Pinocchio · chapter 8 of 25
The Red Crawfish Inn
红虾旅馆
At the Red Crawfish Inn, the Fox and the Cat eat a giant dinner, and on the dark road a tiny light warns Pinocchio to turn back.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，匹诺曹、狐狸和猫来到了红虾旅馆。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Pǐnuòcáo, Húli hé Māo láidào le Hóngxiā Lǚguǎn.
That evening Pinocchio, the Fox and the Cat came to the Red Crawfish Inn.
- The Fox 好朋友，在这儿吃饭，睡一会儿。十二点再走！
Hǎo péngyou, zài zhèr chīfàn, shuì yíhuìr. Shí'èr diǎn zài zǒu!
My good friend, let's eat here and sleep a little. We'll go on at midnight!
- the Innkeeper 您好，您好！几位要吃什么？
Nín hǎo, nín hǎo! Jǐ wèi yào chī shénme?
Welcome, welcome! What will you gentlemen have?
Chapter 8 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of Pinocchio (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- The Fox 我今天不太饿，三只鸡就好。
Wǒ jīntiān bú tài è, sān zhī jī jiù hǎo.
I'm not very hungry today. Three chickens will do.
- The Cat ……就好。三十五条鱼。
…Jiù hǎo. Sānshíwǔ tiáo yú.
...will do. Thirty-five fish.
- the Innkeeper 三十五条？好的，好的！您呢，小先生？
Sānshíwǔ tiáo? Hǎo de, hǎo de! Nín ne, xiǎo xiānsheng?
Thirty-five? Very good, very good! And you, young sir?
- Pinocchio 我要一点儿面包。我在想我的金币树！
Wǒ yào yìdiǎnr miànbāo. Wǒ zài xiǎng wǒ de jīnbì shù!
Just a bit of bread for me. I'm thinking about my gold-coin tree!
- Pinocchio 两千个金币……金币大衣……好多好多……
Liǎngqiān gè jīnbì… jīnbì dàyī… hǎo duō hǎo duō…
Two thousand gold coins... a gold-coin coat... so many, many...
- the Innkeeper 小先生，醒一醒！十二点了！
Xiǎo xiānsheng, xǐng yi xǐng! Shí'èr diǎn le!
Young sir, wake up! It's midnight!
- Pinocchio 十二点了？我的朋友们呢？
Shí'èr diǎn le? Wǒ de péngyoumen ne?
Midnight already? Where are my friends?
- the Innkeeper 他们早就走了。猫先生的小猫病了。
Tāmen zǎo jiù zǒu le. Māo xiānsheng de xiǎomāo bìng le.
They left long ago. Mr. Cat's kitten is sick.
- Pinocchio 他们给钱了吗？
Tāmen gěi qián le ma?
Did they pay?
- the Innkeeper 没有。他们说，您是好朋友，您来给。
Méiyǒu. Tāmen shuō, nín shì hǎo péngyou, nín lái gěi.
No. They said you're their good friend, so you'll pay.
- Pinocchio 什么？我给？
Shénme? Wǒ gěi?
What? Me pay?
- the Innkeeper 一个金币，谢谢您。他们早上在奇迹田等您。
Yí gè jīnbì, xièxie nín. Tāmen zǎoshang zài Qíjì Tián děng nín.
One gold coin, thank you. They'll wait for you at the Field of Miracles in the morning.
- Pinocchio 好吧……还有四个金币。
Hǎo ba… hái yǒu sì gè jīnbì.
Fine... I've still got four gold coins.
- Pinocchio 好黑啊……我不怕！我不怕！
Hǎo hēi a… wǒ bú pà! Wǒ bú pà!
It's so dark... I'm not scared! I'm not scared!
- Narrator 路边的树上，有一个小东西，像小灯一样亮。
Lùbiān de shù shang, yǒu yí gè xiǎo dōngxi, xiàng xiǎo dēng yíyàng liàng.
On a tree by the road sat a tiny thing, glowing like a little lamp.
- Pinocchio 你是什么？
Nǐ shì shénme?
What are you?
- The Talking Cricket 我是会说话的蟋蟀。
Wǒ shì huì shuōhuà de Xīshuài.
I am the Talking Cricket.
- Pinocchio 蟋蟀？你……你不是死了吗？
Xīshuài? Nǐ… nǐ bú shì sǐ le ma?
The Cricket? But... aren't you dead?
- The Talking Cricket 孩子，回家吧！四个金币，给你爸爸。
Háizi, huíjiā ba! Sì gè jīnbì, gěi nǐ bàba.
Child, go home! Give the four gold coins to your papa.
- Pinocchio 不！我要往前走！
Bù! Wǒ yào wǎng qián zǒu!
No! I'm going on!
- The Talking Cricket 一个晚上就有很多钱？那是骗你的。
Yí gè wǎnshang jiù yǒu hěn duō qián? Nà shì piàn nǐ de.
Lots of money in one night? That's a trick.
- Pinocchio 我还是要往前走！
Wǒ háishi yào wǎng qián zǒu!
I'm still going on!
- The Talking Cricket 夜里路上有强盗。小心啊，傻瓜！
Yèlǐ lùshang yǒu qiángdào. Xiǎoxīn a, shǎguā!
There are robbers on the road at night. Be careful, you little fool!
- Pinocchio 我就要往前走！
Wǒ jiù yào wǎng qián zǒu!
I'm going on, and that's that!
- Narrator 那个亮亮的小东西，忽然没有了。
Nàge liàngliàng de xiǎo dōngxi, hūrán méiyǒu le.
The little glowing thing was suddenly gone.
- Narrator 后边，两个黑口袋跑了过来。
Hòubian, liǎng gè hēi kǒudai pǎo le guòlai.
Behind him, two black sacks came running.
- Pinocchio 谁……谁在那儿？
Shéi… shéi zài nàr?
Who... who's there?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the Cat order at the inn?
“三十五条鱼。”
- Why does Pinocchio want only a bit of bread?
“我在想我的金币树！”
- Who pays for the dinner?
“您是好朋友，您来给。……一个金币，谢谢您。”
- What does the Talking Cricket say about lots of money in one night?
“一个晚上就有很多钱？那是骗你的。”
- How does Pinocchio answer the Cricket's warnings?
“我还是要往前走！……我就要往前走！”