The Children of Huang Shi Page #5

You're a brave boy, Lao Si.

Brave boy.

Many of George Hogg's

children are still alive,

among them Lao Si and his three brothers.

The four of us could

never have survived without Hogg.

That's certain.

We brothers didn't know our birthdays.

Even my older brother didn't know.

When asked, we all say, "The 22nd"

this was the day George Hogg died.

Ho-Ke gave a speech.

He wrote three words

on the blackboard, in English.

Where do we want to go?

"Why" and "How".

He had his methods.

Then he explained

how far it was to Shandan

over 1,000 kilometres.

We would march there;

our belongings packed on

hand carts and mule carriages.

We kept hearing

that Shandan was so cold

that your nose would

break off if you touched it.

And when you pee,

it would become an ice stick.

But Hogg assured us

it wouldn't be that bad.

It was a very cold winter.

And walking all the way

through snow and on icy roads.

It took us over two months.

Later people called this,

'The Long March in Miniature.'

He was a perfect man.

Everybody has his flaws,

but I couldn't find any in Hogg.

He was always smiling when talking to us.

He knew, and he taught us

what to hate and what to love.

The Chinese people

remember those foreigners

who helped China during those struggles.

No matter how the world may change,

we, the Chinese, will never forget them.

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