Chinese Story for Kids – The Story of the Caterpillar

Yuèguāng xià, yí gè xiǎoxiǎo de luǎn, tǎng zài shùyè shàng.
月光         下，一 个    小小  的  卵，  躺  在   树叶    上.
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf.

Yí gè xīngqītiān de zǎochén, nuǎnnuǎn de tàiyáng shēng qǐ lái le.
一 个    星期天  的     早晨，    暖暖     的    太阳       升  起 来 了，
One Sunday morning the warm sun came up.

Pā! Cóng luǎnké lǐ zuān chū yì tiáo yòu shòu yòu è de máomáochóng.
啪！   从    卵壳 里 钻   出   一 条    又   瘦     又 饿 的     毛毛虫。
Pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.

Tā sì xià xúnzhǎo zhe kěyǐ chī de dōngxī.
他 四 下    寻找   着  可以 吃  的  东西。
He started to look for food.

Xīngqīyī, tā kěn chuān le yí gè píngguǒ. Kě tā hái shì jué dé è.
星期一，他 啃   穿      了 一 个    苹果，可 他 还 是  觉 得 饿。
On Monday, he ate through one apple. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīèr, tā kěn chuān le liǎng gè lízi, kě tā hái shì jué dé è.
星期二，他 啃   穿      了  两   个 梨子,可 他 还 是  觉 得 饿。
On Tuesday he ate through two pears. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīsān, tā kěn chuān le sān gè lǐzi, kě tā hái shì è.
星期三，  他  啃   穿     了 三  个 李子,可 他 还 是 饿。
On Wednesday, he ate through three plums. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīsì, tā kěn chuān le sì gè cǎoméi, kě tā hái shì è.
星期四，他 啃   穿     了 四 个   草莓，可 他 还 是 饿。
On Thursday, he ate through four strawberries. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīwǔ, tā kěn chuān le wǔ gè júzi, kě tā hái shì è dé shòu bú liǎo.
星期五，  他 啃   穿      了 五 个 桔子,可 他 还  是 饿 得   受 不 了。
On Friday, he ate through five oranges. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīliù, tā kěn chuān le liù gè bōluó, kě tā hái shì è ya.
星期六，他 啃    穿      了  6 个  菠萝，可 他 还 是 饿 呀。
On Saturday, he ate through six pine apples. But he was still hungry.

Xīngqīrì, tā kěn chuān le yí kuài qiǎokèlì dàngāo, yì gēn bàngbàngtáng,
星期日，他 啃   穿     了 一  块  巧克力    蛋糕， 一 根      棒棒糖，
On Sunday, he ate through a piece of chocolate cake, one lollipop,

yí gè bīngqílín dàntǒng, yì tiáo suān huángguā,
一 个   冰淇淋     蛋筒， 一 条   酸   黄瓜，
one ice cream cone, one cucumber,

yí piàn ruìshì nǎilào, yì jié sàlāmǐ xiāngcháng,
一 片    瑞士  奶酪，一 截     萨拉米       香肠，
a piece of Swiss cheese, a part piece of Salami,

yì zhī bēixíng dàngāo, hái yǒu yí kuài xīguā.
一 只   杯形      蛋糕，还 有   一 块   西瓜。
one cupcake and one slice of watermelon.

Dào le wǎnshàng, tā jiù wèi tòng qǐ lái!
到   了   晚上，     他 就 胃    痛  起 来！
That night he had stomach ache.

Dì èr tiān, yòu shì xīngqīyī.
第 二  天，又  是   星期一。
The next day was Monday again.

Máomáochóng kěn chuān le yí piàn kě’ài de lǜ shùyè, zhè yì huí tā gǎnjué hǎo duō le.
毛毛虫               啃     穿   了 一  片  可爱 的 绿   树叶, 这 一 回 他   感觉   好    多 了。
The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf and after that he felt much better.

Xiànzài tā yìdiǎn’r yě bú è le——tā yě bú zài shì yì tiáo xiǎo máochóng le.
现在   他  一点儿  也 不 饿 了— 他 也 不 再 是 一  条   小      毛虫       了。
Now he wasn’t hungry any more and he wasn’t a little caterpillar any more.

Tā shì yì tiáo pàngdūdu de dà máochóng le.
他 是 一  条    胖嘟嘟    的  大    毛虫     了。
He was a big fat caterpillar.

Tā ràozhe zì jǐ de shēnzi, zào le yí zuò jiào zuò “jiǎn” de xiǎo fángzi.
他  绕着   自己的   身子, 造 了 一  座 叫   做   “茧”   的   小   房子。
He built a small house, wove a cocoon around himself.

Tā zài nà lǐ miàn dāi le liǎng gè duō xīngqī.
他 在 那 里  面   呆 了   两   个   多   星期。
He stayed inside for more than two weeks.

Ránhòu, tā jiù zài jiǎnké shàng kěn chū yí gè dòngdong, zuān le chū lái……
然后，  他 就 在  茧壳   上       啃    出  一  个  洞     洞，  钻    了 出  来……
Then he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out and……

Tā yǐjīng shì yì zhī měilì de húdié le.
他  已 经 是 一 只  美丽 的  蝴蝶 了！
He was a beautiful butterfly!

Key words:
1. 啃 (kěn): v. To nibble; To bite.

Example:
Lǎoshǔ zài nǎilào shàng kěn le yí gè dòng.
老鼠    在   奶酪     上    啃  了 一 个  洞。
The mice have nibbled a hole in the cheese.

2. 胖嘟嘟 (pàngdūdu): adj. Plump.

Example:
Jenny de liǎn pàngdūdu de.
Jenny  的 脸    胖嘟嘟    的。
Jenny has plump cheeks.

3. 星期 (xīngqī): n. Days of the week.

Quiz:

1. How do you say “Sunday” in Chinese ______.

A. 星期一 (xīngqīyī)
B. 星期三 (xīngqīsān)
C. 星期五 (xīngqīwǔ)
D. 星期日 (xīngqīrì)
See Answer

Chinese for Kids

General Chinese (Intermediate Level)