小马过河 (Xiăomă Guòhé) A Little Horse Crosses a River (Part II)

Chinese Stories for Children

Xiăomă chījīng de wèn: “Shuĭ hěn shēn ma?”
小马      吃惊   地  问：“ 水    很    深   吗？”
“Is the water very deep?” The little horse asked the squirrel with curiosity.

Sōngshŭ rènzhēn de shuō: “Dāngrán lā! Zuótiān, wŏ de yí gè huŏbàn jiù shì zài zhè tiáo hé lĭ yān sĭ de!”
松鼠         认真     地   说 ：“   当然   啦！ 昨天，我  的 一 个  伙伴   就   是  在  这  条  河 里 淹 死 的！”
The squirrel said earnestly: “Of course! Just yesterday one of my friends drowned in this very same river.”

Xiăomă liánmáng shōu zhù jiăobù, bù zhīdào zěnme bàn hăo. Tā tàn le kŏu qì shuō: “Ài! Háishì huíjiā wènwen māma ba!” Xiăomă shuăishuăi wěiba, păo huí le jiā.
小马       连忙         收    住   脚步，不  知道    怎么   办   好。他  叹 了  口  气  说：“唉！还是 回家 问问 妈妈 吧！” 小马     甩甩        尾巴， 跑  回  了 家。
The little horse stopped at once and didn’t know what to do. He sighed and said: “Well, it’s better to go home and ask mother.” So he went home with his tail between his legs.

Māma wèn: “Zěnme huí lái la?”
妈妈     问：“怎么    回  来 啦？”
His mother asked: “Why have you come back?”

Xiăomă nánwéiqíng de shuō: “Yŏu yì tiáo hé dăng zhù le qù lù, guò…guò bú qù.”
小马         难为情     地  说：“  有  一  条  河   挡    住  了 去 路，过……过 不  去。”
The little horse said embarrassedly: “There is a river and I cannot cross it.”

Māma shuō: “Nà tiáo hé bú shì hěn qiăn ma?”
妈妈     说：“ 那  条   河  不  是  很   浅   吗？”
His mother said: “But that river is shallow.”

Xiăomă shuō: “Shì ya! Niú bóbo yě shì zhème shuō de. Kěshì sōngshŭ shuō héshuĭ hěn shēn, hái yān sĭ
小马       说：“  是 呀！牛 伯伯  也 是   这么    说  的。可是     松鼠      说     河水   很   深，  还  淹 死
guò tā de huŏbàn ne.”
过    他 的   伙伴    呢。”
The little horse replied: “Yes! Uncle Bull also thought it was shallow but the squirrel said it was deep and one of his friends had drowned in it.”

Māma shuō: “Nàme dàodĭ shì shēn hái shì qiăn? Nĭ zĭxì xiăng guò tāmen de huà ma?”
妈妈     说：“  那么    到底 是   深    还  是  浅？ 你  仔细  想   过   他们  的  话   吗？”
His mother said: “So is the water deep or shallow? Have you thought carefully about their words?”

Xiăomă dī xià le tóu, shuō: “Méi…méi xiăng guò.”
小马     低  下 了  头，说：“没……没     想    过。”
The little horse lowered his head and said: “No, I didn’t think about it.”

Māma qīnqiè de duì xiăomă shuō: “Háizi, guāng tīng biérén shuō,   zìjĭ  bú dòng năojīn, bú qù shìshi, shì bù xíng de,  nĭ qù shì yi shì,   jiù huì míngbai le.”
妈妈     亲切   地 对   小马     说：“孩子，  光     听     别人    说，自己 不  动    脑筋， 不  去  试试，是 不   行  的，你 去 试 一 试，就  会    明白    了。”
His mother said kindly to him: “My son, it won’t do if you just listen to others and don’t think for yourself. You should try and learn from the experience.”

Xiăomă huí dào hébiān, gānggāng tái qĭ qiántí, sōngshŭ yòu dà jiào qĭ lái: “Zěnme, nĭ bú yào mìng le?”
小马      回   到    河边，   刚刚      抬 起  前蹄， 松鼠     又   大 叫 起 来：“怎么，你 不  要    命   了？”
The little horse came back to the riverside and was ready to cross the river. Then the squirrel shouted loudly: “You don’t want to live?”

“Ràng wŏ zìjĭ shìshi ba.” Xiăomă yí miàn huídá, yí miàn xià le hé, xiăoxīn de guò qù le. Yuánlái héshuĭ jì bú
“让     我 自己 试试 吧。”小马   一   面   回答，一  面   下 了 河，小心  地  过  去 了。原来    河水 既 不
xiàng lăoniú shuō de nà yàng qiăn, yě bú xiàng sōngshŭ shuō de nà yàng shēn.
像       老牛    说   的 那   样    浅，也  不   像      松鼠      说    的 那   样    深。
“I want to try it myself.” The little horse said as he was crossing the river. The water was not as shallow as the bull had said but also not as deep as the squirrel had described.

1. 吃惊(chījīng) adv. amazedly

2. 认真(rènzhēn) adv. earnestly

3. 难为情(nánwéiqíng) adv. embarrassedly

4. 亲切(qīnqiè) adv. kindly

Read more interesting Chinese stories for kids:

Kids’ Chinese Story: Three Monks Had no Water to Drink
Kids’ Chinese Story: How did a Thirsty Crow Drink Water? (Beginner)
Kids’ Chinese Story: 小猫钓鱼 Little Cat Goes Fishing (Beginner)
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