Think about when you build a tower with blocks. Sometimes, you want to make it shorter so it doesn’t fall over. You take away some blocks, but the tower still looks the same, just smaller. That’s what it means to ‘abridge’ something. You’re making it shorter but keeping the important parts.
Now, imagine you have a storybook with lots of pages. If you want to read it quickly before bedtime, you might skip some pages or just read the best parts. This way, you still know what the story is about, but it takes less time. That’s abridging a story.
Think of a movie that is really long. If you only have a little bit of time, you might watch a shorter version that shows the best scenes. It’s like watching the whole movie, but faster. That’s abridging a movie.
Finally, picture a song with lots of verses. If you want to sing it quickly, you might just sing the chorus and a couple of verses. The song is shorter, but you still get to enjoy it. That’s what it means to abridge a song.