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Every reading sits at the level where most of its words are taught
35 readings
Story · 1 min audio孔融让梨Kong Rong and the pears: the boy who took the smallest oneSeven brothers, one plate of pears. The four-year-old reaches past all the big ones.HSK 3
Story · 2 min audio曹冲称象How Cao Chong weighed an elephantCao Cao is given an elephant and wants to know how heavy it is. Nobody has a scale that big, except, it turns out, a small boy with a boat.HSK 3
Story · 2 min audio愚公移山The foolish old man who moved the mountainsTwo huge mountains block an old man’s front door. He is nearly ninety, and he decides to dig them away.HSK 3
Story · 1 min audio司马光砸缸Sima Guang smashes the water jarA boy falls into a giant water jar and everyone else runs. Seven-year-old Sima Guang picks up a rock.HSK 3
Story · 1 min audio刻舟求剑Marking the boat to find a lost swordA man drops his favourite sword into a river. No problem: he makes a mark on the boat where it fell.HSK 3
Story · 1 min audio拔苗助长Pulling up seedlings to help them growA farmer thinks his crop is growing too slowly. So he spends a whole day helping it.HSK 3
Story · 2 min audio夸父追日Kuafu chases the sunA giant decides the sun has no right to leave whenever it likes, and sets off after it. Halfway there, he drinks the Yellow River dry.HSK 5
Story · 2 min audio精卫填海Jingwei fills the seaThe sea drowns a young princess. She comes back as a small bird and decides to fill the whole ocean with pebbles.HSK 5
Story · 2 min audio西施Xi Shi, the first of the Four BeautiesFish forget how to swim when they see her, and her neighbour's copy of her frown empties the whole village. Then a king sends her to destroy his enemy.HSK 5
Story · 3 min audio荆轲刺秦王Jing Ke tries to kill the King of QinTo get close to the most powerful king in China, an assassin brings him a map with a dagger rolled inside. The king's sword is too long to draw.HSK 5
Story · 2 min audio年兽来了The legend of Nian, the Chinese New Year monsterEvery New Year's Eve a monster came out of the sea to eat the village. One night an old man stayed behind, and that is why New Year is red and loud.HSK 3
