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I love it when I find a longer story that's suitable for beginning readers. This one, which is either a tale that reminds us what happens when you try to be something you're not, or a tale that reminds us that men should never be allowed to give each other fashion advice, definitely fits the bill. <!--more-->

<img src="http://chinesereadingpractice.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/20130805-INLINE.jpg" alt="Learn to Read Simplified Chinese: Basic Chinese Reader" width="100" height="100" class="imgborder alignleft" />The first sentence isn't super simple, so push through that one if you can, it gets much easier in the following paragraphs. Four points of grammar: 

能有幸请 [pinyin]neng2 you3 xing4 qing3[/pinyin] - A politely formal phrase of invitation "May have the pleasure of inviting you ..." or more specifically, "May I be so lucky as to..." (have this dance?) (take you on a date?). 

看上去 [pinyin]kan4 shang4 qu4[/pinyin] - To look like. 

你要是再不走开 [pinyin]ni3 yao4 shi4 zai4 bu4 zou3 kai1[/pinyin] - This one might be a little confusing. Let's break it down: 

你 - You
要是 - If
再不 - Otherwise / If not
走开 - Go away

The full phrase means "If you don't go away...."

他会来收拾你的 [pinyin]ta1 hui4 lai2 shou1 shi5 ni3 de5[/pinyin]. In the story, Miss Pig says this to an unwelcome guest. The "他" in this case is Mr. Pig. The Beginners often learn the word "收拾", meaning "to tidy up". Usually, this means exactly what it sounds like, and applies to cleaning up a room or an apartment. In this case, it's being used in kind of an action movie way, meaning "He'll come over and <strong>deal with</strong> you!" or "He'll come <strong>straighten you out</strong>!". So Miss Pig is threatening the unwelcome guest, telling him that Mr. Pig will come over and beat him up. 

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<h4>猪先生去野餐</h4>
今天，真是个<strong>野餐</strong>的好日子。 猪先生精心打扮着自己，他<strong>期待</strong>着猪小姐能与他一起去野餐。

“呵呵，真希望她会说‘我愿意’啊。 嗯，我再摘朵花送给她，一定能够打<strong>动她</strong>！”

路上，猪先生<strong>遇到</strong>了他的朋友狐狸。狐狸听说了野餐的事，就说：“让我给你一个建议，把我美丽的尾巴<strong>借</strong>去吧。瞧，你<strong>看上去</strong>有多聪明啊，猪小姐肯定会喜欢的。” 猪先生很满意。

<strong>接着</strong>，他又遇到了他的朋友狮子。狮子听说了野餐的事，就说：“让我给你一个建议，把我美丽的头发借去吧。 瞧，你看上去有多<strong>威猛</strong>啊，猪小姐肯定会喜欢的。” 猪先生很满意。

后来，他又遇到他的朋友斑马。斑马听说了野餐的事，就说：“让我给你一个建议，把我美丽的条纹借去吧。 瞧，你看上去有多<strong>英俊</strong>啊，猪小姐肯定会喜欢的。” 猪先生很满意。他觉得自己从来没有这样英俊过。

终于来到猪小姐家了，猪先生<strong>激动</strong>地敲了敲门。“能有幸请你一起去野餐吗？”他问。

猪小姐吓了一大跳：“噢，不行！你是哪儿来的<strong>妖怪</strong>呀？你要是<strong>再不走开</strong>，我就去叫猪先生了，他会来收拾你的！”

猪先生连忙往回跑。一路上，他把条纹还给了斑马，把头发还给了狮子，把尾巴还给了狐狸。然后，他又赶回到猪小姐的家，再一次摁响了门铃。

“能有幸请你一起去野餐吗？”他又问。

“啊呀，猪先生！” 猪小姐叫道，“看到你我真是太高兴啦，我很愿意跟你一起去野餐。刚才来了个<strong>丑八怪</strong>，就站在我的院子里，可把我吓坏啦。”

一路上，猪小姐把那个丑八怪的故事仔细地讲给了猪先生。她英俊的朋友猪先生，则一直满怀同情地听着。这真是一个去野餐的好日子啊。

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Today, it's a great day for a picnic. Mr. Pig dressed himself with care, looking forward to [the possibility of] Miss Pig and himself going on a picnic together.

"Heh, I hope she says 'Yes' [lit: I'm willing]. Hm, I'll also pick some flowers to give her, that will certainly be enough to sway her!"

On the road, Mr. Pig ran into his friend Fox. When fox heard about the picnic, he said: "Let me give you a suggestion, let me lend you my beautiful tail. See, you look so clever, Miss Pig will certainly like it." Mr. Pig was very pleased. 

Continuing on, he ran into his friend Lion. Lion heard about the picnic and said: "Let me give you a suggestion, borrow my beautiful hair for when you go over there. See, you look so powerful, Miss Pig will certainly like it." Mr. Pig was very pleased.  

After a while, he ran into his friend Zebra. Zebra heard about the picnic and said: "Let me give you a suggestion, I'll lend you my beautiful stripes. See, you look so handsome. Miss Pig will certainly like it." Mr. Pig was very pleased. He felt that he'd never before looked so handsome.

Finally arriving at Miss Pig's house, Mr. Pig excitedly knocked on the door. "Would you do me the honor of going on a picnic with me?" he asked. 

Miss Pig was terrified: "Oh, no way! What kind of monster are you? If you don't go away, I'll go get Mr. Pig, he'll straighten you out!"

Mr. Pig hurriedly ran away. On the road, he gave the stripes back to Zebra, the hair back to Lion, and the tail back to Fox. AFter that, he hurried back to Miss Pig's house, and again pressed the doorbell. 

"Would you do me the honor of having a picnic with me?" he asked again. 

"Goodness, Mr. Pig!" Miss Pig cried out. "I'm so happy to see you, I'd love to go on a picnic with you. An ugly wretch just came by here, standing in my garden, and scared me so." 

On the way, Miss Pig told Mr. Pig the story of the 'ugly wretch' in great detail. Her handsome friend Mr. Pig, though, listened with great sympathy. It really was a great day for a picnic.
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