The Pumpkin Adventure

Once there was a kingdom of flowers where all kinds of flowers lived. Among them, Jasmine Mother had three children: Xiaomo, Xiaoli, and Xiaohua.

One day Uncle Pumpkin passed through the Flower Kingdom on his travels and saw the jasmine children at play. He went up and asked, “I have a serious question for you: which of you looks most like your Jasmine Mother?”

Xiaomo answered at once: “I do, I do—I have the same leaves as Mother.” Xiaoli thought for a while and would not be outdone: “I do—I have the same branches as Mother.” Xiaohua thought and thought and could not find an answer; she was so anxious she nearly cried.

Uncle Pumpkin comforted her: “Don’t panic, don’t panic. I have a treasure for you. You will become even more beautiful than your mother.” He pulled a bottle of potion from his pocket. Xiaohua drank it and truly became beautiful.

After Uncle Pumpkin left, some time passed, and the Flower Kingdom no longer had jasmine—it had gained a new king of all flowers called the peony.