The Treasure Ship

Lao SheZhejiang Juvenile and Children's Publishing House · ChinaFeb 2017

4.1

Word count: 16K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

The Treasure Boat is a children's play by Lao She. It tells of Wang Xiao'er, a boy in ancient times, whose diligence and thrift are rewarded when he goes up the mountain to gather firewood and obtains a small paper boat—the Treasure Boat that later comes into his hands. Around the storms and trials that surround the Treasure Boat, the play celebrates Wang Xiao'er's kindness, quick wit, and courage, and praises the fine spirit of laborers: hardworking and good-hearted, ready to help others, indomitable and brave, and united in mutual aid.

Editor's review

The Treasure Boat is a classic fairy-tale play Lao She lovingly created for children, revealing a lesser-known side of the literary master—his childlike playfulness and warmth. Compared with weighty works such as Teahouse and Camel Xiangzi, this piece is light and nimble, using rhythmic language and a plot full of twists to build a fantasy world in which evil is punished and good rewarded, and wisdom defeats greed. The story revolves around the boy Wang Xiao'er, who obtains a Treasure Boat that can grow or shrink on command; through a series of adventures—a flood, villains seizing the treasure, animals coming to his aid—it conveys the core values of diligence, kindness, courage, and mutual help. Lao She deftly combines folk-tale elements with dramatic form: the dialogue is easy on the tongue, the characters are sharply drawn, and the whole has a strong stage presence and readability. This is not only a work of children's literature; its concise, forceful narrative, its plain depiction of human good and evil, and its promotion of traditional virtues make it worth revisiting for adults too. Today, rereading The Treasure Boat lets us, amid the pace of modern life, feel again the purity, optimism, and firm faith in fine character in the master's writing, and appreciate the beauty of Chinese sound and the wisdom of its storytelling.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Upper-primary pupils looking for quality classic children's literature
Parents who want to read with their children and guide their values
Readers interested in the range of Lao She's work who want to know his fairy-tale writings
Drama enthusiasts or educators who could use it as a basis for adapting a children's play

Not a good fit for

Scholars of serious literature seeking complex, profound social analysis and heavy themes
Very young children seeking purely modern fairy tales full of sci-fi or flashy setups

Reading tips

Try reading aloud in roles, paying particular attention to the distinctive Beijing flavor and rhythm of Lao She's dialogue
As you read, imagine the stage scenes and feel the dramatic tension and action of the script
Discuss with children the symbolic meaning of the 'Treasure Boat' and the different outcomes of kindness and honesty versus greed and deceit

About the publisher

Zhejiang Juvenile and Children's Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Zhejiang Juvenile and Children's Publishing House serves young readers and publishes in areas such as early-childhood learning, children's literature, popular science, and family education. Among the 18 titles in our collection, the "Dreamy Little Princess" series by Jiu Jin is particularly well represented, including Purple Nocturne, Searching for the Lost Map, the Enchanted Undersea Palace, and The Real and Fake Prince, most of which fall under inspirational growth, reflecting the publisher's focus on children's literature and growth-themed reading. Because public information is limited, other series and author resources cannot yet be described in detail; the available titles already give an initial picture of its publishing character for young readers.

版权信息
第一幕
第一场
第二场
第二幕
第一场
第二场
第三幕

FAQ

When did Lao She write The Treasure Boat, and what is the story mainly about?

The Treasure Boat was written in 1961, a fairy-tale play Lao She wrote at the invitation of a children's publication. It tells of Wang Xiao'er, a diligent and kind-hearted boy who receives from an old man a Treasure Boat that can grow or shrink when a spell is chanted. When a flood comes, he uses the boat to rescue many people and animals. Later the boat is tricked away by a greedy rich man, but with the help of animal friends he has helped—the white cat, the queen bee, and others—Wang Xiao'er finally defeats the villain and wins back the Treasure Boat.

How is the book rated on Douban, and how do readers review it?

On Douban, The Treasure Boat, as a representative work of Lao She's children's literature, usually appears in his collected works or in single volumes and generally receives high praise. Readers mostly praise its lively and interesting story, concise and vivid language, and positive, beautiful meaning; it is a uniquely warm work among Lao She's writings, very suitable for parent-child reading or as an introduction to children's literature.

What age of child can read this book independently?

Because it is in script form and contains some expressions of the period, independent reading is recommended for children in the third grade of primary school and above who have a certain vocabulary and reading ability. For younger children, it is very suitable for parents to tell with feeling or to read together in role-play; its strong storytelling and rhythm will greatly attract children's interest.

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About the author

Lao She Author · China · 1899–1966

Lao She, born Shu Qingchun with the courtesy name Sheyu, lived from 1899 to 1966. A Manchu from Beijing, he is a major modern Chinese writer. His writing long centered on urban life in Beijing and on ordinary people at the lower levels of society. His works are mostly social novels and folk literature, and he also wrote essays and miscellaneous prose. His style is plain yet marked by irony and compassion, and he was skilled at using colloquial Beijing-flavored language to portray characters and their fates. His representative works include Camel Xiangzi, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, which have had wide influence. In 1951 he received the title "People's Artist." The library holds 488 of his works, commonly classified under social fiction, classics, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and exam books, showing that his writing continues to circulate among readers and in teaching.