Book Guide

Long ago in China lived a family with five brothers who resembled each other very closely. They each possessed a special talent. One can swallow the sea; one has an iron neck; one can stretch his legs; one can survive fire; and the last can hold his breath forever. When one of the brothers, a somehow very successful fisherman, agrees to let a young boy accompany him on his fishing trip, trouble results. This brother holds the entire sea in his mouth so that the boy can retrieve fish and treasures. When the man can no longer hold in the sea, he frantically signals to the boy, but the boy ignores him and drowns when the man releases the water. The man is accused of murder and sentenced to death. However, one by one, his four brothers assume his place when subjected to execution, and each uses his own superhuman ability to survive. At the end of the story, a judge decides that the brother accused of murder must have been innocent, since he could not be executed, and the five brothers return home.

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Claire Huchet Bishop

Claire Huchet Bishop

(Pronounced Claire Hoo-SHAY Bishop)
1898 - 1993
French-American
CLAIRE HUCHET BISHOP grew up in Le Havre, France. Her grandfather was the village storyteller, and on winter evenings people would gather round his ... See more
Kurt Wiese

Kurt Wiese

1887-1974
Born in Germany, Kurt Wiese lived for a while in Manchuria, where he mastered the Chinese language and calligraphy. Later, in Australia, h... See more

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