stories to tell to children-第7部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
the Great Huge Bear; and that was too hard
for her。 And then she sat down in the chair
of the Middle…sized Bear; and that was too
soft for her。 And then she sat down in the
chair of the Little Small Wee Bear; and that
was neither too hard nor too soft; but just
right。 So she seated herself in it; and there
she sat till the bottom of the chair came out;
and down she came; plump upon the ground。
Then Goldilocks went upstairs into the bed…
chamber in which the Three Bears slept。 And
first she lay down upon the bed of the Great
Huge Bear; but that was too high at the head
for her。 And next she lay down upon the bed
of the Middle…sized Bear; and that was too high
at the foot for her。 And then she lay down upon
the bed of the Little Small Wee Bear; and that
was neither too high at the head nor at the
foot; but just right。 So she covered herself up
comfortably; and lay there till she fell fast asleep。
By this time the Three Bears thought their
porridge would be cool enough; so they came
home to breakfast。 Now Goldilocks had left
the spoon of the Great Huge Bear standing
in his porridge。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY
PORRIDGE!〃 said the Great Huge Bear; in
his great; rough; gruff voice。 And when the
Middle…sized Bear looked at his; he saw that
the spoon was standing in it too。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!〃
said the Middle…sized Bear; in his middle…sized
voice。
Then the Little Small Wee Bear looked at
his; and there was the spoon in the porridge…
pot; but the porridge was all gone。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE; AND
HAS EATEN IT ALL UP!〃 said the Little Small
Wee Bear; in his little; small; wee voice。
Upon this; the Three Bears; seeing that someone
had entered their house; and eaten up the
Little Small Wee Bear's breakfast; began to
look about them。 Now Goldilocks had not
put the hard cushion straight when she rose
from the chair of the Great Huge Bear。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN
MY CHAIR!〃 said the Great Huge Bear; in
his great; rough; gruff voice。
And Goldilocks had crushed down the soft
cushion of the Middle…sized Bear。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!〃
said the Middle…sized Bear; in his middle…sized
voice。
And you know what Goldilocks had done to
the third chair。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR AND
HAS SAT THE BOTTOM OUT OF IT!〃 said the Little
Small Wee Bear; in his little; small; wee voice。
Then the Three Bears thought it necessary
that they should make further search; so they
went upstairs into their bed…chamber。 Now
Goldilocks had pulled the pillow of the Great
Huge Bear out of its place。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN
MY BED!〃 said the Great Huge Bear; in his
great; rough; gruff voice。
And Goldilocks had pulled the bolster of the
Middle…sized Bear out of its place。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!〃
said the Middle…sized Bear; in his middle…sized
voice。
And when the Little Small Wee Bear came
to look at his bed; there was the bolster in
its place; and the pillow in its place upon the
bolster; and upon the pillow was the shining;
yellow hair of little Goldilocks!
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED;
AND HERE SHE IS!〃 said the Little Small Wee
Bear; in his little; small; wee voice。
Goldilocks had heard in her sleep the great;
rough; gruff voice of the Great Huge Bear;
but she was so fast asleep that it was no more
to her than the roaring of wind or the rumbling
of thunder。 And she had heard the
middle…sized voice of the Middle…sized Bear;
but it was only as if she had heard someone
speaking in a dream。 But when she heard the
little; small; wee voice of the Little Small Wee
Bear; it was so sharp; and so shrill; that it
awakened her at once。 Up she started; and
when she saw the Three Bears on one side
of the bed; she tumbled herself out at the
other; and ran to the window。 Now the window
was open; because the Bears; like good;
tidy Bears as they were; always opened their
bed…chamber window when they got up in the
morning。
Out little Goldilocks jumped; and ran away
home to her mother; as fast as ever she
could。
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG'1'
'1' Adapted from Joseph Jacobs's English Fairy Tales (David
Nutt; 57…59 Long Acre; W。C。 6s。)。
It happened one day that as an old woman
was sweeping her house she found a little
crooked sixpence。 〃What;〃 said she; 〃shall I
do with this little sixpence? I will go to
market; and buy a little pig。〃
On the way home she came to a stile; but
the piggy wouldn't go over the stile。
So she left the piggy and went on a little
further; till she met a dog。 She said to him;
〃Dog; dog; bite pig; piggy won't go over the
stile; and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the
dog wouldn't bite piggy。
A little further on she met a stick。 So she
said: 〃Stick! stick! beat dog! dog won't bite
pig; piggy won't go over the stile; and I sha'n't
get home to…night。〃 But the stick wouldn't
beat the dog。
A little further on she met a fire。 So she
said: 〃Fire! fire! burn stick! stick won't beat
dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get over
the stile; and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But
the fire wouldn't burn the stick。
A little further on she met some water。 So
she said: 〃Water! water! quench fire; fire
won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog
won't bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile;
and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the water
wouldn't quench the fire。
A little further on she met an ox。 So she
said: 〃Ox! ox! drink water; water won't
quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't
beat dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get
over the stile; and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃
But the ox wouldn't drink the water。
A little further on she met a butcher。 So
she said: 〃Butcher! butcher! kill ox; ox won't
drink water; water won't quench fire; fire
won't burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog
won't bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile;
and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the
butcher wouldn't kill the ox。
A little further on she met a rope。 So she
said: 〃Rope! rope! hang butcher; butcher
won't kill ox; ox won't drink water; water
won't quench fire; fire won't burn stick; stick
won't beat dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't
get over the stile; and I sha'n't get home to…
night。〃 But the rope wouldn't hang the butcher。
A little further on she met a rat。 So she
said: 〃Rat! rat! gnaw rope; rope won't hang
butcher; butcher won't kill ox; ox won't drink
water; water won't quench fire; fire won't
burn stick; stick won't beat dog; dog won't
bite pig; piggy won't get over the stile; and I
sha'n't get home to… night。〃 But the rat wouldn't
gnaw the rope。
A little further on she met a cat。 So she
said: 〃Cat! cat! kill rat; rat won't gnaw rope;
rope won't hang butcher; butcher won't kill
ox; ox won't drink water; water won't quench
fire; fire won't burn stick; stick won't beat
dog; dog won't bite pig; piggy won't get over
the stile; and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But
the cat said to her; 〃If you will go to yonder
cow; and fetch me a saucer of milk; I will kill the
rat。〃 So away went the old woman to the cow。
But the cow refused to give the milk unless
the old woman first gave her a handful of hay。
So away went the old woman to the haystack;
and she brought the hay to the cow。
When the cow had eaten the hay; she gave
the old woman the milk; and away she went
with it in a saucer to the cat。
As soon as it had lapped up the milk; the cat
began to kill the rat; the rat began to gnaw the
rope; the rope began to hang the butcher; the
butcher began to kill the ox; the ox began to
drink the water; the water began to quench
the fire; the fire began to burn the stick; the
stick began to beat the dog; the dog began to
bite the pig; the little pig in a fright jumped
over the stile; and so the old woman did get
home that night。
The briefest examination of these three
stories reveals the fact that one attribute
beyond dispute in each。 Something happens;
all the time。 Every step in each story is an
event。 There is no time spent in explanation;
description; or telling how people felt; the
stories tell what people did; and what they said。
And the events are the links of a sequence of
the closest kind; in point of time and of cause
they follow as immediately as it is possible for
events to follow。 There are no gaps; and no
complications of plot requiring a return on the road。
A second common characteristic appears on
briefest examination。 As you run over the
little stories you will see that each event
presents a distinct picture to the imagination; and
that these pictures are made out of very simple
elements。 The elements are either familiar to
the child or analogous to familiar ones。 Each
object and happening is very like everyday;
yet touched with a subtle difference; rich in
mystery。 For example; the details of the
pictures in the Goldilocks story are parts of
everyday life;house; chairs; beds; and so on;
but they are the house; chairs; and beds of three
bears; that is the touch of marvel which transforms
the scene。 The old woman who owned
the obstinate pig is the centre of a circle in
which stand only familiar images;stick; fire;
water; cow; and the rest; but the wonder enters
with the fact that these usually inanimate or
dumb objects of nature enter so humanly into
the contest of wills。 So it is; also; with the
doings of the three little pigs。 Every image
is explicable to the youngest hearer; while none
suggests actual familiarity; because the actors
are not children; but pigs。 Simplicity; with
mystery; is the keynote of all the pictures; and
these are clear and di