In this Chinese folktale retold by Laurence Yep, a rich merchant offers a large reward to anyone who can cure his painful eye disease. A poor candy peddler walks deep into a forest in search of a magical herb his mother had told him about. With help from a magical centipede and thousands of ants he becomes “One” with, he returns home with something better, earns the reward and lives happily ever after. The titular theme, that we are all one, conveyed an important social message to early Chinese immigrants in America.
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