Emperor Huangdi Loses His Black Pearl

Emperor Huangdi travelled to the northern side of the Chishui River and climbed the Kunlun Mountains. On his way back he lost his black pearl. He sent Zhi (1) to find it but Zhi failed. Then he sent Lizhu, (2) who also failed. Finally he sent Xiangwang (4) and Xiangwang found it. "It is really strange," the emperor exclaimed, "that Xiangwang should have got it!"

(1) Zhi: a clever god.
(2) Lizhu: a god with sharp eyes.
(3) Chigou: a god good at debating.
(4) Xiangwang: a careless, absent minded god

From 100 Chinese Myths and Fantasies translated by Ding Wangdao

Dansemuse

An awful translation via Babelfish, from Le Genie D'oc Et L'homme Mediterraneen, which is as best I can tell an anthology of French literature. (according to Babelfish it means "Genie of oc and the Mediteranean Man").

DANSEMUSE

I

It is lacking some a word
That it has the heart like front,
It runs or the days fly,
It was born with the wind.

II

Its lips think for it;
All birds of the setting one
Their wings burn together
With what shone in its songs.

III

The hours follow its shade;
It loses them in the flowers,
Not guessing that their number has
That it was all in their heart.

IV

It is gray and known as insane
And dances has to close the eyes
A heart beats in its words,
No one does not know or are its skies.

V

Like a star in its branches
Its frankness grasped evenings
It is the white pink.
It should be liked to see it.

VI

A tear raméne
With daylight
Or the man informs of his sorrows
The child who it is for always.

VII

And, in the wind which walks on,
It is the sleepless night of the tears
Whose orphan light
Knows that it is dawning in the heart.

Joe Bousquet

The Phantom at the Hamburger Stand

It was the middle of the afternoon when he cut through the parking lot on his bicycle. His backpack slung low over his shoulder, he leaned in front of me on the railing with his head close to the window. I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying over the train whistle overhead. He pulled a few crumpled dollars out of his jeans and flattened them on the counter with his palm, sliding it to the attendant who promptly disappeared. The window stood in front of me. I went through the same charade, flattening the paper currency on the counter. We stood gracelessly. He held his bike while away from his body while I bent my neck awkwardly looking between the trashcan and the ground. From the window the attendant held a paper cylinder, calling out in my direction. "Thirsty?" he said as I plunged the straw into my prize. "Yeah." "Say, I come here about every day after work. There ain't nothin' beat a good burger, I usually get two or three. You work by here?" "Yeah, I work at the library." "There's a library near hear? No kidding?" "It's on the avenue behind Wendy's" "No foolin' you ever get busy?" "Some days," I replied and took another drink. He said, "Yes sir, I do my best to keep up with the machines," he was looking past the railroad tracks. "I work over there, in the warehouse. They pay me and I try my best to keep up and I get me three cheeseburgers," he said with a wink. "I figure I'll work here 'till I can't keep up no more then I'll move along." We both stared into the distance. The air was like glass, despite the smoke stacks, a cluster of totems on every horizon. A cement truck floated past, grumbling and churning. Beneath its noise, the attendant said something and shoved a white bag in his direction. Getting onto his bicycle, he thanked her and took the package. Wobbling across the parking lot, he turned and said, "You have a great Halloween, my man." I thanked him, wished him the same, and turned around to see my bag waiting for me. Walking towards my car, I saw him hobble across the street on his bike. A train was scooting ahead of him. At first I saw him wobbling towards the crossing, then he went straight into it. Between the passing cars, I saw him safe on the other side, the wheels floating along the pavement towards the warehouse where he would work on his machines.