Little Sky-High

In Short

This work is a turn-of-the-century juvenile novel that follows the "surprising doings" of a Chinese boy named Sky-High, who enters the service of a Boston family. While ostensibly a kitchen-boy, he exhibits the poise and cultural depth of a young nobleman. Through his storytelling, his magical kites, and his observations on American customs, he bridges the gap between East and West. The story remains a curious relic of its time, valued for its earnest, if idealized, attempt to promote international friendship through the eyes of children.

The Story

The narrative begins when Mrs. Van Buren, the matriarch of a well-to-do Boston family, brings home a young Chinese boy named Sky-High to work in her kitchen. The household staff, particularly the Irish cook Nora, is initially baffled by his "quare" ways, his pigtail, and his habit of speaking in "flowery" language that sounds like the rattling of thunder. However, the children of the house, Charles and Lucy, are immediately enchanted. Mrs. Van Buren, believing in the power of education and cross-cultural empathy, encourages her children to treat the boy with the dignity of a prince—or a "wang," as Sky-High calls the royalty of his homeland.

As the months pass, Sky-High becomes an integral part of the family circle. He spends his days working in a garden cabin, where he is occasionally harassed by neighborhood boys who mock him as "washee-washee-wang." Instead of retaliating, he remains unselfish, eventually finding champions in Charles and Lucy, who vow to protect him. His presence transforms the home; he shares Jataka legends, explains the magical lore behind the family’s blue-and-white porcelain plates, and demonstrates the traditional art of kite-flying in the local park, where he launches a dragon that showers the town with tissue-paper flowers.

The family grows increasingly curious about their servant’s true origins. Sky-High is remarkably well-educated, possessing a knowledge of French, English, and the history of the "Flowery Kingdom." He is also wealthy, owning a secret chest of exquisite, dragon-embroidered robes and jeweled accessories that he wears on special occasions. As the family prepares for a voyage around the world, Sky-High promises that they will be received as honored guests in his homeland.

The climax arrives when the Van Burens travel to China. They are met by a magnificent, gilded barge sent by a powerful mandarin. Upon meeting this high-ranking official, the mystery is solved: the mandarin is Sky-High’s father. The boy had been sent to America not out of poverty, but as an educational mission to understand the spirit of Western home life. Sky-High returns to his rightful place as a prince, yet he remains deeply bonded to the Van Buren children. The story concludes with a grand feast at a summer palace, where the former kitchen-boy and his family share stories, reinforcing the book’s central lesson that true character transcends status and that treating others with "good will" creates a common language between nations.

How It Unfolds

The arrival of the stranger Mrs. Van Buren introduces a mysterious Chinese boy into her household, much to the confusion of the staff. The children, Charles and Lucy, are captivated by his polite, formal manner and his strange, beautiful clothes.

A life in the garden cabin Sky-High performs his chores in a cabin under the trees, where he endures the taunts of local children with patience. He forms a deep, protective friendship with the Van Buren children, sharing stories of his culture.

Cultural exchanges and legends The boy teaches the family about Chinese legends, including the story of the mandarin plate and the history of tea. He introduces them to his unique kite-flying traditions, turning a local park into a scene of wonder.

The voyage to the East Driven by a growing curiosity about their servant's background, the family embarks on a trip to China. Sky-High acts as their guide, promising them that he has made all necessary arrangements for their reception.

The reveal of the prince Upon their arrival, the family is shocked to be greeted by a wealthy mandarin who turns out to be Sky-High’s father. The "kitchen-boy" takes his place as a prince, and the families solidify their bond through mutual respect and storytelling.

The People

Sky-High is the heart of the narrative. He is a young Chinese nobleman sent to America to learn about Western domesticity. He is defined by his profound patience, his ability to tell "wonder-tales," and his steadfast adherence to his own sense of dignity, regardless of whether he is wearing a simple linen tunic or a dragon-embroidered robe.

Mrs. Van Buren acts as the benevolent patron of the household. She wants her children to be broad-minded and insists that their servant be treated as a "wang." She serves as a bridge, facilitating the education of both her children and the boy.

Lucy is the most imaginative of the children. She is the one who treats Sky-High like royalty from the beginning, dubbing him her "little wang" and finding his Jataka stories more compelling than standard fare. She matures through her friendship, learning to see the world beyond her own parlor.

Charles provides a grounded contrast to his sister. While he enjoys the excitement of the kites and the "fireworks," he is initially more focused on the practical aspects of the boy's life. He becomes a loyal defender of Sky-High against neighborhood bullies.

Nora, the cook, represents the initial, parochial suspicion toward the "foreign." She is humorous and skeptical, often providing a stark, mundane counterpoint to the more mystical or "flowery" aspects of the story, though she eventually softens her heart toward the boy.

In Its Own Voice

"We've a quare one here, now, haven't we?" said she.

Nora, the Irish cook, expresses her initial bewilderment upon seeing the new Chinese kitchen-boy for the first time.

"I will make believe he is a little wang while he stays."

Lucy explains her decision to treat the humble servant with the respect due to a nobleman, which sets the tone for their relationship.

"I have never deceived you, master," said the little serving-man.

Sky-High defends his integrity when Mr. Van Buren expresses doubt about the boy's claim that a Chinese mandarin would want to host the American family.

What It's Really About

At its core, the book is a parable about the universal nature of "good will." It argues that class status is a superficial layer and that true nobility is a matter of character, education, and how one treats those beneath or beside them. By framing the American domestic experience through the eyes of a foreign prince, it invites the reader to look at their own culture as an outsider might. The book asks whether we can see the "human" in the "stranger" and suggests that if children were raised to treat all people as "wangs"—as beings of inherent worth—international relations would be fundamentally transformed. It is an argument for empathy as a diplomatic tool.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy turn-of-the-century children’s literature, specifically the moralizing, gentle style of the "Nine to Twelve" series, will find much to admire here. The book feels like a long, sun-drenched afternoon spent in a Victorian garden. It is unabashedly didactic, yet it possesses a quiet, rhythmic beauty in its prose, particularly when Sky-High describes his home near the "Crystal Sea."

However, modern readers must be prepared for the period-typical attitudes of 1901. The book reflects the era’s "exoticizing" view of China; while it is consistently kind and admires Chinese culture, it does so through a lens of Western paternalism. The dialogue is sometimes stylized to the point of artifice, and the dialect used for the Irish cook, Nora, is a common feature of the time that may strike contemporary readers as caricatured. Despite these period trappings, the core of the story—the genuine, sweet-natured friendship between the children and the boy who is not what he seems—is quite affecting. It lingers in the mind as a tribute to the power of imagination and the importance of hospitality toward the stranger in our midst. It is a gentle, earnest book, best read as an artifact of its time, offering a glimpse into how Americans of the early 20th century were beginning to conceptualize a global community.