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Grimm CMU · Grimm's Fairy Tales

The Duration of Life

198-the-duration-of-life

Review Status Pending

Child Rewrite

Displayed from child_friendly_chunks

When God made the world, He wanted to set a good time for everyone to live. The donkey came and asked, "Lord, how long should I live?" God said, "Thirty years." The donkey sighed. "That is a long time. Think of my hard life. I carry heavy things all day long. I pull sacks of corn to the mill so others can eat. But all I get are kicks and blows. Please take away some of those years." God felt kind and took away eighteen years for him. The donkey felt happy and left. Then the dog came. "How long would you like to live?" God asked. "Thirty years is too much for the donkey, but it is fine for you." The dog said, "Is that really what you want, Lord?

Think about how hard it will be to run. My feet will get tired very fast. And once I lose my bark and my teeth, what will I do? I will just run back and forth and growl. God saw that I was right. He let me go free after twelve years. Then the monkey came. You will live thirty years happily, said the Lord. You do not have to work like the donkey or the dog. You will just have fun. Oh, Lord, the monkey said. It might seem that way, but it is not true. When it rains, I have no spoon to eat with. I have to make silly faces to make people laugh. And if they give me an apple, it is always sour. How often sadness hides behind happy times.

I could not wait thirty whole years. God was kind and took ten years off. At last, a man appeared. He looked happy, strong, and full of life. He asked God to choose his time. "You will live thirty years," said the Lord. "Is that enough for you?" "What a short time!" cried the man. "I have built my house, and my fire is warm on my hearth. I have planted trees that give sweet fruit. I am just starting to enjoy my life, and now I must die. O Lord, please make my time longer." "I will add the donkey's eighteen years," said God. "That is still not enough," replied the man. "You shall also have the dog's twelve years." "Still too little." "Well, then," said God, "I will give you the monkey's ten years, too. But that is all you get." The man went away, but he was not happy.

So, man lives seventy years.

The first thirty years are his human years. He is healthy and happy. He works with joy and loves his life. Then come eighteen years as a donkey. He carries heavy loads for others. He is tired and has to work hard. Then come twelve years as a dog. He sleeps in the corner and cannot bite anymore. Then come ten years as a monkey. Finally, man becomes old and silly. He does funny things and becomes the joke of the children.

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  "child_friendly_title": "The Duration of Life",
  "child_friendly_body": [
    "When God made the world, He wanted to set a good time for everyone to live. The donkey came and asked, \"Lord, how long should I live?\" God said, \"Thirty years.\" The donkey sighed. \"That is a long time. Think of my hard life. I carry heavy things all day long. I pull sacks of corn to the mill so others can eat. But all I get are kicks and blows. Please take away some of those years.\" God felt kind and took away eighteen years for him. The donkey felt happy and left. Then the dog came. \"How long would you like to live?\" God asked. \"Thirty years is too much for the donkey, but it is fine for you.\" The dog said, \"Is that really what you want, Lord?",
    "Think about how hard it will be to run. My feet will get tired very fast. And once I lose my bark and my teeth, what will I do? I will just run back and forth and growl. God saw that I was right. He let me go free after twelve years. Then the monkey came. You will live thirty years happily, said the Lord. You do not have to work like the donkey or the dog. You will just have fun. Oh, Lord, the monkey said. It might seem that way, but it is not true. When it rains, I have no spoon to eat with. I have to make silly faces to make people laugh. And if they give me an apple, it is always sour. How often sadness hides behind happy times.",
    "I could not wait thirty whole years. God was kind and took ten years off. At last, a man appeared. He looked happy, strong, and full of life. He asked God to choose his time. \"You will live thirty years,\" said the Lord. \"Is that enough for you?\" \"What a short time!\" cried the man. \"I have built my house, and my fire is warm on my hearth. I have planted trees that give sweet fruit. I am just starting to enjoy my life, and now I must die. O Lord, please make my time longer.\" \"I will add the donkey's eighteen years,\" said God. \"That is still not enough,\" replied the man. \"You shall also have the dog's twelve years.\" \"Still too little.\" \"Well, then,\" said God, \"I will give you the monkey's ten years, too. But that is all you get.\" The man went away, but he was not happy. So, man lives seventy years.",
    "The first thirty years are his human years. He is healthy and happy. He works with joy and loves his life. Then come eighteen years as a donkey. He carries heavy loads for others. He is tired and has to work hard. Then come twelve years as a dog. He sleeps in the corner and cannot bite anymore. Then come ten years as a monkey. Finally, man becomes old and silly. He does funny things and becomes the joke of the children."
  ],
  "child_friendly_text": "When God made the world, He wanted to set a good time for everyone to live. The donkey came and asked, \"Lord, how long should I live?\" God said, \"Thirty years.\" The donkey sighed. \"That is a long time. Think of my hard life. I carry heavy things all day long. I pull sacks of corn to the mill so others can eat. But all I get are kicks and blows. Please take away some of those years.\" God felt kind and took away eighteen years for him. The donkey felt happy and left. Then the dog came. \"How long would you like to live?\" God asked. \"Thirty years is too much for the donkey, but it is fine for you.\" The dog said, \"Is that really what you want, Lord?\n\nThink about how hard it will be to run. My feet will get tired very fast. And once I lose my bark and my teeth, what will I do? I will just run back and forth and growl. God saw that I was right. He let me go free after twelve years. Then the monkey came. You will live thirty years happily, said the Lord. You do not have to work like the donkey or the dog. You will just have fun. Oh, Lord, the monkey said. It might seem that way, but it is not true. When it rains, I have no spoon to eat with. I have to make silly faces to make people laugh. And if they give me an apple, it is always sour. How often sadness hides behind happy times.\n\nI could not wait thirty whole years. God was kind and took ten years off. At last, a man appeared. He looked happy, strong, and full of life. He asked God to choose his time. \"You will live thirty years,\" said the Lord. \"Is that enough for you?\" \"What a short time!\" cried the man. \"I have built my house, and my fire is warm on my hearth. I have planted trees that give sweet fruit. I am just starting to enjoy my life, and now I must die. O Lord, please make my time longer.\" \"I will add the donkey's eighteen years,\" said God. \"That is still not enough,\" replied the man. \"You shall also have the dog's twelve years.\" \"Still too little.\" \"Well, then,\" said God, \"I will give you the monkey's ten years, too. But that is all you get.\" The man went away, but he was not happy. So, man lives seventy years.\n\nThe first thirty years are his human years. He is healthy and happy. He works with joy and loves his life. Then come eighteen years as a donkey. He carries heavy loads for others. He is tired and has to work hard. Then come twelve years as a dog. He sleeps in the corner and cannot bite anymore. Then come ten years as a monkey. Finally, man becomes old and silly. He does funny things and becomes the joke of the children.",
  "child_friendly_chunks": [
    "When God made the world, He wanted to set a good time for everyone to live. The donkey came and asked, \"Lord, how long should I live?\" God said, \"Thirty years.\" The donkey sighed. \"That is a long time. Think of my hard life. I carry heavy things all day long. I pull sacks of corn to the mill so others can eat. But all I get are kicks and blows. Please take away some of those years.\" God felt kind and took away eighteen years for him. The donkey felt happy and left. Then the dog came. \"How long would you like to live?\" God asked. \"Thirty years is too much for the donkey, but it is fine for you.\" The dog said, \"Is that really what you want, Lord?",
    "Think about how hard it will be to run. My feet will get tired very fast. And once I lose my bark and my teeth, what will I do? I will just run back and forth and growl. God saw that I was right. He let me go free after twelve years. Then the monkey came. You will live thirty years happily, said the Lord. You do not have to work like the donkey or the dog. You will just have fun. Oh, Lord, the monkey said. It might seem that way, but it is not true. When it rains, I have no spoon to eat with. I have to make silly faces to make people laugh. And if they give me an apple, it is always sour. How often sadness hides behind happy times.",
    "I could not wait thirty whole years. God was kind and took ten years off. At last, a man appeared. He looked happy, strong, and full of life. He asked God to choose his time. \"You will live thirty years,\" said the Lord. \"Is that enough for you?\" \"What a short time!\" cried the man. \"I have built my house, and my fire is warm on my hearth. I have planted trees that give sweet fruit. I am just starting to enjoy my life, and now I must die. O Lord, please make my time longer.\" \"I will add the donkey's eighteen years,\" said God. \"That is still not enough,\" replied the man. \"You shall also have the dog's twelve years.\" \"Still too little.\" \"Well, then,\" said God, \"I will give you the monkey's ten years, too. But that is all you get.\" The man went away, but he was not happy.",
    "So, man lives seventy years.",
    "The first thirty years are his human years. He is healthy and happy. He works with joy and loves his life. Then come eighteen years as a donkey. He carries heavy loads for others. He is tired and has to work hard. Then come twelve years as a dog. He sleeps in the corner and cannot bite anymore. Then come ten years as a monkey. Finally, man becomes old and silly. He does funny things and becomes the joke of the children."
  ],
  "v3_model": "glm-4.7-flash:q4_K_M",
  "v3_flags": []
}