Narrative text story - The old man who could move mountain
(Favourite stories
from Chinese)
Many years ago there
was an old man who lived with his family at the foot of a high mountain. He was
called “Mr. Stupid”. Every time he wanted to go to town he had to climb over
the mountain. One day, he said to his wife and sons, “Let us move the mountain.
it is in our way.”
“How can you do
that?” his wife asked. “you are an old man and you are no longer strong with
the rocks and earth?”
“I may be old.”
Replied Mr. stupid, “but my heart is young. We can throw the rocks and earth
into the sea.”
He told his sons
to start work. They brought their sons and even his neighbours and friends came
to help him. They carried the rocks and earth away in baskets to the sea.
At this time,
there was a scholar living in the capital who was called “Mr. Clever”. When he
heard what Mr. Stupid was doing, he went to see him. “You are a fool!” he
cried. “How can you move a mountain? Besides, you are old. How can you hope to
finish the work before you die?”
“Once my mind is
made up, nothing can stop me,” Mr. Stupid answered. “If I die, my sons will
carry on the work. When they die, their sons will carry on the work. Why should
I worry about not being able to finish it?”
Mr. Clever did not
know what to say and he left in a bad temper.
After many years of
hard work, Mr. stupid and his family moved the mountain and leveled the ground.
Source: Favourite stories from Chinese by Leon
Comber
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