chapter31

Previous Story

衬衫领子已经又老又破了，但是他还认为他是全世界最好的衬衫领子，骄傲自大的他最后只能来到一个造纸厂，和一群破烂一起被制作成了白纸。

The Elderbush

Once upon a time there was a little boy who had taken cold. He had gone out and got his feet wet; though nobody could imagine how it had happened, for it was quite dry weather.

So his mother undressed him, put him to bed, and had the tea-pot brought in, to make him a good cup of Elderflower (接骨木花) tea.

Just at that moment the merry old man came in who lived up atop of the house all alone; for he had neither wife nor children--but he liked children very much, and knew so many fairy tales, that it was quite delightful.

"Now drink your tea," said the boy's mother; "then, perhaps, you may hear a fairy tale."

"If I had but something new to tell," said the old man. "But how did the child get his feet wet?"

"That is the very thing that nobody can make out," said his mother.

"Am I to hear a fairy tale?" asked the little boy.

"Yes, if you can tell me exactly--for I must know that first--how deep the gutter (阴沟) is in the little street opposite, that you pass through in going to school."

"Just up to the middle of my boots," said the child; "but then I must go into the deep hole."

"Ali, ah! That's where the wet feet came from," said the old man. "I ought now to tell you a story; but I don't know any more."

"You can make one in a moment," said the little boy. "My mother says that all you look at can be turned into a fairy tale: and that you can find a story in everything."

"Yes, but such tales and stories are good for nothing. The right sort comes of themselves; they tap at my forehead and say, 'Here we are.'"

"Won't there be a tap soon?" asked the little boy. And his mother laughed, put some Elder-flowers in the tea-pot, and poured boiling water on them.

"Do tell me something! Pray do!"

"Yes, if a fairy tale would come of its own accord; but they are proud and haughty（傲慢的）, and come only when they choose. Stop!" said he, all on a sudden. "I have it! Pay attention! There is one in the tea-pot!"

And the little boy looked at the tea-pot. The cover rose more and more; and the Elder-flowers came forth so fresh and white, and shot up long branches.

Out of the spout even did they spread themselves on all sides, and grew larger and larger; it was a splendid Elderbush, a whole tree; and it reached into the very bed, and pushed the curtains aside.

How it bloomed! And what an odour（气味）! In the middle of the bush sat a friendly-looking old woman in a most strange dress.

It was quite green, like the leaves of the elder, and was trimmed（修建） with large white Elder-flowers; so that at first one could not tell whether it was a stuff（材料）, or a natural green and real flowers.

"What's that woman's name?" asked the little boy.

"The Greeks and Romans," said the old man, "called her a Dryad（德律阿得斯，希腊神话中的树神）; but that we do not understand.

The people who live in the New Booths* （水手区）have a much better name for her; they call her 'old Granny（奶奶）'--and she it is to whom you are to pay attention. Now listen, and look at the beautiful Elderbush.

* A row of buildings for seamen in Copenhagen（哥本哈根，丹麦首都）.

"Just such another large blooming Elder Tree stands near the New Booths.

It grew there in the corner of a little miserable（简陋的）court-yard; and under it sat, of an afternoon, in the most splendid（灿烂的）sunshine, two old people; an old, old seaman, and his old, old wife.

They had great-grand-children, and were soon to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary（周年纪念日）of their marriage; but they could not exactly recollect（想起）the date: and old Granny sat in the tree, and looked as pleased as now.

'I know the date,' said she; but those below did not hear her, for they were talking about old times.

"'Yes, can't you remember when we were very little,' said the old seaman, 'and ran and played about? It was the very same court-yard where we now are, and we stuck slips（树枝） in the ground, and made a garden.'

"'I remember it well,' said the old woman; 'I remember it quite well. We watered the slips, and one of them was an Elderbush. It took root, put forth green shoots（嫩芽）, and grew up to be the large tree under which we old folks（人们）are now sitting.'

"'To be sure,' said he. 'And there in the corner stood a water pail, where I used to swim my boats.'

"'True; but first we went to school to learn somewhat,' said she; 'and then we were confirmed（受坚信礼）.

 We both cried; but in the afternoon we went up the Round Tower, and looked down on Copenhagen, and far, far away over the water;

then we went to Friedericksberg（佛列得里克斯堡公园）, where the King and the Queen were sailing about in their splendid barges（游船）.'

"'But I had a different sort of sailing to that, later; and that, too, for many a year; a long way off, on great voyages（旅行）.'

"'Yes, many a time have I wept（哭泣） for your sake,' said she. 'I thought you were dead and gone, and lying down in the deep waters.

Many a night have I got up to see if the wind had not changed: and changed it had, sure enough; but you never came.

I remember so well one day, when the rain was pouring down in torrents（急流）, the scavengers（清扫工） were before the house where I was in service, and I had come up with the dust, and remained standing at the door—

it was dreadful（可怕的） weather--when just as I was there, the postman came and gave me a letter.

It was from you! What a tour that letter had made! I opened it instantly and read: I laughed and wept. I was so happy. In it I read that you were in warm lands where the coffee-tree grows.

What a blessed（幸福的） land that must be! You related so much, and I saw it all the while the rain was pouring down, and I standing there with the dust-box.

At the same moment came someone who embraced（拥抱） me.'

"'Yes; but you gave him a good box on his ear that made it tingle（刺痛）!'

（1239 words）

今日短语

1. pass through通过

2. come forth出现，涌现

3. put forth（植物等）生长，长出

4. many a time一次又一次

5. pay attention注意

6. look at看

7. make out理解

8. tap at轻拍

9. on a sudden突然

10. good for nothing毫无价值

11. take root生根

备注：本专辑为知米阅读提升营配套音频，方便学员循环收听。

对英文原著学习的小伙伴可以关注我们的微信公众号【知米阅读】，加入我们的学习军团，和上万名小伙伴一起阅读英文原著。100天读3-4本英文原著，思想和英语同时进步！