Chapter Five: The Story of the Goose and the Swan

Climbing the steps that led to the Jade Palace, Mr. Ping, a small walking stick in hand, could only look at the enthusiastic giddiness that his son possessed as he made his ascent to the gate and smile. He knew that this was the beginning of a much larger story, one that did not likely include him; and it pained him to think that in the span of 765 steps, from the base to the summit at the gates, that he would lose everything he had come to know. Waddling as carefully as he could, if only to preserve what memories he would have, Mr. Ping began to think, and as he thought he began to worry.

"Po" Mr. Ping began, raising his voice a bit, for Po was a few steps in front of him, "Are you sure about this?"

Po nodded, "Yeah" he answered excitedly, "its goanna be great! I'll be learning from the Masters themselves. Tigress' fists, Monkey's staff of righteousness, Mantis's puncturing wound, Viper's tail slash! All of their signatures. I might even get to meet Master Shifu, this is great!"

Mr. Ping nodded carefully, measuring Po and trying to read him; he wanted to be sure that this is what he wanted. When Crane first came to him Mr. Ping thought nothing of it, taking the bird's offer as a mere visit, it was only after did he realize that he was offering Po a chance to learn kung-fu and become the very thing that Mr. Ping swore he never would be.

"This can only bring trouble" Mr. Ping said to himself, not really caring if Po heard him or not, for the time had long since passed that Po listened to his grievances when it came to kung-fu, "Kung-fu is for certain types of people. Risk-takers. Not noodle makers and their sons, especially not pandas. The day that Po becomes a kung-fu master is the day that I become a soothsayer."

Po began dancing up the stairs as if he had just won a prize for over-enthusiasm, having unhealthy obsessions, and unrealistic goals and was ignorant in that he possessed all of these things and many more that would make even Mr. Ping, who also had some knowledge of basic of kung-fu history, living in the city as well as being a former collector, seem competent.

"Po" Mr. Ping said, starting over, nervousness and fear settling in, "Just remember, if it doesn't work out you always have a place. I know it's not what you want and I'm sorry, I did my best, I just hope that you don't-"

Mr. Ping was cut off with a massive bear hug, Po having listened for a few seconds and taking in the meaning of his father's words.

"Don't worry" Po replied, "It's not like I'm going away forever. It's just one day, one session that's all. It's not like they're going to recruit me or anything."

Mr. Ping nodded, he still had his doubts of course, he did not want to air them in and leave on bad terms; but he also made no effort in hiding his discontent. Breaking away from the embrace, the goose ushered Po forward and began to walk beside him, after a few moments of silence, Mr. Ping stared at his son, his eyes hopeful and full of pride.

"You know when I first opened my noodle shop I had wanted to go into the tofu business" Mr. Ping declared, "But noodles were cheaper and easy to make."

Po chuckled to himself, for he had heard this story countless times before.

"Yeah I know" Po exclaimed, "You opened the shop, started making the noodles and then when people started coming in you didn't want to change anything because you thought that if you did they would be unhappy."

Mr. Ping smiled, laughed and shook his head, remembering the days when the line was out the door and around the block; all for cheap noodles.

"You know me too well" Mr. Ping admitted, "But there is another reason why I never went into the tofu business. At the time it seemed rather silly, maybe it still is, but there was once a time when I was young and stupid that I was in love."

Po stood beside himself, it was difficult to believe that his father, who had known to be a bit of an eccentric, as well as laughably clumsy and a general goof when he wanted to be, had once been in love. The idea was completely foreign to him, if only because he had not had a similar experience, being sheltered and naïve when it came to such matters.

"What was she like?" Po asked, half curious, but mostly humoring his father, who seemed hell bent on having the conversation.

Mr. Ping shrugged nonchalantly, partially giving his answer and not really giving it at the same time. Sighing and searching for a place to begin, Mr. Ping stopped and casually sat down on the steps, bidding Po do the same; he did so, after which the goose twiddled his feathers for a moment and swayed his feet as if he were a child, his legs being particularly short, as well as an attempt, albeit a desperate attempt, at childish humor.

"It was a long time ago you see" Mr. Ping began as he looked over the city, noticing the lush green hills and the blooming trees, "Well before you were born. I had just come into the city after spending some time in the west. My apprenticeship was complete, my grandfather having sent me away to study the art of noodle-making and other cuisines. It was not a day after I returned that I saw the most beautiful creature in all the world."

Po rolled his eyes, he could only guess where the story was going and immediately denounced anything that Mr. Ping had to say, if only because he had heard it in countless other stories before.

"Let me guess" Po interjected, "Love at first sight right? Come on Dad, that's an old scene, it's been done."

Mr. Ping laughed and shook his head, for Po could not have been further from the truth, in fact, so far was he from it that it was almost insulting.

"Life doesn't work that way" Mr. Ping corrected, "No, it was much harder. You see, swans and geese aren't really compatible, true there are some similarities, but the differences are many and great."

Po raised his eyebrows and huffed, "What a minute?" Po continued, "She was a swan? Are you telling me-"

Mr. Ping shrugged again and shook his head pitifully, answering Po's question before he even finished it.

"Like I said" Mr. Ping defended, "I was young and stupid. We didn't have a lot in common at first to tell you the truth. In fact, in the beginning we couldn't stand each other. She would want to go on these adventures: to the jungles, the lakes, the mountains, and see things no one else had seen before. I wanted to stay in the city. I had seen enough of the world, it was jarring; I needed something stable."

Po scratched his head, for now the story wasn't making anything in the way of sense, it was contradictory and partially annoying, there was no action to speak of, nothing to keep him interested for any length of time; yet, if only because he wanted to understand, and in part to be nice to his father, Po humored him further and pried.

"So what did you do?" he asked, "How can you love someone and not get along? That doesn't make any sense."

Mr. Ping casually waved, signaling for Po to stand; after which he continued up the steps, waddling as so to save time.

"What do you think I did?" the goose said rhetorically, "I went with her."

Before Po could retort, Mr. Ping turned and immediately gave an answer, if only to speed up the process and possibly, the panda's understanding.

"Love can make you do things you never thought possible, even things that scare you."

Po sighed, on a personal level he hated it when his father started giving advice, it made him seem as if he were inferior in some way, as if there was always another lesson, always another thing to consider or an obstacle to overcome. The only thing that Po wanted to do, more than anything else in the world, was kung-fu, even just a little bit would have satisfied his appetite, yet, here he was, listening to his father talk about old flames on the steps of the palace. Close, and yet so far from where he wanted to be.

"What's your point Dad?" Po said anxiously, "That love is the greatest power we can have? That fear is an illusion and the only thing that we have to fear is our own insecurity?"

Mr. Ping wanted to slap Po as hard as he could, for even though he had spoken the truth, or at least part of it, he had done it with so arrogance and disrespect that it negated every single word, burying it with sarcasm and frustration. Instead of this however, Mr. Ping, heeding the words of his long dead father, kept his composure and continued his story, hoping that by the end of it, Po would understand.

"Once, we had come to a waterfall. This was after weeks and weeks of excursions and escapades; we had come to know each other. We knew each other's family histories: she came from a long line of artisans, from bakers to blacksmiths. We knew what foods we liked, what we didn't like, our favorite poems and places to relax. We had become fast friends. Yet, there was always something more, underneath the surface. It was by that waterfall, surrounded by trees, lily pads and mayflies that we began courtship."

Mr. Ping stopped for a moment, a small tear was in his eye; it was not a sad tear, but a happy one, full of memory and hope, the kind that one dares to let fall. Smiling as he felt it run down his cheek, Mr. Ping began to laugh inexplicably, it was soft and gentle, but constant.

"She died soon after. One day she just got sick and never recovered. Oh, she would have loved to meet you Po. You have her spirit."

Po, who had been lagging behind for the last few minutes, still within earshot, was confused at Mr. Ping's behavior; for he was speaking of someone who had died, someone he had loved, and laughing as if it were the happiest thing in the entire world.

"Why is that funny?" Po asked as he caught up, "She's dead. How can you be laughing about that?"

Mr. Ping shook his head in denial and gently waved him off, for Po was misinterpreting him entirely.

"You misunderstand" Mr. Ping clarified, slowly calming himself to prevent further confusion, "I was crushed. I didn't eat for almost seven days, practically starved myself to death. It was only after that I came to realize in those few moments that we had, we experienced everything."

The goose turned to Po and placed his wing on the panda's shoulder, trying to connect. Po, in turn, noticed his eyes and how bright they seemed, almost as if the universe had taken the night sky and had placed all the stars within them. It was a strange analogy, but still Po thought about it, and because of this, recognized the gravity of the conversation and the weight that Mr. Ping's words carried, and so he listened, both with his ears and with his heart.

"I could not have asked for a greater gift" Mr. Ping concluded, "Then, out of nowhere, I received you. Now how do you explain that? Pure coincidence? Maybe. But I've never been a fan of pure coincidences."

Standing in front of the closed gate, conical hat slung over his back and his knapsack at his feet, Crane began to go over the motions in his head. He had made every possible precaution: giving what he believed to be a solid alibi, ruffling his feathers and rubbing some dirt on his face to make it look more convincing as well as enhancing some minor scars with the addition of red clay. Further, to keep up the illusion, Crane had reminded himself to answer only to the name of Lao Din, brushed up on the current political and sociological state of the wetlands and paddy fields, in the event that he were asked about his home province, and refreshed his own personal history, recalling the names of his mother, father, and brother.

"There is only one option that I can see" Crane said to himself, thinking aloud, "I cannot stay in the city, for then casting me out of the temple would serve no purpose and have no meaning. No, I must leave. As for where, well, there is only one possible option there as well, Fujian, the ancestral home."

It was then that Crane began to pace and as he paced he began to think and as he thought he began to grow restless which only made him angry.

"What am I even doing?" Crane exclaimed, continuing the one-sided conversation with himself, "I have no reason to be here, no real obligation, I can just go anytime I want. Who cares about a stupid panda and his dreams? What about my happiness? When it is going to be my turn?"

Crane answered himself almost immediately after he had spoken, feeling guilty for even mentioning or considering blowing Po off.

"What does that prove if you fly away now? Nothing. You promised to help him and as a former member of the Five you have to honor that. How you're going to do it is up to you I can't help you with everything but you need to work it out. The only thing I know is that you can't stay here. So what are you going to do about it?"

Looking towards the steps, Crane could hear voices and the faint sound of footsteps. Getting back into his place, Crane straightened himself out and tried his best to look presentable, making one last mental note of his personal reminders. After a few seconds of tension and nothing but the sound of footsteps, the voices having stopped, Crane began to relax, no sooner did he do so did Po and Mr. Ping reach the top of the stairs, finally resting at the gate.

"Nice place" Mr. Ping declared, rather impressed, "Makes the climb worth it."

Po nodded in full agreement, too much in awe to become incredibly excited and dance, although his brain was certainly doing that to say the least.

"Marvelous isn't it?" Crane said in greeting, "A thousand years of history, right here on the highest hill in the center of the city. Really put things into perspective."

Mr. Ping nodded, and for no particular reason other than he thought it was appropriate, granted Crane namaskar, who upon receiving it, returned with equal grace and humility.

"So you have studied" Crane continued, specifically to Mr. Ping, "You are full of surprises Mr. Ping. Maybe there is more to you after all."

Mr. Ping waved him off modestly, for it was obvious that Crane thought too highly of him and perceived him to be more than what he was.

"Thank you Din" Mr. Ping replied, remembering Crane's alias at the last minute, "But really, you think too much of me. I just make noodles."

Crane smiled and nodded, immediately dropping the subject, after which he turned his attention to Po.

"Are you ready Po?" Crane asked, his tone shifting slightly, becoming more serious as he made his way over to the panda, who had taken the liberty of walking around, admiring the gate.

"I'm ready" Po answered, filled with confidence, "So where is he? He should be here right?"

Crane lifted his wing in peace, bidding for calm and at the same time Po's attention. Po, still under the influence of his father's words, his heart and ears open, stopped and became self-aware.

"There's been a slight change of plan" Crane replied, not really sure how to properly ease into the conversation without it sounding awkward and so simply diving directly into it, "You are not going to train with the Furious Five."

Po immediately became distraught, he wanted to throw the nearest thing he could down the steps of the palace if only to hear it crash, such was his devastation and his disappointment. Still, despite his feelings, he remained relatively in control, in part because of Mr. Ping, whose look of concern and guidance, serving as comfort and security.

"What do you mean I can't train with them?" Po pressed, on the verge of stammering, " I thought you said that-"

Crane nodded and cut him off, refusing to allow Po the luxury of a rant, for he was at the gates of the temple, scared ground.

"I know what I said" Crane replied sternly, "But the situation has changed. Instead of training with them you will accompany me. We journey to the Fujian providence, south of here."

Mr. Ping, at hearing this, took flight and landed between them, refusing to believe what he was hearing.

"He will certainly not!" Mr. Ping said, to the point of screaming, "It is bad enough that he was coming here now you're asking him to travel with you to parts unknown. Are you insane?"

Crane, noticing Mr. Ping's feathers and their considerable ruff, expressing his anger, began to work the gears in his head; in the meantime his attention turned to Po, who took the hint and got on the defensive.

"Under whose authority?" Po inquired, "How are you able to afford this, it's not like it's an easy journey to, wherever it is you're going."

Crane nodded and smiled in turn, for Po's question was a rational one, one that he personally thought would be asked by Mr. Ping, but given the circumstances, and perhaps Po's curiosity, Crane found it acceptable.

"As I told you before Crane and I go way back" Crane answered, "We talked for a good many hours and he agreed to help. Think of it as a test, you do this and I guarantee you training with Shifu himself. Maybe, if you are worthy, he will bring you into the fold."

Mr. Ping practically exploded at this, for now the offer was too good not to be taken up and he was sure that Po was going to take it.

"I will not have you take my son out into the wilderness!" Mr. Ping screamed, his anger now having reached a peak; all other emotions driven back, his actions guided solely by the prospect of loss, "If he leaves I'll have nothing left, I might never see him again, he could die out there and I would never forgive myself! Don't do this, don't take away my son!"

Mr. Ping, during his explosion, had managed to grab Crane by the chest and pin him against the wall. Crane, who had allowed it to happen, for he was still formulating a suitable alternative, smiled and gently pushed the goose off of him as his plan came to fruition.

"If you're so concerned with your son's safety then come with us" Crane offered, "What better way to ensure that he stays out of trouble than by keeping an eye on him?"

Mr. Ping laughed at the idea, its absurdity was far beyond his own comprehension of reality at the moment.

"That is supposed to be your job" Mr. Ping declared, calming down a bit but still maintaining his energy, "Besides I can't just up and leave, I have responsibility. I have a noodle shop, who is going to run that while I'm gone? No one, that's who!"

Crane nonchalantly turned to Po, who turned to his father and smiled sheepishly, although it wasn't the best idea, it comforted the panda to know that Crane and presumably Shifu and Oogway had approved of the journey. This was enough, in Po's opinion, to convince him.

"Come on Dad" Po said encouragingly, "Remember the waterfalls? The mountains and the lakes you used to go to? Don't you want to experience that again? You said so yourself, sometimes it's about doing things that scare you."

Mr. Ping shook his head in denial, his suspicions and fears confirmed and boosted to an eleven; this only brought nothing but trouble. Still, he could not help but feel that Po had spoken true, which meant that not only had he listened, but he had begun to take his words to heart, and if it only took that short amount of time for things to settle, and at least begin the idea, he could only imagine what a journey of this proportion would do.

"This kind of thing changes people" Mr. Ping said softly, mostly talking to himself, "You come back different than you were before. See things differently-"

The goose once more turned to Po, his eyes shining again, his heart having already decided on a course of action.

"Are you ready to take that chance Po?"

Po nodded, giving his answer and stood quietly next to Crane. Mr. Ping sighed and hung his head, forgiving himself and praying to his ancestors to forgive him in turn for what he was about to do.

"Okay then" Mr. Ping continued, "Then let us change together."

Crane wrapped them in a embrace, delighted that Mr. Ping had agreed, he could only hope that the journey worked out better for them in the end. Laughing joyously, with a smile as big as his wingspan, Crane, accompanied by his new companions trudged down the steps of the palace. Halfway down, Crane and Mr. Ping collectively decided to take to the air, each of them taking Po's side, speeding up the process. After a quick stop at the market to gather supplies and to allow Mr. Ping to leave his shop in the service of Wu Chen, another goose, the party set out from the city and into the world.