英文版民間故事傳說:Coyote brings fire
Long ago, the Fire Beings were the only people who had fire.
They guarded it closely and wouldn't share it with other tribes or animals.
This didn't matter so much in spring and summer, but in winter many young children and old people died from the icy cold.
Just before the next winter, some of the animals called a meeting. "We can't let our children and grandparents die from the cold this year," said Squirrel. "We have to get fire from the Fire Beings to keep warm."
"How can we do that?" asked Chipmunk. "The Fire Beings won't share it with us".
"Let's ask Coyote for help" said Frog. "He's crafty and cunning, and he'll know how to get fire".
Coyote listened and thought about the problem. Then he smiled a cunning smile.
"There is a way to get fire from the selfish Fire Beings" he said.
"How? How can we do that?" asked Chipmunk.
"We'll take it!" answered Coyote slyly. "I have a plan. Follow me!"
Coyote lead the animals to the Fire Beings' camp on top of the mountain. The others hid in the bushes while Coyote walked into the camp.
"Who's there?" screeched one of the Beings. "Someone's trying to steal our fire".
"It's all right," hissed another. "It's only an old moth eaten coyote". "Huummph! Moth eaten indeed," thought Coyote, but he didn't say anything. He lay down by the fire and pretended to go to sleep, keeping one eye half open.
Three Fire Beings sat nearby. One was huge and ugly - with a small bald head and big rolls of fat around his stomach. Snot dripped in long slimy strands from his nose. The other two were old hags, with eyes like red stones and clawed hands like a vulture.
After a few minutes, a banging noise started in the bushes. It was Coyote's friends.
"What's that horrible noise?" cried the fat ugly Fire Being. "Who's there?" The three of them went to investigate.
Seeing his chance, Coyote snatched up a glowing piece of fire and ran off down the mountain as fast as he could. Realising they had been tricked, the two hags screamed and chased after him. The big fat bald Fire Being just stood there, with more snot dripping from his nose.
The hags were old, but they could run like the wind. They nearly caught Coyote. One of them stretched out her claws and touched the tip of his tail. The heat turned the hairs white.
Coyote threw the fire into the air towards Squirrel. She caught it in her tail and scampered off over stumps and boulders. The fire scorched her so badly, that her tail curled u
p over her back. She was almost caught, until Chipmunk bounded up beside her.
"Me! Me! Throw it to me!" Catching the fire, Chipmunk turned to run. One of the hags clawed her back leaving three stripes down it. Chipmunk threw the fire to Frog, but one of the Beings grabbed his tail.
"Let me go!" yelled Frog. He squirmed and struggled so much that his eyeballs bulged and he thought his heart would burst.
With one last mighty leap he tore himself free, leaving his beautiful long tail behind, still wriggling in the hag's claw.
Frog threw the fire to Wood and Wood swallowed it. The Fire Beings hit Wood and kicked him and cut him with their knives, but still Wood didn't spit out the fire.
At last the hags gave up and went home, mumbling to themselves:
"Oh dear, I think I broke a nail". "Never mind. We'll have frog's tail soup tonight." "Mmm! That sounds nice".
Coyote called all the animals together to teach them how to get the fire from Wood.
"Fire is a gift for everyone. If you rub two dry sticks of Wood together very fast Wood will get itchy and give you some fire. From now on you will be warm in winter".
"I told you Coyote was cunning" said Frog.
"Yes, but I wonder what frog's tail soup tastes like?" asked Squirrel.
And that is why today, Coyote's tail has a white tip, squirrel's tail curls around over her back, chipmunk's coat has white stripes and frog has no tail.
But everyone is warm in winter.
-
經典益智故事【三篇】
【以水鏡為師】禪師將一杯水和一面鏡子交給弟子。禪師說:“以後它們就是你的老師,你要努力向它們學習。”弟子說:“我跟水學習什麼?”禪師說:“跟水學習如何面對不同的空間!無論把水倒進什麼形狀的容器,水都會隨之改變形狀,永不抱怨空間的改變。”弟子說:“我跟鏡子學...
-
精選幽默小故事:怒砸雕像
義大利文藝復興時期的雕塑家多那太羅(1384―1466年)創作了浮雕《佛羅倫薩的聖米凱萊》和青銅像《大衛》後,名聲大振。威尼斯的紳士們委託他給僱傭兵隊長達納爾尼(即加塔梅拉塔)塑一座馬的雕像,並一再催促他儘快完成。多那太羅對此很是惱火,他拿起錘子一錘把快要塑...
-
關於孔子改錯詩的小故事
一天。孔子帶領著子路、子貢、顏淵等幾個門生外出講學。師生們來到海州,天空忽然電閃雷鳴,狂風暴雨大作。當地的一個老漁翁把他們領進一個山洞避雨。這山洞面對著大海,是老漁翁平常歇腳的地方。孔子覺得洞裡有點悶熱,便走到洞口,觀看雨中的海景,看著看著,不覺詩興大發...
-
10歲兒童睡前故事大全【三篇】
10歲兒童睡前故事篇一:墨菲斯的妙計阿勇只比小狼達克大兩歲,可它的個子比達克整整高出一頭。身體壯,牙齒尖的它,在家裡誰也管不了。它不去上學,經常跟狐狸墨菲斯到處瞎混。它的頭髮亂糟糟的也不剪,臉也不洗,看上去像很大年齡了,所以同學們都喊它——老狼阿勇。阿勇經常...
相關文章
- 英語腦筋急轉彎:The top ten reasons why the television is better than the World Wide Web
- 英語腦筋急轉彎:The top ten reasons why the television is better than the World Wide Web
- 英語民間故事:Prince Ivan and Grey Wolf
- 英語勵志文章:The biggest secret of success
- 英文勵志文章:Spare No Efforts in Doing Things
- Never Judge A Book by Its Cover
- 勵志英語文章:The prime condition great secrets of success
- First Generation Chinese-American Experiences
- 經典英文詩How do I love thee by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- 勵志英語文章: Six Way to Turn Desires into Gold