The Big Bad Wolf Who Ate a Rainbow
“Mommy can you tell me a story of the Big Bad Wolf?”
“Sure, honey — the one about the Three Little Pigs?”
“No no…not that one. I want a new one.”
“A new one? I don’t think I know any new Big Bad Wolf stories.”
“Can you make up one for me?”
“Oh OK. What kind of animal would you like to see in the story?
“Um…how about the Big Bad Wolf, a turtle... and flowers!”
“Oh interesting! Let’s see what will happen in this story!”
As my son closed his eyes, I thought — what in the world will I come up with? My mind churned maniacally, desperate to grasp for any creative inspiration. I dug deep into my memory bank of my mother and popo telling me stories in Cantonese when I was a child.
Without much time to think, I saw the words from my mother tongue trickle out of my mouth and assemble themselves into a story line that I was yet to discover.
Turtle Soup
A turtle slowly shuffled along a path towards a field of flowers. From afar, the Big Bad Wolf watched the turtle inch along oh so slowly.
He said to himself, “Yummm…This turtle would make the perfect turtle soup, just like how my popo made it. He will be so easy to catch. Look at how man tun tun he is! So very slow! I can simmer him and have soup ready by this evening!”
My son excitedly exclaimed, “The turtle is too man tun tun, mommy! The wolf will catch him!” I nodded and continued.
The Wolf approached the turtle and said, “Hello Turtle, what do you think about being in my soup tonight. Mwaha!”
Startled, the turtle looked around and saw that there were no animal friends to save him. He could duck his head, arms and legs into his shell to protect him from being bitten, but what good would that be? The Wolf can just grab him and boil him into a medicinal Chinese soup!
The turtle knew he was too slow to outrun the Wolf, so he had to think fast.
The turtle extended its wrinkly neck and head into the air and said to the…
