The Dark Dark Forest

*The Dark Dark Forest*<br><br>A long time ago, in China, there was a little girl named Hui. Hui lived in a small village in the mountains with her five brothers and sisters. All six of the children lived with their father and stepmother, but neither of them was very good to the children. They made them do lots of chores and barely fed them.<br><br>One autumn, the stepmother said she was going to go into the mountains to find some food for them to eat. The father went with her, and they walked for hours until they reached a very dark forest.<br><br>“Wait here,” said the father. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, the father wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that he had stayed in the mountains to cut wood and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, the father returned. He was being carried on the shoulders of two men and was dead. After he was cremated, a monk came to their door.<br><br>“Your husband was murdered,” said the monk. “And his spirit will not rest.”<br><br>“We already knew that,” said the stepmother. “You saw him being carried down the mountain. He fell.”<br><br>“Then please take this,” said the monk. “The spirit inside this bottle will protect you.”<br><br>“Oh, thank you,” said the stepmother. “But we don’t need it.”<br><br>The monk left immediately and didn’t argue when the family declined his gift. He walked back down the mountain and back to his temple. He gave the bottle to his fellow monk and they sat to eat their evening meal.<br><br>The next morning, the stepmother and one of the boys went back into the mountains. After only a short time, the stepmother returned alone.<br><br>“Wait here,” said the stepmother. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, the brother wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that he had stayed in the mountains to pick chestnuts and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, the brother returned. He was being carried on the shoulders of two men and was dead. After he was cremated, a monk came to their door.<br><br>“Your son was murdered,” said the monk. “And his spirit will not rest.”<br><br>“We already knew that,” said the stepmother. “You saw him being carried down the mountain. He fell.”<br><br>“Then please take this,” said the monk. “The spirit inside this bottle will protect you.”<br><br>“Oh, thank you,” said the stepmother. “But we don’t need it.”<br><br>The monk left immediately and didn’t argue when the family declined his gift. He walked back down the mountain and back to his temple. He gave the bottle to his fellow monk and they sat to eat their evening meal.<br><br>The next morning, the stepmother and one of the girls went back into the mountains. After only a short time, the stepmother returned alone.<br><br>“Wait here,” said the stepmother. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, the sister wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that she had stayed in the mountains to pick dates and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, the sister returned. She was being carried on the shoulders of two men and was dead. After she was cremated, a monk came to their door.<br><br>“Your daughter was murdered,” said the monk. “And her spirit will not rest.”<br><br>“We already knew that,” said the stepmother. “You saw her being carried down the mountain. She fell.”<br><br>“Then please take this,” said the monk. “The spirit inside this bottle will protect you.”<br><br>“Oh, thank you,” said the stepmother. “But we don’t need it.”<br><br>The monk left immediately and didn’t argue when the family declined his gift. He walked back down the mountain and back to his temple. He gave the bottle to his fellow monk and they sat to eat their evening meal.<br><br>The next morning, the stepmother and one of the sisters went back into the mountains. After only a short time, the stepmother returned alone.<br><br>“Wait here,” said the stepmother. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, the sister wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that she had stayed in the mountains to pick persimmons and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, the sister returned. She was being carried on the shoulders of two men and was dead. After she was cremated, a monk came to their door.<br><br>“Your daughter was murdered,” said the monk. “And her spirit will not rest.”<br><br>“We already knew that,” said the stepmother. “You saw her being carried down the mountain. She fell.”<br><br>“Then please take this,” said the monk. “The spirit inside this bottle will protect you.”<br><br>“Oh, thank you,” said the stepmother. “But we don’t need it.”<br><br>The monk left immediately and didn’t argue when the family declined his gift. He walked back down the mountain and back to his temple. He gave the bottle to his fellow monk and they sat to eat their evening meal.<br><br>The next morning, the stepmother and one of the brothers went back into the mountains. After only a short time, the stepmother returned alone.<br><br>“Wait here,” said the stepmother. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, the brother wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that he had stayed in the mountains to pick walnuts and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, the brother returned. He was being carried on the shoulders of two men and was dead. After he was cremated, a monk came to their door.<br><br>“Your son was murdered,” said the monk. “And his spirit will not rest.”<br><br>“We already knew that,” said the stepmother. “You saw him being carried down the mountain. He fell.”<br><br>“Then please take this,” said the monk. “The spirit inside this bottle will protect you.”<br><br>“Oh, thank you,” said the stepmother. “But we don’t need it.”<br><br>The monk left immediately and didn’t argue when the family declined his gift. He walked back down the mountain and back to his temple. He gave the bottle to his fellow monk and they sat to eat their evening meal.<br><br>Finally, only Hui and the stepmother remained. The stepmother said that she was going into the mountains to find some food for them to eat. Hui said that she wanted to go along and the stepmother agreed.<br><br>They walked for hours until they reached a very dark forest. The stepmother told Hui to go pick some peaches from a nearby tree while she went into the forest to look for some food.<br><br>Hui walked into the forest but she didn’t see any trees with peaches. She walked further and further until she couldn’t see the stepmother any longer.<br><br>“ющая,” said a small voice.<br><br>Hui looked to see five small children. They were all dressed in white robes and wearing white hats and were all eating peaches.<br><br>“Who are you?” Hui asked.<br><br>“We are your older brothers and sisters,” they said.<br><br>Hui’s eyes widened in shock. “What happened to you?” she asked.<br><br>“Our stepmother starved us until we were so weak that we couldn’t even walk,” they said. “Then she took us into the forest and hit us until we fell onto the rocks below. When we were dead, she cremated us and ate us.”<br><br>Hui gasped. “I’m so sorry. But I’m going to be next.”<br><br>“No,” said the older siblings. “We will save you. If you stay here, nothing can ever happen to you.”<br><br>Hui was confused. “I don’t understand.”<br><br>“My dear, the forest is a place where neither life nor death exist. Come and live here and you will be safe.”<br><br>Hui didn’t understand, but there was something about what her siblings said that seemed to make sense. She agreed to live in the forest and the five small children took her to the first tree that she saw when she entered the forest.<br><br>It was the same tree where the stepmother left her when she first entered the forest. The siblings told her to climb the tree and pick a peaches. Hui climbed and at the top of the branch, she found a small door that led into a small room. Inside the room was a bed, a table, and a sink.<br><br>“Stay here,” said the siblings. “And you will be safe.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. “ GURL! Come down from there right now!”<br><br>Hui didn’t move. The stepmother waited for an hour, but still Hui didn’t move.<br><br>“I’ll be right back,” said the stepmother. “I’m going to cut up some firewood.”<br><br>After only a short time, the stepmother returned. She was alone and carried a large sack on her shoulders. When they got back to the village, Hui wasn’t with her. The stepmother said that Hui had stayed in the mountains to pick loquats and wouldn’t be back for many days.<br><br>But the next morning, Hui returned. She was being carried on the