Even More Aesop's Fables · chapter 3 of 6
The Farmer and the Snake
农夫和蛇
On a snowy morning a kind farmer finds a snake frozen stiff and warms it inside his coat. It is a famous story, and a sad one.
Read what you hear
- Little Rabbit 爷爷，我的手好冷。今天的故事冷吗？
Yéye, wǒ de shǒu hǎo lěng. Jīntiān de gùshi lěng ma?
Grandpa, my paws are cold. Is tonight's story cold?
- Grandpa Owl 很冷。是一个冬天的故事，有雪，有风。
Hěn lěng. Shì yí gè dōngtiān de gùshi, yǒu xuě, yǒu fēng.
Very cold. It's a winter story, with snow and wind.
- Little Squirrel 我知道！农夫打了那条蛇！
Wǒ zhīdào! Nóngfū dǎ le nà tiáo shé!
I know! The farmer hit the snake!
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1 and 2 of Even More Aesop's Fables are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Grandpa Owl 咕咕，不对。这个农夫很好。
Gūgū, bú duì. Zhège nóngfū hěn hǎo.
Hoo, no. This farmer was very kind.
- Little Rabbit 那蛇是不是不好呢？
Nà shé shì bú shì bù hǎo ne?
Then was the snake bad?
- Grandpa Owl 听着。冬天，下了很大的雪。
Tīngzhe. Dōngtiān, xià le hěn dà de xuě.
Listen. It was winter, and it had snowed a great deal.
- The Kind Farmer 好冷啊！路上有什么东西？
Hǎo lěng a! Lùshàng yǒu shénme dōngxi?
So cold! What's that on the road?
- The Kind Farmer 一条蛇！它不动了，它好冷。
Yì tiáo shé! Tā bú dòng le, tā hǎo lěng.
A snake! It isn't moving. It's freezing.
- The Kind Farmer 小蛇，我带你回家吧。你不要怕。
Xiǎo shé, wǒ dài nǐ huíjiā ba. Nǐ bú yào pà.
Little snake, I'll take you home. Don't be afraid.
- The Kind Farmer 来，到我的大衣里。舒服吗？
Lái, dào wǒ de dàyī lǐ. Shūfú ma?
Come, get inside my coat. Is that comfortable?
- The Snake 啊……好舒服……我在哪儿？
A… hǎo shūfú… wǒ zài nǎr?
Ah... so comfortable... where am I?
- The Kind Farmer 你没事了！别怕，我是你的朋友。
Nǐ méi shì le! Bié pà, wǒ shì nǐ de péngyou.
You're all right! Don't be afraid. I'm your friend.
- The Kind Farmer 回家以后，我给你吃的，还有汤。
Huíjiā yǐhòu, wǒ gěi nǐ chī de, háiyǒu tāng.
When we get home, I'll give you food and soup.
- The Snake 我不冷了。我有力气了。
Wǒ bù lěng le. Wǒ yǒu lìqi le.
I'm not cold now. I have my strength back.
- The Kind Farmer 小蛇，你要做什么？
Xiǎo shé, nǐ yào zuò shénme?
Little snake, what are you doing?
- The Snake 对不起，我是蛇。蛇会咬人。
Duì bù qǐ, wǒ shì shé. Shé huì yǎo rén.
Sorry. I'm a snake. Snakes bite.
- The Kind Farmer 啊！我错了……我不该帮你。
A! Wǒ cuò le… wǒ bù gāi bāng nǐ.
Ah! I was wrong... I should not have helped you.
- Grandpa Owl 农夫没有再站起来。
Nóngfū méiyǒu zài zhàn qǐlái.
The farmer did not get up again.
- Little Squirrel 爷爷！我不喜欢这个故事！
Yéye! Wǒ bù xǐhuan zhège gùshi!
Grandpa! I don't like this story!
- Grandpa Owl 我知道。可是，这个故事很有名，很多人都知道。
Wǒ zhīdào. Kěshì, zhège gùshi hěn yǒumíng, hěn duō rén dōu zhīdào.
I know. But it is a very famous story. Many people know it.
- Grandpa Owl 中国人也讲“农夫和蛇”的故事。
Zhōngguó rén yě jiǎng “Nóngfū hé shé” de gùshi.
Chinese people tell the story of "The Farmer and the Snake" too.
- Little Rabbit 我懂了。帮人很好，可是要看清楚他是谁。
Wǒ dǒng le. Bāng rén hěn hǎo, kěshì yào kàn qīngchu tā shì shuí.
I see. Helping is good, but look carefully at who he is.
- Grandpa Owl 对。你说得很好。
Duì. Nǐ shuō de hěn hǎo.
Yes. Well said.
- Little Squirrel 明天，我想听开心的故事，好不好？
Míngtiān, wǒ xiǎng tīng kāixīn de gùshi, hǎo bù hǎo?
Tomorrow, I want a happy story, all right?
- Grandpa Owl 明天，有一个女孩，一桶牛奶，还有一个大大的梦。
Míngtiān, yǒu yí gè nǚhái, yì tǒng niúnǎi, háiyǒu yí gè dàdà de mèng.
Tomorrow there is a girl, a pail of milk and a great big dream.
- Little Rabbit 什么梦？爷爷，说一点点！
Shénme mèng? Yéye, shuō yì diǎndiǎn!
What dream? Grandpa, tell us a little!
- Grandpa Owl 牛奶，能变成什么呢？明天你就知道了。
Niúnǎi, néng biànchéng shénme ne? Míngtiān nǐ jiù zhīdào le.
What can milk turn into? Tomorrow you will know.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does the farmer find on the road?
“一条蛇！它不动了，它好冷。”
- What does the farmer do to help the snake?
“来，到我的大衣里。舒服吗？”
- What happens when the snake feels strong again?
“对不起，我是蛇。蛇会咬人。”
- What does the farmer say at the end?
“啊！我错了……我不该帮你。”
- What does Rabbit take from the story?
“我懂了。帮人很好，可是要看清楚他是谁。”