第 34 节
作者:沸点123      更新:2021-02-27 02:03      字数:9321
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  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  from   the   public   well;   for   that   was   outside   the   gate。 And   sometimes   she
  stayed about and   let   the strange   men   talk   with her;  because she liked   to
  look   at   their   bright   silver   ornaments。   The   Sabine   soldiers   wore   heavy
  silver rings and bracelets on their left arms;some wore as many as four or
  five。
  The soldiers knew she was the daughter of the keeper of the citadel;
  and they saw that she had greedy eyes for their ornaments。 So day by day
  they talked with her; and showed her their silver rings; and tempted her。
  And at last Tarpeia made a bargain; to betray her city to them。 She said she
  would   unlock   the   great   gate   and   let   them   in;   IF   THEY  WOULD   GIVE
  HER WHAT THEY WORE ON THEIR LEFT ARMS。
  The   night   came。   When   it   was   perfectly   dark   and   still;   Tarpeia   stole
  from her bed; took the great key from its place; and silently unlocked the
  gate which protected the city。 Outside; in the dark; stood the soldiers of the
  enemy;  waiting。 As   she   opened   the   gate;   the   long   shadowy  files   pressed
  forward silently; and the Sabines entered the citadel。
  As the first man came inside; Tarpeia stretched forth her hand for her
  price。 The soldier lifted high his left arm。 〃Take thy reward!〃 he said; and
  as he spoke he hurled upon her that which he wore upon it。 Down upon
  her head crashed not   the silver rings of the soldier;  but the great   brass
  shield he carried in battle!
  She sank beneath it; to the ground。
  〃Take thy reward;〃 said the next; and his shield rang against the first。
  〃Thy reward;〃 said the nextand the next and the nextand the next;
  every man wore his shield on his left arm。
  So   Tarpeia   lay   buried   beneath   the   reward   she   had   claimed;   and   the
  Sabines marched past her dead body; into the city she had betrayed。
  THE BUCKWHEAT'1'
  '1' Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen。
  Down   by   the   river   were   fields   of   barley   and   rye   and   golden   oats。
  Wheat   grew  there;   too;  and the   heaviest   and   richest   ears bent lowest;  in
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  humility。 Opposite the corn was a field of buckwheat; but the buckwheat
  never bent; it held its head proud and stiff on the stem。
  The wise old willow…tree by the river looked down on the fields; and
  thought his thoughts。
  One day a dreadful storm came。 The field… flowers folded their leaves
  together;   and   bowed   their   heads。   But   the   buckwheat   stood   straight   and
  proud。
  〃Bend your head; as we do;〃 called the field… flowers。
  〃I have no need to;〃 said the buckwheat。
  〃Bend your head; as we do!〃 warned the golden wheat…ears; 〃the angel
  of the storm is coming; he will strike you down。〃
  〃I will not bend my head;〃 said the buckwheat。
  Then   the   old   willow…tree   spoke:   〃Close   your   flowers   and   bend   your
  leaves。   Do   not   look   at   the   lightning   when   the   cloud   bursts。   Even   men
  cannot do that; the sight of heaven would strike them blind。 Much less can
  we who are so inferior to them!〃
  〃‘Inferior;' indeed!〃 said the buckwheat。 〃Now I WILL look!〃 And he
  looked straight up; while the lightning flashed across the sky。
  When the dreadful storm had passed; the flowers and the wheat raised
  their   drooping    heads;    clean  and   refreshed    in  the  pure;  sweet    air。  The
  willow…tree shook the gentle drops from its leaves。
  But the buckwheat lay like a weed in the field; scorched black by the
  lightning。
  THE JUDGMENT OF MIDAS'1'
  '1'   Adapted     from    Old   Greek    Folk…Stories;     by  Josephine     Preston
  Peabody。 (Harrap & Co。 9d。)
  The Greek God Pan; the god of the open air; was a great musician。 He
  played on a pipe of reeds。 And the sound of his reed…pipe was so   sweet
  that he grew proud; and believed himself greater than the chief musician
  of the gods; Apollo; the son…god。 So he challenged great Apollo to make
  better music than he。
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  Apollo consented to the test; for he wished to punish Pan's vanity; and
  they chose the mountain Tmolus for judge; since no one is so old and wise
  as the hills。
  When   Pan   and Apollo   came   before   Tmolus;   to   play;   their   followers
  came   with   them;   to   hear;   and   one   of   those   who   came   with   Pan   was   a
  mortal named Midas。
  First   Pan   played;   he   blew   on   his   reed…pipe;   and   out   came   a   tune   so
  wild and yet so coaxing that the birds hopped from the trees to get near;
  the squirrels came running from their holes; and the very trees swayed as
  if they wanted to dance。 The fauns   laughed aloud for joy as the  melody
  tickled their furry little ears。 And Midas thought it the sweetest music in
  the world。
  Then   Apollo   rose。   His   hair   shook   drops   of   light   from   its   curls;   his
  robes were like the edge of the sunset cloud; in his hands he held a golden
  lyre。 And when he touched the strings of the lyre; such music stole upon
  the   air   as   never   god   nor   mortal   heard   before。   The   wild   creatures   of   the
  wood crouched still as stone; the trees kept every leaf from rustling; earth
  and air were silent as a dream。 To hear such music cease was like bidding
  farewell to father and mother。
  When   the   charm   was   broken;   the   hearers   fell   at   Apollo's   feet   and
  proclaimed the victory his。 All but Midas。 He alone would not admit that
  the music was better than Pan's。
  〃If   thine   ears   are   so   dull;   mortal;〃   said   Apollo;   〃they   shall   take   the
  shape that suits them。〃 And he touched the ears of Midas。 And straightway
  the dull ears grew long; pointed; and furry; and they turned this way and
  that。 They were the ears of an ass!
  For    a   long   time    Midas     managed      to   hide   the   tell…tale   ears   from
  everyone; but at last a servant discovered the secret。 He knew he must not
  tell;  yet   he   could not   bear not   to;   so one   day  he   went   into the   meadow;
  scooped a little hollow in the turf; and whispered the secret into the earth。
  Then   he   covered   it   up   again;   and   went   away。   But;   alas;   a   bed   of   reeds
  sprang up from the spot; and whispered the secret to the grass。 The grass
  told it to the tree…tops; the tree…tops to the little birds; and they cried it all
  abroad。
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  And to this day; when the wind sets the reeds nodding together; they
  whisper; laughing; 〃Midas has the ears of an ass! Oh; hush; hush!〃
  WHY THE SEA IS SALT'1'
  '1' There are many versions of this tale; in different collections。 This
  one is the story which grew up in my mind; about the bare outline related
  to me by one of Mrs Rutan's hearers。 What the original teller said; I never
  knew; but what the listener felt was clear。 And in this form I have told it a
  great many times。
  Once there were two brothers。 One was rich; and one was poor; the
  rich one was rather mean。 When the Poor Brother used to come to ask for
  things it annoyed him; and finally one day he said; 〃There; I'll give it to
  you this time; but the next time you want anything; you can go Below for
  it!〃
  Presently the Poor Brother did want something; and he knew it wasn't
  any use to go to his brother; he must go Below for it。 So he went; and he
  went; and he went; till he came Below。
  It was the queerest place! There were red and yellow fires burning all
  around; and kettles of boiling oil hanging over them; and a queer sort of
  men standing round; poking the fires。 There was a Chief Man; he had a
  long curly tail that curled up behind; and two ugly little horns just over his
  ears; and one foot was very queer indeed。 And as soon as anyone came in
  the door; these men would catch him up and put him over one of the fires;
  and turn him on a spit。 And then the Chief Man; who was the worst of all;
  would come and say; 〃Eh; how do you feel now? How do you feel now?〃
  And of course the poor people screamed and screeched and said; 〃Let us
  out! Let us out!〃 That was just what the Chief Man wanted。
  When the Poor Brother came in; they picked him up at once; and put
  him over one of the hottest fires; and began to turn him round and