小学英语英语故事童话故事The Toad癞蛤蟆

TheToad癞蛤蟆

Thewellwasdeep,andthereforerheropewaslong;thewheelwentaroundwith

difficultywhenthewaterfilledbuckethadtobepulledupoverthesideofthewell.

Thesuncouldnevermirroritselfdowninthewater,nomatterhewbrightlyitshone;

butasfardownasitsrayspenetrated,greenweedsweregrowingfrombetweenthe

stones.

Therewasafamilyoftoadslivingdownthere.Itwasanimmigrantfamilywhich,

asamatteroffact,hadcomedownthereheadlonginthepersonoftheoldtoadmother,

whowasstillliving.Thegreenfrogsthatswaminthewaterhadmadetheirhomes

thereforamuchlongertime,buttheyacknowledgedtheircousinsandcalledthem

“wellguests."Thelatter,however,hadnothoughtsofeverleaving,theyfoundit

verycomfortablehereonthedryland,astheycalledthewetstones.

MammaFroghadoncetraveled;she*dbeeninthebucketwhenithadgoneup,butthe

lightabovehadbeentoostrongforherandgivenherafrightfulpainintheeyes.

Luckilyshehadmanagedtogetoutofthebucket.She'dfallenintothewaterwith

atremendoussplashandbeenlaidupforthreedayswithabackache.Shedidn*thave

muchtotellabouttheworldabove,butshedidknow,andsodidalltheothers,

thatthewellwasn,tthewholeworld.MammaToad,ontheotherhand,mighthavetold

themafewthingsaboutit,butsheneveransweredwhenanyoneinquired,sothey

stoppedinquiring.

“Bigandugly,fatandloathsome,sheis!”saidtheyounggreenfrogs."Andherbrats

aregettingtobejustlikeher!”

“Maybeso,“saidMammaToad,"butoneofthemhasajewelinitshead,ifIdon't

haveitmyself!”

Andthegreenfrogslistenedandstaredather,andastheydicin'tlikethisnews,

theymadefacesatheranddiveddowntothebottom.Buttheyoungtoadsstretched

outtheirhindlegsproudly.Eachofthemthoughtitwastheonewhichhadthejewel,

sotheyallkepttheirheadsquiterigid,butatlasttheybegantoaskwhatitwas

theyhadtobeproudofandjustwhatajewelwas,anyway.

"It'ssomethingsogloriousandprecious,“saidMammaToad,“thatIcan'tdescribe

it.It'ssomethingyouwearforyourownpleasureandothersbecomeirritatedover.

Butasknomore,forIwon*tanswer.”

“Well,Ihaven'tgotthejewel,“saidthesmallestToad,whichwasasuglyasit

couldbe."WhyshouldIhaveanythingsosplendid?Andifitirritatesothers,why,

itwouldn*tpleaseme.No,allIwantistogetuptothetopofthewellsometime

andtakeonepeepout!Itmustbewonderfulupthere!*

“Betterstaywhereyouare,〃saidtheoldToad."You'reathomehere,andyouknow

whatit'slike.Keepawayfromthebucket,oritmaysquashyou!Andevenifyou

didgetsafelyintoityoumightfallout.Noteveryonecancomedownasluckily

asIdidandkeeplimbsandeggsallsafeandsound.”

“Croak!”saidthelittleone;andthatwasthesameaswhenwehumanssay,"Oh!"

Ithadsuchagreatdesiretogetuptothetopofthewellandlookout;itfelt

anintenselongingforthegreenthingsupthere.Andnextmorning,whenthebucket,

filledwithwater,wasbeingpjllcdupandhappenedtopauseforaninstantbeside

thestonewheretheToadsat,thelittlecreaturequiveredthroughandthroughand

thenjumpedintothebucket.Itsanktothebottomofthewater,whichsoonwasdrawn

upandemptiedout.

“Phooie,whatanuisance!saidthemanwhenhesawit."That'stheugliestthing

rveeverseen!”AndthenhekickedwithhisheavywoodenshoeattheToad,which

cameclosetobeingcrippled,butmanagedtoescapeintothemiddleofsometall

nettles.Itsawstalkafterstalkaroundit;itlookedupwardandsawthesunshining

ontheleaves,makingthemquitetransparent.

FortheToaditwasthesameasitisforuswhenwecomesuddenlyintoagreatforest,

wherethesunshinesbetweenleavesandbranches.

"It'smuchprettierherethandowninthatwell!Youcouldstayhereforyourwhole

lifetime!”saidthelittleToad.Itlaythereforanhour;itlaytherefortwohours.

“Nowwhatcouldtherebeoutside?SinceI'vecomethisfarImightaswellgofarther.”

Soitcreptasfastasitcould,unti1itcameoutintotheroad,wherethesunshone

onit;andthenitwaspowderedwithdustasithoppedacrosstheroad.

“Hereoneisreallyondryland,“saidtheToad."I'mgettingalmosttoomuchof

agoodthing;itticklesrightthroughme!〃

Nowitreachedaditch,wheregrewforget-me-notsandmeadowsweet,whilebeyondit

wasahedgeofwhitethornandelderbushes,withconvolvuluscreepingandhanging

aboutit.Whatvividcolorsthereweretoseehere!Andhereflewabutterfly,too.

TheToadthoughtitwasaflowerthathadtornitselflooseinordertogetabetter

lookattheworld;that,ofcourse,wasveryreasonable.

“IfIcouldonlymoveaboutlikethat!”saidtheToad."Croak!Oh!Howglorious!*

Foreightdaysandnightsitsremainedbytheditchandfeltnowantoffood.Then

ontheninthdayitthought,“Oh,forward.Butwasthereanythingmorebeautiful

tobefoundanywhere?Perhapsalittletoadorsomegreenfrogs;therehadbeena

soundinthewindthenightbeforewhichhadseemedtoindicatetherewerecousins

intheneighborhood.

"It'swonderfultobealive!Tocomeupoutofthatwellandlieinthebedofnettles,

tocreepalongandhopacrossthedustyroadandrestinthewetditch!Buton,further

forward!Imustfindfrogsoralittletoad;onecan*tdowithoutcompanions,after

all.Naturealoneisn'tenoughforone!”Andsoitstarteditswanderingsagain.

Inafield,itcametoalargepondwithrushesaroundit,anditwentexploring

inthere.

"It'stoowetforyouinhere,isn'tit?"saidthefroginside."Butyou*requite

welcome.Areyouaheorashe?Notthatitmatters;you*reequallywelcomeineither

case.”

Andsoitwasinvitedtoaconcertthatevening,afamilyconcert,withalotof

gaietyandfeeblevoices;weallknowthatsortofaffair.Therewerenorefreshments,

exceptfreedrinks-thewholepond,iftheycoulddrinkit.

“NowI,11betravelingon,“saidthelittleToad,whichwasalwayscravingfor

somethingbetter.

2

Itsawthestarstwinkling,solargeandsoclear;itsawthenewmoonshine,and

itsawthesunrisehigherandhigher.

TthinkI*mstillinawell,butabiggerwell.Imustgethigherup!Ifeela

restlessness,alonging!Andwhenthemoonwasfullandround,thepoorcreature

thought,“Iwonderifthatisthebucketthat,sletdown,andwhichImusthopinto

ifIwanttogethigher?Oristhesunthebigbucket?Howlargethatis,andhow

bright!Why,itcouldholdallofusatonce!Imustwatchfcrmychance!Whata

brightnessthereisinmyhead!Idon'tbelievethejewelcouldshinemorebrightly.

ButIdon'thavethejewel,andIshallnotcryforit.No;stillligherinbrightness

andhappiness!Ifeelconfidenceandyetfear.It,sahardsteptotake,butImust

takeit.On,furtherforward!Rightondowntheroad!”

Thenitmovedalonginleaps,asindeedsuchacreaturecan,untilitreachedthe

highwaywherehumanslived.Herewerebothflowergardensandvegetablegardens.

Itstoppedtorestbyacabbagegarden.

“HowmanydifferentbeingstherearethatI'veneverknownof!Andhowgreatand

blessedtheworldis!Butyoumustkeeplookingaboutyou,insteadofalwayssitting

inthesameplace."Andsoithoppedintothecabbagegarden."Howgreenitishere!

Howprettyitishere!”

“ThatIwellknow,“saidtheCaterpillaronacabbageleaf."Myleafisthelargest

onehere;itcovershalfthevorld,andtherestoftheworldIcandowithout!”

“Cluck!Cluck!”saidsomebody,andhenscamehoppingintothegarden.

ThefirstHenwasfarsighted;shespiedthewormonthecurlyleafandpeckedat

itsothatitfelltotheground,whereitlaytwistingandturning.TheHenlooked

atitfirstwithoneeyeandthenwiththeother,forshecouldn*tfigureoutwhat

wouldbecomeofthatwriggling.

“Itisn'tdoingthatofitsownaccord,*thoughttheHen,andsheraisedherhead

tostrikeagain.WhereupontheToadbecamesofrightenedthatitbumpedrightinto

theHen.

“Sothatthinghasauxiliarytroopstofightforit!”shesaid."Justlookatthat

vermin!z，ThentheHenturnedaway."Idon'tcareaboutthatlittlegreenmouthful;

itwouldonlyticklemythroat!”Theotherhensagreedwithher,andsoawaythey

went.

“Igotawayfromherwithmywriggling,〃saidtheCaterpillar."It'sgoodtokeep

yourpresenceofmind,butthehardestjobisahead-togetbackupontomycabbage

leaf.Whereisit?”

ThenthelittleToadcameforwardtosympathize.Itwashappythatitsownugliness

hadfrightenedawaytheHen.

“Whatmakesyouthinkthat?”askedtheCaterpillar."Iwriggledawayfromhermyself.

Youtreindeedveryunpleasanttolookat!Letmegetbacktomyownplace.NowI

cansmellcabbage;Vmnearmyownleaf!There'snothingsobeautifulasone,sown.

ButImustgetuphigher.”

“Yes,higher!”saidthelittleToad."Higherup!ItfeelsjustasIdo,butitisn't

inagoodhumortoday,becauseofitsfright.Weallwanttogetuphigher!”And

itlookedupashighasitcould.

3

Astorksatinhisnestontheroofofthefarmhouse;heclatteredandthestork

motherclattered.

“Howhighuptheylive!”thoughttheToad."IfonlyIcouldgetupthere!*

Inthefarmhouselivedtwoyoungstudents;onewasapoet,theotheranaturalist.

TheonesangandwrotewithgladnessofallthatGodhadcreated,asitwasmirrored

inhisheart;hesangofitinshort,clear,andrich,imposingverses.Theother

tookholdofthecreationitself,yes,andtookitapartwhenitneededanalyzing.

HetreatedourLord'swork1ikeagreatpieceofarithmetic;subtracted,multiplied,

wantedtoknowitoutsideandinside,andtotalkofitwithintelligence,with

completeunderstanding;andyethetalkedofitwithgladnessandwithwisdom.They

weregood,happypeople,bothofthem.

“Why,thereisagoodspecimenofatoad,“saidtheNaturalist,"Imusthaveitto

preserveinalcohol!”

“Youhavetwoalready,“saidthePoet."Letitstaythereinpeaceandenjoyitself.”

“Butit'ssobeautifullyugly!”saidtheother.

“Ifwecouldfindthejewelinitshead,“saidthePoet,“thenImyselfwouldgive

youahandatsplittingitopen.”

“Thejewel!”saidtheother."Howwellyouknowyournaturalhistory!”

“Butisn,ttheresomethingverysplendidabouttheoldfolklegendthatthetoad,

theugliestofcreatures,oftenhashiddeninitsheadthemostpreciousofjewels?

Isn,titmuchthesamewithpeople?Wasn*tthereajewelliketnathiddeninAesop,

andSocrates,too?”

TheToaddidn,thearanymore,andhadnttunderstoodhalfofwhatithadheard.The

twofriendswenton,anditescapedbeingpreservedinalcohol.

“Theyweretalkingaboutthatjewel,to。,“saidtheToad."It'sgoodthatIdon't

haveit;otherwiseIwouldhavegotintotrouble.*

Thentherewasaclatteringonthefarmer*sroof.FatherStorkwasgivingalecture

tohisfamily,andtheywerealllookingdownaskanceatthetwoyoungmeninthe

cabbagegarden.

“Ahumanbeingisthemostconceitedofcreatures,/zsaidtheStork.

“Hearhowtheygoonjabbering,andyettheycan'tevenmakeasmuchnoiseasarattle!

Theycrowovertheireloquence,theirlanguage!Afinelanguagethatis!Itbecomes

moreunintelligibleeventothemwitheachday'sjourney.Wecanspeakourlanguage

thewholeworldover,inDenmarkorinEgypt.Asforflying,theycan'tdothatat

all.Theycrawlalongbymeansofaninventiontheycallarailway,buttherethey

oftengettheirnecksbroken.IgettheshiversinmybillwhenIthinkofit!The

worldcanexistwithoutpeople.Wecouldwelldowithoutthem.Mayweonlyhavefrogs

andearthworms!*

“My,thatwasapowerfulspeech!”thoughtthelittleToad."Whatagreatmanheis,

andhowhighhesitsupthere；Ineversawanyonethathighbefore.Andhowwell

hecanswim!*itexclaimed,fbrjustthentheStorksoaredoffintotheairon

outstretchedwings.

4

AndthenMotherStorktalkedinthenest.ShetoldaboutthelandofEgyptandthe

wateroftheNile,andofallthewonderfulmudtherewastobefoundinforeign

countries;itsoundedentirelynewandcharmingtothelittleToad.

“ImustgettoEgypt!itsaid."IfonlytheStorkwouldtakemealong,orifone

ofitsyoungsterswould.IwouIddothelittleonesomefavorinturn,onhiswedding

day.Yes,I'11gettoEgypt,becauseI'mlucky!Al1thelongingandyearningIfeel

issurelybetterthanhavingajewelinone*shead.”

Andstillithadthetruejewel!Thateternallonginganddesiretogoupward,ever

upward,wasthejewel,anditshonewithinthelittleToad,shonewithgladness,

shonebrightly.

AtthatverymomenttheStorkcame.HehadseentheToadinthegrass,andnowhe

swoopeddownand,notvery