The White Snake · chapter 8 of 25
The White Crane
白鹤
A huge white crane chases Bai Suzhen across the sky, and her strength begins to fail. Will the two stolen leaves ever reach home?
Read what you hear
- Bai Suzhen 那只白鹤跟来了！它比我的云还快！
Nà zhī báihè gēn lái le! Tā bǐ wǒ de yún hái kuài!
That crane is following me! It's faster than my cloud!
- Bai Suzhen 是鹤童！鹿童说得对，他一点儿也不爱睡觉！
Shì Hètóng! Lùtóng shuō de duì, tā yìdiǎnr yě bú ài shuìjiào!
It's Crane Boy! Deer Boy was right, he doesn't like sleeping one bit!
- Narrator 鹤童变成了一只大白鹤，就在白素贞后边。
Hètóng biànchéng le yì zhī dà báihè, jiù zài Bái Sùzhēn hòubian.
Crane Boy had become a huge white crane, and he was right behind Bai Suzhen.
Chapter 8 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Part 1 of The White Snake (chapters 1–5) is free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Bai Suzhen 不要看后边，不要看……快飞，快飞！
Bú yào kàn hòubian, bú yào kàn… kuài fēi, kuài fēi!
Don't look back, don't look... fly, fly!
- Bai Suzhen 啊！它就在我后边，它的嘴那么长！
Ā! Tā jiù zài wǒ hòubian, tā de zuǐ nàme cháng!
Ah! It's right behind me, and its beak is so long!
- Bai Suzhen 我的身体不行了……我要变回白蛇了！
Wǒ de shēntǐ bùxíng le… wǒ yào biàn huí báishé le!
My body can't hold on... I'm turning back into a white snake!
- Narrator 白素贞从云上掉到了地上。她又变成了一条白蛇。
Bái Sùzhēn cóng yún shàng diào dào le dìshang. Tā yòu biànchéng le yì tiáo báishé.
Bai Suzhen fell from her cloud to the ground. She was a white snake once more.
- Bai Suzhen 它要吃我了……官人，小青，对不起……我回不去了……
Tā yào chī wǒ le… guānrén, Xiǎoqīng, duìbuqǐ… wǒ huí bu qù le…
It's going to eat me... dear, Xiaoqing, I'm sorry... I can't come home...
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 停！鹤童，不可以吃她！
Tíng! Hètóng, bù kěyǐ chī tā!
Stop! Crane Boy, you must not eat her!
- Narrator 一位老人坐着白云来了，他就是南极仙翁。
Yí wèi lǎorén zuòzhe báiyún lái le, tā jiù shì Nánjí Xiānwēng.
An old man came riding on a white cloud. It was the Old Immortal of the South Pole.
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 鹤童，放了她。她和许仙是丈夫和妻子，这是天意。
Hètóng, fàng le tā. Tā hé Xǔ Xiān shì zhàngfu hé qīzi, zhè shì tiānyì.
Crane Boy, let her go. She and Xu Xian are husband and wife, and that is Heaven's will.
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 让她回家去，救她的丈夫吧。鹤童，回来！
Ràng tā huí jiā qù, jiù tā de zhàngfu ba. Hètóng, huílái!
Let her go home and save her husband. Crane Boy, come back here!
- Narrator 白鹤飞走了，仙翁轻轻地碰了碰白蛇。
Báihè fēi zǒu le, Xiānwēng qīngqīng de pèng le pèng báishé.
The crane flew off, and the Old Immortal gently touched the white snake.
- Bai Suzhen 我醒了？我没死？我又变回来了！
Wǒ xǐng le? Wǒ méi sǐ? Wǒ yòu biàn huílái le!
I'm awake? I'm not dead? I'm myself again!
- Bai Suzhen 谢谢仙翁！谢谢仙翁救了我，我一定不会忘！
Xièxie Xiānwēng! Xièxie Xiānwēng jiù le wǒ, wǒ yídìng bú huì wàng!
Thank you, Old Immortal! Thank you for saving me. I will never forget it!
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 起来吧，孩子，别跪了。你是一个好妻子。
Qǐlái ba, háizi, bié guì le. Nǐ shì yí gè hǎo qīzi.
Get up, child, there's no need to kneel. You are a good wife.
- Bai Suzhen 仙翁，我偷了您的仙草……您不生气吗？
Xiānwēng, wǒ tōu le nín de xiāncǎo… nín bù shēngqì ma?
Old Immortal, I stole your magic herb... aren't you angry?
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 你不怕危险，只想救你的丈夫。我为什么要生气？
Nǐ bú pà wēixiǎn, zhǐ xiǎng jiù nǐ de zhàngfu. Wǒ wèishénme yào shēngqì?
You faced danger only to save your husband. Why would I be angry?
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 鹿童又在门口睡觉了吧？
Lùtóng yòu zài ménkǒu shuìjiào le ba?
Deer Boy fell asleep at the gate again, didn't he?
- Bai Suzhen 没有！他……他在工作！
Méiyǒu! Tā… tā zài gōngzuò!
No! He... he was working!
- the Old Immortal of the South Pole 好，好，他在工作。叶子拿好，快回家吧，你的丈夫在等你。
Hǎo, hǎo, tā zài gōngzuò. Yèzi ná hǎo, kuài huí jiā ba, nǐ de zhàngfu zài děng nǐ.
Yes, yes, he was working. Keep those leaves safe and hurry home. Your husband is waiting.
- Xiaoqing 小姐！小姐，你回来了！
Xiǎojiě! Xiǎojiě, nǐ huílái le!
Miss! Miss, you're back!
- Xiaoqing 你的脸这么白！我一个晚上没睡，一直在等你！
Nǐ de liǎn zhème bái! Wǒ yí gè wǎnshang méi shuì, yìzhí zài děng nǐ!
Your face is so pale! I didn't sleep all night, I've been waiting for you!
- Bai Suzhen 很危险，可是我拿到了。你看，两片仙草的叶子！
Hěn wēixiǎn, kěshì wǒ ná dào le. Nǐ kàn, liǎng piàn xiāncǎo de yèzi!
It was dangerous, but I got them. Look, two leaves of the magic herb!
- Xiaoqing 太好了！许官人能活过来了！
Tài hǎo le! Xǔ guānrén néng huó guòlái le!
Wonderful! Mr. Xu can come back to life!
- Bai Suzhen 官人在哪儿？快，带我去！
Guānrén zài nǎr? Kuài, dài wǒ qù!
Where is he? Quick, take me to him!
- Xiaoqing 在楼上，他的手还很冷……等一下，小姐，等一下。
Zài lóu shàng, tā de shǒu hái hěn lěng… děng yíxià, xiǎojiě, děng yíxià.
Upstairs. His hands are still cold... Wait, Miss. Wait.
- Xiaoqing 许官人醒了，一定会记得那条白蛇。我们怎么跟他说？
Xǔ guānrén xǐng le, yídìng huì jìde nà tiáo báishé. Wǒmen zěnme gēn tā shuō?
When Mr. Xu wakes up, he's sure to remember that white snake. What are we going to tell him?
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Who is the huge white crane chasing Bai?
“鹤童变成了一只大白鹤”
- What happens to Bai when the crane comes close?
“白素贞从云上掉到了地上。她又变成了一条白蛇。”
- Why does the Old Immortal save her?
“她和许仙是丈夫和妻子，这是天意。”
- Why isn't the Old Immortal angry about the stolen herb?
“你不怕危险，只想救你的丈夫。我为什么要生气？”
- What worries Xiaoqing at the end?
“许官人醒了，一定会记得那条白蛇。”