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At once the ants swarmed out. Some ran around the hill, while a few of them began to carry away fat, white eggs. The old partridge, coming to her children, picked up one of these juicy-looking eggs and clucked. Then she dropped it, picked it up again, and clucked, and finally swallowed it.
蚂蚁们立刻蜂拥而出。有些蚂蚁绕着蚁丘跑，有些开始搬运胖胖的白蛋。鹧鸪妈妈走到孩子们面前，捡起一颗看起来很漂亮的蛋，咯咯叫着。然后她把它扔掉，再捡起来，咯咯叫着，最后把它吞了下去。
The young ones stood around, watching.
小鹧鸪们站在旁边看着。
Then one little fellow, the one that had sat on the chip, picked up an ant-egg, dropped it a few times, and then swallowed it; so he had learned to eat. Within twenty minutes, even the smallest partridge had learned. And a merry time they all had scrambling after the eggs which their mother sent rolling down the sides of the ant-hill. Soon every young partridge had swallowed so many eggs that he could eat no more.
然后那个坐在碎片上的小家伙捡起一颗蚁蛋，扔了几次，然后把它吞了；于是它学会了吃东西。不到二十分钟，即使是最小的鹧鸪也学会了吃东西。他们都高兴地争夺着妈妈从蚁丘边上滚下来的蚁蛋。不久，每只小鹧鸪都吃了很多蚁蛋，再也吃不下了。
Then the mother led her children up the stream. On a sandy bank, well hidden by bushes, they lay all that afternoon. They learned how pleasant it was to feel the cool dust running between their hot little toes.
然后鹧鸪妈妈领着孩子们到了小溪上游。在沙岸边，他们好好地藏在灌木丛里躺了一下午。他们了解到，凉爽的灰尘穿过火热的小脚丫是多么愉快。
They lay on their sides as their mother did and scratched happily with their tiny feet.
他们像妈妈一样躺着，用他们的小脚快乐地抓着。
That night Mother Partridge took her little ones to a dry thicket near by. There, among the dead leaves and under the bushes, she covered them with her soft feathers. The wee cuddling things peeped in their sleep and snuggled against her warm body.
那天晚上，鹧鸪妈妈带着孩子们来到了附近的一个干燥灌木丛里。在枯叶和灌木丛下，她用自己柔软的羽毛覆盖住他们。小可爱们做着美梦，偎依着她温暖的身体。
