Creation of the Gods · chapter 3 of 10
The Prison at Youli
被关的文王
A kind lord obeys the king's call, and it lands him in a cold stone prison. Then a clever friend arrives with a chest of gifts and a plan.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 文王来到了商朝的都城。纣王坐在高高的椅子上，看着他。
Wénwáng lái dào le Shāng cháo de dūchéng. Zhòuwáng zuò zài gāogāo de yǐzi shàng, kànzhe tā.
King Wen arrived at the Shang capital. King Zhou sat in his tall chair, looking at him.
- King Wen 大王，我来了。愿大王身体好，国家好，人民也都平安。
Dàwáng, wǒ lái le. Yuàn dàwáng shēntǐ hǎo, guójiā hǎo, rénmín yě dōu píng'ān.
Your Majesty, I have come. May you be in good health, your kingdom well, and all your people safe.
- King Zhou 周侯，我听说你的人民，都非常爱你。
Zhōuhóu, wǒ tīngshuō nǐ de rénmín, dōu fēicháng ài nǐ.
King Wen, I hear that your people all love you very much.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Creation of the Gods 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.
- King Wen 他们只是爱和平，爱平静的日子。我做得并不多。
Tāmen zhǐshì ài hépíng, ài píngjìng de rìzi. Wǒ zuò de bìng bù duō.
They just love peace and a quiet life. I don't do much.
- King Zhou 是吗？我还听说，你会看星星，会算很多很多的事。
Shì ma? Wǒ hái tīngshuō, nǐ huì kàn xīngxing, huì suàn hěn duō hěn duō de shì.
Is that so? I also hear that you can read the stars and work out all kinds of things.
- King Wen 只会一点点。我平时喜欢看星星，也喜欢看书。
Zhǐ huì yì diǎndiǎn. Wǒ píngshí xǐhuan kàn xīngxing, yě xǐhuan kàn shū.
Only a little. I usually like to watch the stars, and I like to read.
- King Zhou 那你算一算，我现在心里想做什么？
Nà nǐ suàn yi suàn, wǒ xiànzài xīn lǐ xiǎng zuò shénme?
Then work it out: what am I thinking of doing right now?
- King Wen 大王……您想让我留下来，不让我回西边去。
Dàwáng… nín xiǎng ràng wǒ liú xiàlái, bú ràng wǒ huí xībiān qù.
Your Majesty... you want me to stay, and not let me go back to the west.
- King Zhou 你怎么知道？！来人！
Nǐ zěnme zhīdào?! Lái rén!
How do you know that?! Guards!
- King Wen 大王，我没有做错任何一件事。请您想清楚。
Dàwáng, wǒ méiyǒu zuò cuò rènhé yí jiàn shì. Qǐng nín xiǎng qīngchu.
Your Majesty, I have done nothing wrong. Please think it through.
- King Zhou 你太聪明了。聪明的人，会让我晚上睡不着觉。
Nǐ tài cōngmíng le. Cōngmíng de rén, huì ràng wǒ wǎnshang shuì bu zháo jiào.
You are too clever. Clever people keep me from sleeping at night.
- King Zhou 把他关到牢里去！关他七年，让他好好想一想！
Bǎ tā guān dào láolǐ qù! Guān tā qī nián, ràng tā hǎohǎo xiǎng yi xiǎng!
Lock him up in prison! Seven years, and let him think it over!
- King Wen 是，大王。我会在那里好好读书，也会想念我的人民。
Shì, dàwáng. Wǒ huì zài nàlǐ hǎohǎo dúshū, yě huì xiǎngniàn wǒ de rénmín.
Yes, Your Majesty. I will read well there, and think of my people.
- Narrator 文王被关在一间小房子里。他每天读书，写字，画八卦。
Wénwáng bèi guān zài yì jiān xiǎo fángzi lǐ. Tā měi tiān dúshū, xiě zì, huà bāguà.
King Wen was locked in a small room. Every day he read, wrote, and drew the eight trigrams.
- King Wen 七年很长。但是我还有书，还有窗外的星星。
Qī nián hěn cháng. Dànshì wǒ hái yǒu shū, hái yǒu chuāng wài de xīngxing.
Seven years is long. But I still have my books, and the stars outside my window.
- San Yisheng 大王！小声点儿，是我，散宜生。大家都很想您。
Dàwáng! Xiǎoshēng diǎnr, shì wǒ, Sàn Yíshēng. Dàjiā dōu hěn xiǎng nín.
Your Majesty! Quiet, it's me, San Yisheng. Everyone misses you.
- King Wen 散宜生！你来得真好。家里的人都好吗？
Sàn Yíshēng! Nǐ lái de zhēn hǎo. Jiā lǐ de rén dōu hǎo ma?
San Yisheng! Your timing is wonderful. Is everyone at home well?
- San Yisheng 都好。我还带来了好东西：马，宝石，还有很多漂亮的礼物。
Dōu hǎo. Wǒ hái dài lái le hǎo dōngxi: mǎ, bǎoshí, hái yǒu hěn duō piàoliang de lǐwù.
All well. I also brought good things: horses, jewels and many pretty gifts.
- King Wen 礼物？你要把这些礼物给谁？
Lǐwù? Nǐ yào bǎ zhèxiē lǐwù gěi shéi?
Gifts? Who are these gifts for?
- San Yisheng 给纣王和妲己。这些东西，他们最喜欢了。
Gěi Zhòuwáng hé Dájǐ. Zhèxiē dōngxi, tāmen zuì xǐhuan le.
For King Zhou and Daji. They like these things best.
- King Wen 这样做……是不是有一点儿不好？
Zhèyàng zuò… shì bu shì yǒu yìdiǎnr bù hǎo?
Doing it this way... isn't it a little bit wrong?
- San Yisheng 大王，门锁着，就要用钥匙。这些礼物，就是我们的钥匙。
Dàwáng, mén suǒ zhe, jiù yào yòng yàoshi. Zhèxiē lǐwù, jiùshì wǒmen de yàoshi.
Your Majesty, when a door is locked, you need a key. These gifts are our key.
- King Wen 好吧。为了早一点儿回家看孩子们，我听你的。
Hǎo ba. Wèile zǎo yìdiǎnr huí jiā kàn háizimen, wǒ tīng nǐ de.
All right. To get home to my children sooner, I'll do as you say.
- Narrator 礼物送到了宫里。纣王和妲己都很高兴，他们就放了文王。
Lǐwù sòng dào le gōng lǐ. Zhòuwáng hé Dájǐ dōu hěn gāoxìng, tāmen jiù fàng le Wénwáng.
The gifts were sent to the palace. King Zhou and Daji were both pleased, and they let King Wen go.
- King Wen 散宜生，你看，外面的天多蓝啊！
Sàn Yíshēng, nǐ kàn, wàimiàn de tiān duō lán a!
San Yisheng, look, how blue the sky is out here!
- San Yisheng 大王，您瘦了。回到家，您可要多吃一点儿，多睡一会儿！
Dàwáng, nín shòu le. Huí dào jiā, nín kě yào duō chī yìdiǎnr, duō shuì yíhuìr!
Your Majesty, you've gotten thin. When we get home, you must eat more and rest more!
- King Wen 我在牢里，做了一个很奇怪的梦。
Wǒ zài láo lǐ, zuò le yí gè hěn qíguài de mèng.
In prison I had a very strange dream.
- San Yisheng 什么梦？快说给我听听，我很想知道！
Shénme mèng? Kuài shuō gěi wǒ tīngting, wǒ hěn xiǎng zhīdào!
What dream? Quick, tell me, I'm dying to know!
- King Wen 一只会飞的大熊，从河边飞到了我的身边。
Yì zhī huì fēi de dà xióng, cóng hébiān fēi dào le wǒ de shēnbiān.
A big bear that could fly came flying to my side from the riverbank.
- San Yisheng 会飞的熊？这是什么意思？
Huì fēi de xióng? Zhè shì shénme yìsi?
A flying bear? What does that mean?
- King Wen 我想，是河边有一位大帮手在等我。我们快去找他！
Wǒ xiǎng, shì hébiān yǒu yí wèi dà bāngshǒu zài děng wǒ. Wǒmen kuài qù zhǎo tā!
I think a great helper is waiting for me by a river. Let's go find him quickly!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does King Zhou lock up the King Wen?
“你太聪明了”
- What does the King Wen do in prison?
“他每天读书，写字，画八卦”
- How does San Yisheng free him?
“给纣王和妲己”
- How does the King Wen feel about using gifts?
“我听你的”
- What does King Wen think the flying-bear dream means?
“河边有一位大帮手在等我”