HSK 3 · Chapter 6 · 296 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/grandpas-secret

爷爷的秘密

Grandpa’s secret

Name: ________________ Date: ________

“当然dāngrán是shì一yí个gè人rén。”爷爷yéye说shuō完wán，就jiù去qù厨房chúfáng做饭zuòfàn了le。

乐乐lèlè走zǒu到dào门口ménkǒu，爷爷yéye的de衣服yīfu挂guà在zài那儿nàr。她tā从cóng口袋kǒudai里拿出náchū了le一yì包bāo鱼干yúgān。

“爷爷yéye！”

爷爷yéye从cóng厨房chúfáng出来chūlái，看见kànjiàn那nà包bāo鱼干yúgān，只好zhíhǎo坐zuò了le下来xiàlai。

原来yuánlái，每天měitiān早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn，豆腐dòufu都dōu在zài三sān号hào楼lóu门口ménkǒu，等děng着zhe爷爷yéye。爷爷yéye走zǒu一yì圈quān，它tā就jiù跟着gēnzhe走zǒu一yì圈quān。它tā走zǒu在zài前面qiánmiàn，看看kànkan左边zuǒbiān，看看kànkan右边yòubiān，就jiù像xiàng一yì只zhī警犬jíngquǎn。

“所以suóyǐ我wǒ叫jiào它tā‘警犬jíngquǎn’。”爷爷yéye说shuō，“走zǒu完wán了le，我wǒ就jiù给gěi它tā两liǎng条tiáo小鱼xiǎoyú。就jiù两liǎng条tiáo！”

乐乐lèlè问wèn：“那nà你nǐ为什么wèishénme不bù说shuō？”

“赵zhào老师lǎoshī说shuō了le，谁shéi也yě不能bùnéng喂wèi它tā。我wǒ当dāng了le三十sānshí年nián警察jǐngchá……”

“这zhè句jù话huà你nǐ说shuō过guò了le。”

爷爷yéye接着jiēzhe说shuō：“我wǒ怎么zěnme能néng让ràng别人biéren知道zhīdào，我wǒ也yě偷偷tōutōu喂wèi它tā？”

他tā又yòu说shuō：“星期天xīngqītiān早上zǎoshang，它tā也yě跟着gēnzhe我wǒ，我wǒ去qù哪儿nǎr，它tā就jiù去qù哪儿nǎr。可是kěshì它tā走zǒu得de很hěn慢màn，走zǒu几jǐ步bù就jiù躺tǎng一会儿yíhuìr。我wǒ还hái以为yǐwéi它tā老lǎo了le，今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang它tā没méi来lái，我wǒ也yě没méi多duō想xiǎng。”

乐乐lèlè在zài本子běnzi上shàng写xiě：早上zǎoshang六liù点diǎn，爷爷yéye的de鱼干yúgān。一天yìtiān五wǔ顿dùn饭fàn。

这时候zhèshíhou，电话diànhuà响xiǎng了le。是shì赵zhào老师lǎoshī。她tā在zài哭kū：“老周lǎozhōu，我wǒ没有méiyǒu说shuō真话zhēnhuà。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
爷爷	yéye	grandpa; paternal grandfather
走	zǒu	to go; to leave
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
包	bāo	bag; sack
等	děng	etc.; and so on
前面	qiánmiàn	in front; ahead
左边	zuǒbiān	left; left side
右边	yòubiān	right side; the right
条	tiáo	strip; slip (as in 纸条)
过	guò	(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
慢	màn	slow; to slow down
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while

English (for the teacher)

“On my own, of course.” With that, Grandpa went off to the kitchen to cook.

Lele went to the door, where Grandpa’s coat was hanging. From the pocket she pulled out a bag of dried fish.

“Grandpa!”

Grandpa came out of the kitchen, saw the bag of dried fish, and had no choice but to sit down.

So that was it: every morning at six, Tofu waited for Grandpa outside Building 3. When Grandpa walked a lap, it walked the lap with him. It went in front, looking left, looking right, just like a police dog.

“So I call it ‘Police Dog’.” Grandpa said, “When we’ve finished, I give it two little fish. Only two!”

Lele asked, “Then why didn’t you say?”

“Teacher Zhao said nobody’s allowed to feed it. I was a policeman for thirty years…”

“You’ve said that before.”

Grandpa carried on, “How could I let anyone know I was feeding it on the sly too?”

Then he said, “On Sunday morning it followed me too. Wherever I went, it went. But it walked very slowly and kept lying down after a few steps. I thought it was just getting old, so when it didn’t come this morning, I didn’t think much of it.”

In her notebook Lele wrote: six in the morning, Grandpa’s dried fish. Five meals a day.

Just then, the phone rang. It was Teacher Zhao. She was crying. “Old Zhou, I didn’t tell you the truth.”