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小说: the girl who trod on the loaf 字数: 每页4000字

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this in deep penitence; a beam of radiant light shot suddenly into the

depths upon her。 More powerful than the sunbeam that dissolves the man

of snow which the children have raised; more quickly than the

snowflake melts and becomes a drop of water on the warm lips of a

child; was the stony form of Inge changed; and as a little bird she

soared; with the speed of lightning; upward to the world of mortals。 A

bird that felt timid and shy to all things around it; that seemed to

shrink with shame from meeting any living creature; and hurriedly

sought to conceal itself in a dark corner of an old ruined wall; there

it sat cowering and unable to utter a sound; for it was voiceless。 Yet

how quickly the little bird discovered the beauty of everything around

it。 The sweet; fresh air; the soft radiance of the moon; as its

light spread over the earth; the fragrance which exhaled from bush and

tree; made it feel happy as it sat there clothed in its fresh;

bright plumage。 All creation seemed to speak of beneficence and

love。 The bird wanted to give utterance to thoughts that stirred in

his breast; as the cuckoo and the nightingale in the spring; but it

could not。 Yet in heaven can be heard the song of praise; even from

a worm; and the notes trembling in the breast of the bird were as

audible to Heaven even as the psalms of David before they had

fashioned themselves into words and song。

    Christmas…time drew near; and a peasant who dwelt close by the old

wall stuck up a pole with some ears of corn fastened to the top;

that the birds of heaven might have feast; and rejoice in the happy;

blessed time。 And on Christmas morning the sun arose and shone upon

the ears of corn; which were quickly surrounded by a number of

twittering birds。 Then; from a hole in the wall; gushed forth in

song the swelling thoughts of the bird as he issued from his hiding

place to perform his first good deed on earth;… and in heaven it was

well known who that bird was。

    The winter was very hard; the ponds were covered with ice; and

there was very little food for either the beasts of the field or the

birds of the air。 Our little bird flew away into the public roads; and

found here and there; in the ruts of the sledges; a grain of corn; and

at the halting places some crumbs。 Of these he ate only a few; but

he called around him the other birds and the hungry sparrows; that

they too might have food。 He flew into the towns; and looked about;

and wherever a kind hand had strewed bread on the window…sill for

the birds; he only ate a single crumb himself; and gave all the rest

to the rest of the other birds。 In the course of the winter the bird

had in this way collected many crumbs and given them to other birds;

till they equalled the weight of the loaf on which Inge had trod to

keep her shoes clean; and when the last bread…crumb had been found and

given; the gray wings of the bird became white; and spread

themselves out for flight。

    〃See; yonder is a sea…gull!〃 cried the children; when they saw the

white bird; as it dived into the sea; and rose again into the clear

sunlight; white and glittering。 But no one could tell whither it

went then although some declared it flew straight to the sun。





                            THE END




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