The Taoist of Mount Lao · chapter 3 of 3
Through the Wall
穿墙
Wang finds the nerve to run at the wall, and it works. Back home, he cannot resist showing off to his wife, and the wall has other plans.
Read what you hear
- Wang Qi 师父，这面墙好大！我怕！我不想进去！
Shīfu, zhè miàn qiáng hǎo dà! Wǒ pà! Wǒ bù xiǎng jìnqù!
Master, this wall is huge! I'm scared! I don't want to go in!
- The Old Taoist 你不怕累，不怕砍柴。你怕墙？
Nǐ bú pà lèi, bú pà kǎn chái. Nǐ pà qiáng?
You're not afraid of being tired or of chopping firewood. But you're afraid of a wall?
- Wang Qi 柴不会撞我。墙会！
Chái bú huì zhuàng wǒ. Qiáng huì!
Firewood doesn't bump into me. A wall does!
Chapter 3 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 Old Taoist 看那边，快快跑，别停！
Kàn nàbiān, kuàikuài pǎo, bié tíng!
Look at the other side, run fast, and don't stop!
- Wang Qi 好……一、二、三！
Hǎo… yī, èr, sān!
All right… one, two, three!
- Wang Qi 啊？我不疼！我在墙的那边！
À? Wǒ bù téng! Wǒ zài qiáng de nà biān!
Huh? It doesn't hurt! I'm on the other side of the wall!
- The Old Taoist 很好！你会了。
Hěn hǎo! Nǐ huì le.
Very good! You've got it.
- Wang Qi 我会穿墙了！我是最好的学生！
Wǒ huì chuān qiáng le! Wǒ shì zuì hǎo de xuésheng!
I can walk through walls! I'm the best student ever!
- The Old Taoist 你是最会说“累”的学生。记住：回到家，别给别人看。
Nǐ shì zuì huì shuō “lèi” de xuésheng. Jìzhù: huí dào jiā, bié gěi biérén kàn.
You're the best student at saying you're tired. Now remember: when you get home, don't show anyone.
- Wang Qi 知道知道！我不会说的！再见，师父！
Zhīdào zhīdào! Wǒ bú huì shuō de! Zàijiàn, shīfu!
I know, I know! I won't tell! Goodbye, Master!
- The Old Taoist 法术不是玩的，王七。
Fǎshù bú shì wán de, Wáng Qī.
Magic is not a game, Wang Qi.
- Narrator 三天以后，王七回到了家。
Sān tiān yǐhòu, Wáng Qī huí dào le jiā.
Three days later, Wang Qi came home.
- Wang's Wife 王七！你回来了！你的手好红！
Wáng Qī! Nǐ huílái le! Nǐ de shǒu hǎo hóng!
Wang Qi! You're back! Your hands are so red!
- Wang Qi 我在山上学了法术！我会穿墙！
Wǒ zài shān shàng xué le fǎshù! Wǒ huì chuān qiáng!
I learned magic on the mountain! I can walk through walls!
- Wang's Wife 穿墙？你不会做饭，也不会洗衣服！
Chuān qiáng? Nǐ bú huì zuòfàn, yě bú huì xǐ yīfu!
Walk through walls? You can't cook, and you can't wash clothes!
- Wang Qi 我真的会！你不要笑！
Wǒ zhēn de huì! Nǐ bú yào xiào!
I really can! Don't laugh!
- Wang's Wife 我很想你！你是不是在说笑话？
Wǒ hěn xiǎng nǐ! Nǐ shì bu shì zài shuō xiàohua?
I missed you! Are you telling a joke?
- Wang Qi 师父说，别给别人看……可是，太太不是别人，对不对？
Shīfu shuō, bié gěi biérén kàn… kěshì, tàitai bú shì biérén, duì bu duì?
The Master said not to show anyone… but my wife isn't just anyone, right?
- Wang's Wife 好，我看着呢。走吧！
Hǎo, wǒ kànzhe ne. Zǒu ba!
Fine, I'm watching. Go ahead!
- Wang Qi 好！你看着！一、二、三！
Hǎo! Nǐ kànzhe! Yī, èr, sān!
Fine! Watch me! One, two, three!
- Wang Qi 啊！我的头！好疼！
À! Wǒ de tóu! Hǎo téng!
Ow! My head! It hurts!
- Wang's Wife 王七！你撞到墙了！你没事吧？
Wáng Qī! Nǐ zhuàng dào qiáng le! Nǐ méi shì ba?
Wang Qi! You ran into the wall! Are you all right?
- Wang Qi 墙……墙没有开！
Qiáng… qiáng méiyǒu kāi!
The wall… the wall didn't open!
- Wang's Wife 看，你头上有一个大包！像鸡蛋一样大！
Kàn, nǐ tóu shàng yǒu yí gè dà bāo! Xiàng jīdàn yíyàng dà!
Look, you have a big lump on your head! It's as big as an egg!
- Wang Qi 别笑了！我的头好疼……师父说得对。
Bié xiào le! Wǒ de tóu hǎo téng… Shīfu shuō de duì.
Stop laughing! My head hurts so much… the Master was right.
- Wang's Wife 好了好了。来，我给你做你爱吃的饭。
Hǎo le hǎo le. Lái, wǒ gěi nǐ zuò nǐ ài chī de fàn.
There, there. Come on, I'll cook your favorite meal.
- Wang Qi 我明天回山上。我要学怎么……不吹牛。
Wǒ míngtiān huí shān shàng. Wǒ yào xué zěnme… bù chuīniú.
Tomorrow I'm going back to the mountain. I want to learn how… not to show off.
- Wang's Wife 那你先学这个：别再撞我们的墙！
Nà nǐ xiān xué zhège: bié zài zhuàng wǒmen de qiáng!
Then learn this first: stop running into our wall!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why is Wang afraid of the wall?
“柴不会撞我。墙会！”
- What does the Taoist tell Wang to remember?
“记住：回到家，别给别人看。”
- What does Wang's wife think of his magic?
“我很想你！你是不是在说笑话？”
- What happens when Wang runs at the wall at home?
“啊！我的头！好疼！”……“墙没有开！”
- How does the story end?
“别再撞我们的墙！”