Story 64: Reza Shadey and the Mooncake Mix-Up
After his soggy dumpling disaster, Reza Shadey was determined to prove he had learned his lesson. "Patience and cultural respect", he muttered to himself, polishing his whiskers. "It sounds terribly boring, but if it leads to superior snacks, I shall become a master of it." It was the Mid-Autumn Festival in Shanghai, and the city was aglow with lanterns and laughter. But Reza only had eyes for the mooncakes — especially the lava-custard ones that shone like tiny, golden moons in the teahouse window.
Remembering the wise words of the alley cat, Mao Li, he decided against a full-scale robbery. Instead, he would be polite. He found an empty soapbox, hopped on top, and cleared his throat. "Ahem! Nǐ hǎo!" he announced to the startled passers-by. "Wǒ shì guówáng māo!" he declared, which he was sure meant "A very important cat would like a delicious cake", but which actually meant "Hello! I am king cat!" To show his deep respect, he bowed so low, with such dramatic flair, that he toppled right off his box and crashed head-first into a calligraphy stand. CRASH! SPLAT!
The grumpy Pekinese dog, Bao Bao, who was guarding the teahouse, saw the whole thing. He saw a fluffy cat shouting about being a king and then knocking over a pot of ink. To him, this didn't look like polite respect. It looked like another heist! With a furious YAP-YAP-GRRR! he gave chase! Reza, with an inky paw and a terrified squeak, bolted down the street.
He ducked into the first place he saw — a lantern workshop, bright with red silk and bamboo frames. But in his panic, he skidded on a loose piece of silk and tumbled into a huge pile of unfinished lanterns. WHOOSH! TANGLE! WOBBLE! He was completely wrapped up in silk and bamboo, looking less like a king cat and more like a fluffy, grumpy, caterpillar in a cocoon. The artisans in the workshop roared with laughter. One of them gently lifted the tangled cat and hung him from a beam. "Look!" she laughed, "A lucky guardian-lion lantern! He will bring us good fortune!"
Reza sulked in his silky prison, muttering about the indignity of it all. Just then, Mao Li appeared, looking highly amused. "I see you have become a decoration, little cloud", she purred. "You see, mooncakes are not for demanding. They are for sharing with family and friends to celebrate the full moon." She helped untangle him and led him to a nearby courtyard, where families were gathered under the glowing moon, cutting up mooncakes and sharing them with each other.
Feeling very humbled and a little bit silly, Reza reached into his fluff and pulled out the broken shrimp cracker the vendor had given him the day before. He padded over to the teahouse owner and offered it to her as a gift. The owner's eyes crinkled with kindness. She patted his head and gave him a tiny, perfect, lava-custard mooncake of his very own.
As a final treat, she let him "help" fold dumplings. This mostly involved Reza getting flour all over his nose and leaving dusty paw prints all over the table, which made everyone laugh even more. He even made friends with Bao Bao, after he bravely (and accidentally) knocked a falling lantern away from him, which he had bumped in the first place.
That night, as Mrs Higgins finally found him and prepared for their journey home, Reza fell asleep under the big, round moon, his tummy full of cake. He dreamed of starting a "Mid-Autumn Feast Club" back in England, with Mao Li as the honorary president. "Maybe", he murmured in his sleep, a happy, rumbling purr in his chest, "being a 'good luck' cat is better than being a thief...but only slightly."
Night night. Sleep tight.