HSK 4 · Story · 316 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/flying-a-kite-in-chinese

树上的风筝

Flying a kite in Chinese: the kite in the tree

Name: ________________ Date: ________

春天chūntiān到dào了le，公园gōngyuán里有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén在zài放风筝fàngfēngzheng。爸爸bàba给gěi我wǒ买mǎi了le一yì只zhī燕子yànzi风筝fēngzhēng，黑色hēisè的de，很hěn漂亮piàoliang。

爸爸bàba说shuō：“我wǒ小时候xiǎoshíhou，村里cūnlǐ放风筝fàngfēngzheng最好zuìhǎo的de就是jiùshì我wǒ。看kàn我wǒ的de！”

他tā拿ná着zhe线xiàn，往前wǎngqián走zǒu了le几jǐ步bù。风fēng来lái了le，燕子yànzi飞fēi上shàng了le天tiān，飞fēi得de越来越yuèláiyuè高gāo。旁边pángbiān的de小朋友xiǎopéngyou都dōu在zài看kàn。爸爸bàba很hěn得意déyì。

可是kěshì风fēng突然tūrán变biàn了le。燕子yànzi一下子yíxiàzi掉diào了le下来xiàlai，掉diào到dào了le一yì棵kē大树dàshù上shàng，线xiàn也yě挂guà在zài了le树shù上shàng。

爸爸bàba用力yònglì拉lā了le几jǐ下xià，风筝fēngzhēng就是jiùshì不bú下来xiàlai。他tā跳tiào了le几jǐ下xià，还是háishi拿不到nábudào。最后zuìhòu，他tā脱下tuōxià一yì只zhī鞋xié，往wǎng树shù上shàng一yì扔rēng。

鞋xié也yě没有méiyǒu下来xiàlai。

那天nàtiān，我们wǒmen是shì这样zhèyàng回家huíjiā的de：我wǒ手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一yì根gēn线xiàn，爸爸bàba只zhǐ穿chuān着zhe一yì只zhī鞋xié。妈妈māma开门kāimén看见kànjiàn我们wǒmen，笑xiào得de说不出shuōbuchū话huà来lái。

第二天dì’èrtiān，我们wǒmen又yòu去qù了le公园gōngyuán。大dà树shù下xià站zhàn着zhe一个yígè老爷爷lǎoyéye，手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一yì根gēn很hěn长cháng的de竹竿zhúgān。

老爷爷lǎoyéye说shuō：“这zhè棵kē树shù啊a，每年měinián春天chūntiān都dōu要yào‘放fàng’很hěn多duō风筝fēngzhēng。”他tā把bǎ竹竿zhúgān往wǎng树shù上shàng一yì伸shēn，拿ná下来xiàlai了le三sān只zhī风筝fēngzhēng，还有háiyǒu两liǎng只zhī鞋xié。

爸爸bàba高兴gāoxìng地de拿起náqǐ一yì只zhī鞋xié，看kàn了le看kàn，又yòu放下fàngxià了le：“这zhè只zhī不是búshì我wǒ的de。”

老爷爷lǎoyéye笑xiào了le：“那nà一yì只zhī是shì去年qùnián的de。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
春天	chūntiān	spring; springtime
公园	gōngyuán	park
最好	zuìhǎo	best
风	fēng	wind
突然	tūrán	suddenly; abruptly; sudden; unexpected
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
树	shù	tree
跳	tiào	to jump; to leap
最后	zuìhòu	finally; in the end; last; final
鞋	xié	shoe
步	bù	step; pace
得意	déyì	pleased with oneself; proud; complacent

English (for the teacher)

Spring had come, and lots of people were flying kites in the park. Dad bought me a swallow kite, black and very pretty.

Dad said, “When I was little, the best kite flyer in the village was me. Watch this!”

He held the string and took a few steps forward. The wind came, the swallow rose into the sky, and it flew higher and higher. The kids nearby were all watching. Dad was very pleased with himself.

But then the wind suddenly changed. The swallow came straight down and landed in a big tree, and the string got caught in the branches too.

Dad tugged on the string, but the kite wouldn't come down. He jumped a few times and still couldn't reach it. In the end he took off one shoe and threw it up into the tree.

The shoe didn't come down either.

This is how we went home that day: me holding a piece of string, and Dad wearing one shoe. When Mum opened the door and saw us, she laughed so hard she couldn't speak.

The next day we went back to the park. Under the big tree stood an old man holding a very long bamboo pole.

The old man said, “Ah, this tree flies a lot of kites every spring.” He reached up into the tree with the pole and brought down three kites, and two shoes.

Dad happily picked up one of the shoes, looked at it, and put it down again. “This one isn't mine.”

The old man laughed. “That one's from last year.”