Why does a pigeon(鸽子) with an olive branch（橄榄枝） in its mouth mean peace?

The Great Flood（洪水）lasted (持续)150 days. Noah’s family and all the animals were in a big ship. One day, the rain stopped. Noah sent a crow (乌鸦) out of the big ship. But it didn’t come back. Then Noah sent a pigeon and the pigeon came back after seven days. Noah knew the land was far away. Another seven days passed, Noah sent the pigeon out of the big ship again. In the evening the pigeon came back with a green olive branch in its mouth. This time Noah knew the land was near. He was very happy. Noah and his family and all the animals got out of the big ship when they reached the land. They built houses and started to farm. Noah had many sons and daughters. The animals and trees all grew up, and the land was colourful again.

People think both the pigeon and the olive branch mean a peaceful land and a peaceful life, so they draw a picture of a pigeon with an olive branch in its mouth to show their love for peace.

Many of you have heard a Cinderella (灰姑娘) story, but you may not know that there are over a hundred different ways to tell the Cinderella story. When writers tell the same story in a different way, it is called their “version” of the story. The story of Cinderella has many different versions. Let’s read two of them and find out how they are different.

The version that most people know is the oldest one written in 1697 by Charles Perrault from France. This is the version where the birds help make Cinderellas’s dress and the mice turn into carriage men (马车夫) and help Cinderella go to the dance in a pumpkin (南瓜) carriage. In this version, many of the animals are Cinderella’s friends. They help her meet the Prince. Cinderella marries the Prince and they live happily together ever after.

In another version of this story written in the 1850s by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm from Germany, the birds help Cinderella in the whole story. Cinderella’s father gives her a little tree when he comes back from a party. She plants the little tree and her tears water it until it grows into a tall tree.

The birds now live in the tree and they give Cinderella a dress of gold and shoes of gold. Cinderella goes to the party to meet and dance with the Prince. Later, he finds Cinderella at home doing work for her stepmother. Cinderella marries the Prince and they live happily ever after.

Now you can understand what the word “version” means and how more than one writer can tell a story in a different way. That is why there are many versions of the same story.