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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.

The Farmer and the Snake illustration

Read what you hear

  1. 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?

  2. 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.

  3. 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 ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Even More Aesop's Fables is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.

  1. 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.

  2. Little Rabbit 那蛇是不是不好呢？

    Nà shé shì bú shì bù hǎo ne?

    Then was the snake bad?

  3. 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.

  4. 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?

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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?

  8. The Snake 啊……好舒服……我在哪儿？

    A… hǎo shūfú… wǒ zài nǎr?

    Ah... so comfortable... where am I?

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. The Kind Farmer 小蛇，你要做什么？

    Xiǎo shé, nǐ yào zuò shénme?

    Little snake, what are you doing?

  13. 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.

  14. 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.

  15. Grandpa Owl 农夫没有再站起来。

    Nóngfū méiyǒu zài zhàn qǐlái.

    The farmer did not get up again.

  16. 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!

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. Grandpa Owl 对。你说得很好。

    Duì. Nǐ shuō de hěn hǎo.

    Yes. Well said.

  21. 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?

  22. 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.

  23. Little Rabbit 什么梦？爷爷，说一点点！

    Shénme mèng? Yéye, shuō yì diǎndiǎn!

    What dream? Grandpa, tell us a little!

  24. 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?

  1. What does the farmer find on the road?

    “一条蛇！它不动了，它好冷。”

  2. What does the farmer do to help the snake?

    “来，到我的大衣里。舒服吗？”

  3. What happens when the snake feels strong again?

    “对不起，我是蛇。蛇会咬人。”

  4. What does the farmer say at the end?

    “啊！我错了……我不该帮你。”

  5. What does Rabbit take from the story?

    “我懂了。帮人很好，可是要看清楚他是谁。”

All chapters in Even More Aesop's Fables.