【少儿必听】英语剧场|分阶听力提升

Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Alice: and she had a very curious dream. Would you like to hear what it was that she dreamed about?

Well, this was the first thing that happened. A White Rabbit came running by, in a great hurry; and, just as it passed Alice, it stopped, and took its watch out of its pocket. Wasn't that a funny thing? Did you ever see a Rabbit that had a watch, and a pocket to put it in? Of course, when a Rabbit has a watch, it must have a pocket to put it in: it would never do to carry it about in its mouth-and it wants its hands

sometimes, to run about with. Hasn't it got pretty pink eyes (I think all White Rabbits have pink eyes); and pink ears; and a nice brown coat; and you can just see its red pocket-handkerchief peeping out of its coat-pocket: and, what with its blue neck-tie and its yellow waistcoat, it really is very nicely dressed.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" said the Rabbit. "I shall be too late!" What would it be too late for, I wonder? Well, you see, it had to go and visit the Duchess (you'll see a picture of the Duchess, soon, sitting in her kitchen): and the Duchess was a very cross

old lady: and the Rabbit knew she'd be very angry indeed if he kept her waiting. So the poor thing was as frightened as frightened could be (Don't you see how he's trembling? Just shake the book a little, from side to side, and you'll soon see him tremble), because he thought the Duchess would have his head cut off, for a punishment. That was what the Queen of Hearts used to do, when she was angry

with people: at least she used to order their heads to be cut off, and she always thought it was done, though they never really did it. And so, when the White Rabbit ran away, Alice wanted to see what would happen to it: so she ran after it: and she ran, and she ran, till she tumbled right down the rabbit-hole. And then she had a very long fall indeed. Down, and down, and down, till she began to wonder if she was going right through the World, so as to come out on the other side! It was just like a very deep well: only there was no water in it. If anybody really had such a fall as that, it would kill them, most likely: but you know it doesn't hurt a bit to fall in a dream, because, all the time you think you're falling, you really are lying somewhere, safe and sound, and fast asleep! However, this terrible fall came to an end at last, and down came Alice on a heap of sticks and dry leaves. But she wasn't a bit hurt, and up she jumped, and ran after the Rabbit again. And so that was the beginning of Alice's curious dream. And, next time you see a White Rabbit, try and fancy you're going to have a curious dream, just like dear little Alice.

从前，有个名叫爱丽丝的小姑娘，她做了一个非常奇特的梦。你们想不想知道她梦见什么啦？好吧，她的梦一开始是这样的：一只小白免匆匆忙忙地跑了过来，在爱丽丝的身边停下脚步，然后从衣服口袋里掏出来一块怀表。这是不是很搞笑？你们有谁见过免子拿块怀表，并且还把怀表放到它的衣袋里呢？当然了，如果免子有一块怀表的话，它需要把怀表放进衣服口袋里，因为它无法把怀表街在嘴里，也不能总是拿在手上因为有的时候，它需要用四个爪子来奔跑。

这只免子长着漂亮的粉红眼睛，还长了一对粉红色的长耳朵。它身上穿了件褐色

的柔软皮衣，你们可以看见从皮衣口袋里露出来一角的红色手帕。小免子还穿了一件黄色的背心，打着一条蓝色的领带。嗬，它穿得可真够神气的！

“哦天哪，哦天哪！〞免子喃喃自语道，“我要迟到了！

我不禁感到好奇，想要知道它做什么事情迟到啦。噢，你瞧，小免子必须去拜见公爵夫人（很快，你们就能看到公爵夫人坐在厨房里的图片了）。公爵夫人是一位脾气暴躁的年迈女士。小免子深知，如果让公爵夫人久等的话，她一定会大发雷霆。可怜的小兔子吓得心惊胆战（你们能看见它在瑟瑟发抖吗？把这本书来回晃动几下，你们就能看到它在颤抖了），它的脑海里浮现出一个可怕的场景：公爵夫人命令仆人将它的脑袋砍掉！过去，每逢有人惹恼了红心王后，她总会这样对待他们，吩咐兵丁将他们斩首。虽然红心王后的命令从水都没有人真正地执行过。然而，她却认为那些人的脑袋早就搬家了、白免撒腿跑走了。爱丽丝急切地想要知道下面会发生什么事情，于是，她也跟在免子身后跑了起来。跑呀跑呀，最后她一下子掉进了一个免子洞里在那个免子洞里，爱丽丝向下坠落了很久很久。坠落，坠落，坠落，她不由得在心里疑惑起水，怀疑自己是否正在穿越整个地球，到末了会不会从地球的另一端钻出来！免子洞很像一口深不见底的井，只不过里边没有水。假如有

人真的掉了进去，很可能就没命了。但是你们要知道，在睡梦中坠落决不会受到丝亳的伤害，因为，在你自以为坠落的时候，其实，你正平平安安地躺在某个地方，睡得正香！无论如何，可怕的坠落终于结束了，爱丽丝跌落到一堆干树叶和草棍之上。她毫发无损地从地上跳起来，又继续跟在免子身后奔跑这就是爱丽丝所梦见的开头的部分。下一次，当你看见一只小白免的时候，试着也像亲爱的小爱丽丝那样，去做一个奇妙的梦吧！

Zootopia was an amazing city!

动物城是一座令人叹为观止的城市

Animals of all different sizes and shapes lived and worked together happily. Everyone was

equal, whether they had long claws or little paws.

各种大小和外形的动物在一起快乐地生活和工作。不管他们有长长的瓜子还是小小的脚掌，每一位动物都是平等的。

ANYONE CAN BE ANYTHING!

谁都能梦想成真。

Even a small bunny from a farm in Bunny burrow could achieve her dream job.

哪怕是一位来自兔窝镇的农场的小免子也能从事她梦想中的职业。

Judy Hopps was the first bunny ever to join the Zootopia Police Department! Judy hopped with excitement as she waited for her first assignment. But when Police Chief Bogo handed her a machine for issuing parking tickets, her ears fell. She wanted to solve crimes, not

be a meter maid.

朱迪•霍普斯是有史以来第一位加入动物城警察局的小免子！朱迪兴奋地跳来跳去，等待接受第一个任务可是当警察局牛局长递给她台开违章停车罚单的仪器时，她的耳朵一下子就耷拉下来了。她想去破案，而不是做一个专门开罚单的女警

Still, Judy wanted to do a good job. Her sharp hearing alerted her to expired meters, and she wrote hundreds of parking tickets before lunchtime!

可是朱迪依然想把这个任务做好。她敏钪的听觉使她对超时的停车计时器特别警觉，而她开了数以百计的罚单，还没到午餐时间呢！

At noon, Judy headed to a nearby cafe for an elephant-sized treat. There she met a little fox who was desperate for a Jumbo-pop. His dad, Nick, was out of cash, so Judy offered to pay.

到了中午，朱迪去附近一家咖啡店，她要买一份大象级的美食来慰劳自己。在那里她遇上了一只小狐狸。小狐狸很想要一根大泡泡棒冰，可是他的爸爸尼克没有现金，于是朱迪主动提出替他付钱

But very soon, Judy learned that Nick had tricked her! He melted the Jumbo-pop.

可可是朱迪很快就发现原来尼克骗了她！他把大泡泡棒冰融化了•

...to create smaller pawpsicles. Then he resold those for a big profit!

制成了更小的爪爪棒冰。然后把它们再卖出去获得更大的利润！

That night, Judy went to bed disappointed. The day hadn't turned out like she'd planned.

She wanted to fight crime.

当天晚上，朱迪怀着失望的心情上床睡觉。今天的经历与她预计的完全不一样。她想要打击犯罪。

I JUST NEED ONE CHANCE,

我只需要一个机会

The next day, Judy got her chance. Mrs. Otterton's husband was missing, and Judy offered to take the case. Assistant Mayor Bellwether agreed, and Mrs. Otterton was so grateful! But Judy had only two days to solve the crime!

第二天，朱迪的机会来了。奥獭顿太太的丈夫失踪了，朱迪自告奋勇接手这个案子。羊副市长批准了，奥獭顿太太千恩万谢！可是朱迪必须在两天内破案！

Judy learned that Nick had seen Mr. Otterton recently. She convinced the fox to help her by pulling her own trick: she used her carrot pen to record him talking about his shady business deals! Reluctantly, Nick helped Judy gather clues all across Zootopia. until they reached the Rainforest District.

朱迪知道尼克最近见过奥獭顿先生，于是她略施小计，“说服〞了尼克帮助她破案。因为尼克说起自己那些不合法的生意，都被朱迪用胡萝卜录音笔录下来了。虽然不情愿，可尼克还是陪着朱迪跑遍整座动物城收集线索，最后他们来到了热带雨林

Nick and Judy found Mr. Manchas, but something was wrong with him.

尼克和朱迪找到了麦岔先生，却发现他有点不对劲

He had gone WILD:

他突然发起疯来！

Nick and Judy worked together and escaped. They were becoming friends! Both of them wanted to solve this case and prove they could do important work.

尼克和朱迪齐心协力逃了出来。他们成了好朋友！他们俩都想把这个案子破了，以证明自己能担大任。

Judy knew how to find their next lead! Using security camera footage, she led Nick to a scary building on the edge of town.

朱迪知道怎样寻找下一条线索！她利用监控摄像头拍下来的片段，带领尼克来到了位于城市

边缘的一栋恐怖的建筑物里面。

Inside, they found more wild-eyed animals，including the missing otter! Why had these animals turned savage?

在这里，他们发现了更多目露凶光的动物，包括那位失踪的奥獭顿先生！到底是谁把这些动物变成野兽的呢？

A tip from an informer led Nick and Judy to an abandoned subway station. While Nick distracted the guards, Judy slipped into a subway car.

根据线人的情报，尼克和朱迪来到了一个废弃的地铁站内。尼克引开守卫，朱迪趁机溜进了一节地铁车厢

...that was also a secret laboratory! Judy saw a ram create a serum using a flower. She learned that the serum caused mammals to turn WILD.

原来这里也是个秘密实验室！朱迪看见一头公羊用花朵提炼出一种试剂，她发现原来正是这种试剂把那些动物变成野兽的！

Nick and Judy grabbed the serum and ran. until they were cornered by Assistant Mayor

Bellwether! The sneaky sheep had created the serum because she knew that if animals with claws and fangs-predators-became savage, citizens would be scared of them. Then the smaller animals could lock them up and take over!

尼克和朱迪抓起试剂就跑，直到他们被羊副市长逼到了角落！正是这只鬼鬼崇崇的绵羊制造了这些试剂。因为她知道，如果那些有利爪和尖牙的动物，也就是食肉动物变成野兽，大市民就会害怕他们。这样一来，体型较小的动物就可以名正言顺地把他们关起来，然后全盘接管动物城！

Bellwether shot a dart filled with the serum into Nick! The fox sank to all fours and started

shaking. Bellwether smiled. She expected Nick to become savage and eat Judy!

羊副市长用一支灌满了试剂的飞镖射中了尼克。尼克四肢着地，全身开始发抖。羊副市长笑了，她预料尼克会变成野兽，然后把朱迪吃了！

But Nick didn't turn wild. He and Judy had pulled their greatest trick. They had switched the serum with blueberry juice!

可是尼克并没有发狂，因为他和朱迪想出了一条最厉害的掉包计：他们早就把毒试剂换成了蓝莓汁！

Nick and Judy gave the evidence to Chief Bogo, and Bellwether was arrested. All the

animals who had gone savage-including Mr. Otterton-would soon be cured.

尼克和朱迪把证据交给了牛局长，羊副市长被逮捕了。所有变成野兽的动物包括奥獭顿先生

很快就会被治愈。

Judy and Nick had solved the case, and proved that they were far more than a dumb

bunny and a sly fox. They were partners and best friends--ready to fight crime in Zootopia!

朱迪和尼克成功破了案，也证明他们远不止是只笨免子和一只奸狐狸那么简单。他们是最佳拍档也是最好的朋友，他们己经做好了准备，誓要跟动物城里的犯罪活动斗争到底！

Mama, Papa, Brother, Sister, and Honey were all looking forward to the Chapel in the Woods yearly cub campout. Mama checked off their list of items: sleeping bags, lanterns, picnic basket, tent, matches, cooking pots and fishing poles, When Papa packed up the car. 

"I can't wait to sleep under the stars, Brother said 

"And we're going to win the annual canoe race down the Rand River this year. I just know." Sister said.

After the cubs settled, they joined Preacher and Mrs. Brown who were busy sorting life vests and paddles near the river. The annual canoe race was set for later that day.

There would be two canoes in the race. One was paddled by Sister, Brother, Cousin Fred, and Lizzy Bruin--the other by Too-Tall Grizzly

"The race will do down the rapids and around the bend in the river to the finish line at the old oak tree. "announced Preacher Brown. "We'll meet up there!'

Finally, the time came. The two teams pushed their canoes into the water.

"Ready, get set . PADDLE!" called Preacher Brown.

The teams paddled as fast as they could. At first, the two canoes were neck-and-neck. Then. Brother and Sister's canoe pulled ahead. They were better paddlers than the Too-Tall gang.

"Look out!" called Lizzy. "We're coming to the rapids!"

White water boiled up ahead of them.

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" called Brother as they shot into the rapids.

They swept past Big Bear Rock

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" called Lizzy as they curved around Swirling Whirlpool

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" called Fred as they bumped down Twenty Steps Falls.

When they reached the bottom, they looked back. The Too-Tall gang was nowhere to be seen.

"I guess they decided not to risk the falls," said Brother.

"Hooray!" cried Sister. "We're going to win!"

"Hooray!" they all cried.

But as the cubs drifted around the bend in the river, they saw an amazing sight. There, tied to the old oak tree that marked the finish line, was a canoe. And there, leaning against the tree, was-the Too-Tall gang!

The cubs' mouths hung open.

"How," they gasped, "did you get ahead of us?"

"Nothin' to it!" said Too-Tall with a grin. "We just paddled around one side of Big Bear Rock while you paddled around the other side."

"Yeah!" smirked gang member Skuzz. "You were so busy with your

'Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!' that you never noticed us."

The gang began to dance around pretending to paddle.

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!" they chanted.

Just then, Preacher Brown and the other campers came up to see the end of the race.

"So, that's all there was to it, eh, Too-Tall?" said Preacher Brown, folding his arms. "Are you sure you're being completely honest?"

"What do you mean?" asked Too-Tall, nervously.

"It seems to me I remember a shortcut around here .." said Preacher

Brown. He pushed aside a clump of cattails at the water's edge.

"Look!" cried Lizzy. "It's a hidden creek!"

"A shortcut!" said Brother. "Too-Tall never went down the rapids.

He just paddled down this hidden creek to win the race!"

"You cheated!" they yelled at the Too-Tall gang. "You were dishonest!"

"Well, I guess we were ... a little!" admitted Too-Tall.

"Too-Tall," said Preacher Brown, shaking his head, "' An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies."

"That's Proverbs chapter twelve," said Fred, who liked to memorize things. "And it says, The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.'

"Whoa!" said Too-Tall, imagining the Bible verses coming alive with swords and tongues. "Awesome!"

"Yes," agreed Preacher Brown. "The blessings of honesty are awesome, indeed!" And with that, Preacher Brown awarded Sister, Brother, Cousin Fred, and Lizzy blue ribbons for winning the race fair and square.

At the bottom of the sea, lived the sea king and his family in a palace.

The sea king had six daughters who were mermaid princesses. 

The youngest was the most beautiful one. And she was good at singing.

The little mermaid liked the human stories her grandmother told her. 

But she was not allowed to see the human world until she was fifteen.

On her fifteenth birthday, the little mermaid rose up to the surface of the sea. 

There was a large ship floating on the peaceful sea.

She was very excited when she saw a handsome prince on the

ship. The little mermaid was deeply attracted by his gentle smile. 

At night, a sudden storm turned over the ship. 

Many people fell into the sea, including the prince.

The little mermaid swam over to the prince, took him by his head and brought him to shore. 

He was unconscious. The little mermaid kissed his forehead and then hid behind a rock, waiting for someone to save him.

At last, a young girl came by. Just then, the prince came to life. 

Thinking the girl had saved his life, the prince thanked her.

The little mermaid saw the prince being lifted back to the palace. 

She wanted to tell the prince the truth but she couldn't!

From then on, the little mermaid always swam near the

palace at night to see the prince. 

She longed to become a human being so that she could stay with the prince.

One night the little mermaid went to see the witch. 

She begged her for legs.

"You have to give up your voice," the witch said.

The little mermaid agreed.

The witch gave her a draught. "Take this, and you will get legs," she said. 

"But walking on feet will be extremely painful for you. 

What's more, you can never return to the sea. And if the

prince falls in love with another girl, you will become foam in the

sea on the next morning after his wedding!

The little mermaid left for the shore, without saying goodbye to her family.

After taking the draught on the shore, she fainted in great pain.

When she woke up, the prince was standing before her. 

He asked the little mermaid who she was, and where she came from. 

But she couldn't speak.

The prince took the little mermaid to the palace and let her stay with him.

The little mermaid couldn't sing, but she could dance.

Although every step caused her harsh pain, she insisted on

dancing for the prince as long as he was happy.

But the prince only regarded her as a good friend. He said

he loved the girl who had saved him. The little mermaid couldn't

tell him it was she who saved him. But she dreamed one day the

prince would find out the truth.

She missed her family so much. She was not allowed to go back to the sea, but she didn't feel regret.

one day. the prince visited a neighbouring country with the little mermaid

and his attendants.

At dinner, the prince saw the country's princess. "My God, she is the girl

who saved me" he told the little mermaid excitedly. "I will marry her!"

The little mermaid was heartbroken. She kissed the prince's hand. 

She knew that she would soon turn into foam. 

Soon the prince and princess got married!

On the deck of the ship, the little mermaid danced for them. She had never danced so elegantly before, and all the guests cheered her. 

The pain in her feet was so harsh it was like dancing on sharp knives, but her heart was much more painful than her feet. 

It was the last night of her life.

The prince paid no attention to her. He enjoyed his time with his beautiful bride.

At night, the little mermaid's sisters came.

They had given their hair to the witch in exchange for a sharp knife. If the little mermaid plunged it into the heart of the prince before sunrise, she would be turned back into a mermaid and return to the sea.

The little mermaid didn't want to hurt the prince, but her sisters insisted on giving the knife to her.

The sun was about to rise. The little mermaid entered the prince's bedroom. She saw the sleeping prince lying with his pride

It was her last chance! But she could not bear to kill the prince. She kissed his forehead and threw the knife away.

The little mermaid walked out of the bedroom and jumped into the sea.

When the prince and his bride woke up, they couldn't find the little mermaid. They felt very upset.

The little mermaid felt as if she had become a cloud, and was gradually rising up.

"Where am I going?" she asked.

"You are becoming a cloud and flying to the sky!" some beautiful voices answered. "From now on, you will have a happy life!" And then the little mermaid raised her arms and happily flew to the sky.

Long ago, there was a little girl. Her father was a businessman. He was too busy to look after her. Then one day, the little girl's mother died. She buried her mother

under a tree in the garden. The little girl cried before the tomb every day. Even the birds in the tree became her friends.

Later, her father remarried. Her stepmother had two daughters.

They had beautiful faces but evil hearts. 

They lived in her room, wore her clothes and forced her to do a lot of housework.

The little girl did not have a room, so she had to sleep beside the stove

and got very dusty. So her stepmother and stepsisters called her Cinderella.

One day, the king decided to hold a ball to choose a wife for the prince.

Cinderella's stepsisters were invited to the ball. They were very excited. 

"Hurry up! Comb my hair!" one stepsister ordered Cinderella.

"Cinderella, tie my belt, polish my shoes!" the other one commanded.

Cinderella also wanted to go to the ball. 

"How could you go to the ball in such dusty clothes?" her stepmother sneered.

Her stepmother and sisters left.

Cinderella was very upset. She went to her mother's grave and cried.

Suddenly, an old woman appeared. Cinderella was surprised. 

She greeted the old woman politely,

"Good evening, Granny!"

"Little girl, don't cry. I'm a fairy. I will help you!" the old woman said.

Cinderella was puzzled. The fairy took out a magic wand from her robe. 

She pointed it at Cinderella.

Suddenly, Cinderella's ragged clothes turned into a beautiful dress!

And her hair was done up, too!

"What a beautiful dress! I can go to the ball now! Thank you very much!" Cinderella said happily.

Cinderella could hardly wait to attend the ball. Then the fairy told her, "Wait a moment. You should take a carriage."

The fairy thought for a while and then she pointed her magic wand at the big pumpkin in the corner of the house.

The pumpkin became a large carriage!

"We need four horses," the fairy said to herself. Just then she saw four mice

running by. So she waved her magic wand and turned the mice into four

white horses!

Then the fairy gave Cinderella a box. Cinderella opened it. A pair of glass shoes was lying in it! She put them on and they fitted perfectly.

Cinderella thanked the fairy again and got into the carriage.

The fairy reminded her, "You must come back before midnight. After twelve o'clock, all the magic things will disappear.!"

At the ball, Cinderella was so beautiful that everyone was attracted by her charm.

Even her stepmother and stepsisters did not recognize her. They took her for a

princess of another country. When the prince saw Cinderella, he invited her to

dance with him at once. He didn't dance with any other girls the whole night.

It was almost twelve o'clock. Cinderella had to leave. She left the prince

and ran downstairs to the door.

"Miss, wait! May I have your name?" The prince ran after Cinderella. But

he didn't catch up with her and only found a glass shoe on the stairs.

The prince missed Cinderella so much. He wanted Cinderella to be his wife. But how could he find her? The glass shoe was the only clue.

The prince and his ministers went to every street and every house, asking the girls to try on the shoe. But several days went by, and the shoe still fitted no one.

One day, the prince and his ministers came to Cinderella's house with the glass shoe. The elder stepsister tried it on first. Although the shoe was too small for her foot, she still managed to put it into the shoe. She suffered great pain in her foot, but she tried to act gracefully in order to please the prince. But when she walked out, the birds sang to the prince, "The shoe is too tight, this girl is not the bride!"

"Did any other girls go to the ball?" the prince asked. The other stepsister put on the shoe at once. But her foot was too small. When she walked out, the shoe fell off her foot. The birds sang again, "The shoe is too big, this girl is not the bride!"

The ministers said they would punish the family for lying to the prince.

At that moment, Cinderella walked out of the kitchen. "Please let me try," she said. She put on the shoe. It fitted perfectly! The prince came closer and studied her face. "Yes, she is the girl!" the prince cried happily. Seeing this, Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters were furious. Cinderella sat on the horse led by the prince. They went back to the palace. The birds sang,

"She's the beautiful bride, you'll be happy forever!"

The prince and Cinderella got married. They loved each other and lived happily ever after.

What if you wished you were a bison? Then you became a bison calf.

Could you eat like a bison? Bathe like a bison? Live in a bison family?

And would you want to? Find out!

Where would you live? 

Most bison live on prairies in North America.

Prairies have grasses and flowers, but not many trees.

Summers are hot and dry. Winters are cold and snowy.

Bison do not stay in just one spot. They roam all around the prairie.

What would your family be like? 

Adult female bison are called cows. Young bison are called calves. 

Cows and calves live together in groups called herds.

What would your family be like?

Adult female bison are called cows. Young bison are called calves.

Cows and calves live together in groups called herds.

A bison mom has a calf each spring.

Calves can stand up and walk just a few minutes after being born!

A bison calf stays near its mom for almost a year.

It drinks her milk and cuddles against her thick fur.

How would you talk?

Bison talk with grunts and snorts. They also talk with their tails.

A bison wags its tail when it's calm. 

When a bison is angry or scared, its tail stands up straight.

When a bison is upset, it lowers its head and charges.

It will smash its head into anything that bothers it.

Bison bulls will also crash their heads together to show who is the strongest.

How would you learn to be a bison?

Bison calves learn by playing. 

They push their heads together and charge each other for fun.

Bison calves love to run.

Running helps them grow strong and fast.

Bison calves must be fast to keep up with their herd.

A herd will run suddenly to escape from wolves or bears.

This is called stampeding.

What would you eat?

Bison eat grass-lots and lots of grass!

This is called grazing. It is easy to graze in the summer.

In winter, bison must find grass under deep snow.

They sweep their heads from side to side to move the snow off the grass.

How would you wash up?

Bison don't use soap and water to get clean.

They take dust baths.

Rolling in the dirt helps bison get rid of bugs and shed itchy fur.

This is called wallowing.

How would growing up change you?

A bison calf is born with red fur.

Within a few months, its fur begins to grow darker.

A calf will also start to grow horns and a hump on its shoulders.

Male bison have bigger horns and shoulder humps than females.

After about three years, a male calf leaves his mom's herd to join a herd of bulls.

A female bison stays with her mother's herd for her whole life.

At about three years old, she is ready to have a calf of her own.

Being a bison could be cool.

But do you want to live in a herd?

Eat grass all day long?

Wallow in the dirt?

Luckily, you don't have to.

You're not a bison.

You're YOU!

What if you wished you were a wolf. Then you became a wolf pup.

Could you play like a pup? Talk with howls and growls?

Grow up in a wolf family? And would you want to? Find out!

Where would you live? Wolves live all over the northern part of the world.

They can be found in forests, grasslands, and mountains.

They even live in the cold Arctic, near the North Pole.

Wolves look like big dogs. They act like dogs, too.

That's because they are dogs: wild dogs.

Wolves don't live in houses. 

Wolves live far from people with their own wolf families.

What would your family be like? A wolf family is called a pack.

The pack has a mother, a father, and wolf kids, called pups.

Young adults help take care of their little brothers and sisters.

A big brother or sister plays with the young pups and watches for danger

while the rest of the pack goes hunting for food.

How would you learn to be a wolf? 

Wolf pups watch adult wolves and copy what they do.

Pups practice hunting by playing with each other.

They chase and wrestle. They will use these skills to hunt animals for food.

What would you eat? Wolves eat meat from deer, elk, caribou, moose, and bison.

Wolf packs work together to hunt these large animals.

Adult wolves eat lots of meat. 

Then the adults throw up mushy meat for the young pups to eat.

Thrown-up meat is easy for pups to chew with their little teeth.

How would you wash up?

Like all dogs, wolves wash up by licking their own fur.

Mother wolves lick their pups until they are big enough to bathe themselves.

How would you talk?

When wolves have something to say they lift their noses and HOWL!

A wolf pack howls together to say, "We're a great team!"

When wolves are apart they howl to tell others,

"I'm over here!" Howls can be heard for many miles.

Wolves make other sounds, too.

A bark means, "Watch out!'' 

Whimpering means, "Let's be friends.

Adult wolves growl to say, "Back off!"

But pups growl for fun when they play.

Wolves talk with their bodies, too.

A wolf shows its teeth to say, "Leave me alone."

Wolves say hi by wagging tails, sniffing, and rolling upside down.

How would growing up change you?

Pups begin hunting with the pack when they are six months old.

By age three, wolves are full grown.

When they grow up, many wolves leave their parents to find mates from other packs. These wolves start new packs with pups of their own.

Being a wolf could be cool for a while

But do you want to live outdoors?

Lick yourself clean? Eat thrown-up meat?

Luckily, you don't have to.

You're not a wolf. You're YOU!

Long long ago, Sanshengmu, a beautiful goddess, fell in love with a mortal, Liu Yanchang. She secretly went down to the mortal world and married him. They lived a happy life. Later, Lia Yanchang wanted to take the imperial exam in the

capital city. Before he left, he gave Sanshengmu a piece of aloes wood (chenxiang) and said, "I will be away for several months. When our child is born, please name him Chenxiang." "I will, Sanshengmu said. Liu Yanchang aid very

well in the exam. He was sent to Yangzhou as an official. But meanwhile Sanshengmu was, in trouble. Her elder brother, God Er-lang, was very angry with her marriage.

"How can a goddess marry a mortal? will take her back to Heaven!" But Sanshengmu didn't want to go back to Heaven. And since she had a very powerful lotus lantern, she believed that nobody could take her back by force. God Er-lang knew the power of the lotus lantern, so he ordered his dog to steal the lantern when Sanshengmu was sleeping, and then put Sanshengmu under Huashan Mountain. There, Sanshengmu gave birth to a son and named him Chenxiang.

Sanshengmu thought that she couldn't take good care of Chenxiang in the dark cave, so she asked her maid Lingzhi to take Chenxiang to his dad in Yangzhou.

At the age of seven, Chenxiang learned his mother's story from neighbors. "Mom has been suffering so much! I must go there and rescue her!" "Chenxiang, we

are mortals. How can we fight against the gods?" his father sighed.

"Anyway, I will do my best to rescue my mom," Chenxiang said

One day, Chenxiang left home for Huashan Mountain without letting his father know. Chenxiang met a lot of difficulties on his way. He climbed over the snow-covered mountains walked across the endless desert, went through the ghost valley, and was injured in the thornbushes. But none of these could stop him.

"Mom, i am coming to rescue you!" One year later, Chenxiang finally arrived at Huashan Mountain. There were so many peaks. He didn't know where his mother was. He couldn't help crying. God Thunderbolt heard Chenxiang's cry and decided to help him."Chenxiang, you are still too young. To rescue your mother, you need to learn Kung Fu first. I will be your master," he said to Chenxiang. "Thank you so much, Master! I will work hard. I will rescue my mom as soon as possible!"

God Thunderbolt taught Chenxiang all kinds of skills. Chenxiang was very smart and hard-working. He made great progress. He finished his studies when he was sixteen. Then he said goodbye to God Thunderbolt and went to Huashan Mountain. "You may have to fight against your uncle, God Er-lang. This ax can help you," God Thunderbolt gave Chenxiang a divine ax. Chenxiang came to Huashan Mountain again. He cried loudly, "Mom! Mom! Where are you?"

"Chenxiang, my son!" Sanshengmu was very excited when she heard Chenxiang. Then she said to her maid Lingzhi,"Tell Chenxiang to plead with his uncle and try to get the lotus lantern back." Then Chenxiang flew to Heaven and pleaded with God Er-lang to set his mother free. But God Er-lang did not agree. "Your mother broke the rule of Heaven. How dare you ask me for that! I will teach you a lesson!" Then, God Er-lang started to fight with Chenxiang. God Taibai heard the fight. He

sent four goddesses to take a look. The goddesses thought that God Er-lang shouldn't fight his nephew and Chenxiang was a dutiful son. So they helped Chenxiang secretly. Chenxiang defeated God Er-lang, and got the lotus lantern back. Chenxiang came to Huashan Mountain again to look for his mother.

But soon God Er-lang came with his dog. He said, "Chenxiang, your mother broke the rule of Heaven. I will never set her free. You can never rescue her!"

With the help of his dog, God Er-lang became stronger. Chenxiang was almost hurt. At this moment, Chenxiang remembered the lotus lantern, His mother told him that it could defeat anybody. Thus he took out the lotus lantern quickly and held it above his head. The lantern shined brightly. The light gave Chenxiang great

power. God Er-lang was defeated, and he fled. Having defeated God Er-lang, Chenxiang still couldn't find his mother. He felt very hungry and tired. But he kept

looking for his mother in the mountain. The Mountain God was moved by Chenxiang. He told Chenxiang that his mother was at the Lotus Peak. So,

Chenxiang held the ax high and hit the peak heavily. The peak fell apart!

After sixteen years, Sanshengmu finally met her son. They held each other tightly. At this moment, the lotus lantern shined again. The world looked so bright and beautiful! From then on, Chenxiang and his parents lived happily together.

One spring, a woman sowed a magic seed in a flowerpot. The seed soon sprouted, and it grew into a flower bud. Just as the woman kissed the bud, it blossomed. What a magical flower! Right in the middle of it sat a tiny lovely girl. She was no bigger than a thumb, and therefore she was called Thumbelina. One night, Thumbelina was sleeping in her walnut-shell cradle. An old toad jumped in through the window. "What a lovely girl!" he said. "She would be a perfect wife for my son." So he lifted up the cradle and left quickly. There were many lily pads floating above the brook. The old toad put Thumbelina on the biggest pad and swam away. He couldn't wait to tell his son about the lovely girl. When Thumbelina woke up, she found herself in a strange place. She was so scared and began to cry. Hearing her cry, the fish came and asked her why. "I want to go back to the shore, but I can't swim," Thumbelina said. The fish helped to bite off the leafstalk and the lily pad carried Thumbelina away with the running water. Eventually it stopped beside a forest. Thumbelina began to live in the forest. She ate nectar, drank dew and slept on a small bed made of grass. But the cold winter was coming, and Thumbelina still wore her summer clothes. She was shivering with cold. When it star ted to snow, Thumbelina left the forest. She had to find a warm place to live. Thumbelina came to a cornfield. A field mouse's house was beside the cornfield. Poor Thumbelina begged the field mouse for some food. She hadn't had anything for two days. The field mouse was kind and shared his food with Thumbelina. "If you could help me clean my house, you can stay with me," he said. Thumbelina agreed. The field mouse had a good friend, a rich mole. The mole fell in love with Thumbelina and wanted to marry her. But Thumbelina didn't like him, because the mole disliked the sun and flowers. Thumbelina didn't want

to live with him underground in darkness forever. The mole decided to dig a tunnel between his house and the field mouse's so that he could see Thumbelina more

often. While he was digging, he found a dead swallow. He didn't like birds at all, so he kicked the swallow aside. Thumbelina was very sad to hear that. She loved birds which had brought her a lot of happiness in the last summer. At night, Thumbelina put a blanket over the poor swallow. Actually, the swallow hadn't died.

He was just frozen because he had hurt his wing and couldn't fly south. With the blanket, he felt warm and soon came to life. Thumbelina was happy to see him alive. She brought him food and water secretly. The winter passed and the swallow recovered. He invited Thumbelina to go back to the forest with him. But Thumbelina refused. She didn't want to make the field mouse sad. The swallow flew away. Thumbelina watched him leaving as tears filled her eyes.When the summer came, the mole proposed to Thumbelina. Thumbelina refused him but the

mole insisted on marrying her. The wedding would be held in autumn. Thumbelina wanted to escape, but she was locked up in her room. Several spiders were invited to spin her a wedding dress. Then the autumn came and everything was ready for the wedding. The mole came to fetch Thumbelina. Thinking of her future

life underground, Thumbelina couldn't help crying. "Goodbye, my warm sunshine!

Goodbye, my beautiful flowers!" she said and hugged a little flower. "Please say hello to the dear swallow for me if you should see him." Suddenly, she heard a

small cheep from the sky. There was the swallow! "Get on my back. Let's fly

away!" he said. Thumbelina didn't refuse this time. She climbed on his back and they flew away. The swallow took Thumbelina to a lovely lawn with flowers. He

told Thumbelina to choose a flower as her house. She chose a white one. When Thumbelina was put on the white flower, she was surprised to find a little prince sitting in the middle of the flower. He fell in love with Thumbelina at first sight. Thumbelina also liked the gentle prince. Just then, from every flower walked out a cute little creature. They put a pair of wings on Thumbelina's back. Then she could fly. Finally Thumbelina had got her own house and many new friends. What a

happy girl Thumbelina was!