Chinese Folk Tales: The Legend of the Wordless Heavenly Book

Preface: The word “heavenly book” was born in ancient times, and it is said that the He Tu and Luo Shu were heavenly books, and there are also many folk myths and legends about the wordless heavenly books. Today’s story is about the legend of the Book of Heaven related to the famous Chinese thinker, Gui Gu Zi.

相Xiāng传chuán ， 鬼guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ的de师shī傅fù在zài升shēng天tiān成chéng仙xiān时shí ， 给gěi他tā留liú下xià了le一yī卷juǎn神shén秘mì的de竹zhú简jiǎn 。

According to legend, when Gui Gu Zi’s master ascended to heaven, he left behind a mysterious scroll of bamboo slips for him.

竹Zhú简jiǎn上shàng写xiě着zhe “ 天tiān书shū ” 两liǎng个gè字zì ， 但dàn当dāng鬼guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ打dǎ开kāi它tā时shí ， 却què发fā现xiàn里lǐ面miàn一yī个gè字zì也yě没méi有yǒu 。

The bamboo slips were inscribed with the words “heavenly book,” but when Gui Gu Zi opened it, he found that there were no words inside.

他Tā感gǎn到dào非fēi常cháng困kùn惑huò ， 因yīn为wèi与yǔ师shī傅fù相xiāng依yī为wéi命mìng的de九jiǔ年nián里lǐ ， 他tā们men的de感gǎn情qíng非fēi常cháng深shēn厚hòu 。

He felt very puzzled, because during the nine years he had lived with his master, their bond had grown very deep.

现Xiàn在zài师shī傅fù突tū然rán离lí去qù ， 鬼guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ心xīn里lǐ空kōng落luò落luò的de ， 连lián吃chī饭fàn喝hē茶chá的de心xīn思sī都dōu没méi有yǒu了le ， 直zhí接jiē回huí到dào洞dòng室shì里lǐ躺tǎng下xià睡shuì觉jiào 。

Now that his master had suddenly left, Gui Gu Zi felt empty inside and had no appetite for food or tea, so he went straight to his cave room and lay down to sleep.

但Dàn他tā怎zěn么me也yě睡shuì不bù着zháo ， 一yī直zhí在zài想xiǎng着zhe那nà卷juǎn无wú字zì天tiān书shū 。

But he couldn’t sleep at all and kept thinking about the wordless heavenly book.

整Zhěng晚wǎn都dōu在zài辗zhǎn转zhuǎn反fǎn侧cè ， 直zhí到dào天tiān亮liàng ， 那nà竹zhú简jiǎn的de影yǐng子zi还hái在zài他tā眼yǎn前qián晃huàng来lái晃huàng去qù ， 他tā始shǐ终zhōng想xiǎng不bù通tōng这zhè是shì怎zěn么me回huí事shì 。

He tossed and turned the whole night, and even when it was daylight, the image of the bamboo slips was still floating in his mind. He couldn’t figure out what was going on.

于Yú是shì ， 他tā干gān脆cuì爬pá起qǐ来lái ， 点diǎn燃rán松sōng明míng火huǒ把bǎ ， 借jiè着zhe灯dēng光guāng再zài次cì查chá看kàn那nà卷juǎn竹zhú简jiǎn 。

So, he got up and lit a torch, using the light to examine the bamboo slips again.

结Jié果guǒ ， 他tā惊jīng讶yà地de发fā现xiàn竹zhú简jiǎn上shàng竟jìng然rán闪shǎn烁shuò着zhe金jīn光guāng ， 一yī行háng行háng像xiàng蚂mǎ蚁yǐ一yī样yàng的de小xiǎo字zì闪shǎn闪shǎn发fā光guāng 。

To his surprise, he found that the bamboo slips were glowing with golden light, and tiny words like ants were shining on them.

鬼Guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ感gǎn叹tàn道dào ：“ 难nán道dào这zhè就jiù是shì传chuán说shuō中zhōng的de ‘ 无wú字zì金jīn书shū ’ 吗ma ？”

Gui Gu Zi exclaimed, “Could this be the legendary ‘Wordless Golden Book’?”

他Tā一yī下xià子zi来lái了le兴xìng致zhì ， 一yī口kǒu气qì读dú完wán了le整zhěng本běn书shū ， 并bìng从cóng头tóu到dào尾wěi背bèi了le下xià来lái 。

His interest was piqued, and he read the entire book in one breath, memorizing it from the beginning to the end.

原Yuán来lái ， 这zhè本běn书shū记jì录lù的de是shì一yī部bù关guān于yú纵zòng横héng家jiā的de经jīng典diǎn ， 共gòng有yǒu十shí三sān篇piān 。

It turned out that the book was a classic on the art of statecraft, consisting of thirteen chapters.

读Dú完wán之zhī后hòu ， 鬼guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ不bù禁jīn拍pāi案àn叫jiào绝jué ， 他tā以yǐ前qián和hé师shī傅fù辩biàn论lùn时shí从cóng未wèi占zhàn过guò上shàng风fēng ， 原yuán来lái师shī傅fù有yǒu这zhè么me一yī本běn金jīn书shū 。

After reading it, Gui Gu Zi couldn’t help but applaud. He had never had the upper hand in debates with his master before, and now he realized that his master had such a golden book.

他Tā又yòu想xiǎng起qǐ了le和hé师shī傅fù一yī起qǐ生shēng活huó的de日rì子zi ， 心xīn里lǐ既jì温wēn暖nuǎn又yòu有yǒu些xiē心xīn酸suān ， 还hái有yǒu几jǐ分fēn孤gū寂jì 。

He remembered the days he had lived with his master and felt a mix of warmth, sadness, and loneliness.

于Yú是shì ， 他tā熄xī灭miè了le火huǒ把bǎ ， 钻zuān进jìn被bèi窝wō里lǐ继jì续xù睡shuì觉jiào 。

So, he put out the torch and went back to sleep in his bed.

第Dì二èr天tiān醒xǐng来lái ， 他tā感gǎn到dào有yǒu些xiē疲pí惫bèi ， 但dàn还hái是shì忍rěn不bù住zhù再zài次cì打dǎ开kāi那nà卷juàn金jīn书shū ， 想xiǎng仔zǐ细xì研yán究jiū一yī下xià 。

When he woke up the next day, he felt tired, but he couldn’t resist opening the golden book again to study it carefully.

然Rán而ér ， 他tā惊jīng讶yà地de发fā现xiàn ， 书shū里lǐ又yòu变biàn成chéng了le一yī个gè字zì也yě没méi有yǒu 。

However, he was surprised to find that there were no words in the book again.

鬼Guǐ谷gǔ子zǐ从cóng头tóu翻fān到dào尾wěi ， 还hái是shì找zhǎo不bù到dào一yī个gè字zì ， 他tā更gèng加jiā确què信xìn这zhè本běn书shū是shì师shī傅fù的de宝bǎo贝bèi ， 要yào好hǎo好hǎo珍zhēn惜xī 。

Gui Gu Zi flipped through the book from the beginning to the end, but still couldn’t find a single word. He was even more convinced that this book was his master’s treasure and needed to be cherished.

于Yú是shì ， 他tā把bǎ书shū带dài进jìn内nèi洞dòng ， 放fàng在zài卧wò榻tà上shàng ， 然rán后hòu走zǒu出chū洞dòng门mén按àn照zhào师shī傅fù的de嘱zhǔ咐fù去qù练liàn功gōng 、 作zuò法fǎ 。

So, he took the book into the inner cave, placed it on his bed, and then went out to practice his martial arts and spells as his master had instructed.

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!