第 35 节
作者:沸点123      更新:2021-02-27 02:03      字数:9322
  him over one of the hottest fires; and began to turn him round and round
  like the rest; and of course the Chief Man came up to him and said; 〃Eh;
  how do you feel now? How do you feel now?〃 But the Poor Brother did
  not say; 〃Let me out! Let me out!〃 He said; 〃Pretty well; thank you。〃
  124
  … Page 125…
  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  The   Chief   Man   grunted   and   said   to   the   other   men;   〃Make   the   fire
  hotter。〃 But the next time he asked the Poor Brother how he felt; the Poor
  Brother smiled and said。 〃Much better now; thank you。〃 The Chief Man
  did not like this at all; because; of course; the whole object in life of the
  people   Below   was   to   make   their   victims   uncomfortable。   So   he   piled   on
  more fuel and made the fire hotter still。 But every time he asked the Poor
  Brother how he felt; the Poor Brother would say; 〃Very much better〃; and
  at last he said; 〃Perfectly comfortable; thank you; couldn't be better。〃
  You see when the Poor Brother was on earth he had never once had
  money enough to buy coal enough to keep him warm; so he liked the heat。
  At last the Chief Man could stand it no longer。
  〃Oh; look here;〃 he said; 〃you can go home。〃
  〃Oh no; thank you;〃 said the Poor Brother; 〃I like it here。〃
  〃You MUST go home;〃 said the Chief Man
  〃But I won't go home;〃 said the Poor Brother。
  The   Chief   Man   went   away   and   talked   with   the   other   men;   but   no
  matter what they did they could not make the Poor Brother uncomfortable;
  so at last the Chief Man came back and said;
  〃What'll you take to go home?〃
  〃What have you got?〃 said the Poor Brother。
  〃Well;〃 said the Chief Man; 〃if you'll go home quietly I'll give you the
  Little Mill that stands behind my door。〃
  〃What's the good of it?〃 said the Poor Brother。
  〃It   is   the   most   wonderful   mill   in   the   world;〃   said   the   Chief   Man。
  〃Anything at all that you want; you have only to name it; and say; ‘Grind
  this; Little Mill; and grind quickly;' and the Mill will grind that thing until
  you say the magic word; to stop it。〃
  〃That sounds nice;〃 said the Poor Brother。 〃I'll take it。〃 And he took
  the Little Mill under his arm; and went up; and up; and up; till he came to
  his own house。
  When he was in front of his little old hut; he put the Little Mill down
  on the   ground   and said to it;  〃Grind   a   fine house;  Little   Mill;  and   grind
  quickly。〃 And   the   Little   Mill   ground;   and   ground;   and   ground   the   finest
  house that ever was seen。 It had fine big chimneys; and gable windows;
  125
  … Page 126…
  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  and broad piazzas; and just as the Little Mill ground the last step of the
  last flight of steps; the Poor Brother said the magic word; and it stopped。
  Then he took it round to where the barn was; and said; 〃Grind cattle;
  Little   Mill;   and   grind   quickly。〃 And   the   Little   Mill   ground;   and   ground;
  and ground; and out came great fat cows; and little woolly lambs; and fine
  little pigs; and just as the Little Mill ground the last curl on the tail of the
  last little pig; the Poor Brother said the magic word; and it stopped。
  He did the same thing with crops for his cattle; pretty clothes for his
  daughters; and everything else they wanted。 At last he had everything he
  wanted; and so he stood the Little Mill behind his door。
  All this time the Rich Brother had been getting more and more jealous;
  and at last he came to ask the Poor Brother how he had grown so rich。 The
  Poor Brother told him all about it。 He said; 〃It all comes from that Little
  Mill behind my door。 All I have to do when I want anything is to name it
  to the Little Mill; and say; ‘Grind that; Little Mill; and grind quickly;' and
  the Little Mill will grind that thing until〃
  But the Rich Brother didn't wait to hear any more。 〃Will you lend me
  the Little Mill?〃 he said。
  〃Why; yes;〃 said the Poor Brother; 〃I will。〃
  So   the   Rich   Brother   took   the   Little   Mill   under   his   arm   and   started
  across the fields to his house。 When he got near home he saw the farm…
  hands coming in from the fields for their luncheon。 Now; you remember;
  he was rather mean。 He thought to himself; 〃It is a waste of good time for
  them   to   come   into   the   house;   they   shall   have   their   porridge   where   they
  are。〃 He called all the men to him; and made them bring their porridge…
  bowls。   Then   he   set   the   Little   Mill   down   on   the   ground;   and   said   to   it;
  〃Grind oatmeal porridge; Little Mill; and grind quickly!〃 The Little Mill
  ground; and ground; and ground; and out came delicious oatmeal porridge。
  Each man held his bowl under the spout。 When the last bowl was filled;
  the porridge ran over on the ground。
  〃That's enough; Little Mill;〃 said the Rich Brother。 〃You may stop; and
  stop quickly。〃
  But this was not the magic word; and the Little Mill did not stop。 It
  ground; and ground; and ground; and the porridge ran all round and made
  126
  … Page 127…
  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  a   little   pool。   The   Rich   Brother   said;   〃No;   no;   Little   Mill;   I   said;   ‘Stop
  grinding; and stop quickly。'〃 But the Little Mill ground; and ground; faster
  than ever; and presently there was a regular pond of porridge; almost up to
  their knees。 The Rich Brother said; 〃Stop grinding;〃 in every kind of way;
  he called the Little Mill names; but nothing did any good。 The Little Mill
  ground   porridge   just   the   same。  At   last   the   men   said;   〃Go   and   get   your
  brother to stop the Little Mill; or we shall be drowned in porridge。〃
  So   the   Rich   Brother   started   for  his   brother's   house。   He   had   to   swim
  before he got there; and the porridge   went up his sleeves; and down his
  neck; and it was horrid and sticky。 His brother laughed when he heard the
  story; but he came with him; and they took a boat and rowed across the
  lake of porridge to where the Little Mill was grinding。 And then the Poor
  Brother whispered the magic word; and the Little Mill stopped。
  But the porridge was a long time soaking into the ground; and nothing
  would ever grow there afterwards except oatmeal。
  The Rich Brother didn't seem to care much about the Little Mill after
  this; so the Poor Brother took it home again and put it behind the door; and
  there it stayed a long; long while。
  Years afterwards a Sea Captain came there on a visit。 He told such big
  stories that the Poor Brother said; 〃Oh; I daresay you have seen wonderful
  things; but I don't believe you ever saw anything more wonderful than the
  Little Mill that stands behind my door。〃
  〃What is wonderful about that?〃 said the Sea Captain。
  〃Why;〃 said the Poor Brother; 〃anything in the world you want;you
  have only to name it to the Little Mill and say; ‘Grind that; Little Mill; and
  grind quickly;' and it will grind that thing until〃
  The Sea Captain didn't wait to hear another word。 〃Will you lend me
  that Little Mill?〃 he said eagerly。
  The   Poor     Brother   smiled    a   little;  but   he  said;   〃Yes;〃  and   the  Sea
  Captain took the Little Mill under his arm; and went on board his ship and
  sailed away。
  They  had   head…winds   and   storms;   and   they  were   so   long   at   sea   that
  some of the food gave out。 Worst of all; the salt gave out。 It was dreadful;
  being without salt。 But the Captain happened to remember the Little Mill。
  127
  … Page 128…
  HOW TO TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN AND SOME STORIES TO TELL
  〃Bring    up   the  salt  box!〃   he   said  to  the  cook。   〃We    will  have    salt
  enough。〃
  He set the Little Mill on deck;  put the salt box under the spout;  and
  said;
  〃Grind salt; Little Mill; and grind quickly!〃
  And the Little Mill ground beautiful; white; powdery salt。 When they
  had enough; the Captain said; 〃Now you may stop; Little Mill; and stop
  quickly。〃 The Little Mill kept on grinding; and the salt began to pile up in
  little heaps on the   deck。  〃I said; ‘Stop;'〃 said the   Captain。  But the   Little
  Mill ground; and ground; faster than ever; and the salt was soon thick on
  the deck like snow。 The Captain called the Little Mill names and told it to
  stop; in every language he knew; but the Little Mill went on grinding。 The
  salt covered all the decks and poured down into the hold; and at last the
  ship began to settle i