Marjorie Flack Quotes

“Ping was always careful, very very careful not to be late, because the last duck to cross over the bridge always got a spank on the back.”

“Each morning as the sun rose from the east, Ping and his mother and his father and sisters and brothers and aunts and uncles and his forty-two cousins all marched, one by one, down a little bridge to the shore of the Yangtze river.”

“All day they would hunt for snails and little fishes and other pleasant things to eat.”

“Ping knew he would be the last, the very last if he crossed the bridge. Ping did not want to be spanked.”

“Closer and closer swooped the fishing birds near Ping. Now Ping could see shining rings around their necks, rings of metal made so tight the birds could never swallow the big fish they were catching. ”

“All night long Ping slept near the grasses on the bank of the river with his head tucked under his wing, and when the sun rose up from the east Ping found he was all alone on the Yangtze river.”

“Ping hid behind the grasses, and as the dark came and the pale moon shone in the sky Ping watched the wise eyed boat slowly sail away down the Yangtze river.”

“But up marched Ping, up over the little bridge and SPANK came the spank on Ping’s back!”

“They pulled and they pulled and up came Ping and the Boy on to the house boat.”

“Soon the lines of sunshine which came through the cracks of the basket turned rose color, and Ping knew the sun was setting in the west.”