Dinosaur Agu and His Big Tail

Author: Zhang Jiahui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: The story of "Dinosaur Awa and His Big Tail" appears to be a purely humorous tale, with some of the jokes even bordering on "parody." However, if readers pay closer attention, they will notice the philosophical subtleties hidden beneath the surface. Dinosaur Awa considers himself quite superior, and one of his daily rituals is to gaze longingly at his self-portrait on the wall. This reminds me of Narcissus, the handsome youth in Greek mythology, who fell in love with his own reflection in the water and eventually wasted away to death. Later, the term "Narcissus" evolved into the term for narcissism. But Dinosaur Awa is even more pitiful—he is not only unattractive but also incredibly foolish, with his foolishness manifesting as constant mockery of others' stupidity. Instead, it is his tail, which has been enchanted with magic, that gains wisdom. And the problem brings is "Who am I?"—which happens to be one of the most important propositions of the Greek philosopher Socrates: Know thyself. The word "philosophy" in Greek literally means "love of wisdom." The most whimsical aspect of Dinosaur Awa's story is that his wisdom grows on his tail! If wisdom can only reside on the tail, then the world must be upside down, right? Isn't Dinosaur Awa's story a clear example? Reading fairy tales by Uncle Weird, don't be fooled by their surface humor and absurdity. I dare say that almost every funny story hides a gem of wisdom, and only a clever and imaginative young reader can uncover it. — Prominent children's reading advocate, Ajia
1. Awa, Dongdong, and Xixi
In a magical world, there is a small village called Yueyue Village.
Yueyue Village has only two households, and they are right next to each other. One of the households is occupied by a dinosaur named Awa.
For hundreds of years, Awa had to do an important thing every day—wake up, quickly wash himself, have breakfast, and then run to the living room, stand firmly, and stare intently at a portrait hanging on the wall.
It was Awa's self-portrait, and it was his most cherished possession. "Wow, how cool and handsome!" Awa would gaze at the portrait, murmuring to himself.
For hundreds of years, this was his daily routine.
One morning, after waking up, Awa stood in front of his portrait again. "The person in this painting is truly the most handsome man in the world!" he admired, praising it endlessly. Finally, having had his fill, Awa sat comfortably on the sofa and opened the "Magical Morning News" to read. But before he could finish even one news article, as usual, a noisy argument immediately erupted from his neighbor's side.
Awa quickly perked up his ears and then gave a dry chuckle, saying with a tone of disdain, "Ha, those two donkey heads are arguing again."
The two donkey heads arguing—does this mean that the other household in Yueyue Village, Awa's neighbor, is occupied by two donkeys?
If you guessed that, you'd be dead wrong! Awa's neighbor is only one donkey, but it has two heads. It's a two-headed donkey. The two donkey heads arguing refers to the two heads growing on the same donkey's body constantly squabbling with each other.
Normally, one donkey only needs one name, but the two heads of this donkey absolutely refuse to share a common name. The eastern head calls itself Dongdong, and the western head calls itself Xixi. The two heads have their own thoughts and tempers, so they often quarrel and trade insults.
How strange is that donkey? So, what were they arguing about this morning?
Listen, and you'll know.
Dongdong said, "Hey, are you hungry? You've slept for a whole night, and your stomach is flat with hunger. Can I eat breakfast first and then brush my teeth? Is that okay?"
Xixi said, "No, no. How can you eat breakfast before brushing your teeth?"
Dongdong replied, "You're such a donkey. Eating breakfast first and then brushing your teeth is the best way to protect your teeth. Do you even understand?"
Xixi retorted, "Hmph, listen to all that nonsense you spout. Not only are you greedy, but you're also talking about all sorts of methods?"
Dongdong argued back, and Xixi, not to be outdone, immediately shot back. They argued back and forth,, with the squabble never ending.
Awa, listening from behind the wall with his ears perked up, couldn't help but chuckle and pat his head, saying to himself, "Luckily, my mom didn't give me two heads. Otherwise, I'd be in trouble."