My dad fetched me home again. We went to a frame-making shop near my secondary school to get my mirrors ready for the kaleidoscope. Whoo~ I can’t wait.
He started story telling when i remarked that the uncle didn’t want to do my business. The mirror i wanted is probably small and hard to cut. So he continued, the carpenters and marble cutters had to pray to the ruler (尺) and 墨斗, their tools. It is called 鲁班 day or something something. People show their appreciation by worshiping this person and the tools.
My dad says: back in the 唐山 times, the 墨斗 will cut through marble if you spring the thread. On one occasion, a master instructed his disciple to add water to the 墨斗 for more ink. The notorious disciple pee in it instead. After which, this magical 墨斗 can no longer function like a cutting tool. In present days, it is only use for marks making. It’s hilarious~ But it will make you listen like a child.
He tells me more, something about 三宝公 and crocodiles. But i can’t put them grammatically correct in English nor Chinese. You gotta hear them in Hokkien lah.
My childhood is full of “unbelievable” stories. I can remember something about 虎姑婆, my aunt relates 虎姑婆 eating little children’s finger to crunchy peanuts. My uncles will threaten us if we were to swallow fruit seeds, a tree will grow from your head. Then you ended up staying outside because you can’t come into the house.
I thought all these are interesting to blog about, maybe i can tell my children in future.
