he ever did, his life quickly became rather boring.
“I’ve had an idea,” he said, jumping to his feet enthusiastically.
“Oh, here we go,” said An with a sigh.
“What do you mean, ‘Oh, here we go’? I haven’t gone anywhere yet,” protested Ping. “If you don’t mind me saying so, An, that’s a rotten thing for a brother to hear from his sister just after he’s woken up.”
“It’s because you say the same thing every morning,” she explained. Then, adopting a look of mock excitement, she mimicked Ping’s voice. “‘Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! Oooh! An! Listen. I’ve had a completely brilliant idea. I was wondering how you felt about climbing a tree today?’” She stopped imitating Ping and spoke in her own voice again. “The same as I always feel about climbing a tree, Ping. The same as I feel about swimming across a river, or rolling down a hill, or running in a race, or throwing a stick. I would rather I was sitting here eating bamboo with Mummy.”
“You’d never make an adventurer,” Ping observed.
“I don’t want to be an adventurer,” she said. “I’m happy at home.”
“As should you be, Ping,” his mother interjected. “A stranger who walks in a strange land knows not where to hide from the toothsome smile of a predator.” Ping had never been able to understand his mother’s sayings. It seemed to him that she just picked out unrelated words and arranged them at random into baffling sentences.
“You don’t understand what Mummy’s just said, do you?” jeered An. “You’re trying to look like you do, but you haven’t got a clue!”
“Of course I understand,” said Ping. “It’s got something to do with going on holiday and forgetting your toothbrush… I think.”
“Wrong,” said his sister, smugly. “It means that I am the clever one and you are not, because I do understand it. It means that panda cubs are safer at home, because the rainy season’s just finished and the snow leopards are coming down from the mountains looking for food!”
“I’m not scared of snow leopards!” Ping scoffed. “Is that why you won’t go exploring with me?”
“Yes,” said An. “When I’m at home I know where to hide. And that is why, in case you were wondering, I’m so much better at hide-and-seek than you.”
“No, you’re not!” said Ping. Then, realising he could turn this to his advantage, he added, “Prove it!”
An yawned.
“You don’t catch me out that easily,” she said. “Besides, I’m too young and pretty to be a snow leopard snack just yet, but you go ahead if you want to.”
Their mother chuckled.
“Nobody’s going to be eaten by a snow leopard,” she said.
“At least it would be a bit of excitement,” Ping replied, without thinking.
“That is a ridiculous thing to say,” his mother sighed. “The wise panda searches not for what he does not have, but is content with what is his.”
Ping was baffled again and scratched his head.
“Master the art of boredom,” she explained further, “and you will conquer the world.”
“How can you master boredom?” he asked. “Boredom’s just boring.”
“If you’re bored,” she said quietly, “it’s up to you to go off and find something to do.”
“Like what?”
“Like fishing,” she suggested.
“Fishing’s boring,” said Ping.
“Fishing’s safe,” his mother said.
“So long as you don’t fall into the water,” sniggered An. “Which Ping probably would, because he’s as clumsy as a fat fairy in concrete boots.”
“And it is the end of the rainy season, so the river’s running rather fast at the moment,” said his mother anxiously. “Actually, I’ve changed my mind, Ping. Maybe fishing’s not a good idea. Why don’t you ask your best friend, Hui, to play with you?”
Hui was a bright-blue grandala bird who entertained Ping for hours with his exciting stories about flying around the world.
“Because he’s busy catching insects for his winter nest,” said Ping. “He said I could help him, but I hate bugs. They nest in my fur and tickle me.” Ping scratched his nose and tipped back his head to look at the sky. “You know, sometimes I wish I wasn’t a panda. Sometimes I wish I was a bird, like Hui, because birds can go wherever they like.”
“You can’t be a bird,” said An, “because birds have got a head for heights. You’ve got a head for basketball.”
“I’m not staying here to be insulted,” Ping said, standing up in a huff. “And anyway, if my head is the shape of a basketball, yours must be too. So there!”
“Will you two please stop arguing,” said their mother. “You can go off and have a silly adventure, Ping, but don’t do anything dangerous, make sure you’re back for supper, and watch out for snow leopards!”
“Maybe I will and maybe I won’t,” he grumbled, kicking his way through a bamboo hedge and stomping out of the clearing.
The moment he was out of sight Ping felt guilty. He shouldn’t be speaking to his mother like that. After all, she was only trying to keep him safe. And she had actually met a snow leopard once, so she knew how dangerous they could be. He’d better say sorry… Yes, that would be the kind thing to do… Maybe not now, though. After he’d had his adventure. He’d do it tonight, when he came home for supper.
“Ping.”
Ping spun round, surprised to find his sister standing close behind him.
“Promise me,” she said seriously, “that whatever it is you end up doing today it won’t be anything stupid!”
Ping laughed at the very idea.
“As if I would,” he said. “As if I would!”
Then he disappeared into the bushes to find himself a surfboard.
