Journey to the West: Red Boy · chapter 1 of 5
The Crying Boy
哭的孩子
On a lonely mountain, a boy is tied to a tree and crying for help. Wukong says it is a trap, but Master Tang Seng will not listen.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 师徒四人走进一座大山。山里的树很高，路很难走。
Shītú sì rén zǒujìn yízuò dà shān. Shānlǐ de shù hěn gāo, lù hěn nán zǒu.
The four travelers walked into a big mountain. The trees were tall and the road was hard.
- The Crying Boy 救命啊！有人吗？谁来救救我！
Jiùmìng a! Yǒurén ma? Shuí lái jiù jiù wǒ!
Help! Is anyone there? Someone save me!
- Tang Seng 悟空，你听！有一个孩子在哭！
Wùkōng, nǐ tīng! Yǒu yí gè háizi zài kū!
Wukong, listen! A child is crying!
- Sun Wukong 师父，这座山里没有人家。我们不要去看。
Shīfu, zhè zuò shānlǐ méiyǒu rénjiā. Wǒmen búyào qù kàn.
Master, there are no homes in this mountain. Let's not go look.
- Tang Seng 一个孩子在哭，我们怎么能不去？快走！
Yí gè háizi zài kū, wǒmen zěnme néng bù qù? Kuài zǒu!
A child is crying. How can we not go? Hurry!
- The Crying Boy 大师，快来救我！我被绑在树上了！
Dàshī, kuài lái jiù wǒ! Wǒ bèi bǎng zài shù shàng le!
Master, please save me! I'm tied to a tree!
- Tang Seng 别怕，孩子。你为什么一个人在这里？
Bié pà, háizi. Nǐ wèishénme yí gè rén zài zhèlǐ?
Don't be afraid, child. Why are you here all alone?
- The Crying Boy 我家在山下。坏人来了，把我的东西都拿走了，还把我绑在这里。
Wǒ jiā zài shān xià. Huàirén lái le, bǎ wǒ de dōngxī dōu názǒu le, hái bǎ wǒ bǎng zài zhèlǐ.
My home is down the mountain. Bad men came, took all my things, and tied me here.
- Sun Wukong 坏人？可是这里一个人的脚印也没有。
Huàirén? Kěshì zhèlǐ yí gè rén de jiǎoyìn yě méiyǒu.
Bad men? But there isn't a single footprint here.
- Sun Wukong 小朋友，你今年几岁？你家在哪儿？
Xiǎopéngyǒu, nǐ jīnnián jǐ suì? Nǐ jiā zài nǎr?
Little friend, how old are you? Where is your home?
- The Crying Boy 我……我今年八岁。我家在……很远的地方。
Wǒ… Wǒ jīnnián bā suì. Wǒ jiā zài… Hěn yuǎn de dìfāng.
I... I'm eight. My home is... very far away.
- Tang Seng 悟空，别问了。快把他放下来。
Wùkōng, bié wèn le. Kuài bǎ tā fàng xiàlái.
Wukong, stop asking. Get him down, quickly.
- Sun Wukong 师父，山里的孩子怎么会一个人在树上？他一定是妖怪！
Shīfu, shānlǐ de háizi zěnme huì yí gè rén zài shù shàng? Tā yídìng shì yāoguài!
Master, how does a mountain child end up alone on a tree? Something is wrong with him!
- Tang Seng 你一路上，看见谁都说是妖怪。这一次，不要再说了。
Nǐ yílùshàng, kànjiàn shuí dōu shuō shì yāoguài. Zhè yícì, búyào zài shuō le.
All along the road, you call everyone a monster. This time, say no more.
- Sun Wukong 好好好。师父说了算。八戒，你来背他。
Hǎo hǎo hǎo. Shīfu shuō le suàn. Bājiè, nǐ lái bèi tā.
Fine, fine, fine. Master decides. Bajie, you carry him.
- Zhu Bajie 我？为什么是我？我的肚子还饿着呢！
Wǒ? Wèishénme shì wǒ? Wǒ de dùzi hái è zhe ne!
Me? Why me? My belly is still hungry!
- Sun Wukong 因为你最大，也最有力气啊！
Yīnwèi nǐ zuìdà, yě zuì yǒu lìqì a!
Because you're the biggest, and the strongest!
- Zhu Bajie 好吧。小朋友，上来吧。哎呀，你怎么这么重？
Hǎo ba. Xiǎopéngyǒu, shànglái ba. Āiyā, nǐ zěnme zhème zhòng?
Fine. Little friend, hop on. Aiya, why are you so heavy?
- Sun Wukong 哈哈！你走得像一头老牛！
Hāhā! Nǐ zǒu de xiàng yìtóu lǎo niú!
Ha ha! You walk like an old ox!
- Zhu Bajie 别笑了！越走越重，我要走不动了！
Bié xiào le! Yuè zǒu yuè zhòng, wǒ yào zǒu bù dòng le!
Stop laughing! He gets heavier with every step. I can't go on!
- Sha Wujing 二师兄，我来帮你拿行李。
Èrshīxiōng, wǒ lái bāng nǐ ná xínglǐ.
Second Brother, let me carry the bags for you.
- The Crying Boy 谢谢猪大哥。你的背好暖和啊。
Xièxiè Zhū dàgē. Nǐ de bèi hǎo nuǎnhuo a.
Thank you, Big Brother Pig. Your back is so nice and warm.
- Sun Wukong 暖和？八戒，把他给我！这孩子怎么这么热！
Nuǎnhuo? Bājiè, bǎ tā gěi wǒ! Zhè háizi zěnme zhème rè!
Warm? Bajie, give him to me! Why is this child so hot?
- The Crying Boy 哈哈哈！你现在才知道？
Hā hā hā! Nǐ xiànzài cái zhīdào?
Ha ha ha! You're only finding out now?
- Tang Seng 悟空！救命啊！
Wùkōng! Jiùmìng a!
Wukong! Help!
- Zhu Bajie 好大的风！我什么都看不到！
Hǎo dà de fēng! Wǒ shénme dōu kàn bù dào!
What a wind! I can't see a thing!
- Sha Wujing 大师兄！师父不见了！
Dàshīxiōng! Shīfu bú jiàn le!
Big Brother! The Master is gone!
- Sun Wukong 师父！你在哪儿？
Shīfu! Nǐ zài nǎr?
Master! Where are you?
- Red Boy 猴子，看上面！你的师父在我手里！
Hóuzi, kàn shàngmiàn! Nǐ de shīfu zài wǒ shǒulǐ!
Monkey, look up! Your master is in my hands!
- Red Boy 我是红孩儿，牛魔王是我爸爸。想要师父，就来火云洞找我！
Wǒ shì Hóng Hái'ér, Niú Mówáng shì wǒ bàbà. Xiǎngyào shīfu, jiù lái Huǒyún Dòng zhǎo wǒ!
I am Red Boy, and the Bull Demon King is my father. If you want your master, come find me at the Fire Cloud Cave!
- Sun Wukong 牛魔王的儿子？！你等着，老孙来了！
Niú Mówáng de érzi?! Nǐ děng zhe, Lǎo Sūn lái le!
The Bull Demon King's son?! You wait. Old Sun is coming!
What changed in the story?
- Why does Wukong not want to help the boy?
“这座山里没有人家”
- What does Wukong notice that seems strange about the boy's story?
“一个人的脚印也没有”
- Who has to carry the boy?
“八戒，你来背他”
- What is strange about the boy on Bajie's back?
“这孩子怎么这么热”
- What does the boy do at the end?
“我是红孩儿”