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?
Hear the chapter
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.
- 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!
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！”