HSK 3 · Chapter 3 · 715 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/seventy-two-changes-journey-to-the-west-easy-chinese-3

七十二变

Seventy-Two Changes

Name: ________________ Date: ________

祖师zǔshī说shuō孙悟空sūnwùkōng还有háiyǒu很hěn大dà的de危险wēixiǎn。孙悟空sūnwùkōng很hěn担心dānxīn：“师父shīfu，是shì什么shénme危险wēixiǎn？”祖师zǔshī说shuō：“你nǐ学会xuéhuì了le长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo，可是kěshì以后yǐhòu，会huì有yǒu雷léi打dǎ你nǐ，有yǒu火烧huǒshāo你nǐ，有yǒu风fēng吹chuī你nǐ。要yào想xiǎng不怕búpà它们tāmen，你nǐ得děi再zài学xué一个yígè大dà本事běnshi：七十二qīshí’èr变biàn。”悟空wùkōng问wèn：“七十二qīshí’èr变biàn是shì什么shénme？”祖师zǔshī说shuō：“你nǐ想xiǎng变biàn什么shénme，就jiù能néng变biàn什么shénme。”悟空wùkōng听tīng了le，高兴gāoxìng地de跳tiào了le起来qǐlai。

从cóng那天nàtiān起qǐ，悟空wùkōng每天měitiān都dōu在zài没méi人rén的de地方dìfang练习liànxí。他tā想xiǎng变biàn一yì只zhī鸟niǎo，就jiù变成biànchéng了le一yì只zhī鸟niǎo；想xiǎng变biàn一yì条tiáo鱼yú，就jiù变成biànchéng了le一yì条tiáo鱼yú。没méi过guò多久duōjiǔ，七十二qīshí’èr变biàn他tā就jiù都dōu学会xuéhuì了le。

有yǒu一天yìtiān，祖师zǔshī问wèn他tā：“悟空wùkōng，你nǐ能néng飞fēi吗ma？”悟空wùkōng说shuō：“我wǒ能néng！”他tā往wǎng上shàng一yí跳tiào，飞fēi了le起来qǐlai。可是kěshì他tā只zhǐ飞fēi了le一会儿yíhuìr，就jiù慢慢mànmàn地de下来xiàlái了le。祖师zǔshī笑xiào了le：“这zhè不是búshì飞fēi，这zhè是shì在zài天上tiānshàng爬pá！我wǒ看kàn你nǐ飞fēi的de时候shíhou，总是zǒngshì一yí跳tiào一yí跳tiào的de，那nà我wǒ就jiù把bǎ筋斗云这zhè个gè本事běnshi教给jiāogěi你nǐ吧ba。”

筋斗云真的zhēnde很hěn不bù简单jiǎndān。翻fān一个yígè筋斗jīndǒu，就jiù能néng飞fēi十万八千里shíwànbāqiānlǐ！学会xuéhuì了le筋斗云，悟空wùkōng高兴gāoxìng极了jíle。

一yí个gè夏天xiàtiān的de下午xiàwǔ，别的biéde学生xuéshēng坐zuò在zài一yì棵kē大dà松树sōngshù下xià聊天liáotiān。他们tāmen看见kànjiàn悟空wùkōng，就jiù说shuō：“悟空wùkōng，听说tīngshuō你nǐ七十二变都dōu学会xuéhuì了le，是shì真的zhēnde吗ma？变biàn一个yígè给gěi我们wǒmen看看kànkan吧ba！”悟空wùkōng最zuì喜欢xǐhuān让ràng别人biéren看kàn他tā的de本事běnshi了le。他tā问wèn：“变biàn什么shénme呢ne？”大家dàjiā说shuō：“就jiù变biàn一yì棵kē松树sōngshù吧ba！”

悟空wùkōng说shuō了le几jǐ句jù话huà，一下子yíxiàzi就jiù不见bújiàn了le。大家dàjiā前面qiánmiàn，多duō了le一yì棵kē高高gāogāo的de松树sōngshù！大家dàjiā都dōu拍手pāishǒu大dà叫jiào：“好hǎo猴子hóuzi！好hǎo猴子hóuzi！”声音shēngyīn越来越yuèláiyuè大dà。

这时zhèshí，祖师zǔshī走zǒu了le出来chūlái，问wèn：“谁shéi在zài这里zhèlǐ大dà叫jiào？”大家dàjiā马上mǎshàng不bù说话shuōhuà了le。松树sōngshù又yòu变biàn回huí了le悟空wùkōng。祖师zǔshī很hěn生气shēngqì：“悟空wùkōng，你nǐ过来guòlái。你nǐ的de本事běnshi是shì给gěi人rén看kàn的de吗ma？别人biéren看见kànjiàn你nǐ有yǒu这zhè个gè本事běnshi，就jiù会huì来lái请qǐng你nǐ教jiāo他tā。你nǐ不bù教jiāo，他tā就jiù会huì想xiǎng办法bànfǎ来lái害hài你nǐ。”

悟空wùkōng小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“师父shīfu，我wǒ错cuò了le，请qǐng您nín原谅yuánliàng我wǒ吧ba！”祖师zǔshī说shuō：“我wǒ不bú怪guài你nǐ，可是kěshì你nǐ不能bùnéng再zài住zhù在zài这里zhèlǐ了le。你nǐ从cóng哪里nálǐ来lái，就jiù回huí哪里nálǐ去qù吧ba。”悟空wùkōng哭kū了le：“师父shīfu，我wǒ还hái没有méiyǒu好好háohǎo谢谢xièxie您nín呢ne……”

祖师zǔshī说shuō：“记住jìzhu，以后yǐhòu你nǐ做zuò什么shénme事shì，都dōu不能bùnéng说shuō你nǐ是shì我wǒ的de学生xuéshēng。你nǐ说出shuōchū一yí个gè字zì，我wǒ就jiù会huì知道zhīdào！”悟空wùkōng点diǎn点头diǎntóu：“我wǒ一yí个gè字zì也yě不bù说shuō，就jiù说shuō是shì我wǒ自己zìjǐ会huì的de。”

悟空wùkōng向xiàng祖师zǔshī拜bài了le又yòu拜bài，然后ránhòu翻fān了le一个yígè筋斗jīndǒu，飞fēi上shàng了le天tiān。一个yígè筋斗jīndǒu十万八千里shíwànbāqiānlǐ，很hěn快kuài，他tā就jiù看见kànjiàn了le大海dàhǎi，看见kànjiàn了le花果山huāguǒshān。他tā高兴gāoxìng地de想xiǎng：“我wǒ回家huíjiā了le！”

可是kěshì，他tā刚gāng到家dàojiā，就jiù听见tīngjiàn了le哭声kūshēng。很hěn多duō小xiǎo猴子hóuzi从cóng山shān里出来chūlái，抱bào着zhe他tā哭kū：“大王，您nín可kě回来huílái了le！这些zhèxiē年nián，我们wǒmen过得guòde好hǎo苦kǔ啊a……”花果山huāguǒshān到底dàodǐ出chū了le什么shénme事shì？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
担心	dānxīn	to worry; to be anxious
以后	yǐhòu	later; afterwards; in the future
风	fēng	wind
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
跳	tiào	to jump; to leap
地方	dìfang	place
练习	liànxí	to practice; exercise; drill
变成	biànchéng	to change into; to turn into; to become
简单	jiǎndān	simple; easy
夏天	xiàtiān	summer
别的	biéde	other; else
聊天	liáotiān	to chat

English (for the teacher)

The Patriarch had said that Sun Wukong was still in great danger. Sun Wukong was worried: "Master, what danger?" The Patriarch said: "You have learned to live forever, but one day thunder will strike you, fire will burn you and wind will blow at you. To have nothing to fear from them, you must learn one more great skill: the Seventy-Two Changes." Wukong asked: "What are the Seventy-Two Changes?" The Patriarch said: "Whatever you want to change into, you can change into it." When Wukong heard this, he jumped for joy.

From that day on, Wukong practised every day where no one could see him. When he wanted to change into a bird, he changed into a bird; when he wanted to change into a fish, he changed into a fish. Before long, he had learned all seventy-two changes.

One day the Patriarch asked him: "Wukong, can you fly?" Wukong said: "I can!" He jumped up and rose into the air. But he flew for only a little while before he slowly came back down. The Patriarch laughed: "That isn't flying, that's crawling across the sky! I see you always bounce along when you fly, so I'll teach you the skill of the Somersault Cloud."

The Somersault Cloud really is no small thing. With one somersault you can fly a hundred and eight thousand li! Once he had learned the Somersault Cloud, Wukong was over the moon.

One summer afternoon, the other students were sitting under a big pine tree, chatting. When they saw Wukong, they said: "Wukong, we hear you've learned all Seventy-Two Changes. Is it true? Change into something for us to see!" Wukong loved nothing more than having people watch what he could do. He asked: "What shall I change into?" Everyone said: "Change into a pine tree!"

Wukong said a few words, and in a flash he was gone. In front of everyone stood one more tall pine tree! Everyone clapped and shouted: "Good monkey! Good monkey!" The noise grew louder and louder.

Just then the Patriarch came out and asked: "Who is shouting out here?" At once everyone fell silent. The pine tree changed back into Wukong. The Patriarch was very angry: "Wukong, come here. Is your skill something to show off? When others see you have this skill, they'll come and ask you to teach them. If you won't, they'll find a way to harm you."

Wukong said in a small voice: "Master, I was wrong. Please forgive me!" The Patriarch said: "I don't blame you, but you can't live here any longer. Go back to wherever you came from." Wukong wept: "Master, I haven't even thanked you properly yet..."

The Patriarch said: "Remember: from now on, whatever you do, you must never say you are my student. If you say a single word, I will know!" Wukong nodded: "I won't say a word. I'll say I learned it all myself."

Wukong bowed to the Patriarch again and again, then turned a somersault and flew up into the sky. One somersault, a hundred and eight thousand li: very soon he could see the sea, and then Flower Fruit Mountain. He thought happily: "I'm home!"

But just as he got home, he heard crying. Lots of little monkeys came out of the mountain, hugged him and wept: "Your Majesty, you're back at last! These past years have been so hard for us..." What on earth had happened on Flower Fruit Mountain?