The Frog and the Ox
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in 7 languages, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
When a mother frog hears about the giant creature that trampled her son, she's determined to prove she can grow just as big herself — no matter the cost.
Two little Frogs were playing about at the edge of a pool when an Ox came down to the water to drink, and by accident trod on one of them and crushed the life out of him. When the old Frog missed him, she asked his brother where he was. "He is dead, mother," said the little Frog; "an enormous big creature with four legs came to our pool this morning and trampled him down in the mud."
两只小青蛙正在池塘边玩耍，这时一头牛下水去喝水，不小心踩到了其中一只，把它活活踩死了。老青蛙发现小青蛙不见了，便问它的兄弟它去哪儿了。“它死了，妈妈，”小青蛙说，“今天早上有个庞然大物、长着四条腿的家伙来到我们的池塘，把它踩进了泥里。”
"Enormous, was he? Was he as big as this?" said the Frog, puffing herself out to look as big as possible. "Oh! yes, _much_ bigger," was the answer. The Frog puffed herself out still more. "Was he as big as this?" said she. "Oh! yes, yes, mother, _MUCH_ bigger," said the little Frog. And yet again she puffed and puffed herself out till she was almost as round as a ball. "As big as…?" she began—but then she burst.
“庞然大物？它有这么大吗？”老青蛙一边说，一边把自己鼓得尽量大。“哦，是的，还要大得多，”小青蛙回答道。老青蛙把自己鼓得更大了。“它有这么大吗？”她问道。“哦，是的，是的，妈妈，大得多得多，”小青蛙说。于是她又鼓了又鼓，把自己撑得几乎像个球一样圆。“有这么……”她刚要开口，话没说完，就“砰”地一声爆裂了。
