The Jade Rabbit · chapter 2 of 3
Into the Fire
跳进火里
The friends light a fire for the hungry old man. Xiao Bai steps forward with a plan that no one wants to hear.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 天黑了，河边的风很冷。
Tiān hēi le, hébiān de fēng hěn lěng.
Night fell, and the wind by the river was cold.
- Ah Jin 火生好了！你们看，多大的火啊！
Huǒ shēng hǎo le! Nǐmen kàn, duō dà de huǒ a!
The fire is ready! Look, what a big fire!
- Ah Hong 是我找的木头！你只会在树上玩！
Shì wǒ zhǎo de mùtou! Nǐ zhǐ huì zài shù shang wán!
I found the wood! All you did was play in the tree!
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Jade Rabbit 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.
- Ah Jin 我才不玩！我是山里最会生火的猴子！
Wǒ cái bù wán! Wǒ shì shānlǐ zuì huì shēng huǒ de hóuzi!
I did not! I'm the best fire-maker of all the monkeys!
- Ah Hong 好，好，你最会生火。我最会找木头！
Hǎo, hǎo, nǐ zuì huì shēng huǒ. Wǒ zuì huì zhǎo mùtou!
Fine, fine, you are the best at fires. I am the best at finding wood!
- Xiao Bai 阿红，阿金，谢谢你们。你们真好。
Ā Hóng, Ā Jīn, xièxie nǐmen. Nǐmen zhēn hǎo.
Ah Hong, Ah Jin, thank you. You are so kind.
- Ah Hong 小白，火生好了。现在你要做什么呢？
Xiǎo Bái, huǒ shēng hǎo le. Xiànzài nǐ yào zuò shénme ne?
Xiao Bai, the fire's ready. What are you going to do now?
- Xiao Bai 老人三天没有吃东西。我没有鱼，也没有苹果。
Lǎorén sān tiān méiyǒu chī dōngxi. Wǒ méiyǒu yú, yě méiyǒu píngguǒ.
The old man hasn't eaten in three days. I have no fish and no apples.
- Ah Jin 你有草！我去拿很多草，好不好？
Nǐ yǒu cǎo! Wǒ qù ná hěn duō cǎo, hǎo bu hǎo?
You have grass! I'll go get lots of grass, all right?
- Xiao Bai 老人不吃草。我只有我自己。
Lǎorén bù chī cǎo. Wǒ zhǐyǒu wǒ zìjǐ.
The old man doesn't eat grass. I only have myself.
- Ah Hong 什么？不行！你是我们的好朋友！
Shénme? Bù xíng! Nǐ shì wǒmen de hǎo péngyou!
What? No! You're our good friend!
- Ah Jin 小白，你不要去！火很热，你会疼的！
Xiǎo Bái, nǐ bú yào qù! Huǒ hěn rè, nǐ huì téng de!
Xiao Bai, don't go! The fire is hot, it will hurt you!
- Xiao Bai 别哭。你们帮了老人，我也想帮他。
Bié kū. Nǐmen bāng le lǎorén, wǒ yě xiǎng bāng tā.
Don't cry. You helped the old man, and I want to help him too.
- Ah Hong 可是我们不想没有你！
Kěshì wǒmen bù xiǎng méiyǒu nǐ!
But we don't want to be without you!
- Xiao Bai 你们是我最好的朋友。我不会忘记你们。
Nǐmen shì wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou. Wǒ bú huì wàngjì nǐmen.
You are my very best friends. I will never forget you.
- Ah Hong 小白……你怕不怕？
Xiǎo Bái… nǐ pà bu pà?
Xiao Bai… are you afraid?
- Xiao Bai 怕。可是我要去。
Pà. Kěshì wǒ yào qù.
Yes. But I'm going.
- Xiao Bai 老人，我来了！
Lǎorén, wǒ lái le!
Old man, here I come!
- Narrator 兔子用力一跳，跳向火里。
Tùzi yònglì yí tiào, tiào xiàng huǒ lǐ.
The rabbit gave one great jump, straight toward the fire.
- The Old Man 我接住你了！小白，别怕！
Wǒ jiē zhù nǐ le! Xiǎo Bái, bié pà!
I've got you! Xiao Bai, don't be afraid!
- Ah Hong 小白？小白，你没事吧？
Xiǎo Bái? Xiǎo Bái, nǐ méishì ba?
Xiao Bai? Xiao Bai, are you all right?
- Xiao Bai 我没事。这个火……一点儿也不热！
Wǒ méishì. Zhège huǒ… yìdiǎnr yě bú rè!
I'm fine. This fire… it isn't hot at all!
- Ah Hong 不热？火怎么会不热呢？
Bú rè? Huǒ zěnme huì bú rè ne?
Not hot? How can a fire not be hot?
- The Old Man 因为我不是老人。
Yīnwèi wǒ bú shì lǎorén.
Because I am not an old man.
- Xiao Bai 你……你是谁？
Nǐ… nǐ shì shéi?
Who… who are you?
- The Old Man 小白，你的心太好了，比玉还白。
Xiǎo Bái, nǐ de xīn tài hǎo le, bǐ yù hái bái.
Xiao Bai, your heart is far too good. It is whiter than jade.
- Ah Hong 你要带小白去哪儿？
Nǐ yào dài Xiǎo Bái qù nǎr?
Where are you taking Xiao Bai?
- The Old Man 去天上！我要让大家都看见她。
Qù tiān shang! Wǒ yào ràng dàjiā dōu kànjiàn tā.
Up to the sky! I want everyone to see her.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What have the fox and the monkey done when the chapter opens?
“火生好了！”
- Why does Xiao Bai say she cannot offer grass?
“老人不吃草。我只有我自己。”
- How does Xiao Bai feel about jumping into the fire?
“怕。可是我要去。”
- What surprises Xiao Bai after she jumps?
“这个火……一点儿也不热！”
- What does the old man say about himself?
“因为我不是老人。”