每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。跟随鹦鹉螺号潜入深海，见证不可思议的海底奇观与人性深处的情感风暴。 Fear came from the sea A ship said, something scraped its hull at night Like a piece of glowing iron Another ship said, the hull was breached, seawater poured in All anyone saw was a long dark shadow In the harbor, sailors whispered about it Some said it was a giant narwhal Some said it was a monster from the deep Professor Aronnax heard the rumors too He was a man who studied the ocean The more frightening the tales, the more he wanted the truth He boarded the Abraham Lincoln With him was Conseil, who never left his master's side On board was also a harpooner, Ned Land His temper was hard, his arm even harder Ned trusted no mystery, only his harpoon The warship searched the sea for a long time By day, the water was empty By night, the deck grew cold in the wind One day, a strange light appeared in the distance Like a cold flame moving beneath the surface The whole crew rushed to the deck Cannons turned, harpoons raised The ship chased the light But the thing was faster than any ship It vanished, then reappeared behind the waves Ned threw his harpoon Metal struck the target, but bit into no flesh Only a hard clang rang out The next moment, the impact tilted the ship Aronnax was hurled into the dark cold sea Conseil did not hesitate, he jumped in after him Ned landed nearby The three men struggled in the waves At last they climbed onto the back of the monster Their hands touched not scales, not skin It was cold steel At dawn, the steel plates opened Silent men led them inside There was no smell of beasts, only metal and light Machines hummed quietly A man walked out, his eyes deep and cold He was Captain Nemo, master of the Nautilus Nemo did not kill them He gave them food, rooms, and books He also showed them a seabed no human had ever seen But he left one sentence with them Those who know the secret, cannot return to land From that moment on, wonder and captivity became one Aronnax watched through thick glass as fish swam through the dark Like ribbons of colored wind He put on a diving suit, walked across the seafloor forest The sand beneath his feet made no sound Light from above fell through the water in layers Conseil stayed beside him, calmly naming every fish As long as his master was near, fear stayed tucked in his pocket Ned grew quieter by the day The most beautiful coral was still a prison wall The richest sea feast could not replace a piece of bread He was not unimpressed He just knew wonders could not take the place of freedom Captain Nemo was as hard to read as the sea itself He showed them gold and silver inside sunken ships He also gave wealth to the suffering on land He saved a pearl diver from a shark in the Indian Ocean Then coldly refused to speak of his past He said he had cut all ties with land Yet his heart was still stung by the suffering of the land One time, the Nautilus stopped at a coral cemetery The dead crewman was carried into the sea Buried among the quiet coral No bells, no crowd Only water flowing slowly past Aronnax felt for the first time, this ship was a drifting tomb Carrying secrets, and wounds that could not be spoken Later, they broke into the Antarctic ice White walls surrounded them on every side The submarine was trapped beneath the ice The air grew thinner by the minute The crew took turns digging at the ice, their faces turning gray Aronnax could almost hear each breath growing faint Just when they could hold on no longer, the Nautilus smashed through It shot back to the surface Fresh air rushed in Like a life flowing back into the chest But the danger did not end In the Atlantic, a giant squid wrapped itself around the submarine Its tentacles slid across the hull, like black ropes The crew rushed to the deck to fight Ned swung his harpoon Nemo himself charged into the battle In the chaos, a crewman was swept away His voice swallowed by the wind and waves Nemo stood there, his face without tears Only a deeper silence After that, he appeared less and less Aronnax began to understand Nemo hid in the sea not because there were no people But because the land had taken too much from him Home, family, his former name, all locked inside his heart Hatred had not been washed away by the sea It simply traveled with the Nautilus, always lurking At last, the enemy warship appeared on the horizon Nemo recognized it Aronnax saw the captain's face change Like years of darkness suddenly finding an outlet The warship fired, the Nautilus dove Like a silent blade, it struck the ship's hull from below Aronnax watched through the glass as the ship tilted, cracked, sank Figures on the deck struggled and vanished into the waves In that moment, the sea was no longer wonder It became the abyss of revenge Nemo returned to his cabin, knelt before the portraits of his wife and child Aronnax knew at last he could not stay Nemo deserved pity, and he inspired fear He had shown them the deepest beauty of the world And dragged them into his deepest hatred The chance to escape came near the coast of Norway Ned whispered, land is not far The three slipped toward the skiff in the dark Aronnax looked back one last time, heard a cry from deep within the cabin Like a man in the darkness begging for everything to stop The moment the skiff left the Nautilus, the sea began to spin They had sailed into the great maelstrom Waves lifted the skiff and hurled it down In the darkness nothing could be seen They could only cling to the planks, hear the sea roar like a machine When Aronnax awoke, he lay on a small island in Norway Conseil and Ned were still alive In the distance, the sea was gray The surface was utterly empty No sign of the steel submarine No sign of Captain Nemo He had taken them twenty thousand leagues under the sea Shown them coral, ice fields, shipwrecks and light in the darkness But all that remained on the water was a quiet ripple Where the Nautilus went, no one knows Whether Nemo is still down there, no one knows

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个女孩掉进兔子洞，在荒诞离奇的地下世界展开一场难忘的冒险。 The afternoon by the riverbank was hot and quiet Alice's sister sat on the grass reading a book Alice sat next to her, so bored she could almost fall asleep The book had no pictures and no conversations, and she could not see what was interesting about it The air felt still, the grass pressed against her arm, and the water in the distance swayed gently A white rabbit ran past her It was not an ordinary rabbit It wore a waistcoat, glanced at its pocket watch, and said in a hurry that it was going to be late Alice snapped awake at once She did not have time to think about how strange this was — she just knew she could not let it get away She chased the rabbit and crawled into a hole at the root of a tree The hole was very deep, and she kept falling down Cabinets, bookshelves, maps and empty bottles floated past her, and she still had time to wonder if she would fall all the way to the other side of the earth When she finally landed, the rabbit had already turned a corner down the hallway and disappeared, leaving only a tiny door and a glass table waiting for her On the table lay a small key, and behind the door was a beautiful garden But the door was too small for her to get through She drank what was in the bottle and shrank very small, but now she could not reach the key on the table She ate a cake and shot up tall again, her head nearly touching the ceiling She cried Her tears grew and grew until they formed a pool When she shrank again, she found herself splashing into her own tears A mouse, a duck, a dodo bird and many other animals were floundering in the water too Everyone climbed out dripping wet, and nobody knew how to get dry In the end they ran a race that anyone could start and anyone could finish, and the prize was something Alice pulled from her own pocket This place did not make sense from the very beginning The white rabbit appeared again, mistook Alice for a maid and sent her to fetch gloves and a fan from his house Alice went inside, saw a bottle, drank from it, and grew so big again that her arms stretched out the windows and her feet filled the room The rabbit and the animals outside panicked and threw pebbles at the house The pebbles turned into little cakes, and Alice ate one to shrink again and escape In the woods she met a caterpillar The caterpillar sat on a mushroom, slowly smoking a hookah, and asked who she was Alice could not answer She had changed so many times today that even she did not know who she was anymore The caterpillar did not comfort her It only said that one side of the mushroom would make her taller and the other side would make her shorter Alice broke the mushroom into two pieces and nibbled at each side, trying to get back to the right size But in this world, being the right size never lasted long As soon as she could walk again, she arrived at the Duchess's kitchen Smoke filled the room, the cook was throwing pepper into the soup, and the baby was crying loudly The Duchess held the child like a burden Alice took the baby, wanting to take it away But the child squirmed and twisted in her arms, its nose pushed upward and its voice changed When she looked down, it was no longer a baby — it had become a little pig The pig ran into the woods, and Alice stood there, not knowing whether to be scared or to laugh On a branch, the Cheshire Cat slowly showed its grinning face It said that everyone here was mad One way led to the Hatter, the other way led to the March Hare Alice said she did not want to stay with mad people The cat said there was no escaping them here Alice walked up to a tea table The Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse were crowded around the table with many cups set out but never enough seats Their talk went in circles, their riddles had no answers Time itself seemed to have been offended and stopped forever at teatime Alice tried to reason with them, tried to follow their thinking, but every sentence got twisted and every question became another question She left the tea table, walked through a door, and saw a garden Gardeners were painting white roses red — they had planted the wrong color and were afraid the Queen of Hearts would cut off their heads The Queen arrived with a whole procession of card soldiers Her voice was sharp, and she ordered beheadings at every turn The King whispered quietly nearby, trying to smooth things over, and the soldiers scrambled to obey Nobody knew whether those orders would ever really be carried out Alice was pulled into a game of croquet The balls were hedgehogs, the mallets were flamingos, and the hoops were card soldiers bending over The hedgehogs ran away, the flamingos twisted their heads, and the hoops moved around too The Queen kept getting angry and shouting for beheadings Alice realized that the scariest thing here was not how strict the rules were, but that the rules changed all the while and everyone still pretended they were real The Gryphon took her to meet the Mock Turtle The Mock Turtle sobbed as it told stories about its school, about lessons with strange names, sounding both truly sad and like it was joking As Alice listened, she was taken off to a trial The courtroom was packed The Knave of Hearts was accused of stealing the Queen's tarts The King served as judge, and the jurors hurried to write their own names on slates so they would not forget Witness after witness came up, but nothing they said made any real sense The Mad Hatter carried his teacup, the Dormouse was pushed around, and the evidence was as light as a scrap of paper, yet everyone held it up with great seriousness Alice sat to one side, and her body began to grow again At first she tried to stay quiet, but the more she heard, the more absurd it seemed The King said to pass the verdict before the judgment, and the Queen just kept shouting for beheadings The whole courtroom was like a game getting noisier and noisier, with everyone putting on solemn faces to defend a hollow order This time, Alice did not shrink herself She stood up and looked at the fluttering cards — the Queen, the King, the soldiers and the jurors — and suddenly understood that they were not as big as she had imagined She was no longer afraid of their shouting, and she no longer felt the need to make everything reasonable The cards flew toward her Alice waved them away — and snapped her eyes open She was still on the riverbank, her head resting on her sister's lap What fell down on her was not cards but leaves The sunshine was still there, the river was still there, and her sister's hand gently brushed her face She told her sister about the dream — the White Rabbit, the garden, the tea party, the courtroom Then she got up and ran home The grass grew quiet again Her sister sat alone for a while, as if she could still see the shadow of that strange world, as if she could see Alice grown up, still remembering this afternoon, remembering a rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch, remembering falling into a dream where nothing followed the rules

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只家犬被命运抛入冰天雪地的荒野，在棍棒与狼群中找回深埋血脉的野性呼唤。 Buck, as he was led out of Judge Miller's house, did not know he was leaving the safest place he would ever have Before that day, he belonged to the sun, the grass, and the stablesHe knew every path in the yard, for he was like the little master of the estate But the hand that led him was not the hand that took him for walksManuel owed gambling debts and sold Buck to strangersThe rope tightened, the crate closed, and the sounds outside faded awayFor the first time, Buck learned that a human hand could shut everything familiar behind him He crashed against the crate walls in fury until he was dragged out to face a man in a red sweaterBuck lunged, and the club came downOnce, twice, again and againThe pain taught him that teeth do not always win, and anger does not always win—the one still standing is the one holding the club The cold of the North soon swallowed his old identityBuck was bought by Perrault and François and joined the sled teamThere were no cushions or food bowls there—only snow, whips, dogs panting white breath, and food that could be stolen at any moment Curly's death showed Buck the teeth of the wildThe gentle dog only wanted to approach a strange dog, but she was knocked downThe pack surged over her at once, and the snow became nothing but thrashing, screaming, and bloodBy the time men drove them off with clubs, Curly could no longer stand Buck stared at the trampled snow and remembered one thing, here, once you fall, you never give the enemy a second chance He began to learnHe learned to dig into the snow and bury his body for the nightHe learned to steal food when others turned awayHe learned to listen for the whip and to read the eyes of his teammates The lead dog, Spitz, watched him constantlySpitz was calm, cunning, and cruel—he knew how to make the other show weaknessBuck resisted at first, then learned to waitHe no longer wasted his fury in growls but saved his strength for the final moment The duel finally broke out on the snowThe dogs formed a silent circleSpitz dodged again and again, then bit back just as quicklyWounds split open on Buck's body, and blood dripped into the snowHe did not retreatAt last, he broke Spitz's footing, lunged, and pinned him downWhen the pack rushed in, the old lead dog vanished into the snow The next day, Buck stood at the front of the teamAs the sled set off again, the traces tightened across his chest, and the wind rushed past his ears But the wild never rewards anyone for longAfter the masters changed, the trail grew longer and the food grew scarcerThe dogs dragged their weary bodies forwardDave fell ill, walking crookedly, yet still stubbornly insisted on returning to his place in the harness Later, the men took Dave behind the treesWhen the gunshot rang out, the team did not look backThe snow still fell, the traces still pulled forward, and Buck only buried the sound deeper in his chest By the time Hal, Charles, and Mercedes took over the team, disaster was already waiting on the trailThey brought too much baggage and understood nothing of hunger or coldThey argued, cut the dogs' rations, and drove the dogs forward with the whipOne by one, the dogs collapsed, and the humans' panic pressed down like an even heavier load on those who remained By the time they reached John Thornton's camp, Buck no longer wanted to riseIt was not laziness—every bone in his body was telling him the road ahead could not be traveledHal raised the club and struck him again and againBuck lay in the snow and bore it in silence Thornton burst forward He tore the club away, cut the traces from Buck's body, and pulled him from that doomed teamHal and the others drove on with the remaining dogsSoon after, the sled slid onto thin ice, and men, dogs, and baggage sank together into the riverBuck did not see it happen, but he knew—that fall was not a defeat Beside Thornton, Buck learned a different way of drawing nearThis man's hands did not fall without reason, and his voice carried no crack of impatienceBuck could lay his head against Thornton's knee, or grip his hand in his teeth without really biting downWhen Thornton was in danger, Buck would charge forward without hesitation He had saved Thornton, and he had pulled a heavy sled to win a wager for himBut what weighed heavier in Buck's heart was the long-lost belonging he felt when Thornton held him close Yet late at night, a voice in the forest kept calling to himThe voice rose from his blood, traveling through the snow, the moonlight, and the dark, pressing against his ear—telling him to run, to leave the firelight, to go smell the farther wind Again and again he walked into the forest, and again and again he returned to Thornton's sideThornton was the warm hand, the place by the fireThe forest was the footsteps in the shadows, the scent of prey, the freedom he knew better with every passing day Until the day he came back from afar and the camp held no human soundThe fire was cold, the belongings scattered, the air thick with the smell of bloodThornton lay there, never to call his name againBuck lowered his head and stayed beside that body a long, long timeEverything that had tied him to the world of men snapped in that moment He charged at the men who had attacked the camp, like a black wind full of teethTerror exploded among them—they had never seen a dog like this, and they did not know it was no longer a dog that obeyed menBuck killed them, scattered them, and at last stood in the silent camp, hearing the call from deep in the forest rise once more This time, he did not look back When the wolves appeared among the trees, Buck went forward to meet themHe ran with them, fought them, tested them, until they accepted him and followed himThe moonlight fell on his back, and the snow recorded his tracks before the wind quickly smoothed them away Later, the people of the North told tales of a ghostly giant dog in the forest, running at the head of the wolf packEvery year, Buck would return to that old camp, walk to the place where Thornton fell, and lower his head to smell the silent earth Then he would lift his head and howl long into the cold sky After the howl faded, the forest closed around him againBuck turned and ran, crossing snow, rivers, and the black shadows of trees, vanishing into the wild that belonged to him

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只小鹿在森林中经历成长、失去与独立，从懵懂幼崽到孤独王者的生命之旅。 In the deepest part of the forest, just as spring was unfolding the leaves, a little fawn was born He lay in a soft nest of grass, his body still damp with the moisture of birth His mother bent her head low and licked him, over and over The woods were quiet, and the sunlight sifted through the leaves into tiny bright spots that fell upon his back Those spots of light mingled with the spots on his coat, as if the forest had hidden him in its arms from the very beginning His name was Bambi In those first days, Bambi knew nothing at all He thought the world was his mother's body, the warm milk, the narrow paths between the bushes, and those sounds that suddenly began and suddenly stopped Squirrels quarreled in the branches, birds fluttered among the leaves, a hare darted out of the grass and vanished just as fast Everything amazed him, and he wanted to ask his mother about every single thing His mother often answered him, and often stayed silent Bambi slowly discovered that the forest was not only gentle A weasel would bite a mouse to death, a bird would steal another's nest, and in the grass there was running and there was chasing His mother led him forward, but she did not explain everything She only made him remember to walk lightly, to keep his ears up, that there was news in the wind, and news in the silence too One day, his mother took him to the meadow That was the first time Bambi had ever seen so much light The trees suddenly fell away behind him, and before him opened a vast space where blades of grass shimmered silver in the wind Butterflies were like flowers that could fly, and a grasshopper shot out from in front of him and vanished in an instant Bambi was so happy he nearly forgot to be afraid He wanted to run forward, wanted to stamp his hooves across the whole meadow But his mother stood at the edge, perfectly still She listened first, then looked, then smelled Only after a very long time did she let Bambi step out Bambi did not understand then why his mother was most tense in the brightest place Later he would learn that the meadow lets a deer see far away, and also lets things far away see the deer In the meadow, Bambi met his aunt Ena, and two fawns about his own age One was called Faline, lively and quick, her eyes bright as a stream The other was called Gobo, weaker in body, always staying close to his mother, yet trying hard to make himself look brave The three children soon played together They chased, they leaped, they showed off the skills they had just learned In those days Bambi believed that growing up meant nothing more than running faster, jumping higher, and knowing the names of more small creatures Until one day, they saw several tall stags walking through the trees Those stags seemed to emerge from ancient shadows, crowns of branching antlers on their heads, silent and solemn, utterly unlike the mothers Bambi held his breath and watched them pass Only later did he learn that among them were their fathers But the fathers did not play with the children, nor stay by the mothers' side They belonged to the deeper paths of the forest, to loneliness, to alertness, and to dangers that no one could quite name Bambi slowly grew, and his mother began to leave him At first, he was terribly afraid Whenever his mother was gone, he would call for her through the trees, his voice rising one after another, small and frantic Then an old stag appeared before him Bambi had never seen a stag like him He was tall and lean, his gaze calm, as if he had long ago seen through every path in the forest He scolded Bambi for not being able to stay by himself Bambi felt ashamed, and hurt He did not yet understand that his mother's leaving was not a lack of love, but the forest pushing him toward growing up in the coldest way Winter came The snow fell, covering the grass, covering the scents, covering many of the paths that led home The forest was no longer abundant, and all the animals grew quiet Hunger slowed their steps, and the cold made their bodies shiver It was in this winter that Man came They were not a single sound They had footsteps, they had shouts, they had hounds, they had guns The forest exploded Birds burst into the air, hares scattered wildly, the herd of deer fled across the snow Bambi ran with his mother, the white snow kicked up and flying in all directions All he heard was his mother telling him to run, not to look back When the gunshot rang out, the air felt torn open And when everything slowly fell quiet, Bambi could no longer find his mother He waited in the snow, searched among the bushes, sniffed along the paths they had once walked together But his mother did not come back Gobo was gone too Many familiar voices were gone After that winter, Bambi truly understood that the forest could hold a child in its arms, and could also, one day, leave him all alone without a single word of explanation Time passed, and Bambi grew antlers He was no longer the fawn who could only call for his mother Other stags would close in on him, test him, ram him He was bullied, and he learned to fight back When summer came again, he met Faline, now grown Faline was still beautiful, still light on her feet She came running from the meadow, like old days suddenly returning before his eyes Bambi fought other stags for her, antlers crashing together, bodies crashing together Pain, panting breath, the smell of earth and crushed grass all mixed together In the end, he won For a while, Bambi and Faline were often together They walked through the woods, out to the edge of the meadow, and listened to the early morning wind Bambi almost believed that the warmth he had lost could come back in another form But the forest never lets anyone stay in warmth forever Once, Bambi heard a doe's call coming from far away The voice was soft and urgent, like Faline calling to him He nearly rushed toward it at once Just then, the old stag blocked his way Bambi was angry, struggled, could not understand why he must not go The old stag only told him to listen The voice sounded again, so alike, so alike it made his heart uneasy But it was not Faline It was a voice that Man had learned to make, a bait woven from love and urgency, waiting for a young stag to walk into the gun's mouth Bambi stood still, and for the first time he understood that fear did not come from the darkness, but from wanting too much to believe Later, Gobo came back Everyone had thought he died that winter long ago, yet he returned to the meadow from beyond the forest He said that Man had saved him, given him food, kept him alive He carried the marks of Man upon him, and when he spoke of those days there was a kind of pride in his voice He believed he knew Man, and he believed Man would not harm him His mother Ena was happy for him, and Faline and Marena listened with wonder Only the old stag looked at him and said he was pitiful Bambi could not yet say why, but he felt there was a dangerous brightness about Gobo It was not courage It was a blindness born of having once been protected Not long after, Gobo walked out onto the meadow again When Man appeared, he did not run He believed he was different from the other deer, believed that because he had once been saved, he would never be harmed The gunshot rang out, and Gobo fell The forest did not pause for his mistake The meadow was still bright, the wind still blew, and the other deer could only retreat from that open space back into the shadows of the trees Bambi saw that the most terrible thing was not never having seen danger, but having seen it and still treating the exception as the rule Bambi spent less and less time with Faline He still remembered her, and her voice could still stir him, but he began to walk deeper and more hidden paths The old stag taught him to avoid the routes Man often took, taught him to recognize snares, taught him not to mistake a familiar trail for safety Later, Bambi was shot Pain burned through his body, and the blood trickled down drop by drop The baying of hounds chased behind him, and the footsteps of Man chased behind him Bambi could barely hold on The old stag appeared, forcing him to circle, forcing him to scramble his own scent, forcing him to keep moving through the pain Every step felt like it would tear him apart, but he could not stop Only when the blood slowly stopped and the sounds of pursuit faded did Bambi collapse into a hidden place The old stag stayed with him, waiting until he could stand again In that silence, Bambi understood that staying alive was not a beautiful thing Sometimes it was only enduring the pain, keeping your mouth shut, and placing your hoof on the next fallen leaf Many years passed, and Bambi grew old His coat no longer held only the colors of spring, and his eyes carried much silence The old stag led him to see a dead human The man lay fallen in the forest, brought down by another human's gun Bambi stood beside the body and did not move for a long time So humans could fall too So those footsteps that made the whole forest tremble were not gods in the sky They were powerful, cruel, clever, they set traps, they mimicked calls, they could take away mothers and friends, but they too could bleed, and they too could die at the hands of their own kind The old stag looked at Bambi Now that the time for parting had come, he no longer spoke to him only with cold lessons He admitted that he had always loved Bambi And then he called him my son After these words, the old stag walked into the depths of the forest and never returned Another spring, Bambi met two little fawns among the trees They stood in the shadows of the branches, calling for their mother in panic, their voices just like his own from many years ago Bambi stopped and looked at them He did not go over to comfort them He only told them to stop crying out, to learn to be alone The fawns stood frozen where they were The wind passed through the young leaves, and the light of the meadow shone in from the distance As Bambi turned to leave, he thought of Faline, and he saw in one of the fawns a familiar shadow, the kind that would one day grow into strength The forest went on growing New children were born, and new hoofprints pressed into the old paths Mothers would leave, gunshots would ring out, and the meadow would shine in the early morning And Bambi walked among the shadows of the trees, slowly vanishing into the deeper green

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一块面包换来十九年牢狱，一对银烛台照亮一生的救赎之路。 When Jean Valjean walked out of prison, all he had on him was a yellow passport That paper was heavier than chains It told every inn, every door, every person who saw him, this man has been in prison Nineteen years ago, he had stolen a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child Nineteen years later, he had become a silent, hardened man, pushed out by the world At night, he knocked on doors in the cold wind Some drove him away, some set their dogs on him At last, a bishop opened his door, sat him down, fed him, and gave him a clean bed Jean Valjean did not trust this kindness In the middle of the night, he stole the bishop's silver and fled He was soon caught by the gendarmes and brought back, the silver still on him The bishop looked at him, but did not expose him The bishop said the silver had been a gift all along Then he brought out a pair of silver candlesticks and placed them in Jean Valjean's hands, as if handing him the last road forward Jean Valjean walked out clutching the silver, as if something had struck him He did not know whom to hate, nor where to go After that night, the convict who had only known how to fight the world with his fists began to hide himself away, bit by bit, and live as another man Years later, a man named Madeleine appeared in a seaside town He opened a factory, helped the poor, and became mayor People respected him, for he was quiet and hardworking, and because he always seemed to see the suffering others missed But Inspector Javert kept his eyes on him Javert believed the law was as hard as stone A criminal was a criminal, even in fine clothes, even praised by the whole town, in his bones, he was still a criminal In that very town, Fantine was falling, step by step, into the depths She had left her daughter Cosette with the Thénardiers and gone to work in a factory She believed that if she endured, saved, and sent money home, her daughter would have food to eat and clothes to wear But when it was discovered she had a child out of wedlock, the factory turned her out After that, she sold her golden hair, sold her teeth, sold everything she had left to sell She grew thinner and thinner, her cough grew worse and worse, and still she had to believe her daughter far away was being taken care of In truth, Cosette was living like a little servant in the Thénardiers' dark house She carried water, took the scoldings, wore rags, and on winter nights hauled a bucket bigger than herself into the woods She did not know her mother was giving her life away for her, little by little Jean Valjean discovered Fantine's suffering at a moment already too late He rescued her, gave her shelter, and promised he would bring Cosette back But just then, another poor man was mistaken for Jean Valjean and about to be sentenced for his crimes Jean Valjean could go on being mayor, could go on protecting the people in his factory, could let that stranger sink in his place He wrestled with himself all night, then walked into the courtroom and spoke his name It was not her daughter who came to Fantine, but the footsteps of Javert She heard that Jean Valjean was to be arrested again, heard hope shatter beside her bed When she died, Cosette was still far away, her hands cracked with cold, her eyes without a single grown-up's true love Jean Valjean did not forget his promise He escaped his pursuers and found Cosette on Christmas Eve The child was dragging a water bucket back from the woods, her small body swallowed by the dark Jean Valjean walked over and took the handle in his hands From that moment on, Cosette had a hand she could hold onto He took her away from the Thénardiers, then hid with her in Paris, hid in a convent For many years, he dared not make too much noise, dared not stand in too bright a place He poured all his tenderness into Cosette When she grew a little taller, he felt a quiet joy When she glanced a little longer at the world outside, he feared the day would come when he could not keep her Cosette grew up In a garden, she met Marius The two young souls only saw each other from a distance, missed each other again and again, yet their hearts had already crossed the garden wall Jean Valjean saw the change in Cosette's eyes He understood for the first time that the child he had saved could not belong forever to his loneliness alone Love had given him a life, and now it was beginning to push him toward loss The streets of Paris grew restless Young men gathered, talking of the suffering of the poor, of the republic, of the uprising about to ignite Marius too went to the barricade Believing he had lost Cosette, he gave his life to a battle that had almost no hope of winning When Jean Valjean heard the news, he too went to the barricade He did not come for any flag He only knew that the man Cosette loved was there Cannon fire, smoke, rubble, blood, the night pressed down low One by one, the young men on the barricade fell The boy Gavroche gathered bullets under the gunfire, as if picking up scraps of hope from the ruins, until he too lay still in the street Javert was captured by the rebels and handed over to Jean Valjean The man who had hunted him all his life now stood before him, waiting to die Jean Valjean led him to a quiet corner, but did not fire He cut the ropes and let him go Javert could not understand The law told him Jean Valjean should be arrested Everything unfolding before his eyes told him this criminal had saved a man, forgiven his enemy, and was carrying a young man's life through the darkness After the barricade fell, Jean Valjean lifted the wounded Marius onto his back and disappeared into the sewers of Paris Above was gunfire, below was sewage, mud, and an endless black He pressed on, step by step, as if carrying the whole weight of Cosette's future At last, he carried Marius out of the darkness Javert was waiting there But this time, Javert did not lock him up at once The man who had believed in nothing but the iron law all his life was cornered by Jean Valjean's goodness, with nowhere left to go Deep in the night, he walked to the river and threw himself in Marius survived and married Cosette On the wedding day, Jean Valjean stood beside the happiness, yet stood outside it He told Marius about his past, that he was a convict, and then he left of his own accord He believed this was how to protect Cosette So he stopped visiting her as often The room grew colder, his steps grew slower The old man who had once carried a man through the sewers was left in the end with only a chair, a candle's light, and a heart too afraid to ask for love Until at last Marius learned that the man who had saved him was Jean Valjean He rushed with Cosette to the old man's side Jean Valjean saw Cosette coming, as if from a great distance he saw that small hand again The bishop's silver candlesticks glowed beside him That light had traveled from a night many years ago to this very moment, shining past bread and chains and courtrooms and barricades and sewers, and now it fell upon a man's face at the end He took no wealth with him, and no fame He had only placed Cosette into the hands of the one she loved, repaid what he owed where he could, and little by little saved himself from hate The candlelight burned quietly Jean Valjean closed his eyes, and at last, he stopped running

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一头老驴带着老狗、老猫和公鸡，踏上通往不来梅的音乐之路，却在一间强盗的小屋里找到了真正的家。 The donkey was old Once, he carried heavy sacks every day, back and forth between the mill and the village road His back grew more and more bent, his steps slower and slower, and his master, seeing there was little strength left to squeeze out of him, slowly lost all patience The donkey heard those words He knew staying would lead to no good So one day, without waiting for the whip to fall, he lowered his head and quietly walked away down the road He was heading to Bremen There were streets there, and crowds, and maybe someone would be willing to listen to an old donkey sing Since he could no longer carry things, he thought, he might as well become a musician Halfway there, he saw a hound lying by the road, panting heavily, as if even standing up was a struggle The donkey asked him why he looked so downcast The hound said he was old, could no longer run, and could not catch prey anymore His master thought keeping him was useless and wanted to beat him to death He had no choice but to run away, but after escaping, he had no idea where else to go After hearing this, the donkey said, then come with me I am going to Bremen to be a musician, and you can beat the drum or sing the bass We can always earn a meal with our voices The hound lifted his head and looked at this equally old and weary donkey With nowhere better to go, he followed him down the road The two old fellows continued on their way Not long after, they saw a cat sitting by the road, his face long and drawn, as if he had just stepped out of the rain The cat said his teeth were loose, he was no good at catching mice anymore, and all he wanted was to doze by the stove But his mistress thought he was useless and wanted to throw him into the water to drown He had escaped, but he did not know how to survive The donkey said, then come with us You know the songs of the night, your voice is sharp and bright, in Bremen, that might just come in handy The cat thought for a moment, stood up, shook the dust from his coat, and joined the band Later, they passed a farmyard and saw a rooster standing at the gate, crowing at the top of his lungs That sound was not like a morning call, it was more like saying goodbye to someone The donkey asked him why he was crowing so sadly The rooster said guests were coming tomorrow, and the mistress had already said she would turn him into soup Today he could still stand at the gate and crow, but tomorrow there would be nothing left but a pot of steam The donkey said, then you come with us too Your voice is so bright, it would be a shame to leave it in a pot Let us go to Bremen together, and form a band And so the donkey, the hound, the cat, and the rooster, four creatures cast out by their old lives, walked on together down the road But Bremen was farther than they had thought The sky slowly darkened, the trees along the road turned black one by one, and the wind passed through the woods like someone whispering Too tired to go on, they had to find a place in the forest to spend the night The rooster flew up into a tree and looked into the distance Suddenly he called out, saying there was a light over there They walked toward the light and saw a house deep in the forest Through the window glowed firelight, a table was spread with food, and inside sat a band of robbers, eating, drinking, and laughing The four animals stood outside, cold and hungry They had no knives and no guns, only their voices and a handful of old bones The donkey thought for a moment and told everyone to stack up The donkey stood at the bottom, the hound jumped onto his back, the cat climbed onto the hound's back, and the rooster flew to the very top As they drew near the window, all four voices burst out at once The donkey brayed, the hound barked wildly, the cat screeched, and the rooster crowed at full volume The next moment, they crashed through the window together and charged into the house The robbers could not make out what it was at all, they only saw dark shapes rushing in, glass shattering everywhere, and the room filling with terrible shrieks Scared out of their wits, they dropped their food and fled into the forest The house fell quiet all at once The four animals stood by the table, breathing in the smell of hot food, and not one of them said a word It had been a long time since any of them had seen a meal this solid and real The donkey ate the hay, the hound gnawed the bones, the cat licked the plates, and the rooster pecked at the breadcrumbs After they had eaten their fill, they found places to sleep The donkey lay down on the straw pile in the yard, the hound slept behind the door, the cat curled up by the stove, and the rooster flew up onto the roof beam The firelight faded little by little, the night of the forest wrapped around the little house, and for the first time, the house belonged not to robbers, but to four old animals who had run away In the middle of the night, the robbers saw from afar that the house had gone quiet, so they sent one man back to investigate The man crept into the dark house, saw two glowing points by the stove, thought they were embers, and reached out to light a candle But those were the cat's eyes The cat was startled awake, pounced at him fiercely, and scratched his face The robber turned and ran, but just as he reached the door, the hound bit him hard on the leg He dashed into the yard, and the donkey raised his hind legs and kicked him flying The rooster on the roof beam was woken too and let out a piercing crow The robber tumbled all the way back to the forest and, trembling all over, told his companions, inside the house was a terrible witch who had clawed his face, by the door was a man with a knife who had stabbed his leg, in the yard was a black monster who had beaten him with a club, and on the roof was a judge who kept shouting to bring him forward After hearing this, the robbers never dared go near that house again When morning came, the forest was still the same forest, and the road still led to Bremen But the four animals were in no hurry to keep going They looked at the table, at the fire in the stove, at the straw pile by the door and the spot on the roof beam, and suddenly understood, this place was already good enough They had set out to become musicians in Bremen In the end, they never reached Bremen They simply moved into a little house left behind by robbers The donkey could walk slowly, the hound could guard the door, the cat could sleep by the warm stove, and the rooster stood on the rooftop every day to wake the morning The forest was vast, and the night would still fall dark But from that day on, the four old creatures who had been driven from their homes were never driven away again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只勇敢的小黑鱼带领伙伴们团结起来，用智慧吓退大鱼，在奇妙海底世界中发现自我的故事。 In a corner of the sea, there lived a school of little red fish, only one was black, and his name was Swimmy Swimmy swam faster than all his brothers and sisters One day, a big fierce tuna came rushing in, it opened its huge mouth and swallowed all the little red fish in one gulp, only Swimmy escaped Swimmy swam into the deep sea, scared and lonely The sea was full of wonderful creatures, and Swimmy saw them all Jellyfish floated like transparent rainbow umbrellas in the water A big lobster walked by with huge claws, like an underwater machine A school of strange fish swam back and forth in perfect order, pulled by invisible strings A forest of seaweed swayed gently on the rocks, with no beginning or end in sight Sea anemones looked like pink palm trees, dancing in the current Swimmy looked at all this and smiled happily He swam on and on, until he saw a school of little red fish hiding in the shadow of a reef "Come out and play, there are so many wonderful things to see," Swimmy said "No, the big fish will eat us all," the little red fish answered Swimmy thought and thought for a long time Suddenly, he said, "I've got it" "You must all swim together, and swim like one big fish" One by one, the little red fish pressed close together They became one big red fish, the biggest fish in the sea "I will be the eye," Swimmy said When morning came, they swam out into the cool dawn water The big red fish sparkled in the sunlight, and the shadows of the big fish scattered and fled

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个孤儿从沼泽走向伦敦，追逐绅士梦却发现财富来自逃犯，最终在幻灭中找回真正的爱与尊严。 When the wind blew across the marshes, Pip was still just a little boy. He stood before his parents' gravestones, looking at a row of stones under the gray sky. No one was around, only mud, reeds, a distant river, and a child's unstoppable fear Just then, a man in prison clothes lunged from behind a gravestone, chains dragging at his feet, his face marked by hunger and cold. The man grabbed him and demanded he bring food tomorrow, and a file. Otherwise, someone would come and tear his body apart. Pip trembled with fear, went home and stole a meat pie and brandy from his sister's kitchen, then stole a file from his brother in law Joe's forge, and ran into the marshes before dawn He thought he was only doing this to stay alive. He did not know then that this convict would pull his whole life in another direction. Pip lived at his sister's house. His sister ruled him with scolding and a stick, as if raising him was a debt that could never be repaid. Only Joe was different. Joe was a blacksmith with rough hands, his clothes smelling of forge fire and iron filings, but he always spoke to Pip slowly, as if afraid of startling him. The steadiest warmth Pip had in that home was the shadow of Joe sitting by the fire. But later, Pip was taken into Miss Havisham's house. That house seemed locked in time. The curtains were heavy, the light was dim, the wedding feast on the table had long rotted, and the clocks had stopped many years ago Miss Havisham wore a yellowed wedding dress, as if she had withered into old age from a wedding that never ended. Beside her was a girl, Estella, beautiful and cold, like a finely polished cold instrument. The first time Pip saw her, she looked down on him. She mocked his coarse hands, his clumsy boots, and his unrefined speech Those words were small, but they pierced Pip's heart like needles. Back at the forge, he began to stare at his own hands, at Joe's apron, at everything familiar by the fire, and felt shame for the first time He could have been Joe's apprentice, keeping to the anvil, the sparks, the supper, and the country lanes, living a steady but rough life But Estella's eyes made him believe he had to become someone else. Someone who spoke well, dressed neatly, and would not be laughed at. Soon, a lawyer from London named Jaggers told him that an anonymous benefactor was willing to give him a large sum of money, to leave the forge, go to London for an education, and become a gentleman. Pip believed almost at once that the person must be Miss Havisham. He thought it was all arranged. Miss Havisham had let him meet Estella, made him fall in love with her, then gave him wealth and status, and perhaps in the end would place Estella in his hands The fantasy was too sweet and too pleasing, so he asked no questions and left Joe with a pride as fresh as his new clothes and new name. When Joe came to London to see him, he stood in Pip's fine room, not even knowing where to put his hat. Watching Joe's awkwardness, Pip felt not pain, but embarrassment. He wished Joe would leave quickly, wished his poor origins would not be seen by anyone. After Joe left, the room fell quiet. Pip did not become more of a true gentleman because of it. He spent money in London, ran up debts, befriended Herbert, and learned the manners of a gentleman, but the deepest place in his heart remained empty Estella appeared again and again, and left again and again. She never promised him love, only watched men suffer for her with cold cruelty, just as Miss Havisham had raised her to do. Yet Pip still waited. Until one stormy night, a rough old man appeared at his door. The man's clothes were soaked, his voice was hoarse, but his eyes were fixed intently on Pip. Pip soon recognized him as the convict from the marshes all those years ago, Magwitch. Magwitch told him that all the money, all the prospects, had come from him. He had been transported overseas, survived hard labor and danger, and saved money bit by bit, just to make a gentleman of the boy who had given him food and a file He could not return to England, or he might be executed, yet he still had to see with his own eyes the "gentleman" he had made. Pip's heart sank to the bottom. It was not Miss Havisham. It was not a marriage arrangement. It was not fate finally noticing him. The illusion that had sustained him for years had come from a convict, from a pair of hands reaching out of the marshes. At first he felt disgust, fear, and even thought himself tainted. But there was no calculation in Magwitch's eyes, only a clumsy and dangerous love. This man cast out by society had made Pip the proof that he had lived. The more Pip wanted to flee, the more he saw that his true cruelty lay not in poverty or birth, but in how he had abandoned Joe and treated the love of others as shame. Meanwhile, Miss Havisham began to see what she had done. She had raised Estella with a cold, hard heart, to take revenge on all men. But Estella was not a knife, nor a shadow to take revenge for her; she too was someone whose warmth had been stolen. When Estella married the brutal Drummle, Miss Havisham finally felt regret, too late, in that frozen house. Then, the fire started. Miss Havisham's old wedding dress was caught by the flames, and Pip rushed to save her, his arms burned. The woman who had locked herself in old humiliation finally fell amid fire and smoke. She did not truly win back Estella, nor set Pip's life right; she only left a late apology and a rotting house. Pip decided to help Magwitch escape. He no longer only wanted to be rid of him. He knew this old man was guilty, rough, and had once been violent, but he also knew that Magwitch had staked everything he had on him. Pip and his friends arranged a boat, hoping to leave England by the river. Mist pressed down on the water, and they thought there was still a sliver of hope. The pursuers came anyway. Magwitch was captured. His old enemy died in the river, and he himself was badly wounded, thrown into prison to await judgment. Pip stayed by his side, no longer calling him a burden, no longer seeing him as a stain. He only told the dying man that Estella was still alive, and that she was his daughter. Hearing this, Magwitch seemed to grasp a sliver of human warmth at the last moment, and then slowly died. After Magwitch died, the money vanished too. Pip fell ill, buried in debt, without even the strength to stand. The one who came to care for him was Joe. Joe did not blame him for years of coldness, did not ask how his gentleman dreams had shattered. Joe simply sat by the bed, gave him medicine, paid off his debts, and watched over him quietly, just as he had by the forge fire all those years ago. When Pip woke, Joe was already preparing to leave. He was still gentle, still clumsy, yet more solid than all the refinement Pip had ever chased. When Pip returned to his hometown, he wanted to apologize to Joe and Biddy, and secretly thought of staying. But when he pushed open the door, he saw that Joe and Biddy were already married. He had come too late. The days he had scorned and missed would not wait for him just because he had finally understood. So Pip left England and went overseas to work with Herbert. He no longer lived on illusions, nor waited for an invisible hand to lift him up. Years later, he returned to his hometown and walked to the ruins of Miss Havisham's old house. There was no stopped clock, no rotten wedding feast, and no old woman in a wedding dress He met Estella. She was no longer the girl who had wounded him with cold eyes. Suffering had changed her, and worn away the cold hardness that had been taught into her. Pip looked at her as if seeing all the shame, misrecognition, longing, and loss of his youth slowly quieting in the shadow of the ruins. Together they walked out of that desolate place. The mist lifted, and the old house was left behind. Pip did not reclaim the glory he had once wanted, nor turn his broken years into something whole. But at last he could walk beside Estella, no longer hating himself for his poverty, no longer hiding from those who had loved him behind a mask of refinement.

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一部关于时间、勇气与信念的冒险史诗，八十天环游地球的传奇旅程。 In London in 1872, Mr. Fogg lived every day like a clock He woke up at a fixed time each morning, walked a fixed route to the Reform Club, and sat at a fixed seat to read the paper, eat, and play cards His clothes must not wrinkle, his water must be the right temperature, his steps must not falter Even his new French servant Passepartout thought he had finally found a master who could not be any quieter But on this day, a timetable of the world appeared in the newspaper Starting from London, take a train to Italy, then a steamer across the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal; to India, switch to railway; then to Hong Kong, Yokohama, cross the Pacific to America; go across the North American continent, and return to Europe from New York All the routes, trains, and steamer schedules added together made exactly eighty days The gentlemen at the club did not believe it The weather could change, ships could be late, railways could break, storms could rage at sea, and people could fall ill But Mr. Fogg only looked at that timetable and said calmly that he could do it The wager was twenty thousand pounds That very evening at eight forty-five, Fogg left London with Passepartout Passepartout had wanted a quiet life, but on his very first day on the job, his master dragged him on a journey around the world They first arrived at Suez At the port beside the desert, ship smoke rose, passengers came ashore, and merchants, soldiers, and officials mingled together And it was right here that Detective Fix set his sights on Fogg The Bank of England had just been robbed, and the suspect was said to be a respectable gentleman Fogg carried a large amount of cash and was in a hurry to travel; in Fix's eyes, he looked suspicious in every way The arrest warrant had not yet arrived, so Fix could only follow and wait for a chance to hold up this silent Englishman Fogg, however, did not explain He only looked at the time, only looked at the next stretch of road The ship crossed the Red Sea and arrived at Bombay According to the plan, the railway would take them to Calcutta But halfway there, they discovered that the railway on the map was not fully built The tracks stopped in the wilderness, and a stretch of road ahead had to be crossed on foot The timetable cracked open for the first time Fogg did not complain He bought an elephant, hired a guide, and pressed on Forests, heat, earth, and the smell of wild beasts pressed in from all sides; sitting on the elephant's back, Passepartout finally understood that this was not a route on paper; this was the earth that had to be crossed inch by inch with one's own body And in the jungles of India, they met Aouda She was a young Parsi woman whose husband had died, and she was being held by the locals to be burned alive on her husband's funeral pyre She was drugged and had almost no strength left to resist That night, firelight lit up the forest, drumbeats drew closer and closer, and time was closing in too Fogg, who valued time above all else, stopped Passepartout risked his life, disguised himself as the dead man, leaped up from beside the pyre, and in the chaos rescued Aouda The elephant kept moving forward, with shouts of pursuit behind them and railways and steamers ahead Fogg had saved someone who was never part of his plan, and from that moment on, he was no longer racing only against time They reached Calcutta and then boarded a ship bound for Hong Kong Fix was still chasing behind them He waited for the arrest warrant time and again, and missed chance after chance under British jurisdiction He saw Fogg spend money like water, saw him cold and almost heartless, and grew more and more convinced that this man must have a secret Hong Kong was a critical stop If they could catch the ship to Yokohama, they could continue across the Pacific as planned But Fix, to delay their journey, told part of the truth to Passepartout and threw him into confusion Passepartout failed to warn his master, stumbled onto the ship himself by accident, while Fogg and Aouda were left behind in Hong Kong This time, the road was cut off even more completely Fogg still did not panic He found a boat, negotiated a price, calculated the wind, and finally took a small vessel on a risky voyage to Shanghai to catch another steamer bound for Japan A storm at sea whipped up waves, and the boat struggled on the water like a piece of driftwood Watching this always silent man, Aouda slowly came to understand that his calm was not a lack of feeling, but a refusal to hand his fear to anyone They finally reached Yokohama and found Passepartout again The poor servant, just to survive, had already joined a traveling acrobat troupe and was performing unsteadily on stage When his master appeared, he could hardly believe his eyes There was no scolding, no long explanation; Fogg simply brought him back to his side and kept going Next came the Pacific Ocean The steamer sailed from Japan toward San Francisco, the sea stretching out as if it had no end Every day, the sun rose from the east and sank into the sea In Fogg's travel journal, the dates turned page by page; but unbeknownst to them, time was quietly changing because they kept moving east In America, they boarded the transcontinental railway Outside the window were plains, snowy mountains, canyons, and herds of wild buffalo The railway was like a thin thread stitching unfamiliar lands together, but this thread could snap at any moment Bridges were dangerous, a blizzard was closing in, and the train came under attack In the chaos, Passepartout risked his life to uncouple the train cars to save everyone, but he was taken away Fogg did not keep going He knew full well that every minute could cost him the wager, yet he still took men back to rescue him By the time Passepartout was rescued, they had already missed their original train So they took a sled, raced across the ice and snow with the wind, then switched to a train and rushed toward New York But fate seemed to be one step too slow on purpose By the time they rushed to the harbor, the ship bound for England had just left the shore Just a little too late Fogg did not stand on the dock and sigh He found another ship and paid a fortune to change its course When the coal ran low, he bought the entire ship and tore down its timber to burn as fuel The ship pushed across the Atlantic belching thick smoke, as if burning every piece of furniture, railing, and deck into time to get home They finally arrived in England But at Liverpool, Fix finally got his chance to make an arrest He seized Fogg and locked him up All the rushing, calculating, risk taking, and money were blocked by a single door A short while later, word came that the real bank robber had already been caught Fix was wrong When Fogg was released, he did not roar or defend himself He simply punched Fix in the face, then continued on his way to London But he thought he was still too late Back home, the room fell quiet The wager was lost, his fortune was nearly gone, and the eighty day journey felt like a colossal waste But Aouda did not leave She looked at this man who had protected her all the way and had been chased by time all the way, and asked if he would marry her Fogg said yes Passepartout ran off to arrange the wedding And it was during this very run that he suddenly realized the date in London was not what they thought it was They had been traveling east all along, and with every meridian they crossed, they quietly gained a few extra minutes from the sun Around the entire globe, all those minutes added up to exactly one extra day Fogg thought he was late, but in truth he still had time Passepartout sprinted home Fogg left at once and rushed to the Reform Club At a few minutes past eight forty-four in the evening, at the card table in the club, several gentlemen were waiting for the final second to tick by The door opened and Fogg walked in, neatly dressed and calm, as if he had simply come from home for a game of cards as usual He had won In those eighty days, the steamers, railways, meridians, time zones, and every inch of distance on the map had not stayed merely on paper They had carried a man so punctual he was almost cold across deserts, jungles, oceans, and snowy plains, and had also brought Aouda and Passepartout into his life What remained in the London night was not just the wager won back There was also a pocket watch closed once more, a journey rewritten by the world, and a man who no longer had to live alone

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个男孩在端午节这天，从五色线、艾草和粽子中，慢慢懂得了古老心愿的意义，也记住了奶奶的温暖。 On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, Xiaoman woke up and found a five color thread tied around his wrist Red, yellow, blue, white, and black, the thin threads twisted together, resting against his skin, a little itchy He frowned and asked his grandma, "Why do we have to tie this on every year I'm not a zongzi" Grandma was in the kitchen, washing bamboo leaves The green leaves floated in the water basin, like little boats She did not answer right away She just handed a leaf to Xiaoman for him to smell The scent was very fresh, carrying the fragrance of grass and rain Grandma said, "The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month Long ago, people believed that when the fifth month arrived, the weather grew hot, insects multiplied, and people fell ill more easily So they would hang mugwort and calamus at the door, wear sachets, and tie five color threads around children's wrists It was not for decoration It was to keep peace and safety close by" Xiaoman ran to the door and sure enough, he saw a bundle of mugwort tucked above the doorframe When the wind blew, the tips of the leaves swayed gently, as if standing guard for the home The water in the pot began to bubble Grandma wrapped glutinous rice, red dates, and red bean paste into the bamboo leaves, bit by bit Her hands were steady As she wound the string around, the zongzi took shape in her palm, forming a tiny pointed corner Xiaoman asked, "Then why do we eat zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival" Grandma said, "There are many stories The best known one is that people do this to honor Qu Yuan Legend says that after he threw himself into the river, the common people rowed their boats to search for him and threw balls of rice into the water, hoping the fish and shrimp would not harm his body Over time, the rowing became dragon boat racing, and the rice balls slowly became zongzi" Xiaoman looked down at the white steam rising from the edge of the pot So a zongzi was not just rice and dates Inside it was also the heart of people from long ago, who wanted to hold on to someone they loved At noon, the sound of dragon boat drums came from far away Boom, boom, boom Xiaoman stood by the window and listened The sound did not feel like a race to him It felt more like many people searching together across the water Grandma placed the cooked zongzi into a bowl When she unwrapped the leaves, steam rose into the air, and the glutinous rice glistened Xiaoman took a bite, and the sweetness melted slowly on his tongue Suddenly, he did not want to cut off the five color thread anymore Grandma said, "In our hometown, when the first rain after the Dragon Boat Festival comes, you can take off the thread and place it by the water The old folks say the rain will carry away all the bad things" A few days later, the first rain really did fall Xiaoman stood under the eaves and gently untied the five color thread Rainwater flowed along the roof tiles into a thin little stream He placed the thread into it and watched it drift slowly away In that moment, he felt he understood the Dragon Boat Festival It was not a big holiday, nor a distant legend It was the bundle of mugwort at the door, the zongzi in the pot, the tiny thread around a wrist It was grown ups quietly tying an ancient wish onto a child

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只穿靴子的猫用智慧帮助主人改变命运的经典童话，机智勇敢，扣人心弦。 The miller died He left three things, a mill, a donkey, and a cat The oldest son took the mill The second son took the donkey The youngest son only got the cat Everyone in the village laughed at him They said the cat was useless The youngest son sat in the corner, staring at the thin cat The cat looked up He smoothed his whiskers with his paw, and he spoke "Give me a pair of boots," said the cat The youngest son fell back in shock "Don't be afraid," the cat said, his tail held high "I just need boots and a sack, just wait and see" The youngest son spent his last coin on a pair of leather boots The cat put on the boots, slung the sack over his shoulder, and marched out of the mill He went into the fields, filled the sack with bran and greens He lay on the ground, held the sack open, and played dead A foolish rabbit jumped into the sack The cat pulled the rope tight, and the rabbit was trapped The cat slung the rabbit over his shoulder and marched to the palace The guards stopped him "Stop, what does a cat want at the palace The cat puffed out his chest, his boots clicking on the stones "I'm the Marquis of Carabas's messenger. This is a gift for the king" The guard took the rabbit into the palace The king looked at the fat rabbit and smiled "This Marquis of Carabas is very thoughtful," said the king For a month, the cat hunted every day He brought quail, pheasant, and partridge Each time, he said it was a gift from the Marquis of Carabas The king remembered the name One day, the cat learned the king would travel along the river with his daughter The cat ran to the youngest son "Take off your clothes and jump into the river "Why "No time to explain, just do it The youngest son jumped into the river The cat threw his old clothes aside and shouted from the bank "Help, the Marquis of Carabas has fallen into the river The king's carriage happened to pass by The king pulled back the curtain and saw a cat in boots jumping on the riverbank "Isn't that the Marquis's cat, quick, save him The guards pulled the youngest son out The king ordered fine silk clothes for him from head to toe The princess looked out She saw a handsome young man in a golden silk robe standing in the sunlight Her heart beat faster, and her cheeks turned red The king invited the youngest son to ride in the carriage The cat ran ahead He reached a wheat field where farmers were harvesting The cat jumped onto the fence and spoke sharply "The king's carriage will pass by soon. If anyone asks who owns this land, say it belongs to the Marquis of Carabas. Otherwise, you'll be chopped into pieces The farmers nodded in fear The carriage passed by The king leaned out and asked, "This wheat field is beautiful, who owns it "It belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty," the farmers answered together The king nodded "So the Marquis of Carabas is very wealthy The cat ran further ahead He passed a vineyard, a pasture, and a forest Everywhere, he threatened the farmers to give the same answer All of it belonged to the Marquis of Carabas The king grew more amazed This Marquis's lands were even larger than the palace grounds The carriage finally stopped before a huge castle The castle belonged to an ogre, the true lord of the land The cat rushed into the castle The ogre sat by the fire, chewing on a leg of lamb His body was covered in red fur, and sharp fangs showed from his mouth "Greetings, honorable lord," said the cat, taking off his hat and bowing "Who are you" the ogre rumbled like thunder "I'm just a passing cat. I heard you can turn into any animal, is that true The ogre smiled proudly He took a deep breath, his body began to swell, his fur grew stiff In a moment, he turned into a lion The lion roared, and the whole castle trembled The cat stepped back but didn't run He patted his chest, and said, "Amazing. But I bet you can't turn into something small. You're so big, you probably can't turn into a mouse The ogre's pride was sparked The lion vanished, smoke cleared, and on the ground was a tiny mouse The cat pounced He bit the mouse's neck in one snap The ogre was dead The king's carriage rolled into the castle The cat stood at the gate, bowing "Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty The king stepped down from the carriage He looked at the tall stone walls and the golden hall He turned to the princess and smiled "My daughter, this Marquis is worthy of you The princess blushed and nodded That night, the youngest son and the princess were married The king gave half his kingdom as a dowry The cat sat at the center of the feast table He wore his little leather boots, a gold ribbon around his neck, and a plate of grilled fish before him From then on, he was no ordinary cat He was Puss in Boots, the First Minister of the Kingdom of Carabas He changed his fate with just three things A pair of boots, a sack, and a heart bold enough to dream

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。少年达达尼昂独闯巴黎，与三位火枪手结为生死兄弟，为守护王后荣誉历险伦敦，以"人人为我，我为人人"的誓言书写传奇。 To become a musketeer, you need three things, a sword, a brave heart, and a secret code D'Artagnan set out with only the first, never knowing the other two were waiting for him D'Artagnan climbed onto his old yellow horse, bid his mother farewell, and left Gascony behind His father had given him a sword and a letter of introduction He was heading to Paris, to become one of the king's musketeers The young man cracked his whip, ambition hidden in the rising dust He stopped at the town of Meung, where he ran into a gentleman in black The man mocked his old horse, laughing without restraint D'Artagnan drew his sword and charged, only to be knocked to the ground with a single blow His sword broke in two, and the letter of introduction was stolen Covered in mud, the young man gritted his teeth and rose to his feet He'd never forget that face, that mocking laugh The man was Rochefort, the cardinal's right-hand man D'Artagnan went to see Monsieur de Treville, captain of the musketeers Without the letter, the captain was only half convinced Then through the window, he spotted Rochefort and bolted out the door He crashed into Athos, hurting the man's wounded shoulder He bumped into Porthos, tearing off the fake golden shoulder strap He ran into Aramis, scattering a pile of manuscripts across the floor All three men challenged him to a duel, all at once The first duel was set in the monastery's backyard His opponent was Athos, cold as ice Just as D'Artagnan drew his sword, the cardinal's guards stormed in Porthos and Aramis arrived as well Three duels turned into a fierce battle, three against five The young man turned and stood with the musketeers The four of them fought together and drove back the cardinal's guards That day, they became brothers in arms All for one, and one for all Four swords crossed together as one D'Artagnan rented a room in Paris He met his young and beautiful landlady Her name was Constance, the queen's personal maid The queen had secretly given her diamond studs to the Duke of Buckingham The cardinal learned of this and set a trap He asked the king to throw a ball for the queen And demanded she wear the diamond studs to the event The studs were far away in London, and the queen was helpless Constance came to D'Artagnan in tears, begging for his help Without a word, the young man saddled his horse and set off He'd ride to London, to bring back those studs Athos and the other two joined him on the journey The cardinal's men hunted them down, laying ambushes along the way Athos was shot and collapsed at a roadside inn Porthos was trapped in a post station Aramis was wounded and left behind to recover at an inn Only D'Artagnan kept running, racing toward the port of Calais A woman was hot on his heels Her name was Milady, the cardinal's secret weapon She was beautiful as a serpent, with the brand of a fleur-de-lis on her wrist She caught up with him, pretending to be friendly D'Artagnan saw through her trick, and crossed the sea that very night Milady's men reached the harbor, but the ship had already sailed D'Artagnan arrived in London, and rode straight to Buckingham Palace The duke recognized the token, and handed over the diamond studs Two of the diamonds had already been stolen by the cardinal's men The duke had them restored overnight, with new diamonds set in place D'Artagnan took the studs and rode back to Paris He changed horses, but never stopped, riding day and night On the night of the ball, the young man burst through the palace gates He placed the studs in the queen's hands Twelve diamonds, not a single one missing The queen wore the studs, and appeared at the ball in all her splendor The cardinal was speechless, his plan had failed The queen smiled at the young man Constance wept in the shadows Milady was imprisoned in an English castle She pretended to be pious and repentant, winning the trust of her guard Felton set her free, and even agreed to assassinate the duke for her The Duke of Buckingham fell in his own palace, his robes stained with blood Milady fled back to France, and hid herself in a convent She found Constance, and offered her a cup of poisoned wine Constance drank the poisoned wine, and died in the young man's arms D'Artagnan's eyes turned red, he drew his sword and charged into the night The four brothers reunited, to hunt down the serpent woman Aramis disguised himself as a priest, and listened to her final confession Athos revealed the proof of his former wife's crimes, every word a blade The executioner swung his axe, the fleur-de-lis stained with blood The four stood in silence by the river, their swords had tasted revenge D'Artagnan knelt down, and received the commission Even the cardinal had come to recognize his courage He was made lieutenant of the musketeers That old sword, had finally found its home He looked up, Athos was smiling at him from across the street Porthos raised his glass in the tavern, Aramis closed his bible Four swords, four hearts, one city of Paris

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。红发孤女安妮被绿山墙农舍误收，从被质疑到被接纳，从闯祸到成长，最终主动选择守护家园的温暖故事。 When Matthew Cuthbert went to the station to pick someone up, he thought he would be bringing home a boy. Green Gables needed a helper. He and his sister Marilla were getting on in years, and the farm work was growing harder by the day. But waiting for him on the platform was a thin little girl in worn clothes, clutching a traveling bag, her red hair blazing fiercely in the evening light. Her name was Anne Shirley, and it had to be spelled with an "e." The moment she climbed into the carriage, it was as if she had finally found someone willing to listen to her. She called the road lined with apple blossoms the "White Way of Delight," and she imagined the pond to be the "Lake of Shining Waters." Matthew had been a quiet man all his life, but that day he listened all the way home and never once asked her to be still. But Marilla did not want a girl. She was practical, restrained, and knew exactly what a farm truly needed. Anne could not do much heavy work, and she was far too fond of daydreams and far too fond of talking. When Anne heard that she might be sent away again, the light in her face went out all at once. It was not the first time she had been pushed from one roof to another, and she knew that the moment she did not fit, she would be returned. Marilla had meant to send her back. But she soon learned that if Green Gables would not take Anne, Mrs. Blewett might take her instead and put her to work looking after a houseful of children, carrying on through hard, rough days. Matthew was never good at fighting for anything, yet he spoke up for Anne, awkwardly. He did not say the girl would be useful; he only felt that keeping her might be a good thing for her. Marilla did not suddenly grow tender, but she kept Anne. After Anne stayed, trouble followed. The first time Mrs. Lynde saw Anne, she told her to her face that she was skinny, homely, and had terribly red hair. Those words struck Anne in her sorest spot, and she burst out at once, crying and hitting back. Marilla told her to apologize, and Anne thought that was harder than any punishment, yet she still stood before Mrs. Lynde and swallowed her pride, bit by bit. She began to learn the ways of Green Gables, and she brought her imagination into the house too. The little room in the attic got a name, the tree outside the window gained a character, and ordinary roads and ponds turned into fairy tales in her eyes. Matthew remained a man of few words, but he always stood a little closer whenever someone looked down on her. Marilla was stern with her words, but in her heart she was slowly making room for Anne. But trust does not grow all at once. One time, Marilla's amethyst brooch went missing. Anne said she had not taken it, but Marilla did not believe her. To put an end to the questioning and so she could go to the picnic she had been longing for, Anne made up a confession and took the blame for something she had never done. Later the brooch was found, and only then did Marilla realize she had wronged her. Anne had been scolded before and punished before, but this time it hurt more. What she truly feared was not being shut in her room, but that the grown-ups had already decided she was not worth believing. Marilla also saw for the first time that her own strictness was sometimes not discipline, but a way of pushing this child right back to the place where she had nowhere to go. The person Anne treasured most was Diana Barry. They became bosom friends and vowed never to part. But at one tea party, Anne mistakenly gave Diana wine instead of cordial, and Diana went home drunk. Mrs. Barry decided Anne had corrupted her daughter and forbade them from seeing each other. Anne's world felt like a door had been shut. Friendship had only just let her believe she could be liked, and then in an instant it was taken back because of a single mistake. Later, Diana's little sister Minnie May fell dangerously ill in the night, and the adults were away. Anne had once looked after children and knew what to do. She stayed by the little girl who could barely breathe and pulled her back from danger, little by little. When morning came, Mrs. Barry finally understood that this girl who was always getting into trouble was not a bad child after all. Diana came back to Anne's side. At school, Anne met Gilbert Blythe. Gilbert was clever and well-liked, but the first time he tried to get Anne's attention, he chose the worst possible way. He teased her about her red hair. Anne picked up her slate and cracked it over his head, and from that day on she refused to forgive him. Gilbert wanted to make peace, but Anne would not. Yet it was precisely because he was always ahead that she began to study furiously and fight furiously for first place. Later Miss Stacy came to the school, and she truly saw Anne's brightness, bringing her and her classmates into the Queen's class to prepare for higher studies. Anne's imagination did not disappear; it simply settled quietly into books and exams and the glow of late-night lamps. She still made mistakes. She dyed her hair a dreadful green and had to cut it short. To prove her courage she walked the ridgepole of a roof and fell, spending weeks recovering. She lay in a boat pretending to be a storybook maiden and nearly came to grief on the water, only to be rescued by Gilbert in the end. Time and again she got herself into a mess, and time and again she found that Green Gables was still waiting for her to come home. The seasons passed one after another. Matthew secretly bought her a dress with puffed sleeves, because he knew she wanted to look pretty just once, like the other girls. It was nothing terribly fine, but it was Matthew's quietest form of devotion. He never stood in the middle of the room and said he loved her, yet every small wish Anne had, he kept it close to his heart. Later, Anne passed the entrance exams for Queen's Academy and went on to win the Avery Scholarship. She could have gone to Redmond to continue her studies. The girl who once stood at the station waiting for others to decide her fate had finally walked herself to the threshold of a much longer road. And then Matthew died. Word came that the Abbey Bank had failed, and Matthew, whose heart had long been weak, could not bear the shock. He collapsed at the gate of Green Gables. The old man who had always quietly listened to Anne and always stood behind her to shield her would never come back from the fields again. Marilla's eyes were growing worse too. The doctor said she must not overwork herself any longer. Without Matthew, Green Gables might have to be sold. Anne looked at this home, looked at Marilla's face as she braced herself and refused to soften, and made her decision. She would not go to Redmond. She would stay, teach at the nearby school, look after Marilla, and hold on to Green Gables. This was not the ending she had dreamed of as a child. But this time, it was not someone else sending her somewhere; it was she herself choosing where to stay. When Gilbert heard of it, he gave up the Avonlea school post for Anne and went to teach elsewhere. Anne finally reached out her hand in reconciliation. The slates and the teasing and the rivalry and the silence slowly fell away behind them. Dusk settled over Green Gables. Anne walked home from school, the shadows of the roadside trees stretching beneath her feet, and inside the house Marilla was waiting for her. She pushed open the door, and lamplight fell across the familiar table and chairs. This home had once nearly sent her away; now it was she who kept it, with her own two hands.

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。这是一个关于忠诚与虚伪的友谊的故事，善良的小汉斯被所谓的朋友利用，最终酿成悲剧。 By the pond, the old water rat said: there is nothing in the world nobler than devoted friendship The linnet asked him what a devoted friend should do The water rat answered without hesitation: be devoted to me, of course Hearing this, the linnet began to tell the story of little Hans Little Hans lived in a tiny cottage at the edge of the village, with a beautiful garden in front In spring, summer, and autumn, flowers bloomed one patch after another He took his flowers and fruit to the market to sell, trading them for bread and a little pocket money Among all his friends, the one who talked most about being "devoted" was the miller, Hugh Hugh was very rich His mill was stacked with sacks of flour He kept cows and sheep at home, and he burned a warm stove in winter But every time he passed little Hans's garden, he picked a big bunch of flowers and pulled up handfuls of sweet herbs When the fruit ripened, he stuffed his pockets full of plums and cherries He always said: true friends ought to share everything When little Hans heard this, he felt very proud to have such a friend Winter came, and the garden lay empty Little Hans had no flowers to sell He shivered with cold and often went to bed on an empty stomach One by one, he sold his silver buttons, his silver chain, his big pipe, and finally even his wheelbarrow, just to buy food But the whole winter long, Hugh never once came to see him Hugh sat by his own warm fire and said: a person in trouble ought to be left alone A friend should not disturb him at such a time When spring came and Hans had flowers to give again, then he would truly make Hans happy Spring arrived, and the primroses bloomed Hugh came down the hill carrying a large basket and finally visited little Hans's garden Little Hans was overjoyed He said he was planning to sell the primroses so he could buy back his wheelbarrow As soon as Hugh heard this, he jumped in: Hans, I'll give you my wheelbarrow The wheelbarrow was broken on one side, and the spokes had cracks too But little Hans's face still lit up He said he had a plank of wood in his cottage that could fix it Hugh said at once: oh, that plank would be just the thing to patch my barn roof I have already promised you the wheelbarrow, so giving me the plank would be a fair exchange between friends Hans did not hesitate He ran inside and dragged the plank out After the plank was taken away, Hugh handed over his basket again and told Hans to fill it with flowers Hans knew that if all his flowers were gone, he would never get his silver buttons back But Hugh reminded him that a true friend should not be so selfish Little Hans was afraid Hugh would think less of him So he picked every last primrose and stuffed the big basket full Hugh carried the plank and the flowers and walked back up the hill Hans stayed alone in the garden, thinking about the wheelbarrow he had not yet received, and felt happy again The next day, Hugh arrived carrying a sack of flour and told Hans to take it to the market for him Hans had been planning to nail up the vines, water the flowers, and tidy the grass But Hugh said: look, I am about to give you my wheelbarrow If you refuse me now, that would be very unfriendly of you Without a second word, Hans hoisted the flour onto his shoulder and set off The road was hot and dusty He was so tired that when he reached the sixth milestone, he had to stop and catch his breath But he sold the flour anyway and brought all the money back The next day, Hugh came to collect the money Seeing Hans still in bed, he accused him of being lazy Hans tried to explain that he was simply exhausted But Hugh said: a true friend tells you hard truths If I do not say it, who will Then he sent Hans off to mend the barn roof Hans's flowers had gone two days without water How he longed to go back to his garden But the wheelbarrow weighed on his mind So he climbed onto the roof and worked all day long When the sun went down, Hugh only said: working for others is the most pleasant work of all After that, Hugh sent him to drive the sheep up the mountain, then on a long errand, then to help at the mill Little Hans's garden slowly fell into ruin The flower stems drooped, the weeds grew tall Sometimes he felt so sad, as if the flowers themselves thought they had been forgotten But every time, he told himself: the miller is my best friend Besides, he promised me a wheelbarrow One stormy night, a knock came at the door Little Hans opened it and saw Hugh standing outside, holding a lantern in one hand and a walking stick in the other Hugh said his little son had fallen from a ladder and was badly hurt The doctor lived far away, and the night was so dreadful So it would be best if Hans went to fetch the doctor After all, Hugh was about to give him the wheelbarrow, so it was only fair that Hans did something for him in return Hans agreed at once He asked only one thing: the night was so dark he was afraid of falling into a ditch Could Hugh lend him the lantern Hugh said: no This is a new lantern, and if anything happened to it, I would suffer a great loss Little Hans said nothing more He put on his thick coat, his red cap, and wrapped his scarf around his neck, then stepped out into the wind and rain The night was so dark he could barely see the road, and the wind nearly knocked him over After walking for three hours, he finally knocked on the doctor's door The doctor lit his own lantern, mounted his horse, and rode toward the mill Little Hans ran behind the horse But the rain grew heavier and the wind grew fiercer He could not see where he was stepping, and he could not keep up with the horse Then he lost his way and stumbled into the wilderness The place was full of deep pits The next day, some shepherds found him He was floating in a deep pool of water, with no breath left in him At the funeral, many people from the village came Everyone had loved little Hans Hugh came too He said he was Hans's best friend, so naturally he deserved to stand at the front of the procession After the funeral, everyone gathered at the inn The blacksmith sighed: little Hans's death is a great loss to all of us Hugh replied: especially to me I had practically given him my wheelbarrow Now that he is dead, I really do not know what to do with that broken thing It just sits in the way at home, and it is so battered I could not sell it for more than a few coins Then he added: from now on, I will never give anything away so easily again People always suffer for their generosity

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只胆小的小猪星星在妈妈和朋友的鼓励下，一步步克服内心的恐惧，最后勇敢站上舞台表演功夫的温暖成长故事。 Forest School was going to celebrate Children's Day The teacher asked, "Who wants to perform on stage" Little Bird raised her wing, "I will sing"Little Rabbit perked up her ears, "I will dance"Little Monkey swung his tail, "I will do somersaults" Only Little Pig Xingxing hung his head, hiding his two little hooves under the desk Actually, Xingxing had a talent tooEvery evening, he would secretly practice kung fu by the muddy pondBut he only dared to practice alone The moment he thought someone was watching him, his short legs would start to tremble, and his round belly would wobble along with them After school, Mama Pig asked, "Xingxing, don't you want to perform" Xingxing said quietly, "I doBut everyone will be watching me" Mama said, "Then show me firstJust do the one you know best" Xingxing stood in the yardHe lowered his headGet steady firstPunchKickTurn "Ha" That sound was very soft, as soft as wind brushing past a blade of grassAfter he finished, Xingxing quickly hid behind his mother Mama did not say he was timidShe just clapped softly, "You did it" The next day, Xingxing went to practice kung fu by the muddy pond againHe had just gotten steady when three little ducklings came waddling over "Xingxing, what are you doing"the ducklings asked Xingxing was so startled he wanted to turn and runBut he remembered what Mama said, just do the one you know best So he stoppedGet steady firstPunchKickTurn "Ha" This time, it was a little louder than yesterday The three little ducklings watched with their eyes wide openThey did not laugh at XingxingInstead, they stood just like him PunchKickTurn PlopPlopPlop All three little ducklings sat down in the mudXingxing was stunned for a moment, then he laughed too The ducklings flapped their wings and said, "Xingxing, you should perform this" On the third day, the teacher asked again, "Does anyone else want to sign up" Xingxing's heart was beating very fastHe remembered the first time in the yard, and the second time by the muddy pondSo, slowly, he raised his little hoof "Teacher, I want to perform kung fu" On Children's Day, Forest School was full of little animalsLittle Bird finished singing, and everyone clappedLittle Rabbit finished dancing, and everyone clappedLittle Monkey finished his somersaults, and everyone clapped even louder Finally, the teacher said, "Next, Xingxing will perform kung fu" Xingxing stood at the edge of the stageHe saw so many eyes down belowHis short legs started trembling again, and his round belly wobbled But this time, he did not run He saw Mama sitting in the last row, and he also saw the three little ducklings sitting in the very frontThey quietly stood up and struck the first pose Xingxing had taught them Xingxing walked onto the stageGet steady firstPunchKickTurn "Ha" This cry was bright and clear, flying across the whole playground The audience was quiet for a little while Then the three little ducklings flapped their wings first, "XingxingOne more time" Little Bird flapped her wings tooLittle Rabbit clapped tooLittle Monkey jumped onto his chair and shouted loudly, "One more time" Xingxing stood on the stageHis face was still red, and his legs were still trembling a littleBut he did not hide behind the curtain He looked at Mama, then at his little friends down below, and gently nodded He got steady againPunchKickTurn "Ha" This time, many little animals in the audience shouted along with him, "Ha" After school that day, Xingxing went to the muddy pond againThe three little ducklings came tooLittle Bird came, Little Rabbit came, and Little Monkey came too They lined up behind Xingxing and stood just like him Xingxing said, "Get steady first" Everyone said, "Get steady first" Xingxing punched, and everyone punchedXingxing kicked, and everyone kickedXingxing turned, and everyone turned PlopPlopPlop The three little ducklings sat down in the mud again Xingxing laughed This time, his laughter was very, very loudEven the water in the muddy pond gently rippled Mama Pig stood not far away, watching himShe did not say, "You are so brave" Because Xingxing was already doing brave things The sunset fell upon the edge of the muddy pondLittle Pig Xingxing stood at the very front, his round belly sticking out, his curly little tail pointing up He took a deep breath and said to everyone "One more time"