Cinderella · chapter 1 of 15
By the Fire
在火边
A kind girl does all the work in her stepmother's house and sits in the ashes by the fire. Then a letter arrives from the prince.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很多年前，有一个女孩子。她的妈妈不在了。爸爸给她找了一个继母。
Hěn duō nián qián, yǒu yí gè nǚháizi. Tā de māma bú zài le. Bàba gěi tā zhǎo le yí gè jìmǔ.
Many years ago, there was a girl. Her mother had passed away. Her father found her a stepmother.
- Narrator 继母有两个女儿，住大房间。女孩子住上边的小房间，很冷。
Jìmǔ yǒu liǎng gè nǚ'ér, zhù dà fángjiān. Nǚháizi zhù shàngbian de xiǎo fángjiān, hěn lěng.
The stepmother had two daughters, and they had the big rooms. The girl lived in a small room at the top of the house. It was cold.
- The Stepmother 灰丫头！去做饭，现在去！
Huī yātou! Qù zuò fàn, xiànzài qù!
Cinderwench! Go and make dinner, now!
- Cinderella 饭做好了，在桌子上。
Fàn zuò hǎo le, zài zhuōzi shang.
Dinner's ready. It's on the table.
- The Stepmother 那你去洗我女儿的衣服！
Nà nǐ qù xǐ wǒ nǚ'ér de yīfu!
Then go and wash my daughters' clothes!
- Cinderella 衣服也洗好了。
Yīfu yě xǐ hǎo le.
The clothes are washed too.
- The Stepmother 这个灰丫头……怎么什么都会做？
Zhège Huī yātou… zěnme shénme dōu huì zuò?
This Cinderwench... how can she do everything?
- Narrator 她天天坐在火边的灰里。大家叫她灰丫头。
Tā tiāntiān zuò zài huǒ biān de huī li. Dàjiā jiào tā Huī yātou.
Every day she sat in the ashes by the fire. Everyone called her Cinderwench.
- Big Sister 灰丫头！你看你，都是灰！
Huī yātou! Nǐ kàn nǐ, dōu shì huī!
Cinderwench! Look at you, covered in ashes!
- Second Sister 姐姐，我叫她灰姑娘，好听一点儿。
Jiějie, wǒ jiào tā Huī gūniang, hǎotīng yìdiǎnr.
Sister, I call her Cinderella. It sounds nicer.
- Big Sister 好听什么！她是灰丫头！
Hǎotīng shénme! Tā shì Huī yātou!
What's nice about it? She's Cinderwench!
- Second Sister 灰姑娘，你看我的新衣服！漂亮吗？
Huī gūniang, nǐ kàn wǒ de xīn yīfu! Piàoliang ma?
Cinderella, look at my new dress! Is it pretty?
- Cinderella 很漂亮，二姐姐。
Hěn piàoliang, Èr jiějie.
It's very pretty, Second Sister.
- Narrator 她的衣服很旧。两个姐姐穿新衣服，也没有她漂亮。
Tā de yīfu hěn jiù. Liǎng gè jiějie chuān xīn yīfu, yě méiyǒu tā piàoliang.
Her clothes were old. Even in their new clothes, the two sisters were not as pretty as she was.
- Big Sister 我的房间有大镜子！灰丫头，你有什么？
Wǒ de fángjiān yǒu dà jìngzi! Huī yātou, nǐ yǒu shénme?
My room has big mirrors! Cinderwench, what have you got?
- Cinderella 我有火……还有灰。
Wǒ yǒu huǒ… hái yǒu huī.
I have the fire... and the ashes.
- The Stepmother 女儿们！你们看，王子的信！
Nǚ'érmen! Nǐmen kàn, wángzǐ de xìn!
Daughters! Look, a letter from the prince!
- Big Sister 给我看看！王子请我们去王宫的舞会！
Gěi wǒ kànkan! Wángzǐ qǐng wǒmen qù wánggōng de wǔhuì!
Let me see! The prince is inviting us to a ball at the palace!
- Second Sister 舞会！我要和王子跳舞！
Wǔhuì! Wǒ yào hé wángzǐ tiàowǔ!
A ball! I'm going to dance with the prince!
- Big Sister 你？王子要和我跳舞！
Nǐ? Wángzǐ yào hé wǒ tiàowǔ!
You? The prince is going to dance with me!
- The Stepmother 不要说了！王子会喜欢你们两个的。
Bú yào shuō le! Wángzǐ huì xǐhuan nǐmen liǎng gè de.
That's enough! The prince will like you both.
- Second Sister 姐姐，舞会上我们穿什么？我没有衣服穿！
Jiějie, wǔhuì shang wǒmen chuān shénme? Wǒ méiyǒu yīfu chuān!
Sister, what will we wear to the ball? I have nothing to wear!
- Big Sister 我要买很多很多新衣服！
Wǒ yào mǎi hěn duō hěn duō xīn yīfu!
I'm going to buy lots and lots of new clothes!
- Cinderella 舞会……好玩吗？
Wǔhuì… hǎowán ma?
A ball... is it fun?
- Big Sister 好玩？你问这个做什么，灰丫头？
Hǎowán? Nǐ wèn zhège zuò shénme, Huī yātou?
Fun? Why are you asking, Cinderwench?
- The Stepmother 还有三天。来，我们去看衣服！
Hái yǒu sān tiān. Lái, wǒmen qù kàn yīfu!
Three days to go. Come, let's go and look at clothes!
- Big Sister 灰丫头，这三天你要好好做事！
Huī yātou, zhè sān tiān nǐ yào hǎohǎo zuò shì!
Cinderwench, you'd better work hard these three days!
- Cinderella 王子的信……王宫的舞会……
Wángzǐ de xìn… wánggōng de wǔhuì…
The prince's letter... a ball at the palace...
- Cinderella 对爸爸说吗？不，爸爸什么都听继母的。
Duì bàba shuō ma? Bù, bàba shénme dōu tīng jìmǔ de.
Should I tell Father? No. Father does whatever my stepmother says.
- Cinderella 我也能去吗？
Wǒ yě néng qù ma?
Could I go too?
What changed in the story?
- Where does the girl live in her stepmother's house?
“女孩子住上边的小房间，很冷”
- What has the girl already done when the stepmother gives her orders?
“饭做好了……衣服也洗好了”
- Why does Second Sister call the girl Cinderella?
“我叫她灰姑娘，好听一点儿”
- What is in the letter from the prince?
“王子请我们去王宫的舞会”
- Why doesn't the girl ask her father to let her go?
“爸爸什么都听继母的”