Long ago, between Night and Day there was war.  
They taunted and insulted one another.  Spite and spleen.  
Like a woolen curtain, Night sought to black out Day 
while Day, like a huge bonfire, labored to outshine the moon.  
From these mighty battles people and animals suffered, 
enjoying a little respite only at noon and midnight.

With Winter and Summer, it was much the same.  
They detested each other and all the more 
for being evenly matched.  Midsummer and Midwinter 
were calm but, in between, the seasons’ tussled; 
earthquakes and tempests afflicted the world.

One day, as her parents were complaining, 
Mai Ling, a little girl of eight years, spoke up.  
“Nobody can tell me what time is or how much there is of it.  
Why not just make more?  Then Uncle Winter can have 
his time and Auntie Summer hers; then Day can be day
all day and Night can be night the whole night through.”

Mai Ling’s parents laughed indulgently, as parents will.  
But her old granny reproached them.  “Listen to the child.  
New eyes see better than old ones.”  And so 
the people convened a parley with Day and Night, 
with Winter and Summer, and let Mai Ling explain.

“Uncle Day, when you get sleepy you shouldn’t struggle.  
Auntie Night, when you’re worn out, you ought to go to bed.
You shouldn’t rub your eyes and spite each other.  
Neighbors need boundaries, little walls, not too high. 
We can make new time if only you’ll agree.  
We’ll set fences between you: Dusk and Dawn.

“And as for you, Uncle Winter and Auntie Summer, 
you should do the same and not rub up against each other 
ruining our rice with scorching heat and blasts of cold.
Let’s set new seasons between you, just little ones, low walls.
As Winter tires, we’ll have Spring, and as Summer fades, Fall.
  
That's my idea.  In the night people and animals will 
sleep and during the day we’ll work and play.  
In Spring we’ll sow and harvest in the Fall.
Then you can stop your nasty wrangling and enjoy yourselves.
Then we shall all be grateful to you, blessing Day
and also Night, each Winter and every Summer.”

	(This poem and the tale preceding it are included in Hsi-wei Tales)