how to tell stories to children-第21章

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！


id　you　shout　and　sing？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　WHY；〃　said　the　little　Jackal；〃I　always　sing　after　dinner！〃

〃So？〃　said　the　Camel；　〃Ah；　very　well；　let　us　go　home　now。〃

He　took　the　little　Jackal　kindly　on　his　back　and　started　into　the　water。　　When　he　began　to　swim　he　swam　out　to　where　the　river　was　the　very　deepest。　　There　he　stopped；　and　said；

〃Oh；　Jackal！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　little　Jackal。

〃I　have　the　strangest　feeling；〃　said　the　Camel；〃I　feel　as　if　I　must　roll　over。〃

〃‘Roll　over'！〃　cried　the　Jackal。　　〃My　goodness；　don't　do　that！　　If　you　do　that；　you'll　drown　me！　　What　in　the　world　makes　you　want　to　do　such　a　crazy　thing？　　Why　should　you　want　to　roll　over？〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　know　WHY；〃　said　the　Camel　　slowly；　〃but　I　always　roll　over　after　dinner！〃

So　he　rolled　over。

And　the　little　Jackal　was　drowned；　for　his　sins；　but　the　Camel　came　safely　home。



THE　GULLS　OF　SALT　LAKE


The　story　I　am　going　to　tell　you　is　about　something　that　really　happened；　many　years　ago；　when　most　of　the　mothers　and　fathers　of　the　children　here　were　not　born；　themselves。　　At　that　time；　nearly　all　the　people　in　the　United　States　lived　between　the　Atlantic　Ocean　and　the　Mississippi　River。　　Beyond　were　plains；　reaching　to　the　foot　of　the　mighty　Rocky　Mountains；　where　Indians　and　wild　beasts　roamed。　　The　only　white　men　there　were　a　few　hunters　and　trappers。

One　year　a　brave　little　company　of　people　traveled　across　the　plains　in　big　covered　wagons　with　many　horses；　and　finally　succeeded　in　climbing　to　the　top　of　the　great　Rockies　and　down　again　into　a　valley　in　the　very　midst　of　the　mountains。　　It　was　a　valley　of　brown；　bare；　desert　soil；　　in　a　climate　where　almost　no　rain　falls；　but　the　snows　on　the　mountain…tops　sent　down　little　streams　of　pure　water；　the　winds　were　gentle；　and　lying　like　a　blue　jewel　at　the　foot　of　the　western　hills　was　a　marvelous　lake　of　salt　water；an　inland　sea。　So　the　pioneers　settled　there　and　built　them　huts　and　cabins　for　the　first　winter。

It　had　taken　them　many　months　to　make　the　terrible　journey；　many　had　died　of　weariness　and　illness　on　the　way；　many　died　of　hardship　during　the　winter；　and　the　provisions　they　had　brought　in　their　wagons　were　so　nearly　gone　that；　by　spring；　they　were　living　partly　on　roots；　dug　from　the　ground。　　All　their　lives　now　depended　on　the　crops　of　grain　and　vegetables　which　they　could　raise　in　the　valley。　　They　made　the　barren　land　good　by　spreading　water　from　the　little　streams　over　it；what　we　call　〃irrigating；〃　and　they　planted　enough　corn　and　grain　and　vegetables　for　all　the　people。　　Every　one　helped；　and　every　one　watched　for　the　sprouting；　with　hopes；　and　prayers；　and　careful　eyes。

In　good　time　the　seeds　sprouted；　and　the　dry；　brown　earth　was　covered　with　a　　carpet　of　tender；　green；　growing　things。　No　farmer's　garden　at　home　in　the　East　could　have　looked　better　than　the　great　garden　of　the　desert　valley。　　And　from　day　to　day　the　little　shoots　grew　and　flourished　till　they　were　all　well　above　the　ground。

Then　a　terrible　thing　happened。　　One　day　the　men　who　were　watering　the　crops　saw　a　great　number　of　crickets　swarming　over　the　ground　at　the　edge　of　the　gardens　nearest　the　mountains。　　They　were　hopping　from　the　barren　places　into　the　young；　green　crops；　and　as　they　settled　down　they　ate　the　tiny　shoots　and　leaves　to　the　ground。　More　came；　and　more；　and　ever　more；　and　as　they　came　they　spread　out　till　they　covered　a　big　corner　of　the　grain　field。　　And　still　more　and　more；　till　it　was　like　an　army　of　black；　hopping；　crawling　crickets；　streaming　down　the　side　of　the　mountain　to　kill　the　crops。

The　men　tried　to　kill　the　crickets　by　beating　the　ground；　but　the　numbers　were　so　great　that　it　was　like　beating　at　the　sea。　Then　they　ran　and　told　the　terrible　news；　and　all　the　village　came　to　help。　　They　started　fires；　they　dug　trenches　and　filled　　them　with　water；　they　ran　wildly　about　in　the　fields；　killing　what　they　could。　　But　while　they　fought　in　one　place　new　armies　of　crickets　marched　down　the　mountain…　sides　and　attacked　the　fields　in　other　places。　And　at　last　the　people　fell　on　their　knees　and　wept　and　cried　in　despair；　for　they　saw　starvation　and　death　in　the　fields。

A　few　knelt　to　pray。　　Others　gathered　round　and　joined　them；　weeping。　　More　left　their　useless　struggles　and　knelt　beside　their　neighbors。　　At　last　nearly　all　the　people　were　kneeling　on　the　desolate　fields　praying　for　deliverance　from　the　plague　of　crickets。

Suddenly；　from　far　off　in　the　air　toward　the　great　salt　lake；　there　was　the　sound　of　flapping　wings。　　It　grew　louder。　　Some　of　the　people　looked　up；　startled。　　They　saw；　like　a　white　cloud　rising　from　the　lake；　a　flock　of　sea　gulls　flying　toward　them。　Snow…white　in　the　sun；　with　great　wings　beating　and　soaring；　in　hundreds　and　hundreds；　they　rose　and　circled　and　came　on。

〃The　gulls！　the　gulls！〃　was　the　cry。　〃What　does　it　mean？〃

The　gulls　flew　overhead；　with　a　shrill　　chorus　of　whimpering　cries；　and　then；　in　a　marvelous　white　cloud　of　spread　wings　and　hovering　breasts；　they　settled　down　over　the　seeded　ground。

〃Oh！　woe！　woe！〃　cried　the　people。　〃The　gulls　are　eating　what　the　crickets　have　left！　they　will　strip　root　and　branch！〃

But　all　at　once；　some　one　called　out；

〃No；　no！　　See！　they　are　eating　the　crickets！　　They　are　eating　only　the　crickets！〃

It　was　true。　　The　gulls　devoured　the　crickets　in　dozens；　in　hundreds；　in　swarms。　They　ate　until　they　were　gorged；　and　then　they　flew　heavily　back　to　the　lake；　only　to　come　again　with　new　appetite。　　And　when　at　last　they　finished；　they　had　stripped　the　fields　of　the　cricket　army；　and　the　people　were　saved。

To　this　day；　in　the　beautiful　city　of　Salt　Lake；　which　grew　out　of　that　pioneer　village；　the　little　children　are　taught　to　love　the　sea　gulls。　　And　when　they　learn　drawing　and　weaving　in　the　schools；　their　first　design　is　often　a　picture　of　a　cricket　and　a　gull。




THE　NIGHTINGALE＇1＇


＇1＇　Adapted　from　Hans　Christian　Andersen。


A　long；　long　time　ago；　as　long　ago　as　when　there　were　fairies；　there　lived　an　emperor　in　China；　who　had　a　most　beautiful　palace；　all　made　of　crystal。　　Outside　the　palace　was　the　loveliest　garden　in　the　whole　world；　and　farther　away　was　a　forest　where　the　trees　were　taller　than　any　other　trees　in　the　world；　and　farther　away；　still；　was　a　deep　wood。　　And　in　this　wood　lived　a　little　Nightingale。　　The　Nightingale　sang　so　beautifully　that　everybody　who　heard　her　remembered　her　song　better　than　anything　else　that　he　heard　or　saw。　　People　came　from　all　over　the　world　to　see　the　crystal　palace　and　the　wonderful　garden　and　the　great　forest；　but　when　they　went　home　and　wrote　books　about　these　things　they　always　wrote；　〃But　the　Nightingale　is　the　best　of　all。〃

At　last　it　happened　that　the　Emperor　came　upon　a　book　which　said　this；　and　he　at　once　sent　for　his　Chamberlain。

〃Who　is　this　Nightingale？〃　said　the　　Emperor。　　〃Why　have　I　never　heard　him　sing？〃

The　Chamberlain；　who　was　a　very　important　person；　said；　〃There　cannot　be　any　such　person；　I　have　never　heard　his　name。〃

〃The　book　says　there　is　a　Nightingale；〃　said　the　Emperor。　　〃I　command　that　the　Nightingale　be　brought　here　to　sing　for　me　this　evening。〃

The　Chamberlain　went　out　and　asked　all　the　great　lords　and　ladies　and　pages　where　the　Nightingale　could　be　found；　but　not　one　of　them　had　ever　heard　of　him。　So　the　Chamberlain　went　back　to　the　Emperor　and　said；　〃There　is　no　such　person。〃

〃The　book　says　there　is　a　Nightingale；〃　said　the　Emperor；　〃if　the　Nightingale　is　not　here　to　sing　for　me　this　evening　I　will　have　the　court　trampled　upon；　immediately　after　supper。〃

The　Chamberlain　did　not　want　to　be　trampled　upon；　so　he　ran　out　and　asked　everybody　in　the　palace　about　the　Nightingale。　At　last；　a　little　girl　who　worked　in　the　kitchen　to　help　the　cook's　helper；　said；　〃Oh；　yes；　I　know　the　Nightingale　very　　well。　　Every　night；　when　I　go　to　carry　scraps　from　the　kitchen　to　my　mother；　who　lives　in　the　wood　beyond　the　forest；　I　hear　the　Nightingale　sing。〃

The　Chamberlain　asked　the　little　cook…　maid　to　take　him　to　the　Nightingale's　home；　and　many　of　the　lords　and　ladies　followed　after。　　When　they　had　gone　a　little　way；　they　heard　a　cow　moo。

〃Ah！〃　said　the　lords　and　ladies；　〃that　must　be　the　Night