Creation of the Gods: Daji the Fox Spirit · chapter 4 of 5
The Demon-Revealing Mirror
照妖镜
Old Jiang Taigong carries a small bronze mirror into the palace. It shows the king something he does not want to believe.
Read what you hear
- King Wu 商荣大人，请坐。您从很远的地方来，一定累了。
Shāng Róng dàrén, qǐng zuò. Nín cóng hěn yuǎn de dìfang lái, yídìng lèi le.
Lord Shang Rong, please sit. You have come from far away and must be tired.
- Shang Rong 武王，商朝的大王，已经不像大王了。
Wǔ Wáng, Shāngcháo de dàwáng, yǐjīng bú xiàng dàwáng le.
King Wu, the king of Shang no longer acts like a king.
- Jiang Ziya 我听说了。他身边有一位很美的妲己夫人，很多人都怕她。
Wǒ tīngshuō le. Tā shēnbiān yǒu yí wèi hěn měi de Dájǐ fūrén, hěn duō rén dōu pà tā.
I have heard. There is a very beautiful Lady Daji at his side, and many people fear her.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Creation of the Gods: Daji the Fox Spirit is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood and Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing from start to finish.
- Shang Rong 是。可是狗怕她，好人被赶走。我想，她不是人。
Shì. Kěshì gǒu pà tā, hǎorén bèi gǎnzǒu. Wǒ xiǎng, tā bú shì rén.
Yes. But the dogs fear her, and good people are sent away. I think she is not a person.
- King Wu 不是人？是妖怪吗？
Bú shì rén? Shì yāoguài ma?
Not a person? Is she a monster?
- Jiang Ziya 我有一面小镜子。妖怪在里面，藏不住。
Wǒ yǒu yí miàn xiǎo jìngzi. Yāoguài zài lǐmiàn, cáng bú zhù.
I have a small mirror. A monster cannot hide in it.
- King Wu 太公，您不是只会钓鱼吗？怎么还有这个？
Tàigōng, nín bú shì zhǐ huì diàoyú ma? Zěnme hái yǒu zhège?
Taigong, don't you only know how to fish? Where did you get that?
- Jiang Ziya 钓鱼的人，最会等，也最会看。
Diàoyú de rén, zuì huì děng, yě zuì huì kàn.
A fisherman is best at waiting, and best at watching.
- King Wu 哈哈，那我也要学着等。
Hāhā, nà wǒ yě yào xuézhe děng.
Ha ha, then I should learn to wait too.
- King Wu 那您去商朝，一定要小心，我在这里等您。
Nà nín qù Shāngcháo, yídìng yào xiǎoxīn, wǒ zài zhèlǐ děng nín.
Then please be careful when you go to Shang. I will wait for you here.
- Jiang Ziya 放心。我送一件礼物，看一眼，就回来。
Fàngxīn. Wǒ sòng yí jiàn lǐwù, kàn yì yǎn, jiù huílái.
Don't worry. I'll bring a gift, take one look, and come home.
- Shang Rong 太公，请您快一点。商朝的百姓很饿，也很怕，不能再等了。
Tàigōng, qǐng nín kuài yìdiǎn. Shāngcháo de bǎixìng hěn è, yě hěn pà, bù néng zài děng le.
Taigong, please be quick. The people of Shang are hungry and afraid. They cannot wait any longer.
- Narrator 几天以后，姜太公来到商朝的王宫。
Jǐ tiān yǐhòu, Jiāng Tàigōng láidào Shāngcháo de wánggōng.
A few days later, Jiang Taigong arrived at the palace of Shang.
- Jiang Ziya 大王，西岐的老人，给您和妲己夫人送来一件小礼物。
Dàwáng, Xīqí de lǎorén, gěi nín hé Dájǐ fūrén sòng lái yí jiàn xiǎo lǐwù.
Your Majesty, an old man from Xiqi brings a small gift for you and Lady Daji.
- King Zhou 礼物？西岐的老头能送什么？拿来看看。
Lǐwù? Xīqí de lǎotóu néng sòng shénme? Ná lái kànkan.
A gift? What could an old man from Xiqi give me? Let me see it.
- Daji 大王，我头有点疼……我想回去休息。
Dàwáng, wǒ tóu yǒudiǎn téng… wǒ xiǎng huíqù xiūxi.
Your Majesty, my head hurts a little… I want to go and rest.
- Jiang Ziya 夫人，请看一眼。只是一面小镜子。
Fūrén, qǐng kàn yì yǎn. Zhǐ shì yí miàn xiǎo jìngzi.
Madam, please take one look. It's only a small mirror.
- Daji 不！我不要看！拿走！
Bù! Wǒ bú yào kàn! Ná zǒu!
No! I won't look! Take it away!
- King Zhou 妲己，你怕什么？只是一面镜子啊。
Dájǐ, nǐ pà shénme? Zhǐ shì yí miàn jìngzi a.
Daji, what are you afraid of? It's only a mirror.
- Jiang Ziya 那大王先看，好吗？镜子里，是什么？
Nà dàwáng xiān kàn, hǎo ma? Jìngzi lǐ, shì shénme?
Then will Your Majesty look first? What is in the mirror?
- King Zhou 那是……一只白狐狸？！
Nà shì… yì zhī bái húli?!
That is… a white fox?!
- Daji 不是！他说谎！大王，快把他抓起来！
Bú shì! Tā shuōhuǎng! Dàwáng, kuài bǎ tā zhuā qǐlái!
No! He's lying! Your Majesty, arrest him quickly!
- King Zhou 妲己……你的脸……我不懂。这是怎么回事？
Dájǐ… nǐ de liǎn… wǒ bù dǒng. Zhè shì zěnme huí shì?
Daji… your face… I don't understand. What is going on?
- Daji 大王，你爱我，还是爱他的镜子？
Dàwáng, nǐ ài wǒ, háishi ài tā de jìngzi?
Your Majesty, do you love me, or his mirror?
- King Zhou 我……我爱你。来人，把这个老头带出去！
Wǒ… wǒ ài nǐ. Lái rén, bǎ zhège lǎotóu dài chūqù!
I… I love you. Guards, take this old man out!
- Jiang Ziya 好，我走。可是镜子已经看见了。
Hǎo, wǒ zǒu. Kěshì jìngzi yǐjīng kànjiàn le.
Fine, I'll go. But the mirror has already seen.
- Daji 姜太公……我记住你了。你等着！
Jiāng Tàigōng… wǒ jìzhù nǐ le. Nǐ děngzhe!
Jiang Taigong… I will remember you. Just wait!
- King Zhou 西岐想骗我？叫所有的兵来，我们去打西岐！
Xīqí xiǎng piàn wǒ? Jiào suǒyǒu de bīng lái, wǒmen qù dǎ Xīqí!
Xiqi wants to trick me? Call every soldier! We march on Xiqi!
- Jiang Ziya 那我们战场上见，大王。
Nà wǒmen zhànchǎng shàng jiàn, dàwáng.
Then we will meet on the battlefield, Your Majesty.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Shang Rong think Daji is?
“我想，她不是人。”
- What does Jiang Taigong say about fishermen?
“钓鱼的人，最会等，也最会看。”
- How does Daji react when asked to look in the mirror?
“不！我不要看！”
- What does the king see in the mirror?
“那是……一只白狐狸？！”
- What does the king do at the end?
“叫所有的兵来，我们去打西岐！”