Express﹕A magical surprise
【明報專訊】One sunny afternoon Jasmine and Gong Gong (公公) Gramps were on the Hong Kong Ferris Wheel, climbing higher and higher, high as hawks, when there was a rushing, a sucking, a watery WHOOSH, and they were standing beside a slab of rock.
Jasmine knew exactly where they were: Sung Wong Toi (宋王臺), Hong Kong's most ancient relic (遺蹟).
Jasmine recalled her teacher Mr Tam handing her an instruction sheet for a summer holiday history project. For the project, Jasmine had to visit eighteen sites. At each site she'd find a clue to the next location and one letter of a mystery message.
"Check that history app or whatever you call it," Gramps said.
Jasmine cleared her throat and read. "In 1279, a courtier(朝臣) jumped into the sea with the last Southern Song emperor, a boy, strapped to his back. They were escaping from the Mongols. Locals recorded this piece of history on a boulder(巨石). Many hundreds of years later, the boulder got in the way of the construction of Kai Tak airport so a section was blasted away and erected here."
"Maybe the characters were carved by a great-gong gong of Nai Nai (奶奶)," said Gramps sadly.
Ugh-oh. Jasmine ran over to give him a hug. Cheering-up duty was hers when her parents were out at work.
"What's this?" Gramps's arm disappeared down the fountain wall.
Yeah! It was an envelope. Jasmine tore it open. Inside was a sheet of paper with typed Chinese characters. It must be the clue to the next site!
(Text edited and abridged)
■Giveaway
Do you want to win a copy of Hong Kong History Girl? Fill in the form, answer the question and send it to us (see below for our address). Please state "Smarties' Power English Vol 235" on the envelope. The giveaway closes on 16 Jan 2019. 2 readers will be chosen.Thanks: The Commercial Press (H.K.) Ltd.
Question: What is your favourite historical relic in Hong Kong? Why?
[Smarties' Power English 第235期]
