The Peach Blossom Spring · chapter 2 of 4
Behind the Cave
山洞后边
Beyond the dark, narrow cave lies a sunny village, and a girl with a basket stares at the stranger as if he has fallen from the sky.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 山洞很小，只能走一个人。
Shāndòng hěn xiǎo, zhǐ néng zǒu yí gè rén.
The cave was narrow, just wide enough for one person.
- The fisherman 我什么也看不见……慢一点儿走。
Wǒ shénme yě kàn bú jiàn… màn yìdiǎnr zǒu.
I can't see a thing… Easy now. Go slowly.
- The fisherman 前边有光！越来越亮了！
Qiánbian yǒu guāng! Yuè lái yuè liàng le!
There's light up ahead! It's getting brighter and brighter!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Peach Blossom Spring 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 and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- Narrator 走了一会儿，前边忽然很亮。他走出了山洞。
Zǒu le yíhuìr, qiánbian hūrán hěn liàng. Tā zǒu chū le shāndòng.
After a while, everything ahead turned bright. He stepped out of the cave.
- The fisherman 这……这是什么地方？
Zhè… zhè shì shénme dìfang?
What… what is this place?
- The fisherman 这里的地又大又平。有水，有树，还有很多房子。
Zhèlǐ de dì yòu dà yòu píng. Yǒu shuǐ, yǒu shù, hái yǒu hěn duō fángzi.
The fields here are wide and flat. There's water, and trees, and lots of houses.
- The fisherman 我听见了鸡叫，还有狗叫。
Wǒ tīngjiàn le jī jiào, hái yǒu gǒu jiào.
I can hear chickens clucking, and dogs barking.
- The fisherman 老人在笑，孩子们在玩。大家都很高兴。
Lǎorén zài xiào, háizimen zài wán. Dàjiā dōu hěn gāoxìng.
Old folks are smiling, children are playing. Everyone looks so happy.
- The fisherman 可是……他们的衣服，和我们的不一样。
Kěshì… tāmen de yīfu, hé wǒmen de bù yíyàng.
But… their clothes aren't like ours.
- The village girl 啊！你……你是谁？
À! Nǐ… nǐ shì shéi?
Oh! Who… who are you?
- The fisherman 小朋友，别怕。我是打鱼的。
Xiǎopéngyou, bié pà. Wǒ shì dǎ yú de.
Don't be scared, little one. I'm a fisherman.
- The village girl 我不怕！可是我没见过你。你从哪儿来？
Wǒ bú pà! Kěshì wǒ méi jiàn guo nǐ. Nǐ cóng nǎr lái?
I'm not scared! But I've never seen you before. Where did you come from?
- The fisherman 我从那个山洞里来。我家在武陵。
Wǒ cóng nà ge shāndòng lǐ lái. Wǒ jiā zài Wǔlíng.
I came through that cave. My home is in Wuling.
- The village girl 武陵？武陵在哪儿？
Wǔlíng? Wǔlíng zài nǎr?
Wuling? Where's Wuling?
- The fisherman 在山的外边。外边有河，有桃花，有很多人。
Zài shān de wàibian. Wàibian yǒu hé, yǒu táohuā, yǒu hěn duō rén.
On the other side of the mountain. Out there, there's a river, peach blossoms, and lots of people.
- The village girl 山的外边……也有人？
Shān de wàibian… yě yǒu rén?
There are people… on the other side of the mountain?
- The fisherman 有啊！很多很多人！
Yǒu a! Hěn duō hěn duō rén!
Of course there are! Lots and lots of people!
- The village girl 你等一下！别走！
Nǐ děng yíxià! Bié zǒu!
Wait right here! Don't go!
- The village girl 爷爷！奶奶！大家快来！外边来人了！
Yéye! Nǎinai! Dàjiā kuài lái! Wàibian lái rén le!
Grandpa! Grandma! Everyone, come quick! Someone's come from outside!
- Narrator 很多人跑了过来，都看着渔夫。
Hěn duō rén pǎo le guòlái, dōu kànzhe yúfū.
People came running from all around, and every one of them stared at the fisherman.
- The fisherman 这么多人……他们会怎么对我呢？
Zhème duō rén… tāmen huì zěnme duì wǒ ne?
So many people… what are they going to do with me?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is the cave like inside?
“山洞很小，只能走一个人……我什么也看不见”
- What does the fisherman notice about the villagers' clothes?
“他们的衣服，和我们的不一样。”
- How do the people in the village seem?
“老人在笑，孩子们在玩。大家都很高兴。”
- What surprises the girl most?
“山的外边……也有人？”
- What does the girl do at the end?
“爷爷！奶奶！大家快来！外边来人了！”