The White Snake · chapter 10 of 25
Three Promises
三件事
A young monk invites Xu Xian to Jinshan Temple. Bai Suzhen lets him go, but only if he keeps three promises.
Read what you hear
- the young monk 许官人，你好，我是金山寺的小和尚。
Xǔ guānrén, nǐ hǎo, wǒ shì Jīnshān Sì de xiǎo héshang.
Hello, Mr. Xu. I'm a young monk from Jinshan Temple.
- Xu Xian 小师父，请坐，请喝茶。你来我们药店，有什么事？
Xiǎo shīfu, qǐng zuò, qǐng hē chá. Nǐ lái wǒmen yàodiàn, yǒu shénme shì?
Please sit down, little master, and have some tea. What brings you to our shop?
- the young monk 金山寺在镇江，在长江边的山上。我来请大家帮帮金山寺。
Jīnshān Sì zài Zhènjiāng, zài Cháng Jiāng biān de shān shàng. Wǒ lái qǐng dàjiā bāngbang Jīnshān Sì.
Jinshan Temple is in Zhenjiang, on a hill by the Yangtze. I've come to ask people to help the temple.
Chapter 10 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.
- Xu Xian 好，这些钱，小师父拿去吧。
Hǎo, zhèxiē qián, xiǎo shīfu ná qù ba.
Of course. Take this money, little master.
- the young monk 这么多？许官人，你真是个好人！
Zhème duō? Xǔ guānrén, nǐ zhēn shì gè hǎorén!
So much? Mr. Xu, you're a truly good man!
- the young monk 许官人有时间，来金山寺烧香吧！
Xǔ guānrén yǒu shíjiān, lái Jīnshān Sì shāoxiāng ba!
Come and burn incense at Jinshan Temple when you have time, Mr. Xu!
- Narrator 小和尚走了，许仙看着门外，想了又想。
Xiǎo héshang zǒu le, Xǔ Xiān kànzhe mén wài, xiǎng le yòu xiǎng.
The young monk left. Xu Xian gazed out of the door, thinking it over and over.
- Xu Xian 娘子，那天以后，我常常做可怕的梦。我想去金山寺烧香。
Niángzǐ, nà tiān yǐhòu, wǒ chángcháng zuò kěpà de mèng. Wǒ xiǎng qù Jīnshān Sì shāoxiāng.
My dear, ever since that day I keep having bad dreams. I want to go and burn incense at Jinshan Temple.
- Bai Suzhen 金山寺……那儿的和尚，会不会看出来我是谁……
Jīnshān Sì… nàr de héshang, huì bu huì kàn chūlái wǒ shì shéi…
Jinshan Temple... the monks there... would they see what I really am...
- Bai Suzhen 官人，你可以去，可是你要答应我三件事。
Guānrén, nǐ kěyǐ qù, kěshì nǐ yào dāying wǒ sān jiàn shì.
You may go, dear, but you must promise me three things.
- Xu Xian 三件事？好，你说！
Sān jiàn shì? Hǎo, nǐ shuō!
Three things? All right, tell me!
- Bai Suzhen 第一，不要进方丈的房间。
Dì yī, bú yào jìn fāngzhang de fángjiān.
First, don't go into the abbot's rooms.
- Bai Suzhen 第二，不要跟和尚说话。
Dì èr, bú yào gēn héshang shuōhuà.
Second, don't talk with the monks.
- Xu Xian 不跟和尚说话？那……和尚跟我说话呢？
Bù gēn héshang shuōhuà? Nà… héshang gēn wǒ shuōhuà ne?
Not talk with the monks? But... what if a monk talks to me?
- Bai Suzhen 你就笑一笑，快走开。
Nǐ jiù xiào yi xiào, kuài zǒukāi.
Then just smile and walk away, quickly.
- Bai Suzhen 第三，烧香以后，马上回家。
Dì sān, shāoxiāng yǐhòu, mǎshàng huí jiā.
Third, once you've burned your incense, come straight home.
- Xu Xian 不进方丈的房间，不跟和尚说话，马上回家。我记住了！
Bú jìn fāngzhang de fángjiān, bù gēn héshang shuōhuà, mǎshàng huí jiā. Wǒ jìzhù le!
Don't go into the abbot's rooms, don't talk with the monks, come straight home. Got it!
- Bai Suzhen 我知道你，你一高兴，就什么都忘了。
Wǒ zhīdào nǐ, nǐ yì gāoxìng, jiù shénme dōu wàng le.
I know you. The moment you're happy, you forget everything.
- Xu Xian 娘子，我又不是小孩子！
Niángzǐ, wǒ yòu bú shì xiǎo háizi!
My dear, I'm not a little boy!
- Narrator 许仙来到了金山寺。烧香的人很多，他也跪在地上，拜了拜佛祖。
Xǔ Xiān láidào le Jīnshān Sì. Shāoxiāng de rén hěn duō, tā yě guì zài dìshang, bài le bài Fózǔ.
Xu Xian came to Jinshan Temple. It was crowded with people burning incense, and he too knelt and bowed to the Buddha.
- Xu Xian 佛祖，请您让我和娘子，一直在一起。
Fózǔ, qǐng nín ràng wǒ hé niángzǐ, yìzhí zài yìqǐ.
Buddha, please let my wife and me always be together.
- Xu Xian 还有，我娘子杀了一条蛇……佛祖，您别生她的气。
Hái yǒu, wǒ niángzǐ shā le yì tiáo shé… Fózǔ, nín bié shēng tā de qì.
And... my wife killed a snake. Buddha, please don't be angry with her.
- Xu Xian 这边看看，那边看看……娘子说了三件事，第一件是什么？我忘了。
Zhèbiān kànkan, nàbiān kànkan… niángzǐ shuō le sān jiàn shì, dì yī jiàn shì shénme? Wǒ wàng le.
A look over here, a look over there... My wife told me three things. What was the first one? I've forgotten.
- Narrator 许仙走到了方丈的门口。门开了，一位和尚走了出来，眉毛白白的。
Xǔ Xiān zǒu dào le fāngzhang de ménkǒu. Mén kāi le, yí wèi héshang zǒu le chūlái, méimao báibái de.
Xu Xian came to the abbot's door. It opened, and out stepped a monk with snow-white eyebrows.
- Xu Xian 这么长的眉毛……他……他在看我……
Zhème cháng de méimao… tā… tā zài kàn wǒ…
Such long eyebrows... he's... he's looking at me...
- Fahai 年轻人，站住。
Niánqīngrén, zhànzhù.
Young man. Stop.
- Xu Xian 师父，我……我就是看看，我马上走！
Shīfu, wǒ… wǒ jiùshì kànkan, wǒ mǎshàng zǒu!
Master, I... I was only looking around. I'll go right away!
- Fahai 你过来。让我看看你的脸。
Nǐ guòlái. Ràng wǒ kànkan nǐ de liǎn.
Come here. Let me look at your face.
- Xu Xian 我的脸？我的脸怎么了？
Wǒ de liǎn? Wǒ de liǎn zěnme le?
My face? What's wrong with my face?
- Fahai 你的脸上，有妖气。
Nǐ de liǎn shàng, yǒu yāoqì.
There is demon air on your face.
- Xu Xian 妖气？什么妖气？师父，您别吓我……
Yāoqì? Shénme yāoqì? Shīfu, nín bié xià wǒ…
Demon air? What demon air? Master, please don't frighten me...
- Fahai 年轻人，你的妻子不是人。她是一条白蛇。
Niánqīngrén, nǐ de qīzi bú shì rén. Tā shì yì tiáo báishé.
Young man, your wife is not human. She is a white snake.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does the young monk come to the shop?
“我来请大家帮帮金山寺。”
- What is the first thing Bai tells Xu not to do?
“第一，不要进方丈的房间。”
- What does Xu ask the Buddha for?
“请您让我和娘子，一直在一起。”
- What happens to Xu's three promises at the temple?
“第一件是什么？我忘了。”
- What does the monk say about Xu's wife?
“你的妻子不是人。她是一条白蛇。”