The Tall Crane

Illustration for the Chinese story “The Tall Crane”

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从前cóng qián,有yǒu一个人yī gè rén,他tā家jiā有yǒu很多hěn duō鸡jī。Long ago, there was a man who had many chickens at home.鸡jī每天měi tiān一起yī qǐ走zǒu,一起yī qǐ吃chī东西dōng xi。Every day the chickens walked together and ate together.

一天yī tiān,有人yǒu rén送给sòng gěi他tā一只yī zhī鹤hè。One day, someone gave him a crane.鹤hè是shì一种yī zhǒng大dà鸟niǎo,腿tuǐ很hěn长cháng。A crane is a big bird with very long legs.它tā全身quán shēn白白bái bái的de,很hěn好看hǎo kàn。It was white all over and very pretty.

鹤hè站在zhàn zài鸡jī的de中间zhōng jiān。The crane stood among the chickens.它tā比bǐ每měi一只yī zhī鸡jī都dōu高gāo很多hěn duō。It was much taller than every chicken.人们rén men一来yī lái,就jiù先xiān看见kàn jiàn它tā。As soon as people came, they saw it first.因为yīn wèi它tā和hé鸡jī太tài不一样bù yī yàng了le。Because it was just too different from the chickens.

这个zhè ge成语chéng yǔ是shì“鹤立鸡群hè lì jī qún”。This idiom is "a crane standing among chickens."意思yì si是shì:一个人yī gè rén比bǐ别人bié ren好hǎo很多hěn duō,很hěn特别tè bié。It means: someone is much better than others and really stands out.小美xiǎo měi唱歌chàng gē唱chàng得de最好zuì hǎo,她tā在zài班bān里lǐ鹤立鸡群hè lì jī qún。Xiao Mei sings the best; in her class she is a crane among chickens.

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