The meaning of the story Xiaoman tells in Chinese Strange Tales is as follows:
When we were young, we were just like Xiaoman. We had a sensitive and rich childhood. After reading many traditional Chinese stories about mountain spirits and ghosts, Later, I will imagine that all living things are actually spiritual beings with emotions like us.
From the initial fear of the big catfish, to curiosity, to becoming friends, and finally to being intolerable, this tortuous and tortuous journey of children's minds actually symbolizes the endless thoughts in childhood. It's an inner drama of thinking about it day and night, and feeling lost in the end.
The story is named "Xiao Man", and the protagonist's name is also Xiao Man. Naming Xiao Man tells us that childhood is not perfect, and the same is true in life. Perhaps Xiao Man is the best state in life.
Story summary:
At the beginning of the story, Xiaoman and a few friends were playing in the river. They accidentally ran into a big catfish while picking up a ball. The ball was snatched away by the catfish, and Xiaoman was so frightened by the big fish that he became seriously ill. Even when he saw the goldfish in the fish tank, he would be scared and clamored for his mother to move the fish tank.
After he recovered from the illness, his friends took him to a new interesting place to play. They climbed into another courtyard and followed the bamboo poles to a mysterious underground world.
There was a big boat underground, and they were playing and playing on it. After returning home, Xiaoman had a nightmare. In the dream, all her friends were gone. She was alone on the boat and was frightened by the big catfish that appeared. As soon as she jumped, the big catfish stirred up the water and sand in the well, almost causing her to fall into the water again, which made her cry loudly.
The next day, Xiaoman and his friends went underground again and found a porcelain plate with a large catfish carved on the boat. Unfortunately, the porcelain plate broke.
Xiaoman collected the fragments of the porcelain plate, took them home, glued them carefully, framed them and put them in her treasure box. That night, she dreamed again, in which Xiaoman was sitting on a high table. On the lotus leaf, the big catfish came over to thank her and returned the ball that she had snatched away. This is how one person and one fish became friends.
A few days later, her mother took Xiaoman to the market to buy vegetables. Xiaoman was surprised to find that the big catfish from before was actually caught and was being broken down and sold by the vendors. Her mother asked Xiaoman if he wanted to eat it. He has always loved fish. Xiaoman shook his head and ran away.
Xiaoman came to the underground world again, trying to find traces of the big catfish, but at this time there was nothing but a piece of rubble underground. A butterfly flew out from the mouth of the well and stopped on Xiaoman's side. On the bamboo pole, it seemed to be saying goodbye to her.
Xiao Man left disappointedly. The locked courtyard door was opened from the inside, and some farmers appeared one after another, preparing to renovate the courtyard, and the well was filled in.
After Xiaoman returned home, he took out the porcelain plate with the big catfish on it. At this time, the porcelain plate was no longer as dazzling as it was at the beginning. After the color faded, only the carved shape remained. Xiaoman hung the framed porcelain plate on the wall, turned around and left. The sound of children playing in the background came from the background, and the story ended.