This story is an old story by a man named Aesop (ازوپ). It was retold (بازگو) by a man named Bertie for students today who have computers and the internet. Bertie is a very nice person who has a website called Storynory.
Now I will retell (بازگو) Bertie’s story in my own words for you. When you are done reading this story, can YOU retell it to your sister or brother?
 |
| Illustration by Margan Sultan |
Mr. Fox was walking through the woods singing a song. (Do you like to sing? I like to sing if no one can hear me!) Suddenly ( ناگهان ), Mr. Fox saw a plump (it means she was a little too fat) chicken sitting in a tree.
“Wonderful!” said Mr. Fox. “I will eat that chicken for my lunch!”
With a very friendly voice he said to Miss Chicken, “Hello! Let's be friends. Let’s chat (گپ زدن). OK?”
“Hello,” answered the chicken. “I don’t talk to strangers (بیگانه).”
“Well, I can send you my Facebook page and then we can be friends. OK?,” answered the fox. “But, first, please tell me, why are you sitting in that tree?”
“I left home,” said Miss Chicken. I had to leave (رفتن). The farmer’s wife is not honest (صادق). She steals my eggs. One day I saw a hole (سوراخ) in the fence and so I ran away.”
“A hole in the fence?” asked Mr. Fox. (This was VERY good news for Mr. Fox. He began to think about all the free chicken lunches he would have.)
“Do you like living alone (تنها)?” asked Mr. Fox. “Don’t you miss all your sisters?”
“No,” she replied. “I tell myself funny stories. I am very funny. Do you know the story about the fox who tried to trick (گول زدن) a chicken?” asked Miss Chicken. “It's a very funny story. The fox wanted to eat the chicken for lunch.”
“A fox wanted to eat a chicken for lunch?” laughed Mr. Fox. “How funny! But that's an old story. Today animals live better. No one eats chickens now. You can read about it on the internet. Everyone eats vegetables. Foxes have a Friends’ Page on Facebook. It teaches us to eat cabbage and not chickens.”
“Then why does the farmer’s wife steal (دزدیدن) my eggs and eat them?” asked the chicken.
“Does she use the internet?” asked the fox.
“No, she doesn’t have a computer.”
“That’s why she steals your eggs,” answered the fox. “If she used the internet she would know that you should not eat eggs or chickens. But don’t worry,” said the fox. “I will tell her to stop taking your eggs. Come down from the tree,” continued ( ادامه ) the fox licking (لیسیدن) his lips, “and we will go talk to her together. OK? I will help you because I really want to be your friend! I wish you were on Facebook. Then we would be friends already ( قبلا ). Please, come down!” said Mr Fox again. “Let’s be friends! I won't hurt ( آسیب زدن ) you!”
“I’m very glad,” said Miss Chicken, “that foxes do not hurt chickens now. But do dogs hurt foxes? I see five dogs, and they are coming this way fast.”
“Five dogs are coming this way?” asked Mr. Fox. “Oh! I better go now!”
“But why run away?” asked Miss Chicken. “What is there to be afraid (ترسیده) of? You said animals don't hurt each other now.”
“Well, dogs haven’t heard about it, yet,” said Mr. Fox running away. “They’re not on Facebook.”
And then the fox ran away before the dogs arrived ( رسیدن ) and Miss Chicken laughed very hard.
* * * * *
What is the lesson of this story? What do you think?
Here is one lesson from the story: People can say lots of nice words, but real friends live what they say. We know a real friend by what he or she does. Not by what they say.