Once upon a time, there were four mice that lived in a wall in the field.
Summer was coming, and so the mice came out of the wall to collect berries, nuts, corn and straw. Everyone was working very hard, day and night.
Everyone was working very hard, except, Frederick.
“Why aren’t you working, Frederick?” his friends asked him. “oh,but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting the sunshine for the cold, dark winter.”
A few days later his friends asked him again “why aren’t you working,Frederick?” “Oh, but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting colors for the long, grey winter.”
A few days later his friends asked him again “why aren’t you working, Frederick?” “Oh, but I am.” Frederick told them. “I’m collecting words for the long, quiet winter.”
Soon, the first snow came, and the four mice went back into the wall.
They ate their berries and they ate their nuts and they ate their corn and they ate their straw. But time passed, and time passed, and soon there were no more berries, and soon there were no more nuts and soon there were no more corn and soon there were no more straw.
Now the winter was cold and dark, long and quiet. The mice were sad and hungry. Then they remembered Frederick.
“Hey, Frederick, can you show us what you collected for the winter.”
“Ok,” said Frederick, “close your eyes. Here is my sunshine for the cold, dark inter.” And Frederick began to tell his friends some stories, and the mice to feel warmer and warmer.
“Great, Frederick! How about the colors and the words?”
“Ok,” said Frederick, “close your eyes” and he told them about theblue skies, and he told them about the red poppies, and he told them about thegreen grass, and he told them about the purple berries, and he told them about theyellow corn of summer.
“That’s wonderful, Frederick, thank you.” Said the mice. “We’ve learnedsomething about you”, they told him.
What do you think they learned?很久以前，在田野中的一筑围墙里住着四只老鼠。
夏天来了，老鼠们走出墙外去收集浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草。他们从早到晚玩
努力工作，除了弗雷德里克。
“弗雷德里克，你为什么不工作？”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为寒冷的深冬收集阳光呢。”
几天过后，他的朋友们再一次问道，“弗雷德里克，你为什么不工作？”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为漫长的灰白色冬天收集色彩呢。”
几天过后，他的朋友们再一次问道，“弗雷德里克，你为什么不工作？”他的朋友们问他。“我在工作吖。”弗雷德里克说,"我在为漫长寂静的冬天收集言语呢。”
很快，第一场雪就到了，四只老鼠回到了洞中。他们吃着浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草。但是随着时间的推移，他们没有浆果、坚果、玉米粒和稻草这些吃的东西了。
现在冬天又冷又黑暗，漫长又寂静。老鼠们饥肠辘辘。这时候他们想起了弗雷德里克。
“嘿，弗雷德里克，能给我们看看你为冬天收集的东西吗？”
"好的,"弗雷德里克说，“闭上你们的眼睛。这里有我为寒冷冬天收集的阳光。”
接着弗雷德里克为他的朋友们讲故事，小老鼠们感觉越来越温暖起来。
“ 很好，弗雷德里克！那么色彩和语言呢？”
"好的,"弗雷德里克说，“闭上你们的眼睛。他开始给他们夏天蓝色的天空、红色的罂粟花、绿色的小草、紫色的浆果和黄色的玉米粒。
“太棒了，弗雷德里克，谢谢你。”小老鼠们说道。“我们跟你学到了很多东西。”