Seven Special Brothers and the Emperor

Hi, Parents! We have been very busy and active at camp over the past weeks. I am having no luck posting the many beautiful photos of your children I have taken. If you are able to email me, I would be glad to send them (or at least the ones including your children!) directly to you.

The campers have learned two “camp songs” and sing them with great enthusiasm and volume. We hope to be able to sing them for you at the performance on Saturday, as well as presenting a play for you. I adapted the play from an old Chinese folktale and added in some characters for the sake of humor. We have an interesting cast of characters, and I believe that they will entertain you. The younger campers have more fascinating things to do and think of than lines in a drama, so they have non-speaking–but still important!–roles. The older campers will have more opportunity to demonstrate their talents. We hope that you will enjoy “The Seven Special Brothers and the Emperor,” which you may recognize as a tale of seven brothers who look indistinguishable but each of whom has a special gift. When one sets out to repair a hole in the Great Wall of China, the Emperor fears that a man strong enough to do that is strong enough to be a threat to his own dynasty, so he tries to execute that brother. The gifts of the young men, however, allow them to evade the Emperor’s plan repeatedly.

We think that you will enjoy the “wicked Emperor,” and the squabbling father and mother, and the amazing brothers–particularly the one who cries constantly. I’m very proud of our actors and actresses, and I know that you will be even prouder!

So let me know if you would like to see those photos: you can email me at you_orientation@yahoo.com–and check out the songs below. “Lenny” is the name of “Little Kevin’s” beloved stuffed animal guinea pig that often accompanies him to camp. We used Lenny to represent all the stuffed animal friends who give your children comfort through the long hours when they are missing you.

By the way, congratulations to our “Campers of the Week.” I don’t have the list before me, but I know that we have honored Catherine, Leo, “Tall Lily,” Linda, “ever-smiling” Ethan, and our Korean-American friends Elena and Robbie, who were extraordinarily helpful in all of our endeavors. We took pictures of all of them and gave very tiny prizes–although no one liked his or her prize as well as the prizes of the other winners! (This is human nature, I think. . . .)

Looking forward to meeting you or meeting you again! The songs are below.

Mrs. Debbie

Hey, Lenny!

Hey, Lenny, you’re so fine!
I’m so glad that you are mine!
Hey, Lenny! Hey, Lenny!

Hey, Lenny, you’re so fine!
I’m so glad that you are mine!
Hey, Lenny! Hey, Lenny!

So when you’re not around,
I’m lonely and I’m sad.
And when you’re close to me,
I’m happy and I’m glad.
So stay here by my side—
I’ll never treat you bad,
‘Cause we’re friends, Lenny,
Friends, Lenny,
We’re always friends, Lenny!

Hey, now,
My favorite pet
Is the one I won’t forget.
I like to take it everywhere—
It likes to go with me!

Hey, now,
I won’t pretend
I don’t like my little friend!
When I need to talk to it
It listens close to me!

Hey, Lenny, you’re so fine!
I’m so glad that you are mine!
Hey, Lenny! Hey, Lenny!

Hey, Lenny, you’re so fine!
I’m so glad that you are mine!
Hey, Lenny! Hey, Lenny!

We Are Great Wall

Welcome to our camp!
It’s a good camp, fine camp:
Chinese language and culture, too!
We got sports to play,
Math and ballet,
Chess and music and real kung fu!
We are, we are Great Wall!
We are, we are Great Wall!

Summer is a sweet time,
Sunny time, happy time
Time to hang with our all-time friends,
So CPEA
Gave us a way
To have some fun till the summer time ends.
We are, we are Great Wall!
We are, we are Great Wall!

If you like to sleep late,
Procrastinate, vegetate,
Better spend your life with your TV.
We got drama to learn,
Energy to burn–
That’s why we sing so audibly!
We are, we are Great Wall!
We are, we are Great Wall!