This Chinese folktale is about a couple that is very poor. They depend on their land for food. They use any leftover crops to trade for other needs. The old man is working in the garden one day and finds a brass pot. He doesn't know what to do with it, so he takes it home. His wife's hairpin falls in the pot and two hairpins come back out. Everything they put in the pot doubles! They are able to have anything they want now. One day the old lady falls into the pot. Her double followed her back out! The real Ms. Haktak is angry because she can be Mr. Haktak's only wife! She pushes her husband into the pot. With a copy of each person, they can make a new couple! They decide to be best friends and use the pot to provide enough for everyone. The neighbors thought that the Haktaks were so rich they could have two of everything!
It would be fun to take some kind of bowl to school and pretend to duplicate everything. The children could guess how many of each item would come out next.
Hong, L. (1993) Two of Everything. Albert Whitman & Company: Morton Grove, Illinois
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