Strange Tales for Beginners · chapter 1 of 5
The Pear Tree
种梨
A hungry Taoist begs one pear from a stingy seller. What he does with the seed makes the whole street gasp, and then he says something about heaven.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，街上有很多人。老赵在卖梨。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, jiēshang yǒu hěnduō rén. Lǎo Zhào zài mài lí.
Long ago, a street was full of people. Lao Zhao was selling pears.
- Lao Zhao 梨！又大又甜的梨！
Lí! Yòu dà yòu tián de lí!
Pears! Big, sweet pears!
- Lao Zhao 好吃的梨！来买梨！
Hǎochī de lí! Lái mǎi lí!
Delicious pears! Come buy pears!
- The Taoist 老板，我很饿。给我一个梨，好吗？
Lǎobǎn, wǒ hěn è. Gěi wǒ yí gè lí, hǎo ma?
Boss, I'm very hungry. Could you give me one pear?
- Lao Zhao 你有钱吗？没有钱，不能吃我的梨！
Nǐ yǒuqián ma? Méiyǒu qián, bù néng chī wǒ de lí!
Do you have money? No money, no pears!
- The Taoist 我只要一个。小的也好。
Wǒ zhǐyào yí gè. Xiǎo de yě hǎo.
I only want one. A small one is fine.
- Lao Zhao 不行！走开！我的梨很好，很多人爱吃！
Bù xíng! Zǒukāi! Wǒ de lí hěn hǎo, hěnduō rén ài chī!
No way! Go away! My pears are good, and lots of people love them!
- Uncle Wang 老赵，别生气。他很饿，你给他一个吧。
Lǎo Zhào, bié shēngqì. Tā hěn è, nǐ gěi tā yí gè ba.
Lao Zhao, don't be angry. He's hungry. Give him one.
- Lao Zhao 给他？我不给！你想给，你自己买！
Gěi tā? Wǒ bù gěi! Nǐ xiǎng gěi, nǐ zìjǐ mǎi!
Give him one? I won't! If you want to, buy it yourself!
- Uncle Wang 好，我买。老赵，给我一个大梨。
Hǎo, wǒ mǎi. Lǎo Zhào, gěi wǒ yí gè dà lí.
Fine, I'll buy one. Lao Zhao, give me a big pear.
- Lao Zhao 好好好！给你！最小的一个！
Hǎo hǎo hǎo! Gěi nǐ! Zuìxiǎo de yí gè!
Fine, fine! Here! The smallest one!
- Uncle Wang 不，我要最大的。道士，这个给你。
Bù, wǒ yào zuìdà de. Dàoshi, zhège gěi nǐ.
No, I want the biggest one. Taoist, this one is for you.
- The Taoist 谢谢你，好人。我请大家吃梨，好不好？
Xièxie nǐ, hǎorén. Wǒ qǐng dàjiā chī lí, hǎobùhǎo?
Thank you, good man. Shall I treat everyone to pears?
- Lao Zhao 道士，你请大家？你没有梨！
Dàoshi, nǐ qǐng dàjiā? Nǐ méiyǒu lí!
Taoist, you want to treat everyone? You have no pears!
- The Taoist 你看。我先吃梨，再种梨。
Nǐ kàn. Wǒ xiān chī lí, zài zhòng lí.
Watch. First I eat the pear, then I plant one.
- Uncle Wang 种梨？在街上种梨？
Zhòng lí? Zài jiēshang zhòng lí?
Plant a pear? Here in the street?
- The Taoist 你们看！这个梨，很快有一棵树！
Nǐmen kàn! Zhège lí, hěnkuài yǒu yì kē shù!
Look, everyone! This pear will become a tree very soon!
- Uncle Wang 看！地上有绿色的东西！
Kàn! Dìshàng yǒu lǜsè de dōngxi!
Look! Something green is coming out of the ground!
- Lao Zhao 树！那里有一棵树！它在长高！
Shù! Nàlǐ yǒu yì kē shù! Tā zài zhǎng gāo!
A tree! There's a tree! It's growing taller!
- Uncle Wang 有叶子了！有花了！花开了！
Yǒu yèzi le! Yǒu huā le! Huā kāi le!
Leaves! Flowers! The flowers are opening!
- Lao Zhao 我的天啊！树上有梨了！
Wǒ de tiān a! Shùshàng yǒu lí le!
Good heavens! There are pears on the tree!
- The Taoist 各位，请吃梨！不要钱！
Gèwèi, qǐng chī lí! Bú yào qián!
Everyone, please eat pears! They're free!
- Uncle Wang 太好吃了！比老赵的梨还甜！
Tài hǎochī le! Bǐ Lǎo Zhào de lí hái tián!
So delicious! Even sweeter than Lao Zhao's pears!
- Lao Zhao 别吃了！别吃了！咦？我的梨呢？
Bié chī le! Bié chī le! Yí? Wǒ de lí ne?
Stop eating! Stop! Hey, where are my pears?
- Lao Zhao 我车上没有梨了！一个都没有！
Wǒ chēshàng méiyǒu lí le! Yí gè dōu méiyǒu!
There are no pears left on my cart! Not one!
- Lao Zhao 我的车……怎么少了一块木头？
Wǒ de chē…… zěnme shǎo le yí kuài mùtou?
My cart... why is a piece of wood missing?
- Uncle Wang 老赵，你看！道士不见了，树也不见了。
Lǎo Zhào, nǐ kàn! Dàoshi bú jiàn le, shù yě bú jiàn le.
Lao Zhao, look! The Taoist is gone, and the tree is gone too.
- Uncle Wang 我听到他说，天上的桃比梨更甜！天上真的有桃吗？
Wǒ tīngdào tā shuō, tiānshàng de táo bǐ lí gèng tián! Tiānshàng zhēnde yǒu táo ma?
I heard him say the peaches in heaven are sweeter than pears! Are there really peaches in heaven?
What changed in the story?
- Why does the Taoist stop at Lao Zhao's cart?
“我很饿。给我一个梨，好吗？”
- Who finally buys the Taoist a pear?
“好，我买。老赵，给我一个大梨。”
- What does the Taoist say he will do after he eats?
“我先吃梨，再种梨。”
- What is wrong with Lao Zhao's cart at the end?
“我车上没有梨了！一个都没有！”……“怎么少了一块木头？”
- What did Uncle Wang hear the Taoist say?
“天上的桃比梨更甜！”