The Fox and the Grapes

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Fox and the Grapes”

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一个yī ge炎热的yán rè de夏天xià tiān,狐狸hú li又yòu饿è又yòu渴kě。On a hot summer day, the fox was both hungry and thirsty.它tā走着走着zǒu zhe zǒu zhe,忽然hū rán发现fā xiàn路边lù biān有yǒu一yī架jià葡萄藤pú tao téng。As it was walking, it suddenly discovered a grapevine by the roadside.上面shàng miàn挂满guà mǎn了le一串串yī chuàn chuàn紫莹莹zǐ yíng yíng的de葡萄pú tao!It was laden with bunches of glistening purple grapes!

“哇wā,这些zhè xiē葡萄pú tao看起来kàn qǐ lai真zhēn甜tián!”“Wow, these grapes look really sweet!”狐狸hú li馋得chán de直zhí流liú口水kǒu shuǐ。The fox was drooling with greed.它tā后退hòu tuì几jǐ步bù,使劲shǐ jìn往上wǎng shàng一yī跳tiào——It stepped back a few paces and jumped with all its might—可kě葡萄架pú tao jià太tài高gāo了le,它tā没méi够着gòu zháo。but the grapevine was too high, and it couldn’t reach.

狐狸hú li不服气bù fú qì,又yòu跳tiào了le好hǎo几jǐ次cì,The fox, not willing to give up, jumped several more times,可kě每次měi cì都dōu差chà一点点yī diǎn diǎn。but each time it was just a little short.最后zuì hòu,它tā累得lèi de趴pā在zài地上dì shang直zhí喘气chuǎn qì。Finally, it was so tired that it lay on the ground panting.

这时zhè shí,狐狸hú li抬头tái tóu看kàn了le看kàn葡萄pú tao,At this moment, the fox looked up at the grapes,突然tū rán叉着chā zhe腰yāo说shuō:suddenly put its paws on its hips and said:“哼hēng!这些zhè xiē葡萄pú tao肯定kěn dìng还hái没méi熟shú,酸得suān de要命yào mìng!“Hmph! These grapes are definitely not ripe yet; they must be terribly sour!”我wǒ才cái不bù想xiǎng吃chī呢ne!”“I don’t want to eat them anyway!”

说完shuō wán,它tā扭头niǔ tóu就jiù走zǒu了le。After saying that, it turned around and walked away.

寓意yù yì:有些人yǒu xiē rén得不到dé bù dào想要的xiǎng yào de东西dōng xi时shí,会huì假装jiǎ zhuāng自己zì jǐ其实qí shí不bù喜欢xǐ huan它tā。The moral is: When some people can't get what they want, they pretend they don't actually like it.

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