The Magic Brocade · chapter 1 of 4
The Dream Village
梦里的村子
A mother weaves her dream village into a brocade for three years. The morning after she finishes, a great wind snatches it away toward Sun Mountain.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 山里的晚上，妈妈在织布机前织锦。三个儿子坐在她旁边。
Shān lǐ de wǎnshang, māma zài zhībùjī qián zhī jǐn. Sān gè érzi zuò zài tā pángbiān.
One night in the mountains, Mama was weaving brocade at her loom. Her three sons sat beside her.
- A San 妈妈，你织了三年了。你在织什么？
Māma, nǐ zhī le sān nián le. Nǐ zài zhī shénme?
Mama, you've been weaving for three years. What are you making?
- Mama 我做过一个梦。梦里有一个很美的村子。
Wǒ zuò guo yí gè mèng. Mèng lǐ yǒu yí gè hěn měi de cūnzi.
I had a dream once. In it there was a beautiful village.
- A San 村子？什么样的村子？
Cūnzi? Shénme yàng de cūnzi?
A village? What kind of village?
- Mama 有大房子，有小河，有花，有树，还有很多鸡。
Yǒu dà fángzi, yǒu xiǎo hé, yǒu huā, yǒu shù, hái yǒu hěn duō jī.
Big houses, a little river, flowers, trees, and lots of chickens.
- Second Brother 有很多鸡？那有没有好吃的鸡？
Yǒu hěn duō jī? Nà yǒu méiyǒu hǎochī de jī?
Lots of chickens? Are there any tasty ones?
- Mama 老二，你怎么每天都饿？
Lǎo'èr, nǐ zěnme měi tiān dōu è?
Second Son, why are you hungry every single day?
- Second Brother 我不是饿，我是爱吃！
Wǒ bú shì è, wǒ shì ài chī!
I'm not hungry. I just love to eat!
- A San 妈妈，你的眼睛红了。别织太晚了。
Māma, nǐ de yǎnjing hóng le. Bié zhī tài wǎn le.
Mama, your eyes are red. Don't weave so late.
- Mama 没事。我想织好它。这样我们也能住在那个村子里。
Méi shì. Wǒ xiǎng zhī hǎo tā. Zhèyàng wǒmen yě néng zhù zài nàge cūnzi lǐ.
It's fine. I want to finish it. Then we can live in that village too.
- Mama 你们的爸爸不在了。我想给你们一个好家。
Nǐmen de bàba bú zài le. Wǒ xiǎng gěi nǐmen yí gè hǎo jiā.
Your father is gone. I want to give you a good home.
- A San 有妈妈，就是好家。可是……我也想住进那个村子。
Yǒu māma, jiù shì hǎo jiā. Kěshì… wǒ yě xiǎng zhù jìn nàge cūnzi.
Having Mama is a good home. But... I want to live in that village too.
- Mama 织好了！孩子们，快来看！
Zhī hǎo le! Háizimen, kuài lái kàn!
It's done! Children, come and look!
- A San 哇！河是蓝的！花是红的！
Wā! Hé shì lán de! Huā shì hóng de!
Wow! The river is blue! The flowers are red!
- Second Brother 看！鸡在这里！好大的鸡！妈妈，太好了！
Kàn! Jī zài zhèlǐ! Hǎo dà de jī! Māma, tài hǎo le!
Look! Here are the chickens! What big chickens! Mama, this is wonderful!
- Mama 因为你喜欢鸡呀，老二。
Yīnwèi nǐ xǐhuan jī ya, Lǎo'èr.
Because you like chickens, Second Son.
- Second Brother 妈妈最好了！我要每天都看它！
Māma zuì hǎo le! Wǒ yào měi tiān dōu kàn tā!
Mama is the best! I'll look at it every day!
- Mama 明天早上，我们把它拿到太阳下看看。
Míngtiān zǎoshang, wǒmen bǎ tā ná dào tàiyáng xià kànkan.
Tomorrow morning, we'll take it out into the sun and have a look.
- Big Brother 妈妈，太阳出来了！你把锦拿来了吗？
Māma, tàiyáng chūlái le! Nǐ bǎ jǐn ná lái le ma?
Mama, the sun is up! Did you bring the brocade?
- Mama 拿来了。你们看，它多美！
Ná lái le. Nǐmen kàn, tā duō měi!
I did. Look, how beautiful it is!
- A San 太阳一照，村子像活了一样！
Tàiyáng yí zhào, cūnzi xiàng huó le yíyàng!
In the sunlight, the village looks alive!
- Big Brother 妈妈，小心！风来了！
Māma, xiǎoxīn! Fēng lái le!
Mama, careful! The wind is coming!
- Mama 我的锦！抓住它！
Wǒ de jǐn! Zhuā zhù tā!
My brocade! Grab it!
- A San 它飞起来了！它往东边飞！
Tā fēi qǐlái le! Tā wǎng dōngbian fēi!
It's flying up! It's flying east!
- Big Brother 它飞过山了。我看不见了。
Tā fēi guò shān le. Wǒ kàn bú jiàn le.
It flew over the mountain. I can't see it anymore.
- Mama 三年……我织了三年……没有了……
Sān nián… wǒ zhī le sān nián… méiyǒu le…
Three years... I wove it for three years... and it's gone...
- A San 妈妈，别哭。风往东边吹，锦去哪儿了？
Māma, bié kū. Fēng wǎng dōngbian chuī, jǐn qù nǎr le?
Mama, don't cry. The wind blew east. Where did the brocade go?
- Mama 东边有一座太阳山。听说山上有仙女。锦一定在她们那儿。
Dōngbian yǒu yí zuò Tàiyáng Shān. Tīngshuō shān shàng yǒu xiānnǚ. Jǐn yídìng zài tāmen nàr.
To the east there's Sun Mountain. They say fairies live there. The brocade must be with them.
- Mama 谁把锦找回来，谁就住进那个村子。
Shéi bǎ jǐn zhǎo huílái, shéi jiù zhù jìn nàge cūnzi.
Whoever brings the brocade back will live in that village.
- Big Brother 我去！我是大哥。我和二弟一起去！
Wǒ qù! Wǒ shì dàgē. Wǒ hé èrdì yìqǐ qù!
I'll go! I'm the eldest. My brother and I will go together!
- Mama 好……可是路很远。阿三，你太小了，你在家陪我。
Hǎo… kěshì lù hěn yuǎn. Ā Sān, nǐ tài xiǎo le, nǐ zài jiā péi wǒ.
All right... but the road is very long. A San, you're too little. Stay home with me.
- A San 我不小了。我一定要去太阳山。
Wǒ bù xiǎo le. Wǒ yídìng yào qù Tàiyáng Shān.
I'm not little. I'm going to Sun Mountain, no matter what.
What changed in the story?
- What has Mama been weaving for three years?
“我做过一个梦。梦里有一个很美的村子。”
- Why does A San tell Mama not to weave so late?
“妈妈，你的眼睛红了。别织太晚了。”
- What is Second Brother always thinking about?
“我不是饿，我是爱吃！”
- What happens to the brocade in the morning?
“它飞起来了！它往东边飞！”
- What will the person who finds the brocade get?
“谁把锦找回来，谁就住进那个村子。”