Beauty and the Beast · chapter 16 of 23
Kind Sisters
好姐姐
Eldest Sister stops crying: she has an idea. Soon Beauty's sisters are kinder to her than ever, and her week at home flies by.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天下午，两个姐姐还在花园里哭。
Nà tiān xiàwǔ, liǎng gè jiějie hái zài huāyuán li kū.
That afternoon, the two sisters were still crying in the garden.
- Eldest Sister 妹妹，不要哭了。我有一个办法。
Mèimei, bú yào kū le. Wǒ yǒu yí gè bànfǎ.
Stop crying, sister. I have an idea.
- Second Sister 什么办法？大姐，你说！
Shénme bànfǎ? Dàjiě, nǐ shuō!
What idea? Tell me, Eldest Sister!
Chapter 16 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.
- Eldest Sister 美儿只在家里住一个星期。我们要她多住几天。
Měi'ér zhǐ zài jiā li zhù yí gè xīngqī. Wǒmen yào tā duō zhù jǐ tiān.
Beauty is only staying home for one week. We'll get her to stay longer.
- Second Sister 什么？我不要！她在家里，爸爸只看她！
Shénme? Wǒ bú yào! Tā zài jiā li, bàba zhǐ kàn tā!
What? I don't want that! When she's home, Father only has eyes for her!
- Eldest Sister 你想一想。她不回去，那个丑野兽会很生气。
Nǐ xiǎng yi xiǎng. Tā bù huíqù, nàge chǒu Yěshòu huì hěn shēngqì.
Think about it. If she doesn't go back, that ugly Beast will be very angry.
- Second Sister 他生气了，会怎么样？
Tā shēngqì le, huì zěnmeyàng?
And when he's angry, what will he do?
- Eldest Sister 他会吃了她吧！
Tā huì chī le tā ba!
He might eat her!
- Second Sister 对！大姐，你的办法真好！
Duì! Dàjiě, nǐ de bànfǎ zhēn hǎo!
Yes! Eldest Sister, your idea is so good!
- Eldest Sister 我们现在回去，天天对她好。
Wǒmen xiànzài huíqù, tiāntiān duì tā hǎo.
We'll go back in now and be nice to her every day.
- Second Sister 什么？我不会对她好！
Shénme? Wǒ bú huì duì tā hǎo!
What? I can't be nice to her!
- Eldest Sister 你不会，我会。美儿的心太好了。她会听我们的。
Nǐ bú huì, wǒ huì. Měi'ér de xīn tài hǎo le. Tā huì tīng wǒmen de.
You can't, but I can. Beauty's heart is too kind. She'll do as we say.
- Beauty 你们去哪儿了？我在找你们！
Nǐmen qù nǎr le? Wǒ zài zhǎo nǐmen!
Where did you go? I've been looking for you!
- Eldest Sister 我的好妹妹！来，坐在大姐这里。
Wǒ de hǎo mèimei! Lái, zuò zài dàjiě zhèlǐ.
My dear little sister! Come, sit here with me.
- Second Sister 美儿，你今天真漂亮！我很喜欢你的衣服！
Měi'ér, nǐ jīntiān zhēn piàoliang! Wǒ hěn xǐhuan nǐ de yīfu!
Beauty, you look so pretty today! I love your dress!
- Beauty 大姐，二姐，你们对我真好！
Dàjiě, èrjiě, nǐmen duì wǒ zhēn hǎo!
Eldest Sister, Second Sister, you're so good to me!
- Eldest Sister 你是我们的妹妹。我们不对你好，对谁好？
Nǐ shì wǒmen de mèimei. Wǒmen bú duì nǐ hǎo, duì shéi hǎo?
You're our little sister. If we're not good to you, who would we be good to?
- Beauty 我太高兴了。你们看，我都哭了！
Wǒ tài gāoxìng le. Nǐmen kàn, wǒ dōu kū le!
I'm so happy. Look, I'm even crying!
- Narrator 那个星期，姐姐们和美儿吃饭、说话、唱歌。
Nàge xīngqī, jiějiemen hé Měi'ér chīfàn, shuōhuà, chànggē.
That week, the sisters ate, talked and sang with Beauty.
- Second Sister 美儿，你唱歌真好听！我们还要听！
Měi'ér, nǐ chànggē zhēn hǎotīng! Wǒmen hái yào tīng!
Beauty, you sing so beautifully! We want to hear more!
- Beauty 她们变了。现在，她们是我的好姐姐！
Tāmen biàn le. Xiànzài, tāmen shì wǒ de hǎo jiějie!
They've changed. Now they're my kind sisters!
- Eldest Sister 来，美儿，大姐抱抱你。没有你，我们会死的！
Lái, Měi'ér, dàjiě bàobao nǐ. Méiyǒu nǐ, wǒmen huì sǐ de!
Come here, Beauty, let me give you a hug. Without you, we'd die!
- Second Sister 对！我们会死的！
Duì! Wǒmen huì sǐ de!
Yes! We'd die!
- Beauty 不会的！我在这里呢。
Bú huì de! Wǒ zài zhèlǐ ne.
Of course you wouldn't! I'm right here.
- Narrator 第八天早上，美儿去找姐姐们。
Dì bā tiān zǎoshang, Měi'ér qù zhǎo jiějiemen.
On the eighth morning, Beauty went to find her sisters.
- Beauty 今天晚上，我要回宫殿了。我答应了野兽。
Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ yào huí gōngdiàn le. Wǒ dāying le Yěshòu.
Tonight I'm going back to the palace. I promised the Beast.
- Narrator 大姐看二姐，二姐看大姐。
Dàjiě kàn èrjiě, èrjiě kàn dàjiě.
The two sisters looked at each other.
- Second Sister 大姐，今天晚上！你的办法呢？
Dàjiě, jīntiān wǎnshang! Nǐ de bànfǎ ne?
Eldest Sister, tonight! What about your idea?
- Eldest Sister 不要说话，妹妹。看我的。
Bú yào shuōhuà, mèimei. Kàn wǒ de.
Hush, sister. Leave it to me.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is Eldest Sister's idea?
“美儿只在家里住一个星期。我们要她多住几天。”
- What does Eldest Sister think the Beast will do if Beauty stays?
“那个丑野兽会很生气……他会吃了她吧！”
- How does Beauty feel when her sisters are so kind to her?
“我太高兴了。你们看，我都哭了！”
- What does Eldest Sister tell Beauty during the week?
“没有你，我们会死的！”
- On the eighth morning, why do the sisters look at each other?
“今天晚上，我要回宫殿了。”