Hello.
Welcome to Chinese Folk Tales.
I'm Victoria Meakin, and I've got an amazing story to tell you.
I hope you enjoy it.
All the best stories have something to teach us, and this story is all about greed.
Now you might think greed is just about eating too many sweets or taking more than your fair share of anything, and that it's not a very important thing at all.
But think again.
Being greedy can get you into some very deep water indeed.
Come with me and I'll explain.
Look.
Down there, there's a little village in China.
From here, it looks like all the other little villages you might find all across this huge country, doesn't it?
Lots of happy people leading contented lives.
So what makes this one so different?
Let me explain.
My story is all about the people who live in that particular house in the village.
The one with the little courtyard and chickens clucking and picking their way out into the fields nearby.
Can you see?
There are two fields in fact.
This house is lived in by two brothers, five years apart in age.
But they are very different.
The older one was always jealous of his younger brother because he was always so happy, always singing, always had a good word to say to everyone he met.
The older brother is talking about his brother now with his wife.
Can you hear them?
Such a good-for-nothing.
And can you hear?
He's singing again.
Always singing.
Why is he always so happy?
Does he not have the same cares and worries that we have?
The back-breaking work we have to do in the fields, looking after all the animals.
How we have to harvest our food and cook it to eat.
Watch me.
I'm going to make a fool of him.
Younger brother?
Yes, come here a moment.
What is it, brother?
Are you OK?
All morning I have been working in the fields and now my back aches so much.
Will you collect all the bags of grain from the bottom of the field and put them all in the yard?
Of course.
I'll do it right away.
Anything to help you.
And he set off to do just that.
One bag.
Two bags.
Three bags.
It's so easy to make him look foolish.
Let's sit in the yard and drink tea and watch him do all the hard work.
98, 99, 100.
Done it.
That's not very nice of them at all, is it?
One day the time came for them to plant their crops.
They liked to grow millet because they knew they could get good money for it at the market, and that would mean they could live comfortably for the rest of the year until it was time again to grow some more.
I'll tell you what, said the elder brother one day, let's have a competition.
We'll each grow some millet and we'll see who grows the most and makes the most money.
The loser must give his field to the winner.
But the younger brother didn't have any seeds to plant.
He suddenly came up with an idea.
Older brother, lend me some seed and when I take it to market, I will pay you what I owe you.
Of course, said the older brother.
And he said to his wife, My dear, give my little brother the grain he needs to plant his field.
The wife knew that the younger brother knew nothing about farming and thought of a way to make him look very silly.
So she took the grain and dropped it into a pot of boiling water until it was cooked.
She laughed and laughed. as she stirred the grain in the pot.
Bubble, bubble, boil the seeds.
Make them as useless as a handful of weeds.
There was no way that the seeds would grow now.
Her husband was certain to win the wager.
Then she gave the seeds to her brother-in-law.
He was so pleased to receive the grain and thanked his brother and sister-in-law, and ran to the field to sow his seeds, not wishing to waste any time in growing his crop.
From the window of the little farmhouse, the older brother and his wife laughed and laughed at the little brother's ignorance.
Can you see him?
Stupid fellow!
Such a clever idea of yours, wife.
We're bound to win the wager now.
Every day for months on end, the little brother would run down to the field come rain and shine to check on the progress of his crop.
But there was nothing to be seen.
Not even the tiniest of tiny leaves.
In the next field, his brother's crop was lush and green.
He would tend his crops and stopped from time to time to look at his younger brother's fields.
Oh dear, you're not doing well, are you?
And they both laughed.
Oh dear, dear, not very well at all.
The younger brother was so sad.
One day, When he was beginning to think he should give up and leave the farm to go and work in the big city, he noticed a tiny green shoot in the farthest corner of the field.
Without telling his older brother.
He tenderly cared for the shoot, watered it and made sure it was safe from the wind and rain.
If his brother came to see what he was up to, The younger brother would say Nothing to see here, brother.
I think you'll certainly win the wager.
Eventually the seed grew into a big healthy plant with an ear big enough to cover half an acre.
Soon his brother and sister-in-law noticed.
Can you see?
Perhaps the biggest ear of millet I've ever seen.
No matter.
After all, it's just one ear of millet.
It doesn't matter how big it is.
It won't match our crop.
And they both laughed again.
When the ear of grain was ripe, the younger brother chopped it down with an axe.
He stared proudly at his harvest and thought, Maybe I have a chance of winning the bet after all.
But no sooner had the ear fallen to the ground that an enormous bird flew down, scooped up the seeds in its beak and flew away towards the sea.
The little brother ran after it as quickly as he could, shouting and shaking his fist.
Oi, bird!
Bring back my millet!
He ran and ran and eventually caught up with the bird at the beach.
Suddenly the bird spoke to him in perfectly clear human language.
Look, what's your problem?
Why is this ear of millet so important?
I need to eat too, you know.
You don't understand.
That is my only ear of millet.
If I have nothing to take to market, I won't be able to eat all winter and my older brother will win the bet.
I will look so foolish.
The young brother broke down in tears on the beach.
The bird took pity on the young man and said Right well, east of here is a treasure island full of gold and silver.
I will carry you across.
You can take whatever you want and probably will become very rich.
Does that sound like a good idea?
Oh, very.
You're a very kind bird.
The little brother climbed onto the bird's back.
Hang on tight and close your eyes.
The little brother did what he was told and suddenly there was a flapping and the sound like a hurricane.
Below he could just about hear the crashing of the waves as they flew over the ocean.
Eventually the bird landed.
Okay, we're here.
You can open your eyes now.
The little brother did so, but had to shield his eyes straight away, because all around him were a great many white and yellow objects shining brightly.
He could hardly open his eyes.
So much treasure!
I have never seen such riches.
Nervously at first.
He started gathering bits and pieces and stuffing them into his shirt.
Then he stopped.
Have you got enough?
The younger brother thought for a moment.
I've more than enough.
Thank you, big bird.
The bird looked at him and the handful of gold and silver items he'd taken and smiled.
Everything in moderation, he said approvingly.
He climbed back onto the bird's back and it carried him all the way home.
The End.
Good luck, don't forget to feed the birds when you can, said the bird and flew high up into the sky.
The next day he bought himself a good piece of land and plenty of good seed, which provided a big harvest, and he became very rich after taking it to market.
But his brother and sister-in-law were very jealous And one day came to ask him Where did you get all the gold and silver?
Who did you steal it from?
No one, he said truthfully.
And he explained his adventure with the big bird and the island of gold and silver.
Next day the wife said to her husband, the older brother, All we have to do is cook some grain again, plant it, wait for a single seed to germinate, grow and produce a big ear, and then see if the bird comes back and ask it to take you to the island of gold and silver.
And that's what they did, sure enough.
When the single ear was ready for harvest, the big bird flew down and snatched it up.
The older brother chased it to the shore and challenged it oi, that's my grain, give it back.
He said.
If you're going to steal it, the least you can do is take me to the island of gold and silver so i can get some treasure.
The bird thought for a few moments and then said okay, Your choice.
And off they flew to the island of gold and silver.
The older brother couldn't believe his eyes and started imagining all the things he could do with this treasure.
He'd buy a house, have the best clothes, buy a big cart and hold big parties so he could show off his wealth to all the neighbours.
How his wife would be of him.
He began stuffing as much as he could into his shirt.
Have you got enough? said the bird.
No, I haven't even started yet.
Your choice, said the bird.
The older brother put the gold and silver in his shirt, down his pants, into his shoes and under his hat so that he could hardly walk.
Have you got enough yet?
We really should get going.
The sun will be up soon and the heat will be too strong.
Just one more thing, said the brother, and he picked up a tiny gold ring from the pile of gold and silver and put it into his mouth.
That's it for now.
We can come back again to get some more mumbled.
The older brother as he staggered towards the bird and climbed awkwardly on its back.
The bird flew with difficulty into the sky, and as it did so, the sun broke through the clouds, its heat warming all the gold and silver till it was piping hot.
The big brother started shouting, shouting in pain.
The golden silver is burning me.
I need some water to cool me down.
To try to cool his passenger down, the bird flew down into the cooling waves.
But the brother slipped off the bird's back and sank like a stone into the water, weighed down by the gold and silver.
He was never seen again.
Oh dear, said the bird.
The End So you see, it's best not to be greedy.
Only take what you really need.
That way you can enjoy what you have.
And that's the end of our story.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed telling it to you.
Next time, we hear how, if you think you're clever...
You're probably not.
If you're interested in hearing more about Chinese folktales, follow us on your favourite podcast platforms.
We'll see you next time.
Bye for now.
Thank you.
