Beauty and the Beast · chapter 4 of 23
A Life for a Rose
用命换的玫瑰花
Caught with the rose, Father begs for his life, but the Beast hates fine words and has a terrible price in mind.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天早上，在宫殿的花园里，爸爸非常害怕。
Nà tiān zǎoshang, zài gōngdiàn de huāyuán li, bàba fēicháng hàipà.
That morning, in the palace garden, Father was terribly afraid.
- Father 大人，对不起！我不知道这是您的玫瑰花。
Dàrén, duìbuqǐ! Wǒ bù zhīdào zhè shì nín de méiguīhuā.
My lord, I'm sorry! I didn't know these roses were yours.
- The Beast 我不叫大人。我叫野兽。
Wǒ bú jiào dàrén. Wǒ jiào Yěshòu.
I'm not called “my lord.” I'm called the Beast.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of Beauty and the Beast are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- The Beast 我不喜欢好听的话。你心里想什么，说什么！
Wǒ bù xǐhuan hǎotīng de huà. Nǐ xīn li xiǎng shénme, shuō shénme!
I don't like fine words. Whatever is in your heart, say it!
- Father 我有三个女儿。我的小女儿美儿，只要一朵玫瑰花。
Wǒ yǒu sān gè nǚ'ér. Wǒ de xiǎo nǚ'ér Měi'ér, zhǐ yào yì duǒ méiguīhuā.
I have three daughters. My youngest, Beauty, only asked for a rose.
- The Beast 好。你的一个女儿可以来救你。
Hǎo. Nǐ de yí gè nǚ'ér kěyǐ lái jiù nǐ.
Very well. One of your daughters can come and save you.
- Father 救我？怎么救？
Jiù wǒ? Zěnme jiù?
Save me? How?
- The Beast 她来这里，死在这里。她要自己想来。
Tā lái zhèlǐ, sǐ zài zhèlǐ. Tā yào zìjǐ xiǎng lái.
She comes here, and she dies here. And she must want to come.
- Father 要是她们不想来呢？
Yàoshi tāmen bù xiǎng lái ne?
And if they don't want to come?
- The Beast 三个月后，你要回来。答应我！
Sān gè yuè hòu, nǐ yào huílái. Dāying wǒ!
Then in three months you come back. Promise me!
- Father 我不要女儿来死。我只想回家，再看一看孩子们。
Wǒ bú yào nǚ'ér lái sǐ. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng huí jiā, zài kàn yi kàn háizimen.
I won't have a daughter come here to die. I only want to go home and see my children once more.
- Father 我答应您。
Wǒ dāying nín.
I promise.
- The Beast 好。你睡觉的那个房间里，有一个大箱子。
Hǎo. Nǐ shuìjiào de nàge fángjiān li, yǒu yí gè dà xiāngzi.
Good. In the room where you slept, there is a big chest.
- The Beast 那里还有很多金子。你要多少，都给你。
Nàlǐ hái yǒu hěn duō jīnzi. Nǐ yào duōshao, dōu gěi nǐ.
There is a lot of gold there too. Take as much as you want.
- Father 金子？给我？
Jīnzi? Gěi wǒ?
Gold? For me?
- The Beast 箱子会自己去你家。现在回去！
Xiāngzi huì zìjǐ qù nǐ jiā. Xiànzài huíqù!
The chest will go to your home by itself. Now go!
- Father 我会死的。我的孩子们有金子，也好。
Wǒ huì sǐ de. Wǒ de háizimen yǒu jīnzi, yě hǎo.
I'm going to die. But my children will have gold. That's something.
- Narrator 爸爸不知道怎么回家，他的马知道。晚上，他回到了家。
Bàba bù zhīdào zěnme huí jiā, tā de mǎ zhīdào. Wǎnshang, tā huí dào le jiā.
Father didn't know the way home, but his horse did. By evening he was home.
- Second Sister 爸爸！我的新衣服呢？
Bàba! Wǒ de xīn yīfu ne?
Father! Where are my new clothes?
- Father 美儿，这是你的玫瑰花。
Měi'ér, zhè shì nǐ de méiguīhuā.
Beauty, here is your rose.
- Father 这朵玫瑰花，爸爸要用命换。
Zhè duǒ méiguīhuā, bàba yào yòng mìng huàn.
This rose is going to cost your father his life.
- Beauty 爸爸，你在说什么？
Bàba, nǐ zài shuō shénme?
Father, what are you saying?
- Father 这是野兽的玫瑰花。他要我死。
Zhè shì Yěshòu de méiguīhuā. Tā yào wǒ sǐ.
This is the Beast's rose. He wants me dead.
- Narrator 爸爸说了森林、宫殿、野兽和三个月的事。
Bàba shuō le sēnlín, gōngdiàn, Yěshòu hé sān gè yuè de shì.
Father told them about the forest, the palace, the Beast and the three months.
- Eldest Sister 都是美儿不好！她要什么玫瑰花！
Dōu shì Měi'ér bù hǎo! Tā yào shénme méiguīhuā!
It's all Beauty's fault! What did she want a rose for?
- Second Sister 对！你们看，她一点儿都不哭！
Duì! Nǐmen kàn, tā yìdiǎnr dōu bù kū!
Yes! Look, she isn't crying one bit!
- Beauty 我哭什么？爸爸不会死的。
Wǒ kū shénme? Bàba bú huì sǐ de.
Why would I cry? Father isn't going to die.
- Eldest Brother 爸爸，不要去！我们三个去打野兽！
Bàba, bú yào qù! Wǒmen sān gè qù dǎ Yěshòu!
Father, don't go! The three of us will go and fight the Beast!
- Father 不可以！野兽太大了，你们会死的。我一个人去。
Bù kěyǐ! Yěshòu tài dà le, nǐmen huì sǐ de. Wǒ yí gè rén qù.
No! The Beast is too big. You would die. I'll go alone.
- Beauty 爸爸，你不能一个人去。我和你去。
Bàba, nǐ bù néng yí gè rén qù. Wǒ hé nǐ qù.
Father, you can't go alone. I'm going with you.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the Beast say his name is?
“我不叫大人。我叫野兽。”
- What must one of Father's daughters do to save him?
“你的一个女儿可以来救你……她来这里，死在这里。”
- Why does Father give the Beast his promise?
“我只想回家，再看一看孩子们。”
- How will the chest get to Father's home?
“箱子会自己去你家。”
- What does Beauty say when Father wants to go back alone?
“爸爸，你不能一个人去。我和你去。”