stories to tell to children-第25章

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when　I　heard　that　tune　I　thought　I　heard　the

moving　aside　of　pickle…tub　boards；　and　the　leaving

ajar　of　preserve　cupboards；　and　I　smelled　the

most　delicious　old　cheese　in　the　world；　and　I　saw

sugar　barrels　ahead　of　me；　and　then；　just　as　a

great　yellow　cheese　seemed　to　be　saying；　‘Come；

bore　me'I　felt　the　river　rolling　o'er　me！〃



And　in　the　same　way　the　people　asked

the　little　lame　child；　〃What　made　you　follow

the　music？〃　　〃I　do　not　know　what　the　others

heard；〃　he　said；　〃but　I；　when　the　Piper　began

to　play；　I　heard　a　voice　that　told　of　a　wonderful

country　hard　by；　where　the　bees　had　no

stings　and　the　horses　had　wings；　and　the　trees

bore　wonderful　fruits；　where　no　one　was　tired

or　lame；　and　children　played　all　day；　and　just

as　the　beautiful　country　was　but　one　step　away

the　mountain　closed　on　my　playmates；　and

I　was　left　alone。〃



That　was　all　the　people　ever　knew。　　The

children　never　came　back。　　All　that　was　left

of　the　Piper　and　the　rats　was　just　the　big　street

that　led　to　the　river；　so　they　called　it　the

Street　of　the　Pied　Piper。



And　that　is　the　end　of　the　story。







WHY　THE　EVERGREEN　TREES　KEEP　THEIR　LEAVES　IN　WINTER＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Florence　Holbrook's　A　Book　of　Nature

Myths。　　（Harrap　&　Co。　9d。）





One　day；　a　long；　long　time　ago；　it　was　very

cold；　winter　was　coming。　　And　all　the　birds　flew

away　to　the　warm　south；　to　wait　for　the

spring。　　But　one　little　bird　had　a　broken

wing　and　could　not　fly。　　He　did　not　know

what　to　do。　　He　looked　all　round；　to　see　if

there　was　any　place　where　he　could　keep　warm。

And　he　saw　the　trees　of　the　great　forest。



〃Perhaps　the　trees　will　keep　me　warm

through　the　winter；〃　he　said。



So　he　went　to　the　edge　of　the　forest；　hopping

and　fluttering　with　his　broken　wing。　　The　first

tree　he　came　to　was　a　slim　silver　birch。



〃Beautiful　birch…tree；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　let

me　live　in　your　warm　branches　until　the　springtime

comes？〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　the　birch…tree；　〃what　a　thing

to　ask！　　I　have　to　take　care　of　my　own　leaves

through　the　winter；　that　is　enough　for　me。　　Go

away。〃



The　little　bird　hopped　and　fluttered　with　his

broken　wing　until　he　came　to　the　next　tree。　　It

was　a　great；　big　oak…tree。



〃O　big　oak…tree；〃　said　the　little　bird；　〃will

you　let　me　live　in　your　warm　branches　until　the

springtime　comes？〃



〃Dear　me；〃　said　the　oak…tree；　〃what　a　thing

to　ask！　　If　you　stay　in　my　branches　all　winter

you　will　be　eating　my　acorns。　　Go　away。〃



So　the　little　bird　hopped　and　fluttered　with

his　broken　wing　till　he　came　to　the　willow…tree

by　the　edge　of　the　brook。



〃O　beautiful　willow…tree；〃　said　the　little　bird；

〃will　you　let　me　live　in　your　warm　branches

until　the　springtime　comes？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　the　willow…tree；　〃I　never

speak　to　strangers。　　Go　away。〃



The　poor　little　bird　did　not　know　where　to

go；　but　he　hopped　and　fluttered　along　with　his

broken　wing。　　Presently　the　spruce…tree　saw

him；　and　said；　〃Where　are　you　going；　little　bird？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　the　bird；　〃the　trees

will　not　let　me　live　with　them；　and　my　wing

is　broken　so　that　I　cannot　fly。〃



〃You　may　live　on　one　of　my　branches；〃　said

the　spruce；　〃here　is　the　warmest　one　of　all。〃



〃But　may　I　stay　all　winter？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　spruce；　〃I　shall　like　to　have

you。〃



The　pine…tree　stood　beside　the　spruce；　and

when　he　saw　the　little　bird　hopping　and　fluttering

with　his　broken　wing；　he　said；　〃My　branches

are　not　very　warm；　but　I　can　keep　the　wind　off

because　I　am　big　and　strong。〃



So　the　little　bird　fluttered　up　into　the　warm

branch　of　the　spruce；　and　the　pine…tree　kept　the

wind　off　his　house；　then　the　juniper…tree　saw

what　was　going　on；　and　said　that　she　would

give　the　little　bird　his　dinner　all　the　winter；

from　her　branches。　　Juniper　berries　are　very

good　for　little　birds。



The　little　bird　was　very　comfortable　in　his

warm　nest　sheltered　from　the　wind；　with　juniper

berries　to　eat。



The　trees　at　the　edge　of　the　forest　remarked

upon　it　to　each　other：



〃I　wouldn't　take　care　of　a　strange　bird；〃　said

the　birch。



〃I　wouldn't　risk　my　acorns；〃　said　the　oak。



〃I　would　not　speak　to　strangers；〃　said　the

willow。　　And　the　three　trees　stood　up　very　tall

and　proud。



That　night　the　North　Wind　came　to　the

woods　to　play。　　He　puffed　at　the　leaves　with

his　icy　breath；　and　every　leaf　he　touched　fell

to　the　ground。　　He　wanted　to　touch　every　leaf

in　the　forest；　for　he　loved　to　see　the　trees

bare。



〃May　I　touch　every　leaf？〃　he　said　to　his

father；　the　Frost　King。



〃No；〃　said　the　Frost　King；　〃the　trees　which

were　kind　to　the　bird　with　the　broken　wing　may

keep　their　leaves。〃



So　North　Wind　had　to　leave　them　alone；　and

the　spruce；　the　pine；　and　the　juniper…tree　kept

their　leaves　through　all　the　winter。　　And　they

have　done　so　ever　since。







THE　STAR　DOLLARS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Grimms'　Fairy　Tales。





There　was　once　a　little　girl　who　was　very；

very　poor。　　Her　father　and　mother　had　died；

and　at　last　she　had　no　little　room　to　stay　in；

and　no　little　bed　to　sleep　in；　and　nothing　more

to　eat　except　one　piece　of　bread。　　So　she　said

a　prayer；　put　on　her　little　jacket　and　her　hood；

and　took　her　piece　of　bread　in　her　hand；　and

went　out　into　the　world。



When　she　had　walked　a　little　way；　she　met

an　old　man；　bent　and　thin。　　He　looked　at　the

piece　of　bread　in　her　hand；　and　said；　〃Will　you

give　me　your　bread；　little　girl？　　I　am　very

hungry。〃　　The　little　girl　said；　〃Yes；〃　and　gave

him　her　piece　of　bread。



When　she　had　walked　a　little　farther　she

came　upon　a　child；　sitting　by　the　path；　crying。

〃I　am　so　cold！〃　said　the　child。　　〃Won't　you

give　me　your　little　hood；　to　keep　my　head

warm？〃　　The　little　girl　took　off　her　hood　and

tied　it　on　the　child's　head。　　Then　she　went　on

her　way。



After　a　time；　as　she　went；　she　met　another

child。　　This　one　shivered　with　the　cold；　and　she

said　to　the　little　girl；　〃Won't　you　give　me　your

jacket；　little　girl？〃　　And　the　little　girl　gave　her

her　jacket。　　Then　she　went　on　again。



By…and…by　she　saw　another　child；　crouching

almost　naked　by　the　wayside。　　〃O　little　girl；〃

said　the　child；　〃won't　you　give　me　your　dress？

I　have　nothing　to　keep　me　warm。〃　　So　the　little

girl　took　off　her　dress　and　gave　it　to　the　other

child。　　And　now　she　had　nothing　left　but　her

little　shirt。　　It　grew　dark；　and　the　wind　was

cold；　and　the　little　girl　crept　into　the　woods；　to

sleep　for　the　night。　　But　in　the　woods　a　child

stood；　weeping　and　naked。　　〃I　am　cold；〃　she

said；　〃give　me　your　little　shirt！〃　　And　the

little　girl　thought；　〃It　is　dark；　and　the　woods

will　shelter　me；　I　will　give　her　my　little　shirt〃；

so　she　did；　and　now　she　had　nothing　left　in　all

the　world。



She　stood　looking　up　at　the　sky；　to　say　her

night…time　prayer。　　As　she　looked　up；　the　whole

skyful　of　stars　fell　in　a　shower　round　her　feet。

There　they　were；　on　the　ground；　shining　bright；

and　round。　　The　little　girl　saw　that　they　were

silver　dollars。　　And　in　the　midst　of　them　was

the　finest　little　shirt；　all　woven　out　of　silk！　　The

little　girl　put　on　the　little　silk　shirt；　and　gathered

the　star　dollars；　and　she　was　rich；　all　the　days

of　her　life。







THE　LION　AND　THE　GNAT＇1＇



＇1＇　This　story　has　been　told　by　the　Rev。　Albert　E。　Sims　to

children　in　many　parts　of　England。　　On　one　occasion　it　was

told　to　an　audience　of　over　three　thousand　children　in　the

Great　Assembly　Hall；　Mile　End；　London。





Far　away　in　Central　Africa；　that　vast　land

where　dense　forests　and　wild　beasts　abound；

the　shades　of　night　were　once　more　descending；

warning　all　creatures　that　it　was　time　to　seek

repose。



All　day　long　the　sun　had　been　like　a　great

burning　eye；　but　now；　after　painting　the　western

sky　with　crimson　and　scarlet　and　gold；　he　had

disappeared　into　his　fleecy　bed；　the　various