Long ago, in ancient China, an Emperor had a beautiful wife who told fabulous stories. The Emperor loved stories dearly. Sadly, one day, the Emperor’s wife fell ill and died. The Emperor became very sad and lost all interest in the affairs of the kingdom. Everyone in the kingdom was worried. They were afraid that the warring clan might hear about the Emperor’s weakness and attack the city. Something needed to be done soon.
One day, a priest passed some children playing with their dolls. They were making dancing shadows on the wall of the city. The priest got an idea. He knew the stories the Emperor’s wife used to tell. He thought to bring those stories to life. He made a puppet out of the bits of clay. He painted it to look somewhat like the Emperor’s wife.
