The pond was quiet at night.
Behind it there was a low hill, and a bamboo grove, and one empty field.
The moon was in the water. It was round and small.
The reeds by the water stood still.
The little rabbit was not sleepy.
He was the smallest rabbit in his family.
He turned over. He turned over again.
“I will go for a walk,” he said.
He hopped down the path, past the reeds.
He came to the edge of the pond and drank.
And then –
Gudong.
One sound.
The little rabbit lifted his ears.
“What was that?”
He looked to the left. Nothing.
He looked to the right. Nothing.
Gudong.
Again.
It came from the water.
The little rabbit ran.
He ran faster than the wind.
His heart went knock, knock.
He ran through the tall grass and bumped into the little fox.
“Why are you running?” said the fox.
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“I do not know. But it is coming!”
So the little fox ran too.
The monkey was up in a tree, half asleep.
They ran through the trees and bumped into the little monkey.
“Why are you running?” said the monkey.
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“We do not know. But it is coming!”
So the little monkey ran too.
The deer was standing in the tall grass, listening to the night.
They ran up the hill and bumped into the little deer.
“Why are you running?” said the deer.
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“We do not know. But it is coming!”
So the little deer ran too.
The goat was near the stream, drinking.
They ran past the stream and bumped into the little goat.
“Why are you running?” said the goat.
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“Nobody has seen it. But it is coming!”
So the little goat ran too.
Now there were six of them.
They ran along the bank and bumped into the little duck.
“Why are you running?” said the duck.
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“Nobody has seen it. But it is coming!”
So the little duck ran too.
They ran through a bamboo grove.
The bamboo leaves went shhh, shhh.
It sounded as if the grove were running with them.
They ran past the fields and bumped into the old water buffalo.
The old water buffalo was half asleep.
He opened one eye.
Then he said, slowly, “Why are you running?”
“Gudong is coming!”
“What is Gudong?”
“Nobody has seen it.”
The old water buffalo stood up.
He was big. He was calm.
He was not in a hurry at all.
“Then let us go and look,” he said.
So they all walked back to the pond.
They walked slowly.
One step. Then one more.
The wind had stopped.
The grass by the pond did not move.
The moon went a little higher.
The moon was still in the water.
And then a ripe papaya let go of its branch.
It fell.
Gudong.
The little monkey laughed.
The little fox laughed.
The little rabbit laughed too.
The papaya tree grew right at the edge of the pond.
It was only a papaya.
It rocked a little on the water, round and green.
The old water buffalo nodded once.
“Well,” he said. “Now we know.”
The old water buffalo walked home slowly.
Then he went back to his own warm place and lay down.
On the way home, the moon followed the little rabbit.
His mother was asleep in the next room.
His house was dark and warm.
He went in and found his own little bed.
The window was open a little. Cool air came in.
He put his ears down.
He listened.
Far away, the pond was quiet again.
Nothing was coming.
Nothing at all.
He put his ear on the floor.
He pulled the blanket up with his teeth.
He listened for a long time.
There was only his own breathing.
Gudong is an old Chinese folktale, and it is still a favorite Chinese fairy tale at bedtime.
In China, this story has been told for a very long time.
Grandmothers tell it to children who are wide awake.
It is a funny story, and it is a gentle one.
They call it Gudong.
Tonight there is no Gudong.
Only the moon, and one soft sound of wind.
Somewhere out on the water, a fish came up and made one small ring.
Outside, in the grass, the bugs began to sing again.
Slowly. A little, and then stop.
There.
So put your head down.
Good night, little rabbit.
Good night, pond.
This is a very old Chinese bedtime story. It is not long, and it is very gentle. Best read slowly, with the lights low.
