Portable lights and puzzles (part II) 手提燈籠和謎語(二)

Also See: Continued from yesterday

Yuansiao was a wonderful influence upon the spoiled daughter of the Emperor. But that first New Year away from her parents was especially difficult for her. She saw families being together, walking around on the streets, going shopping and eating happily together. Although she was treated well and had all the material things a gal could possibly ask for, she longed for the simple farm house and the warmth of being with her parents. Thus, on New Year's Day, she told the Emperor that she had had a dream. In her dream, the Fire God appeared and threatened to burn down the city unless the Emperor was able to appease his anger. What must be done was that firecrackers were to be set off on the 15th day of the month and lanterns, big and small, were to be made. These lanterns were to be bright and elaborately decorated and must be hung throughout the streets of the city. As the Emperor got busy, setting people to work making lanterns and firecrackers, Yuansiao took the opportunity to go home unnoticed.

How surprised her parents were to have her home as they too missed her tremendously. She stayed home until the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and arrived back at the palace just in time to see the city alive with excitement and celebration as people set off firecrackers and carried bright, beautiful and decorated lanterns.

You might be quite puzzled reading this story. Did I make it up? Well, sort of. There are several stories attached to the celebration of Lantern Festival and I decided to embellish one that might be quite unknown to most of you.

(To be continued tomorrow...)

Also See: 接續昨日

元宵對被寵壞的公主產生極好的影響，但離開父母的第一個新年特別難熬，她看到家家戶戶團圓，一起快樂地逛街、購物和用餐，雖然她備受善待並擁有一個女孩所能要求的一切物質生活，但她仍渴望回到純樸的農家享受和父母同在的溫暖。所以，在新年那天，她告訴皇帝她做了個夢，在她的夢裡，火神出現並威脅燒掉這座城市，除非皇帝能平息祂的怒氣。他們必須在這個月的第十五天施放鞭炮，並製作大小不同的燈籠，這些燈籠要明亮且精心裝飾，並掛在城裡各大街小巷。由於皇帝忙著下令人們製造燈籠和煙火，元宵趁沒人注意時回家。

當她回家時，十分想念她的父母非常驚訝。而她一直在家待到農曆新年的第十五天才及時趕回皇宮，看到人們施放煙火和提著明亮、漂亮的燈籠，全城因為籠罩在興奮和慶祝的氣氛中而生氣蓬勃。

讀這個故事時你可能很困惑，它是虛構的嗎？嗯，有那麼點兒。好些故事都和元宵節的慶祝有關，所以我決定美化一個多數人都比較不熟悉的故事。

(明日待續...)