The Pretty Little Calf facts for kids

The Pretty Little Calf is a fascinating Chinese fairy tale. It was collected by Wolfram Eberhard in his book "Folktales of China". This story is about family, jealousy, and a magical calf.

The Story of the Pretty Little Calf

A New Beginning and Jealousy

Once upon a time, a government official had to leave his home. He was going to start a new job in a different place. He had three wives. Before he left, his first wife promised him gold when he returned. His second wife promised him silver. His third wife, however, promised him a son. The official was very happy with his third wife's promise.

The other two wives became very jealous of the third wife. They didn't like that she was favored. When the third wife gave birth, it was indeed a son. But the jealous wives lied. They told the official that she had given birth to a strange lump of flesh instead of a baby.

A Baby's Journey and a Mother's Fate

The first wife took the baby and threw him into a pond. But the baby didn't sink; he floated! So, the second wife quickly wrapped him in straw and grass. She then fed him to a water buffalo.

When the official came back home, his first wife gave him gold. His second wife gave him silver. But when he heard the false story about his third wife's "lump of flesh," he was very upset. He punished his third wife by making her work hard. She had to grind rice in a mill every day.

The Magical Calf Appears

Later, the water buffalo gave birth to a beautiful calf. This calf had a hide that shone like gold. It was a very special animal. The calf loved its master, the official, very much. The official was kind to the calf and always shared some of his food with it.

One day, the official spoke to the calf. He wondered if it could understand him. He gave the calf some dumplings and said, "If you understand human speech, take these dumplings to your mother." The calf did something surprising. It didn't take the dumplings to the water buffalo. Instead, it took them to the official's third wife, who was still working at the mill.

Unmasking the Truth

The first two wives quickly realized something important. They understood that the beautiful calf was actually the official's son. They became very scared. To get rid of the calf, they pretended to be sick. The first wife claimed she needed to eat the calf's liver to get better. The second wife said she needed the calf's skin.

The official, not knowing the truth, let the calf go free into the woods. He then bought another calf to kill instead.

A New Life and a Happy Ending

Meanwhile, a woman named Huang had a special plan. She announced that she would throw a colored ball from her house. Whoever caught the ball would become her husband. The magical calf, now free in the woods, caught the ball on its horn! Miss Huang was surprised but knew she had to marry it.

She hung wedding clothes on the calf's horns, and it ran off. Miss Huang chased after it. She found a young man by a pond, dressed in the wedding clothes. He told her to come closer. Miss Huang explained she was looking for her calf. The young man then revealed a big secret: he was the transformed calf! He could change his shape.

The young man went back to his father, the official. He told his father the whole truth about his birth and how his mother had been treated. The official was very angry with his first two wives. He was ready to punish them severely. However, his son convinced him to forgive them. But the son made sure his mother was brought back from the mill. She was finally reunited with her son and her rightful place in the family.