stories to tell to children-第18章

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flute…like　thing　to　his　lips；　and　began　to　play　a

little　tune。　　A　strange；　high；　little　tune。　　And

before



　　　　　　three　shrill　notes　the　pipe　uttered；

　You　heard　as　if　an　army　muttered；

　And　the　muttering　grew　to　a　grumbling；

　And　the　grumbling　grew　to　a　mighty　rumbling；

　And　out　of　the　houses　the　rats　came　tumbling　I

　Great　rats；　small　rats；　lean　rats；　brawny　rats；

　Brown　rats；　black　rats；　gray　rats；　tawny　rats；

　Grave　old　plodders；　gay　young　friskers；

　Fathers；　mothers；　uncles；　cousins；

　Cocking　tails　and　pricking　whiskers；

　Families　by　tens　and　dozens；

　Brothers；　sisters；　husbands；　wives

　Followed　the　Piper　for　their　lives！





From　street　to　street　he　piped；　advancing；

from　street　to　street　they　followed；　dancing。

Up　one　street　and　down　another；　till　they　came

to　the　edge　of　the　big　river；　and　there　the　piper

turned　sharply　about　and　stepped　aside；　and　all

those　rats　tumbled　hurry　skurry；　head　over　heels；

down　the　bank　into　the　river　ANDWERE

DROWNED。　　Every　single　one。　　No；　there　was

one　big　old　fat　rat；　he　was　so　fat　he　didn't

sink；　and　he　swam　across；　and　ran　away　to　tell

the　tale。



Then　the　Piper　came　back　to　the　town　hall。

And　all　the　people　were　waving　their　hats　and

shouting　for　joy。　　The　Mayor　said　they　would

have　a　big　celebration；　and　build　a　tremendous　

bonfire　in　the　middle　of　the　town。　　He　asked

the　Piper　to　stay　and　see　the　bonfire；very

politely。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Piper；　〃that　will　be　very

nice；　but　first；　if　you　please；　I　should　like　my

thousand　guineas。〃



〃H'm；erahem！〃　said　the　Mayor。　　〃You

mean　that　little　joke　of　mine；　of　course　that

was　a　joke。〃　　（You　see　it　is　always　harder　to

pay　for　a　thing　when　you　no　longer　need　it。）



〃I　do　not　joke；〃　said　the　Piper　very　quietly；

〃my　thousand　guineas；　if　you　please。〃



〃Oh；　come；　now；〃　said　the　Mayor；　〃you

know　very　well　it　wasn't　worth　sixpence　to

play　a　little　tune　like　that；　call　it　one　guinea；

and　let　it　go　at　that。〃



〃A　bargain　is　a　bargain；〃　said　the　Piper；

〃for　the　last　time；will　you　give　me　my

thousand　guineas？〃



〃I'll　give　you　a　pipe　of　tobacco；　something

good　to　eat；　and　call　you　lucky　at　that！〃　said

the　Mayor；　tossing　his　head。



Then　the　Piper's　mouth　grew　strange　and

thin；　and　sharp　blue　and　green　lights　began

dancing　in　his　eyes；　and　he　said　to　the　Mayor

very　softly；　〃I　know　another　tune　than　that　I

played；　I　play　it　to　those　who　play　me　false。〃



〃Play　what　you　please！　　You　can't　frighten

me！　　Do　your　worst！〃　said　the　Mayor；　making

himself　big。



Then　the　Piper　stood　high　up　on　the　steps

of　the　town　hall；　and　put　the　pipe　to　his　lips；

and　began　to　play　a　little　tune。　　It　was　quite

a　different　little　tune；　this　time；　very　soft　and

sweet；　and　very；　very　strange。　　And　before　he

had　played　three　notes；　you　heard



　　　　　　　　　　　a　rustling；　that　seemed　like　a　bustling

　Of　merry　crowds　justling　at　pitching　and　hustling；

　Small　feet　were　pattering；　wooden　shoes　clattering；

　Little　hands　clapping　and　little　tongues　chattering；

　And　like　fowls　in　a　farmyard　when　barley　is　scattering；

　Out　came　the　children　running。

　All　the　little　boys　and　girls；

　With　rosy　cheeks　and　flaxen　curls；

　And　sparkling　eyes　and　teeth　like　pearls；

　Tripping　and　skipping；　ran　merrily　after

　The　wonderful　music　with　shouting　and　laughter。





〃Stop；　stop！〃　cried　the　people。　　〃He　is　taking

our　children！　　Stop　him；　Mr　Mayor！〃



〃I　will　give　you　your　money；　I　will！〃　cried

the　Mayor；　and　tried　to　run　after　the　Piper。



But　the　very　same　music　that　made　the

children　dance　made　the　grown…up　people　stand

stock…still；　it　was　as　if　their　feet　had　been　tied

to　the　ground；　they　could　not　move　a　muscle。

There　they　stood　and　saw　the　Piper　move　slowly

down　the　street；　playing　his　little　tune；　with　the

children　at　his　heels。　　On　and　on　he　went；　on

and　on　the　children　danced；　till　he　came　to　the

bank　of　the　river。



〃Oh；　oh！　　He　will　drown　our　children　in　the

river！〃　cried　the　people。　　But　the　Piper　turned

and　went　along　by　the　bank；　and　all　the　children

followed　after。　　Up；　and　up；　and　up　the

hill　they　went；　straight　toward　the　mountain

which　is　like　the　roof　of　a　house。　　And　just

as　they　got　to　it；　the　mountain　OPENED；like　two

great　doors；　and　the　Piper　went　in　through　the

opening；　playing　the　little　tune；　and　the　children

danced　after　himandjust　as　they　got　through

the　great　doors　slid　together　again　and　shut

them　all　in！　　Every　single　one。　　No；　there　was

one　little　lame　child；　who　couldn't　keep　up　with

the　rest　and　didn't　get　there　in　time。　　But　none

of　his　little　companions　ever　came　back　any

more；　not　one。



But　years　and　years　afterward；　when　the

fat　old　rat　who　swam　across　the　river　was　a

grandfather；　his　children　used　to　ask　him；

〃What　made　you　follow　the　music；　Grandfather？〃

and　he　used　to　tell　them；　〃My　dears；

when　I　heard　that　tune　I　thought　I　heard　the

moving　aside　of　pickle…tub　boards；　and　the　leaving

ajar　of　preserve　cupboards；　and　I　smelled　the

most　delicious　old　cheese　in　the　world；　and　I　saw

sugar　barrels　ahead　of　me；　and　then；　just　as　a

great　yellow　cheese　seemed　to　be　saying；　‘Come；

bore　me'I　felt　the　river　rolling　o'er　me！〃



And　in　the　same　way　the　people　asked

the　little　lame　child；　〃What　made　you　follow

the　music？〃　　〃I　do　not　know　what　the　others

heard；〃　he　said；　〃but　I；　when　the　Piper　began

to　play；　I　heard　a　voice　that　told　of　a　wonderful

country　hard　by；　where　the　bees　had　no

stings　and　the　horses　had　wings；　and　the　trees

bore　wonderful　fruits；　where　no　one　was　tired

or　lame；　and　children　played　all　day；　and　just

as　the　beautiful　country　was　but　one　step　away

the　mountain　closed　on　my　playmates；　and

I　was　left　alone。〃



That　was　all　the　people　ever　knew。　　The

children　never　came　back。　　All　that　was　left

of　the　Piper　and　the　rats　was　just　the　big　street

that　led　to　the　river；　so　they　called　it　the

Street　of　the　Pied　Piper。



And　that　is　the　end　of　the　story。







WHY　THE　EVERGREEN　TREES　KEEP　THEIR　LEAVES　IN　WINTER＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Florence　Holbrook's　A　Book　of　Nature

Myths。　　（Harrap　&　Co。　9d。）





One　day；　a　long；　long　time　ago；　it　was　very

cold；　winter　was　coming。　　And　all　the　birds　flew

away　to　the　warm　south；　to　wait　for　the

spring。　　But　one　little　bird　had　a　broken

wing　and　could　not　fly。　　He　did　not　know

what　to　do。　　He　looked　all　round；　to　see　if

there　was　any　place　where　he　could　keep　warm。

And　he　saw　the　trees　of　the　great　forest。



〃Perhaps　the　trees　will　keep　me　warm

through　the　winter；〃　he　said。



So　he　went　to　the　edge　of　the　forest；　hopping

and　fluttering　with　his　broken　wing。　　The　first

tree　he　came　to　was　a　slim　silver　birch。



〃Beautiful　birch…tree；〃　he　said；　〃will　you　let

me　live　in　your　warm　branches　until　the　springtime

comes？〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　the　birch…tree；　〃what　a　thing

to　ask！　　I　have　to　take　care　of　my　own　leaves

through　the　winter；　that　is　enough　for　me。　　Go

away。〃



The　little　bird　hopped　and　fluttered　with　his

broken　wing　until　he　came　to　the　next　tree。　　It

was　a　great；　big　oak…tree。



〃O　big　oak…tree；〃　said　the　little　bird；　〃will

you　let　me　live　in　your　warm　branches　until　the

springtime　comes？〃



〃Dear　me；〃　said　the　oak…tree；　〃what　a　thing

to　ask！　　If　you　stay　in　my　branches　all　winter

you　will　be　eating　my　acorns。　　Go　away。〃



So　the　little　bird　hopped　and　fluttered　with

his　broken　wing　till　he　came　to　the　willow…tree

by　the　edge　of　the　brook。



〃O　beautiful　willow…tree；〃　said　the　little　bird；

〃will　you　let　me　live　in　your　warm　branches

until　the　springtime　comes？〃



〃No；　indeed；〃　said　the　willow…tree；　〃I　never

speak　to　strangers。　　Go　away。〃



The　poor　little　bird　did　not　know　where　to

go；　but　he　hopped　and　fluttered　along　with　his

broken　wing。　　Presently　the　spruce…tree　saw

him；　and　said；　〃Where　are　you　going；　little　bird？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　said　the　bird；　〃the　trees

will　not　let　me　live　with　them；　and　my　wing

is　broken　so　that　I　cannot　fly。〃



〃You　may　live　on　one　of　my　branches；〃　said

the　spruce；　〃here　is　the　warmest　one　of　all。〃



〃But　may　I　stay　all　winter？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　spruce；　〃I　shall　like　to　have

you。〃



The　pine…tree　stood　beside　the　spruce；　and

when　he　saw　the　little　bird　hopping　and　fluttering

with　his　broken　wing；　he　said；　〃My　branches

are　not　very　warm；　but　I　can　keep　the　wind　off

because　I　am　big　and　strong。〃



So　the　little　bird　fluttered　up　into　the　warm

branch　of　the　spruce；　and　the　pine…tree　kept　the

wind　off　his　house；　then　the　juniper…tree　saw

what　was　going　on；　and　said　that　she　would

give　the　little　bird　his　dinner　all　the　winter；

from　her　branches。　　Juniper　berries　are　very

good　for　little　birds。



The　little　bird　was　very　comfortable　in　his

warm　nest　sheltered　from　the　wind；　with　juniper

berries　to　eat。



The　trees　at　the　edge　of　the　forest　remarked

upon　it　to　each　other：



〃I　wouldn't　take　care　of　a　strange　bird；〃　said

the　birch。



〃I　wouldn't　risk　my　acorns；〃　said　the　oak。



〃I　would　not　speak　to　strangers；〃　said　the

willow。　　And　the　three　trees　stood　up　very　tall

and　proud。



That　night　the　North　Wind　came　to　the

woods　to　play。　　He　puffed　at　the　leaves　with

his　icy　breath；　and　every　leaf　he　touched　fell

to　the　ground。　　He　wanted　to　touch　every　leaf

in　the　forest；　for　he　loved　to　see　the　trees

bare。



〃May　I　touch　every　leaf？〃　he　said　to　his

father；　the　Frost　King。



〃No；〃　said　the　Frost　King；　〃the　trees　which

were　kind　to　the　bird　with　the　broken　wing　may

keep　their　leaves。〃



So　North　Wind　had　to　leave　them　alone；　and

the　spruce；　the　pine；　and　the　juniper…tree　kept

their　leaves　through　all　the　winter。　　And　they

have　done　so　ever　since。







THE　STAR　DOLLARS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Grimms'　Fairy　Tales。





There　was　once　a　little　girl　who　was　very；

very　poor。　　Her　father　and　mother　had　died；

and　at　last　she　had　no　little　room　to　stay　in；

and　no　little　bed　to　sleep　in；　and　nothing　more

to　eat　except　one　piece　of　bread。　　So　she　said

a　prayer；　put　on　her　little　jacket　and　her　hood；

and　took　her　piece　of　bread　in　her　hand；　and

went　out　into　the　world。



When　she　had　walked　a　little　way；　she　met

an　old　man；　bent　and　thin。　　He　looked　at　the

piece　of　bread　in　her　hand；　and　said；　〃Will　you

give　me　your　bread；　little　girl？　　I　am　very

hungry。〃　　The　little　girl　said；　〃Yes；〃　and　gave

him　her　piece　of　bread。



When　she　had　walked　a　little　farther　she

came　upon　a　child；　sitting　by　the　path；　crying。

〃I　am　so　cold！〃　said　the　child。　　〃Won't　you

give　me　your　little　hood；　to　keep　my　head

warm？〃　　The　little　girl　took　off　her　hood　and

tied　it　on　the　child's　head。　　Then　she　went　on

her　way。



After　a　time；　as　she　went；　she　met　another

child。　　This　one　shivered　with　the　cold；　and　s