古城相会
Reunion at the Old City
Name: ________________ Date: ________
张飞骑着马，拿着丈八蛇矛，大叫着向关羽冲了过来。
三兄弟分开以后，张飞一个人来到了这座古城。他想向这里的官借点吃的，那个人不给。张飞一生气，就把他赶走了，自己住了进去。现在，他听说关羽来了，心里只想着：关羽已经跟了曹操，不是他的二哥了！
关羽很奇怪：“三弟，你这是干什么？你忘了我们在桃园说过的话吗？”张飞大声说：“你还有脸来见我！你跟了曹操，做了曹操的官。今天又来骗我，看我怎么打你！”
关羽说：“这件事，我一下子说不清楚。两位嫂子就在这里，你去问她们吧。”刘备的夫人说：“他一直在等机会，找你大哥。他是为了我们，才去了曹操那里。”张飞还是不信：“嫂子，你们别被他骗了！真对大哥好的人，死也不会去跟曹操！”
正说着，那边来了很多人马。张飞更生气了：“你还说不是来杀我的？你看，曹操的人已经来了！”
关羽说：“你等着，我去杀了他们的大将给你看！”张飞说：“好！我来打鼓，一共三次。三次鼓结束以前，你如果能杀了他，我就相信你。”
来的大将叫蔡阳，是曹操的人。关羽在路上杀了他的外甥，他是来找关羽的。蔡阳一看见关羽，就大叫着冲了过来。
张飞自己来打鼓。鼓声一响，关羽就骑着马跑了过去。大家都看着。第一次鼓还没打完，关羽的大刀已经下去了。蔡阳的头掉在了地上。
关羽又找来了蔡阳的一个小兵，让他说给张飞听。张飞这才知道，二哥在许昌的时候，心里一直想着大哥，一天也没有忘了他们。张飞哭着向关羽跪了下来。
没过多久，关羽又去把刘备找了回来。在回古城的路上，他们遇到了一个年轻人。他叫赵云，个子很高，非常能打。他以前跟着刘备的老同学。老同学死了以后，他一直在找刘备。刘备高兴地对他说：“我第一次见到你，就不想跟你分开。今天，我们终于又见面了！”
到了古城，刘备看见张飞，高兴得说不出话来。三兄弟终于又在一起了。他们说了很多很多话，一边说，一边哭，一边笑。
刘备看着身边的人：二弟关羽，三弟张飞，还有赵云，每一个都是最能打的人。可是，他们打了这么多年，还是没有自己的地方。刘备心里明白，他还少一个人：一个能帮他想办法、出主意的人。这个人在哪儿呢？
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 骑 | qí | to ride (a horse, bike, etc.) |
| 马 | mǎ | horse |
| 向 | xiàng | toward; to (a direction or person) |
| 分开 | fēnkāi | to separate; to part |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | later; afterwards; in the future |
| 生气 | shēngqì | to get angry; to be mad |
| 听说 | tīngshuō | to hear (it said); to be told; reportedly |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | in one's heart; in one's mind |
| 奇怪 | qíguài | strange; odd; weird |
| 又 | yòu | again (it already happened again); and also |
| 一直 | yìzhí | all along; continuously; straight (ahead) |
| 机会 | jīhuì | opportunity; chance |
Lesson plan: 45 minutes (for the teacher)
HSK 3 · Reunion at the Old City. By the end, students can read it aloud, say what it is about and use 骑 and 马 in sentences of their own.
Warm-up 5 min
Write 古城相会 on the board. Ask what the class thinks it is about, then give the English: “Reunion at the Old City”.
Key words 10 min
Teach 骑 (qí, to ride (a horse, bike, etc.)), 马 (mǎ, horse), 向 (xiàng, toward; to (a direction or person)), 分开 (fēnkāi, to separate; to part), 以后 (yǐhòu, later; afterwards; in the future), 生气 (shēngqì, to get angry; to be mad). Say each one, the class says it back, then ask for its meaning with the word covered. The rest are in the handout’s table.
Listen 10 min
Play it read aloud from mandarinthewild.com/library/read/reunion-at-the-old-city-three-kingdoms-easy-chinese-6: once with the text face down, once reading along. Students tap any word there for its meaning.
Read and check 10 min
Students read it alone, then tell a partner in two sentences of Chinese what it says.
Use it 10 min
In pairs, each student writes two sentences of their own, one with 骑 and one with 马, and reads one to the class.
Homework. Students read it again at home and Review its words. Put it in a free class (mandarinthewild.com/teachers/class) and you see who read it.
English (for the teacher)
Zhang Fei rode straight at Guan Yu, shouting, his Serpent Spear in his hand.
After the brothers were scattered, Zhang Fei had come alone to this Old City. He had asked the official there to lend him some food, and the man refused. Zhang Fei lost his temper, threw him out, and moved in himself. Now, hearing that Guan Yu had come, he had only one thought: Guan Yu had gone over to Cao Cao and was no longer his brother!
Guan Yu was baffled: "Third brother, what are you doing? Have you forgotten what we said in the peach garden?" Zhang Fei shouted: "How dare you show your face here! You went over to Cao Cao and took a post from him. Now you've come to trick me, so watch what I do to you!"
Guan Yu said: "I can't explain all this in a moment. Our two sisters-in-law are right here. Go and ask them." Liu Bei's wife said: "He has been waiting all along for a chance to find your eldest brother. He only went to Cao Cao for our sake." Zhang Fei still didn't believe it: "Sisters, don't let him fool you! Anyone truly loyal to our brother would die before he went over to Cao Cao!"
Just as they were talking, a large troop of horsemen appeared over there. Zhang Fei grew even angrier: "And you say you didn't come to kill me? Look, Cao Cao's men are here!"
Guan Yu said: "Wait and see. I'll go and kill their general for you!" Zhang Fei said: "Fine! I'll beat the drum, three rolls in all. If you can kill him before the three rolls are over, I'll believe you."
The general who had come was Cai Yang, one of Cao Cao's men. Guan Yu had killed his nephew on the road, and he had come after Guan Yu. The moment Cai Yang saw Guan Yu, he came charging at him, shouting.
Zhang Fei beat the drum himself. As the drum sounded, Guan Yu rode out to meet him. Everyone watched. The first roll of the drum was not yet over when Guan Yu's great blade came down. Cai Yang's head fell to the ground.
Then Guan Yu brought over one of Cai Yang's soldiers and had him tell Zhang Fei everything. Only then did Zhang Fei learn that all the while Guan Yu was in Xuchang, he had thought only of their eldest brother and never forgot them for a single day. Weeping, Zhang Fei knelt before Guan Yu.
Before long, Guan Yu went and brought Liu Bei back. On the way back to the Old City, they met a young man. His name was Zhao Yun; he was tall and a superb fighter. He used to serve Liu Bei's old schoolmate. After the schoolmate died, he had been searching for Liu Bei ever since. Liu Bei said to him happily: "From the first time I met you, I didn't want us to part. Today we've met again at last!"
At the Old City, Liu Bei saw Zhang Fei and was too happy to speak. At last the three brothers were together again. They talked and talked, crying and laughing as they talked.
Liu Bei looked at the men around him: his second brother Guan Yu, his third brother Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun, each one among the finest fighters of the age. But after all these years of fighting, they still had no land of their own. Liu Bei knew in his heart that he was still one man short: someone who could help him find a way and make his plans. Where was that man?