The Nine-Tailed Fox · chapter 1 of 4
The White Fox
白狐狸
A tired hero, a teasing friend and a fish basket that will not sit still. What is inside has nine tails, sharp ears and a great deal to say.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久很久以前，洪水来了。人们都住在山上。
Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, hóngshuǐ lái le. Rénmen dōu zhù zài shānshang.
Long, long ago, the great flood came. People had all moved up onto the hills.
- Boyi 大禹，吃饭了！今天还是鱼！
Dà Yǔ, chīfàn le! Jīntiān háishi yú!
Yu, dinner! Today it's fish. Again!
- Yu 伯益，你看，水还是这么大。
Bó Yì, nǐ kàn, shuǐ háishi zhème dà.
Boyi, look. The water is still this high.
- Boyi 先吃饭！不吃饭，怎么做事？
Xiān chīfàn! Bù chīfàn, zěnme zuòshì?
Eat first! If you don't eat, how will you get anything done?
- Yu 水不走，大家不能回家。我吃不下。
Shuǐ bù zǒu, dàjiā bù néng huí jiā. Wǒ chī bú xià.
While the water stays, nobody can go home. I can't eat.
- Boyi 大禹，你三十岁了！还没有结婚！
Dà Yǔ, nǐ sānshí suì le! Hái méiyǒu jiéhūn!
Yu, you're thirty! And you're still not married!
- Yu 我……我有很多事要做！
Wǒ… wǒ yǒu hěn duō shì yào zuò!
I… I have a lot of work to do!
- Boyi 你的事是水。谁跟你说话？水吗？
Nǐ de shì shì shuǐ. Shéi gēn nǐ shuōhuà? Shuǐ ma?
Your work is water. Who talks with you? The water?
- Yu 我也想有一个家。可是我天天在水里，谁想跟我结婚？
Wǒ yě xiǎng yǒu yí gè jiā. Kěshì wǒ tiāntiān zài shuǐ lǐ, shéi xiǎng gēn wǒ jiéhūn?
I want a home too. But I'm in the water every day. Who would want to marry me?
- Boyi 你是好人！一定会有人喜欢你。
Nǐ shì hǎo rén! Yídìng huì yǒu rén xǐhuan nǐ.
You're a good man! Someone will surely like you.
- Yu 谢谢你，伯益。可是，那个人在哪儿呢？
Xièxie nǐ, Bó Yì. Kěshì, nàge rén zài nǎr ne?
Thanks, Boyi. But where is that someone?
- Boyi 你听！我的鱼篮在动！
Nǐ tīng! Wǒ de yúlán zài dòng!
Listen! My fish basket is moving!
- Boyi 一条大鱼！可是……还是鱼。
Yì tiáo dà yú! Kěshì… háishi yú.
A big fish! But… it is still fish.
- Yu 不对，伯益。这不是鱼！你看！
Bú duì, Bó Yì. Zhè bú shì yú! Nǐ kàn!
No, Boyi. That's not a fish! Look!
- Boyi 一只白狐狸！它有好多尾巴！
Yì zhī bái húli! Tā yǒu hǎo duō wěiba!
A white fox! It has so many tails!
- Yu 别怕，小狐狸。尾巴在篮子里。我来帮你。
Bié pà, xiǎo húli. Wěiba zài lánzi lǐ. Wǒ lái bāng nǐ.
Don't be scared, little fox. Your tails are stuck in the basket. Let me help you.
- Yu 一条，两条，三条……九条！好了！
Yì tiáo, liǎng tiáo, sān tiáo… jiǔ tiáo! Hǎo le!
One tail, two tails, three tails… nine tails! There, all free!
- Boyi 九条尾巴？九尾狐！
Jiǔ tiáo wěiba? Jiǔwěihú!
Nine tails? A nine-tailed fox!
- Xiaobai 谢谢你，大禹。你的手真轻。
Xièxie nǐ, Dà Yǔ. Nǐ de shǒu zhēn qīng.
Thank you, Yu. You have gentle hands.
- Boyi 狐狸会说话？我的天啊！
Húli huì shuōhuà? Wǒ de tiān a!
A fox that talks? Oh my heavens!
- Yu 你怎么知道我的名字？
Nǐ zěnme zhīdào wǒ de míngzi?
How do you know my name?
- Xiaobai 我还知道很多事。我听见了：三十岁，没有结婚！
Wǒ hái zhīdào hěn duō shì. Wǒ tīngjiàn le: sānshí suì, méiyǒu jiéhūn!
I know lots of things. I heard you: thirty years old, not married!
- Boyi 哈哈！它都听见了！
Hāhā! Tā dōu tīngjiàn le!
Ha ha! She heard everything!
- Yu 你……你别说了！
Nǐ… nǐ bié shuō le!
Please… stop talking!
- Xiaobai 别怕。白狐狸有九条尾巴，是好运。你帮了我，我也帮你。
Bié pà. Bái húli yǒu jiǔ tiáo wěiba, shì hǎoyùn. Nǐ bāng le wǒ, wǒ yě bāng nǐ.
Don't worry. A white fox with nine tails means good luck. You helped me, so I'll help you.
- Yu 帮我？你怎么帮我？
Bāng wǒ? Nǐ zěnme bāng wǒ?
Help me? How will you help me?
- Xiaobai 明天早上，去涂山。山上有一个人，在等你。
Míngtiān zǎoshang, qù Túshān. Shān shàng yǒu yí gè rén, zài děng nǐ.
Tomorrow morning, go to Tushan. Up on the mountain, someone is waiting for you.
- Boyi 狐狸呢？狐狸去哪儿了？
Húli ne? Húli qù nǎr le?
Where's the fox? Where did she go?
- Yu 涂山……谁在等我？
Túshān… shéi zài děng wǒ?
Tushan… who is waiting for me?
What changed in the story?
- What does Boyi tease Yu about?
“你三十岁了……还没有结婚”
- What is inside Boyi's fish basket?
“一只白狐狸……它有好多尾巴”
- How does Yu help the fox get out?
“一条，两条，三条……九条”
- What does the white fox say her nine tails mean?
“白狐狸有九条尾巴，是好运”
- Where does the fox tell Yu to go tomorrow?
“明天早上，去涂山”……“在等你”