In Grandfather’s workshop the fire was already crackling inside the brick stove. Later, it would melt a potful of thick yellow glue; but for now it warmed the tea kettle.
“Pour yourself a bowl,” Grandfather said. “The cold has turned your nose white.” He smiled, and when he smiled the blue bird tattooed on his cheek shrugged its wings. This was one of the many reasons Yazul loved his grandfather.
Through the tea steam rising from the bowl, Yazul looked around the workshop. Long stems of bamboo. Shelves of clay pots containing paint and ink and dye. Rolls of silk on wooden rods.
Fat balls of twine. Sheets of precious paper. The tools and brushes laid out in the proper order. This room was Yazul’s favorite place, the safest place in his small world. Here, after his mother died, his grandfather had taught him, patiently, the art of building kites and, out in the valley, the skill of flying them. Gradually, Yazul had discovered that the kites could lift his sadness into the sky, where little by little the wind would carry it away.
Hanging from the workshop ceiling was the hawk kite Yazul and his grandfather had worked on yesterday. They’d spent the whole day steaming and shaping the bamboo into a pair of broad wings and a tail like a fan.
Grandfather finished his tea and went to the rolls of silk. He rubbed his hands and said, “Now then. What color is our hawk, Yazul? Black? Orange?”
“Blue,” Yazul said. “Blue like the sky in spring.”
When the kite was finished, Yazul took it to show his father. His father was the lord of the han. Loneliness had made him stern, so although Yazul loved him, he also feared him a little.
Yazul displayed the kite proudly.
“A fine kite,” his father said.
Yazul smiled.
“Another fine kite,” his father said. His voice was cold. Yazul’s smile froze on his face.
His father went to the window and stared out at the empty valley. “One day I will die, Yazul. Then this han will be yours to protect.
And all the people in it. You will need to be a man, and strong.”
Yazul did not know what to say, so he said nothing.
Comprehension Questions
1. Who's workshop is the main character working in?
A. Grandmother
B. Father
C. Grandfather
2. What color did Yazul decide to make his hawk?
A. Orange
B. Blue
C. Black
A. Orange
B. Blue
C. Black
Your Thoughts
3. Did you like this excerpt? Why or why not?
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.