stories to tell to children-第38章

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his　palm；　up　his　arm；　till　they　reached　into　his

shoulder；　and　down　the　back　of　his　neck。　　It

seemed　hours　since　the　little　brother　went　away。

He　felt　very　lonely；　and　the　hurt　in　his　arm

grew　and　grew。　　He　watched　the　road　with　all

his　eyes；　but　no　one　came　in　sight。　　Then　he

leaned　his　head　against　the　dike；　to　rest　his

shoulder。



As　his　ear　touched　the　dike；　he　heard　the

voice　of　the　great　sea；　murmuring。　　The　sound

seemed　to　say；



〃I　am　the　great　sea。　　No　one　can　stand

against　me。　　What　are　you；　a　little　child；　that

you　try　to　keep　me　out？　　Beware！　　Beware！〃



Hans'　heart　beat　in　heavy　knocks。　　Would

they　never　come？　　He　was　frightened。



And　the　water　went　on　beating　at　the　wall；

and　murmuring；　〃I　will　come　through；　I　will

come　through；　I　will　get　you；　I　will　get　you；

runrunbefore　I　come　through！〃



Hans　started　to　pull　out　his　finger；　he　was　so

frightened　that　he　felt　as　if　he　must　run　for　ever。

But　that　minute　he　remembered　how　much

depended　on　him；　if　he　pulled　out　his　finger；　the

water　would　surely　make　the　hole　bigger；　and

at　last　break　down　the　dike；　and　the　sea　would

come　in　on　all　the　land　and　houses。　　He　set　his

teeth；　and　stuck　his　finger　tighter　than　ever。



〃You　shall　NOT　come　through！〃　he　whispered；

〃I　will　NOT　run！〃



At　that　moment；　he　heard　a　far…off　shout。

Far　in　the　distance　he　saw　a　black　something　on

the　road；　and　dust。　　The　men　were　coming！　　At

last；　they　were　coming。　　They　came　nearer；　fast；

and　he　could　make　out　his　own　father；　and　the

neighbours。　　They　had　pickaxes　and　shovels；

and　they　were　running。　　And　as　they　ran　they

shouted；　〃We're　coming；　take　heart；　we're

coming！〃



The　next　minute；　it　seemed；　they　were　there。

And　when　they　saw　Hans；　with　his　pale　face；

and　his　hand　tight　in　the　dike；　they　gave　a　great

cheer；just　as　people　do　for　soldiers　back　from

war；　and　they　lifted　him　up　and　rubbed　his

aching　arm　with　tender　hands；　and　they　told　him

that　he　was　a　real　hero　and　that　he　had　saved

the　town。



When　the　men　had　mended　the　dike；　they

marched　home　like　an　army；　and　Hans　was

carried　high　on　their　shoulders；　because　he　was

a　hero。　　And　to　this　day　the　people　of　Haarlem

tell　the　story　of　how　a　little　boy　saved　the　dike。







THE　LAST　LESSON＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　the　French　of　Alphonse　Daudet。





Little　Franz　didn't　want　to　go　to　school；　that

morning。　　He　would　much　rather　have　played

truant。　　The　air　was　so　warm　and　still；you

could　hear　the　blackbird　singing　at　the　edge　of

the　wood；　and　the　sound　of　the　Prussians　drilling；

down　in　the　meadow　behind　the　old　sawmill。

He　would　SO　much　rather　have　played　truant！

Besides；　this　was　the　day　for　the　lesson　in　the

rule　of　participles；　and　the　rule　of　participles　in

French　is　very；　very　long；　and　very　hard；　and　it

has　more　exceptions　than　rule。　　Little　Franz

did　not　know　it　at　all。　　He　did　not　want　to　go

to　school。



But；　somehow；　he　went。　　His　legs　carried　him

reluctantly　into　the　village　and　along　the　street。

As　he　passed　the　official　bulletin…board　before

the　town　hall；　he　noticed　a　little　crowd　round　it；

looking　at　it。　　That　was　the　place　where　the

news　of　lost　battles；　the　requisition　for　more

troops；　the　demands　for　new　taxes　were　posted。

Small　as　he　was；　little　Franz　had　seen　enough　to

make　him　think；　〃What　NOW；　I　wonder？〃　　But

he　could　not　stop　to　see；　he　was　afraid　of　being

late。



When　he　came　to　the　school…yard　his　heart

beat　very　fast；　he　was　afraid　he　WAS　late；　after

all；　for　the　windows　were　all　open；　and　yet　he

heard　no　noise；the　schoolroom　was　perfectly

quiet。　　He　had　been　counting　on　the　noise　and

confusion　before　school；the　slamming　of　desk

covers；　the　banging　of　books；　the　tapping　of　the

master's　cane　and　his　〃A　little　less　noise；　please；〃

to　let　him　slip　quietly　into　his　seat　unnoticed。

But　no；　he　had　to　open　the　door　and　walk　up

the　long　aisle；　in　the　midst　of　a　silent　room；　with

the　master　looking　straight　at　him。　　Oh；　how　hot

his　cheeks　felt；　and　how　hard　his　heart　beat！

But　to　his　great　surprise　the　master　didn't　scold

at　all。　　All　he　said　was；　〃Come　quickly　to　your

place；　my　little　Franz；　we　were　just　going　to

begin　without　you！〃



Little　Franz　could　hardly　believe　his　ears；

that　wasn't　at　all　the　way　the　master　was　accustomed

to　speak。　　It　was　very　strange！　　Somehow

everything　was　very　strange。　　The　room

looked　queer。　　Everybody　was　sitting　so　still；　so

straightas　if　it　were　an　exhibition　day；　or

something　very　particular。　　And　the　master

he　looked　strange；　too；　why；　he　had　on　his　fine

lace　jabot　and　his　best　coat；　that　he　wore　only

on　holidays；　and　his　gold　snuff…box　in　his　hand。

Certainly　it　was　very　odd。　　Little　Franz　looked

all　round；　wondering。　　And　there　in　the　back　of

the　room　was　the　oddest　thing　of　all。　　There；　on

a　bench；　sat　VISITORS。　　Visitors！　　He　could　not

make　it　out；　people　never　came　except　on　great

occasions；examination　days　and　such。　　And　it

was　not　a　holiday。　　Yet　there　were　the　agent；

the　old　blacksmith；　the　farmer；　sitting　quiet　and

still。　　It　was　very；　very　strange。



Just　then　the　master　stood　up　and　opened

school。　　He　said；　〃My　children；　this　is　the　last

time　I　shall　ever　teach　you。　　The　order　has　come

from　Berlin　that　henceforth　nothing　but　German

shall　be　taught　in　the　schools　of　Alsace　and

Lorraine。　　This　is　your　last　lesson　in　French。

I　beg　you；　be　very　attentive。〃



HIS　LAST　LESSON　IN　FRENCH！　　Little　Franz　could

not　believe　his　ears；　his　last　lessonah；　THAT

was　what　was　on　the　bulletin…board！　　It　flashed

across　him　in　an　instant。　　That　was　it！　　His

last　lesson　in　Frenchand　he　scarcely　knew

how　to　read　and　writewhy；　then；　he　should

never　know　how！　　He　looked　down　at　his

books；　all　battered　and　torn　at　the　corners；　and

suddenly　his　books　seemed　quite　different　to

him；　they　seemedsomehowlike　friends。　　He

looked　at　the　master；　and　he　seemed　different；

too；like　a　very　good　friend。　　Little　Franz

began　to　feel　strange　himself。　　Just　as　he　was

thinking　about　it；　he　heard　his　name　called；　and

he　stood　up　to　recite。



It　was　the　rule　of　participles。



Oh；　what　wouldn't　he　have　given　to　be　able

to　say　it　of　from　beginning　to　end；　exceptions

and　all；　without　a　blunder！　　But　he　could　only

stand　and　hang　his　head；　he　did　not　know　a

word　of　it。　　Then　through　the　hot　pounding　in

his　ears　he　heard　the　master's　voice；　it　was

quite　gentle；　not　at　all　the　scolding　voice　he

expected。　　And　it　said；　〃I'm　not　going　to　punish

you；　little　Franz。　　Perhaps　you　are　punished

enough。　　And　you　are　not　alone　in　your　fault。

We　all　do　the　same　thing；we　all　put　off　our

tasks　till　to…morrow。　　Andsometimesto…

morrow　never　comes。　　That　is　what　it　has　been

with　us。　　We　Alsatians　have　been　always　putting

off　our　education　till　the　morrow；　and　now　they

have　a　right；　those　people　down　there；　to　say　to

us；　‘What！　　You　call　yourselves　French；　and

cannot　even　read　and　write　the　French　language？

Learn　German；　then！'〃



And　then　the　master　spoke　to　them　of　the

French　language。　　He　told　them　how　beautiful

it　was；　how　clear　and　musical　and　reasonable；

and　he　said　that　no　people　could　be　hopelessly

conquered　so　long　as　it　kept　its　language；　for

the　language　was　the　key　to　its　prison…house。

And　then　he　said　he　was　going　to　tell　them　a

little　about　that　beautiful　language；　and　he

explained　the　rule　of　participles。



And　do　you　know；　it　was　just　as　simple　as

A　B　C！　　Little　Franz　understood　every　word。

It　was　just　the　same　with　the　rest　of　the　grammar

lesson。　　I　don't　know　whether　little　Franz

listened　harder；　or　whether　the　master　explained

better；　but　it　was　all　quite　clear；　and　simple。



But　as　they　went　on　with　it；　and　little　Franz

listened　and　looked；　it　seemed　to　him　that　the

master　was　trying　to　put　the　whole　French

language　into　their　heads　in　that　one　hour。

It　seemed　as　if　he　wanted