[English]
Li Ming, I did something very stupid yesterday.
Oh? Come and listen. What stupid thing did you do?
I went to the store to buy something. I just wanted to buy a bottle of milk.
As a result, I saw a box,
a very, very beautiful cookie box.
There are very beautiful paintings on it, and the colors are also very beautiful.
Sounds good.
So you bought that box of cookies? Is it tasty?
The problem is here!
I bought it home and opened it. There were very few biscuits inside.
Moreover, the taste was very average and not delicious at all.
I bought it just for the beautiful box.
Now I look at that empty box,
and feel a little stupid.
(laughing) This is not stupid, this is normal. Many people are like this,
they want to buy something beautiful when they see it.
This reminds me of a story we are going to talk about today,
A story about "boxes" and "things".
Oh? Yeah?
I like to listen to stories.
Especially when I listen to it before going to bed,
I feel like I will have a good dream.
That's right.
Our good night story today is related to this.
Actually we want to share three short stories today.
These stories are very old,
but the truths they tell us,
are also useful to read today.
They will teach us how to look at problems more carefully,
how to listen to what others say.
Great! I'm ready to listen.
Which story should we start with?
Is it the one about the box?
Yes,
Let's start with the story of "Buying a Coffin for a Pearl".
Buy... 椟... and... beads?
I don’t seem to recognize all these words.
It doesn't matter, I'll tell you slowly.
The story is simple.
"椟" refers to a very beautiful box.
"Pearl" is a pearl,
a very small, round, and beautiful white thing,
very expensive.
Oh, Pearl, I know! Very beautiful thing.
So the name of this story is "Bought a beautiful box,
but returned a more expensive pearl"?
Absolutely correct! Look, you are so smart.
The story is this: A long time ago,
there was a man who sold jewelry in the state of Chu.
He has a very beautiful pearl.
He thought that such a good pearl must
be packed in the best box.
Well, this is normal.
Just like my box of cookies,
the box must have cost them a lot of money.
Yes.
So, he used a very fragrant wood and
made a small box.
He painted many beautiful patterns on the outside of the box,
and also put some small gems.
This box is fragrant and beautiful.
It looks even more attractive than the pearls inside.
Wow, I seem to be able to smell that fragrance.
(laughing) Then,
he took the box with the pearls to Zheng to sell them.
In the market, a man saw this box.
He picked up the box, looked at it for a long time, and liked it very much.
He must think this box is the most beautiful box in the world.
That's right.
He asked the jewelry seller: "How much does this box cost?"
The jewelry seller told him a very high price.
Without thinking, the man paid and took the box.
He is so rich.
However, something unexpected happened.
He opened the box,
took out the big, round pearl inside,
returned it to the jewelry seller,
and then went home happily with only the empty box.
What?
He returned...the pearl?
He just wants that box?
Oh my god, this... this is so similar to me buying cookies!
At least I ate the biscuits, although they weren't delicious.
He doesn’t even want pearls!
Yes. The jewelry seller was also shocked.
He held the pearl and looked at the man's back.
He didn't know what to say.
So, Wang Yu, what do you think of this buyer?
I don't think he understands which thing is more important.
The box only looks good on the outside,
but the pearls are the truly valuable things.
He made a wrong choice.
Very well said.
What this story tells us is that
when we look at problems, people, and things,
we can't just look at whether it looks pretty on the outside,
but also whether the content inside is really good,
whether it is really valuable.
It's like we make friends.
Huh? Make friends?
Right.
Some people may wear very beautiful clothes, speak well,
and seem to be good friends.
But maybe his heart is not good.
Some people may look ordinary,
not very talkative,
but they are really good to you.
We should be friends with the latter kind of people.
I understand.
So "Buying a Coffin for a Pearl" tells us to value "content",
rather than "form".
This story is very simple, but the truth is profound.
Thank you, Li Ming.
I must think about it before buying anything in the future.
Is what I am buying a "box" or a "pearl"?
(laughing) OK.
Let’s move on to the second story.
This story is about
what we should do after making a mistake.
The name of this story is "Mending the Wind".
Death...sheep...mend...prison?
I know sheep are small animals.
What does "lost sheep" mean?
Here, "die" means lost or run away.
"Prison" refers to the place where sheep are kept, called a sheepfold.
So the meaning of "Mending the sheepfold" is,
After the sheep is lost, repair the sheepfold.
Oh, sounds like it's a little late.
If all the sheep are lost, is there any use in repairing the sheepfold?
This is a good question.
Let's listen to the story and see if it's useful.
The story goes that once upon a time there was a man who raised many sheep.
Every morning, he would drive the sheep to the mountains to graze,
and then drive them back to the sheepfold at night.
Sounds like life is peaceful.
Yes.
However, there was a small hole in his sheepfold.
There is a hole in the wall, not big.
He saw it, but he thought that since the hole was so small,
it didn't matter, so he ignored it.
Ah, this is not a good habit.
I feel like something is going to happen.
You feel right.
One morning, when he went to the sheepfold to catch the sheep,
he found that one sheep was missing.
He was very surprised, where did the sheep go?
He looked around, and
saw the wolf's footprints next to the small hole in the sheepfold.
He understood,
Last night, the wolf got in from this hole,
and took away a sheep.
Oh my god, that sheep is so pitiful.
This person must be very regretful and very sad.
Yes, he regretted it very much.
He thought, why didn't I fix the hole earlier?
The neighbor saw it and said to him:
"Your sheep was lost because there was a hole in the sheepfold.
Please patch the hole quickly."
The neighbor was right.
But after hearing this, the man
shook his head and said, "My sheep has been lost.
I'm just going to repair the sheepfold now. It's too late and it's useless."
So, he still didn't repair the hole.
(Sigh) Why does he think so?
Although he lost one sheep, he still had many other sheep.
Right. The next morning,
he went to the sheepfold and found that another sheep was missing.
The wolf took another one from the hole.
At this time, he was really scared and regretted.
He thought that the neighbor was right. Although two sheep had been lost,
if I didn't fix it, all my sheep would be eaten by wolves.
So he finally went to practice this time?
Yes.
He immediately found tools and wood,
and solidly patched up the hole.
From that day on, his sheep never lost again.
When the wolf came again, he saw that the sheepfold had been repaired and
there was no hole left, so he had no choice but to leave.
Great!
Although he lost two sheep,
he saved the others.
So the meaning of "making amends before the sheep is gone" is that
although mistakes have been made and losses caused,
but as long as they are corrected in time,
we can prevent greater mistakes and losses in the future.
You summed it up so well.
That’s what it means.
The same is true in our study and life.
Sometimes we encounter difficulties and make mistakes.
For example, when learning Chinese,
I may forget a Chinese character today,
I will forget it again tomorrow, and I feel like a failure.
Right, right!
This was the case when I first started learning Chinese.
I feel stupid, I have to learn a word many times.
Sometimes I wonder, am I not suitable for learning Chinese?
Is it too late?
You see, your thoughts at the time,
were the same as the man who lost his first sheep,
thinking "it's too late, it's useless."
But it’s not.
Every time you forget,
and then remember it again,
this process is "making up for it".
Every time you review, you are filling the "holes" in knowledge.
Although it took some time, in the end,
you will firmly remember this Chinese character.
Learning is like building a house, adding brick by brick.
Sometimes bricks will fall down, just pick them up and put them back.
Li Ming, your metaphor is really good.
Learning is like building a house.
I understand.
So "Mending the Lap" tells us,
Making mistakes is not terrible, what matters is what you do after you make the mistake.
It's never too late, right?
Yes, it’s never too late as long as you start doing it.
Okay, we have one last story.
There are two protagonists in this story,
a tiger and a fox.
Tiger and fox!
I love animal stories.
What is the name of this story?
It's called "The Fox Pretends to Be the Tiger's Power".
"Fox" means fox, and "虎" means tiger.
"Fake" here has a borrowed meaning,
"Wei" means majestic and powerful.
So to put it together, the fox borrows the tiger's prestige.
The fox borrows the tiger’s prestige?
Aren't they enemies?
The tiger will eat the fox.
How can a fox borrow the majesty of a tiger?
I'm so curious.
(Laughs) Don't worry, the story will start soon.
In the forest, the tiger is the king of beasts,
all animals are afraid of it.
One day, the tiger was hungry and went out to find something to eat.
It was very lucky and caught a fox in one go.
Ah! Poor fox.
The tiger opened its big mouth and was about to eat the fox.
The fox suddenly said loudly:
"Wait a minute! You can't eat me!"
Wow, this fox is so courageous!
Isn't it afraid?
Of course it is scared, but it is very, very smart.
After hearing what it said, the tiger stopped and asked strangely:
"Why can't I eat you?"
Yes, why?
The fox said calmly:
"I was sent by the Emperor of Heaven to be the king of beasts.
Does the Emperor of Heaven know?
He is the God in the sky.
He said that all the animals in the forest must obey me.
If you eat me, you will not listen to the Emperor of Heaven.
You will be punished."
(laughing) This fox is so good at deceiving people!
Did Tiger believe it?
After hearing this, Tiger was a little convinced, but also a little disbelieving.
It looks like a fox so small, not like a king at all.
Seeing the tiger's suspicious look, the fox immediately said:
"You don't believe what I say, right?
It doesn't matter.
You follow me now,
Let's walk around in the forest.
Look at the animals when they see me,
Are they all scared and run away immediately."
This is a good idea!
Of course, for the fox.
Tiger thought for a while and thought this method would work.
So, the tiger followed the fox and walked in the forest.
As for the fox, he walked in front, holding his head high,
looking really majestic.
What about other animals?
How do they react when they see a fox?
They saw the fox...
They also saw the tiger behind the fox!
Those little rabbits, deer, and monkeys,
were so frightened that they ran as fast as they could when they saw the tiger.
The farther they ran, the better.
Hahahaha! I see!
Hahahaha! I see!
They are not afraid of foxes, they are afraid of tigers!
Absolutely correct!
But the tiger doesn’t know.
The tiger only saw the fox walking in front,
all the animals ran away.
It thought: "Wow, it seems that what this fox said is true.
The animals are really afraid of it.
The animals are really afraid of it. It is really a king sent by the Emperor of Heaven."
So the tiger was also afraid,
and quietly let the fox go.
The tiger is a bit stupid,
but the fox is so smart!
It saved itself with its own brain.
Yes.
The fox in this story,
is a typical "fox pretends to be powerful".
It is not powerful at all,
but it borrows the power of the tiger,
to make other animals afraid, and also deceives the tiger.
So what does this story want to tell us?
Don't lie like a fox?
This is one aspect. More importantly,
it tells us to be like those little animals,
to see the truth of things clearly,
and also reminds us not to be that stupid tiger.
Sometimes, we see a person who seems to be very powerful,
many people are afraid of him and listen to him.
At this time we have to think carefully,
Is he great because he is really capable,
or because there are others behind him,
For example, his parents are rich,
or his boss is very powerful?
I understand.
Just like in school,
Some children like to say,
"My father is..." and then bully other students.
In fact, he himself is not scary.
What is scary is the father he talks about.
He is "pretending to be powerful".
We should not be afraid of such people.
We should see the truth of the matter.
Right. Therefore, "The Power of a Fox"
teaches us to use our own eyes and brains
to observe and think,
not to be deceived by superficial phenomena.
These three stories today are so interesting!
"Buying a casket for a pearl",
"Mending the situation after a lost sheep"
and "The fox pretends to be the tiger's power".
Although they are simple,
I feel like I learned a lot.
Yes.
These ancient stories,
we call them "idiom stories".
Behind every story,
there is an idiom and a profound truth.
The three things we learned today
are to teach us how to view value,
how to face mistakes,
and how to distinguish true from false.
Well! I think tonight
I will definitely have a good dream,
there may be a smart fox
and a beautiful box in the dream.
Okay. Before ending,
as usual, let's review
some important words in today's story.
OK! This is very important.
The first story "Buying a casket for a pearl",
we learned about the box,
and the pearl,
more importantly, we should pay attention to the content,
not just the appearance.
The second story "Mend the Sheep",
we got to know sheep, wolves, and holes,
it tells us
it is important to correct after making mistakes.
The third story "The Fox Pretends to Pretend the Tiger",
Of course we got to know the fox and the tiger,
We also learned a word, fear.
This story reminds us
to observe carefully.
You summed it up really clearly.
These words are simple and useful.
Dear listeners,
After listening to these three good night stories today,
how do you feel?
Which story is your favorite?
Is it "Buying a Coffin for a Pearl" about a beautiful box,
Is it "Mending the Times" which tells us
how to correct after making mistakes,
or is it "The Fox Pretends to Pretend the Tiger" about the clever fox deceiving the tiger?
Yes, or in your life,
Have similar stories happened?
We look forward to hearing what you have to share.
You can leave us a message below.
Okay, it's getting late.
I hope today's story
can accompany you into a sweet dreamland.
I wish you good night and sweet dreams.
We are "Daily Chinese".
See you next time! Good night!