英语小故事

Jack and the Beanstalk（傑克和豌豆）(Part 1)Once upon a time there was a poor widow who had an only son named Jack. All that they had was the house they lived in and a cow. At last they became too poor to keep the cow. The widow said to Jack one day, “Take this cow to the market and sell her. Then we’ll be able to buy bread. Try to get as much money as you can.” Jack, who was a good, but thoughtless boy, started for the market with his cow. On his may to t he market he met a man who had a pig with him. “Good morning,” said the man. “Good morning,” answered Jack. “Won’t you give me your old cow for this fat young pig?” said the man. Jack thought it a good idea. So he ax-changed his old cow for the young pig He walked on happily until he met another man who had som e fine beans. “These are magic beans,” said the man. “I’ll give you one of them, if you give me that pig.” Jack thought it wonderful to have a magic bean. So he consented to it and carried the bean proudly back home. He showed the bean to his mother. “Is t his all that you have got for that cow?” she said. “Now, we have on cow to give us milk. All we have is this bean.” She got angry. She threw it out of the window. The bean fall in their garden. During that night is sprouted and grew in a wonderful way. When jack and his mother woke the next morning, they saw that the beanstalk had grown so high that they could not see the top Jack made up his mind to climb to the top of the beanstalk. Higher and higher up he climbed until he found himself near a window of an old castle. Looking in, Jack saw a giant eating his, dinner. The giant finished his dinner and ordered his servant to bring his chief treasures, a hen and a harp. Lay eggs,” said the giant to the hen. The hen began to lay eggs. They were eggs of gold. “Play,” said the giant to the harp. The harp began to play sweet music. The harp played on and on until the giant grew tired and fell asleep.(Part 2)Jack had crawled into the room by this time. When the giant was asleep, a servant beckoned to Jack. “Look h ere. These are the treasures which the giant stole from your father before you were born,” said he. “Take them back to your mother, if you like. But, be quiet. He may wake.” Jack thanked him, and picked up the hen and the harp very carefully. When he was climbing down the beanstalk, the harp happened to make a loud noise. The giant woke. Jack climbed down the beanstalk, with the hen and the harp under his arms. The giant ran down after Jack, but Jack ran faster than the giant. When he was near his home, he called out to his mother, “Mother, bring an ax.” His mother brought an ax. She saw her son climbing down the beanstalk. As soon as he got down to the ground, he chopped down thebeanstalk. Down fell the giant with the beanstalk. He broke his neck, and was dead. Jack and his mother were rich all the rest of their lives and lived happily ever after.The Happy Shoemaker（快樂的鞋匠）(1)Once there lived a rich merchant and a poor shoemaker in the same house. The merchant occupied in the same house. The merchant occupied the second floor, but the shoemaker lived and worked in a small room on the first floor. The shoemaker was one of the happiest persons on earth. He worked from morning till night, singing merrily. His heart was filled with joy, whenever he looked at the boots and shoes to be repaired. Now the merchant upstairs was so rich that he hardly knew how much wealth he had. He was always counting over his gold and silver coins far into the night. Even in bed his uneasiness about his riches kept him awake when at last he had been asleep for an hour or two, up came the song of the happy shoemaker, who was an early riser. It continued all day and was a trouble to the merchant day by day the merchant grew more and more tired through want of sleep he asked a wise friend of his how he could put an end to the shoemaker's song. “Well, if I were you, I would give the shoemaker a hundred pounds,” answered his friend. “You are rich enough to do that, I suppose. Ask for nothing in return. Simply give the money. ”The merchant readily followed the advice.(2)When the shoemaker opened the bag that had been sent by the merchant, he was amazed to find shining coins. “I must hide this from the eyes of my neighbors. If they see it, they will think that I have stolen it,” he thought. “I will keep it away even from my wife.” So he hid the bag of money under the floor. From then on he avoided his neighbors as much as he could. His wife who had been the best companion to him, became troublesome now his mind was too much set on the money bag to attend to his work with diligence. He could not sing merrily now. Whenever he thought of the money bag, he became uneasy and unhappy. At length one day his wife said to him in tears, ---“dear husband, what makes you so sad and uneasy? All our neighbors say you have changed. I wish you were as good and gentle as before.” He was so sorry for her that he told her everything. “We were happy before the merchant gave us the money, ” said his wife, when she heard the story. “We have good health. We have pl enty of work to do. What more do we need? Send the money back to the merchant, and the happy life that was once ours will return to us.” The shoemaker agreed and went to the merchant to return the bag of money. “Sir” he said, “let me returnthis to you. By giving this to me, you have spoiled my happy and easy life. So I want to have it back by returning your present.” Merry song was again heard all over the house. He was as happy as he had ever been.The Forbidden Fruit（禁果）When God created the world the man was quite alone. Seeing this, God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a good companion for him.” He caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and took one of his ribs, and out of this rib, he made a woman. We call this man Adam and this woman Eve. God let Adam and Eve rule the earth and enjoy it. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden in peace and happiness! The animals came to them when they called them; the birds sang above their heads as they walked; and the fish came to the side of the lake to watch them as they stood in the sunlight. What a happy Garden this was! What a peaceful Paradise this was! But this happy and peaceful life did not last long. The Bible tells us a strange story which fills our eyes with tears. And this is that strange story which the Bible tells us. God had given man everything on the earth except one thing. There was one thing which man was not to do. If man did this one thing, he would lose all his peace and all his happiness. And man did do this very thing. The one thing man was not to do was to eat of the fruit growing on a certain tree in the Garden of Eden. There were a thousand other of which man might eat, but only this one was forbidden. It was God’s test of man’s love. If man loved God, he would not eat of this tree; if he did not love God, he would disobey. So, you see, this was God’s test of man’s love. Well, Satan, the wicked Tempter, took the form of a serpent and glided into the Garden of Eden, and so ught out Eve while she was away from her husband’s side, and suggested to her that she should eat of the fruit. And, although Eve did not at once obey him, she argued with him, instead of driving him from her. So the temptation to eat the fruit stayed in her mind; she allowed herself to think about it ; and at last the temptation was too great for her. She ate the fruit, and took it to Adam, and persuaded him also to do this forbidden thing. Then Adam and Eve heard the voice of God, and they were afraid and hid themselves in the trees. And God punished them. But the punishment was not a cruel one. He made them go out of the Garden of Eden and toil for their existence. Now, though work is hard, it is yet far better than idleness; and in setting man to till the earth, God has provided him with the opportunity of becoming better and kinder and purer. Have you ever seen a picture of Adam and Eve going out with tears and shame from their beautiful Garden of Innocence? And did you ever notice that over them the face of God was smiling with love and pity? God knows that His children shall one day return to their garden and to Him.Childe Rowland恰德羅蘭(1)Long ago there was a little princess named Ellen. She lived with her mother, the queen in a great castle y the sea. She had three brothers. One day. As they were playing ball, one of her brothers threw the ball over the castle. Ellen ran to get it, and did not come back. The three brothers looked for her. They looked and looked, but they could not find her. Day after day went by. At last the oldest brother went to a wise man and asked what man. The wise man told him as he had told the oldest brother. Then the next brother set out to find the dark tower. The youngest brother waited. He waited long, but no one came back. Now the youngest brother was called childe Rowland. At last childe Rowland went to his mother, the queen, and said, “mother, let me g o and find the dark tower and bring home Ellen and my brothers. “I cannot let you go. You are all that I have now,” said the queen. But childe Rowland asked again and again, until at last the queen said, “go, my boy. ”then she gave him his father’s sword, and he set out. He went to the wise man and asked the way. The wise man told him and said: “I will tell you two things: one thing is for you to do, and one thing is for you not to do. “the thing to do is this: when you get to the country of the elves, hold your father’s sword, pull it out quickly, and cut off the head of anyone who speaks to you, until you find the princess Ellen. “the thing not to do is this: bite no bit and drink no drop until you come back. Go hungry and thirsty while you are in the coun try of the elves.” Childe Rowland said the two things over and over, lest he should forget. Then he went on his way. He went on and on and on, until he came to some horses with eyes of fire. Then he knew he was in the country of the elves. A man was with t he horses. “where is the dark tower?” asked childe Rowland. “I cannot tell. Ask the woman that keeps the hens,” said the man. Childe Rowland took the sword and off went the man’s head. Then he went on and on, until he came to some hens with eyes of fire. A n old woman was with them. “where is the dark tower?” asked childe Rowland. “go and look for a hill,” said the old woman. “go around the hill three times. Each time you go around say: “open, door! Open, door! Let me come in. “when you have gone three times around, door will open. Go in.” “when you have gone three times around, door will open. Go in.”(2)Childe Rowland did not like to cut off the head of the old woman, but he thought of what the wise man had told him. So he took hold of the sword, and off went her head. After this he went on and on and on, until at last he came to a hill. He went three times around it, and each time he said: “open, door! Open, door! Let me come in.” when he had gone three times around, a door opened. In he went. The door shut after him, and he was in the dark. Soon he began to see a dim light. It seemed to come from thewalls. He went down a long way, and at last he came to another door. All at once it flew open, and he found himself in a great hall. The walls were of gold and silver, and were hung with diamonds. How the diamonds shone! And there sat the princess Ellen in a big chair of gold, with diamonds all about her head. When she saw childe Rowland, she came to him and said: “brother, why are you here? If the king of th e elves comes, it will be a sad ay for you.” But this did not frighten childe Rowland. He sat down and told her all that he had done. She told him that the two brothers were in the tower. The king of the elves had turned them into stone. Soon childe Rowland began to be very hungry, and asked for something to eat. All at once he thought of what the wise man had said. So he threw the bowl down upon the floor, and said: “Not a bit will I bite, Not a drop will I drink, till Ellen is free.” Then they heard a gre at noise outside, and someone cried out:---” fee-fi-fo- fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!” the door of the hall flew open and the king of the elves came in. childe Rowland took his sword. They fought and they fought. At last childe Rowland beat the king of the elves down to the ground. “stop!” cried the king of the elves. “I have had enough.” “I will stop when you set free the princess Ellen and my brothers,” said childe Rowland. “I will set them free,” said the king. He went at once to a cupboard a nd took out a blood-red bottle. Out of this bottle he let a drop or tow fall upon the eyes of the two brothers, and up they jumped. Childe Rowland took the hand of his sister Ellen and went out of the hall, and up the long way. The two brothers went after them. And they all came out from the hill and found their way back to their own home. How glad their mother was!Ulysses and the Bag of Winds（Ulysses與風袋）Long, long ago, there lived upon a little island a Greek king named Ulysses. One time Ulysses sailed far away across the sea to fight for his country, and for ten long years he was away from his beautiful wife and his little son. At last the Greeks captured the city they were fighting against, and the war ended. “Now I can go back to my island home,” said Ulysses, joyfully, as he and his men set sail for home. “ Once more I can see my wife and son!” on the way, they stopped to rest at the home of a king named Eolus, who lived on an island in the sea. It was a wonderful island; all around it was a high wall of bronze. Eolus was king of the winds. He could make the winds sleep so soundly that the sea would be as smooth as glass, or he could make them blow so hard that the waves would be as high as mountains. When Ulysses was ready to start on his way again, Eolus said, “I will help you to reach your home, Ulysses. I will put all the stormy winds in this great bag of ox-hide. Then they cannot harm you. “I will the bag with this golden chain; but I will leave out the gentle west wind, do bear you safely home. Guard the bag of winds carefully. Anddo not let anyone untie the chain.” Then the west wind blew softly and sent them in safety on their way. For nine days and nine nights Ulysses guarded the bag of winds, until at last he became very tired and sleepy. Now the men with Ulysses did not know what was in the great bag. “see how he guards it !” they said. “Surely it has gold and silver in it, for it is tied with a golden chain. We helped Ulysses in the war; why should he have all the gold and the silver?” at last, on the tenth day, they came in sight of their dear island. “Look, look!” cried the men, joyfully. “There are our green fields! Soon we shall see our homes.” Then the weary Ulysses, thinking that he need not guard the bag any longer, fell fast asleep. “now we can see what is in the bag!” so they crept up to the bag and untied the golden chain. Out flew all the stormy winds, roaring and howling! In a moment, great waves arose and drove the ship far from the land. The noise of the winds and the waves awoke Ulysses. Where was his little island home? Where were the green fields he loved so well? They were far, far away, for the ship was out on the stormy sea. “Oh, what shall I do?” cried Ulysses. “I fear that I shall never see my home again. But I must not give up; I will try again and again. Some day I may reach my home, and see my wife and son once more.” “After a long time, the stormy winds drove the ship back to the island where Eolus lived. How glad Ulysses was when “Eolus can help us,” he said. “He will the winds again” but Eolus was angry with Ulysses and his men. “Go away!” Eolus said. “I will not help you a second time, for it is your own fa ult that he stormy winds are out of the bag.” So once more Ulysses set out upon the sea, and it was many long years before he saw his island home again.Arachne（織女神）Arachne lived in a small village on the shores of the Mediterranean. Her parents were very poor. While her mother was busy cooking the simple meals for the family, or working in the fields, Arachne used to spin all day long Her wheel made a steady whirring like the buzzing of some insect. She grew so skillful from constant practice, that the threads she drew out were almost as fine as the mists that rose from the sea near by. One day Arachne’s father, who was a fisher-man, came home with his baskets full of little shell-fish, which were of a bright crimson or purple color. He thought the color of the little shellfish so pretty that he tried the experiment of dyeing Arachne’s wools with them. The result was the most vivid hue that had ever been seen in any kind of woven fabric. After this, Arachne’s tapestries always showed some touch of the ne w color. They now found a ready sale, and, in fact, soon became famous. Arachne’s family moved to a much larger house. Her mother did not have to work in the fields any more, nor was her father any longer obliged to go out in his boat to catch fish. Arachne, herself, became as her tapestries. She heard admiringwords on every side, and her head was a little turned by them. When, as often happened, people praised the beautiful color that had been produced by the shell-fish, she did not tell how her father had help her, took all the credit to herself. While she was weaving, a group of people often stood behind her loom, watching the pictures grow. One day she overheard someone say that even the great goddess, Minerva, the patron goddess of spinning, could not weave more beautiful tapestries than this fisherman’s daughter. This was a very foolish thing to say, but Arachne thought it was true, true. She heard another say that Arachne wove so beautifully that she must have been taught by Minerva herself. Now, the truth is, that Minerva had taught Arachne. It was Minerva who had sent the little shell-fish to those coasts; and, although she never allowed herself to be seen, she often stood behind the girl and guided her shuttle. But Arachne, never having seen the goddess, thought she owed everything to herself alone, and began to boast of her skill. One day she said: “It has been said that I can weave quite as well as the goddess, Minerva, if not better. I should like to have a weaving match with her, and then it would be seen which could do best.” These wicked words had hardly left Arachne’s mouth, before she heard the sound of a crutch on the floor. Turning to look behind her, she saw a feeble old woman in a rusty gray cloak. The woman’s eyes were as gray as her cloak, and strangely bright and clear for one so old. She leaned heavily on her crutch, and when she spoke, her voice was cracked and weak. “I am many years older than you,” she said. “Take my advice. Ask Minerva’s pardon for your ungrateful words. If you are truly sorry, she will forgive you.” Now Arachne had never been very respectful to old persons, particularly when they wore rusty cloaks, and she was very angry at being reproved by this one. “Don’t advise me,” she said. “Go and advise your own children. I shall say and do what I please.” At this an angry light came into the old woman’s gray eyes; her crutch suddenly changed to a shining lance; she dropped her cloak; and there stood the goddess herself. Arachne’s face grew very red, and then very white, but she would not ask Minerva’s pardon, even then. Instead, she said that she was ready for the weaving match. So two weaving frames were brought in, and attached to one of the beams overhead. Then Minerva and foolish Arachne stood side by side and each began to weave a piece of tapestry. As Minerva wove, her tapestry began to show pictures of mortals who had been foolhardy and boastful, like Arachne, and who had been punished by the gods. It was meant for a kindly warming to Arachne. But Arachne would not heed the warning. She wove into her tapestry pictures representing certain foolish things that the gods of Olympus had done. This was very disrespectful, and it is no wonder that when Arachne’s tapestry was finished, Minerva tore it to pieces. Arachne was frightened now, but it was too late. Minerva suddenly struck her on the forehead with her shuttle. Then Arachne shrank to a little creature no larger than one’s thumb.“Since you think yourself so very skillful in spinning and weaving,” said Minerva, “you shall do nothing else but spin and weave all your life.” Upon this Arachne, in her new shape, ran quickly into the first dark corner she could find. She was now obliged to earn her living by spinning webs of exceeding fineness, in which she caught many flies, just as her father had caught fish in his nets. She was called the Spinner. The children of this first little spinner have become very numerous; but their old name of spinner has been changed to that of spider. Their delicate webs often cover the grass on a morning when the day is to be fine.。