Sweetheart Roland
Introduction
Why turn 'Sweetheart Roland' into a Chinese-style fable? Because a fable packs a big lesson into a small story. A fable names its characters in a word or two, the cruel witch, the faithful girl, the forgetful young man, and hurries straight to the point. This tale has two endings that feel at home in the Chinese story tradition. The first is 'harm returns to the one who plans it': the witch's scheme works against her own child, just as the old saying teaches that those who do evil must taste the fruit of their own doing. The second is 'a faithful heart that never bends'. The girl waits as a stone by the road and, when hope dies, becomes a lonely flower. Chinese legend has its own version of this, the 'Wangfu Stone', where a wife waits so long for her husband that she turns to stone. A European fairy tale and a Chinese legend, yet the same heart. When you read with your child, notice that the girl wins every fight with her wits, not her strength, and that love is finally restored by nothing grander than a song. The lesson is simple: true love will not stay hidden forever.
Vocabulary from "Sweetheart Roland"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
Unhappy because someone else has something you want.
嫉妒的；眼红的。
The witch's daughter grew jealous.
亲女儿看在眼里，妒火中烧，缠着母亲非要把围裙弄到手。
Moved slowly and quietly so nobody could see or hear.
（蹑手蹑脚地）悄悄走动。（creep 的过去式）
At midnight, the witch crept into the room.
半夜，女巫摸进房来，摸着床外侧的人，抡起斧子，一刀砍下了头。
A thin stick that a witch or magician uses to do magic.
魔杖。
"Take her magic wand," said Roland.
罗兰说：“把她的魔杖也带上，不然她追来，我们脱不了身。”
Very strong, sudden anger.
暴怒；狂怒。
The witch flew into a rage.
女巫勃然大怒，冲到窗前，远远望见继女和罗兰正逃往天边。
To make someone or something come to you by being gentle or lovely.
哄；诱使；使着迷。
The witch reached the shore and threw bread crumbs, trying to charm the duck closer.
女巫追到岸边，撒下面包屑，百般哄骗，鸭子就是不上钩。
The feeling of having no hope left.
绝望。
When the girl saw that Roland would never come, she fell into despair and turned herself into a flower by the road.
石头等了很久很久，不见罗兰回来。姑娘绝望了，把自己变成一朵花，开在路边。
A person who looks after sheep.
牧羊人。
One day, a shepherd passed by with his sheep.
可巧有个牧羊人赶着羊群路过，见这花开得好看，便摘下来带回小屋，放进柜子里。
A small, simple house in the countryside.
小屋；村舍。
He saw the lovely flower, picked it, and carried it home to his small cottage, where he put it in a chest.
他见这花开得好看，便摘下来带回小屋，放进柜子里。
Worried or not comfortable in your mind.
不安的；心里发毛的。
At first he enjoyed the help, but later he grew uneasy and went to ask a wise old woman.
起初他受用得紧，后来心里发毛，便去请教一位智慧的老婆婆。
Knew again who someone was.
认出。（recognize 的过去式）
And whoever hears this tale says: those who plot harm bring harm upon themselves, and a faithful heart is always recognized at last.
听过这故事的人都说：害人者终害己，痴心者终有报。
Always true and loyal to someone.
忠贞的；忠诚的。
When the faithful girl heard this, her heart was near to breaking.
痴心的姑娘听说这事，心像要碎了一般，死活不肯去，后来被人硬拉到了婚礼上。
Deep sadness.
悲伤；愁苦。
"If a passer-by steps on me and crushes me," she thought, "my sorrow will be over."
她心想：“若有过路人一脚踩下，把我碾碎了，倒也好，免得再受这相思的苦。”
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Those who plot harm bring harm upon themselves, and a faithful heart, even when it is forgotten for a time, is at last recognized and cherished.
Educational Value
Teaches children that cruelty turns back on the cruel and that a loyal heart is rewarded, and shows how quick wits beat raw strength; it also opens a door to comparing fable motifs across Chinese and Western stories.
Tips for Parents
After reading, talk about the witch's end: why did her axe strike her own child? Then ask your child whether the girl's long wait, even her wish to be crushed, was worth it. There is no right answer; the goal is to let your child speak freely.
Talk About It
- The witch's axe struck her own daughter. Do you think she was cruel, or just foolish?
- The girl turns herself and Roland into a lake and a duck, then a flower and a fiddler, to escape. If you were in danger, what would you turn into?
- Roland forgets the girl who shared his dangers. Is his change of heart his own fault, or the fault of the girl who charmed him?
- After she is forgotten, the girl would rather be crushed as a flower than forget Roland. Is that worth it? What would you do?
- A single song makes Roland remember her. Is there a song or a voice that always makes you think of someone?
