The Magic Bowls-英文民間故事
A dove laid an egg in the hollow of a big tree in front of the blacksmith's house. When she flew away from her nest in search of food, the blacksmith's wife stole the egg. The dove came back to her nest and found the egg missing.
The dove knew at once that the blacksmith's wife must have taken it. So she went to the woman and pleaded, "Give me back my egg, please."
The blacksmith's wife pretended that she knew nothing about it and said, "What egg are you talking about? I didn't see any egg." The dove was heartbroken and flew about looking for help. On the way she met a pig, who asked, "Why are you crying, little bird?"
She said, "O pig, can you help me? Will you dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
"No, not I," grunted the pig, walking away.
She then met a hunter, who asked, "Why are you in tears, little bird?"
The bird said, "Will you shoot an arrow at the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
"Why should I? Leave me out of this," said the hunter, walking away.
The dove wept some more and flew on till she met a rat, who also asked why she was in tears. The dove said, "Will you gnaw and cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
The rat too said, "Not I," and went his own way.
Next she met a cat, who asked, "What's the matter, little bird?"
"Will you catch the rat who wouldn't cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
The cat would rather mind her own business.
The poor dove was beside herself with anger and grief. Her wails attracted the attention of a passing dog, who asked her what was bothering her. She said, "Will you bite the cat who wouldn't catch the rat who wouldn't cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
"No, not I," said the dog and ran away.
The dove's wails grew louder and louder.
An old man with a long white beard came that way and asked the crying bird what the matter was. She said, "Grandfather, will you beat the dog who wouldn't bite the cat who wouldn't catch the rat who wouldn't cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
The old man didn't want to do anything of the sort and shook his head and went his way.
The dove next went to the fire for help and asked it to burn the white beard of the old man, but the fire wouldn't do it. Next the dove went to the water and asked it to put out the fire which wouldn't burn the beard of the old man who refused to beat the dog who wouldn't bite the cat who wouldn't catch the rat who wouldn't cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole the egg. Water too was unwilling to help.
Not long afterwards, the dove met an elephant and asked if he would stir up the water which wouldn't put out the fire which refused to burn the beard of the old man who wouldn't . . .
The elephant said, "No, not I."
Then the dove looked about and found a black ant, who also asked her what was troubling her.
"O ant! I know you can help me. Will you go into the elephant's trunk and bite him for not stirring up the water which wouldn't put out the fire which wouldn't burn the beard of the old man who wouldn't beat the dog who wouldn't bite the cat who wouldn't catch the rat who wouldn't cut the bowstring of the hunter who wouldn't shoot the pig who wouldn't dig up the yams of the blacksmith's wife who stole my egg?"
"Why not? Here I go," said the ant and crawled inside the elephant's trunk and bit it in the softest place, very hard. This made the elephant dash into the pool of water and stir it up. The water splashed and began to put out the fire, which went mad and burned the white beard of the old man, who beat the dog, who ran after the cat and bit her. The cat caught the rat, who gnawed the bowstring of the hunter's bow. The hunter tied on a new one and shot an arrow at the pig, who went and dug up all the yams of the blacksmith's wife.
The blacksmith's wife knew at once what she had to do and carefully put the dove's egg back in the nest in the hollow of the big tree.
That's how the dove got her egg back.
-
中國寓言小故事【三篇】
秦士好古【篇一】秦朝有個讀書人非常喜歡古物,即使價值十分昂貴也一定要求購。有一天,有人帶來了一張破席子。親自上門對他說:"過去魯哀公向孔子詢問國事,就讓孔子坐在這張席子上。"他心裡非常高興,認為這席子很古,就用近郊的田地換了它。過了不久,又有一個人拿了一根...
-
睡前暖心童話故事【四篇】
睡前暖心童話故事篇一:小狐狸朵朵的“流水賬”今天,老師讓大家寫一篇日記。晚上,小狐狸朵朵回到家裡,寫什麼呢,她苦思冥想。想了一會兒,終於想出來了。她拿起筆來,刷刷刷在日記本上寫道:“今天清晨,我起床,吃好早飯後,揹著書包去上學了。上學的路上我救了一隻受傷的小鳥。...
-
短篇兒童童話故事作文
短篇兒童童話故事作文篇一:駱駝媽媽有幾個美國旅行者在非洲撤哈拉沙漠看到這樣的一幕:無人區裡有一隻母駱駝帶著幾隻小駱駝一路低著頭,不時地停下來聞著乾燥的沙子。按照常識,美國人知道這是駱駝在找水喝。它們顯然渴壞了,幾隻小駱駝無精打采地走著。在太陽的炙烤下...
-
哄孩子睡覺溫馨故事大全【四篇】
哄孩子睡覺溫馨故事篇一:懶惰的小肥豬從前,森林裡住著一隻懶惰的小肥豬。他從來不幹活,家裡亂得一團糟也不收拾;肚子餓得“咕嚕咕嚕”響,他也不做吃的。幸好他有一個很能幹的鄰居——小兔子。小兔子不僅能幹而且心地特別善良,她總是任勞任怨地幫助小肥豬。小肥豬屋...
相關文章
- 英語腦筋急轉彎:Bill Gates picks his own punishment
- 英語勵志文章:The biggest secret of success
- The Boy Who Loved Bears-英語民間故事
- 英語情感故事:She Told Me It Was Okay to Cry
- 經典的英文語句 I’ll make my joy like this small butterfly
- 英文情感故事:Working Christmas Day
- 英語腦筋急轉彎:The top ten reasons why the television is better than the World Wide Web
- 經典英文詩How do I love thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- 英語腦筋急轉彎:The top ten reasons why the television is better than the World Wide Web
- 勵志英語文章:The prime condition great secrets of success