Judge Bao and the Black Pot · chapter 2 of 4
Grandpa, I'm Cold
爷爷，我冷
Old Zhang warms the shy ghost in the pot and hears how he became one. Then someone starts pounding on the door.
Read what you hear
- Old Zhang 刘先生，你说你冷。我去烧一点热水，好吗？
Liú xiānsheng, nǐ shuō nǐ lěng. Wǒ qù shāo yìdiǎn rè shuǐ, hǎo ma?
Mr. Liu, you say you're cold. Shall I heat some water?
- Liu Shichang 好……谢谢爷爷。对不起，我太麻烦您了。
Hǎo… xièxie yéye. Duìbuqǐ, wǒ tài máfan nín le.
Yes… thank you, Grandpa. I'm sorry to be such trouble.
- Old Zhang 别说对不起了！鬼也怕冷吗？
Bié shuō duìbuqǐ le! Guǐ yě pà lěng ma?
Stop saying sorry! Do ghosts get cold too?
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Judge Bao and the Black Pot 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, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Liu Shichang 我在窑里很热，现在很冷。我也不知道为什么。
Wǒ zài yáo lǐ hěn rè, xiànzài hěn lěng. Wǒ yě bù zhīdào wèishénme.
It was so hot in the kiln, and now I'm so cold. I don't know why.
- Old Zhang 来，热水放在你旁边。好一点了吗？
Lái, rè shuǐ fàng zài nǐ pángbiān. Hǎo yìdiǎn le ma?
Here, I'll put the hot water next to you. Is that a little better?
- Liu Shichang 好多了。谢谢。您真是好人。
Hǎo duō le. Xièxie. Nín zhēn shì hǎorén.
Much better. Thank you. You really are a good person.
- Old Zhang 刘先生，你是怎么变成盆的？慢慢说。
Liú xiānsheng, nǐ shì zěnme biànchéng pén de? Mànmàn shuō.
Mr. Liu, how did you become a pot? Tell me slowly.
- Liu Shichang 我是做生意的人。那天下大雨，我去赵大家住。
Wǒ shì zuò shēngyi de rén. Nà tiān xià dàyǔ, wǒ qù Zhào Dà jiā zhù.
I was a merchant. One day it rained hard, and I stayed at Zhao Da's house.
- Liu Shichang 赵大和他的妻子看见我的钱。那个晚上，我就死了。
Zhào Dà hé tā de qīzi kànjiàn wǒ de qián. Nàge wǎnshang, wǒ jiù sǐ le.
Zhao Da and his wife saw my money. That night, I died.
- Liu Shichang 后来，他们把我放进窑里，做成了这个盆。
Hòulái, tāmen bǎ wǒ fàng jìn yáo lǐ, zuòchéng le zhège pén.
Later they put me in the kiln and made me into this pot.
- Old Zhang 什么？他们这么坏！还笑着把你给我！
Shénme? Tāmen zhème huài! Hái xiàozhe bǎ nǐ gěi wǒ!
What? They're so wicked! And they smiled while they gave you to me!
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，我不会大声说话。我以前就很害羞，见到人就想躲起来。
Yéye, wǒ bú huì dàshēng shuōhuà. Wǒ yǐqián jiù hěn hàixiū, jiàndào rén jiù xiǎng duǒ qǐlái.
Grandpa, I can't speak loudly. I was always shy, and I wanted to hide whenever I met people.
- Old Zhang 没关系。你想让我做什么？
Méi guānxi. Nǐ xiǎng ràng wǒ zuò shénme?
That's all right. What do you want me to do?
- Liu Shichang 城里有一位包大人。他公平，也不怕坏人。
Chéng lǐ yǒu yí wèi Bāo dàrén. Tā gōngpíng, yě bú pà huài rén.
In the city there is Judge Bao. He is fair, and he isn't afraid of bad people.
- Liu Shichang 他的脸是黑的，头上有一个白月亮。
Tā de liǎn shì hēi de, tóu shàng yǒu yí gè bái yuèliang.
His face is black, and there's a white moon on his forehead.
- Old Zhang 我只是一个卖炭的。包大人是大官，他会听我说话吗？
Wǒ zhǐshì yí gè mài tàn de. Bāo dàrén shì dà guān, tā huì tīng wǒ shuōhuà ma?
I'm only a coal seller. Judge Bao is a great official. Will he listen to me?
- Liu Shichang 会的。爷爷，您是我看到的第一个好人。
Huì de. Yéye, nín shì wǒ kàndào de dì yī gè hǎorén.
He will. Grandpa, you're the first good person I've seen.
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，谢谢您。我一个人在盆里，已经太久太久了。
Yéye, xièxie nín. Wǒ yí gè rén zài pén lǐ, yǐjīng tài jiǔ tài jiǔ le.
Grandpa, thank you. I've been alone in this pot for so long.
- Old Zhang 好！明天早上，我们一起去城里！
Hǎo! Míngtiān zǎoshang, wǒmen yìqǐ qù chéng lǐ!
All right! Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the city together!
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，盆去城里……要坐车吗？
Yéye, pén qù chéng lǐ… yào zuò chē ma?
Grandpa, when a pot goes to the city… does it need a cart?
- Old Zhang 你不用坐车。我背着你走，你很轻，我不累！
Nǐ búyòng zuò chē. Wǒ bēizhe nǐ zǒu, nǐ hěn qīng, wǒ bú lèi!
No cart for you. I'll carry you on my back. You're light, I won't get tired!
- Zhao Da 老张！开门！开门！
Lǎo Zhāng! Kāimén! Kāimén!
Old Zhang! Open up! Open up!
- Liu Shichang 爷爷，别开门！那是赵大！
Yéye, bié kāimén! Nà shì Zhào Dà!
Grandpa, don't open it! That's Zhao Da!
- Zhao Da 老张，那个盆我要换一个。你快开门！
Lǎo Zhāng, nàge pén wǒ yào huàn yí gè. Nǐ kuài kāimén!
Old Zhang, I want to swap that pot for another one. Open the door!
- Old Zhang 别怕。我在这儿。
Bié pà. Wǒ zài zhèr.
Don't be afraid. I'm right here.
- Old Zhang 赵大，太晚了！明天再说吧！
Zhào Dà, tài wǎn le! Míngtiān zàishuō ba!
Zhao Da, it's too late! Let's talk tomorrow!
- Zhao Da 不开门？我今天一定要拿回那个盆！
Bù kāimén? Wǒ jīntiān yídìng yào ná huí nàge pén!
You won't open up? I'm getting that pot back tonight!
- Old Zhang 这个盆是你给我的。你要，就去问包大人！
Zhège pén shì nǐ gěi wǒ de. Nǐ yào, jiù qù wèn Bāo dàrén!
You gave me this pot. If you want it, go ask Judge Bao!
- Zhao Da 包大人？好啊，老张……包大人面前见。
Bāo dàrén? Hǎo a, Lǎo Zhāng… Bāo dàrén miànqián jiàn.
Judge Bao? Fine, Old Zhang… I'll see you in front of Judge Bao.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How does Zhang help the cold ghost?
“我去烧一点热水”……“热水放在你旁边”
- What happened to Liu at Zhao Da's house?
“赵大和他的妻子看见我的钱。那个晚上，我就死了。”
- Why does Liu want to see Judge Bao?
“他公平，也不怕坏人。”
- How does Liu describe Judge Bao?
“他的脸是黑的，头上有一个白月亮。”
- What does Zhang tell Zhao Da at the door?
“你要，就去问包大人！”