Big Tiger and Christian audiobook
Big Tiger and Christian by Fritz Muhlenweg (1952)
This is my favorite children’s book for 10 to12 year olds, and unfortunately long out of print. It was written in German and translated into English by Isabel and Florence McHugh. I was given a copy for my 10th birthday and loved it. It is the story of 2 friends, a Western and a Chinese boy, who accidentally go on a long adventure from Peking all the way across the Gobi Desert to Urumchi in the 1920’s. Muhlenweg traveled extensively in the area and his evocative descriptions of the landscape, a gravelly plain, shifting sand dunes, barren watering hole, rocky creek bed, scraggly bushes, or vast grasslands, delight the nomad in us all. The 593-page novel dishes up a fast-paced tale of bandits and business-men, Buddhist monks and soldiers, innkeepers and camel herders, even an endearing and intelligent standard poodle (for what story would be complete without a dog).
The boys must decide who to trust and how much, when to tell only a little of the truth and when to tell more. They use their wits and their reasoning and their map-reading skills and most of all they learn that bandits are not all bad and business men are not all honest and soldiers are not all loyal and brave. They meet people who are petty and vain, who drink too much, who don’t appreciate their families, and also people who show courage and generosity and determination. They learn about love and loss and anger and make some very good friends. It is a story that you can enjoy many times.
Preface & Chapter 1: Big Tiger and Compass Mountain Decide to Go Kite Flying 4:44
Chapter 2: Of the Splendid Ascent of the Kite and of Its Lamentable End 8:36
Chapter 3: The great battle of the Nan-Ku Pass 4:10
Chapter 4: How it fares with one who is not on the winning side 6:46
Chapter 5: In which we make the honorable acquaintance of General Wu-Pei-Fu 8:42
Chapter 6: All goes well with Christian and Big Tiger 5:58
Chapter 7: Christian and Big Tiger become Secret Couriers 8:08
Chapter 8: Despite bad omens, the Journey begins well 9:36
Chapter 9: About the Man who spat into the Washtub 6:14
Chapter 10: We learn what Little Snowbird Knows 5:54
Chapter 11: About the Inn of the Two Little Silver Dishes and the innkeeper who was a Redbeard 15:50
Chapter 12: A chapter in which Frightful things Happen 21:04
Chapter 13: A chapter in which it is Night, and therefore not All that is Happening can be Seen 21:24
Chapter 14: Bator’s Story, which first had to be put into correct Chinese, and then into English 20:06
Chapter 15: About the Ring which is seeking its Owner 26:58
Chapter 16: About the Kang which was not walled in 20:40
Chapter 17: About the Secret of the little Stones 12:14
Chapter 18: About Mr. Moonlight and his Scar 13:19
Chapter 19: Strange information about Moonlight and an audience with the King of the Sunits 28:51
Chapter 20: About the magic word Yabonah and a wolf hunt at which not a single shot was fired 31:12
Chapter 21: Concerning the wild Lama Thunderbolt and unhappily also a lie which was told 23:30
Chapter 22: About Mount Muruktchich, and about Thunderbolt, who rode away 12:33
Chapter 23: About the braying of an ass, and dragons’ teeth, and an important discovery 21:29
Chapter 24: Which tells of the meeting with Mateh and with the caravan leader 43:25
Chapter 25: Containing the story of the “Venerable Chief” and an account of Greencoat’s injury 41:32
Chapter 26: A chapter full of evil omens 20:04
Chapter 27: A chapter that begins badly and ends with a great shock 45:40
Chapter 28: Concerning what happened at Ollon Torre 25.56
Chapter 29: Concerning what was written on the little bamboo rods 14:16
Chapter 30: About the treasure seekers’ plan and the terrible story of Shong-Ma 34:50
Chapter 31: Concerning the first find, and containing the story of Yu-San and Yu-Lan 20:50
Chapter 32: Of Great Dangers and of Naidang’s Wisdom 23:18
Chapter 33: Of the Finding of the little Treasure and the Return by a Different Route 44:08
Chapter 34: What Happened to Turakina and Good Fortune’s Long Speech 9:24
Chapter 35: An Old Acquaintance Turns Up 20:00
Chapter 36: How Christian and Big Tiger nearly become Redbeards 25:02
Chapter 37: Leavetaking of Seven Stars and Naidang 30:45
Chapter 38: About the Terrible Things which Happened in the Beautiful Valley called Nameless 34:06
Chapter 39: How the Caravan Traveled along the Path of Meditation 11:48
Chapter 40: Concerning Toeless a Criminal who Dwelt in the Middle of the Gobi Desert 34:01
Chapter 41: The True Story of Uncle Toeless 35:42
Chapter 42: The Ring Finds its Owner 19:04
Chapter 43: A Chapter in which We Learn Many Important Things 28:28
Chapter 44: How Christian and Big Tiger were Honored in the Robbers’ Stronghold 28:32
Chapter 45: Containing Fresh News of Mr. Greencoat
Chapter 46: How Ma and Greencoat shouted for help in the Ming-shui Fortress
Chapter 47: A chapter in which the Crisis is gradually Approaching
Chapter 48: Fate Marches On
Chapter 49: A chapter in which Many Tears Flow
Chapter 50: About many foreseen and unforeseen Events
Chapter 51: What goes on at a State Reception
Chapter 52: A chapter in which the old Grandfather has the Last Word
