stories to tell to children-第20章

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Robinson〃slip！　slop！　gobble！　down　went

the　old　woman！



Then　the　cat　started　down　the　road　again；

walking　like　this；　because　he　felt　so　fine。

Pretty　soon　he　met　a　man　driving　a　donkey。

The　man　was　beating　the　donkey；　to　hurry　him

up；　and　when　he　saw　the　cat　he　said；　〃Get　out

of　my　way；　cat；　I'm　in　a　hurry　and　my　donkey

might　tread　on　you。〃



〃Donkey；　indeed！〃　said　the　cat；　〃much　I

care　for　a　donkey！　　I　have　eaten　five　hundred

cakes；　I've　eaten　my　friend　the　parrot；　I've

eaten　an　old　woman；what's　to　hinder　my

eating　a　miserable　man　and　a　donkey？〃



And　slip！　slop！　gobble！　down　went　the　old

man　and　the　donkey。



Then　the　cat　walked　on　down　the　road；

jauntily；　like　this。　　After　a　little；　he　met　a

procession；　coming　that　way。　　The　king　was

at　the　head；　walking　proudly　with　his　newly

married　bride；　and　behind　him　were　his　soldiers；

marching；　and　behind　them　were　ever　and　ever

so　many　elephants；　walking　two　by　two。　　The

king　felt　very　kind　to　everybody；　because　he

had　just　been　married；　and　he　said　to　the　cat；

〃Get　out　of　my　way；　pussy；　get　out　of　my　way；

my　elephants　might　hurt　you。〃



〃Hurt　me！〃　said　the　cat；　shaking　his　fat

sides。　　〃Ho；　ho！　　I've　eaten　five　hundred　cakes；

I've　eaten　my　friend　the　parrot；　I've　eaten　an

old　woman；　I've　eaten　a　man　and　a　donkey；

what's　to　hinder　my　eating　a　beggarly　king？〃



And　slip！　slop！　gobble！　down　went　the

king；　down　went　the　queen；　down　went　the

soldiers；and　down　went　all　the　elephants！



Then　the　cat　went　on；　more　slowly；　he　had

really　had　enough　to　eat；　now。　　But　a　little

farther　on　he　met　two　land…crabs；　scuttling

along　in　the　dust。　　〃Get　out　of　our　way；

pussy；〃　they　squeaked。



〃Ho；　ho　ho！〃　cried　the　cat　in　a　terrible

voice。　　〃I've　eaten　five　hundred　cakes；　I've

eaten　my　friend　the　parrot；　I've　eaten　an　old

woman；　a　man　with　a　donkey；　a　king；　a　queen；

his　men…at…arms；　and　all　his　elephants；　and

now　I'll　eat　you　too。〃



And　slip！　slop！　gobble！　down　went　the　two

land…crabs。



When　the　land…crabs　got　down　inside；　they

began　to　look　around。　　It　was　very　dark；　but

they　could　see　the　poor　king　sitting　in　a　corner

with　his　bride　on　his　arm；　she　had　fainted。

Near　them　were　the　men…at…arms；　treading　on

one　another's　toes；　and　the　elephants；　still

trying　to　form　in　twos；but　they　couldn't；

because　there　was　not　room。　　In　the　opposite

corner　sat　the　old　woman；　and　near　her　stood

the　man　and　his　donkey。　　But　in　the　other

corner　was　a　great　pile　of　cakes；　and　by　them

perched　the　parrot；　his　feathers　all　drooping。



Let's　get　to　work！〃　said　the　land…crabs。

And；　snip；　snap；　they　began　to　make　a　little

hole　in　the　side；　with　their　sharp　claws。　　Snip；

snap；　snip；　snap；till　it　was　big　enough　to　get

through。　　Then　out　they　scuttled。



Then　out　walked　the　king；　carrying　his　bride；

out　marched　the　men…at…arms；　out　tramped　the

elephants；　two　by　two；　out　came　the　old　man；

beating　his　donkey；　out　walked　the　old　woman；

scolding　the　cat；　and　last　of　all；　out　hopped　the

parrot；　holding　a　cake　in　each　claw。　　（you

remember；　two　cakes　were　all　he　wanted？）



But　the　poor　cat　had　to　spend　the　whole　day

sewing　up　the　hole　in　his　coat！







THE　RAT　PRINCESS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Frank　Rinder's　Old　World　Japan。　　In

telling　this　story　the　voice　should　be　changed　for　the　Sun

Cloud；　Wind；　and　Wall；　as　is　always　done　in　the　old　story　of

The　Three　Bears。





Once　upon　a　time；　there　was　a　Rat　Princess；

who　lived　with　her　father；　the　Rat　King；　and

her　mother；　the　Rat　Queen；　in　a　ricefield　in

far　away　Japan。　　The　Rat　Princess　was　so

pretty　that　her　father　and　mother　were　quite

foolishly　proud　of　her；　and　thought　no　one　good

enough　to　play　with　her。　　When　she　grew　up；

they　would　not　let　any　of　the　rat　princes　come

to　visit　her；　and　they　decided　at　last　that　no

one　should　marry　her　till　they　had　found　the

most　powerful　person　in　the　whole　world；　no

one　else　was　good　enough。　　And　the　Father　Rat

started　out　to　find　the　most　powerful　person

in　the　whole　world。　　The　wisest　and　oldest　rat

in　the　ricefield　said　that　the　Sun　must　be　the

most　powerful　person；　because　he　made　the　rice

grow　and　ripen；　so　the　Rat　King　went　to　find

the　Sun。　　He　climbed　up　the　highest　mountain；

ran　up　the　path　of　a　rainbow；　and　travelled

and　travelled　across　the　sky　till　he　came　to

the　Sun's　house。



〃What　do　you　want；　little　brother？〃　the　Sun

said；　when　he　saw　him。



〃I　come；〃　said　the　Rat　King；　very　importantly；

〃to　offer　you　the　hand　of　my　daughter；　the

princess；　because　you　are　the　most　powerful

person　in　the　world；　no　one　else　is　good

enough。〃



〃Ha；　ha！〃　laughed　the　jolly　round　Sun；　and

winked　with　his　eye。　　〃You　are　very　kind；

little　brother；　but　if　that　is　the　case　the　princess

is　not　for　me；　the　Cloud　is　more　powerful　than

I　am；　when　he　passes　over　me　I　cannot　shine。〃



〃Oh；　indeed；〃　said　the　Rat　King；　〃then

you　are　not　my　man　at　all〃；　and　he　left　the

Sun　without　more　words。　　The　Sun　laughed

and　winked　to　himself。　　And　the　Rat　King

travelled　and　travelled　across　the　sky　till　he

came　to　the　Cloud's　house。



〃What　do　you　want；　little　brother？〃　sighed

the　Cloud　when　he　saw　him。



〃I　come　to　offer　you　the　hand　of　my

daughter；　the　princess；〃　said　the　Rat　King；

〃because　you　are　the　most　powerful　person　in

the　world；　the　Sun　said　so；　and　no　one　else

is　good　enough。〃



The　Cloud　sighed　again。　　〃I　am　not　the

most　powerful　person；〃　he　said；　〃the　Wind

is　stronger　than　I；when　he　blows；　I　have　to

go　wherever　he　sends　me。〃



〃Then　you　are　not　the　person　for　my

daughter；〃　said　the　Rat　King　proudly；　and

he　started　at　once　to　find　the　Wind。　　He

travelled　and　travelled　across　the　sky；　till　he

came　at　last　to　the　Wind's　house；　at　the　very

edge　of　the　world。



When　the　Wind　saw　him　coming　he　laughed

a　big；　gusty　laugh；　〃Ho；　ho！〃　and　asked　him

what　he　wanted；　and　when　the　Rat　King　told

him　that　he　had　come　to　offer　him　the　Rat

Princess's　hand　because　he　was　the　most　powerful

person　in　the　world；　the　Wind　shouted　a

great　gusty　shout；　and　said；　〃No；　no；　I　am

not　the　strongest；　the　Wall　that　man　has

made　is　stronger　than　I；　I　cannot　make　him

move；　with　all　my　blowing；　go　to　the　Wall；

little　brother！〃



And　the　Rat　King　climbed　down　the　sky…

path　again；　and　travelled　and　travelled　across

the　earth　till　he　came　to　the　Wall。　　It　was

quite　near　his　own　ricefield。



〃What　do　you　want；　little　brother？〃

grumbled　the　Wall　when　he　saw　him。



〃I　come　to　offer　you　the　hand　of　the

princess；　my　daughter；　because　you　are　the　most

powerful　person　in　the　world；　and　no　one　else

is　good　enough。〃



〃Ugh；　ugh；〃　grumbled　the　Wall；　〃I　am　not

the　strongest；　the　big　grey　Rat　who　lives　in

the　cellar　is　stronger　than　I。　　When　he　gnaws

and　gnaws　at　me　I　crumble　and　crumble；　and

at　last　I　fall；　go　to　the　Rat；　little　brother。〃



And　so；　after　going　all　over　the　world　to

find　the　strongest　person；　the　Rat　King　had

to　marry　his　daughter　to　a　rat；　after　all；　but

the　princess　was　very　glad　of　it；　for　she　wanted

to　marry　the　grey　Rat；　all　the　time。







THE　FROG　AND　THE　OX





Once　a　little　Frog　sat　by　a　big　Frog；　by　the

side　of　a　pool。　　〃Oh；　father；〃　said　he；　〃I

have　just　seen　the　biggest　animal　in　the　world；

it　was　as　big　as　a　mountain；　and　it　had　horns

on　its　head；　and　it　had　hoofs　divided　in　two。〃



〃Pooh；　child；〃　said　the　old　Frog；　〃that　was

only　Farmer　White's　Ox。　　He　is　not　so　very

big。　　I　could　easily　make　myself　as　big　as　he。〃

And　he　blew；　and　he　blew；　and　he　blew；　and

swelled　himself　out。



〃Was　he　as　big　as　that？〃　he　asked　the

little　Frog。



〃Oh；　much　bigger；〃　said　the　little　Frog。



The　old　Frog　blew；　and　blew；　and　blew　again；

and　swelled　himself　out；　more　than　ever。



〃Was　he　bigger　than　that？〃　he　said。



〃Much；　much　bigger；〃　said　the　little　Frog。



〃I　can　make　myself　as　big；〃　said　the　old

Frog。　　And　once　more　he　blew；　and　blew；　and

blew；　and　swelled　himself　out；and　he　burst！



Self…conceit　leads　to　self…destruction。







THE　FIRE…BRINGER＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　The　Basket　Woman；　by　Mary　Austin。





This　is　the　Indian　story　of　how　fire　was

brought　to　the　tribes。　　It　was　long；　long　ago；

when　men　and　beasts　talked　together　with

understanding；　and　the　grey　Coyote　was　friend

and　counsellor　of　man。



There　was　a　Boy　of　the　tribe　who　was　swift

of　foot　and　keen　of　eye；　and　he　and　the　Coyote

ranged　the　wood　together。　　They　saw　the　men

catching　fish　in　the　creeks　with　their　hands；

and　the　women　digging　roots　with　sharp　stones。

This　was　in　summer。　　But　when　winter　came

on；　they　saw　the　people　running　naked　in　the

snow；　or　huddled　in　caves　of　the　rocks；　and

most　miserable。　　The　Boy　noticed　this；　and　was

very　unhappy　for　the　misery　of　his　people。



〃I　do　not　feel　it；〃　said　the　Coyote。



〃You　have　a　coat　of　good　fur；〃　said　the

Boy；　〃and　my　people　have　not。〃



〃Come　to　the　hunt；〃　said　the　Coyote。



〃I　will　hunt　no　more；　till　I　have　found　a

way　to　help　my　people　against　the　cold；〃　said

the　Boy。　　〃Help　me；　O　Counsellor！〃



Then　the　Coyote　ran　away；　and　came　back

after　a　long　time；　he　said　he　had　found　a

way；　but　it　was　a　hard　way。



〃No　way　is　too　hard；〃　said　the　Boy。　　So　the

Coyote　told　him　that　they　must　go　to　the　Burning

Mountain　and　bring　fire　to　the　people。



〃What　is　fire？〃　said　the　Boy。　　And　the

Coyote　told　him　that　fire　was　red　like　a　flower；

yet　not　a　flower；　swift　to　run　in　the　grass　and

to　destroy；　like　a　beast；　yet　no　beast；　fierce

and　hurtful；　yet　a　good　servant　to　keep　one

warm；　if　kept　among　stones　and　fed　with　small

sticks。



〃We　will　get　this　fire；〃　said　the　Boy。



First　the　Boy　had　to　persuade　the　people　to

give　him　one　hundred　swift　runners。　　Then　he

and　they　and　the　Coyote　started　at　a　good　pace

for　the　far　away　Burning　Mountain。　　At　the

end　of　the　first　day's　trail　they　left　the　weakest

of　the　runners；　to　wait；　at　the　end　of　the　second；

the　next　stronger；　at　the　end　of　the　third；　the

next；　and　so　for　each　of　the　hundred　days　of

the　journey；　and　the　Boy　was　the　strongest

runner；　and　went　to　the　last　trail　with　the

Counsellor。　　High　mountains　they　crossed；　and

great　plains；　and　giant　woods；　and　at　last　they

came　to　the　Big　Water；　quaking　along　the　sand

at　the　foot　of　the　Burning　Mountain。



It　stood　up　in　a　high　peaked　cone；　and　smoke

rolled　out　from　it　endlessly　along　the　sky。　　At

night；　the　Fire　Spirits　danced；　and　the　glare

reddened　the　Big　Water　far　out。



There　the　Counsellor　said　to　the　Boy；　〃Stay

thou　here　till　I　bring　thee　a　brand　from　the

burning；　be　ready　and　right　for　running；　for　I

shall　be　far　spent　when　I　come　again；　and　the

Fire　Spirits　will　pursue　me。〃



Then　he　went　up　to　the　mountain；　and　the

Fire　Spirits　only　laughed　when　they　saw