"Not this time Xiaobai, I have work to do." He says and before I can argue, Shanhus happy chuckle is leading me from the hall and out into the entrance where several clouds are waiting.