The Seventh Fairy · chapter 1 of 4
Three Years for a Funeral
三年的工
Poor Dong Yong has no money to bury his father, so he sells three years of work to a greedy landlord. Then an old tree starts to talk.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 春天的早上，山上很安静。董永一个人，站在爸爸的坟前。
Chūntiān de zǎoshang, shān shàng hěn ānjìng. Dǒng Yǒng yí gè rén, zhàn zài bàba de fén qián.
On a spring morning, the mountain was quiet. Dong Yong stood alone in front of his father's grave.
- Dong Yong 爸爸，我没有钱。我不知道怎么办。
Bàba, wǒ méiyǒu qián. Wǒ bù zhīdào zěnme bàn.
Dad, I have no money. I don't know what to do.
- Dong Yong 可是，我有两只手，还有很大的力气。
Kěshì, wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī shǒu, hái yǒu hěn dà de lìqi.
But I have two hands, and a lot of strength.
- Dong Yong 爸爸，您等我。我去找傅员外，用力气换钱。
Bàba, nín děng wǒ. Wǒ qù zhǎo Fù yuánwài, yòng lìqi huàn qián.
Dad, wait for me. I'll go to Master Fu and trade my strength for money.
- Dong Yong 您常说我吃得多。今天，我的大力气有用了！
Nín cháng shuō wǒ chī de duō. Jīntiān, wǒ de dà lìqi yǒuyòng le!
You always said I eat too much. Today, all that strength will finally be useful!
- Dong Yong 您放心，我一定让您好好地走。
Nín fàngxīn, wǒ yídìng ràng nín hǎohāo de zǒu.
Don't worry. I will make sure you have a proper farewell.
- Dong Yong 傅员外！傅员外在家吗？
Fù yuánwài! Fù yuánwài zài jiā ma?
Master Fu! Master Fu, are you home?
- Master Fu 谁啊？一大早，吵什么？哦，是董永。
Shéi a? Yí dàzǎo, chǎo shénme? Ò, shì Dǒng Yǒng.
Who is it? Making noise at this hour! Oh, it's Dong Yong.
- Dong Yong 员外，我爸爸走了。我想借一点钱。
Yuánwài, wǒ bàba zǒu le. Wǒ xiǎng jiè yìdiǎn qián.
Sir, my father has passed away. I'd like to borrow a little money.
- Master Fu 借钱？你怎么还？你家一张好桌子也没有。
Jiè qián? Nǐ zěnme huán? Nǐ jiā yì zhāng hǎo zhuōzi yě méiyǒu.
Borrow money? How will you pay it back? Your house doesn't even have one good table.
- Dong Yong 我不用钱还。我用三年的力气还！
Wǒ bú yòng qián huán. Wǒ yòng sān nián de lìqi huán!
I won't pay you with money. I'll pay you with three years of my strength!
- Master Fu 三年？天天都做工？
Sān nián? Tiāntiān dōu zuògōng?
Three years? Working every single day?
- Dong Yong 天天都做。下雨也做，下雪也做。
Tiāntiān dōu zuò. Xiàyǔ yě zuò, xiàxuě yě zuò.
Every day. In the rain, in the snow, I'll work.
- Master Fu 好，好！这么大的力气，我太高兴了。快来写下你的名字！
Hǎo, hǎo! Zhème dà de lìqi, wǒ tài gāoxìng le. Kuài lái xiě xià nǐ de míngzi!
Good, good! Such great strength, I'm delighted. Come and write your name!
- Dong Yong 谢谢员外。我先去办爸爸的后事，明天就来。
Xièxie yuánwài. Wǒ xiān qù bàn bàba de hòushì, míngtiān jiù lái.
Thank you, sir. First I'll take care of my father's funeral, and tomorrow I'll come.
- Master Fu 好。可是你要是晚一天，就多做一年！
Hǎo. Kěshì nǐ yàoshi wǎn yì tiān, jiù duō zuò yì nián!
Fine. But if you are one day late, you work one more year!
- Dong Yong 我不会晚。我说到做到。
Wǒ bú huì wǎn. Wǒ shuō dào zuò dào.
I won't be late. I keep my word.
- Narrator 董永办好了爸爸的事。第二天，他走在去傅家的路上。
Dǒng Yǒng bàn hǎo le bàba de shì. Dì-èr tiān, tā zǒu zài qù Fù jiā de lù shàng.
Dong Yong took care of his father's funeral. The next day, he walked along the road to Master Fu's house.
- Dong Yong 三年……三年真长啊。我能做完吗？
Sān nián… sān nián zhēn cháng a. Wǒ néng zuò wán ma?
Three years... three years is so long. Can I get through it?
- Dong Yong 这棵老槐树真大。我坐一会儿吧。
Zhè kē lǎo huáishù zhēn dà. Wǒ zuò yíhuìr ba.
This old locust tree is so big. Let me sit for a while.
- Dong Yong 天这么热，树下真舒服。
Tiān zhème rè, shù xià zhēn shūfu.
It's so hot today. It's so nice under the tree.
- The Old Locust Tree 年轻人，你走得很累了吧？
Niánqīngrén, nǐ zǒu de hěn lèi le ba?
Young man, you've walked a long way. Tired?
- Dong Yong 谁？谁在说话？
Shéi? Shéi zài shuōhuà?
Who? Who's talking?
- The Old Locust Tree 是我，你身边的老槐树。我在这儿站了一千年。
Shì wǒ, nǐ shēnbiān de lǎo huáishù. Wǒ zài zhèr zhàn le yì qiān nián.
It's me, the old locust tree next to you. I've stood here for a thousand years.
- Dong Yong 树会说话？我是不是在做梦？
Shù huì shuōhuà? Wǒ shì bu shì zài zuòmèng?
A tree that talks? Am I dreaming?
- The Old Locust Tree 你没有做梦。我看你很久了。你对爸爸真好。
Nǐ méiyǒu zuòmèng. Wǒ kàn nǐ hěn jiǔ le. Nǐ duì bàba zhēn hǎo.
You're not dreaming. I've been watching you for a long time. You are so good to your father.
- Dong Yong 谢谢您。可是我还要做三年的工……
Xièxie nín. Kěshì wǒ hái yào zuò sān nián de gōng…
Thank you. But I still have three years of work ahead...
- The Old Locust Tree 三年？也许不用那么久。你听，有人来了。
Sān nián? Yěxǔ bú yòng nàme jiǔ. Nǐ tīng, yǒu rén lái le.
Three years? Maybe not that long. Listen, someone is coming.
- Dong Yong 哪儿有人？咦，那边怎么这么亮？
Nǎr yǒu rén? Yí, nàbiān zěnme zhème liàng?
Where? Wait, why is it so bright over there?
- The Old Locust Tree 别怕，董永。她是从天上来的。
Bié pà, Dǒng Yǒng. Tā shì cóng tiānshàng lái de.
Don't be afraid, Dong Yong. She comes from heaven.
What changed in the story?
- Why does Dong Yong go to Master Fu?
“我爸爸走了。我想借一点钱。”
- How does Dong Yong offer to pay the money back?
“我用三年的力气还！”
- What does Master Fu say will happen if Dong Yong is one day late?
“你要是晚一天，就多做一年！”
- What surprises Dong Yong while he rests?
“是我，你身边的老槐树。”
- Where does the visitor the tree mentions come from?
“她是从天上来的。”