The Twelve Labors of Hercules · chapter 3 of 8
The Golden Deer and the Wild Boar
金鹿和野猪
Hercules runs after a golden deer for a whole year, then chases a huge wild boar through the snow. The king takes one look at the boar and dives for his jar.
Read what you hear
- Old Farmer 大力士，你在找什么？我看见你从早到晚都在树林里跑。
Dàlìshì, nǐ zài zhǎo shénme? Wǒ kànjiàn nǐ cóngzǎodàowǎn dōu zài shùlín lǐ pǎo.
Big man, what are you looking for? I've seen you running through the woods from morning till night.
- Hercules 老爷爷，我在追一只金色的母鹿，您有没有看见它？
Lǎoyéye, wǒ zài zhuī yìzhī jīnsè de mǔlù, nín yǒuméiyǒu kànjiàn tā?
Grandfather, I'm chasing a golden deer. Have you seen it?
- Old Farmer 那只鹿我知道，它的角是金子做的，蹄是铜做的，跑得比风还快。
Nà zhǐ lù wǒ zhīdào, tā de jiǎo shì jīnzi zuò de, tí shì tóng zuò de, pǎo dé bǐfēng hái kuài.
I know that deer. Its horns are made of gold and its hooves of bronze, and it runs faster than the wind.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Twelve Labors of Hercules 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, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Hercules 国王说，我不可以伤它一根毛，我只能想办法让它停下来。
Guówáng shuō, wǒ bù kěyǐ shāng tā yìgēn máo, wǒ zhǐnéng xiǎng bànfǎ ràng tā tíngxiàlái.
The king says I must not hurt a single hair on it. I can only find a way to make it stop.
- Old Farmer 那你怎么抓它？它一天可以跑很远很远的路。
Nà nǐ zěnme zhuā tā? Tā yìtiān kěyǐ pǎo hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn de lù.
Then how will you catch it? It can run a very long way in one day.
- Hercules 我也不知道，我已经追了三个月了，我的鞋都坏了三双。
Wǒ yě bù zhīdào, wǒ yǐjīng zhuī le sāngè yuè le, wǒ de xié dōu huài le sānshuāng.
I don't know. I've been chasing it for three months, and I've worn out three pairs of shoes.
- Old Farmer 三个月？年轻人，你的腿真不错，可是你的鞋要换了。
Sāngè yuè? Niánqīngrén, nǐ de tuǐ zhēnbúcuò, kěshì nǐ de xié yào huàn le.
Three months? Young man, you have fine legs, but you'd better change your shoes.
- Narrator 春天过去了，夏天也过去了，赫拉克勒斯还在一直追。
Chūntiān guòqù le, xiàtiān yě guòqù le, Hèlākèlèsī hái zài yìzhí zhuī.
Spring passed, and summer passed too, and Hercules was still chasing.
- Hercules 鹿啊，鹿，你不累吗？我都快累死了，我们休息一下好不好？
Lù a, lù, nǐ búlèi ma? Wǒ dōu kuài lèisǐ le, wǒmen xiūxi yíxià hǎobùhǎo?
Deer, oh deer, aren't you tired? I'm about to drop. Can we rest for a bit?
- Hercules 你终于停下来喝水了，别怕，我只是想轻轻地抱你一下。
Nǐ zhōngyú tíngxiàlái hēshuǐ le, biépà, wǒ zhǐshì xiǎng qīngqīngdì bào nǐ yíxià.
You finally stopped to drink. Don't be scared. I just want to hold you gently for a moment.
- Old Farmer 你真的抓到它了！这一年，你真是不简单。
Nǐ zhēnde zhuādào tā le! Zhè yìnián, nǐ zhēnshì bù jiǎndān.
You really caught it! This whole year, you have been something else.
- Hercules 老爷爷，金鹿已经回到山里了，国王现在要我去抓一头大野猪。
Lǎoyéye, jīnlù yǐjīng huídào shānlǐ le, guówáng xiànzài yào wǒ qù zhuā yìtóu dà yězhū.
Grandfather, the golden deer is back in the mountains, and now the king wants me to catch a big wild boar.
- Old Farmer 大野猪住在最高的山上，冬天到了，山上到处都是雪。
Dà yězhū zhù zài zuìgāo de shānshàng, dōngtiān dào le, shānshàng dàochù dōu shì xuě.
The big boar lives on the highest mountain, and winter has come, so there is snow everywhere.
- Hercules 下雪？那更好，野猪的腿在深雪里会走得很慢。
Xiàxuě? Nà gènghǎo, yězhū de tuǐ zài shēnxuělǐ huì zǒu dé hěnmàn.
Snow? Even better. A boar's legs move slowly in deep snow.
- Old Farmer 可是你有网吗？没有网，你要怎么抓它？
Kěshì nǐ yǒu wǎng ma? Méiyǒu wǎng, nǐ yào zěnme zhuā tā?
But do you have a net? Without a net, how will you catch it?
- Hercules 我有一张大网，是我自己做的，你放心吧。
Wǒ yǒu yìzhāng dàwǎng, shì wǒ zìjǐ zuò de, nǐ fàngxīn ba.
I have a big net that I made myself. Don't worry.
- Old Farmer 小心，它来了！
Xiǎoxīn, tā lái le!
Careful, it's coming!
- Hercules 哇，它比我想的还要大，牙也比我想的还要长！
Wa, tā bǐ wǒ xiǎng de háiyào dà, yá yě bǐ wǒ xiǎng de háiyào zhǎng!
Whoa, it's bigger than I thought, and its tusks are longer than I thought!
- Hercules 来，大野猪，跟我玩一玩，追我啊！
Lái, dà yězhū, gēn wǒ wán yìwán, zhuī wǒ a!
Come on, big boar, play with me. Chase me!
- Hercules 这里的雪很深，你跳进来了……好，进去了！
Zhèlǐ de xuě hěn shēn, nǐ tiàojìnlái le…… Hǎo, jìnqù le!
The snow is deep here. You jumped in... good, you're in!
- Hercules 网，盖上去！好了，你别乱动，我不会伤你的。
Wǎng, gài shàngqù! Hǎo le, nǐbié luàndòng, wǒ búhuì shāng nǐ de.
Net, cover it! There. Don't wiggle around, I won't hurt you.
- Old Farmer 大力士，你抓到了！你真是天下第一的大力士！
Dàlìshì, nǐ zhuā dào le! Nǐ zhēnshì tiānxiàdìyī de dàlìshì!
Big man, you got it! You really are the strongest man under heaven!
- Hercules 国王，国王，我把大野猪带来了，它很乖的！
Guówáng, guówáng, wǒ bǎ dà yězhū dàilái le, tā hěn guāi de!
Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I brought the big boar, and it's very good!
- King Eurystheus 别把它带进来，快放下，快放下！
Bié bǎ tā dàijìnlái, kuài fàngxià, kuài fàngxià!
Don't bring it in! Put it down, quick, quick!
- Hercules 你看，它只是有一点儿累了，它想和你做朋友。
Nǐ kàn, tā zhǐshì yǒu yìdiǎnr lèi le, tā xiǎng hé nǐ zuò péngyou.
Look, it's just a little tired. It wants to be your friend.
- King Eurystheus 它有牙，好大的牙！我不想有这种朋友，把它放到外面去！
Tā yǒu yá, hǎodà de yá! Wǒ bùxiǎng yǒu zhèzhǒng péngyou, bǎ tā fàngdào wàimiàn qù!
It has tusks, such big tusks! I don't want that kind of friend! Put it outside!
- Hercules 好，好，国王，金鹿和野猪都做完了，你还有别的事要我做吗？
Hǎo, hǎo, guówáng, jīnlù hé yězhū dōu zuò wán le, nǐ háiyǒu biéde shìyào wǒ zuò ma?
All right, all right. Your Majesty, the deer and the boar are done. Is there anything else you want me to do?
- King Eurystheus 有！去洗奥革阿斯的牛圈，那里有三千头牛，你只有一个白天！
Yǒu! Qù xǐ Àogé'āsī de niújuàn, nàlǐ yǒu sānqiān tóuniú, nǐ zhǐyǒu yígè báitiān!
Yes! Go and clean Augeas's cow house. There are three thousand cows, and you only have one day!
- Hercules 三千头牛？那要洗好多天啊！
Sānqiān tóuniú? Nàyào xǐ hǎoduōtiān a!
Three thousand cows? That takes many days!
- King Eurystheus 你不是大力士吗？一个白天做不完，就不要回来了！
Nǐ búshì dàlìshì ma? Yígè báitiān zuò bù wán, jiù búyào huílái le!
Aren't you the strong man? If you can't finish in one day, don't come back!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What is special about the deer?
“那只鹿我知道，它的角是金子做的，蹄是铜做的，跑得比风还快。”
- What must Hercules not do to the deer?
“国王说，我不可以伤它一根毛，我只能想办法让它停下来。”
- How long has Hercules been chasing the deer at the start?
“我也不知道，我已经追了三个月了，我的鞋都坏了三双。”
- How does Hercules catch the boar?
“这里的雪很深，你跳进来了……好，进去了！”……“网，盖上去！好了，你别乱动，我不会伤你的。”
- What does the king do when he sees the boar?
“别把它带进来，快放下，快放下！”