老苏丹
导读
《老苏丹》是格林童话里一篇温暖又滑稽的动物故事。开头带着一点辛酸：忠心耿耿的老狗牙齿掉光，干不动活了，主人便打算一枪打死它——这正应了中国那句老话：“飞鸟尽，良弓藏；狡兔死，走狗烹。”一个人（或一条狗）一旦“没用”了，就会被轻贱。可故事紧接着给出另一种答案：感恩与善待。狼替老狗设下的“假绑架、真营救”，是一场善意的骗局；而后来那场“决斗”更是全篇的滑稽高潮——三条腿的猫因疼痛翘起尾巴，竟被狼和野猪当成军刀，一跳一跳的样子又被当成捡石头，最后猫咬了野猪的耳朵，野猪喊出“有罪的在树上”，狼的胆小当场败露。这种“认错武器”的桥段，早在中世纪的《列那狐》动物史诗里就逗笑过无数听众。把它改成中国寓言体，是因为它的筋骨与寓言相通：人物一眼看穿，道理藏在笑声里。读的时候，可以问孩子：主人一开始要杀老狗，做得对吗？到最后狼与狗握手言和，又说明了什么？
《老苏丹》词汇精讲
本故事精选 12 个重点词汇，附中英释义与原文例句，帮助孩子扩展英语词汇量。
In a loyal way; always staying true.
忠心地；忠诚地。
In his youth Sultan served his master faithfully, but now he was old.
苏丹年轻时忠心耿耿，可如今老了。
To have enough money or food for something.
供得起；养得起。
Surely we can afford to feed him.
还养不起它一口饭吗？
Moved slowly and quietly.
悄悄地走；溜。
That evening he crept into the forest to see his good friend the wolf.
当晚溜进林子，找好朋友狼商量。
A row of bushes growing as a fence.
树篱；篱笆。
Tomorrow your master will cut hay, and he will put the baby in the shade under the hedge.
明天你主人去割草，会把娃娃放在篱笆下的阴凉里。
To take something quickly and roughly.
抢夺；叼走。
I will run out and snatch the baby away, and you must chase me as fast as you can.
我出来把娃娃叼走，你在后头拼命追。
Extremely happy.
欣喜若狂的；又惊又喜的。
But Old Sultan brought the child safely home, and the farmer was overjoyed.
等老苏丹把孩子安然送还，他又惊又喜。
To put something in liquid to make it soft.
浸泡；泡软。
Go home at once and soak some bread in milk for Old Sultan, so he has nothing to chew.
你回家去，给老苏丹泡一碗软面包，省得它还要费牙咬。
Always staying true to someone.
忠心的；忠诚的。
"I am loyal to my master. Stealing a sheep — do not even dream of it."
“我对主人忠心，偷羊的事，你想也别想。”
A farm tool with a swinging stick, used to beat grain.
连枷（打谷用的农具）。
The farmer caught the wolf and beat him hard with his flail.
农夫抄起连枷，把狼狠狠抽了一顿。
Walked unevenly because of a hurt leg.
一瘸一拐地走。
As they set out, the poor cat limped along, holding her tail straight up in the air because of the pain.
两个一同上路，猫疼得一瘸一拐，尾巴疼得直直地竖在半空。
A sword with a curved blade.
军刀；马刀。
When they saw their enemy coming, they took the cat's upright tail for a sabre.
远远看见对头来了，它们把猫那根竖起的尾巴当成了一把军刀。
Feeling sorry and embarrassed about something you did.
羞愧的；难为情的。
The wolf was ashamed of his own cowardice, and he made peace with the dog on the spot.
狼见自己这样胆小，羞得抬不起头，当场和狗握手言和。
延伸阅读与亲子共读
故事寓意
忠诚的人终得善报；对真心待你的人，不可因他年老无用便弃之不顾。
教育价值
让孩子懂得感恩、忠诚与善待老人和弱者的道理；幽默的“误会决斗”还会让他们明白，恐惧常常会把小事看成大事。
家长共读提示
读完不妨问问孩子：主人一开始要杀老苏丹，做得对吗？再一起找一找，那场“决斗”的误会是怎样一步步闹大的；家里有老人或养了多年的宠物，也可以借着故事聊聊该怎样善待他们。
和孩子聊一聊
- 老苏丹忠心耿耿地伺候了主人一辈子，老了却差点被杀。你觉得主人这样做对吗？
- 狼帮老狗演了一出“假绑架”。这虽然是骗局，却救了老狗一命。你怎么看这种善意的谎言？
- 老狗欠着狼的大人情，可狼想偷主人的羊时，它还是拒绝了。换作是你，你会怎么选？
- 狼和野猪把猫翘起的尾巴当成军刀。这场“决斗”的误会，是怎样一步步闹大的？
- 故事最后，狼和狗和好了。是什么让他们放下仇恨的？
