stories to tell to children-第26章

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sky　with　crimson　and　scarlet　and　gold；　he　had

disappeared　into　his　fleecy　bed；　the　various

creatures　of　the　forest　had　sought　their　holes

and　resting…places；　the　last　sound　had　rumbled

its　rumble；　the　last　bee　had　mumbled　his　mumble；

and　the　last　bear　had　grumbled　his　grumble；

even　the　grasshoppers　that　had　been　chirruping；

chirruping；　through　all　the　long　hours　without

a　pause；　at　length　had　ceased　their　shrill　music；

tucked　up　their　long　legs；　and　given　themselves

to　slumber。



There　on　a　nodding　grass…blade；　a　tiny　Gnat

had　made　a　swinging　couch；　and　he　too　had　folded

his　wings；　closed　his　tiny　eyes；　and　was　fast　asleep。

Darker；　darker；　darker　became　the　night　until

the　darkness　could　almost　be　felt；　and　over　all

was　a　solemn　stillness　as　though　some　powerful

finger　had　been　raised；　and　some　potent　voice

had　whispered；　〃HUSH！〃



Just　when　all　was　perfectly　still；　there　came

suddenly　from　the　far　away　depths　of　the

forest；　like　the　roll　of　thunder；　a　mighty

ROARRRR！



In　a　moment　all　the　beasts　and　birds　were

wide　awake；　and　the　poor　little　Gnat　was　nearly

frightened　out　of　his　little　senses；　and　his　little

heart　went　pit…a…pat。　　He　rubbed　his　little　eyes

with　his　feelers；　and　then　peered　all　around

trying　to　penetrate　the　deep　gloom　as　he

whispered　in　terror〃WHATWASTHAT？〃



What　do　YOU　think　it　was？　。　。　。　　Yes；　a

LION！　　A　great；　big　lion　who；　while　most　other

denizens　of　the　forest　slept；　was　out　hunting　for

prey。　　He　came　rushing　and　crashing　through

the　thick　undergrowth　of　the　forest；　swirling

his　long　tail　and　opening　wide　his　great　jaws；

and　as　he　rushed　he　RO…AR…R…R…ED！



Presently　he　reached　the　spot　where　the　little

Gnat　hung　panting　at　the　tip　of　the　waving

grass…blade。　　Now　the　little　Gnat　was　not　afraid

of　lions；　so　when　he　saw　it　was　only　a　lion；　he

cried　out



〃Hi；　stop；　stop！　　What　are　you　making　that

horrible　noise　about？〃



The　Lion　stopped　short；　then　backed　slowly

and　regarded　the　Gnat　with　scorn。



〃Why；　you　tiny；　little；　mean；　insignificant

creature　you；　how　DARE　you　speak　to　ME？〃　he

raged。



〃How　dare　I　speak　to　you？〃　repeated　the

Gnat　quietly。　　〃By　the　virtue　of　RIGHT；　which

is　always　greater　than　MIGHT。　　Why　don't　you

keep　to　your　own　part　of　the　forest？　　What

right　have　you　to　be　here；　disturbing　folks　at

this　time　of　night？〃



By　a　mighty　effort　the　Lion　restrained　his

angerhe　knew　that　to　obtain　mastery　over

others　one　must　be　master　over　oneself。



〃What　RIGHT？〃　he　repeated　in　dignified　tones。

〃BECAUSE　I'M　KING　OF　THE　FOREST。　　That's　why。

I　can　do　no　wrong；　for　all　the　other　creatures　of

the　forest　are　afraid　of　me。　　I　DO　what　I　please；

I　SAY　what　I　please；　I　EAT　whom　I　please；　I　GO

where　I　pleasesimply　because　I'm　King　of　the

Forest。〃



〃But　who　told　you　you　were　King？〃　demanded

the　Gnat。　　〃Just　answer　me　that！〃



〃Who　told　ME？〃　roared　the　Lion。　　〃Why；

everyone　acknowledges　itdon't　I　tell　you　that

everyone　is　afraid　of　me？〃



〃Indeed！〃　cried　the　Gnat　disdainfully。

〃Pray　don't　say　ALL；　for　I'm　not　afraid　of　you。

And　further；　I　deny　your　right　to　be　King。〃



This　was　too　much　for　the　Lion。　　He　now

worked　himself　into　a　perfect　fury。



〃YouyouYOU　deny　my　right　as　King？〃



〃I　DO；　and；　what　is　more；　you　shall　never　be

King　until　you　have　fought　and　conquered　me。〃



The　Lion　laughed　a　great　lion　laugh；　and　a

lion　laugh　cannot　be　laughed　at　like　a　cat　laugh；

as　everyone　ought　to　know。



〃Fightdid　you　say　fight？〃　he　asked。

〃Who　ever　heard　of　a　lion　fighting　a　gnat？

Here；　out　of　my　way；　you　atom　of　nothing！

I'll　blow　you　to　the　other　end　of　the　world。〃



But　though　the　Lion　puffed　his　cheeks　until

they　were　like　great　bellows；　and　then　blew

with　all　his　might；　he　could　not　disturb　the

little　Gnat's　hold　on　the　swaying　grass…blade。



〃You'll　blow　all　your　whiskers　away　if　you

are　not　careful；〃　he　said；　with　a　laugh〃but

you　won't　move　me。　　And　if　you　dare　leave　this

spot　without　fighting　me；　I'll　tell　all　the　beasts

of　the　forest　that　you　are　afraid　of　me；　and

they'll　make　ME　King。〃



〃Ho；　ho！〃　roared　the　Lion。　　〃Very　well；

since　you　will　fight；　let　it　be　so。〃



〃You　agree　to　the　conditions；　then？　　The

one　who　conquers　shall　be　King？〃



〃Oh；　certainly；〃　laughed　the　Lion；　for　he

expected　an　easy　victory。　　〃Are　you　ready？〃



〃Quite　ready。〃



〃ThenGO！〃　roared　the　Lion。



And　with　that　he　sprang　forward　with　open

jaws；　thinking　he　could　easily　swallow　a　million

gnats。　　But　just　as　the　great　jaws　were　about

to　close　upon　the　blade　of　grass　whereto　the

Gnat　clung；　what　should　happen　but　that　the

Gnat　suddenly　spread　his　wings　and　nimbly

flewwhere　do　you　think？right　into　one　of

the　Lion's　nostrils！　　And　there　he　began　to

sting；　sting；　sting。　　The　Lion　wondered；　and

thundered；　and　blunderedbut　the　Gnat　went

on　stinging；　he　foamed；　and　he　moaned；　and　he

groanedstill　the　Gnat　went　on　stinging；　he

rubbed　his　head　on　the　ground　in　agony；

he　swirled　his　tail　in　furious　passion；　he　roared；

he　spluttered；　he　sniffed；　he　snuffedand　still

the　Gnat　went　on　stinging。



〃O　my　poor　nose；　my　nose；　my　nose！〃　the

Lion　began　to　moan。　　〃Come　down；　come

DOWN；　come　DOWN！　　My　nose；　my　NOSE；　my

NOSE！！　　You're　King　of　the　Forest；　you're

King；　you're　Kingonly　come　down。　　My　nose；

my　NOSE；　my　NOSE！〃



So　at　last　the　Gnat　flew　out　from　the　Lion's

nostril　and　went　back　to　his　waving　grass…

blade；　while　the　Lion　slunk　away　into　the

depths　of　the　forest　with　his　tail　between　his

legsBEATEN；　and　by　a　tiny　Gnat！



〃What　a　fine　fellow　am　I；　to　be　sure！〃

exclaimed　the　Gnat；　aa　he　proudly　plumed　his

wings。　　〃I've　beaten　a　liona　LION！　　Dear

me；　I　ought　to　have　been　King　long　ago；　I'm　so

clever；　so　big；　so　strongOH！〃



The　Gnat's　frightened　cry　was　caused　by

finding　himself　entangled　in　some　silky　sort　of

threads。　　While　gloating　over　his　victory；　the

wind　had　risen；　and　his　grass…blade　had　swayed

violently　to　and　fro　unnoticed　by　him。　　A

stronger　gust　than　usual　had　bent　the　blade

downward　close　to　the　ground；　and　then　something

caught　it　and　held　it　fast　and　with　it　the

victorious　Gnat。　　Oh；　the　desperate　struggles

he　made　to　get　free！　　Alas！　he　became　more

entangled　than　ever。　　You　can　guess　what　it

wasa　spider's　web；　hung　out　from　the　over…

hanging　branch　of　a　tree。　　Thenflipperty…

flopperty；　flippertyflopperty；　flop；　flip；　flop

down　his　stairs　came　cunning　Father　Spider

and　quickly　gobbled　up　the　little　Gnat　for　his

supper；　and　that　was　the　end　of　him。



A　strong　Lionand　what　overcame　him？　　A

GNAT。



A　clever　Gnatand　what　overcame　him？　　A

SPIDER'S　WEB！　　He　who　had　beaten　the　strong

lion　had　been　overcome　by　the　subtle　snare　of

a　spider's　thread。







ESPECIALLY　FOR　CLASSES　II。　AND　III。



THE　CAT　AND　THE　PARROT





Once　there　was　a　cat；　and　a　parrot。　　And　they

had　agreed　to　ask　each　other　to　dinner；　turn

and　turn　about：　first　the　cat　should　ask　the

parrot；　then　the　parrot　should　invite　the　cat；

and　so　on。　　It　was　the　cat's　turn　first。



Now　the　cat　was　very　mean。　　He　provided

nothing　at　all　for　dinner　except　a　pint　of　milk；

a　little　slice　of　fish；　and　a　biscuit。　　The　parrot

was　too　polite　to　complain；　but　he　did　not　have

a　very　good　time。



When　it　was　his　turn　to　invite　the　cat；　he

cooked　a　fine　dinner。　　He　had　a　roast　of　meat；

a　pot　of　tea；　a　basket　of　fruit；　and；　best　of　all；

he　baked　a　whole　clothes…basketful　of　little

cakes！little；　brown；　crispy；　spicy　cakes！　　Oh；

I　should　say　as　many　as　five　hundred。　　And　he

put　four　hundred　and　ninety…eight　of　the　cakes

before　the　cat；　keeping　only　two　for　himself。



Well；　the　cat　ate　the　roast；　and　drank　the

tea；　and　sucked　the　fruit；　and　then　he　began

on　the　pile　of　cakes。　　He　ate　all　the　four

hundred　and　ninety…eight　cakes；　and　then　he

looked　round　and　said：



〃I'm　hungry；　haven't　you