The Steadfast Tin Soldier · chapter 1 of 3
The One-Legged Soldier
一条腿的锡兵
A boy's new tin soldier has only one leg. At night he meets a dancer just like him, until a sly troll warns him off and the window flies open.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 今天，小男孩过生日。他有一盒新的锡兵。
Jīntiān, xiǎo nánhái guò shēngrì. Tā yǒu yì hé xīn de xībīng.
Today was the little boy's birthday. He had a new box of tin soldiers.
- The Boy 二十五个锡兵！太好了！我要和他们玩！
Èrshíwǔ gè xībīng! Tài hǎo le! Wǒ yào hé tāmen wán!
Twenty-five tin soldiers! Wonderful! I want to play with them!
- The Boy 咦？这个锡兵只有一条腿。
Yí? Zhège xībīng zhǐ yǒu yì tiáo tuǐ.
Huh? This soldier has only one leg.
- The Boy 没关系。你站得很好！
Méi guānxi. Nǐ zhàn de hěn hǎo!
That's all right. You stand very well!
- The Boy 我喜欢你。你站在桌子上吧。
Wǒ xǐhuan nǐ. Nǐ zhàn zài zhuōzi shàng ba.
I like you. You can stand on the table.
- The Boy 晚安，锡兵们。明天见！
Wǎn'ān, xībīngmen. Míngtiān jiàn!
Good night, soldiers. See you tomorrow!
- Tin Soldier 这个男孩真好。我要站好，不让他难过。
Zhège nánhái zhēn hǎo. Wǒ yào zhàn hǎo, bú ràng tā nánguò.
This boy is so kind. I'll stand tall so I never let him down.
- Tin Soldier 十二点了！玩具都醒了！
Shí'èr diǎn le! Wánjù dōu xǐng le!
It's twelve o'clock! The toys are all awake!
- Tin Soldier 我只有一条腿，可是我站得很好。
Wǒ zhǐ yǒu yì tiáo tuǐ, kěshì wǒ zhàn de hěn hǎo.
I have only one leg, but I stand very well.
- Tin Soldier 看！桌子上有一个纸房子。
Kàn! Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yí gè zhǐ fángzi.
Look! There's a paper house on the table.
- Tin Soldier 门口有一个女孩。她在跳舞！她真漂亮！
Ménkǒu yǒu yí gè nǚhái. Tā zài tiàowǔ! Tā zhēn piàoliang!
There's a girl at the door. She's dancing! She's so pretty!
- Tin Soldier 她也只有一条腿！她和我一样！
Tā yě zhǐ yǒu yì tiáo tuǐ! Tā hé wǒ yíyàng!
She has only one leg too! She's just like me!
- Paper Dancer 你好，锡兵。你在看什么？
Nǐ hǎo, xībīng. Nǐ zài kàn shénme?
Hello, tin soldier. What are you looking at?
- Tin Soldier 我……我什么都没看！
Wǒ… wǒ shénme dōu méi kàn!
I... I'm not looking at anything!
- Paper Dancer 你在看我的腿吗？我站得很好！
Nǐ zài kàn wǒ de tuǐ ma? Wǒ zhàn de hěn hǎo!
Are you looking at my leg? I stand very well!
- Tin Soldier 我也是！你看，我不会倒！
Wǒ yě shì! Nǐ kàn, wǒ bú huì dǎo!
So do I! Look, I never fall over!
- Paper Dancer 那我们比比，看谁站得久！
Nà wǒmen bǐbi, kàn shéi zhàn de jiǔ!
Then let's see who can stand the longest!
- Paper Dancer 一、二、三，开始！你不要笑哦！
Yī, èr, sān, kāishǐ! Nǐ búyào xiào o!
One, two, three, go! And no laughing!
- Tin Soldier 好！我们都不动！
Hǎo! Wǒmen dōu bú dòng!
Fine! Neither of us moves!
- Troll 哈哈哈！锡兵！不要看她！
Hāhāhā! Xībīng! Búyào kàn tā!
Ha ha ha! Tin soldier! Don't look at her!
- Troll 她很漂亮，可是她不是你的，你不要看她。
Tā hěn piàoliang, kěshì tā bú shì nǐ de, nǐ búyào kàn tā.
She is very pretty, but she isn't yours, so stop looking at her.
- Tin Soldier 我没有看她。我只看前面。
Wǒ méiyǒu kàn tā. Wǒ zhǐ kàn qiánmiàn.
I'm not looking at her. I'm only looking straight ahead.
- Troll 你不听我的？好！明天早上，你就知道了！
Nǐ bù tīng wǒ de? Hǎo! Míngtiān zǎoshang, nǐ jiù zhīdào le!
You won't listen to me? Fine! Tomorrow morning, you'll find out!
- Tin Soldier 我不怕你，小妖怪。我是兵，我不动。
Wǒ bú pà nǐ, xiǎo yāoguai. Wǒ shì bīng, wǒ bú dòng.
I'm not afraid of you, little troll. I'm a soldier, and I don't move.
- The Boy 早上好，锡兵！我们去窗户边玩。
Zǎoshang hǎo, xībīng! Wǒmen qù chuānghu biān wán.
Good morning, tin soldier! Let's go play by the window.
- The Boy 你在这儿等我。我去吃早饭，很快就回来。
Nǐ zài zhèr děng wǒ. Wǒ qù chī zǎofàn, hěn kuài jiù huílái.
Wait for me here. I'm going to eat breakfast, and I'll be right back.
- Tin Soldier 风好大！我要倒了！
Fēng hǎo dà! Wǒ yào dǎo le!
The wind is strong! I'm going to fall!
- Tin Soldier 啊！窗户开了！我掉下去了！
Ā! Chuānghu kāi le! Wǒ diào xiàqù le!
Ah! The window has opened! I'm falling!
- Tin Soldier 小舞者！我还会看到你吗？请等我！
Xiǎo wǔzhě! Wǒ hái huì kàndào nǐ ma? Qǐng děng wǒ!
Little dancer! Will I ever see you again? Please wait for me!
What changed in the story?
- What is special about the tin soldier?
“这个锡兵只有一条腿。”
- What do the soldier and the dancer try to do?
“看谁站得久！”
- What does the troll tell the soldier?
“不要看她！”
- How does the soldier answer the troll's warning?
“我不怕你，小妖怪。我是兵，我不动。”
- What happens to the soldier in the morning?
“窗户开了！我掉下去了！”