Getting to Know Animals

Silly* Hens， Smart Roosters*？

Flora walked by a small lake. She saw a hen. The hen was walking with some ducklings*. “Oh， she’s Aunt Agnes’ hen！” Flora said.

Aunt Agnes made the hen sit on duck eggs， and the hen hatched（孵出） the ducklings.* It was a miracle（奇跡）！

The ducklings happily jumped into the water. But the hen was afraid.

Flora asked Aunt Agnes to come. “Look， Aunt Agnes！” said Flora， “This silly hen thinks the ducklings will drown（淹死） in the water.*”

“She is not silly，” said Aunt Agnes. “She thinks the ducklings are her chicks* and chicks cannot swim.*”

閱讀小助手

This silly hen thinks the ducklings will drown in the water.

這只笨母雞認為小鴨子會在水里淹死。

She thinks the ducklings are her chicks and chicks cannot swim.

她認為這些小鴨子是她的小雞寶寶，而小雞是不會游泳的。

Aunt Agnes drove（驅趕） the ducklings out of the water. The hen was happy.

“Hens lay eggs， hatch and raise（喂養） little chicks， but what can roosters do？*” Flora asked.

Aunt Agnes said， “Without a rooster， chicks will not hatch from the eggs.* And roosters protect（保護） their families.”

閱讀小助手

Hens lay eggs， hatch and raise little chicks， but what can roosters do？ 母雞下蛋、孵蛋并喂養小雞寶寶，可是公雞能做什么呢？

Without a rooster， chicks will not hatch from the eggs.

沒有公雞，小雞寶寶就不會從雞蛋中孵化出來了。

They came to the poultry-yard（家禽場）. Uncle Tony was throwing* some vegetables in the poultry-yard. The rooster saw the vegetables and came to peck（啄食） on them.

閱讀小助手

When the hens were full， the rooster only pecked on the leftovers.

當母雞們吃飽時，公雞才去啄食（母雞們）吃剩的菜。