Brother's Trick

By Ma Yunlong

Once, when I was little,my mom split up some animal crackers between my brother and I. We got four each.

My brother, looking at the four pieces in his hand said, “Let's play house! I'll be the child and you can be the mom.” I happily agreed.

Then my brother started crying like a baby, “Mom, I'm hungry.”

I, immediately, went to comfort him, “Don't cry, don't cry,Mommy's got something yummy for you.”

As I was speaking I fed one of my cookies to my brother.

My brother quickly chewed and swallowed down the animal cracker. He started crying again,“Ma, I'm still hungry.” After that:my second, third and fourth crackers all went down his throat.

Then I looked at the four cookies in his hand, “It's my turn to be the kid.” He said okay.

Then I began crying like a baby,“Daddy, I'm hungry.”

My brother lifted his hand and gave me a smack, “Cry! Cry! All you do is cry! You're so annoying!”

I started really crying, “How come when you're the baby and you're hungry I have to feed you but when I'm the baby and I'm hungry not only do you not feed me, you even hit me?”

My brother, stuffing a cracker into his mouth, said, “Because you were the mom and I was the dad.That's how dads are supposed to act!” (From Modern Express.Translation: Sam Bowden)