diff --git a/collects/tests/mred/draw.ss b/collects/tests/mred/draw.ss
index 59bd3354..769cdff2 100644
--- a/collects/tests/mred/draw.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/mred/draw.ss
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@
 
 (define (get-b&w-light-stipple)
   (make-object bitmap%
-	       (list->string (map integer->char '(#x88 0 #x22 0 #x88 0 #x22 0)))
+	       (list->bytes '(#x88 0 #x22 0 #x88 0 #x22 0))
 	       8 8))
 
 (define (get-b&w-half-stipple)
   (make-object bitmap%
-	       (list->string (map integer->char '(#xcc #x33 #xcc #x33 #xcc #x33 #xcc #x33)))
+	       (list->bytes '(#xcc #x33 #xcc #x33 #xcc #x33 #xcc #x33))
 	       8 8))
 
 (let* ([f (make-object frame% "Graphics Test" #f 300 450)]
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@
 			      (send dc set-text-foreground (make-object color% "RED"))
 			      (send dc set-text-mode 'solid))
 
-			    (send dc draw-text (string-append size " P\351n") ; 351 is e with '
+			    (send dc draw-text (string-append size " P\uE9n") ; \uE9 is e with '
 				  (+ x 5) (+ y 8))
 			    (send dc set-font ofont)
 			    
@@ -470,10 +470,10 @@
 			      (let ([obg (send dc get-background)]
 				    [tan (make-object color% "TAN")])
 				(send dc set-background tan)
-				(let* ([bits "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789/+"]
+				(let* ([bits #"ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789/+"]
 				       [bm (make-object bitmap% bits 64 8)])
 				  (send dc draw-bitmap bm 306 164 'opaque))
-				(let* ([bits "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz01234567"]
+				(let* ([bits #"ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz01234567"]
 				       [bm (make-object bitmap% bits 48 10)])
 				  (send dc draw-bitmap bm 306 184 'opaque))
 				(send dc set-background obg)))
diff --git a/collects/tests/mred/item.ss b/collects/tests/mred/item.ss
index a4184dae..f34e303d 100644
--- a/collects/tests/mred/item.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/mred/item.ss
@@ -674,7 +674,8 @@
 			     '(vertical))))
     
     (define txt (make-object text-field% 
-			     (if null-label? #f "T&ext") ip2 void 
+			     (if null-label? #f "T&ext \u7238") ; \u7238 is Chinese "father"
+			     ip2 void 
 			     "initial & starting"
 			     (add-label-direction 
 			      label-h?