The feast
Minli entered “the open air pavilion” where “two stools and a small table of elaborately carved gingko wood” waited for the King and her. “A large, finely woven bamboo basket as tall as Minli’s waist” stood next to the chairs. The king lifted off its lid and “rich, warm aromas floated in the air,” making the girl’s stomach grumble. “The plates of delicate pink shrimp dumplings, savory noodles and pork” were the treats that Minly had never even seen before! The king handed Minli “a pair of intricate gold chopsticks” and the feast began. This imagery is supposed to evoke a feeling of excitement.
The treasure
Minli looked at the paper “as if in a daze.” The page “glowed” in the moonlight and “a single line of faint words, as if written with shadows,” was “scrawled upon the page” in a language Minli “had never seen.” That was the paper which the Old Man of the Moon was missing. That written line “torn from the Book of Fortune” was “the borrowed line” Minli looked for. Excitement “bubbled inside of her.” However, the girl was worried that the king would not want to let it go. He kept it close to his heart. This imagery is supposed to evoke a feeling of excitement.
Bitterness
“For generations, my family has prized the paper,” the king said. They “have honored it for spiritual power and authority.” It has been “passed on” and “studied” and “cherished” and “revered.” That piece of paper was “valued above gold and jade,” but the truth was that it was just proof of the king’s ancestor’s “rudeness, his unprincipled anger and ruthless greed.” However, they have “disregarded that.” Even the moon seemed to “tremble” as the king continued speaking “more to himself than to Minli.” This imagery evokes a feeling of deep sadness.”
