Thumbelina · chapter 3 of 4
The Rich Mole
有钱的鼹鼠
Safe with a kind field mouse, Thumbelina meets a rich mole who wants her for his wife. Then she finds something in his tunnel.
Read what you hear
- Field Mouse 来，先吃一点儿米饭，喝一点儿水。
Lái, xiān chī yìdiǎnr mǐfàn, hē yìdiǎnr shuǐ.
Come, eat a little rice and drink a little water first.
- Thumbelina 太好吃了！谢谢您，田鼠。
Tài hǎochī le! Xièxie nín, Tiánshǔ.
It's so good! Thank you, Mrs. Mouse.
- Field Mouse 我家很小，可是很热，很好。
Wǒ jiā hěn xiǎo, kěshì hěn rè, hěn hǎo.
My home is small, but it's warm and nice.
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Thumbelina 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.
- Thumbelina 我可以住在您家吗？我什么都会做。
Wǒ kěyǐ zhù zài nín jiā ma? Wǒ shénme dōu huì zuò.
May I live in your home? I can do anything.
- Field Mouse 可以！你帮我做饭，给我讲故事。
Kěyǐ! Nǐ bāng wǒ zuòfàn, gěi wǒ jiǎng gùshi.
Yes! You help me cook and tell me stories.
- Thumbelina 好啊！我最喜欢讲故事了！
Hǎo a! Wǒ zuì xǐhuan jiǎng gùshi le!
Great! I love telling stories!
- Field Mouse 明天，鼹鼠先生要来。他很有钱！
Míngtiān, Yǎnshǔ xiānsheng yào lái. Tā hěn yǒuqián!
Tomorrow Mr. Mole is coming. He is very rich!
- Field Mouse 他的房子很大，可是他看不见。
Tā de fángzi hěn dà, kěshì tā kàn bú jiàn.
His house is big, but he can't see well.
- Thumbelina 看不见？他为什么看不见呢？
Kàn bú jiàn? Tā wèishénme kàn bú jiàn ne?
Can't see? Why can't he see?
- Field Mouse 他不喜欢太阳，也不喜欢花。
Tā bù xǐhuan tàiyáng, yě bù xǐhuan huā.
He doesn't like the sun, and he doesn't like flowers.
- Narrator 第二天，鼹鼠先生来了。
Dì-èr tiān, Yǎnshǔ xiānsheng lái le.
The next day, Mr. Mole came.
- Mr. Mole 你好！我是鼹鼠。我有很多很多钱！
Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì Yǎnshǔ. Wǒ yǒu hěn duō hěn duō qián!
Hello! I'm Mole. I have lots and lots of money!
- Mr. Mole 我不喜欢太阳。太阳太亮了！
Wǒ bù xǐhuan tàiyáng. Tàiyáng tài liàng le!
I don't like the sun. The sun is too bright!
- Mr. Mole 我也不喜欢花。花太小了！
Wǒ yě bù xǐhuan huā. Huā tài xiǎo le!
I don't like flowers either. Flowers are too small!
- Thumbelina 可是我喜欢太阳，也喜欢花……
Kěshì wǒ xǐhuan tàiyáng, yě xǐhuan huā…
But I like the sun, and I like flowers…
- Field Mouse 拇指姑娘，给鼹鼠先生唱个歌吧。
Mǔzhǐ Gūniang, gěi Yǎnshǔ xiānsheng chàng ge gē ba.
Thumbelina, sing a song for Mr. Mole.
- Mr. Mole 啊！你的声音真好听！
Ā! Nǐ de shēngyīn zhēn hǎotīng!
Ah! Your voice is so lovely!
- Mr. Mole 我想要你做我的太太！来我家看看！
Wǒ xiǎng yào nǐ zuò wǒ de tàitai! Lái wǒ jiā kànkan!
I want you to be my wife! Come see my house!
- Mr. Mole 我家有一条很长的路。路里有一只鸟。
Wǒ jiā yǒu yì tiáo hěn cháng de lù. Lù lǐ yǒu yì zhī niǎo.
My house has a very long tunnel. There's a bird in it.
- Mr. Mole 他死了。别怕。夏天他唱歌，冬天他没饭吃。
Tā sǐ le. Bié pà. Xiàtiān tā chànggē, dōngtiān tā méi fàn chī.
He's dead. Don't be afraid. He sang in summer and had no food in winter.
- Mr. Mole 真笨！我不要这样的鸟。
Zhēn bèn! Wǒ bú yào zhèyàng de niǎo.
How silly! I wouldn't want a bird like that.
- Mr. Mole 我先回家了。你们慢慢看吧。
Wǒ xiān huí jiā le. Nǐmen mànmàn kàn ba.
I'll go home first. You two take your time.
- Thumbelina 小鸟，你好可怜……你一定很冷。
Xiǎo niǎo, nǐ hǎo kělián… nǐ yídìng hěn lěng.
Poor little bird… you must be so cold.
- Thumbelina 我给你一点儿草，你就不冷了。
Wǒ gěi nǐ yìdiǎnr cǎo, nǐ jiù bù lěng le.
I'll give you some hay, and then you won't be cold.
- Thumbelina 咦？我好像听见了什么。
Yí? Wǒ hǎoxiàng tīngjiàn le shénme.
Huh? I think I heard something.
- The Swallow ……好冷……
…Hǎo lěng…
…so cold…
- Thumbelina 他在说话！他的心在跳！他还活着！
Tā zài shuōhuà! Tā de xīn zài tiào! Tā hái huózhe!
He's talking! His heart is beating! He is still alive!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What must Thumbelina do to live with the mouse?
“你帮我做饭，给我讲故事。”
- What does Mr. Mole dislike?
“我不喜欢太阳。”……“我也不喜欢花。”
- Why does Mr. Mole want Thumbelina?
“你的声音真好听！”
- What does Mr. Mole think of the bird?
“真笨！”
- What does Thumbelina discover at the end?
“他的心在跳！他还活着！”