Night On Bare Mountain

It is beginning to get dark on the mountain. They should start going down.

Instead they are sitting on damp grass, thinking aloud.

Arthur Rimbaud: So he calls himself editor now.

Sikong Shu: Perhaps I should call him.

Richie Porte: Philosophy.......it can't be that hard.

Sikong Shu: Should I?

Arthur Rimbaud: No let him call you. I told you he's lazy.

Sikong Shu: That's why he won't call me.

Richie Porte: Philosophy, huh?

Arthur Rimbaud: No that's logic. But not very good logic. He's the editor. He needs contributions. And he's no good at writing himself.

Sikong Shu: I'll wait then.

Richie Porte: We don't have to wait here.

Arthur Rimbaud: I like it here.

Richie Porte: It's getting too cold.

Two girls who have been setting up their tent nearby come over. Their names are Hui Zhong and Xui Li.

Hui Zhong: Aren't you three cold?

Xui Li: Come into our tent and get warm.

Hui Zhong: We have bean curd and savoury jelly.

Sikong Shu: Yum yum.

They squeeze into the tent of the girls, and eat bean curd and savoury jelly.

It's warm in there, out of the wind.

Sikong Shu: Thanks for your kindness, young ladies. In return I will tell you a story. The story of how Slipping Away Hutong got its name. Do you know it?

Hui Zhong: No, we don't know it.

Arthur Rimbaud: I know it.

Sikong Shu: You don't. You were only half listening. You stopped and went into a bar.

Richie Porte: That was where you guys found me!

Xui Li: Wow! Were you lost?

Richie Porte: Yeah sort of. I lost my memory. Turns out I'm Richie Porte of Team Sky.

Hui Zhong: Team Sky? That's so pretty. Are you a pilot?

Richie Porte: No.

Sikong Shu: Do you want this story?

Xui Li: Yes we do.

Sikong Shu: Once in the time of the Ming dynasty there was a corrupt official, Yan Song. When he lost power he took his silver bowl and went begging for food from the people in the hutongs The people he used to oppress. Someone threw out a heap of sweet potato skins. Yan Song was so hungry he grabbed a handful and stuffed them into his mouth. Just then a courier passed by and recognised him. Yan Song was scared and slipped away. So the hutong got the name Slipping Away Hutong

Richie Porte: I like it. It's got philosophy in it.

Arthur Rimbaud: Is that it?

Sikong Shu: No, that's not the end of the story. So Yan Song went begging from the monks in the temple.Eventually one of them gave him a bowl of rice. An old monk remembered him. This is the rice you used to waste! said the monk, and drove Yan Song out of the temple. He went back to the  hutongs, but no one offered him food. He became faint with hunger and fell to the ground. The silver bowl rolled away. So the hutong became known as Silver Bowl Hutong.

Arthur Rimbaud: Why didn't he sell the silver bowl?

Hui Zhing: Hee hee!

Xui Li: That's too naughty.

Hui Zhing: Do you guys want to stay here all night?

What do you think?