6th The Boatman HMH SCR

18 The next morning, when she went to the window, the mandarin’s daughter did not see the small ghe. She thought of ten thousand excuses why the boatman might be late. As the day wore on, he still did not come. The girl’s heart grew heavy and tears dropped from her dark, sad eyes. She refused to lie on her bed that night but instead knelt beside the window, staring at the dark river below.

27 “Thank you for playing the lovely music on your flute. I feel much better now. Father, please pay the boatman for his kindness and do not worry about me. I am over my illness.” Quickly she returned to her room and once again looked out the window at the boats coming and going on the river below, wondering how she could have been so foolish to dream about a simple boatman.