Zhong Kui the Demon Queller · chapter 3 of 3
The Picture on the Door
门上的画
A big man in a red robe has cornered a little thief, and the emperor wakes up needing a painter.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Little Ghost 快跑！快跑！
Kuài pǎo! Kuài pǎo!
Run! Run!
- Zhong Kui 小鬼，别跑！你看，我手里有好东西！
Xiǎoguǐ, bié pǎo! Nǐ kàn, wǒ shǒu li yǒu hǎo dōngxi!
Don't run, little ghost! Look, I've got something good in my hand!
- Little Ghost 好东西？给我，给我！
Hǎo dōngxi? Gěi wǒ, gěi wǒ!
Something good? Give it to me, give it to me!
- Little Ghost 啊！你的手里……什么也没有！
Ā! Nǐ de shǒu li… shénme yě méiyǒu!
Aah! There's nothing… nothing in your hand!
- Zhong Kui 有啊！现在，我手里有你！
Yǒu a! Xiànzài, wǒ shǒu li yǒu nǐ!
Oh yes there is! Right now, my hand has you!
- Zhong Kui 快！玉笛和香包，还给陛下！
Kuài! Yùdí hé xiāngbāo, huán gěi bìxià!
Quick! Give the jade flute and the perfume pouch back to His Majesty!
- Little Ghost 好吧，好吧……给你。
Hǎo ba, hǎo ba… gěi nǐ.
Fine, fine… here you go.
- The Emperor 你……你是谁？你的眼睛好大，胡子好黑！
Nǐ… nǐ shì shéi? Nǐ de yǎnjing hǎo dà, húzi hǎo hēi!
Who… who are you? Your eyes are so big and your beard is so black!
- Zhong Kui 陛下，别怕。你看，我在笑呢！
Bìxià, bié pà. Nǐ kàn, wǒ zài xiào ne!
Don't be afraid, Your Majesty. Look, I'm smiling!
- The Emperor 别笑，别笑！你笑，更可怕！
Bié xiào, bié xiào! Nǐ xiào, gèng kěpà!
Please don't smile! When you smile, it's even scarier!
- Zhong Kui 哈哈，很多人这么说！我是钟馗。
Hāhā, hěn duō rén zhème shuō! Wǒ shì Zhōng Kuí.
Ha ha, lots of people say that! I am Zhong Kui.
- Zhong Kui 一年前，我考了第一名。可是大官笑我的脸，不让我进皇宫。
Yì nián qián, wǒ kǎo le dì yī míng. Kěshì dàguān xiào wǒ de liǎn, bú ràng wǒ jìn huánggōng.
A year ago, I came first in the exam. But the officials laughed at my face and wouldn't let me into the palace.
- The Emperor 因为脸？他们错了！钟馗，对不起！
Yīnwèi liǎn? Tāmen cuò le! Zhōng Kuí, duìbuqǐ!
Because of your face? They were wrong! Zhong Kui, I'm so sorry!
- Zhong Kui 没关系。我没有回家。从那天起，我抓鬼，保护大家。
Méi guānxi. Wǒ méiyǒu huíjiā. Cóng nà tiān qǐ, wǒ zhuā guǐ, bǎohù dàjiā.
It's all right. I never went home. Ever since that day, I catch ghosts and protect everyone.
- Little Ghost 大胡子，我不拿别人的东西了！让我走吧！
Dà húzi, wǒ bù ná biéren de dōngxi le! Ràng wǒ zǒu ba!
Big Beard, I won't take other people's things anymore! Please let me go!
- Zhong Kui 好，走吧。可是记住：有我在，你别再来！
Hǎo, zǒu ba. Kěshì jìzhù: yǒu wǒ zài, nǐ bié zài lái!
All right, off you go. But remember: while I'm around, don't you come back!
- The Emperor 天亮了！我的病……好了！
Tiān liàng le! Wǒ de bìng… hǎo le!
It's morning! My illness… is gone!
- The Emperor 来人！叫吴道子来！
Lái rén! Jiào Wú Dàozǐ lái!
Guards! Send for Wu Daozi!
- Wu Daozi 陛下，您叫我？
Bìxià, nín jiào wǒ?
You called for me, Your Majesty?
- The Emperor 我做了一个梦。梦里有一个人，红衣服，大胡子。你画他！
Wǒ zuò le yí gè mèng. Mèng li yǒu yí gè rén, hóng yīfu, dà húzi. Nǐ huà tā!
I had a dream. There was a man in it with a red robe and a big beard. Paint him!
- Wu Daozi 好的，陛下。……画好了。您看！
Hǎo de, bìxià. … Huà hǎo le. Nín kàn!
Very well, Your Majesty. … It's done. Look!
- The Emperor 是他！就是他！你也做了我的梦吗？
Shì tā! Jiù shì tā! Nǐ yě zuò le wǒ de mèng ma?
It's him! It's really him! Did you have my dream too?
- Wu Daozi 陛下，好画家，什么都看得见。
Bìxià, hǎo huàjiā, shénme dōu kàn de jiàn.
Your Majesty, a good painter can see everything.
- The Emperor 他没有家？好！大家的门，就是他的家！坏东西不敢来了！
Tā méiyǒu jiā? Hǎo! Dàjiā de mén, jiù shì tā de jiā! Huài dōngxi bù gǎn lái le!
He has no home? Good! Everyone's door will be his home! Then bad things won't dare come near!
- Narrator 新年到了。长安每一家的门上，都有钟馗。
Xīnnián dào le. Cháng'ān měi yì jiā de mén shang, dōu yǒu Zhōng Kuí.
New Year came. On every door in Chang'an, there was a picture of Zhong Kui.
- Little Ghost 嘻嘻，新年！这家有好东西，是我的了……
Xīxī, xīnnián! Zhè jiā yǒu hǎo dōngxi, shì wǒ de le…
Hee hee, New Year! This house has nice things. They're mine now…
- Yaya 红衣服，大胡子！是钟馗叔叔！他给我拿过球！
Hóng yīfu, dà húzi! Shì Zhōng Kuí shūshu! Tā gěi wǒ ná guo qiú!
A red robe, a big beard! It's Uncle Zhong Kui! He brought me my ball!
- Little Ghost 啊！钟馗！每家都有他？那我去哪儿玩啊？
Ā! Zhōng Kuí! Měi jiā dōu yǒu tā? Nà wǒ qù nǎr wán a?
Aah! Zhong Kui! Every house has him? Then where am I supposed to play?
- Yaya 钟馗叔叔，欢迎回家！我最喜欢你的脸！
Zhōng Kuí shūshu, huānyíng huíjiā! Wǒ zuì xǐhuan nǐ de liǎn!
Uncle Zhong Kui, welcome home! Your face is my favorite!
- Zhong Kui 谢谢你，丫丫。我回家了。
Xièxie nǐ, Yāyā. Wǒ huíjiā le.
Thank you, Yaya. I'm home.
What changed in the story?
- How does Zhong Kui catch the little ghost?
“你看，我手里有好东西！……好东西？给我，给我！”
- Why does the emperor ask Zhong Kui not to smile?
“你笑，更可怕！”
- Why wasn't Zhong Kui allowed into the palace?
“大官笑我的脸，不让我进皇宫。”
- What does the emperor do when he wakes up?
“天亮了！我的病……好了！”……“叫吴道子来！”
- What does the emperor say about Zhong Kui's home?
“大家的门，就是他的家！坏东西不敢来了！”