The Taoist of Mount Lao · chapter 2 of 3
The Paper Moon
纸月亮
Wang Qi spies on his master and is pulled into a night of wonders: a paper moon, a wine pot that never empties, and a tiny lady who dances.
Read what you hear
- The Old Taoist 王七，我知道你在门外。进来吧！
Wáng Qī, wǒ zhīdào nǐ zài mén wài. Jìnlái ba!
Wang Qi, I know you're outside the door. Come in!
- Wang Qi 我……我没有看！我什么都没看见！
Wǒ… wǒ méiyǒu kàn! Wǒ shénme dōu méi kànjiàn!
I… I wasn't looking! I didn't see anything!
- The Old Taoist 是吗？你的头，已经在门里了。
Shì ma? Nǐ de tóu, yǐjīng zài mén lǐ le.
Oh? Your head is already inside the door.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Taoist of Mount Lao is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller and The Odyssey from start to finish.
- The Taoist's Old Friend 老道士，他是你的新学生？太好笑了！
Lǎo dàoshi, tā shì nǐ de xīn xuésheng? Tài hǎoxiào le!
Old Taoist, this is your new student? How funny!
- The Old Taoist 是。他很会砍柴，也很会说“累”。
Shì. Tā hěn huì kǎn chái, yě hěn huì shuō “lèi”.
Yes. He's very good at chopping firewood, and very good at saying “tired.”
- Wang Qi 你们……不要笑我！我在走路！
Nǐmen… bú yào xiào wǒ! Wǒ zài zǒulù!
You two… don't laugh at me! I was just taking a walk!
- The Taoist's Old Friend 今天晚上没有月亮。喝酒不好玩。
Jīntiān wǎnshang méiyǒu yuèliang. Hē jiǔ bù hǎowán.
There's no moon tonight. Drinking isn't much fun without one.
- The Old Taoist 那我们做一个月亮。王七，去拿纸来。
Nà wǒmen zuò yí gè yuèliang. Wáng Qī, qù ná zhǐ lái.
Then let's make a moon. Wang Qi, go and get some paper.
- Wang Qi 又要做事！我是来学法术的！
Yòu yào zuò shì! Wǒ shì lái xué fǎshù de!
More work! I came here to learn magic!
- The Old Taoist 看，我给墙一个月亮。
Kàn, wǒ gěi qiáng yí gè yuèliang.
Watch. I'm giving the wall a moon.
- Wang Qi 纸……纸变成月亮了！好亮啊！
Zhǐ… zhǐ biànchéng yuèliang le! Hǎo liàng a!
The paper… the paper turned into a moon! It's so bright!
- The Old Taoist 现在有月亮了。王七，拿这个壶，给我们倒酒。
Xiànzài yǒu yuèliang le. Wáng Qī, ná zhège hú, gěi wǒmen dào jiǔ.
Now we have a moon. Wang Qi, take this pot and pour us some wine.
- Wang Qi 这个壶这么小！酒不够！
Zhège hú zhème xiǎo! Jiǔ bú gòu!
This pot is so small! There won't be enough!
- The Old Taoist 你倒倒看。
Nǐ dào dào kàn.
Try pouring.
- Wang Qi 倒了一杯，又一杯，又一杯……壶还是满的！
Dào le yì bēi, yòu yì bēi, yòu yì bēi… hú hái shi mǎn de!
One cup, another cup, another cup… and the pot is still full!
- The Old Taoist 这个壶里的酒，不会没有。
Zhège hú lǐ de jiǔ, bú huì méiyǒu.
The wine in this pot never runs out.
- Wang Qi 这是真的吗？
Zhè shì zhēn de ma?
Is this real?
- The Old Taoist 嫦娥，出来看看客人吧！
Cháng'é, chūlái kànkan kèrén ba!
Chang'e, come out and meet our guests!
- Chang'e 大家好！我从月亮里来。
Dàjiā hǎo! Wǒ cóng yuèliang lǐ lái.
Hello, everyone! I've come from the moon.
- Wang Qi 她……她比我的手还小！
Tā… tā bǐ wǒ de shǒu hái xiǎo!
She… she's smaller than my hand!
- Chang'e 你好，王七。你想看我跳舞吗？
Nǐ hǎo, Wáng Qī. Nǐ xiǎng kàn wǒ tiàowǔ ma?
Hello, Wang Qi. Would you like to watch me dance?
- Wang Qi 想！想！……她在跳舞！真好看！
Xiǎng! Xiǎng! … Tā zài tiàowǔ! Zhēn hǎokàn!
Yes! Yes! … She's dancing! It's so beautiful!
- Chang'e 谢谢你看我跳舞，王七。我要回月亮里了。
Xièxie nǐ kàn wǒ tiàowǔ, Wáng Qī. Wǒ yào huí yuèliang lǐ le.
Thank you for watching me dance, Wang Qi. It's time for me to go back into the moon.
- Wang Qi 别走！师父，教我这个！我什么都做！
Bié zǒu! Shīfu, jiào wǒ zhège! Wǒ shénme dōu zuò!
Don't go! Master, teach me this! I'll do anything!
- The Old Taoist 你真的想学？好。我教你一个。
Nǐ zhēn de xiǎng xué? Hǎo. Wǒ jiào nǐ yí gè.
You really want to learn? All right. I'll teach you one.
- Wang Qi 一个就好！一个就好！
Yí gè jiù hǎo! Yí gè jiù hǎo!
Just one is fine! Just one is fine!
- The Old Taoist 早上好，王七。你看这面墙。
Zǎoshang hǎo, Wáng Qī. Nǐ kàn zhè miàn qiáng.
Good morning, Wang Qi. Look at this wall.
- Wang Qi 一面墙？它怎么了？
Yí miàn qiáng? Tā zěnme le?
A wall? What about it?
- The Old Taoist 这个法术，叫穿墙。你要走进墙里去。
Zhège fǎshù, jiào chuān qiáng. Nǐ yào zǒu jìn qiáng lǐ qù.
This magic is called walking through walls. You will walk right into the wall.
- Wang Qi 走进墙里？！师父，会疼吗？
Zǒu jìn qiáng lǐ?! Shīfu, huì téng ma?
Walk into the wall?! Master, will it hurt?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How does the Taoist know Wang Qi is outside?
“我知道你在门外……你的头，已经在门里了。”
- What is wrong with the pot of wine, according to Wang?
“这个壶这么小！酒不够！”
- What happens when Wang pours wine?
“壶还是满的！”
- Who steps out of the moon?
“大家好！我从月亮里来。”
- What does the Taoist show Wang the next morning?
“这个法术，叫穿墙。你要走进墙里去。”