Meeting the Five Mascots in a Dream

 By Zhong Wanting

Where am I? What is this strange place?

I was on a stretch of sandy beach, with the vast blue waters rolling in front of me. Suddenly, a soft voice bubbled up from the depth of the water. I sprang up, and was surprised to see a cute little child peeking at me from the sea.

‘Who are you?’ I asked.

The little child clambered onto the beach. ‘My name is Beibei，and I represent prosperity, for in traditional Chinese art, “fish” is often associated with abundance and harvest. I hope that everybody in this world can enjoy a prosperous life.’

With an elegant leap, Beibei dived into the water, leaving a bright ring of blue.

All of a sudden, the blue world changed. Now I was sitting in a tree in a beautiful forest, while a gentle breeze murmured in the leaves.

‘Welcome to my home, my friend!’ A cheerful voice called.

I turned, and saw a panda waving at me, with a green wreath of lotus leaves on his head.

‘Who are you?’ I asked.

‘My name is Jingjing, and I hope everybody can feel happy everyday. My ancestors had brought friendship and good-will to different peoples, and I hope this bond can be maintained throughout the ages.’

And bowing to me graciously, my new friend skipped out of sight, finally fading into a ring of black.

Suddenly I was standing in an ancient temple. Smoke was rising elegantly on the altar, and a mysterious scent was thick in the air.

Through the darkness a bright light blazed, illuminating a child with flaming red hair.

‘My name is Huanhuan and I am the torch of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.’ He smiled as he said to me. ‘With this fire, the Olympic spirit of higher, faster and stronger can be kindled in every heart.’

The thick aroma of incense slowly faded, the temple receding into a ring of fire.

Now I was walking on a vast stretch of plateau, with the wind howling in my ears. Just then, an agile figure darted into my view and stopped to look at me.

‘Who are you?’ I asked.

‘My name is Yingying, a Tibetan antelope. I come from the vast Chinese West, where there are the purest rays of the sun. With my speed I bring the wishes of good health to the peoples of the world.’

And he raced once again into the wilds. I could only watch him fade into a golden ring.

When I looked around, I found that I was now high above the clouds, with swallow kites from the old city of Yanjing floating around me. A green kite approached me slowly, and with it came a current of the warmth of spring.

A little girl smiled at me from the kite.

‘Who are you?’ I asked.

She spread her arms and did a graceful waltz in the air. ‘My name is Nini and I come from the sky. I wish that wherever I fly, seeds of “good luck” can grow in the hearts of people.’

And she flew into the clouds, leaving behind her a trail of green rings.

I gazed into the stretch of blue sky and suddenly, floating into my view were five closely connected rings of five different colours. I saw my five new friends dancing hand in hand in front of the Olympic emblem, echoing their names, the heartfelt words of all Chinese people -----

‘Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni! Beijing Welcomes You!’

　　　广东实验中学　  初三（1）班　  钟琬婷