Chinese Stories for Language Learners: A Treasury of Proverbs and Folktales

The highly anticipated next book in Tuttle's Stories for Language Learners series is here!

This book presents 22 classic Chinese proverbs and the traditional tales behind them.

Some of the proverbs featured in this collection include:"Painting the Eyes on the Dragon" • Based on the story of a famous court painter in 6th century China who painted dragons, this proverb refers to the finishing touches needed to bring a work of art or literature to life. In a discussion, it refers to the final statements used to clinch the argument.

"Waiting for Rabbits by a Tree Stump" • Based on an ancient folktale about a foolish farmer who sees a rabbit kill itself by running into a tree stump, then gives up tilling his field to wait for more rabbits by the stump. This saying is applied to people who wait passively for luck to strike again. It also refers to impractical people who stick to one way of doing things only because it has worked for them once in the past.

"Pure Water Has No Fish; Perfect People Have No Friends" • Many versions of this historical tale exist. The one told here is about a 2nd century AD official sent to govern a far-flung outpost on the Silk Road who is fastidious in applying strict rules and thereby causes the local people to rebel against him. In the professional world, it refers to people who do not like to work with an overly strict supervisor or colleague.

Chinese Stories for Language Learners presents these timeless tales in engaging English retellings, offering listeners an entertaining introduction to the wisdom and humor behind some of China's most enduring proverbs.The print edition also includes the original Chinese texts, language-learning notes, vocabulary, discussion questions and other resources for students of Mandarin.

© 2026 Tuttle Publishing (Lydbog): 9781955634205

Udgivelsesdato

Lydbog: 6. maj 2026