Sometimes Chinese do not call a person by his name， but by his number in the family. In Chuzhou there was a minor¹ official everyone called Fang² 3， because he was his parents' third son.

有时侯中国人称呼人时，不用他的名字，而用他在家里的排行。在滁州，有一个小官吏，每个人都叫他方三，因为他是父母的第三个儿子。

Fang 3 was a nice man. Everyone liked him. One day he went to the Hou farm to collect taxes.

方三是一个善良的人。每个人都喜欢他。一天他去侯家收税。

"Brother Hou， I have to ask you to pay this year's taxes. I know nobody likes to pay tax， but I have to report to my boss."

"侯兄弟，我是来请你交税的。我知道没人愿意交税，但是我还得向自己的上司交代啊。"

Hou 2 very politely said， "Fang 3， you must know that this year's harvest was terrible. We simply don't have anything to pay you with. Could you possibly give us ten days or half a month? Maybe we can gather some firewood to sell and get some money to pay our taxes to the Emperor."

侯二很客气地说，"方三，你也知道，今年的收成特别差。我们真的没有东西可以交啊。你能给我们十天半月的时间吧?也许我们能砍些柴来卖掉，搞点钱交税给皇上了。"

Fang 3 paused to consider. Hou 2 told his wife to prepare a meal for their guest. Just as Mrs. Hou walked out the door with the butcher knife， Fang caught a glimpse of a woman in brown standing³ outside the door begging him to be kind.

方三想了一下。侯二叫他的妻子给他们的客人准备一餐。当侯夫人拿着屠刀出门时，方瞥见有一个穿着褐色衣服的女人，站在门口外求他发发善心。

Just then he heard a hen clucking. He knew that hen was brown. He told Hou，"I've already eaten. You don't have to cook anything for me." So Mrs. Hou put down her knife， and the hen was spared.

当他听到有一只母鸡咯咯叫时，他意识到那只鸡也是褐色的。他告诉侯二"我已经吃过了。你不要为我准备什么了。"于是侯夫人放下了她的刀，那只母鸡得救了。

When Fang came back a few weeks later for the tax money， that brown hen was waiting respectfully outside the gate for him. She had her little chicks lined up and they all seemed happy to see him.

当几个星期后，方三再来收税时，那只褐母鸡正恭敬地在门口等他。 它让它的小鸡排成一列 ，见到方三，它们看上去都很高兴。

Fang got the tax money and left. As he crossed the stream by Hou's farm and climbed the hill on the far side， a tiger came rushing out of the forest and pounced⁴ at him. Fang 3 was petrified⁵. He shut his eyes and prepared to be eaten.

方得到了税钱，离开了。正当他跨越过侯家田地的小溪，爬上远处的小山时，一只老虎从树林里冲出来，扑向他。方三吓呆了。他闭上眼睛等死。

Then he heard a strange sound， and saw the hen and her chicks attacking the tiger! But how could some chickens possibly fight off a tiger? They flew at its eyes and pecked⁶ and pecked. The tiger howled and ran away.

然后他听到一阵奇怪的声音，看到那只母鸡和它的小鸡正在和那只老虎搏斗!但是，几只鸡怎么能打跑老虎呢?它们飞向老虎的眼睛，不停地啄它地眼珠。老虎嚎叫着跑掉了。

Fang 3 fainted like a dead man. When he came to， he went back to the Hou farm and bought the hen and her brood⁷ for a high price. He carried them home and took good care of them forever after.

方三晕死过去。当他醒来后，他去侯家用高价买下了那只母鸡和它的小鸡。他把它们带回家，从此细心照顾它们。