1. Jackie Potter STORY FOLLOWER

2. The Story of The Fruitless Mountain This story is about the Jade Dragon and is the original story that Ba told Minli to spark her interest in his stories. This story is a representation of the greediness of the Jade Dragon, but how she couldn’t see that until she lost what she truly loved…her own children. When Jade Dragon lost her children, she would stop at nothing until she found them. Minli has the same drive to find fortune for her family. It is so imperative that she give her Ma an opportunity to not be stressed and Ba an opportunity to rest, and the only way to do that is to find the Old Man of the Moon.

3. The Story of The Old Man of the Moon This story really focuses on the wisdom and power of the Old Man of the Moon. He is in charge of everyone’s fate and it doesn’t matter who you are, you cannot change it. The Magistrate learned this when he tried to kill the grocer’s daughter. This story really opened Minli’s eyes to the possibility of convincing the Old Man to help her family. However, he would need a very good reason to make changes in the big book, so we will see what Minli comes up with.

4. The Story of the Dragon This was a very interesting story. It really started to introduce the magic that surrounds their world. How is a dragon painted, but then comes to life? Why doesn’t Dragon have wings? Couldn’t someone just go paint wings on his original portrait? This story raises a lot of questions. However, Minli just accepts Dragon for who he is and how he came about. She has made a loyal friend who is helping her with her mission. Without him, she may not even make it to see the Old Man.

5. The Story of The Goldfish Man This story is about how the Goldfish Man went to see the Old Man of the Moon and changed his fate. The Goldfish Man was to originally die at the age of 19, but by some coincidence, the Old Man changed his fate so he will die at the age of 99. This is what gave Ba the confidence in Minli. Ba realized that Minli’s journey is a necessary one. Ba and Ma decided to start heading home.

6. The Story of the Paper of Happiness This story is about how jealous the Magistrate is of the happy family. With all of the riches that the Magistrate had, he still was very miserable. I think this story is a representation of how money cannot buy happiness. The Magistrate had money, power, and his son married into royalty, but he still wanted more. You can’t be told how to be happy, you have to determine that for yourself. Minli is under the impression that if her family comes across fortune, it will make them happy. Maybe Minli is already rich in the relationships she has.

7. The Story of the Dragon Gate This story is about a great waterfall that is very vast and tall. The fish believe at the top is the Dragon Gate which is the entryway to the sky. The waterfall is guarded by 999 dragon ornaments that watch with glowing eyes. It is believed that if a fish can swim to the top of the water fall and make it through the Dragon Gate, it will turn into a flying dragon. This story symbolized Minli’s journey. She is a small fish trying to get to the top of the waterfall to find the Old Man of the Moon and bring her family fortune, but can she do it?

8. The Story of the Buffalo Boy’s Friend This story was a bit of a mystery for Minli. Who is this girl? Minli is smarter than the Buffalo Boy and can see that there is more to this girl than he thinks. He just accepts her story for what it is. The Buffalo Boy’s friend comes around to see him periodically, but he cannot go see her. Why? I think there is more to this character that we will learn later on in the book. This story is just her introduction, but I have a feeling she will be playing a very large role in Minli’s journey.

9. The Unknown Part of The Old Man of the Moon This story is again about how wise the Old Man really is. The Magistrate was determined to control his own destiny, not knowing that it was impossible. The Old Man left him with the ever-changing paper. I think this paper continues to change so the Magistrate could never have life’s “one” true answer. As his life continued as well as those of the generations that followed him, the paper would represent something new. Minli believes this paper is the “broken line” she needs to move forward with Dragon on their journey. This paper would be good for Minli to have as she believes that fortune is her family’s “one” true answer, but maybe it isn’t?

10. A String of Destiny This is the story of the old family of lions and how they became the guardians of the city. Their job was to tie a string around the city to keep it from falling apart. The string is possibly the “broken line”. The lions told this story to Dragon. Dragon now feels that he has the “broken line” that Minli needs to continue on her journey. Minli thinks the “broken line” is on the paper she received from the king. As the book continues, we will discover which actually is the “broken line” and how it helps Minli and Dragon.