The Willow Pattern Story

2. A long time ago there was a very rich man called T�so Ling. He had a beautiful daughter called Koong-se. She lived with her father in a palace on the banks of a wide blue river.

3. ??????,?????????,??T�so Ling????????????,??Koong-se? ??????????????????????????????????

4. She had everything that money could buy �lovely clothes, lots of food and daughters to look after her. She had a magnificent garden to walk in. It was full of flowers �camellias and poppies and blood- red peonies.

5. Koong-se?????????????�?????,??,????????????????????????????�camelias??????????

6. Koong-se was lonely and wanted to have a friend to talk with and someone to love her. One day when she was walking among the weeping willow trees that grew along the banks of the wide blue river she felt so sad and lonely she began to cry.

7. ??Koong-se????,????????,???????????,?????? ??,???????????????,??????????,?????????

8. There now, don�t cry� said a gentle voice. Kong-se looked up and saw a young man leaning on a hoe among the blood-red peonies. Koong-se smiled through her tears. Who are you?� she asked. The young man was Chang, T�so Ling�s new gardener.

9. ????,????????�????�? Kong-se???,?????????????????????,????????? Koong-se ???????????�????�???????????, T�SO Ling????????

10. Every day after that Chang and Koong-se met under the branches of the weeping willow trees by the wide blue river. They fell in love. When T�so Ling found out he was very angry and sent Chang away .

11. ????,??Koong-se????????????? ????????T�so Ling??????????,???????

12. The next day T�so Ling banished Koong-se to live by herself in a little house on the banks of the wide blue river. He had a high wall built around it so that she could not escape.

13. ???, T�so Ling ?Koong-se?????????????????????????,??????

14. Soon afterwards, T�so Ling told Koong-se that he had arranged for her to marry a rich man like himself , and just as old. Koong-se was so upset she couldn�t stop crying. �When is the wedding to be?� She asked. �In the Spring,� said her father.

15. ????, T�so Ling ??Koong-se,????????????,???????????? Koong-se????,??????�???????�????�???,�???????

16. Her father gave her a casket full of jewels which the bridegroom had sent as a wedding present. �I don�t want his jewels,� cried Koong-se. Every day she cried as she thought about marrying a rich old man whom she had never met. Her tears floated like almond blossom on the waters of the wide blue river.

17. ???????????????????????�????????,� Koong-se????? ??????????????????????,??????????????????????????

18. Like everyone else Chang heard the bells ring out for Koong-se�s wedding. �It�s my last chance,� he thought. So on the night before the wedding Chang borrowed a boat and sailed it up the wide blue river. He moored the boat under a bridge and quietly made his way to Koong-se�s house.

19. ???????,???Koong-se??????�??????????�??,?Koong-se????????,???????,????,????????????????,??????Koong-se????

20. At the gate he called her name very softly. Koong-se heard Chang�s voice and came running to meet him. She brought the casket of jewels with her.

21. ????????????? Koong-se???????,????????????,?????????

22. Chang took the casket and grabbed her hand and they raced across the bridge to the waiting boat. But T�so Ling had been watching from the palace window. He picked up his hunting whip and chased after them. However, he soon got out of breath and couldn�t catch up with them.

23. ?????,?????????,???????????T�so Ling ?????????????????,???????????,???????

24. Chang and Koong se sailed through the night and through the next day until they came to an island in the middle of the wide blue river. They moored their boat and rested under some weeping willow trees.

25. ??Koong se????,????,????????????????????,???????

26. This will be a good place to set up home, said Chang. They got married in a town nearby. Chang sold the jewels so they were able to buy what they needed. Chang built them a house and made a garden.

27. �?????????,�??????????????????????????,?????????????????????,??????????????????

28. They had lots of sons and daughters who were very happy. They laughed and sang and played in the wide blue river. However, one day when the children were swimming T�so Ling discovered where Koong�se and Chang were living and he sent his soldiers to kill them.

29. ?????????,??????????????????,???,?????????????, T�so Ling ???Koong�se?????,?????????????????

30. The gods knew how much Koong�se and Chang loved each other, so they turned their spirits into two beautiful doves. To this day it is said they still soar and fly over the branches of the weeping willow trees which grow along the banks of the wide blue river.

31. ????Koong�se??????,?????????Koong�se???????????????,????,?????????????????????

32. A short version of the Willow Pattern Story Koong �se lived with her father by the side of a wide blue river. Koong-se was lonely, but she met Chang the gardener and fell in love with him.

33. �????�???? Koong �se???????????????????? Koong-se???,???????,?????,?????????

34. Tso�Ling wanted Koong-se to marry a rich old man. He was angry with Chang and sent him away. He locked up his daughter until the Spring when she was to marry the old man.

35. Tso�Ling???????????????????????????????????,?????????,????????????????

36. Chang borrowed a boat and sailed up the wide blue river before the wedding. The young lovers ran away together over the bridge.

37. ?????,???????,????,???????????????????

38. They sailed together to an island in the middle of the river. They lived there happily for many years until Tso�Ling found them and had them killed. Their spirits were turned into doves by the gods.

39. ??????????????????????????????,??Tso�Ling ????,?????????????????,?????????????