The Taoist of Mount Lao · chapter 1 of 3
I Want Magic
我要学法术
A spoiled rich young man climbs Mount Lao to learn magic, but the old Taoist hands him an axe. Then a strange light shines from the Taoist's room.
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Read what you hear
- Narrator 王七很有钱。他上了崂山，去找一个老道士。
Wáng Qī hěn yǒuqián. Tā shàng le Láoshān, qù zhǎo yí gè lǎo dàoshi.
Wang Qi was very rich. He climbed Mount Lao to find an old Taoist.
- Wang Qi 山这么高！我的腿好疼啊！
Shān zhème gāo! Wǒ de tuǐ hǎo téng a!
This mountain is so tall! My legs hurt so much!
- Wang Qi 我这么有钱，为什么要走路？
Wǒ zhème yǒuqián, wèishénme yào zǒulù?
I'm so rich. Why do I have to walk?
- Wang Qi 老道士！你在哪儿？
Lǎo dàoshi! Nǐ zài nǎr?
Old Taoist! Where are you?
- The Old Taoist 我在这儿。你是谁？
Wǒ zài zhèr. Nǐ shì shéi?
I'm right here. Who are you?
- Wang Qi 我是王七。我家很有钱！
Wǒ shì Wáng Qī. Wǒ jiā hěn yǒuqián!
I'm Wang Qi. My family is very rich!
- The Old Taoist 有钱人，来山上做什么？
Yǒuqiánrén, lái shān shàng zuò shénme?
A rich man on my mountain. What do you want?
- Wang Qi 我听说，你会法术！我要学！我想会飞！
Wǒ tīngshuō, nǐ huì fǎshù! Wǒ yào xué! Wǒ xiǎng huì fēi!
I heard you know magic! I want to learn it! I want to fly!
- The Old Taoist 学法术很难。你会累，也会哭。
Xué fǎshù hěn nán. Nǐ huì lèi, yě huì kū.
Learning magic is hard. You will get tired, and you will cry.
- Wang Qi 我不怕累！我什么都不怕！
Wǒ bú pà lèi! Wǒ shénme dōu bú pà!
I'm not afraid of getting tired! I'm not afraid of anything!
- The Old Taoist 好。你留下来。明天早上，去砍柴。
Hǎo. Nǐ liú xiàlái. Míngtiān zǎoshang, qù kǎn chái.
Good. You can stay. Tomorrow morning, go chop firewood.
- Wang Qi 砍柴？！我是来学法术的！
Kǎn chái?! Wǒ shì lái xué fǎshù de!
Chop firewood?! I came to learn magic!
- The Old Taoist 先砍柴，再学法术。
Xiān kǎn chái, zài xué fǎshù.
Firewood first. Then magic.
- Wang Qi 好吧……可是，我饿了，我的腿也疼！
Hǎo ba… Kěshì, wǒ è le, wǒ de tuǐ yě téng!
Fine… but I'm hungry, and my legs still hurt!
- The Old Taoist 吃了饭，去睡吧。天亮就起床。
Chī le fàn, qù shuì ba. Tiān liàng jiù qǐchuáng.
Eat, then go to bed. Get up when it gets light.
- Wang Qi 天亮就起床？太阳还在睡觉呢！
Tiān liàng jiù qǐchuáng? Tàiyáng hái zài shuìjiào ne!
Get up at dawn? The sun is still asleep!
- Narrator 一个月过去了。
Yí gè yuè guòqù le.
A month went by.
- Wang Qi 三十天！我砍了三十天的柴！
Sānshí tiān! Wǒ kǎn le sānshí tiān de chái!
Thirty days! I've chopped firewood for thirty days!
- Wang Qi 我的手疼，我的脚疼，我的头……也疼！
Wǒ de shǒu téng, wǒ de jiǎo téng, wǒ de tóu… yě téng!
My hands hurt, my feet hurt, my head… hurts too!
- The Old Taoist 王七，你今天怎么样？
Wáng Qī, nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng?
Wang Qi, how are you today?
- Wang Qi 师父，我要学法术，不是砍柴！
Shīfu, wǒ yào xué fǎshù, bú shì kǎn chái!
Master, I want to learn magic, not chop firewood!
- The Old Taoist 你看，那块柴最大。
Nǐ kàn, nà kuài chái zuì dà.
Look. That log is the biggest one.
- Wang Qi 这一块？看我的！
Zhè yí kuài? Kàn wǒ de!
This one? Watch me!
- Wang Qi 你看！一下就开了！我是不是很有本事？
Nǐ kàn! Yí xià jiù kāi le! Wǒ shì bu shì hěn yǒu běnshi?
Look! One swing and it's split! Aren't I talented?
- The Old Taoist 是。你有砍柴的本事。
Shì. Nǐ yǒu kǎn chái de běnshi.
Yes. You have a talent for chopping firewood.
- Wang Qi 砍柴的本事！我不要！我明天就回家！
Kǎn chái de běnshi! Wǒ bú yào! Wǒ míngtiān jiù huíjiā!
A talent for firewood! I don't want it! Tomorrow I'm going home!
- Narrator 那天晚上，山里很静。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, shān lǐ hěn jìng.
That night, the mountain was very quiet.
- Wang Qi 今天晚上，我就走。……看！那是什么光？
Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒ jiù zǒu. … Kàn! Nà shì shénme guāng?
Tonight I'm leaving. … Look! What is that light?
- Wang Qi 师父的房间里……有一个月亮！
Shīfu de fángjiān lǐ… yǒu yí gè yuèliang!
In the Master's room… there's a moon!
- Wang Qi 月亮怎么会在房间里？我要去看看！
Yuèliang zěnme huì zài fángjiān lǐ? Wǒ yào qù kànkan!
How can there be a moon in a room? I have to see!
What changed in the story?
- Why has Wang Qi come up Mount Lao?
“我听说，你会法术！我要学！”
- What does the Taoist tell Wang to do first?
“明天早上，去砍柴。”……“先砍柴，再学法术。”
- What happens when Wang swings his axe at the biggest log?
“你看！一下就开了！”
- What does the Taoist say about Wang's talent?
“你有砍柴的本事。”
- What does Wang see at night?
“师父的房间里……有一个月亮！”