"The Month the Almonds Bloom" by Frank Owen (from The Winds That Tramps the World, 1929)
In this exquisite oriental fantasy, Woo Fung is a Jade Master, reknown throughout China for his knowledge of and skill at preparing Jade (always capitalized, note). An expert at his craft, Woo Fung is also a poet. As he works carving, he appreciats "the splendor of Jade, purple, green, gorgeous orange and yellow, black, white, and mist-like gray," Woo Fung would "write a bit of verse, and always as he worked, he sang: songs of willows, of shadowy hills and of spring. Once he made a gong of Jade that tinkled when it was struck like music of Chinese Fairies or of the Sky People that roam about the Blue Highways among the wondrous clouds."
One of the many things that inspire Woo Fung is the lovely Lady Shun Kao, the daughter of Mu Kao, a passionate collector of fine gems. Mu Koa was more interested in his gems than in his daughter. In fact, he had little use for females at all. "Mu Koa thought much of his gems but little of his graceful daughter who was by far the most perfect jewel in his household." Woo Fung and Shun Kao would exchange meaningful glances while he was at the home displaying Jade to her father. They could do little more, but it was enough to seal their love for each other. Thoughts and dreams of Shun Kao would go through the artisan's head as he worked, and those thoughts always made Woo Fung's work so much the better. He hoped for the day when he could make Shun Kao his own.
Then, on one visit to Mu Kao, he found the old miser was admiring an unique gem -- a tiny piece of white Jade through which ran a streak of amythest. This special piece of Jade was the property of Kung Chia, a rich merchant. Mu Kao had been negotiating with the merchant for the jade, offering Shun Kao as its price. The mechants wants more but Mu Kao is certain he will accept his terms because Kung Chia is a notorious profligate and Shun Kao is very beautiful.
Woo Fung left broken-hearted. All his dreams and hopes would soon be shattered. Without the thought of his Shun Kao, the quality of Woo Fung's work suffered greatly. Dispair overtook him. Time passed until one day Woo Fung was walking through the alleys of the Chinese quarter of Canton (because going anywhere was better than staying at home grieving). He encountered a very young orphan, Lee Cheng, who had been wandering that area for days, eating scraps and sleeping in the street. Lee Cheng was a bright and merry boy and, out of concern for the child, Woo Fung took him home. Lee Cheng settled in at once and sitting in the window, he would sing pleasant songs that helped revive Woo Fung's spirits. Slowly Woo Fung began to recover and to see a little bit of brightness in his life. While doing so, he worked on a piece of Jade that became the best piece he had ever worked on -- a Jade so perfect there was no equal for it in the entire kingdom.
Woo Fung brought the Jade to Mu Kao, who immediately desired the piece. Woo Fung asked, "Am I not as great as Kung Chia? Is not my stone even grander and rarer than his?" Mu Kao immediately (and greedily) gave his daughter to the Jade Master. That day Woo Fung took his Lady home to his garden through the Moon Gate, as Lee Cheng was at the wndow, singing:
"I had a dream in azure/A gorgeous purple dream./There was soft monlight,/The almond trees were blossoming,/A faint breeze stirred the fragrant air./It was the Month of Almonds,/Of young love,/Of youth and happiness--/For it was Spring."
A smple, quiet story, exquisitely written.
The author, Frank Owen (1893-1968) was a novelist and short story wirter. At least five of his novels were published under the pen name "Roswell Williams," leading some to erroneously assume that was his true name. He is best known for his oriental fantasies, many of which appeared in Weird Tales and Oriental Tales. Among his better-known books are Pale Pink Porcelain, The Purple Sea, Della Wu, Chinese Courtesan, A Husband for Kutani, and The Porcelain Magician. His anthologies Murder for the Millions (1946) and Fireside Mystery Book (1947) are both worth seeking out.
The Winds that Tramps the World is available online at UPenn's Online Books Page.
Whit Burnett of STORY magazine was a big fan, as well...devoting a long cover piece to Owen in one the relatively few 1960s issues he was able to publish during STORY's newsstand run (it had an even shorter Scholastic Magazines run in the late '60s, and then was dead, iinm, till the WRITER'S DIGEST folks' revival in the '90s. I've barely come across his work, but should do something about that.
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