Tiger-head-pillow

　　Tiger-head-pillow is one kind of folk embroidery. The shape of this pillow is like tigers with different designs, for example, two-head tigers, tigers with human’s face or with fish’s tail.

　　In Chinese old saying, the tiger is the king of all animals in forests. When babies are 1 year old, their aunts will make tiger-head-pillow for them to bless them safety and peace.

　　In the folk, the make-up of tiger-head-pillow is very elegant. Some are embroidered by red silk and some are blue, or yellow. And the tiger head is also with different kinds. Some are like dragon, and some like lion, living and colorful.

　　Sugar figures

　　Making sugar figures is an old profession in Beijing. Sugar figure makers went from street to street with shoulder poles, carrying a cupboard on each side. These attracted lots of kids who followed the sugar figure maker around.

　　In the past, whenever the makers went to a hutong with their shoulder poles, the kids couldn’t help but watch. First, the maker took a little maltose with a small spoon, and then nipped the soft maltose by hands, plugged it into a wheat straw pole, blowing gently, using his hands to form a figure. Soon, the soft maltose turned into a striking creature.

　　Many people think they can make sugar figures themselves. Although the makers will sell you some maltose, you won’t be able to make even a simple bubble. Soon, the maltose will become dry and unusable.

　　Kids will be more excited about seeing the sugar figures than about eating them. In old times, kids rarely had pocket money and if one of them bought a sugar figure, all the other children would crowd around and admire it. For kids, sugar figures are attractive toys, but for adults, they are pieces of edible artwork that carry memories of childhood.

　　改编自www.chinadaily.com

　　Help :

　　Embroidery n. 刺绣品, 粉饰, 刺绣, 装饰

　　Maltose n. 麦芽糖

　　Edible adj. 可食用的

　　Think about : true or false ?

　　1. Tiger-head-pillow is one kind of folk embroidery

　　2. When babies are 3 year old, their aunts will make tiger-head-pillow for them to bless them safety and peace.

　　3. Everybody can make sugar figures themselves.

作者：佚名
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