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stories to tell to children-第23章

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the edge of the nest; where the little Wren

could see。



That was how the Morning…Glory came to climb。





THE STORY OF LITTLE TAVWOTS'1'



'1' Adapted from The Basket Woman; by Mary Austin。





This is the story an Indian woman told a

little white boy who lived with his father and

mother near the Indians' country; and Tavwots

is the name of the little rabbit。



But once; long ago; Tavwots was not little;

he was the largest of all four…footed things;

and a mighty hunter。  He used to hunt every

day; as soon as it was day; and light enough

to see; he used to get up; and go to his hunting。

But every day he saw the track of a great foot

on the trail; before him。  This troubled him; for

his pride was as big as his body。



〃Who is this;〃 he cried; 〃that goes before

me to the hunting; and makes so great a stride?

Does he think to put me to shame?〃



〃T'…sst!〃 said his mother; 〃there is none

greater than thou。〃



〃Still; there are the footprints in the trail;〃

said Tavwots。



And the next morning he got up earlier; but

still the great footprints and the mighty stride

were before him。  The next morning he got up

still earlier; but there were the mighty foot…

tracks and the long; long stride。



〃Now I will set me a trap for this impudent

fellow;〃 said Tavwots; for he was very cunning。

So he made a snare of his bowstring and set it

in the trail overnight。



And when in the morning he went to look;

behold; he had caught the sun in his snare!

All that part of the earth was beginning to

smoke with the heat of it。



〃Is it you who made the tracks in my trail?〃

cried Tavwots。



〃It is I;〃 said the sun; 〃come and set me

free; before the whole earth is afire。〃



Then Tavwots saw what he had to do;

and he drew his sharp hunting…knife and ran

to cut the bowstring。  But the heat was so

great that he ran back before he had done

it; and when he ran back he was melted

down to half his size!  Then the earth began

to burn; and the smoke curled up against the

sky。



〃Come again; Tavwots;〃 cried the sun。



And Tavwots ran again to cut the bowstring。

But the heat was so great that he ran back

before he had done it; and he was melted down

to a quarter of his size!



〃Come again; Tavwots; and quickly;〃 cried

the sun; 〃or all the world will be burnt up。〃



And Tavwots ran again; this time he cut the

bowstring and set the sun free。  But when he

got back he was melted down to the size he is

now!  Only one thing is left of all his greatness:

you may still see by the print of his feet as he

leaps in the trail; how great his stride was when

he caught the sun in his snare。







THE PIG BROTHER'1'



'1' From The Golden Windows; by Laura E。 Richards。  (H。 R。

Allenson Ltd。  2s。 6d; net。)





There was once a child who was untidy。  He

left his books on the floor; and his muddy shoes

on the table; he put his fingers in the jam pots;

and spilled ink on his best pinafore; there was

really no end to his untidiness。



One day the Tidy Angel came into his

nursery。



〃This will never do!〃 said the Angel。  〃This

is really shocking。  You must go out and stay

with your brother while I set things to rights

here。〃



〃I have no brother!〃 said the child。



〃Yes; you have;〃 said the Angel。  〃You may

not know him; but he will know you。  Go out

in the garden and watch for him; and he will

soon come。〃



〃I don't know what you mean!〃 said the

child; but he went out into the garden and

waited。



Presently a squirrel came along; whisking his

tail。



〃Are you my brother?〃 asked the child。



The squirrel looked him over carefully。



〃Well; I should hope not!〃 he said。  〃My

fur is neat and smooth; my nest is handsomely

made; and in perfect order; and my young ones

are properly brought up。  Why do you insult

me by asking such a question?〃



He whisked off; and the child waited。



Presently a wren came hopping by。



〃Are you my brother?〃 asked the child。



〃No; indeed!〃 said the wren。  〃What

impertinence!  You will find no tidier person than

I in the whole garden。  Not a feather is out of

place; and my eggs are the wonder of all for

smoothness and beauty。  Brother; indeed!〃

He hopped off; ruffling his feathers; and the

child waited。



By…and…by a large Tommy Cat came along。



〃Are you my brother?〃 asked the child。



〃Go and look at yourself in the glass;〃 said

the Tommy Cat haughtily; 〃and you will have

your answer。  I have been washing myself in

the sun all the morning; while it is clear that no

water has come near you for a long time。  There

are no such creatures as you in my family; I am

humbly thankful to say。〃



He walked on; waving his tail; and the child

waited。



Presently a pig came trotting along。



The child did not wish to ask the pig if he were

his brother; but the pig did not wait to be asked。



〃Hallo; brother!〃 he grunted。



〃I am not your brother!〃 said the child。



〃Oh yes; you are!〃 said the pig。  〃I confess

I am not proud of you; but there is no mistaking

the members of our family。  Come along; and

have a good roll in the barnyard!  There is

some lovely black mud there。〃



〃I don't like to roll in mud!〃 said the child。



〃Tell that to the hens!〃 said the Pig Brother。

〃Look at your hands and your shoes; and your

pinafore!  Come along; I say!  You may have

some of the pig…wash for supper; if there is more

than I want。〃



〃I don't want pig…wash!〃 said the child; and

he began to cry。



Just then the Tidy Angel came out。



〃I have set everything to rights;〃 she said;

〃and so it must stay。  Now; will you go with

the Pig Brother; or will you come back with me;

and be a tidy child?〃



〃With you; with you!〃 cried the child; and

he clung to the Angel's dress。



The Pig Brother grunted。



〃Small loss!〃 he said。  〃There will be all 

the more wash for me!〃  And he trotted off。







THE CAKE'1'



'1' From The Golden Windows; by Laura E Richards。  (H。 R。

Allenson Ltd。 2s 6d。 net。)





A child quarrelled with his brother one day

about a cake。



〃It is my cake!〃 said the child。



〃No; it is mine!〃 said his brother。



〃You shall not have it!〃 said the child。

〃Give it to me this minute!〃  And he fell upon

his brother and beat him。



Just then came by an Angel who knew the

child。



〃Who is this that you are beating?〃 asked

the Angel。



〃It is my brother;〃 said the child。



〃No; but truly;〃 said the Angel; 〃who is

it?〃



〃It is my brother; I tell you!〃 said the child。



〃Oh no;〃 said the Angel; 〃that cannot be;

and it seems a pity for you to tell an untruth;

because that makes spots on your soul。  If it

were your brother; you would not beat him。〃



〃But he has my cake!〃 said the child。



〃Oh;〃 said the Angel; 〃now I see my

mistake。  You mean that the cake is your brother;

and that seems a pity; too; for it does not look

like a very good cake;and; besides; it is all

crumbled to pieces。〃







THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN TOWN'1'



'1' From traditions; with rhymes from Browning's The Pied

Piper of Hamelin。





Once I made a pleasure trip to a country

called Germany; and I went to a funny little

town; where all the streets ran uphill。  At the

top there was a big mountain; steep like the

roof of a house; and at the bottom there was a

big river; broad and slow。  And the funniest

thing about the little town was that all the shops

had the same thing in them; bakers' shops;

grocers' shops; everywhere we went we saw the

same thing;big chocolate rats; rats and mice;

made out of chocolate。  We were so surprised

that after a while; 〃Why do you have rats in

your shops?〃 we asked。



〃Don't you know this is Hamelin town?〃

they said。  〃What of that?〃 said we。  〃Why;

Hamelin town is where the Pied Piper cam
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