The cunning fox's tiger power （狐假虎威）
Good teamwork to achieve wicked goals （狼狽為奸）
A one-trick donkey （黔驢技窮）

There are hundreds more of these Chinese idioms (chengyu) that pack a lot of meaning into four characters.
Many of these Chinese idioms originate from historical events, classics, and folklore; they give us valuable insights into Chinese culture, history, and literature.
Aimed at English learners, The Magic Four groups together some of these well-known stories with animals as its theme.
Each story is accompanied with extra learning elements:

• The literal and figurative meanings of the Chinese idiom;
• A similar idiom/phrase in the English language;
• Definitions of useful vocabulary words in the story;
• Meanings of different idioms/phrases used in the stories and examples.

Not only will you gain insight into Chinese wisdom accumulated for centuries but also learn fun aspects of the English language too!

Catherine Chan
For over two decades, Catherine Chan worked for major newspaper companies that publish English educational titles. She had initiated student publications for primary and secondary students, and book projects, ranging from educational materials to children stories to university publications. Currently, Catherine is the Consulting Editor for Hong Kong Economic Journal (Education section), and has launched her own audio-enabled publication for young children titled BINGO!

Simon Lau
Born in England, Simon has been working in education and the media in Hong Kong since 1996. He has worked as a writer and editor for South China Morning Post, Pearson, Hong Kong Economic Times, The Standard (published under the Sing Tao Group) and Hong Kong Economic Journal. He has worked as a certified examiner for various Cambridge English exams and has written and published humorous short stories and poems.

William Ma
Born in Shandong and now living in Guangzhou, William is an illustrator whose drawings have been published in children's books and magazines for two decades. Watercolour version of the artwork in this book first appeared in The Korea Herald, an English language national newspaper published in South Korea. William has produced books and cards together with kindergarteners to create their masterpieces.

Don't rock the boat 
投鼠忌器
Cast pearls before swine 
对牛弹琴
The cunning fox's tiger power
狐假虎威
No such thing as a free lunch
守株待兔
Talk the talk, but not walk the walk 
叶公好龙
The final touch 
画龙点睛
An old hand 
老马识途
A bad apple that spoils the bunch 
害群之马
A blessing in disguise
塞翁失马
Straying from the right path 
歧路亡羊
Better late than never 
亡羊补牢
Strike while the iron is hot 
闻鸡起舞
At a loss for words 
呆若木鸡
An inflated sense of self 
螳臂当车
Broaden your horizons 
井底之蛙
Profiting from a stalemate
鹬蚌相争
Drop-dead gorgeous 
沉鱼落雁
Good teamwork to achieve wicked goals 
狼狈为奸
A one-trick donkey 
黔驴技穷
Can't see the wood from the trees 
盲人摸象
Index