The Selfish Giant · chapter 1 of 3
The Wall
高高的墙
A giant comes home and finds children playing in his garden. He chases them out and builds a wall, and then something cold arrives.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很久以前，巨人有一个很大的花园。孩子们都爱来玩。
Hěn jiǔ yǐqián, jùrén yǒu yí gè hěn dà de huāyuán. Háizimen dōu ài lái wán.
Long ago, a giant had a very big garden. All the children loved to come and play.
- The Girl 小弟弟，看球！球来了！
Xiǎo dìdi, kàn qiú! Qiú lái le!
Little brother, look at the ball! Here it comes!
- The Little Boy 我来了！我要球，我要球！
Wǒ lái le! Wǒ yào qiú, wǒ yào qiú!
Here I come! I want the ball, I want the ball!
- The Girl 哎呀！球飞到树上去了！
Āiyā! Qiú fēi dào shù shàng qù le!
Oops! The ball flew up into the tree!
- The Little Boy 我太小了。我上不去。
Wǒ tài xiǎo le. Wǒ shàng bú qù.
I'm too small. I can't get up there.
- The Girl 别怕。我来！你看我！
Bié pà. Wǒ lái! Nǐ kàn wǒ!
Don't worry. I'll do it! Watch me!
- The Girl 我上来了！球在这儿！
Wǒ shànglái le! Qiú zài zhèr!
I made it up! Here's the ball!
- The Little Boy 姐姐真好！这个花园真好玩！
Jiějie zhēn hǎo! Zhège huāyuán zhēn hǎowán!
You're the best, sister! This garden is so much fun!
- The Girl 巨人去朋友家七年了。花园是我们的！
Jùrén qù péngyou jiā qī nián le. Huāyuán shì wǒmen de!
The giant has been at his friend's house for seven years. The garden is ours!
- The Little Boy 太好了！我们每天都来玩！
Tài hǎo le! Wǒmen měi tiān dōu lái wán!
Great! Let's come and play every day!
- The Girl 看！树开花了，鸟也在玩！
Kàn! Shù kāi huā le, niǎo yě zài wán!
Look! The trees are in bloom, and the birds are playing too!
- The Giant 你们在我的花园做什么？
Nǐmen zài wǒ de huāyuán zuò shénme?
What are you doing in my garden?
- The Girl 巨人回来了！快走，小弟弟！
Jùrén huílái le! Kuài zǒu, xiǎo dìdi!
The giant is back! Run, little brother!
- The Giant 出去！这是我的花园！
Chūqù! Zhè shì wǒ de huāyuán!
Get out! This is my garden!
- The Girl 对不起！我们走了！
Duìbuqǐ! Wǒmen zǒu le!
Sorry! We're going!
- The Giant 我不要孩子进我的花园！
Wǒ bú yào háizi jìn wǒ de huāyuán!
I will not have children in my garden!
- The Giant 我的花园，只有我可以玩！
Wǒ de huāyuán, zhǐyǒu wǒ kěyǐ wán!
My garden! Only I can play in it!
- The Giant 我要做一个高高的墙。
Wǒ yào zuò yí gè gāogāo de qiáng.
I'll build a tall wall.
- Narrator 高高的墙做好了。墙上写着：不可以进来！
Gāogāo de qiáng zuò hǎo le. Qiáng shàng xiězhe: bù kěyǐ jìnlái!
The tall wall was done. On it were the words: No one may come in!
- The Girl 我们没有地方玩了。
Wǒmen méiyǒu dìfang wán le.
We have no place to play anymore.
- The Giant 现在，花园只是我的了。
Xiànzài, huāyuán zhǐ shì wǒ de le.
Now the garden is only mine.
- The Girl 小弟弟，我们回家吧，明天再想想。
Xiǎo dìdi, wǒmen huí jiā ba, míngtiān zài xiǎngxiang.
Little brother, let's go home. We'll think of something tomorrow.
- The Little Boy 姐姐，我想回花园。那里有花，有鸟。
Jiějie, wǒ xiǎng huí huāyuán. Nàlǐ yǒu huā, yǒu niǎo.
Sister, I want to go back to the garden. It has flowers and birds.
- Snow 小朋友，别哭。你看，我来了！
Xiǎo péngyou, bié kū. Nǐ kàn, wǒ lái le!
Little friend, don't cry. Look, I'm here!
- The Little Boy 你是谁？花园里怎么变冷了？
Nǐ shì shéi? Huāyuán lǐ zěnme biàn lěng le?
Who are you? Why has the garden turned cold?
- Snow 我是雪。巨人不爱孩子，春天就不来。
Wǒ shì xuě. Jùrén bú ài háizi, chūntiān jiù bù lái.
I'm Snow. The giant doesn't love children, so spring won't come.
- Snow 我去叫霜和北风。他们也要住在这儿！
Wǒ qù jiào shuāng hé běifēng. Tāmen yě yào zhù zài zhèr!
I'll go call Frost and North Wind. They'll live here too!
- The Little Boy 春天……不来了吗？
Chūntiān… bù lái le ma?
Spring... isn't coming anymore?
- Snow 不来了！永远不来！
Bù lái le! Yǒngyuǎn bù lái!
Not coming! Never ever!
What changed in the story?
- Why does the giant build a wall?
“我的花园，只有我可以玩！”
- How does the girl get the ball back?
“我上来了！球在这儿！”
- Where has the giant been for seven years?
“巨人去朋友家七年了。”
- What does the sign on the wall say?
“不可以进来！”
- Why does Snow say spring will not come?
“巨人不爱孩子，春天就不来。”