Chinese Myth

玉兔捣药🔊

Yù Tù Dǎo Yào
📚 Myths⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This myth tells of the jade rabbit making medicine on the moon.

The Story 🔊

Sān wèi xiānrén biàn chéng lǎorén xiàng dòngwù men qǐshí
三位Sān wèi🔊仙人xiānrén🔊变成biàn chéng🔊老人lǎorén🔊xiàng🔊动物们dòngwù men🔊乞食qǐshí🔊
Hóuzi hé húli dōu zhǎodào le shíwù zhǐyǒu tùzi méiyǒu
猴子Hóuzi🔊🔊狐狸húli🔊dōu🔊找到了zhǎodào le🔊食物shíwù🔊只有zhǐyǒu🔊兔子tùzi🔊没有méiyǒu🔊
Tùzi shuō qǐng chī wǒ ba
兔子Tùzi🔊shuō🔊qǐng🔊chī🔊🔊ba🔊
Xiānrén bèi gǎndòng bǎ tùzi sòng shàng le yuèliang
仙人Xiānrén🔊bèi🔊感动gǎndòng🔊🔊兔子tùzi🔊送上了sòng shàng le🔊月亮yuèliang🔊
Cóngcǐ yùtù zài yuègōng lǐ dǎoyào
从此Cóngcǐ🔊玉兔yùtù🔊zài🔊月宫yuègōng🔊🔊捣药dǎoyào🔊
English Translation:
Three immortals transformed into old men and begged for food from animals. The monkey and fox both found food, but the rabbit had nothing. The rabbit said: "Please eat me." The immortals were moved and sent the rabbit to the moon. From then on, the jade rabbit pounds medicine in the moon palace.

Key Vocabulary

玉兔捣药
yù tù dǎo yào
jade rabbit pounds medicine
仙人
xiānrén
immortal
捣药
dǎoyào
pound medicine
乞食
qǐshí
beg for food
感动
gǎndòng
moved
月宫
yuègōng
moon palace

The Moral

Selfless sacrifice is rewarded! This myth shows that kindness and sacrifice are always recognized.

Cultural Insight

玉兔捣药 is a popular folk tale associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival.