Judge Bao and the Black Pot · chapter 3 of 4
The Silent Pot
不说话的盆
In Judge Bao's court, the ghost in the pot will not say a word. Only old Zhang can guess why.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天，老张背着黑盆走到衙门外，打起了大鼓。
Dì-èr tiān, Lǎo Zhāng bēizhe hēi pén zǒu dào yámen wài, dǎ qǐ le dà gǔ.
The next day, Old Zhang carried the black pot on his back to the court gate and beat the big drum.
- Old Zhang 包大人！包大人！我有大事要说！
Bāo dàrén! Bāo dàrén! Wǒ yǒu dà shì yào shuō!
Judge Bao! Judge Bao! I have something important to say!
- Judge Bao 谁在打鼓？让他进来。
Shéi zài dǎ gǔ? Ràng tā jìnlái.
Who is beating the drum? Let him in.
Chapter 3 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.
- Court Clerk 大人，外面有一位卖炭的老人，他还带着一个黑盆。
Dàrén, wàimiàn yǒu yí wèi mài tàn de lǎorén, tā hái dàizhe yí gè hēi pén.
My lord, there's an old coal seller outside, and he's brought a black pot.
- Judge Bao 老人家，别怕。你有什么事？慢慢说。
Lǎorenjia, bié pà. Nǐ yǒu shénme shì? Mànmàn shuō.
Old sir, don't be afraid. What is it? Speak slowly.
- Old Zhang 大人，这个盆里有一个人。他说，有人杀了他，还把他做成了盆。
Dàrén, zhège pén lǐ yǒu yí gè rén. Tā shuō, yǒu rén shā le tā, hái bǎ tā zuòchéng le pén.
My lord, there is a man in this pot. He says someone killed him and made him into a pot.
- Judge Bao 盆里有人？好。请他出来说话。
Pén lǐ yǒu rén? Hǎo. Qǐng tā chūlái shuōhuà.
A man in a pot? Very well. Ask him to speak.
- Old Zhang 刘先生，包大人在这儿。您快说话呀！
Liú xiānsheng, Bāo dàrén zài zhèr. Nín kuài shuōhuà ya!
Mr. Liu, Judge Bao is here. Please speak!
- Court Clerk 大人，这个盆一点声音也没有。
Dàrén, zhège pén yìdiǎn shēngyīn yě méiyǒu.
My lord, this pot makes no sound at all.
- Zhao Da 大人！那是我的盆！这个老头儿在骗人！
Dàrén! Nà shì wǒ de pén! Zhège lǎotóur zài piàn rén!
My lord! That's my pot! This old man is lying!
- Zhao's Wife 对，大人！他拿走我们的盆，还不给钱！
Duì, dàrén! Tā ná zǒu wǒmen de pén, hái bù gěi qián!
Yes, my lord! He took our pot and didn't pay!
- Old Zhang 你们说的不是真话！这个盆是你们给我的！
Nǐmen shuō de bú shì zhēnhuà! Zhège pén shì nǐmen gěi wǒ de!
That's not the truth! You gave me this pot!
- Judge Bao 别吵。盆啊，你为什么不说话？
Bié chǎo. Pén a, nǐ wèishénme bù shuōhuà?
Quiet. Now, pot, why won't you speak?
- Court Clerk 大人，这个老人是不是太累了？盆怎么会说话呢？
Dàrén, zhège lǎorén shì bu shì tài lèi le? Pén zěnme huì shuōhuà ne?
My lord, is this old man too tired? How can a pot talk?
- Old Zhang 他昨天晚上说了很多话……为什么今天不说？
Tā zuótiān wǎnshang shuō le hěn duō huà… wèishénme jīntiān bù shuō?
He talked so much last night… why not today?
- Old Zhang 这里人很多，太阳又大。他那么害羞……他还说过，他冷。
Zhèlǐ rén hěn duō, tàiyáng yòu dà. Tā nàme hàixiū… tā hái shuōguo, tā lěng.
So many people, and the sun is so bright. He's so shy… and he said he was cold.
- Old Zhang 我懂了！大人，请等一下！
Wǒ dǒng le! Dàrén, qǐng děng yíxià!
I get it! My lord, please wait a moment!
- Old Zhang 刘先生，别怕。来，爷爷的衣服给你。
Liú xiānsheng, bié pà. Lái, yéye de yīfu gěi nǐ.
Mr. Liu, don't be afraid. Here, Grandpa's coat is for you.
- Liu Shichang 谢谢爷爷……这里又黑又暖，我就不那么害羞了。
Xièxie yéye… zhèlǐ yòu hēi yòu nuǎn, wǒ jiù bú nàme hàixiū le.
Thank you, Grandpa… it's dark and warm in here, so I'm not so shy.
- Court Clerk 大人！盆……盆说话了！
Dàrén! Pén… pén shuōhuà le!
My lord! The pot… the pot spoke!
- Judge Bao 请说，刘先生。我在听。
Qǐng shuō, Liú xiānsheng. Wǒ zài tīng.
Please speak, Mr. Liu. I am listening.
- Liu Shichang 大人，我是做生意的。我在赵大家住了一晚。
Dàrén, wǒ shì zuò shēngyi de. Wǒ zài Zhào Dà jiā zhù le yì wǎn.
My lord, I was a merchant. I stayed one night at Zhao Da's house.
- Liu Shichang 他们拿了我的钱。我死了，他们把我做成了盆。
Tāmen ná le wǒ de qián. Wǒ sǐ le, tāmen bǎ wǒ zuòchéng le pén.
They took my money. I died, and they made me into a pot.
- Zhao Da 他骗人！盆怎么会说话！这是鬼话！
Tā piàn rén! Pén zěnme huì shuōhuà! Zhè shì guǐ huà!
He's lying! How can a pot talk? This is ghost talk!
- Liu Shichang 大人，我的钱袋在他们家的窑下面。上面有一个“刘”字。
Dàrén, wǒ de qiándài zài tāmen jiā de yáo xiàmiàn. Shàngmiàn yǒu yí gè “Liú” zì.
My lord, my money bag is under their kiln. It has the character Liu on it.
- Judge Bao 赵大，你为什么在发抖？
Zhào Dà, nǐ wèishénme zài fādǒu?
Zhao Da, why are you shaking?
- Zhao Da 我……我是冷！天气……天气冷！
Wǒ… wǒ shì lěng! Tiānqì… tiānqì lěng!
I… I'm cold! The weather… the weather is cold!
- Judge Bao 来人！去赵家，把窑下面的地挖开！
Lái rén! Qù Zhào jiā, bǎ yáo xiàmiàn de dì wākāi!
Guards! Go to Zhao's house and dig up the ground under the kiln!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How does Zhang get Judge Bao's attention?
“打起了大鼓”
- What do Zhao Da and his wife claim?
“他拿走我们的盆，还不给钱！”
- Why does Zhang think the pot is silent?
“这里人很多，太阳又大。他那么害羞”
- What does Zhang do to make the ghost speak?
“来，爷爷的衣服给你。”
- What does Liu say is under the kiln?
“我的钱袋在他们家的窑下面。”