（英）The most wonderful egg in the world | 最奇妙的蛋

Once upon a time,along time ago, three hens were quarreling about which of them was the mostbeautiful.

很久很久以前，有三只母鸡咯咯咯地吵得不停，她们都说自己是最漂亮的母鸡。

Dotty had themost beautiful feathers.

圆圆有最漂亮的羽毛。

Stalky had themost beautiful legs.

琪琪有最漂亮的腿。

And Plumy had themost beautiful crest.

毛毛有最漂亮的鸡冠。

Since they couldnot settle their quarrel among themselves, they decided to ask the king for hisadvice.

因为吵不出个结果来，她们决定去请教国王的意见。

“What you can dois more important than what you look like,”said the king. “whichever one of youlays the most wonderful egg I will make a princess.”

国王说：“你们会做什么比你们长得好不好看来得重要多了。你们三个谁能生下最奇妙的蛋，我就封谁当公主。”

He went out intothe palace park followed by all the hens in his kingdom.

于是全国的母鸡都跟着国王走进皇宫的庭园里。

Dotty preened herbeautiful feathers before settling herself in the wet grass. It was not longbefore she cackled, stood up, and stepped aside.

园园用她的嘴巴梳了梳她的羽毛，然后坐在湿湿的草地上。过了一会，她咯咯地叫了一声，站了起来，走到一旁去。

Everybody wasspeechless. There lay an egg, snow-white, spotless, and perfectly shaped-theeggshell shimmering like polished marble. “This is the most perfect egg I haveever seen,”cried the king, and all the hens nodded.

这时，大家都静悄悄的。草地上立着一颗又白又干净的蛋，形状好看极了，蛋壳也像磨光的大理石一样，闪闪发亮。

“这是我见过的最完美的蛋！”国王叫了起来，所有的母鸡也都点头赞成。

Then it wasStalky’s turn. Everybody felt a little sorry for her. They knew she could notlay a more perfect egg. It was impossible.

轮到琪琪了，大家都为她感到有点难过。因为她们知道琪琪没办法生下一个更完美的蛋，那是不可能的。

After ten minutes， stalky cackled, go up and stretched her legsproudly in the morning sun.

十分钟后，琪琪咯咯咯地叫了一声然后站了起来，在早晨暖暖的阳光里得意地伸了伸腿。

The king clapped his hands forjoy. There lay an egg of such size and weight that even an ostrich would havebeen jealous.

国王高兴地拍起手来，因为草地上有一个连鸵鸟看了都会嫉妒的大鸡蛋。

“This is the biggest egg I haveever seen.”cried the king, and all the hens nodded.

“这是我见过的最大的蛋！”国王叫了起来，所有的母鸡也都点头赞成。

While they were still nodding, plumysettled herself carefully on the ground. Everybody felt extremely sorry forher. They knew she could not lay a more perfect or bigger egg. It wasunthinkable. Modestly, with castdown eyes, she sat there.

当大家都还在点头的时候，毛毛小心地在草地上坐了下来。大家都为她感到非常的难过。因为她们知道毛毛不可能生下一个更完美或更大的蛋，那是绝对不可能的。毛毛谦虚地坐在那儿，眼睛看着地上。

Then, with only a small cackle,she got up to reveal an egg that would be talked about for the next hundredsyears.

不久，她轻轻的叫了一声，然后站起来，让大家看这个就算过了一百年也没有人忘记的蛋。

Before them lay a square. Each sidewas straight, as if drawn with a ruler, and each surface shone in a differentcolor.

在大家面前，有一个四四方方的蛋，每一边都像用尺画的那样直，每一面都有不同的颜色，而且十分鲜艳。

“This is indeed the fantastic egg Ihave ever seen.” Cried the king, and all the hens nodded.

“这真是我见过的最不可思议的蛋！”国王叫了起来，所有的母鸡也都点头赞成。

It was impossible to say which eggwas the most wonderful. So the king decided that all three hens – dotty, stalkyand plumy –should be made princess.

要从这三个蛋中选出一个最奇妙的蛋，根本是不可能的。所以，国王决定圆圆，琪琪和毛毛都可以当上公主。

And from that day to this theyhave been the best of friends, and have happily gone on laying extraordinaryeggs.

从此以后，她们三个成了最要好的朋友，而且继续快乐地生世界上最特别的蛋。