小学英语 安徒生童话系列（五）the Flying Trunk飞箱阅读素材

theFlyingTrunkbyHansChristianAndersen（1838）theREwasonceamerchantwhowassorichthathecouldhavepavedthewholestreetwithgold，andwouldeventhenhavehadenoughforasmallalley.Buthedidnotdoso；heknewthevalueofmoneybetterthantouseitinthisway.Socleverwashe，thateveryshillingheputoutbroughthimacrown；andsohecontinuedtillhedied.Hissoninheritedhiswealth，andhelivedamerrylifewithit；hewenttoamasqueradeeverynight，madekitesoutoffivepoundnotes，andthrewpiecesofgoldintotheseainsteadofstones，makingducksanddrakesofthem.Inthismannerhesoonlostallhismoney.Atlasthehadnothingleftbutapairofslippers，anolddressing-gown，andfourshillings.Andnowallhisfriendsdesertedhim，theycouldnotwalkwithhiminthestreets；butoneofthem，whowasverygood-natured，senthimanoldtrunkwiththismessage， “Packup！” “Yes，”hesaid， “itisallverywelltosaypackup，”buthehadnothinglefttopackup，thereforeheseatedhimselfinthetrunk.Itwasaverywonderfultrunk；nosoonerdidanyonepressonthelockthanthetrunkcouldfly.Heshutthelidandpressedthelock，whenawayflewthetrunkupthechimneywiththemerchantssoninit，rightupintotheclouds.Wheneverthebottomofthetrunkcracked，hewasinaGREatfright，forifthetrunkfelltopieceshewouldhavemadeatremendoussomersetoverthetrees.However，hegotsafelyinhistrunktothelandofTurkey.Hehidthetrunkinthewoodundersomedryleaves，andthenwentintothetown：hecouldsothisverywell，fortheTurksalwaysgoaboutdressedindressing-gownsandslippers，ashewashimself.Hehappenedtomeetanursewithalittlechild. “Isay，youTurkishnurse，”criedhe， “whatcastleisthatnearthetown，withthewindowsplacedsohigh？”“thekingsdaughterlivesthere，”shereplied； “ithasbeenprophesiedthatshewillbeveryunhappyaboutalover，andthereforenooneisallowedtovisither，unlessthekingandqueenarepresent.”“Thankyou，”saidthemerchantsson.Sohewentbacktothewood，seatedhimselfinhistrunk，flewuptotheroofofthecastle，andcreptthroughthewindowintotheprincesssroom.Shelayonthesofaasleep，andshewassobeautifulthatthemerchantssoncouldnothelpkissingher.Thensheawoke，andwasverymuchfrightened；buthetoldherhewasaTurkishangel，whohadcomedownthroughtheairtoseeher，whichpleasedherverymuch.Hesatdownbyhersideandtalkedtoher：hesaidhereyeswerelikebeautifuldarklakes，inwhichthethoughtsswamaboutlikelittlemermaids，andhetoldherthatherforeheadwasasnowymountain，whichcontainedsplendidhallsfullofpictures.Andthenherelatedtoheraboutthestorkwhobringsthebeautifulchildrenfromtherivers.Theseweredelightfulstories；andwhenheaskedtheprincessifshewouldmarryhim，sheconsentedimmediately.“ButyoumustcomeonSaturday，”shesaid； “forthenthekingandqueenwilltaketeawithme.TheywillbeveryproudwhentheyfindthatIamgoingtomarryaTurkishangel；butyoumustthinkofsomeveryprettystoriestotellthem，formyparentsliketohearstoriesbetterthananything.Mymotherprefersonethatisdeepandmoral；butmyfatherlikessomethingfunny，tomakehimlaugh.”“Verywell，”hereplied； “Ishallbringyounoothermarriageportionthanastory，”andsotheyparted.Buttheprincessgavehimaswordwhichwasstuddedwithgoldcoins，andthesehecoulduse.thenheflewawaytothetownandboughtanewdressing-gown，andafterwardsreturnedtothewood，wherehecomposedastory，soastobereadyforSaturday，whichwasnoeasymatter.ItwasreadyhoweverbySaturday，whenhewenttoseetheprincess.Theking，andqueen，andthewholecourt，wereatteawiththeprincess；andhewasreceivedwithGREatpoliteness.“Willyoutellusastory？”saidthequeen，“onethatisinstructiveandfullofdeeplearning.”“Yes，butwithsomethinginittolaughat，”saidtheking.“Certainly，”hereplied，andcommencedatonce，askingthemtolistenattentively. “Therewasonceabundleofmatchesthatwereexceedinglyproudoftheirhighdescent.Theirgenealogicaltree，thatis，alargepine-treefromwhichtheyhadbeencut，wasatonetimealarge，oldtreeinthewood.Thematchesnowlaybetweenatinder-boxandanoldironsaucepan，andweretalkingabouttheiryouthfuldays.Ah！thenweGREwonthegreenboughs，andwereasgreenasthey；everymorningandeveningwewerefedwithdiamonddropsofdew.Wheneverthesunshone，wefelthiswarmrays，andthelittlebirdswouldrelatestoriestousastheysung.Weknewthatwewererich，fortheothertreesonlyworetheirgreendressinsummer，butourfamilywereabletoarraythemselvesingreen，summerandwinter.Butthewood-cuttercame，likeagreatrevolution，andourfamilyfellundertheaxe.Theheadofthehouseobtainedasituationasmainmastinaveryfineship，andcansailroundtheworldwhenhewill.Theotherbranchesofthefamilyweretakentodifferentplaces，andourofficenowistokindlealightforcommonpeople.Thisishowsuchhigh-bornpeopleaswecametobeinakitchen.“Minehasbeenaverydifferentfate，saidtheironpot，whichstoodbythematches；frommyfirstentranceintotheworldIhavebeenusedtocookingandscouring.Iamthefirstinthishouse，whenanythingsolidorusefulisrequired.Myonlypleasureistobemadecleanandshiningafterdinner，andtositinmyplaceandhavealittlesensibleconversationwithmyneighbors.Allofus，exceptingthewater-bucket，whichissometimestakenintothecourtyard，liveheretogetherwithinthesefourwalls.Wegetournewsfromthemarket-basket，buthesometimestellsusveryunpleasantthingsaboutthepeopleandthegovernment.Yes，andonedayanoldpotwassoalarmed，thathefelldownandwasbrokentopieces.Hewasaliberal，Icantellyou.“Youaretalkingtoomuch，saidthetinder-box，andthesteelstruckagainsttheflinttillsomesparksflewout，crying，Wewantamerryevening，dontwe？“Yes，ofcourse，saidthematches，letustalkaboutthosewhoarethehighestborn.“No，Idontliketobealwaystalkingofwhatweare，remarkedthesaucepan；letusthinkofsomeotheramusement；Iwillbegin.Wewilltellsomethingthathashappenedtoourselves；thatwillbeveryeasy，andinterestingaswell.OntheBalticSea，neartheDanishshore“Whataprettycommencement！saidtheplates；weshallalllikethatstory，Iamsure.“Yes；wellinmyyouth，Ilivedinaquietfamily，wherethefurniturewaspolished，thefloorsscoured，andcleancurtainsputupeveryfortnight，“Whataninterestingwayyouhaveofrelatingastory，saidthecarpet-broom；itiseasytoperceivethatyouhavebeenaGREatdealinwomenssociety，thereissomethingsopurerunsthroughwhatyousay.“Thatisquitetrue，saidthewater-bucket；andhemadeaspringwithjoy，andsplashedsomewateronthefloor.“thenthesaucepanwentonwithhisstory，andtheendwasasgoodasthebeginning.“theplatesrattledwithpleasure，andthecarpet-broombroughtsomeGREenparsleyoutofthedust-holeandcrownedthesaucepan，forheknewitwouldvextheothers；andhethought，IfIcrownhimto-dayhewillcrownmeto-morrow.“Now，letushaveadance，saidthefire-tongs；andthenhowtheydancedandstuckuponelegintheair.Thechair-cushioninthecornerburstwithlaughterwhenshesawit.“ShallIbecrownednow？askedthefire-tongs；sothebroomfoundanotherwreathforthetongs.“theywereonlycommonpeopleafterall，thoughtthematches.Thetea-urnwasnowaskedtosing，butshesaidshehadacold，andcouldnotsingwithoutboilingheat.Theyallthoughtthiswasaffectation，andbecauseshedidnotwishtosingexceptingintheparlor，whenonthetablewiththegrandpeople.“Inthewindowsatanoldquill-pen，withwhichthemaidgenerallywrote.Therewasnothingremarkableaboutthepen，exceptingthatithadbeendippedtoodeeplyintheink，butitwasproudofthat.“Ifthetea-urnwontsing，saidthepen，shecanleaveitalone；thereisanightingaleinacagewhocansing；shehasnotbeentaughtmuch，certainly，butweneednotsayanythingthiseveningaboutthat.“Ithinkithighlyimproper，saidthetea-kettle，whowaskitchensinger，andhalf-brothertothetea-urn，thatarichforeignbirdshouldbelistenedtohere.Isitpatriotic？Letthemarket-basketdecidewhatisright.“Icertainlyamvexed，saidthebasket；inwardlyvexed，morethananyonecanimagine.Arewespendingtheeveningproperly？Woulditnotbemoresensibletoputthehouseinorder？IfeachwereinhisownplaceIwouldleadagame；thiswouldbequiteanotherthing.“Letusactaplay，saidtheyall.Atthesamemomentthedooropened，andthemaidcamein.Thennotonestirred；theyallremainedquitestill；yet，atthesametime，therewasnotasinglepotamongstthemwhohadnotahighopinionofhimself，andofwhathecoulddoifhechose.“Yes，ifwehadchosen，theyeachthought，wemighthavespentaverypleasantevening.“themaidtookthematchesandlightedthem；dearme，howtheysputteredandblazedup！“Nowthen，theythought，everyonewillseethatwearethefirst.Howweshine；whatalightwegive！Evenwhiletheyspoketheirlightwentout.“Whatacapitalstory，”saidthequeen， “IfeelasifIwerereallyinthekitchen，andcouldseethematches；yes，youshallmarryourdaughter.”“Certainly，”saidtheking， “thoushalthaveourdaughter.”Thekingsaidthoutohimbecausehewasgoingtobeoneofthefamily.Thewedding-daywasfixed，and，ontheeveningbefore，thewholecitywasilluminated.Cakesandsweetmeatswerethrownamongthepeople.Thestreetboysstoodontiptoeandshouted“hurrah，”andwhistledbetweentheirfingers；altogetheritwasaverysplendidaffair.“Iwillgivethemanothertreat，”saidthemerchantsson.Sohewentandboughtrocketsandcrackers，andallsortsoffire-worksthatcouldbethoughtof，packedtheminhistrunk，andflewupwithitintotheair.Whatawhizzingandpoppingtheymadeastheywentoff！TheTurks，whentheysawsuchasightintheair，jumpedsohighthattheirslippersflewabouttheirears.ItwaseasytobelieveafterthisthattheprincesswasreallygoingtomarryaTurkishangel.A