| Audio | Visual |
|---|---|
| Chinese Fables. Has anyone ever said to you, "You have ants in your pants"? (giggling) What does that mean? Yes, it means you can't sit still. Did you ever hear someone say, "Who let the cat out of the bag?" What does that mean? Yes, it means, "Who gave the secret away?" |
A young lady with short braided hair holds an open book against a background showing a wall decorated with lanterns. The wall has a circular entrance leading to a distant Chinese garden. A sign above the entrance says "Chinese Fables" and a horizontal band at bottom of the wall says "Introduction." |
| Of course, you don't really have ants in your pants, and no one really let a cat out of the bag. These funny sayings are called idioms. Now, if someone came up to you and said, "One rice, thousand gold!" you would think this is very strange. It's a Chinese saying, or idiom. Children in China use it all the time. Chinese sayings, or idioms, put a whole story or fable into just FOUR WORDS. |
She closes her book and points her finger at the viewer as she asks questions. She blinks her eyes, moves her lips, and turns pages as she talks. |
| The story, or fable, helps everyone remember what the four words mean. These old Chinese fables will take you to a world very different from today. You will read about dragons that fly, and kings that rule the land. The wisest men and women in China know these sayings, or idioms, by heart. After reading these fables, you will be wise, too. |
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