stories to tell to children-第28章

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at　last　I　fall；　go　to　the　Rat；　little　brother。〃



And　so；　after　going　all　over　the　world　to

find　the　strongest　person；　the　Rat　King　had

to　marry　his　daughter　to　a　rat；　after　all；　but

the　princess　was　very　glad　of　it；　for　she　wanted

to　marry　the　grey　Rat；　all　the　time。







THE　FROG　AND　THE　OX





Once　a　little　Frog　sat　by　a　big　Frog；　by　the

side　of　a　pool。　　〃Oh；　father；〃　said　he；　〃I

have　just　seen　the　biggest　animal　in　the　world；

it　was　as　big　as　a　mountain；　and　it　had　horns

on　its　head；　and　it　had　hoofs　divided　in　two。〃



〃Pooh；　child；〃　said　the　old　Frog；　〃that　was

only　Farmer　White's　Ox。　　He　is　not　so　very

big。　　I　could　easily　make　myself　as　big　as　he。〃

And　he　blew；　and　he　blew；　and　he　blew；　and

swelled　himself　out。



〃Was　he　as　big　as　that？〃　he　asked　the

little　Frog。



〃Oh；　much　bigger；〃　said　the　little　Frog。



The　old　Frog　blew；　and　blew；　and　blew　again；

and　swelled　himself　out；　more　than　ever。



〃Was　he　bigger　than　that？〃　he　said。



〃Much；　much　bigger；〃　said　the　little　Frog。



〃I　can　make　myself　as　big；〃　said　the　old

Frog。　　And　once　more　he　blew；　and　blew；　and

blew；　and　swelled　himself　out；and　he　burst！



Self…conceit　leads　to　self…destruction。







THE　FIRE…BRINGER＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　The　Basket　Woman；　by　Mary　Austin。





This　is　the　Indian　story　of　how　fire　was

brought　to　the　tribes。　　It　was　long；　long　ago；

when　men　and　beasts　talked　together　with

understanding；　and　the　grey　Coyote　was　friend

and　counsellor　of　man。



There　was　a　Boy　of　the　tribe　who　was　swift

of　foot　and　keen　of　eye；　and　he　and　the　Coyote

ranged　the　wood　together。　　They　saw　the　men

catching　fish　in　the　creeks　with　their　hands；

and　the　women　digging　roots　with　sharp　stones。

This　was　in　summer。　　But　when　winter　came

on；　they　saw　the　people　running　naked　in　the

snow；　or　huddled　in　caves　of　the　rocks；　and

most　miserable。　　The　Boy　noticed　this；　and　was

very　unhappy　for　the　misery　of　his　people。



〃I　do　not　feel　it；〃　said　the　Coyote。



〃You　have　a　coat　of　good　fur；〃　said　the

Boy；　〃and　my　people　have　not。〃



〃Come　to　the　hunt；〃　said　the　Coyote。



〃I　will　hunt　no　more；　till　I　have　found　a

way　to　help　my　people　against　the　cold；〃　said

the　Boy。　　〃Help　me；　O　Counsellor！〃



Then　the　Coyote　ran　away；　and　came　back

after　a　long　time；　he　said　he　had　found　a

way；　but　it　was　a　hard　way。



〃No　way　is　too　hard；〃　said　the　Boy。　　So　the

Coyote　told　him　that　they　must　go　to　the　Burning

Mountain　and　bring　fire　to　the　people。



〃What　is　fire？〃　said　the　Boy。　　And　the

Coyote　told　him　that　fire　was　red　like　a　flower；

yet　not　a　flower；　swift　to　run　in　the　grass　and

to　destroy；　like　a　beast；　yet　no　beast；　fierce

and　hurtful；　yet　a　good　servant　to　keep　one

warm；　if　kept　among　stones　and　fed　with　small

sticks。



〃We　will　get　this　fire；〃　said　the　Boy。



First　the　Boy　had　to　persuade　the　people　to

give　him　one　hundred　swift　runners。　　Then　he

and　they　and　the　Coyote　started　at　a　good　pace

for　the　far　away　Burning　Mountain。　　At　the

end　of　the　first　day's　trail　they　left　the　weakest

of　the　runners；　to　wait；　at　the　end　of　the　second；

the　next　stronger；　at　the　end　of　the　third；　the

next；　and　so　for　each　of　the　hundred　days　of

the　journey；　and　the　Boy　was　the　strongest

runner；　and　went　to　the　last　trail　with　the

Counsellor。　　High　mountains　they　crossed；　and

great　plains；　and　giant　woods；　and　at　last　they

came　to　the　Big　Water；　quaking　along　the　sand

at　the　foot　of　the　Burning　Mountain。



It　stood　up　in　a　high　peaked　cone；　and　smoke

rolled　out　from　it　endlessly　along　the　sky。　　At

night；　the　Fire　Spirits　danced；　and　the　glare

reddened　the　Big　Water　far　out。



There　the　Counsellor　said　to　the　Boy；　〃Stay

thou　here　till　I　bring　thee　a　brand　from　the

burning；　be　ready　and　right　for　running；　for　I

shall　be　far　spent　when　I　come　again；　and　the

Fire　Spirits　will　pursue　me。〃



Then　he　went　up　to　the　mountain；　and　the

Fire　Spirits　only　laughed　when　they　saw　him；

for　he　looked　so　slinking；　inconsiderable；　and

mean；　that　none　of　them　thought　harm　from

him。　　And　in　the　night；　when　they　were　at

their　dance　about　the　mountain；　the　Coyote

stole　the　fire；　and　ran　with　it　down　the　slope　of

the　burning　mountain。　　When　the　Fire　Spirits

saw　what　he　had　done　they　streamed　out　after

him；　red　and　angry；　with　a　humming　sound　like

a　swarm　of　bees。　　But　the　Coyote　was　still

ahead；　the　sparks　of　the　brand　streamed　out

along　his　flanks；　as　he　carried　it　in　his　mouth；

and　he　stretched　his　body　to　the　trail。



The　Boy　saw　him　coming；　like　a　failing　star

against　the　mountain；　he　heard　the　singing

sound　of　the　Fire　Spirits　close　behind；　and　the

labouring　breath　of　the　Counsellor。　　And　when

the　good　beast　panted　down　beside　him；　the

Boy　caught　the　brand　from　his　jaws　and　was　off；

like　an　arrow　from　a　bent　bow。　　Out　he　shot　on

the　homeward　path；　and　the　Fire　Spirits　snapped

and　sang　behind　him。　　But　fast　as　they　pursued

he　fled　faster；　till　he　saw　the　next　runner　standing

in　his　place；　his　body　bent　for　the　running。

To　him　he　passed　it；　and　it　was　off　and　away；

with　the　Fire　Spirits　raging　in　chase。



So　it　passed　from　hand　to　hand；　and　the　Fire

Spirits　tore　after　it　through　the　scrub；　till　they

came　to　the　mountains　of　the　snows；　these　they

could　not　pass。　　Then　the　dark；　sleek　runners

with　the　backward　streaming　brand　bore　it　forward；

shining　starlike　in　the　night；　glowing　red

in　sultry　noons；　violet　pale　in　twilight　glooms；

until　they　came　in　safety　to　their　own　land。



And　there　they　kept　it　among　stones　and　fed

it　with　small　sticks；　as　the　Counsellor　advised；

and　it　kept　the　people　warm。



Ever　after　the　Boy　was　called　the　Fire…Bringer；

and　ever　after　the　Coyote　bore　the　sign　of　the

bringing；　for　the　fur　along　his　flanks　was　singed

and　yellow　from　the　flames　that　streamed　backward

from　the　brand。







THE　BURNING　OF　THE　RICEFIELDS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Gleanings　in　Buddha…Fields；　by　Lafeadio

Hearn。　　（Kegan　Paul；　Trench；　Trubner　and　Co；　Ltd。　　5s。　net。）





Once　there　was　a　good　old　man　who　lived　up

on　a　mountain；　far　away　in　Japan。　　All　round

his　little　house　the　mountain　was　flat；　and　the

ground　was　rich；　and　there　were　the　ricefields

of　all　the　people　who　lived　in　the　village　at　the

mountain's　foot。　　Mornings　and　evenings；　the

old　man　and　his　little　grandson；　who　lived　with

him；　used　to　look　far　down　on　the　people　at

work　in　the　village；　and　watch　the　blue　sea

which　lay　all　round　the　land；　so　close　that　there

was　no　room　for　fields　below；　only　for　houses。

The　little　boy　loved　the　ricefields；　dearly；　for　he

knew　that　all　the　good　food　for　all　the　people

came　from　them；　and　he　often　helped　his　grandfather

to　watch　over　them。



One　day；　the　grandfather　was　standing　alone；

before　his　house；　looking　far　down　at　the　people；

and　out　at　the　sea；　when；　suddenly；　he　saw

something　very　strange　far　off　where　the　sea

and　sky　meet。　　Something　like　a　great　cloud

was　rising　there；　as　if　the　sea　were　lifting　itself

high　into　the　sky。　　The　old　man　put　his　hands

to　his　eyes　and　looked　again；　hard　as　his　old

sight　could。　　Then　he　turned　and　ran　to　the

house。　　〃Yone；　Yone！〃　he　cried；　〃bring　a

brand　from　the　hearth！〃



The　little　grandson　could　not　imagine　what

his　grandfather　wanted　with　fire；　but　he　always

obeyed；　so　he　ran　quickly　and　brought　the　brand。

The　old　man　already　had　one；　and　was　running

for　the　ricefields。　　Yone　ran　after。　　But　what　was

his　horror　to　see　his　grandfather　thrust　his　burning

brand　into　the　ripe　dry　rice；　where　it　stood。



〃Oh；　Grandfather；　Grandfather！〃　screamed

the　little　boy；　〃what　are　you　doing？〃



〃Quick；　set　fire！　thrust　your　brand　in！〃　said

the　grandfather。



Yone　thought　his　dear　grandfather　had　lost

his　mind；　and　he　began　to　sob；　but　a　little

Japanese　boy　always　obeys；　so　though　he　sobbed；

he　thrust