Caught In A Chinese Language Trap

(My father had an Asian coworker who worked front-house at the rib shack he works at. One day a customer walks in and is extremely rude to him. The coworker speaks perfect English, having been born in America.)

Customer: *very slowly and loudly* “I WOULD LIKE TO ORDER [ITEM]!”

Coworker: *asks him to repeat his order in scattered English*

Customer: *even louder* “I WOULD LIKE TO ORDER [ITEM].”

Coworker: *asks him to repeat in even more scattered English*

(This goes on for some time, and the coworker decides that the louder the customer says his order, the less English he knows. The coworker ends up shouting very angry-sounding Chinese very quickly, punctuating it with sharp arm movements. The customer leaves out of frustration.)

Dad: *after he finally stops laughing* “What were you shouting at that guy, anyway?”

Coworker: “I think it was an old fairy tale my parents used to tell me. It’s basically the Chinese version of Sleeping Beauty.”