该句使用了时间状语开头结构，使场景描写更具画面感。
Under the midday sun, a pig and a chicken were both foraging for food.
By a muddy ditch, the pig thrust its long snout into the damp soil, vigorously rooting through it to create a winding trench. Roots, earthworms, and small insects were exposed from the earth. The pig sniffed them out and swallowed them all, finding the taste delicious.
Not far away under the shade of a tree, the chicken was rapidly scratching at the ground with its two claws. Dust and pebbles flew backward, revealing ants, grubs, and tiny grains that the wide-eyed chicken devoured one by one.
Before long, the chicken was full. It glanced at the pig, who was still rooting around, and kindly advised, "Brother Pig, if you want to find food, you should do it like me. Scratch backward with your claws. It's like running in place—it exercises your body and helps you lose weight, all while finding food. It's killing two birds with one stone. The way you do it, sticking your snout into the muck, is neither hygienic nor efficient."
The pig thought it made sense. So, it tried to imitate the chicken, scratching at the ground with its front legs. However, after only a few attempts, one of the pig's hooves was worn down, and blood began to seep from the wound.
Groaning in pain, the pig went home and slept for three days.
On the fourth day, the pig and the chicken met again.
Just as the chicken was about to teach the pig the "correct" way to forage again, the pig lowered its head and said, "Sister Chicken, since ancient times, pigs have rooted forward and chickens have scratched backward. Your method is good, but I simply cannot learn it. I'll stick to my brute force and forage by rooting forward."
正午的阳光洒下，猪和鸡都在觅食。
在泥沟边，猪将长长的嘴伸进潮湿的泥土中，用力拱出一道弯弯曲曲的小沟，泥土里的草根、蚯蚓和小虫子便露了出来。猪用鼻子嗅着，将它们一一吞下，觉得味道鲜美极了。
不远处的树荫下，鸡正用两只爪子飞快地刨着地，尘土和沙石向后飞溅，露出的蚂蚁、螬蛴和小沙粒被瞪圆了眼睛的鸡一个接一个地吃掉。
没过多久，鸡就吃饱了。它看了看还在不停拱地的猪，好心地劝道：“笨猪哥，找食物要像我这样，用爪子往后刨。这样既像在原地跑步，能锻炼身体、有助于减肥，又能找到食物，简直是一举两得。像你那样把嘴伸进烂泥里，既不卫生又费力气。”
猪想了想，觉得也有道理。于是它便学着鸡的样子，用前腿在地上刨了起来。可没过几下，猪的一只蹄甲就被磨掉了，伤口渗出了血丝。
猪疼得哼哼直叫，回了家睡了三天。
第四天，猪和鸡再次相遇了。
鸡刚想再次教猪正确的刨食方法，猪便低下头说：“鸡妹妹，自古以来猪都是往前拱，鸡都是往后刨。你的方法虽然好，但我实在学不来。我还是用蛮力，习惯性地朝前拱着觅食吧。”