The Cricket · chapter 3 of 4
The Little Champion
小小冠军
The tiny cricket beats the village's best, then the magistrate's rooster. Cheng Ming should be happy, but he cannot stop thinking about his son.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天早上，张差爷又来了。程明两只手捧着一个小盒子，手一直在发抖。
Dì'èr tiān zǎoshang, Zhāng chāiyé yòu lái le. Chéng Míng liǎng zhī shǒu pěng zhe yí gè xiǎo hézi, shǒu yìzhí zài fādǒu.
The next morning, Constable Zhang came again. Cheng Ming held a little box in both hands, and they kept shaking.
- Constable Zhang 就这个？我家的猫都比它大，你让我怎么跟县官大人说呢？
Jiù zhège? Wǒ jiā de māo dōu bǐ tā dà, nǐ ràng wǒ zěnme gēn xiànguān dàrén shuō ne?
This one? My cat is bigger than that. How am I supposed to explain it to the magistrate?
- Cheng Ming 张差爷，您别看它小。它昨天晚上叫了一整夜，又响亮又好听。
Zhāng chāiyé, nín bié kàn tā xiǎo. Tā zuótiān wǎnshang jiào le yì zhěng yè, yòu xiǎngliàng yòu hǎotīng.
Constable Zhang, don't judge it by its size. It chirped all night long, loud and lovely.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Cricket 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.
- Constable Zhang 叫得响有什么用，这里又不是唱戏的地方。它到底会不会打架？
Jiào de xiǎng yǒu shénme yòng, zhèlǐ yòu bú shì chàngxì de dìfang. Tā dàodǐ huì bu huì dǎjià?
What good is loud? This isn't the opera. Can it actually fight?
- Cheng Ming 这个嘛，我也不知道，我们家还没有试过。
Zhège ma, wǒ yě bù zhīdào, wǒmen jiā hái méiyǒu shì guo.
Well, I don't know. We haven't tried it yet.
- Cheng's Wife 那就去试试吧，村里赵大的黑将军，不是最会打架的吗？
Nà jiù qù shìshi ba, cūn lǐ Zhào Dà de Hēi Jiāngjūn, bú shì zuì huì dǎjià de ma?
Then let's try it. Isn't Zhao Da's Black General the best fighter in the village?
- Constable Zhang 好主意，它要是输了，你今天就自己去见县官，我可不会帮你说好话。
Hǎo zhǔyi, tā yàoshi shū le, nǐ jīntiān jiù zìjǐ qù jiàn xiànguān, wǒ kě bú huì bāng nǐ shuō hǎo huà.
Good idea. If it loses, you go see the magistrate yourself today, and I won't say a kind word for you.
- Zhao Da 谁要来跟我的黑将军比？我告诉你们，它已经十场没有输过了！
Shéi yào lái gēn wǒ de Hēi Jiāngjūn bǐ? Wǒ gàosu nǐmen, tā yǐjīng shí chǎng méiyǒu shū guo le!
Who dares face my Black General? Let me tell you, he hasn't lost in ten fights!
- Constable Zhang 老赵，你别吹牛了，这次是程明的蟋蟀，想要跟你的黑将军比一场。
Lǎo Zhào, nǐ bié chuī niú le, zhè cì shì Chéng Míng de xīshuài, xiǎng yào gēn nǐ de Hēi Jiāngjūn bǐ yì chǎng.
Old Zhao, quit bragging. This time it's Cheng Ming's cricket, and it wants a match with your Black General.
- Zhao Da 哈哈哈，这么小的虫子，我真怕黑将军一口就把它吞下去了！
Hāhāhā, zhème xiǎo de chóngzi, wǒ zhēn pà Hēi Jiāngjūn yì kǒu jiù bǎ tā tūn xiàqù le!
Ha ha ha, such a tiny bug! I'm afraid Black General will swallow it in a single bite!
- Cheng Ming 就算是让它出来见见世面吧，输了我也不会怪它。
Jiù suàn shì ràng tā chūlái jiànjian shìmiàn ba, shū le wǒ yě bú huì guài tā.
Let's say it's just here to see the world. If it loses, I won't blame it.
- Zhao Da 上啊，黑将军，快咬它，快把那只小虫子赶出去！
Shàng a, Hēi Jiāngjūn, kuài yǎo tā, kuài bǎ nà zhī xiǎo chóngzi gǎn chūqù!
Get it, Black General! Bite it, chase that little bug away!
- Cheng Ming 小家伙，你别怕，你就随便跳几下。让大家看看你的本事。
Xiǎo jiāhuo, nǐ bié pà, nǐ jiù suíbiàn tiào jǐ xià. Ràng dàjiā kànkan nǐ de běnshi.
Little fellow, don't be afraid. Just hop around a bit and show everyone what you can do.
- Constable Zhang 咦，黑将军怎么一直往后退呢。它不是从来不怕谁的吗？
Yí, Hēi Jiāngjūn zěnme yìzhí wǎng hòu tuì ne. Tā bú shì cónglái bú pà shéi de ma?
Huh? Why does Black General keep backing away? Isn't he afraid of no one?
- Cheng Ming 你们快看，那只小的，它跳到黑将军的背上去了！
Nǐmen kuài kàn, nà zhī xiǎo de, tā tiào dào Hēi Jiāngjūn de bèi shàng qù le!
Look, everyone! The little one jumped onto Black General's back!
- Zhao Da 不会吧，黑将军，你怎么突然就不动了，你快起来啊！
Bú huì ba, Hēi Jiāngjūn, nǐ zěnme tūrán jiù bú dòng le, nǐ kuài qǐlái a!
No way. Black General, why did you suddenly stop moving? Get up!
- Constable Zhang 这只小虫子真不简单，程明，你到底是从哪儿把它找来的？
Zhè zhī xiǎo chóngzi zhēn bù jiǎndān, Chéng Míng, nǐ dàodǐ shì cóng nǎr bǎ tā zhǎo lái de?
This little bug is really something. Cheng Ming, where on earth did you find it?
- Cheng Ming 我也说不清楚，是它自己跑到我家门口来的。像是有人送来的一样。
Wǒ yě shuō bù qīngchu, shì tā zìjǐ pǎo dào wǒ jiā ménkǒu lái de. Xiàng shì yǒu rén sòng lái de yíyàng.
I can't say for sure. It came to my door by itself, as if someone had sent it.
- The Magistrate 我听说你的蟋蟀，连赵大的黑将军都打败了，这是真的吗？
Wǒ tīngshuō nǐ de xīshuài, lián Zhào Dà de Hēi Jiāngjūn dōu dǎbài le, zhè shì zhēn de ma?
I hear your cricket even beat Zhao Da's Black General. Is it true?
- Cheng Ming 回大人的话，这只是它今天运气好，并不是什么本事。
Huí dàrén de huà, zhè zhǐshì tā jīntiān yùnqi hǎo, bìng bú shì shénme běnshi.
Your Honor, it was just lucky today. It isn't any real skill.
- The Magistrate 运气？我要亲眼看看才相信。来人啊，把我的大公鸡牵出来！
Yùnqi? Wǒ yào qīnyǎn kànkan cái xiāngxìn. Lái rén a, bǎ wǒ de dà gōngjī qiān chūlái!
Luck? I must see it with my own eyes. Someone, bring out my big rooster!
- Cheng Ming 公鸡？大人，您别开玩笑了，它只是一只很小的蟋蟀啊！
Gōngjī? Dàrén, nín bié kāi wánxiào le, tā zhǐshì yì zhī hěn xiǎo de xīshuài a!
A rooster? Your Honor, you must be joking. It's only a tiny cricket!
- The Magistrate 皇帝要的是天下第一，不是天下第二。你们现在就开始吧！
Huángdì yào de shì tiānxià dìyī, bú shì tiānxià dì'èr. Nǐmen xiànzài jiù kāishǐ ba!
The emperor wants the best under heaven, not the second best. Begin right now!
- Constable Zhang 程明，那只公鸡一口就能把它吃掉。你自己准备好了吗？
Chéng Míng, nà zhī gōngjī yì kǒu jiù néng bǎ tā chī diào. Nǐ zìjǐ zhǔnbèi hǎo le ma?
Cheng Ming, that rooster could gobble it up in one peck. Are you ready?
- Cheng Ming 我不敢看，张差爷，您帮我看着，看完了再告诉我。
Wǒ bù gǎn kàn, Zhāng chāiyé, nín bāng wǒ kàn zhe, kàn wán le zài gàosu wǒ.
I can't look. Constable Zhang, watch for me and tell me when it's over.
- Constable Zhang 跳上去了，你快听我说，它跳到公鸡的头上去了！
Tiào shàngqù le, nǐ kuài tīng wǒ shuō, tā tiào dào gōngjī de tóu shàng qù le!
It jumped up! Listen to me, it's on top of the rooster's head!
- The Magistrate 哈哈哈，你们看那只大公鸡。它怎么吓得到处乱跑，好厉害的小虫子！
Hāhāhā, nǐmen kàn nà zhī dà gōngjī. Tā zěnme xià de dàochù luàn pǎo, hǎo lìhai de xiǎo chóngzi!
Ha ha ha, look at that big rooster running about in fright. What a mighty little bug!
- Constable Zhang 公鸡认输了，它居然输给了一只蟋蟀。我这辈子还没见过这种事！
Gōngjī rènshū le, tā jūrán shū gěi le yì zhī xīshuài. Wǒ zhè bèizi hái méi jiàn guo zhè zhǒng shì!
The rooster gives up! It lost to a cricket. I've never seen anything like it in my life!
- The Magistrate 程明，你立了大功，我马上把它送进皇宫。皇帝一定会非常高兴。
Chéng Míng, nǐ lì le dà gōng, wǒ mǎshàng bǎ tā sòng jìn huánggōng. Huángdì yídìng huì fēicháng gāoxìng.
Cheng Ming, you have done a great service. I'll send it to the palace at once, and the emperor will surely be delighted.
- The Magistrate 从今天起，你们家的税，我全都免了。你再也不用发愁了。
Cóng jīntiān qǐ, nǐmen jiā de shuì, wǒ quán dōu miǎn le. Nǐ zài yě bú yòng fāchóu le.
From today on, I cancel all your family's taxes, so you never need to worry again.
- Cheng Ming 谢谢大人，可是我的儿子，他还躺在床上，怎么叫也不醒……我真高兴不起来。
Xièxie dàrén, kěshì wǒ de érzi, tā hái tǎng zài chuáng shàng, zěnme jiào yě bù xǐng… wǒ zhēn gāoxìng bù qǐlái.
Thank you, Your Honor, but my son is still in bed and won't wake however I call... I can't really feel happy.
- The Magistrate 我会请最好的大夫去给他看病，你就放心回家吧。
Wǒ huì qǐng zuì hǎo de dàifu qù gěi tā kànbìng, nǐ jiù fàngxīn huíjiā ba.
I'll send the best doctor to treat him. Go home and rest easy.
- Cheng Ming 奇怪，这只小虫子看我的样子，怎么会那么像小宝呢？
Qíguài, zhè zhī xiǎo chóngzi kàn wǒ de yàngzi, zěnme huì nàme xiàng Xiǎobǎo ne?
Strange. The way this little bug looks at me, why is it so much like Xiaobao?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Constable Zhang laugh at the new cricket at first?
“我家的猫都比它大”
- Who owns Black General?
“村里赵大的黑将军”
- What is the second test the tiny cricket faces?
“把我的大公鸡牵出来！”
- What reward does the magistrate promise?
“你们家的税，我全都免了”
- What troubling thought does Cheng Ming have at the end?
“怎么会那么像小宝呢？”