老虎是百兽之王，老虎的命令谁敢违抗？偏偏熊猫要抗令，请看惠言童话第5集《老虎和熊猫》。
编辑寄语
因受疫情影响，自3月16日起，大纽约地区学校陆续关闭，孩子们在家，除了上网课外，各种活动受到限制。如何帮助孩子们度过这个非常时期的枯燥生活，让家长们十分操心。惠言先生在征得参与创作者和组织者同意后，主动向我们编辑部提议，把他正在筹划出版的《惠言童话》18篇绘画本稿子赠给我们网站连载，可以让孩子们在网上看到和听到这些故事，有助于提高他们的中文阅读和听力水平。
故事文稿是基于惠言先生前几年在《世界日报》上发表的故事修改的，中美两地34个孩子们参加了插画稿创作，上海五里桥文化中心张炜玮主任组织“音之魅”诵读沙龙的语言艺术家们创作了9个朗诵作品。希望这些生动有趣的故事、童趣洋溢的图画和美妙的朗诵艺术作品，能伴随孩子们度过新冠疫情这个困难时期。对此，我们向惠言先生；英文稿的校阅者Jason Kenny先生和赵蒙皓女士；上海五里桥文化中心及“音之魅”诵读沙龙语言艺术家们；参与画稿创作的孩子们及其家长表示衷心感谢！
本网站将于5月4日（周一）起，每逢周一、三、五连载推出，每次一篇《惠言童话》故事，大约持续六周，欢迎大家下载收看收听。
5. 老虎和熊猫
The Tiger and the Panda
文：惠言
画：周天翼（10岁，图1-5）；Jessica Zhou（周思可）（9岁，图6-9）
英文校阅：Jason Kenny & 赵蒙皓
中文朗诵：王庆宪
英文朗诵：Jessica Zhou（周思可）
老虎当上百兽之王，建立了动物王国，享受其他动物进贡的食品。这一天，他把分享残羹的助手狐狸找来，让狐狸去通知所有动物三天以后到他洞内开会，确认全年进贡计划。The tiger lived in an animal kingdom where he was the king. He enjoyed the food that the other animals gave him in tribute. The fox, as the tiger’s servant, shared the tiger’s leftover food. One day, the tiger decided to hold a meeting to let the animals know which food they would have to give him in tribute for the coming year. He ordered the fox to inform all the animals in the kingdom to come to his cave three days hence.狐狸飞快地在森林里兜了一圈，他藉着虎威，恶狠狠地通知各种动物：“如果不来，后果自负。”迫于老虎的威势，动物们都表示服从命令。但当狐狸好不容易在竹林里找到熊猫，宣布老虎的命令时，熊猫干脆地答道：“我不去！”The fox quickly ran through the forest. He took advantage of the tiger’s authority to order all the animals around and make them heed his warning, "If you don't come, there will be consequences." Afraid of the tiger's ferocity, the animals were forced to obey the order. After searching very hard for the panda, the fox finally found him in the bamboo forest, and announced the tiger’s order to him. The panda’s response was simple and crisp, "I'm not going."狐狸赶紧向老虎报告，除了熊猫，其他动物都会准时报到、按时纳贡。老虎听到熊猫拒令，生气地对狐狸说：“你再去告诉大家，三天后的会议改在森林边上的草地上，我先要和熊猫厮杀一番，再确认进贡计划。”The fox hurried back and reported to the tiger what had transpired, “All animals except the panda would attend the meeting on time and took heed of your proclamation.” The tiger was infuriated that the panda had rejected his order. “Go to the animals again”, he said to the fox, “and tell them that the meeting will be held on the grasslands at the edge of the forest three days from now. I will fight with the panda first, then announce my food plan."三天后，动物们来到森林边上的草地看台，威风凛凛的老虎和憨态可掬的熊猫走上一旁的比武台。老虎厉声责问：“你怎敢违抗我的命令不纳贡？”熊猫冷静应答：“我只会摘竹子、吃竹子，我进贡竹子，你收吗？你要我进贡肉的话，那就只能进贡我自己或者孩子，可是我不甘心，因此冒死来和你比武。”Three days later, all the animals came to the grassland stage located at the edge of the forest, the majestic tiger and the lovely panda standing on opposite sides of the stage. "How dare you disobey my order?" the tiger demanded. The panda replied calmly, "I can harvest bamboo, and provide this to you in tribute, would you accept? If you want meat, then I have no meat except myself or my children. However, I'm not willing to do it, therefore I have come here to fight you."看着胖乎乎的熊猫，老虎心想：“今天我就要当着众动物的面打败你、吃掉你，既饱我口福，又让大家知道我的厉害。”老虎气势汹汹地说：“你狡辩，抗令就该死，不用十分钟，我就能把你打败、吃掉你。”Looking at the chubby panda, the tiger thought to himself, ‘Today I'm going to beat you and eat you in front of all the animals. Not only will I have a good meal, but will also show how powerful I am.’ The tiger snarled at the panda, "You dare to quibble, so you will face the death penalty for going against my order. I can beat you in ten minutes, and then I will eat you."
熊猫胸有成竹地说：“那好吧，别说十分钟，我给你一小时，你如果在一个小时里还吃不掉我，就得认输，从此大家不再向你进贡。”老虎心想：“这怎么可能？”于是答应：“好，我们一言为定。”The panda answered with confidence, "Well then, forget about ten minutes, I'll give you one hour. If you cannot eat me within an hour, you must accept your defeat, and all the animals will no longer be required to pay tribute to you with food." The tiger thought, ‘How is that possible?’ so he readily agreed, "You have a deal. Let’s do it."动物们推举老牛做裁判，当老牛宣布比武开始后，老虎一个箭步扑向熊猫，但因为老虎长期不觅食，身体虚胖，动作有点迟缓，熊猫敏捷闪开，老虎再用尾巴扫向熊猫，熊猫纵身跃过，老虎使出大绝招，侧身翻扑，熊猫就地打滚避过，顺势跑向树林，老虎紧追不舍。The animals elected the old cow as the official to oversee the contest. When the old cow announced the start of the contest, the tiger sprang at the panda. The tiger had not hunted for a long time on his own and was a bit slow. The panda easily escaped the tiger’s attack. Then the tiger attempted to sweep the panda with his tail, but the panda jumped over it. The tiger tried his best moves and attacked the panda on his side; but the panda rolled away, and then ran to the forest.熊猫迅速爬上一棵大树，老虎不会爬树，只能在树下打转。一个小时过去了，老牛宣布熊猫获胜。The panda quickly climbed up a tall tree. The tiger could not climb the tree, but circled the base of the tree many times. One hour passed. The old cow announced that the panda was the winner.动物们抬起爬下树的熊猫欢呼，从此不再向老虎进贡。老虎重归山林，以狩猎为生，体格也恢复强健了。The panda climbed down the tree; the animals raised the panda overhead and cheered for him. They would no longer pay tribute to the tiger with food. The tiger returned to the forest. He started to hunt on his own, and became strong once again.