Chinese folklore: Money tree and treasure basin

Preface: Money tree and treasure basin are unique phenomena in Chinese culture, which are products of people’s conceptual consciousness. They retain the primitive worship of trees and also symbolize the auspicious concept of praying for wealth and good fortune, appearing in festivals and events to express people’s longing for a better future.

很Hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以yǐ前qián ， 有yǒu个gè小xiǎo村cūn子zi ， 里lǐ面miàn住zhù着zhe一yī个gè叫jiào王wáng二èr的de懒lǎn汉hàn 。

Long, long ago, there was a small village with a lazy man called Wang Er.

王Wáng二èr整zhěng天tiān做zuò发fā财cái梦mèng ， 却què不bù愿yuàn干gàn活huó ， 总zǒng盼pàn天tiān上shàng掉diào馅xiàn饼bǐng 。

Wang Er dreamed of becoming rich all day but didn’t want to work, always hoping for money to fall from the sky.

一Yī天tiān ， 王wáng二èr在zài破pò院yuàn子zi里lǐ晒shài太tài阳yáng ， 睡shuì着zháo了le 。

One day, Wang Er fell asleep while sunbathing in his broken courtyard.

梦Mèng里lǐ ， 他tā来lái到dào云yún雾wù缭liáo绕rào的de仙xiān境jìng ， 看kàn到dào一yī棵kē发fā光guāng的de大dà树shù 。

In his dream, he came to a misty fairyland and saw a shining big tree.

树Shù上shàng不bù是shì树shù叶yè ， 而ér是shì明míng晃huǎng晃huǎng的de铜tóng钱qián ， 风fēng一yī吹chuī就jiù叮dīng当dāng作zuò响xiǎng 。

Instead of leaves, there were bright copper coins on the tree, jingling in the wind.

王Wáng二èr眼yǎn睛jīng一yī亮liàng ， 心xīn想xiǎng ：“ 这zhè不bù是shì摇yáo钱qián树shù吗ma ？ 我Wǒ发fā财cái了le ！”

Wang Er’s eyes lit up, thinking, “Isn’t this a money tree? I’m going to be rich!”

他Tā跑pǎo过guò去qù摇yáo树shù ， 铜tóng钱qián像xiàng下xià雨yǔ一yī样yàng落luò下xià来lái 。

He ran to shake the tree, and the coins fell like rain.

王Wáng二èr正zhèng捡jiǎn钱qián ， 突tū然rán听tīng到dào笑xiào声shēng 。

While picking up the money, Wang Er suddenly heard laughter.

扭Niǔ头tóu一yī看kàn ， 一yī个gè白bái胡hú子zi老lǎo头tóu正zhèng笑xiào眯mī眯mī地de看kàn着zhe他tā 。

He turned around and saw an old man with a white beard smiling at him.

王Wáng二èr问wèn ：“ 老lǎo头tóu ， 你nǐ笑xiào啥shá ？ 这Zhè摇yáo钱qián树shù我wǒ发fā现xiàn的de ， 钱qián都dōu是shì我wǒ的de ！”

Wang Er asked, “Old man, why are you laughing? I found this money tree, so the money is mine!”

老Lǎo头tóu说shuō ：“ 贪tān心xīn鬼guǐ ， 光guāng有yǒu摇yáo钱qián树shù不bù够gòu ， 还hái得děi有yǒu聚jù宝bǎo盆pén 。”

The old man said, “Greedy guy, just having a money tree is not enough; you also need a treasure basin.”

王Wáng二èr问wèn ：“ 啥shá是shì聚jù宝bǎo盆pén ？”

Wang Er asked, “What’s a treasure basin?”

老Lǎo头tóu指zhǐ着zhe一yī个gè金jīn盆pén说shuō ：“ 这zhè就jiù是shì ， 放fàng啥shá都dōu能néng变biàn多duō 。”

The old man pointed to a golden basin and said, “This is it. Whatever you put in, it multiplies.”

王Wáng二èr跑pǎo过guò去qù看kàn ， 盆pén子zi普pǔ通tōng ， 他tā不bù信xìn ， 放fàng颗kē石shí子zǐ进jìn去qù 。

Wang Er ran over to look, but the basin seemed ordinary. He didn’t believe it and put a stone in.

一Yī眨zhǎ眼yǎn ， 盆pén子zi装zhuāng满mǎn石shí子zǐ ， 堆duī得de像xiàng小xiǎo山shān 。

In the blink of an eye, the basin was filled with stones, piled up like a small mountain.

王Wáng二èr乐lè了le ， 想xiǎng ：“ 放fàng铜tóng钱qián进jìn去qù ， 我wǒ不bù就jiù最zuì有yǒu钱qián了le ？”

Wang Er was delighted and thought, “If I put copper coins in, won’t I be the richest person?”

于Yú是shì ， 他tā倒dǎo铜tóng钱qián进jìn聚jù宝bǎo盆pén ， 铜tóng钱qián冒mào个gè不bù停tíng ， 把bǎ王wáng二èr埋mái了le 。

So, he poured copper coins into the treasure basin, and they kept coming out endlessly, burying Wang Er.

王Wáng二èr在zài钱qián里lǐ挣zhēng扎zhá ， 大dà喊hǎn ：“ 太tài多duō了le ， 快kuài停tíng ！”

Wang Er struggled in the money and shouted, “Too much, stop!”

可Kě铜tóng钱qián不bù停tíng冒mào ， 王wáng二èr快kuài被bèi压yā死sǐ了le 。

But the coins didn’t stop, and Wang Er was almost crushed to death.

突Tū然rán ， 王wáng二èr醒xǐng了le ， 原yuán来lái是shì一yī场cháng梦mèng 。

Suddenly, Wang Er woke up; it was just a dream.

他Tā坐zuò在zài院yuàn子zi里lǐ ， 还hái想xiǎng摇yáo钱qián树shù和hé聚jù宝bǎo盆pén 。

He sat in the courtyard, still thinking about the money tree and treasure basin.

心Xīn想xiǎng ：“ 虽suī是shì个gè梦mèng ， 说shuō不bù定dìng真zhēn有yǒu呢ne ， 我wǒ得děi去qù找zhǎo找zhǎo 。”

He thought, “Although it’s just a dream, maybe they really exist. I have to go look for them.”

从Cóng此cǐ ， 王wáng二èr整zhěng天tiān游yóu荡dàng ， 打dǎ听tīng宝bǎo贝bèi下xià落luò 。

From then on, Wang Er wandered all day, inquiring about the whereabouts of the treasures.

找Zhǎo了le很hěn久jiǔ ， 啥shá也yě没méi找zhǎo到dào 。

After searching for a long time, he found nothing.

王Wáng二èr才cái明míng白bái ， 没méi有yǒu不bù劳láo而ér获huò的de宝bǎo贝bèi ， 得děi靠kào双shuāng手shǒu过guò上shàng好hǎo日rì子zi 。

Wang Er finally understood that there’s no such thing as effortless wealth; one must rely on their own hands to live a good life.

这Zhè就jiù是shì摇yáo钱qián树shù和hé聚jù宝bǎo盆pén的de故gù事shì ， 告gào诉sù我wǒ们men别bié太tài贪tān心xīn ， 别bié老lǎo想xiǎng不bù劳láo而ér获huò ， 要yào脚jiǎo踏tà实shí地dì 。

This is the story of the money tree and treasure basin, telling us not to be too greedy, not to always think of getting something for nothing, and to be down-to-earth.

通过阅读中国神话、民间故事、历史典故、人物传记学汉语，简单易学，中英对照，适合初学者！
Learning Chinese through reading Chinese mythology, folk stories, historical allusions, and biographies is easy to learn and bilingual, suitable for beginners!