A Wooden Bottle

Myths

October-December 1996

One day, in a Chinese city, a new peddler began to sell medicines in the city square.  As he sold them, he always hung a wooden bottle on the wall near his stool.  A young man became curious.  He didn't know who the new peddler was.  One night this man, whose name I don't remember, saw how the old peddler clapped his hands and jumped into the wooden bottle.  At first, our friend thought that he was dreaming, but he knew that this wasn't a dream.

   The next day, he went to the medicine stand and began a conversation with the old man.  Our friend and the new peddler became friends.  One day the old man surprised his new friend and invited him to go with him.  Then he clapped his hands and the two men were inside the bottle.  They were in a beautiful mansion.  The medicine-seller invited our friend to sit and eat.  The young man ate, drank, and fell into a deep sleep.  He awoke the next morning in his own bed.  Our friend ran outside to find the old peddler, but he had disappeared, and he never found out who that old man was.

   -Juan Jose, Spain