One evening in late December, Sagwa was talking to Ping Wing the Pigeon. "Ping Wing," she said, clearing her throat a bit, "I'll be introducing you to everyone you never met before. And to this day, you remain an invaluable part of the my friend team."

Ping Wing blushed modestly. "Thank you, Sagwa."

Sagwa introduced Ping Wing to Sheegwa, Shei Hu, the mice, the Sleeve Dogs and the alley cats. When Ping Wing was introduced to the alley cats, they were confused at first.

"Ping what?" asked Jet Jet.

"Ping Wing." said Sagwa. "My new friend."

"Nice to meet you." said Lik Lik, as he and most of the alley cats smiled. Jet Jet was still confused.

"Therefore, Ping Wing," said Sagwa, "I feel it is time for you to learn how to lift heavy things."

"Heavy things?!" exclaimed Ping Wing. She could hardly believe her ears.

"Yes, Ping Wing!" laughed Sagwa. "Tomorrow, you shall get along with Jet Jet. He'll show you the ropes."

Right away, Ping Wing began to feel uneasy. He didn't know Jet Jet well, but he sometimes seemed very annoyed and irritated: the last thing she wanted was to disappoint the dorky alley cat. Ping Wing swallowed hard and said as bravely as she could, "Yes, Sagwa. I'll do my very best."

"I'm sure you will, Ping Wing. Now see you tomorrow."

Next day, when Ping Wing met Jet Jet, they both raced into the village to find a bag of oranges that some villager knocked over. "You go and lift this bag to put back in where it should be," said Jet Jet. "I could tell you a thing or two about what happened to my worse cousin when he insisted upon cleaning things up."

"Whatever you say, Jet Jet," Ping Wing gulped. Great, he thought to himself. More pressure!

"Now then," Jet Jet continued, "the most important thing to know about heavy things is that you can't give them the same treatment those dumb old sleeve dogs caused to the things that belonged to Tai Tai. Knock them over, and that'll be a lot of trouble, even if it was accidental..."

But Ping Wing was fretting so much that she wasn't listening. "Ping Wing, did you hear me?" called Jet Jet, who is getting annoyed. "Ping Wing!" Ping Wing snapped back to reality, panicked, and flew forward and crashed into the bag.

Jet Jet was more annoyed. "Fool of a Snake!" he scolded. "What did I just tell you?! You can just consider yourself fortunate that the villager wasn't in fantasy!"

Ping Wing thought that was rather unfair. After all, her strength was a lot like any other pigeon and the load of oranges were heavy, and Jet Jet had startled him. "But I...," she started to protest.

"But nothing," Jet Jet interupted. "I only hope this will be a well-learned first lesson to you."

"Yes, Jet Jet," said Ping Wing meekly. "Sorry. I promise it won't happen again."

So, Ping Wing clenched her pigeon feet onto the open/close handle to the bag of oranges and began to pull, still fretting. "Is that it?"

"Are you doing it right?!" shouted Jet Jet, who was getting more irritated.

"I'm...I'm...trying!" cried Ping Wing.

"Are you listening to me?!" Jet Jet continued scolding.

Poor Ping Wing felt as if her instincts had frozen. With Jet Jet shouting at her, she didn't know what to do. Even when Jet Jet's shouting tried to catch her attention, Ping Wing didn't respond. She was in a state of complete panic. "Ease off, pigeon, ease off!" bellowed Jet Jet.

"OHHHH!" wailed Ping Wing despairingly. The next thing she noticed, that she had dropped the bag of oranges and they landed on Jet Jet, and she lost her balance, and landed right on Jet Jet on the mess!. Luckily, Jet Jet and Ping Wing were still alive. But Jet Jet had a bruise on his head from the mess, and he was covered in small injures. He was furious. "Young fool!" he thundered. "Look what you've done! Tell me, have you any common sense at all?! Am I not fit to be a helper, or are you just immune to all advice and warnings?!"

"I...I...," Ping Wing faltered, horrified by the accident and hurt by Jet Jet's outburst.

"Think of all the clean up some villager with have to do thanks to your troubles!" Jet Jet went on. "I wouldn't be surprised if none of the villagers came! Who could blame them? They'd have to be mad to see a michevious fool like you again!"

"Jet Jet," Ping Wing squeaked, "I'm so sorry..."

"I hate to burst your bubble, Ping Wing, but 'sorry' won't help you now! I'll have to say you'll never lift heavy things again! You're clearly unfit for anything but flying!"

Ping Wing felt terrible, even worse than what Shei Hu's terrible week, in which he was trying to have a good week, but bad things happen to him back then. But here, she disgraced Jet Jet, and herself. She flew back to her cage in tears. While Jet Jet angrilly waited for someone to fix his injures. At last someone was called in to do that.

That evening, everyone was fast asleep. But Ping Wing stayed awake, brooding over everything that had happened that day. Remembering somebody's words about giving every villager a good impression, she felt hot tears well up in her eyes, then begin to cascade down his cheeks like waterfalls. The next thing she knew, he was sobbing uncontrollably, as the memories of the accident, Jet Jet's scolding and rantings repeated over and over again in her head: "Young fool!" "You're clearly unfit for anything but flying!"

Jet Jet was having his injures wrapped in bandages, and had to wait til the injures go away, and it wasn't until after New Year's Day that he was finally able to go home. She walked happily into the alley, expecting a warm welcome, but was instead met with fierce glares, especially from Sagwa, Shei Hu, Dongwa, Sheegwa, and Hun Hun. "Err, morning, all," Jet Jet said cautiously. "Had a happy New Year, I expect?"

Sagwa was enraged, as it felt like steam came out of her ears. "FISH AND SHRIMP, JET JET! ARE YOU REALLY THAT THICK?!" she screamed.

Jet Jet was taken quite aback. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden, you lot?"

"Don't take us for fools, Jet Jet!" snapped Shei Hu. "Ping Wing told us everything! The accident's left her devastated!"

"Do you think she just shrugged it off?!" demanded Hun Hun. "Do you actually think all your yelling just went through one of her ears and out the other?! Jet Jet, for Kung Fu's sake, she's not those sleeve dogs!"

"Then why on Earth couldn't she stop jostling me about, or ease off when I told him to?!" Jet Jet shot back.

"I can answer that!" snorted Sagwa. "She lacks so much self-esteem, all your criticism must've left her a nervous wreck! What's the matter with you, Jet Jet?!" she went on, her voice beginning to crack. "Do you think all newcomers are those sleeve dogs, or even just that silly rat, all over again?! Jet Jet, for crying out loud, leave my pigeon friend alone!"

Just then, Shei Mei and Ping Wing walked in. Shei Mei had helped Ping Wing cheer up because of her nervious break down about the accident. Having never been out that late before, Ping Wing was quite exhausted. "Top o' the mornin', everyone," she yawned. Then she noticed Jet Jet: her eyes popped wide open and she gasped out loud. Everyone else could only hold their breath. Finally, Ping Wing said quietly, "If you're going to yell at me again, go right ahead. I don't care anymore. You were right anyway, Jet Jet: I'm not fit for lifting heavy things."

After an awkward pause, Shei Mei cleared her throat. "Err, well, Ping Wing, don't worry. I'm sure he'll apologize." And they left. "You see, Jet Jet?" Dongwa glowered. "He's been brainwashed by all your bullying!"

"Yeah!" Sheegwa added. "You need to fix your mistake!" And everyone left.

Jet Jet made no reply, but deep down, he had a sinking feeling that what the others had said was very true. Poor Ping Wing was heartbroken, and it was all his fault.

"Oh, dear." he groaned. "What am I saying! Sagwa's right!" He felt tears coming out of his eyes. "Ping Wing has a weakness all along, she can't lift a heavy thing like a bag!" He burst into sobbing. "IT'S ALL MY FAUUUUULLT!"

The following day, Jet Jet, feeling remorse and tears in his eyes, was looking at the bright sky, wondering what he was going to do when Ping Wing met again with him. Then Ping Wing flew in. "Oh, erm, hi, Jet Jet!" she said timidly. "Just stopping for a quick topping-up! After a few moments' pause, Jet Jet took a deep breath. "Ping Wing, I want to apologise for treating you so harshly."

"But Jet Jet," sighed Ping Wing sadly, "the accident was my fault. I shouldn't have been careless."

"That's as may be, but my shouting didn't exactly make things better," persisted Jet Jet. "But now that you've mentioned it, why do you think you seized up in the first place?"

"Well, okay." Ping Wing agreed.

"Well, I was too wrapped up in my annoyance to realize you lack so much self esteem! I thought you were very aggorant! But Sagwa and the others proved me wrong!" He let out a sniffle and his voice began to crack towards sobbing. "And I'm sorry I treated you so harshly!" He began bawling again. "Please forgive me, Ping Wing!"

"Okay." said Ping Wing, smiling. "I'll forgive you."

Jet Jet stopped crying. "Thank you." He brightened up a bit. "Anyways, I was also wrapped up in my bullying methods to realize how much self esteem you lack. Even though I has these methods and taunt the palace cats, deep down, I still care for them. Anyways, we'll look foward to the future, and get along better. Right?"

"Yes." said Ping Wing.

And the two went off to have fun with Sagwa, her siblings, Fufu, Shei Hu and the other alley cats.

THE END