Chinese Short Stories

Ma Liang, a poor boy who loves to draw, receives a magic brush that brings drawings to life. He paints oxen and waterwheels for poor villagers. When a greedy landlord demands a mountain of gold, Ma Liang paints it in the middle of the sea and sends a wind to carry the landlord away. A famous Chinese folktale.

A proud rabbit races a slow tortoise and dashes ahead, then naps under a tree. The tortoise keeps going steadily without stopping and crosses the finish line first. Slow and steady wins the race.

A little horse must cross a river to deliver wheat. A squirrel says the water is dangerously deep; an old ox says it’s shallow. His mother explains that depth depends on who’s crossing and tells him to try for himself. He finds it’s neither too deep nor too shallow. A beloved Chinese children’s story.

Tiaotiao the bunny refuses to sleep and sneaks out to see the forest at night. A wise owl reminds him that bunnies need rest to play tomorrow. Tiaotiao decides his cozy bed is best and falls asleep.

On a hot summer day, a thirsty crow finds a bottle with too little water to reach. It drops pebbles in one by one until the water rises, then drinks happily. A classic Chinese school story about cleverness and persistence.