Mr. Dongguo and the Wolf · chapter 2 of 4
The Apricot Tree
老杏树
Mr. Dongguo begs to ask three judges before the wolf eats him. The first is a grumpy old apricot tree with a great deal to say about people.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 狼要吃东郭先生。他们走到一棵大杏树下。
Láng yào chī Dōngguō xiānsheng. Tāmen zǒudào yì kē dà xìngshù xià.
The wolf wanted to eat Mr. Dongguo. They came to a big apricot tree.
- Mr. Dongguo 狼先生，等一等！你不能这样！
Láng xiānsheng, děng yi děng! Nǐ bù néng zhèyàng!
Mr. Wolf, wait a moment! You can't do this!
- The Wolf 为什么不能？我饿，你有肉。就这样！
Wèishénme bù néng? Wǒ è, nǐ yǒu ròu. Jiù zhèyàng!
Why not? I'm hungry, you're meat. That's that!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Mr. Dongguo and the Wolf 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.
- Mr. Dongguo 那我们问三个。三个都说你对，你再吃我。
Nà wǒmen wèn sān gè. Sān gè dōu shuō nǐ duì, nǐ zài chī wǒ.
Then let's ask three judges. If all three say you're right, then you can eat me.
- The Wolf 好吧。可是要快！我的肚子在叫了！
Hǎo ba. Kěshì yào kuài! Wǒ de dùzi zài jiào le!
Fine. But hurry! My tummy is calling!
- Mr. Dongguo 老杏树，您好！请您说句话。
Lǎo xìngshù, nín hǎo! Qǐng nín shuō jù huà.
Old apricot tree, hello! Please say a word.
- The Apricot Tree 谁在叫我？我睡着了……
Shéi zài jiào wǒ? Wǒ shuìzháo le…
Who's calling me? I was asleep...
- Mr. Dongguo 我救了狼。可是狼要吃我。这对吗？
Wǒ jiù le láng. Kěshì láng yào chī wǒ. Zhè duì ma?
I saved the wolf. Now the wolf wants to eat me. Is that right?
- The Apricot Tree 哈哈！这有什么不对？人都是这样！
Hāhā! Zhè yǒu shénme bú duì? Rén dōu shì zhèyàng!
Ha! What's wrong with that? People are all like that!
- The Apricot Tree 我在这儿五十年了。每年春天，我给人们杏子。
Wǒ zài zhèr wǔshí nián le. Měi nián chūntiān, wǒ gěi rénmen xìngzi.
I've stood here fifty years. Every spring, I give people apricots.
- The Apricot Tree 他们吃我的杏子，说：“真好吃！”
Tāmen chī wǒ de xìngzi, shuō: “Zhēn hǎochī!”
They eat my apricots and say, "Delicious!"
- The Apricot Tree 现在我老了，杏子少了。他们说：“砍了它！”
Xiànzài wǒ lǎo le, xìngzi shǎo le. Tāmen shuō: “Kǎn le tā!”
Now I'm old and have fewer apricots. They say, "Chop it down!"
- Mr. Dongguo 啊？他们真这样说？
Ā? Tāmen zhēn zhèyàng shuō?
Ah? They really said that?
- The Apricot Tree 是啊。所以狼说得对。人不好。
Shì a. Suǒyǐ láng shuō de duì. Rén bù hǎo.
Yes. So the wolf is right. People are no good.
- The Wolf 你听到了吗？杏树说，我对！
Nǐ tīngdào le ma? Xìngshù shuō, wǒ duì!
Did you hear? The tree says I'm right!
- Mr. Dongguo 等一等！这才一个！还有两个！
Děng yi děng! Zhè cái yí gè! Hái yǒu liǎng gè!
Wait! That's only one! There are two more!
- The Wolf 好，好。你快点儿。我在等。
Hǎo, hǎo. Nǐ kuài diǎnr. Wǒ zài děng.
Fine, fine. Hurry up. I'm waiting.
- The Apricot Tree 小先生，再见……我要睡了……
Xiǎo xiānsheng, zàijiàn… wǒ yào shuì le…
Goodbye, little sir... I'm going back to sleep...
- Mr. Dongguo 杏树说得……有一点儿对。不，不对！
Xìngshù shuō de… yǒu yìdiǎnr duì. Bù, bú duì!
The tree has... a little bit of a point. No, no, it's wrong!
- The Wolf 先生，你的脸很白。你怕了吗？
Xiānsheng, nǐ de liǎn hěn bái. Nǐ pà le ma?
Sir, your face is very white. Are you scared?
- Mr. Dongguo 我没有怕！是我的腿自己在跳舞！
Wǒ méiyǒu pà! Shì wǒ de tuǐ zìjǐ zài tiàowǔ!
I'm not scared! My legs are just dancing by themselves!
- The Wolf 哈哈哈！你的腿真好玩！
Hāhāhā! Nǐ de tuǐ zhēn hǎowán!
Ha ha ha! Your legs are so funny!
- Mr. Dongguo 下一个是谁呢？谁能帮我？
Xià yí gè shì shéi ne? Shéi néng bāng wǒ?
Who's next? Who can help me?
- The Wolf 前面有一头老牛。我们去问它。
Qiánmiàn yǒu yì tóu lǎo niú. Wǒmen qù wèn tā.
There's an old ox up ahead. Let's ask him.
- Mr. Dongguo 老牛？好！牛是好朋友，它会帮我！
Lǎo niú? Hǎo! Niú shì hǎo péngyou, tā huì bāng wǒ!
An ox? Good! Oxen are good friends, he'll help me!
- The Wolf 走吧，先生。老牛的话，你不会喜欢。
Zǒu ba, xiānsheng. Lǎo niú de huà, nǐ bú huì xǐhuan.
Come on, sir. You won't like what the old ox says.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What deal does Mr. Dongguo make with the wolf?
“那我们问三个。三个都说你对，你再吃我。”
- What does the apricot tree say people do?
“他们吃我的杏子”……“现在我老了，杏子少了。”
- Who does the tree say is right?
“所以狼说得对。”
- How does Mr. Dongguo explain his shaking legs?
“是我的腿自己在跳舞！”
- Who will they ask next?
“前面有一头老牛。”