The Sky Is Falling · chapter 2 of 3
The Shortcut
近路
The fox leads the friends down a strange path to the king's home. But why is the king's home a dark hole in a hill?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 狐狸带着大家，走上了一条小路。
Húli dàizhe dàjiā, zǒu shàng le yì tiáo xiǎo lù.
The fox led everyone onto a narrow path.
- Fox 快点儿，朋友们。这条路又近又好走。
Kuài diǎnr, péngyoumen. Zhè tiáo lù yòu jìn yòu hǎo zǒu.
Hurry, friends. This road is short and easy.
- Duck 这条路好小。我什么也看不见。
Zhè tiáo lù hǎo xiǎo. Wǒ shénme yě kàn bú jiàn.
This path is so narrow. I can't see anything.
Chapter 2 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of The Sky Is Falling 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.
- Fox 别怕，别怕。国王的家就在前面。
Bié pà, bié pà. Guówáng de jiā jiù zài qiánmiàn.
Don't be afraid. The king's home is just ahead.
- Duck 国王的家，是在山里面吗？
Guówáng de jiā, shì zài shān lǐmiàn ma?
The king's home is in the hills?
- Fox 对，就在山里。那儿有很多好吃的。
Duì, jiù zài shān lǐ. Nàr yǒu hěn duō hǎochī de.
Yes, in the hills. There's lots of good food there.
- Little Red Hen 好奇怪……国王的家，为什么在山里？
Hǎo qíguài… guówáng de jiā, wèishénme zài shān lǐ?
How strange... why would the king's home be in the hills?
- Little Red Hen 狐狸先生，我怎么没看见路？
Húli xiānsheng, wǒ zěnme méi kànjiàn lù?
Mr. Fox, why don't I see a road?
- Fox 你看，路就在前面。走吧，走吧。
Nǐ kàn, lù jiù zài qiánmiàn. Zǒu ba, zǒu ba.
Look, the road is right ahead. Come on, come on.
- Duck 小红鸡，别怕。狐狸是个好人。
Xiǎohóngjī, bié pà. Húli shì ge hǎo rén.
Don't be scared, Little Red Hen. Fox is a nice person.
- Little Red Hen 是吗？可是他一直看着我们……
Shì ma? Kěshì tā yìzhí kànzhe wǒmen…
Is he? But he keeps staring at us...
- Little Red Hen 你看他的眼睛。他好像很饿。
Nǐ kàn tā de yǎnjing. Tā hǎoxiàng hěn è.
Look at his eyes. He looks so hungry.
- Duck 别说了。我们就快到了。
Bié shuō le. Wǒmen jiù kuài dào le.
Hush now. We're almost there.
- Narrator 天黑了。他们来到一座小山前面。
Tiān hēi le. Tāmen lái dào yí zuò xiǎo shān qiánmiàn.
It grew dark. They came to a small hill.
- Fox 到了！这就是国王的家！
Dào le! Zhè jiù shì guówáng de jiā!
We're here! This is the king's home!
- Goose 这个洞……看起来好黑啊。
Zhège dòng… kànqilai hǎo hēi a.
This hole... it looks so dark.
- Fox 里面有火，还有热茶。请进，请进！
Lǐmiàn yǒu huǒ, hái yǒu rè chá. Qǐng jìn, qǐng jìn!
There's a fire inside, and hot tea. Please, come in!
- Goose 热茶？我正想喝一杯热茶呢！
Rè chá? Wǒ zhèng xiǎng hē yì bēi rè chá ne!
Hot tea? I was just wishing for a cup of hot tea!
- Goose 热茶，热茶！还有好吃的点心吗？
Rè chá, rè chá! Hái yǒu hǎochī de diǎnxin ma?
Hot tea! Are there tasty treats too?
- Goose 我先进去看看。你们在这儿等我。
Wǒ xiān jìnqù kànkan. Nǐmen zài zhèr děng wǒ.
I'll go in first and look around. You wait here.
- Little Red Hen 等一下，大鹅！你先别进去！
Děng yíxià, dà'é! Nǐ xiān bié jìnqù!
Wait, Goose! Don't go in yet!
- Little Red Hen 狐狸，国王在哪儿？我没看见他。
Húli, guówáng zài nǎr? Wǒ méi kànjiàn tā.
Fox, where is the king? I don't see him.
- Fox 国王？他就在洞里面。快进来！
Guówáng? Tā jiù zài dòng lǐmiàn. Kuài jìnlái!
The king? He's right inside the hole. Come in quickly!
- Little Red Hen 狐狸，你的牙怎么这么大？
Húli, nǐ de yá zěnme zhème dà?
Fox, why are your teeth so big?
- Fox 牙大，才好吃你们！
Yá dà, cái hǎo chī nǐmen!
Big teeth are better for eating you!
- Duck 什么？他要吃我们？
Shénme? Tā yào chī wǒmen?
What? He wants to eat us?
- Goose 啊！我不进去了！
Ā! Wǒ bú jìnqù le!
Ah! I'm not going in!
- Little Red Hen 大家快跑！快跑！快跑！
Dàjiā kuài pǎo! Kuài pǎo! Kuài pǎo!
Everyone, run! Run! Run!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Why does Hen feel uneasy about the path?
“我怎么没看见路？”……“他一直看着我们”
- Where does the fox say the king's home is?
“对，就在山里。”
- What does Goose want inside the hole?
“我正想喝一杯热茶呢！”
- What does Hen notice about the fox at the den?
“你的牙怎么这么大？”
- What does the fox finally reveal?
“牙大，才好吃你们！”