AND TOO MUCH JUNK FOOD- 贝贝熊
And this..."she said, changing the slide, "is what it looks like on the inside."
"Wow!" said the cubs.
"Our bodies are a marvelous system of parts called oqans, and it's these parts working together that let us do all the wonderful things we can do-climb mountains, sing songs, hit home runs, ride bike….It’s a number of systems, really:
a system of nerves that lets us feel and think ...
a system that keeps the blood flowing throughout the body ...a system of muscles and bones that lets us move and gives us strength ...and a system for food that lets us take in the nourishment ['nʌrɪ∫mənt] that gives us energy and keepsall the other system healthy.”The last slide showed different kinds of foods and told how they helped the body. Papa looked Sugar Balla and Choco-Chums, but they werenowhere to be seen.“Now,” said Dr. Grizzy, turning on the lights, "I'll do my best to keep you healthy if you'll promise to do your part by eating the right foods. "
“We promise!” said Brother. But Sister had a question. "About sweets and goodies-what harm do they do?”
“Most of them,” answered the doctor, “aren’t very nourishing. Instead of helping build and strengthen our bodies, they just pile up as extra fat-like this!" She took a pinch of Papa’s waist and got quite a handful.
"Ouch!" said Papa.
"And even worse—they fill you up, so you're not hungry for the food your body really needs.”
And as the Bears were leaving—"Just a minute!" she added.
"Uh-oh! A shot!" thought the cubs.
But that wasn't it at all.
"Exercise!" called the doctor. "An exercise program is important for good health too-and it will work off those extra inches!"
"Well," said Brother, "there's no time like right now—let's jog home!" And off went the cubs with Papa puffing behind. At first it was a little strange eating just good, healthy food. For a while they could almost taste the Sugar Balls and Choco-Churns they weren't snacking on.But Mama was always ready with healthy goodies ...
AND TOO MUCH JUNK FOOD- 贝贝熊
apple slices for TV. ..
nuts and raisins for the movies ...
frozen yogurt at the mall...
and crisp, crunchy carrot sticks just about anytime.
The Bears started a family program of jogging and exercise. So when the Bear Country Three- Mile Run was announced, they were all slimmed-down and ready.
Though they didn't win, they didn’t come in last, either-not even Papa. And they won a prize for being the only family to finish the whole race. They were all excited and proud-especially Papa.“I know what!” he said. “Let's celebrate by opening up the freezer and-"
“Have a carrot stick!” interrupted Brother.
“And some nuts and raisins!” added Sister.
And Papa did.
The Truth- 贝贝熊
No matter how you hope, no matter how you try, You can't make truth out of a lie.
It was a lazy sort of day in Bear Country. The air was so still that the leaves on the big tree house where the Bear family lived were hardly rustling.
Except in the beehive, where the bees were always busy, nothing much seemed to be happening.
It was the sort of day that sometimes leads to mischief.
Inside the tree house Brother and Sister Bear were sitting around not doing anything in partitular.Brother was holding his soccer ball-he'd become interested in soccer and had been outside practicing free kicks. Sister was relaxing in an easy chair, thinking about what to do next.Neither Papa nor Mama Bear was around. Papa was in his shop working on some furniture, and Mama was out shopping."I know what," said Sister ''Let's go gather some wild blackberries.'''' let's go out and twist each other up on the swing and see who gets the dizziest."Brother thought about that.
''No,'' he said, ''wild black-berries have too many thorns, and besides, the seeds get stuck in our teeth."Brother thought about that. Sister became irritated and impatient with her brother. ''No, '' he said, ''That's silly, and besides, we did that yesterday."
''My goodness!'' she complained. ''You don't want to do anything. All you want to do is sit there and hug that soccer ball. I thank you must be in love with that soccer ball!"
''I am not! '' protested Brother. ''But I'll tell you something — I bet I can dribble this ball past you!”
Brother was a pretty good soccer player and a very good dribbler. But so was Sister
But Sister was fast too. She reached out with her knee and blocked the ball.
The only one who saw what happened next, besides the cubs, was a mocking-bird who was perched on a twig outside an open window.Brother faced Sister. The ball was on the floor between them. First Brother moved the ball with his right foot, then with his left, trying to trick Sister out of position.
Then, quick as a flash, he gave the ball a sharp kick with his right.
6. It almost worked.
which bounced against a bookshelf,
against a chair,
against a footstool,
and into Mama's most favorite lamp,
which fell to the floor with a crash!
The mockingbird let out a screech and got out of there as fast as its wings could carry it. As it flew away it saw Mama Bear returning from the marketplace! Now, the Bear family had some house rules just as any family has. One was " No honey eating in bed.” Another was ''No tracking mud on the clean floors." And another was "No ball playing in the house'' !
What to do? Brother looked at Sister. Sister looked at Brother, They looked at the broken lamp. And they both listened in horror as Mama came up the front steps and into the house.
All Brother had time to do before Mama came into the room was roll the ball behind Pape's Chair.“My lamp!” said Mama. ''My best lamp! What happened?'' she asked, looking into her cubs eyes. ''Te11 me about it.”
The cubs looked into Mama's eyes, then at each other, and then they began to tell one of the biggest whoppers that has ever been told in Bear Country.
“ It was a bird! '' began Brother.
“Yes,” added Sister, ''a big purple bird with yellow feet! ''
''And green wing tips,” added Brother. ''And funny-looking red feathers sticking out of its head,” said Sister, as a finishing touch.As most lies do, the purple bird whopper got bigger and bigger and bigger.''Yes,'' continued the cubs, ''and it flew in that window, zoomed around the room, and knocked over the lamp! ''
As Mama Bear was looking at the broken lamp with a sad expression on her face, Papa Bear came in from his shop.
The cubs began to tell him the story of the big bird that few in the window and broke the lamp. It was harder to they had told it the second time. For one thing, they couldn't quite remember how they had told it the first time
The Truth- 贝贝熊
“You've got me confused,'' said Papa. “Was it a purple bird with green wing tips and yellow feet? ''“Or a yellow bird with purple wing tips and green feet?
“You've got me confused,'' said Papa. “Was it a purple bird with green wing tips and yellow feet? ''''Or... was it a white bird with black spots...
like that soccer ball behind my easy chair?”
But the thing that really made it hard the second time was how very sad Mama looked as she picked up the piece of the broken lamp. ''Mama we're really sorry about the lamp,” said Brother.
“Yes!”said sister, picking up the last piece and putting it in the dust pan.
“Oh,” said Mama, “I’m not worried about the lamp. We can always get another lamp, or we can glue this one back together. What I'm sad about is the thought that maybe, just maybe, my cubs, whom l've always trusted, aren't telling me the truth. And trust is not something you can put back together against.”
Both cubs started to talk at once.
''It wasn't a bird! '' said Sister. ''It was a soccer ball.”
''And it was all my fault! '' shouted Brother.
''It was just as much my fault! '' shouted Sister.
It was Grizzly Gran inviting the Bear family for a Sunday visit,But they were both shouted down by the phone, which rang loudly.
The Truth- 贝贝熊
''He1lo, Gran! '' said Mama.''Oh, everything is just fine here in the tree house. How is everything with you?”
''But Mama!'' protested Sister after Mama hung up the phone. ''You told Gran that everything is fine here, and that isn't really the truth.”
''Oh but it is,” answered Mama. “We've got two fine cubs who have just learned a very important lesson about telling the truth. And what could be finer than that?”
''Now, let's help Papa glue the lamp back together.''
Nobody really expects cubs to be perfect, and from time to time Brother and Sister Bear did forget the rules.Brother ate honey in bed a couple of times.
One time Sister tracked a little mud on the clean floor.
And once or twice Brother and Sister started to play ball in the house before they remembered not to.15. But they never, ever againt told a whopper ....,
because trust is one thing you can’t put back together once it’s broken.
Curious George Feeds the Animal好奇猴乔治喂动物
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One day George went to the zoo with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. A new rain forest exhibit was opening and they wanted to be the first ones inside.
But when they got to the new exhibit, the doors were closed. We’ll have to come back later, George, the man said. Why don’t we visit the other animals while we wait?
First they stopped to watch a zookeeper feed the seals. When he tossed little fish in the air, the seals jumped up to catch them. Then they barked for more. It look like fun to feed the animals!
Would you like something to eat, too, George? Asked the man with the yellow hat, and he bought a snack for them to share. When they stopped to see the crocodile, George remembered how the zookeeper had fed fish to the seals. He was curious. Would the crocodile like something to eat?
George tossed him a treat – and the crocodile snapped it out of the air!
Next they visited the koalas. George thought the koalas were cute. Here was a friendly one- she was curious, too. She wanted to see what George was eating, so he held out his hand to share.
George shared his treats with an elephant and a baby kangaroo.
George was making lots of new friends at the zoo. The lion was already eating, but the hippopotamus tried a snack. Next he gave a treat to an ostrich.
Then George saw the giraffes. What fun to feed a giraffe! Giraffes usually have their heads up high in the trees, but George could see these giraffes would be easy to feed.
But as soon as he held out his hand, a zookeeper came running. The zookeeper looked angry. Was he angry with George? George didn’t know- and he didn’t want to stay to find out. He slipped away…
And the giraffes were happy to help!
But where did George go?
He was trying his best to hide. But little monkeys can’t stay still for long. When George wiggled, the zookeeper was waiting. I see you ! he said. Just then another zookeeper hurried by. Come quick , she yelled . someone saw the parrot! The first zookeeper led George to a bench.
The parrot from our new exhibit escaped and I must help find it, he explained. He told George to wait for him there, and before he left he said, Don’t you know you’re not supposed to feed the animals? The wrong food might make them sick. George felt awful. He didn’t know he wasn’t supposed to feed the animals. He didn’t want to make them sick. George was looking at the treat in his hand when all of a sudden, a big bird swooped down and snatched it right up! Now George knew he wasn’t supposed to fee the animals.. but this one had helped itself.
A zookeeper passing by was happy to see George. You found the parrot! She said. We’ve been looking for this bird all day. When she saw George’s snack, she said, this isn’t the best thing to feed a parrot, but a little won’t hurt. Would you like to help me put him back where he belongs? George was glad to help after all the trouble he had caused, and together they went back to the exhibit.
There’s our problem, the zookeeper said, pointing to a hole in the netting. As the zookeepers discussed how to fix it, George had an idea…
He climbed up like only a monkey can, and when he reached the hole – he tied the netting back together! Meanwhile , the first zookeeper returned. Catch that naughty monkey! He yelled . he was feeding the animals! But that little monkey found the parrot, another zookeeper told him. And look- he fixed the netting. Now we can open the exhibit. When George came down, all the zookeepers cheered.
Finally the celebration began and the doors were opened. The man with the yellow hat was there, and he and George got to be the first ones inside! As George walked in, the zookeepers thanked him for all his help. Please visit anytime! They said. George couldn’t wait to come back and see his friends. But next time he’d remember, unless you’re a zookeeper…Don’t feed the animals!
typed by Melanie Zeng on 2011/7/6
Snowflake Bentley 雪花人
Snowflake Bentley
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.
In the days when farmers worked with ox and sled and cut the dark with lantern light, there lived a boy who loved snow more than anything else in the world.
Willie Bentley’s happiest days were snowstorm days.H watched snowflakes fall on his mittens, on the dried grass of Vermont farm fields, on the dark metal handle of the barn door.
He said snow was as beautiful as butterflies or apple blossoms.
He could net butterflies and show them to his older brother, Charlie.He could pick apple blossoms and take them to his mother.
But he could not share snowflakes because he could not save them.
When his mother gave him an old microscope, he used it to look at flowers, raindrops, and blades of grass.
Best of all, he used it to look at snow.
When other children built forts and pelted snowballs at roosting crows, Willie was catching single snowflakes.
Day after stormy day he studied the icy crystals.
Their intricate patterns were even more beautiful than he had imagined.
He expected to find whole flakes that were the same, that were copies of each other.
But he never did.
Willie decided he must find a way to save snowflakes so others could see their wonderful designs.
For three winters he tried drawing snow crystals.They always melted before he could finish.
When he was sixteen, Willie read of a camera with its own microscope.
Willie BentleyIf I had that camera I could photograph snowflakes.”
Willie told his mother.
Willie’s mother knew he would not be happy until he could share what he had seen.
Willie’s Father“Fussing with snow is just foolishness.”
his father said.
Still, he loved his son.When Willie was seventeen his parents spent their savings and bought the camera.
It was taller than a newborn calf and cost as much as his father’s herd of ten cows.
Willie was sure it was the best of all cameras.
Naratror3Even so his first pictures were failures- no better than shadows.
Yet he would not quit.
Mistake by mistake, snowflake by snowflake, Willie worked through every storm.
Winter ended, the snow melted, and he had no good pictures.
He waited for another season of snow.
One day, in the second winter, he tried a new experiment.
It worked!
Willie had figured out how to photograph snowflakes!
Willie Bentley“Now everyone can see the great beauty in a tiny crystal.”
he said.
But in those days no one cared.
Neighbors laughed at the idea of photographing snow.
All s“Snow in Vermont it as common as dirt.We don’t need pictures.”
They said.
Willie said the photographs would be his gift to the world.
While other farmers sat by the fire or rode to town with horse and sleigh, Willie studies snowstorms.
He stood at the shed door and held out a black tray to catch the flakes.
When he found only jumbled, broken crystals, he brushed the tray clean with a turkey feather and held it out again.
He waited hours for just the right crystal and didn’t notice the cold.
If the shed were warm, the snow would melt.If he breathed on the black tray the snow would melt.If he twitched a muscle as he held the snow crystal on the long wooden pick the snowflake would break.
He had to work fast or the snowflake would evaporate before he could slide it into place and take its picture.
Some winters he was able to make only a few dozen good pictures.
Some winters he made hundreds.
Willie so loved the beauty of nature he took pictures in all seasons.
In the summer his nieces and nephews rubbed coat hangers with sticky pitch from spruce tress.Then Willie could use them to pick up spider webs jeweled with water drops and take their pictures.
On fall nights he would gently tie a grasshopper to a flower to he could find it in the morning and photograph the dew covered insect.
But his snow pictures were always his favorites.
He gave away copies or sold them for a few cents.
He made special pictures as gifts for birthdays.
He held evening slide shows on the lawns of his friends.Children and adults sat on the grass and watched while Willie projected his slides onto a sheet hung over a clothesline.
He wrote about snow and published his pictures in magazines.
He gave speeches about snow to faraway scholars and neighborhood skywatchers.
The little farmer came to be known as the world’s expert on snow, the “Snowflake Man.”
But he never grew rich.
He spent every penny on his pictures.Willie said there were treasures in snow.
Willie Bentley“I can’t afford to miss a single snowstorm.I never know when I will find some wonderful prize.”
He said.
Other scientists raised money so Willie could gather his best photographs in a book.
When was sixty six years old Willie’s book-his gift to the world- was published.
Still he was not ready to quit.
Less than a month after turning the first page in his book, Willie walked six miles home in a blizzard to make more pictures.
He became ill with pneumonia after that walk and died two weeks later.
A monument was built for Willie in the center of town.
The girls and boys who had been his neighbors grew up and told their sons and daughters the story of the ma who loved snow.
Forty years after Wilson Bentley’s death, children his village worked to set up a museum in honor of the farmer-scientist.
And his book has taken the delicate snow crystals that once blew across Vermont, past mountains, over the earth.
Neighbors and strangers have come to know of the icy wonders that land on their own mittens- thanks to Snowflake Bentley.
Curious George Goes to a Movie好奇猴乔治要去看电影
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One afternoon George took a trip into town with his friend, the man with the yellow hat.
Look , George, the man said as they walked by the theater. The movie we’ve been waiting to see is here. If we hurry, we can make the next show.
Two tickets, please, said the man with the yellow hat.
As they walked through the lobby, the smell of popcorn made George hungry. But when he stopped in front of the concession stand, his friend said, let’s find our seats first, George. The movie is about to begin.
Inside the theater, they found two seats right in front. The man with the yellow hat whispered, George, I’ll go get some popcorn now. Stay here and watch the movie and please stay out of trouble. George promised to be good.
George was enjoying the movie when all of a sudden a big dinosaur jumped onto the screen. It made George jump right out of his seat! George was curious. Was he the only one to jump out of his seat? He looked around.
He was. Looking around , George saw a bright light coming from a little window at the back of the theater. Was that what made the movie appear on the screen?
Though he had promised to be good, little monkeys sometimes forget…
And soon George was at the back of the theater. But the window was so high, not even a monkey could climb up to see through it. Usually there is a room behind a window, thought George. But how could he get inside? Then he saw a door.
George raced up the stairs and peeked inside. He saw a strange machine with two spinning wheels.
It was making a funny noise- and it was making the light that came through the window! Now he could see how the movie worked . But when he stepped into the room,
George was surprised to see a boy sitting in a chair. The boy was surprised to see a monkey standing in his room. In fact, the boy was so surprised , he jumped right out of his seat- and knocked the wheels right off the machine! Downstairs in the theater, the audience began to shout and stomp their feet. They wanted to watch the movie…
But the movie was all over George! George felt awful. The movie had stopped and it was all his fault. This is no place for a monkey, the boy said, working quickly to unwind George and rewind the movie. Why don’t you wait by that window while I fix this mess.
As George waited, he looked out the window at the audience and the big blank screen. When he moved in front of the light that was coming from the machine, he saw his shadow down below. This reminded George of a trick!
He arranged his hands just so …
And a bunny appeared on the screen. Then George made a dog, and a duck, and another dog.
It’s a puppy! Someone from the audience shouted.
Others joined in. It’s a bird! They said. George made the bird fly away.
Then the audience saw George’s shadow up on the screen . They were delighted. It’s a monkey! A child yelled, and the audience laughed and clapped. This is better than a movie! Said a girl to her friend.
Just as George was about to run out of tricks, the boy announced that the movie was ready to go. The audience cheered – once for the movie and once for George!
The audience was still cheering when the man with the yellow hat ran into the room. I thought I’d find you here, George, he said, and he apologize to the boy for the trouble George caused. He did give me a scare, the boy said. But thanks to his hand shadows, everyone waited patiently for the movie to be fixed. Then the boy restarted the movie. Would you like a treat for your performance, George? He asked. And before the dinosaur appeared again on the screen…
George and the man with the yellow hat were back in their seats. This time., with popocorn.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/6
Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon 好奇猴乔治和热气球
Curious George and the Hot Air Balloon 好奇猴乔治和热气球
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
George was on a trip with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. It was the end of their vacation, and they wanted to make just two more stops.
They were in South Dakota so, of course, they went to see Mount Rushmore. George had never seen anything like it. These are the faces of four great presidents , a tour guide said. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
Look! Said a girl. There’s something crawling on George Washington’s head. The tour guide explained that some workers were making repairs to the faces. George watched the workers.
Then he saw a helicopter fly by. It was taking tourists for a close-up look. George thought that would be fun. Maybe we can take a ride later, the man said. But now we need to leave or we’ll be late for the hot air balloon race. So they got back into their little blue car and before long they came to a whole field full of hot air balloons . George was delighted to see such big balloons. He liked their spots and stripes and stars, but his favorite had a picture of a bunny on it.
One balloon was not yet up in the air. Its owner was hurrying to fill it as a newspaper reporter took pictures. The man with the yellow hat watched the balloon on the ground, but George watched the balloons in the sky.
He was curious: why didn’t they fly away? Then he saw the ropes. A rope is a good thing to keep a balloon from flying away, thought George. A rope is a good thing to climb…
Sometimes when a monkey sees something to climb, he can’t help himself. He has to climb it. George thought he would climb just one rope then quickly climb down.
But when George climbed up., there was no way to climb back down, the rope had come undone- and there was only one place to go. Up , up , up went the balloon. And George went with it.
George flew higher and higher, and the people below grew smaller and smaller. The man with the yellow hat was tiny. The newspaper reporter was, too. And the owner of the balloon wasn’t very big…But he was big enough for George to see that he was angry!
George felt bad. He didn’t mean to take the balloon- he didn’t even know how to fly it. As the wind whisked him away, he wished he had someone to help him. But he was all alone.
George climbed into the basket. When he looked around, he found he wasn’t alone after all. The race was on- and he was in the lead!
Together the balloons flew across the field and over the forest. Now George was having fun. But before he knew it…
George was alone again, and all the fun was gone. Flying by himself high in the sky, George was frightened. How would he ever ge down? He wondered. Oh, if only he hadn’t climbed that rope..
Suddenly the wind changed, and George saw something familiar. He was excited- someone was sure to help him now. in fact , there was someone right in front of him!
It was one of the workers- and he was stranded on George Washington’s nose! George was so happy to see the worker he didn’t notice how happy the worker was to see him.
Slowly, the balloon floated closer. Would it come close enough? It did! The worker grabbed onto the rope and climbed up. Soon he was in the basket with George. Hurrah, George was rescued!
Hurrah, the worker was rescued, too!
They sailed up over George Washington’s head and landed safely in a tree. Soon a whole crowd came to rescue them both.
The man with the yellow hat was happy to see George. The reporter was glad to have such an exciting story to report. And the owner of the balloon wasn’t angry anymore. Everyone had seen the rescue- George was a hero! After the workers thanked him, George got a special treat- he got to ride in the helicopter. The helicopter flew George and the man with the yellow hat once more past the presidents, then back to the little blue car.
As they drove away, the man said, that was some vacation, George! George agreed. It was an exciting vacation. But they were both very glad to go home.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/6
Curious George in the Snow 好奇猴乔治在雪里
Curious George in the Snow 好奇猴乔治在雪里
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
One cold day George went to a winter sports competition with his friend, the man with the yellow hat. They were outside all morning and wanted to warm up with a hot drink.
At the ski lodge on top of the mountain, the man said, George, why don’t you wait at this table while I get some hot chocolate? I’ll be right back, so don’t get into any trouble.
George liked being on top of the mountain; there was so much to see! Why , there was something interesting. George thought it looked like a spaceship. He was curious. What was a spaceship doing on a mountain? George forgot all about waiting for the hot chocolate…
And climbed in. A man in a racing suit saw him and said, what are you doing in my sled? He tried to stop George, but it was too late. The sled shot down the mountain- with George inside!
This is no spaceship, thought George. This is a rocket!
Stop that monkey! The man yelled. But George could not stop. And there was no one to stop him as he sped faster and faster through the snow.
Suddenly the sled slipped sideways-
The sled swished through some trees George didn’t know how to steer. And whacked into a pole!
Luckily, George was not hurt, but this was not where he was supposed to be. Now how would he get up the mountain? George looked at the sled. It was stuck by the pole. He looked up the pole.
Now he could see how a little monkey could get to the top of a mountain. George climbed the pole and when an empty seat came close enough, he jumped!
What a view! From up in the air, George could see everything. As he rode up the mountain, he watched tiny skiers race down. When he reached the top, George was happy to see the ski lodge.
This was where he was supposed to be! George found the table. But he couldn’t find the man with the yellow hat. Where could he be? George looked down the mountain.
There was someone who looked like his friend! Maybe his friend was going down to get George. But how could George get down the mountain this time? If only he had another sled…
Why , here was a monkey-sized sled. George took the sled down and gave himself a push. The sled was quick to pick up speed on the steep mountain.
George zigged this way and that way , then another way altogether. He flew over a hill and landed on the raceway! It’s a monkey! Yelled a boy, and the crowd cheered.
Look out, little monkey! Someone yelled from the crowd. But George was going so fast that the wind roared in his ears, and he could not hear! But George could see. He saw a skier right in front of him. Could he stop?
No! The crowd gasped as George crashed into the skier and flew up in the air. The skier went tumbling and his ski snapped right in half. When George came down…he landed on the broken ski..and kept going!
The crowd was amazed. What is he doing? They asked, is he skiing ? is he sledding?
He’s surfing in the snow! Said a boy. George sailed won the mountain and came to a smooth stop.
What a show! The crowd cheered as George took a bow. No one had seen skiing like this before!
What a show! The crowd cheered as George took a box. No one had seen skiing like this before! When the skier arrived, everyone was glad to see that he was not hurt, and they cheered for him, too. Soon the man with the yellow hat arrived. He was glad to find George.
George was glad to finally find his friend. The man with the yellow hat made his way through the noisy crowd to apologize to the skier. I’m sorry George caused so much trouble., he said.
That’s okay, said the skier. I still have another race- and another pair of skis. Then he said, that was some skiing, George!
Later that day, the skier raced again- and won! It was a new record! The crowd went wild . They were still cheering when the skier found George at the finish line. Thanks to you , George, this big crowd stayed to cheer me on, he said. I couldn’t have won without them – or you.
He lifted George to his shoulders and the crowd cheered once more for their favorite monkey skier, George.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/7
Curious George’s Dream 好奇猴乔治的梦
This is George.
George was a good little monkey and always very curious.
After a long day at the amusement park with his friend, the man with the yellow hat, George was tired and glad to be home.
Soon dinner was ready. But when George sat down to eat, he was too small to reach his plated. I’m sorry , George ,the man said. I forgot to fix your chair.
He put a large book on George’s chair and George climbed up.
As he sat on the book that was set on his chair, George thought about his day. All day long he had been too small…
Your hands are too little to hold these baby bunnies, the manager of the petting zoo told him.
I’m sorry, said the man operating the carousel. I can’t let you on. You need a grownup to ride with you. Maybe next year, said the man taking tickets at the roller coaster.
But after a good meal and a good dessert, George began to feel better. When the dishes were finished, the man said, George, I have a surprise for you, and they went into the living room.
The surprise was a movie. George was glad to watch a movie- that was something he was not too small to do!
George was enjoying the movie, but it had been a full day and now he had a full stomach. Soon he could not keep his eyes open .
The next thing George knew, he was back at the petting zoo! But this time something was different: the petting zoo was very small. In fact , everything was small. George looked around. Then he looked at himself. Maybe everything wasn’t so small after all, he thought. Maybe he was…
Big! Uh-oh! This is not right, thought George. Then he remembered the bunnies. Why , he was not too small to hold a bunny now. he was not too small to do anything! What fun! George thought, and he went to the bunny hutch. Now George could hold lots of bunnies, and he cuddled them to his face. The bunnies liked George…
But the manager of the petting zoo did not. Put those bunnies down, she said. You’ll scare them . you are too big. George didn’t want to scare the bunnies. He put them down and turned to go.
Then George saw the roller coaster. He was curious. Was he big enough to ride it now?
Of course he was big enough! If only he could find a seat big enough for him…
But the man taking tickets made George leave. You can’t ride this ride, he said. You are too big!
George was sad he could not ride, but he did as he was told.
Catch that monkey! Someone yelled as George was leaving the roller coaster. He’s dangerous!
People in the park became frightened. They began to run. They ran in all directions, but mostly, they ran away from George. George felt awful. He didn’t want to frighten anyone.
He just wanted to hide. But where could he go? He was too big to fit anywhere. Then George saw the carousel. He wouldn’t need a grownup to get on with him this time.
But this time George wished he had a growup with him.
He wished his friend were here.
George sat on the carousel feeling lonely. Suddenly, someone called his name. George? It sounded like the man with the yellow hat! Could his friend be here to take him home?
George heard his name again.
It was his friend.
George wanted to jump into his friend’s arms, but the man with the yellow hat was too small. How could he ever take George home now? the man called his name again…
George , he said, wake up. It’s time for be. You fell asleep watching the movie.
George looked at his friend. Why , he wasn’t small after all. George looked at himself. He was not big! Now George could jump into his friend ‘s arms- and that is what he did.
As the man with the yellow hat tucked him in, George was happy to be in his little bed. It was not very big, he thought. But he fit in it perfectly.
George was just the right size.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/7
Cornelius 鳄鱼柯尼列斯
When the eggs hatched, the little crocodiles crawled out onto the riverbeach. But Cornelius walked out upright.
As he grew taller and stronger he rarely came down on all fours. He saw things no other crocodile had ever see before. I can see far beyond the bushes! He said. But the others said, what’s so good about that?
I can see the fish from above! Cornelius said
So what ? said the others, annoyed.
And I can see things far away!
I can walk upright! Cornelius said proudly.
And so one day, Cornelius angrily decided to walk away.
It was not long before he met a monkey. I can walk upright! Cornelius said proudly. And I can see things far away!
I can stand on my head, said the monkey.
And hang from my tail. Cornelius was amazed. Could I learn to do that ? he asked.
Of course , replied the monkey.
All you need is a lot of hard work and a little help.
Cornelius worked hard at learning the monkey’s tricks, and the monkey seemed happy to help him.
When he had finally learned to stand on his head and hang from his tail, Cornelius walked proudly back to the riverbeach.
Look! He said. I can stand on my head, so what! Was all the others said.
And I can hang from my tail. Said Cornelius. But the others just frowned and repeated, so what!
Disappointed and angry , Cornelius decided to go back to the monkey. But just as he had turned around, he looked back. And what did he see?
There the others were, falling all over themselves trying to stand on their heads and hang from their tails! Cornelius smiled. Life on the riverbeach would never be the same again.
Typed by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/7
Many moons 公主的月亮
James Thurber
Once upon a time, in a kingdom by the sea, there lived a little princess named Lenore. She was ten years old, going on eleven. One day Lenore fell ill of a surfeit of raspberry tarts and took to her bed. The Royal Physician came to see her and took her temperature and felt her pulse and made her stick out her tongue. The Royal Physician was worried. He sent for the king, Lenore's father, and the king came to see her.
"I will get you anything your heart desires," the king said. "Is there anything your heart desires?"
"Yes," said the princess. "I want the moon, if I can have the moon, I will be well again."
Now the king had a great many wise men who always got for him anything he wanted so he told his daughter that she could have the moon. Then he went to the throne room and pulled a bell cord, three long pulls and a short pull, and presently the Lord High Chamberlain came into the room.
The Lord High Chamberlain was a large, fat man who wore thick glasses which made his eyes seem twice as big as they really were. This made the Lord High Chamberlain seem twice as wise as he really was.
"I want the moon," said the king. "Princess Lenore wants the moon. If she can have the moon, she will get well again."
"The moon?" exclaimed the Lord High Chamberlain, his eyes widening. This made him look four times as wise as he really was.
"Yes, the moon," said the king. "M-o-o-n, moon. Get it tonight, tomorrow at the latest."
The Lord High Chamberlain wiped his forehead with a handkerchief and then blew his nose loudly. "I have got a great many things for you in my time, your majesty," he said. "It just happens that I have with me a list of the things I have got for you in my time."
He pulled a long scroll of parchment out of his pocket. "Let me see, now." he glanced at the list, frowning. "I have got ivory, apes, and peacocks, rubies, opals, and emeralds, black orchids, pink elephants, and blue poodles, gold bugs, scarabs, and flies in amber,hummingbirds' tongues, angels' feathers, and unicorns' horns, giants, midgets, and mermaids, frankincense, ambergris, and myrrh, troubadors, minstrels, and dancing women,a pound of butter, two dozen eggs, and a sack of sugar - sorry, my wife wrote that in there."
"I don't remember any blue poodles," said the king.
"It says blue poodles right here on the list, and they are checked off with a little check mark," said the Lord High Chamberlain. "so there must have been blue poodles. You just forgot."
"Never mind the poodles," said the king. "What I want now is the moon."
"I have sent as far Samarkand and Araby and Zanzibar to get things for you, your majesty," said the Lord High Chamberlain. "But the moon is out of the question. It is 35,000 miles away and it is bigger than the room the princess lies in. Furthermore, it is made of molten copper. I cannot get the moon for you. Blue poodles, yes; the moon, no."
The king flew into a rage and told the Lord High Chamberlain to leave the room and to send the Royal Wizard to the throne room.
The Royal Wizard was a little, thin man with a long face. He wore a high red peaked hat coverted with silver stars, and a long blue robe covered with golden owls. His face grew very pale when the king told him that he wanted the moon for his little daughter, and that he expected the Royal Wizard to get it.
"I have worked a great deal of magic for you in my time, your majesty," said the Royal Wizard. "As a matter of fact, I just happen to have in my pocket a list of the wizardries I have performed for you." He drew a paper from a deep pocket of his robe.
"It begins: `Dear Royal Wizard: I am returning herewith the so-called philosopher's stone which you claimed-' No, that isn't it." The royal wizard brought a long scroll of parchment from another pocket of his robe. "Here it is," he said. "Now, let's see. I have squeezed blood out of turnips for you, and turnips out of blood. I have produced rabbits out of silk hats, and silk hats out of rabbits. I have conjured up flowers, tambourines and doves. I have brought you divining rods, magic wands, and crystal
spheres in which to behold the future. I have compounded philtres, unguents, and potions, to cure heartbreak, surfeit, and ringing in the ears. I have made you my own special mixture of wolfbane, nightshade, and eagles' tears, to ward off witches, demons, and things that go bump in the night. I have given you seven league boots, the golden touch, and a cloak of invisibility-"
"It didn't work," said the king. "The cloak of invisibility didn't work."
"Yes it did," said the Royal Wizard.
"No, it didn't," said the king. "I kept bumping into things, the same as ever."
"The cloak of invisibility is supposed to make you invisible," said the Royal Wizard.
"It is not supposed to keep you from bumping into things."
"All I know is, I kept bumping into things," said the king.
The Royal Wizard looked at his list again. "I got you," he said, "horns from elfland,
sand from the sandman, and gold from the rainbow. Also a spool of thread, a paper of needles, and a lump of beeswax - sorry, those are things my wife wrote down for me to get her."
"What I want you to do now," said the king, "is to get me the moon. Princess Lenore wants the moon, and when she gets it, she will be well again."
"Nobody can get the moon," said the Royal Wizard. "It is 150,000 miles away, and it is made of green cheese, and it is twice as big as the palace."
The king flew into another rage and sent the Royal Wizard back to his cave. Then he
rang a gong and summonded the Royal Mathematician.
The Royal Mathematician was a bald-headed, nearsighted man, with a skullcap on his head and a pencil behind each ear. He wore a black suit with white numbers on it.
"I don't want to hear a long list of all the things you have figured out for me since 1907," the king said to him. "I want you to figure out how to get the moon for princess Lenore. When she gets the moon, she will be well again."
"I am glad you mentioned all the things I have figured out for you since 1907," said the Royal Mathematician. "It so happens I have a list of them with me."
He pulled a long scroll of parchment out of a pocket and looked at it. "I have figured out for you the distance between the horns of a dilemma, night and day, and A and Z. I have computed how far is up, how long it takes to get to away, and what becomes of gone.
I have discovered the length of the sea serpent, the price of the priceless, and the square of the hippopotamus. I know where you are when you are at sixes and sevens, how much is you have to have to make an are, and how many birds you can catch with the salt in the ocean- 187,796,132, if it would interest you to know."
"There aren't that many birds," said the king.
"I didn't say there were," said the Royal Mathematician. "I said if there were."
"I don't want to hear about seven hundred million imaginary birds," said the king. "I want you to get the moon for princess Lenore."
"The moon is 300,000 miles away," said the Royal Mathematician. "It is round and flat like a coin, only it is made of asbestos, and it is half the size of this kingdom. Furthermore, it is pasted on the sky. Nobody can get the moon."
The king flew into still another rage and sent the Royal Mathematician away. Then he rang for the court jester. The jester came bounding into the throne room in his motley and his cap and bells, and sat at the foot of the throne.
"What can I do for you, your majesty?" asked the court jester.
"Nobody can do anything for me," said the king mournfully. "Princess Lenore wants the moon, and she cannot be well till she gets it, but nobody can get it for her. Every time I ask anybody for the moon, it gets larger and farther away. There is nothing you can do
for me except play on your lute. Something sad."
"How big do they say it is," asked the court jester, "and how far away?"
"The Lord High Chamberlain says it is 35,000 miles away, and bigger than princess
Lenore's room," said the king. "The Royal Wizard says it is 150,000 miles away, and twice as big as this palace. The Royal Mathematician says it is 300,000 miles away and half the size of this kingdom."
The court jester strummed on his lute for a little while. "They are all wise men," he
said, "and so they must all be right. If they are all right, then the moon must be just as large and as far away as each person thinks it is. The thing to do is find out how big princess Lenore thinks it is, and how far away."
"I never thought of that," said the king.
"I will go to her, your majesty," said the court jester. And he crept softly into the little girl's room.
Princess Lenore was awake, and she was glad to see the court jester, but her face was very pale and her voice very weak.
"Have you brought the moon to me?" she asked.
"Not yet," said the court jester, "but I will get it for you right away. How big do you think it is?"
"It is a little smaller than my thumbnail," she said, "for when I hold my thumbnail up at the moon, it covers it."
"And how far away is it?" asked the court jester.
"It is not as high as the big tree outside my window," said the princess, "for sometimes it gets caught in the top branches."
"It will be very easy to get the moon for you," said the court jester. "I will climb the tree tonight when it gets caught in the top branches and bring it to you."
Then he thought of something else. "What is the moon made of, princess?" he asked.
"Oh, " she said, "it's made of gold, of course, silly."
The court jester left princess Lenore's room and went to see the Royal Goldsmith he had the Royal Goldsmith make a tiny round oon just a little smaller than the thumbnail of princess Lenore. Then he had him string it on a golden chain so the princess could wear
it around her neck.
"What is this thing I have made?" asked the Royal Goldsmith when he was finished with it.
"You have made the moon," said the court jester. "that is the moon."
"But the moon," said the Royal Goldsmith, "is 500,000 miles away and is made of bronze and is round like a marble."
"That's what you think," said the court jester as he went away with the moon.
The court jester took the moon to princess Lenore, and she was overjoyed. The next day she was well again and could get up and go out in the gardens to play.
But the king's worries were not yet over. He knew that the moon would shine in the sky again that night, and he did not want the princess Lenore to see it. If she did, she would know that the moon she wore on a chain around her neck was not the real moon.
So the king sent for the lord high chamberlain and said, "we must keep princess Lenore from seeing the moon when it shines in the sky tonight. Think of something."
The Lord High chamberlain tapped his forehead with his fingers thoughtfully and said, "I know just the thing. We can make some dark glasses for the princess lenore. We can make them so dark that she will not be able to see the moon when it shines in the sky."
This made the king very angry, and he shook his head from side to side. "If she wore dark glasses, she would bump into things," he said, "and then she would be ill again."
So he sent the Lord High Chamberlain away and called the Royal Wizard.
"We must hide the moon," said the king, "so princess Lenore will not see it when it shines in the sky tonight. How are we going to do that?"
The Royal Wizard stood on his hands and then he stood on his head and then he stood on his feet again. "I know what we can do," he said. "We can stretch some black velvet curtains on poles. The curtains will cover all the palace gardens like a circus tent, and the princess lenore will not be able to see through them, so she will not see the moon in the sky."
The king was so angry at this that he waved his arms around. "Black velvet curtains would keep out the air," he said. "Princess Lenore would not be able to breathe, and she would be ill again." So he sent the Royal Wizard away and summoned the Royal Mathematicain.
"We must do something," said the king, "so princess Lenore will not see the moon when it shines in the sky tonight. If you know so much, figure out a way to do that."
The Royal Mathematician walked around in a circle, and then he walked around in a square, and then he stood still. "I have it!" he said. "We can set off fireworks in the gardens every night. We will make a lot of silver fountains and gold cascades, and when they go off, they will fill the sky with so many sparks that it will be as light as day and
princess Lenore will not be able to see the moon."
The king flew into such a rage that he began jumping up and down. "Fireworks would keep princess Lenore awake," he said. "She would not get any sleep at all and she would be ill again." So the king sent the Royal Mathematician away.
When he looked up again, it was dark outside and he saw the bright rim of the moon just peeping over the horizon. He jumped up in a great fright and rang for the court jester.
The court jester came bounding into the room and sat down at the foot of the throne.
"What can I do for you, your majesty?" he asked.
"Nobody can do anything for me," said the king, mournfully. "the moon is coming up again.
It will shine into princess Lenore's bedroom, and she will know it is still in the sky and that she does not wear it on a golden chain around her neck. Play me something on your lute, something very sad, for when the princess sees the moon, she will be ill again."
The court jester strummed on his lute. "What do your wise men say?" he asked.
"They can think of no way to hide the moon that will not make princess Lenore ill," said the king.
The court jester played another song, very softly. "Your wise men know everything," he said, "and if they cannot hide the moon, then it cannot be hidden."
The king put his head in his hands again and sighed. Suddenly he jumped from his throne and pointed to the windows. "Look!" he cried. "The moon is already shining in the princess Lenore's bedroom. Who can explain how the moon can be shining in the sky when it is hanging on a golden chain around her neck?"
The court jester stopped playing on his lute. "Who could explain how to get the moon when your wise men said it was too large and too far away? It was princess Lenore. Therefore princess Lenore is wiser than your wise men and knows more about the moon than they do. So I will ask her." And before the king could stop him, the court jester slipped quietly out of the throne room and up the wide marble staircase to princess Lenore's bedroom.
The princess was lying in bed, but she was wide awake and she was looking out the window at the moon shining in the sky. Shining in her had was the moon the court jester had got for her. He looked very sad, and there seemed to be tears in his eyes.
"Tell me, princess lenore," he said mournfully, "how can the moon be shining in the sky when it is hanging on a golden chain around your neck?"
The princess looked at him and laughed. "that is easy, silly, " she said. "when I lose a tooth, a new one grows in its place, doesn't it?"
"Of course," said the court jester. "And when the unicorn loses his horn in the forest, a new one grows in the middle of his forehead."
"That is right," said the princess. "And when the Royal Gardener cuts the flowers in the garden, other flowers come back to take their place."
"I should have thought of that," said the court jester, "for it is the same way with the daylight."
"And it is the same way with the moon," said princess Lenore. "I guess it is the same way with everything." Her voice became very low and faded away, and the court jester saw that she was asleep. Gently he tucked the covers around the sleeping princess.
But before her left the room, he went over to the window and winked at the moon, for it seemed to the court jester that the moon had winked at him.
Edited by Melanie Zeng 2011/7/7
Giraffes Can’t Dance
Giraffes Can’t Dance
Giles Andreae
Illustrated by Guy Parker – Rees
Gerald was a tall giraffe
whose neck was long and slim,
But his knees were awfully bandy
And his legs were rather thin.
He was very good at standing still
And munching shoots off trees.
But when he tried to run around
He buckled at the knees.
Now every year in Africa
They hold the Jungle Dance,
Where every single animal
Turns up to skip and prance.
And this year when the day arrived
Poor Gerald felt so sad,
Because when it came to dancing
He was really very bad.
The warthogs started waltzing
And the rhinos rock “n” rolled
The lions danced a tango
Which was elegant and bold.
The chimps all did a cha-cha
With a very latin feel,
And eight baboons then teamed up
For a splendid Scottish reel.
Gerald swallowed bravely
As he walked towards the floor,
But the lions saw him coming
And they soon begin to roar.
“Hey, look at clumsy Gerald,”
The animals all laughed,
“Giraffes can’t dance, you silly fool,
Oh Gerald, don’t be daft!”
Gerald simply froze up,
He was rooted to the spot,
“They’re right,” he thought, “ I am useless,
Oh, I feel like such a clot.”
So he crept off from the dancefloor
And he started walking home,
He’d never felt so bad before
So sad and so alone.
Then he found a little clearing
And he looked up at the sky,
“The moon can be so beautiful,”
He whispered with a sigh.
“Excuse me!” coughed a cricket
Who’d seen Gerald earlier on,
“But sometimes when you’re different
You just need a different song.”
Listen to the swaying grass
And listen to the trees,
To me the sweetest music
Is those branches in the breeze.
“So imagine that that lovely moon
Is playing just for you,
Everything makes music
If you really want it to.”
With that, the cricket smiled
And picked up his violin.
Then Gerald felt his body
Do the most amazing thing.
His hooves had started shuffling
Making circles on the ground,
His neck was gently swaying
And his tail was swishing round.
He threw his arms out sideways
And he swung them everywhere,
The he did a backwards somersault
And leapt up in the air.
Gerald felt so wonderful
His mouth was open wide,
“I am dancing! Yes, I’m dancing!
I AM DANCING!”
Gerald cried.
Then one by one each animal
Who’d been there at the dance
Arrived while Gerald boogied on
And watched him quite entranced.
The shouted, “It’s a miracle!
We must be in a dream,
Gerald’s the best dancer
That we’ve ever ever seen!”
“How is it you can dance like that?
Please, Gerald, tell us how.”
But Gerald simply twizzled round
And finished with a bow.
Winnie's Big Day
Winne the pooh goes for a walk .It's a windy day.
Orange leaves fly by.Yellow leaves fly by.A small pink pigflies by.It's Winnie's friend,Piglet!
Winnie grabs Piglet's scarf.The wind blows Piglet up and up.The scarf gets longer and longer.
The wind blows stronger and stronger.Oh,no!Winnie is flying,too!
Winnie and piglet fly up into the trees.They hit Owl's window.
"Come in,"says Owl.
The wind blows.It shakes the tree.
The floor tips!The table slides!The chairs slide!The cups and plates fall!
Owl's tree is big.The wind is bigger.It blows the tree down.Crash!
Winnie the pooh goes home He is tired.He gets into bed.But he can't sleep.The wind is too noisy.
After the wind comes the rain.It rains all night.
In the morning,water is everywhere.There's water in Winnie's kitchen.
Winnie wants to save his honey!What can he do?
Piglet climbs on a chair.It floats on the water.
Winnie climbs a tree.He has his honey.He is hungry.He sits and eats.
Uh,oh!Winnie falls in the water.His head is stuck in a honey pot.What can he do?
Winnie floats on the river.Piglet floats on the river.They are scared.
Owl comes to help.He talks.He floats on Winnie.They float to a waterfall!What can they do?
Splash!The friends go over the waterfall.Hurray!They are safe!They float to the shore .Everyone is happy to see Winnie,Owl,and Piglet.
The friends have a party.They eat cake.They drink juice.They play games.Now,it's a sunny day!
Frog and a Very Special Day
Frog and a Very Special Day
by Max Velthuijs
1.
Frog was having his breakfast. "Today is a very special day," he thought excitedly.Hare had said so yesterday, but why it should be so special Frog had no idea.
2.
"And what does 'very specia' mean?" Frog pondered.
"It must surely be something wonderful!"
3.
He went outside and saw that the sun was shining brightly.There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was lovely and warm.But that was nothing special.Yesterday had been the same, and the day before yesterday, and the day before that.He decided to go and ask Duck.
4.
"Duck, what kind of day is today?"
"Let me see," said Duck."Today is Friday.No, wait...it's Wednesday, perhaps.Or maybe Tuesday."
"Is there anything special about it?" asked Frog.
"Not at all," replied Duck."It's just today."
5.
"Stupid Duck," thought Frog. "She's in a muddle.She doesn't know anything at all."
Perhaps Pig would know more about it.Pig always knew about everything.
6.
"Pig, what kind of special day is it today?" asked Frog.
"It's washday," replied Pig."I have to wash the bed linen and all my clothes.Shall I wash your swimming trunks too?"
"No, thank you," said Frog."But, Pig, is there anything...well, special about today?"
"Not that I know of," said Pig.
7.
Frog went back outside, grumbling to himself.
"What special day?" he thought."I can't find anything special about it.What did Hare mean?"
8.
Just then, Rat came by, his rucksack full of shopping.
"Rat," asked Frog, "is today a special day?"
"Absolutely," answered Rat."Every day is special.Just look around you and see how beautiful the world is.The whole of life is special."
9.
Frog was desperate."But Hare told me that today was a special day, a very special day.Different from all the others!" he shouted.
"I wouldn't konw," said Rat calmly."For me, every day is very special."
10.
"Hare has made a fool of me!" thought Frog angrily.
"What a rotten trick.It's not a special day at all and I don't even like it.It's the same as any old day."
Furious, Frog marched off to find Hare and give him a piece of his mind.How dare his friend make such a fool of him?
11.
But Hare was not at home.Instead there was a note on the door.It said something about a party.Frog couldn't read it very well.
12.
Frog sat down in tears."Hare has been invited to a party," he wept."So that's what he meant.And he didn't even ask me to go with him.How very mean."
13.
What kind of party could it be?Surely one with lots of cake and lemoade, and flags everywhere...
14.
Frog could just imagine it.Red, yellow and blue flags...and of course there would be singing, and dancing too.
Oh, how he longed to be there!
15.
Sobbing, Frog returned to his own house.
There, to his astonishment, he saw a flag on the roof.
What could it mean?Had someone been in his house?Perhaps it was a burglar!
16.
When Frog opened the door, he couldn't believe his eyes.The room was decorated with flags and flowers.On the table were iced cakes and lemonade.
17.
And there were his friends -- Duck and Pig and Rat and Hare.And they were all singing, "Happy birthday to you!Happy birthday to you..."
18.
Frog looked above him.There were flags everywhere -- red, yellow, blue and green, all colours.It was exactly as he had imagined it would be.
19.
"Congratulations on your birthday, Frog!" said Hare warmly.
"My birthday?" asked Frog in surprise."I forgot all about it."
"But we didn't," said Hare.
20.
And then how they celebrated!They sang and they danced, and feasted on cake and lemonade.
21.
Rat played "For he's a jolly good fellow" on his violin and the party went on late into the evening...
22.
At last, when everyone had gone home, Frog went happily to bed."I shall never forget today," he thought."Hare was right.It was a very, very special day."
== end ==
Frog is Frog
Frog is Frog
by Max Velthuijs
1.
“How lucky I am,” said Frog, admiring his reflection in the water. “I am beautiful and I can swim and jump better than anyone. I am green, and green is my favourite colour. Being a frog is the best thing in the world.”
2.
“What about me then?” asked Duck. “I am all white.Don’t you think I am beautiful too?”
“No,” said Frog. “There’s no green on you at all.”
“But I can fly,” said Duck, “and you can’t.”
3.
“Oh, yes?” said Frog. “I’ve never seen you fly.”
“I’m a bit lazy,” said Duck, “but I can fly. Watch.”
She took a run up and flapped her wings noisily.
4.
Then, suddenly Duck rose from the ground and flew gracefully into the air. She flew round a few times and then landed on the grass in front of Frog.
“Fantastic!” cried Frog, full of admiration. “I want to fly too.”
“You can’t,” said Duck. “You haven’t got any wings.”
And she went home feeling happy.
5.
When Frog was alone again he started to practise flying.
He took a long run up and flapped his arms wildly up and down. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get off the ground.
6.
Frog was disappointed.
“I am a useless frog,” he thought. “I can’t even fly. If only I had wings.”
Then Frog had a clever idea. Whatever Duck could do, he could do too.
7.
For a week Frog worked hard with an old sheet and some string. At last, he was ready for his first test flight.
8.
He went to the hill by the river. He took a good run up, just as he had seen Duck do.
9.
Then he leapt into the air with outstretched arms.
10.
He hovered in the air for a few seconds, like a real bird.
But then the wings ripped and he dropped like a stone. He fell in the river with a splash. At least it was a soft landing.
11.
Rat saw Frog stumble out of the water.
“You must know that frogs cannot fly,” he said.
“Can you fly?” asked Frog.
“Of course not,” said Rat, “I have no wings, but I’m good at making things.”
12.
Frog thought about this on his way home. He would ask Pig as well.
Pig was taking a cake out of the oven as Frog arrived.
“Pig, can you fly?” asked Frog.
“Certainly not,” said Pig. “I would probably get airsick.”
13.
“What can you do then?” asked Frog.
“All sorts of things,” replied Pig, indignantly. “I can make the best cakes in the world. And I am beautiful. I am pink all over, and pink is my favourite colour.”
Frog had to admit that this was true.
14.
“I bet I can make a cake too,” thought Frog when he was back at home.
He threw everything he could find into a bowl and began to stir, just as he had seen Pig do.
15.
Then he threw everything into a pan and put it on the stove.
“There, you see,” thought Frog. “My cake will be delicious.”
But after a while, smoke began to pour from the pan and it smelt awful. The cake was completely burned.
“I can’t even bake a cake,” thought Frog, sadly.
16.
He went to visit Hare.
“Hare, may I borrow a book from you?” asked Frog.
“Can you read?” asked Hare, surprised.
“No,” said Frog. “Perhaps you could tell me how.”
17.
“Look,” said Hare. “This is an ‘o’ and this is an ‘a’ and this is a ‘k’ and this . . .”
“Okay, I get it,” said Frog, impatiently and he ran home with the book under his arm.
18.
He made himself comfortable and opened the book.
But the pages were full of strange scribblings. Frog couldn’t understand a word. An hour later, he was none the wiser.
“I’ll never read this!” said Frog. “It’s much too difficult for me. I’m just an ordinary, stupid frog.”
19.
Sadly, Frog returned the book to Hare.
“Well?” asked Hare. “Did you enjoy it?”
Frog shook his head sorrowfully.
“I can’t read,” he said. “I can’t bake a cake, I can’t make things and I can’t fly. You are all much cleverer than me. I can’t do anything. I’m just an ordinary green frog,” he sobbed.
20.
“But Frog,” said Hare, “I can’t fly either, and I can’t bake cakes or make things. I can’t swim and leap like you do. . . because I am a hare. And you are a frog, and we all love you.”
21.
Deep in thought, Frog went to the river and looked at his reflection in the water.
“That is me,” he thought. “A green frog with stripy swimming trunks.”
22.
Suddenly, Frog felt very happy.
“Hare is right,” he thought. “I am lucky to be a frog.”
And he leapt for joy - a big frog leap, as only frogs can do.
He felt as if he was flying.
=== end ===
Frog and the Birdsong
Frog and the Birdsong
by Max Velthuijs
1.
It was a beautiful autumn day.
Pig was picking ripe apples in the orchard . . .
2.
. . . when along came Frog. He looked worried.
3.
“I’ve found something,” he said.
“What is it?” asked Pig.
4.
“Come with me and I”ll show you,” replied Frog.
5.
And they set off together.
Pig felt nervous.
6.
When they arrived at a clearing, Frog pointed at the ground.
“Look,” he said. “There’s something wrong with this blackbird. He’s not moving.”
7.
“He’s asleep,” said Pig.
8.
Just then, Duck arrived.
9.
“What’s the matter?” she asked with concern.
“Has there been an accident?”
“Ssh, he’s asleep,” said Frog.
But Duck thought he looked ill.
10.
At that moment Hare was walking through the woods.
He saw from a distance that something was going on and joined the others.
11.
He knelt beside the bird and said, “He’s dead.”
“Dead,” said Frog. “What’s that?”
Hare pointed up at the blue sky.
12.
“Everything dies,” he said.
“Even us?” asked Frog.
Hare wasn’t sure. “Perhaps, when we’re old,” he said.
13.
“We must bury him,” said Hare, “over there, at the bottom of the hill.”
14.
Together, they made a stretcher and carried the bird into the meadow.
15.
They dug a deep hole in the ground.
16.
“All his life he sang beautifully for us,” said Hare.
“Now he has earned his rest.”
17.
Very carefully they laid the dead bird in the hole. Frog threw flowers all around it and then they covered the bird
with earth.
18.
Finally they put a beautiful stone on top. It was very peaceful. There was not a sound – not even one note of birdsong.
19.
They were all very moved and went quietly on their way.
Suddenly, Frog ran ahead.
20.
“Let’s play catch,” he shouted excitedly. “Pig, you’re IT.”
21.
They played and laughed until sunset.
22.
“Isn’t life wonderful?” said Frog.
23.
The tired friends set off happily for home.
As they passed the bottom of the hill, they heard a sound.
There in a tree was a blackbird singing a lovely song – as always.
== end ==
Bear on a bike
Bear on a bike, 骑自行车的小小熊，
As happy as can be, 快乐快乐的小小熊，
Where are you going,bear? 小熊，小熊，去哪里？
Please wait for me! 请你等等等等我！
Bear on a bike
骑自行车的小小熊
Bear on a bike, 骑自行车的小小熊，
As happy as can be, 快乐快乐的小小熊，
Where are you going,bear? 小熊，小熊，去哪里？
Please wait for me! 请你等等等等我！
I'm going to the market, 我要到市场去，
Where fruit and flowers are sold,那里能买到水果和鲜花，Where people buy fresh oranges 那里能买到新鲜的橘子
And lots of marigold. 和许许多多的金菊花。
Bear on a raft, 坐木筏的小小熊，
As happy as can be, 快乐快乐的小小熊，
Where are you going,bear? 小熊，小熊，去哪里？
Please wait for me！ 请你等等等等我！
I'm going to the forest, 我要到森林里去，
Where fearsome creatures prowl, 那里有吓人的动物在爬行，
Where raccoons play and bobcats snarl 那里有浣熊在玩耍，山猫在嚎叫
And hungry foxes bowl. 还有饥饿的狐狸在觅食。
Bear in a steam train, 坐蒸汽火车的小小熊，
As happy as can be, 快乐快乐的小小熊，
Where are you giong,bear? 小熊，小熊，去哪里？
Please wait for me! 请你等等等等我！
I'm going to the seaside, 我要到海边那里去，
Where children have to play, 在那有孩子们在玩耍，
Where young friends dig and race 在那有小朋友们在比赛
And swim,while fishes dart away. 和逃跑的鱼儿在游泳。
Bear on a boat, 坐小船的小小熊，
As happy as can be, 快快乐乐的小小熊，
Where are you going, bear?小熊，小熊，去哪里？
Please wait for me! 请你等等等等我！
I'm going to an island, 我要到一个小岛上去，
Where magic star fruits grow, 那里有魔法星水果在生长，
Where herons fish in secret groves那里有鹭鱼藏在神秘的小水草里
And sparkling rivers flow. 还有翻水花的小河在流淌。
I'm going to a castle, 我要到一个城堡去，
Where night is turned to day, 那里的夜晚会变成白天，
Where princes and princesses dance那里有公主和王子在跳舞
And merry music plays. 还有快乐美丽的音乐在演奏。
Bear on a rocket, 坐火箭的小小熊，
Flying through the night, 飞越夜晚星空的小小熊，
Wherever you are going,bear,小熊，小小熊！无论你到哪里去，
Goocbye and goodnight！ 我都要跟你说再见，道晚安！
Inch by Inch 一寸虫
One day, a hungry robin saw an inchworm, green as an emerald, sitting on a twig. He was about to gobble him up.
"Don't eat me. I am an inchworm. I am useful. I measure things. "
"Is that so?" said the robin."Then measure my tail."
"That's easy." said the inchworm. "One, two, three, four, five inches."
"Just think. "said the robin. " My tail is five inches long."
And with the inchworm, he flew to where other birds needed to be measured.
The inchworm measured the neck of the flamingo.
He measured the toucan's beak,
the legs of the heron,
the tail of the pheasant,
and the whole hummingbird.
One morning the nightingale met the inchworm.
"Measure my song!" said the nightingale.
"But how can I do that? " Said the inchworm. "I measure things, not songs."
"Measure my song or I'll eat you for breakfast. " said the nightingale.
Then the inchworm had an idea.
"I'll try." he said. "Go along and sing."
The nightingale sang and the inchworm measured away.
He measured and measured
inch by inch
until he inched out of sight.
Edited by Melanie Zeng 2011-7-16
STONE SOUP 石头汤
STONE SOUP
An Old Tale Retold
Text by Marcia Brown
Three soldiers trudged down a road in a strange country. They were on their way home from the wars. Besides being tired, they were hungry. In fact, they had eaten nothing for two days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How I would like a good dinner tonight,” said the first.
“And a bed to sleep in,” said the second.
“But all that is impossible,” said the third. “We must march on.”
On they marched. Suddenly, ahead of them they saw the lights of a village.
“Maybe we’ll find a bite to eat there,” said the first.
“And a loft to sleep in,” said the second.
“No harm in asking,” said the third.
Now the peasants of that place feared strangers. When they heard that three soldiers were coming down the road, they talked among themselves.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Here come three soldiers. Soldiers are always hungry. But we have little enough for ourselves.” And they hurried to hide their food.
They pushed the sacks of barley under the hay in the lofts. They lowered buckets of milk down the wells.
They spread old quilts over the carrot bins. They hid their cabbages and potatoes under the beds. They hung their meat in the cellars.
They hid all they had to eat. Then – they waited.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The soldiers stopped first at the house of Paul and Francoise.
“Good evening to you,” they said. “Could you spare a bit of food for three hungry soldiers?”
“We have had no food for ourselves for three days,” said Paul. Francoise made a sad face. “It has been a poor harvest.”
The three soldiers went on the house of Albert and Louise.
“Could you spare a bit of food? And have you some corner where we could sleep for the night?”
“Oh no,” said Albert. “We gave all we could spare to soldiers who came before you.”
“Our beds are full,” said Louise.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At Vincent and Marie’s the answer was the same.It had been a poor harvest and all the grain must be kept for seed.
So it went all through the village. Not a peasant had any food to give away. They all had good reasons. One family had use the grain for feed. Another had an old sick father to care for. All had too many mouths to fill.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The villagers stood in the street and sighed. The looked as hungry as they could.
The three soldiers talked together.
Then the first soldier called out, “Good people!” The peasants drew near.
“We are three hungry soldiers in a strange land. We have asked you for food and you have no food. Well then, we’ll have to make stone soup.”
The peasants stared.
Stone soup? That would be something to know about.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“First, we’ll need a large iron pot,” the soldiers said.
The peasants brought the largest pot they could find. How else to cook enough?
“That's none too large,” said the soldiers. “But it will do. And now, water to fill it and a fire to heat it.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took many buckets of water to fill the pot. A fire was built on the village square and the pot was set to boil.
“And now,if you please, three round, smooth stones.”
Those were easy enough to find.
The peasants’ eyes grew round as they watched the soldiers drop the stones into the pot.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Any soup needs salt and pepper,” said the soldiers, as they began to stir.
Children ran to fetch salt and pepper.
“Stones like these generally make good soup. But oh, if there were carrots, it would be much better.”
“Why, I think I have a carrot or two,” said Francoise, and off she ran.
She came back with her apron fill of carrots from the bin beneath the red quilt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“A good stone soup should have cabbage,” said the soldiers as they sliced the carrots into the pot. “But no use asking for what you don't have.”
“I think I could find a cabbage somewhere,” said Marie and she hurried home. Back she came with three cabbages from the cupboard under the bed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“If we only had a bit of beef and a few potatoes, this soup would be good enough for a rich man's table”
The peasants thought that over. They remembered their potatoes and the sides of beef hanging in the cellars. They ran to fetch them.
A rich man's soup – and all from a few stones. It seemed like magic!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Ah,” sighed the soldiers as they stirred in the beef and potatoes, “if we only had a little barley and a cup of milk! This would would be fit for the king himself. Indeed he asked for just such a soup when last he dined with us.”
The peasants looked at each other. The soldiers had entertained the king! Well!
“But – no use asking for what you don’t have,” the soldiers signed.
The peasants brought their barley from the lofts, they brought their milk from the wells. The soldiers stirred the barley and milk into the steaming broth while the peasants stared.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At last the soup was ready.
“All of you shall taste,” the soldiers said. “But first a table must be set.”
Great tables were placed in the square. And all around were lighted torches.
Such a soup! How good it smelled! Truly fit for a king.
But then the peasants asked themselves, “Would not such a soup require bread – and a roast – and cider?” Soon a banquet was spread and everyone sat down to eat.
Never had there been such a feast. Never had the peasants tasted such soup. And fancy, made from stones!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They ate and drank and ate and drank. And after that they danced.
They danced and sang far into the night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At last they were tired. Then the three soldiers asked, “Is there not a loft where we could sleep?”
“Let three such wise and splendid gentlemen sleep in a loft? Indeed! They must have the best beds in the village.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the first soldier slept in the priest’s house.
The second soldier slept in the baker’s house.
And the third soldier slept in the mayor’s house.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the morning, the whole village gathered in the square to give them a send-off.
“Many thanks for what you have taught us,” the peasants said to the soldiers. “We shall never go hungry, now that we know how to make soup from stones.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Oh, it’s all in knowing how,” said the soldiers, and off they went down the road.
- "Stone Soup" by Marcia Brown, Atheneum Books, (c) 1975 by Marcia Brown
There Is a Bird On Your Head! 你的头上有只鸟 by Mo Willems
There Is a Bird On Your Head! (An Elephantand Piggie Book) --- by Mo Willems
E: Piggie!
E: Is something on myheard?
P: Yes.
P: There is a bird onyour head.
E: There is a bird onmy head?
E: Aaaaaaaaaggghhh!!!
E: Is there a bird onmy head now?
P: No.
P: Now there are twobirds on your head.
E: What are the twobirds doing on my head?
P: They are in love.
E: The birds on my headare in love?
P: They are love birds!
E: Love birds!
E: How do you know theyare love birds?
P: They are making anest!
E: Two birds are makinga nest on my head?
E: Why would two birdsmake a nest on my head?
E: I am afraid to ask…
E: Do I have an egg onmy head?
P: One.
P: Two.
P: Three!
P: You have three eggson your head.
E: I do not want threeeggs on my head.
P: Then I have goodnews!
E: The eggs are gone?
P: The eggs arehatching!
E: HATCHING?
E: The eggs on my headare hatching?
Birds: Cheep! Cheep!Cheep!
P: They have hatched.
E: Now, I have threebaby chicks on my head!
P: And two birds and anest!
E: I do not want three babychicks, two birds, and a nest on my head!
P: Where do you wantthem?
E: SOMEWHERE ELSE!
P: Why not ask them togo somewhere else?
E: Ask them?
P: Ask them.
E: Okay. I will tryasking.
E: Excuse me, birds.Will you please go somewhere else?
Birds: No problem.
E: It worked!
Birds: Bye!
E: Now there are nobirds on my head!
E: Thank you. Piggie!Thank you very much!
P: You are welcome…
You are much too small 你还小
You are much too small, by Betty D. Boegehold， illustrated by Calerie Michaut.
All the pigs were busy.
All the pigs but Totty Pig.
Titty-trot-trot, tritty-trot-trot.
Totty Pig went into the kitchen.
Father pig was making flip cakes.
he flipped them into the air and caught them in a pan.
Flip!Flip!Flip!
"May I help flip the cakes?" asked Totty Pig.
"Oh, no, Totty Pig," said the Father Pig,
"you are much too small."
Tritty-trot-trot, Tritty-trot-trot.
Totty Pig went upstaires.
Mother Pig was building a shelf.
Drill!Drill!Drill!
"May I help build the shelf?" asked Totty Pig.
"Oh no, Totty Pig," said Mother Pig,
"you are much too small."
Tritty-trot-trot, Tritty-trot-trot.
Totty pig went down the stairs.
Grandpa Pig was setting the clock.
Ding-dong! Ding-Dong!
"May I help set the clock?" asked Totty Pig.
"Oh no, Totty Pig," said Grandpa Pig,
"you are much too small."
Tritty-trot-trot,Tritty-trot-trot.
Totty Pig went outdoors.
Sister Pig was cutting the grass.
Cut!Cut!Cut!
"May I help cut the grass?" asked Totty Pig.
"Oh, no, Totty Pig,"said sister pig,
"you are much too small."
Totty Pig was sad.
She said to herself,
"I am too small to help anyone. I will go live by myself."
So Totty Pig went to the toolshed.
She found an old blanket and some rope.
Tritty-trot-trot, Tritty-trot-trot.
Totty Pig went down the road.
"I will make a tent,"she said.
"A little tent, just right for me."
Soon Father Pig called,
"Totty Pig, Totty pig, I need you!
Come and taste my flip cakes."
Mother Pig called,
"Totty Pig, Totty Pig, I need you!
Come put your books on the shelf."
Grandpa Pig called,
"Totty pig, tptty pig, I need you!
Come help find my glasses."
Sister pig called,
"Totty pig, Totty Pig, I need you!
Come help me rake the grass."
But Totty Pig did not come.
All the pigs asked, "Where is totty pig?"
The looked inside the house.
They looked outside the house.
But they couldn't find Totty Pig.
"We must find Totty Pig," they all cried.
Tritty-trot-trot, Tritty-trot-trot.
They ran down the road.
Under a tree they saw a little tent.
Totty pig was inside.
"Oh Totty," they cried.
"We've found you.
Please come home now. We need you to help us."
The pigs stuck heir heads into the tent.
"What a nice house you have made," they said.
"Can we come inside?"
"Oh, no," said Totty Pig.
"I am much too small to help.
But you are much too big for this tent."
"Oh, Totty, please come out,"begged Mother Pig.
"totty, please come home," begged Father Pig.
But Totty Pig stayed right in her tent.
So all the pigs sat down out side and cried,
"Sniff, grunt, sniff, grunt."
At last, Totty Pig said,
"Stop sniffing and grunting.
If you really need me,
I will come back.
Bue when I feel like being by myself, I will come here."
Totty Pig came out of her tent.
And she led the pigs back up the road and all the way to the pig house.
Tritty-trot-trot, Tritty-trot-trot.
From Head to Toe --- by Eric Carle
From Head to Toe --- by Eric Carle
I am a penguin and I turn my head.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a giraffe and I bend my neck.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a buffalo and I raise my shoulders.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a monkey and I wave my arms.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a seal and I clap my hands.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a gorilla and I thump my chest.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a cat and I arch my back
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a crocodile and I wriggle my hips.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a camel and I bend my knees.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am a donkey and I kick my legs.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am an elephant and I stomp my foot.
Can you do it?
I can do it.
I am I and I wiggle my toe.
Can you do it?
I can do it! I can do it!
Big Bear Hug 大熊抱抱--- by Nicholas Oldland
Big Bear Hug --- by Nicholas Oldland
There once was a bear so filled with love and happiness that whenever he roamed the forest and came across another living thing, he would give it a hug.
Everywhere he wandered,the bear shared his love hug by hug.
He even hugged creatures that bears have been known to eat. This bear could meet the roundest little rabbit, and he would just stop, smile and give it a great big hug.
No animal was too big… Toos mall… Too smelly… Or too scary to hug.
But what this bear loved to hug most were the trees.
The bear never met a tree he did not like. Big trees… Little trees…
Apple trees… Pear trees…Peach trees. This bear hugged them all.
One day while the bear was trying to hug a beaver and a tree at the same time, he noticed a man with an axe walking into the forest.
The bear followed the man until he stopped at one of the tallest, oldest and most beautiful trees in the forest. The man spent so much time looking at this magnificent tree that the bear thought he must love trees, too.
But to the bear’s horror, the man started to chop the tree down.
For the first time in his life, the bear didn’t feel like hugging at all.
Then, just as he was about to sink his teeth into the man, the bear stopped.
He realized that no matter how angry he was, he simply could not eat the man. It just wasn’t in hisnature. The bear sighed. And then he decided to do what he did best.
He gave the man a HUG!
The man was not used to getting real big bear bugs, so once the bear let go, the man dropped his axe and ran far, far away.
And do you know what the bear did next?
The bear smiled and gave the tree a great big hug.
The tree fell muchbetter.
Chick Chick Boom Boom
Chick Chick Boom Boom
A told B, and B told C.
“I’ll meet you at top of the coconut tree..”
“Whell!” said D to E F G,
“I’ll beat you at top of the coconut tree”
Chicka chicka Boom Boom!
Will there be enough room?
Here comes H up the coconut tree.
And I and J and tag-along K.
all on their way up the coconut tree.
Chicka chicka Boom Boom!
Will there be enough room?
Look who’s coming! L M N O P!
And Q R S! And T U V!
Still more-W And X Y Z!
The whole alphabet up the –Oh no!
Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!
Skit skat skoodle doot Flip flop flee.
Everybody running to the coconut tree.
Mamas and Papas and Uncles and aunts
Hug their little dears, then dust their pants.
“Help us up!” Cried ABC
Next from the pileup skinned knee D
and stubbed –toe E and patched-up补丁 F.
Then comes G all out of breath.
H is tangled up with I.
J and K are about to cry
L is knotted like a tie M is looped.
N is stooped O is twisted alley-oop.
Skit skat skoodle doot. Flip flop flee.
Look who is coming? It’s black-eyed P.
Q R S. and loose- tooth T.
Then U V W wiggle-jiggle free last to come X Y Z
And the sun goes down on the coconut tree…
But- Chicka chicka Boom Boom!
Look there’s full moon.
A is out of bed.
And this is what he said,
“Dear double dear, you can’t catch me.
I’ll beat you to the top of the coconut tree”
Chicka Chicka BOOM BOOM!
THE LITTLE ISLAND 小岛
THE LITTLE ISLAND
Margaret Wise Brown
There was a little Island in the ocean.
Around it the winds blew
And the birds flew
And the tides rose and fell on the shore.
Clouds passed over it
Fish swam around it
And the fog came in from the sea
and hid the little Island
in a soft wet shadow.
The morning was very quiet
on the Island
with only the spiders sailing their webs
against a gentle wind.
Small flowers, white and blue,
and violets with golden eyes
and little waxy white-pink chuckleberry blossoms
and one tickly smelling pear tree
bloomed on the Island.
And that was the spring.
Then one day
all the lobsters crawled in from the sea
and hid under the rocks and ledges
of the Island to shed their shells
and let their new ones grow hard and strong
in hiding places in the dark.
And the seals came barking down from the north
to lie on the sunny rocks
and raise their baby seals.
And the kingfishers came from the South
to build nests.
And the gulls laid their eggs
on the rocky ledges.
And wild strawberries turned red.
Summer had come to the little Island.
Boats sailed to the little Island
from far away
And herring and mackerel
leaped out of the water
all silver in the moonlight
The seaweed squeaked at low tide
And little green pears grew on the pear tree.
A black crow flew over.
And a little kitten came to the Island
with some people on a picnic.
The kitten prowled around the Island
And saw that it was all surrounded by water.
"What a little land,"said the kitten.
"This little Island is as little
as Big is Big."
"So are you,"said the Island.
"Maybe I am a little Island too,"
said the kitten-
"a little fur Island in the air."
And he left the ground
and jumped in the air.
"That is just what you are,"
said the little Island.
"But I am part of this big world,"
said the little kitten.
"My feet are on it."
"So am I,"said the little Island.
"No, you're not,"said the kitten.
"Water is all around you
and cuts you off from the land."
"Ask any fish,"said the Island.
So the kitten caught a fish.
"Answer me this or I'll eat you up,"
said the kitten.
"How is an Island a part of the land?"
"Come with me,"said the fish,
"down into the dark secret places
of the sea and I will show you."
"I can't swim,"said the cat.
"Show me another way or I'll eat you up."
"Then you must take it on faith
what I tell you,"said the fish.
"What's that?"said the cat-"Faith."
"To believe what I tell you
about what you don't know,"said the fish.
And the fish told the kitten
how all land is one land
under the sea.
The cat's eyes were shining
with the secret of it
And because he loved secrets he believed.
And he let the fish go.
And he got on his boat
and sailed away into the setting sun.
The little Island had a little woods on it
with seven big trees in it
and seventeen small bushes
and one big rock.
Bird came to the woods on the Island
And butterflies and moths flew over the ocean
till they got there.
Night came to the little Island
dark and still
And seven little fireflies
flashed in the darkness.
A bat flew
around and around the pear tree
and woke up the owl.
The wind whistled.
Then came the storm.
The wind blew from the South East.
Waves as big as glassy mountains
came before it
And lightning and thunder
And always the howling,moaning,whistling wind.
And then the storm passed
and left the little Island where it found it
in the summer sea.
Autumn came
and the yellow pears dropped
slowly to the ground.
Winter came
and the snow fell softly
like a great quiet secret in the night
cold and still.
Night and days came and passed
And summer and winter
and the sun and the wind
and the rain.
And it was good to be a little Island.
A part of the world
and a world of its own
all surrounded by the bright blue sea.
The Bronze Ring 青铜戒指
The Bronze Ring
Andrew Lang
Once upon a time in a certain country there lived a king whose palace was surrounded by a spacious garden. But, though the gardeners were many and the soil was good, this garden yielded neither flowers nor fruits, not even grass or shady trees.
The King was in despair about it, when a wise old man said to him:
"Your gardeners do not understand their business: but what can you expect of men whose fathers were cobblers and carpenters? How should they have learned to cultivate your garden?"
"You are quite right," cried the King.
"Therefore," continued the old man, "you should send for a gardener whose father and grandfather have been gardeners before him, and very soon your garden will be full of green grass and gay flowers, and you will enjoy its delicious fruit."
So the King sent messengers to every town, village, and hamlet in his dominions, to look for a gardener whose forefathers had been gardeners also, and after forty days one was found.
"Come with us and be gardener to the King," they said to him.
"How can I go to the King," said the gardener, "a poor wretch like me?"
"That is of no consequence," they answered. "Here are new clothes for you and your family."
"But I owe money to several people."
"We will pay your debts," they said.
So the gardener allowed himself to be persuaded, and went away with the messengers, taking his wife and his son with him; and the King, delighted to have found a real gardener, entrusted him with the care of his garden. The man found no difficulty in making the royal garden produce flowers and fruit, and at the end of a year the park was not like the same place, and the King showered gifts upon his new servant.
The gardener, as you have heard already, had a son, who was a very handsome young man, with most agree- able manners, and every day he carried the best fruit of the garden to the King, and all the prettiest flowers to his daughter. Now this princess was wonderfully pretty and was just sixteen years old, and the King was beginning to think it was time that she should be married.
"My dear child," said he, "you are of an age to take a husband, therefore I am thinking of marrying you to the son of my prime minister.
"Father," replied the Princess, "I will never marry the son of the minister."
"Why not?" asked the King.
"Because I love the gardener's son," answered the Princess.
On hearing this the King was at first very angry, and then he wept and sighed, and declared that such a husband was not worthy of his daughter; but the young Princess was not to be turned from her resolution to marry the gardener's son.
Then the King consulted his ministers. "This is what you must do," they said. "To get rid of the gardener you must send both suitors to a very distant country, and the one who returns first shall marry your daughter."
The King followed this advice, and the minister's son was presented with a splendid horse and a purse full of gold pieces, while the gardener's son had only an old lame horse and a purse full of copper money, and every one thought he would never come back from his journey.
The day before they started the Princess met her lover and said to him:
"Be brave, and remember always that I love you. Take this purse full of jewels and make the best use you can of them for love of me, and come back quickly and demand my hand."
The two suitors left the town together, but the minister's son went off at a gallop on his good horse, and very soon was lost to sight behind the most distant hills. He traveled on for some days, and presently reached a fountain beside which an old woman all in rags sat upon a stone.
"Good-day to you, young traveler," said she.
But the minister's son made no reply.
"Have pity upon me, traveler," she said again. "I am dying of hunger, as you see, and three days have I been here and no one has given me anything."
"Let me alone, old witch," cried the young man; "I can do nothing for you," and so saying he went on his way.
That same evening the gardener's son rode up to the fountain upon his lame gray horse.
"Good-day to you, young traveler," said the beggar- woman.
"Good-day, good woman," answered he.
"Young traveler, have pity upon me."
Take my purse, good woman," said he, "and mount behind me, for your legs can't be very strong."
The old woman didn't wait to be asked twice, but mounted behind him, and in this style they reached the chief city of a powerful kingdom. The minister's son was lodged in a grand inn, the gardener's son and the old woman dismounted at the inn for beggars.
The next day the gardener's son heard a great noise in the street, and the King's heralds passed, blowing all kinds of instruments, and crying:
The King, our master, is old and infirm. He will give a great reward to whoever will cure him and give him back the strength of his youth."
Then the old beggar-woman said to her benefactor:
"This is what you must do to obtain the reward which the King promises. Go out of the town by the south gate, and there you will find three little dogs of different colors; the first will be white, the second black, the third red. You must kill them and then burn them separately, and gather up the ashes. Put the ashes of each dog into a bag of its own color, then go before the door of the palace and cry out, `A celebrated physician has come from Janina in Albania. He alone can cure the King and give him back the strength of his youth.' The King's physicians will say, This is an impostor, and not a learned man,' and they will make all sorts of difficulties, but you will overcome them all at last, and will present yourself before the sick King. You must then demand as much wood as three mules can carry, and a great cauldron, and must shut yourself up in a room with the Sultan, and when the cauldron boils you must throw him into it, and there leave him until his flesh is completely separated from his bones. Then arrange the bones in their proper places, and throw over them the ashes out of the three bags. The King will come back to life, and will be just as he was when he was twenty years old. For your reward you must demand the bronze ring which has the power to grant you everything you desire. Go, my son, and do not forget any of my instructions."
The young man followed the old beggar-woman's directions. On going out of the town he found the white, red, and black dogs, and killed and burnt them, gathering the ashes in three bags. Then he ran to the palace and cried:
"A celebrated physician has just come from Janina in Albania. He alone can cure the King and give him back the strength of his youth."
The King's physicians at first laughed at the unknown wayfarer, but the Sultan ordered that the stranger should be admitted. They brought the cauldron and the loads of wood, and very soon the King was boiling away. Toward mid-day the gardener's son arranged the bones in their places, and he had hardly scattered the ashes over them before the old King revived, to find himself once more young and hearty.
"How can I reward you, my benefactor?" he cried. "Will you take half my treasures?"
"No," said the gardener's son.
"My daughter's hand?"
"NO."
"Take half my kingdom."
"No. Give me only the bronze ring which can instantly grant me anything I wish for."
"Alas!" said the King, "I set great store by that marvelous ring; nevertheless, you shall have it." And he gave it to him.
The gardener's son went back to say good-by to the old beggar-woman; then he said to the bronze ring:
"Prepare a splendid ship in which I may continue my journey. Let the hull be of fine gold, the masts of silver, the sails of brocade; let the crew consist of twelve young men of noble appearance, dressed like kings. St. Nicholas will be at the helm. As to the cargo, let it be diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and carbuncles."
And immediately a ship appeared upon the sea which resembled in every particular THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN BY THE GARDENER'S SON, and, stepping on board, he continued his journey. Presently he arrived at a great town and established himself in a wonderful palace. After several days he met his rival, the minister's son, who had spent all his money and was reduced to the disagreeable employment of a carrier of dust and rubbish. The gardener's son said to him:
"What is your name, what is your family, and from what country do you come?"
"I am the son of the prime minister of a great nation, and yet see what a degrading occupation I am reduced to."
"Listen to me; though I don't know anything more about you, I am willing to help you. I will give you a ship to take you back to your own country upon one condition."
"Whatever it may be, I accept it willingly."
"Follow me to my palace."
The minister's son followed the rich stranger, whom he had not recognized. When they reached the palace the gardener's son made a sign to his slaves, who completely undressed the new-comer.
"Make this ring red-hot," commanded the master, "and mark the man with it upon his back."
The slaves obeyed him.
"Now, young man," said the rich stranger, "I am going to give you a vessel which will take you back to your own country."
And, going out, he took the bronze ring and said:
"Bronze ring, obey thy master. Prepare me a ship of which the half-rotten timbers shall be painted black, let the sails be in rags, and the sailors infirm and sickly. One shall have lost a leg, another an arm, the third shall be a hunchback, another lame or club-footed or blind, and most of them shall be ugly and covered with scars. Go, and let my orders be executed."
The minister's son embarked in this old vessel, and thanks to favorable winds, at length reached his own country. In spite of the pitiable condition in which he returned they received him joyfully.
"I am the first to come back," said he to the King; now fulfil your promise, and give me the princess in marriage.
So they at once began to prepare for the wedding festivities. As to the poor princess, she was sorrowful and angry enough about it.
The next morning, at daybreak, a wonderful ship with every sail set came to anchor before the town. The King happened at that moment to be at the palace window.
"What strange ship is this," he cried, "that has a golden hull, silver masts, and silken sails, and who are the young men like princes who man it? And do I not see St. Nicholas at the helm? Go at once and invite the captain of the ship to come to the palace."
His servants obeyed him, and very soon in came an enchantingly handsome young prince, dressed in rich silk, ornamented with pearls and diamonds.
"Young man," said the King, "you are welcome, whoever you may be. Do me the favor to be my guest as long as you remain in my capital."
"Many thanks, sire," replied the captain, "I accept your offer."
"My daughter is about to be married," said the King; "will you give her away?"
"I shall be charmed, sire."
Soon after came the Princess and her betrothed.
"Why, how is this?" cried the young captain; "would you marry this charming princess to such a man as that?"
"But he is my prime minister's son!"
"What does that matter? I cannot give your daughter away. The man she is betrothed to is one of my servants."
"Your servant?"
"Without doubt. I met him in a distant town reduced to carrying away dust and rubbish from the houses. I had pity on him and engaged him as one of my servants."
"It is impossible!" cried the King.
"Do you wish me to prove what I say? This young man returned in a vessel which I fitted out for him, an unsea- worthy ship with a black battered hull, and the sailors were infirm and crippled."
"It is quite true," said the King.
"It is false," cried the minister's son. "I do not know this man!"
"Sire," said the young captain, "order your daughter's betrothed to be stripped, and see if the mark of my ring is not branded upon his back."
The King was about to give this order, when the minister's son, to save himself from such an indignity, admitted that the story was true.
"And now, sire," said the young captain, "do you not recognize me?"
"I recognize you," said the Princess; "you are the gardener's son whom I have always loved, and it is you I wish to marry."
"Young man, you shall be my son-in-law," cried the King. "The marriage festivities are already begun, so you shall marry my daughter this very day."
And so that very day the gardener's son married the beautiful Princess.
Several months passed. The young couple were as happy as the day was long, and the King was more and more pleased with himself for having secured such a son- in-law.
But, presently, the captain of the golden ship found it necessary to take a long voyage, and after embracing his wife tenderly he embarked.
Now in the outskirts of the capital there lived an old man, who had spent his life in studying black arts-- alchemy, astrology, magic, and enchantment. This man found out that the gardener's son had only succeeded in marrying the Princess by the help of the genii who obeyed the bronze ring.
"I will have that ring," said he to himself. So he went down to the sea-shore and caught some little red fishes. Really, they were quite wonderfully pretty. Then he came back, and, passing before the Princess's window, he began to cry out:
"Who wants some pretty little red fishes?"
The Princess heard him, and sent out one of her slaves, who said to the old peddler:
"What will you take for your fish?"
"A bronze ring."
"A bronze ring, old simpleton! And where shall I find one?"
"Under the cushion in the Princess's room."
The slave went back to her mistress.
The old madman will take neither gold nor silver," said she.
"What does he want then?"
"A bronze ring that is hidden under a cushion."
Find the ring and give it to him," said the Princess.
And at last the slave found the bronze ring, which the captain of the golden ship had accidentally left behind and carried it to the man, who made off with it instantly.
Hardly had he reached his own house when, taking the ring, he said, "Bronze ring, obey thy master. I desire that the golden ship shall turn to black wood, and the crew to hideous negroes; that St. Nicholas shall leave the helm and that the only cargo shall be black cats."
And the genii of the bronze ring obeyed him.
Finding himself upon the sea in this miserable condition, the young captain understood that some one must have stolen the bronze ring from him, and he lamented his misfortune loudly; but that did him no good.
"Alas!" he said to himself, "whoever has taken my ring has probably taken my dear wife also. What good will it do me to go back to my own country?" And he sailed about from island to island, and from shore to shore, believing that wherever he went everybody was laughing at him, and very soon his poverty was so great that he and his crew and the poor black cats had nothing to eat but herbs and roots. After wandering about a long time he reached an island inhabited by mice. The captain landed upon the shore and began to explore the country. There were mice everywhere, and nothing but mice. Some of the black cats had followed him, and, not having been fed for several days, they were fearfully hungry, and made terrible havoc among the mice.
Then the queen of the mice held a council.
"These cats will eat every one of us," she said, "if the captain of the ship does not shut the ferocious animals up. Let us send a deputation to him of the bravest among us."
Several mice offered themselves for this mission and set out to find the young captain.
"Captain," said they, "go away quickly from our island, or we shall perish, every mouse of us."
"Willingly," replied the young captain, "upon one condition. That is that you shall first bring me back a bronze ring which some clever magician has stolen from me. If you do not do this I will land all my cats upon your island, and you shall be exterminated."
The mice withdrew in great dismay. "What is to be done?" said the Queen. "How can we find this bronze ring?" She held a new council, calling in mice from every quarter of the globe, but nobody knew where the bronze ring was. Suddenly three mice arrived from a very distant country. One was blind, the second lame, and the third had her ears cropped.
"Ho, ho, ho!" said the new-comers. "We come from a far distant country."
"Do you know where the bronze ring is which the genii obey?"
"Ho, ho, ho! we know; an old sorcerer has taken possession of it, and now he keeps it in his pocket by day and in his mouth by night."
"Go and take it from him, and come back as soon as possible."
So the three mice made themselves a boat and set sail for the magician's country. When they reached the capital they landed and ran to the palace, leaving only the blind mouse on the shore to take care of the boat. Then they waited till it was night. The wicked old man lay down in bed and put the bronze ring into his mouth, and very soon he was asleep.
"Now, what shall we do?" said the two little animals to each other.
The mouse with the cropped ears found a lamp full of oil and a bottle full of pepper. So she dipped her tail first in the oil and then in the pepper, and held it to the sorcerer's nose.
"Atisha! atisha!" sneezed the old man, but he did not wake, and the shock made the bronze ring jump out of his mouth. Quick as thought the lame mouse snatched up the precious talisman and carried it off to the boat.
Imagine the despair of the magician when he awoke and the bronze ring was nowhere to be found!
But by that time our three mice had set sail with their prize. A favoring breeze was carrying them toward the island where the queen of the mice was awaiting them. Naturally they began to talk about the bronze ring.
"Which of us deserves the most credit?" they cried all at once.
"I do," said the blind mouse, "for without my watchfulness our boat would have drifted away to the open sea."
"No, indeed," cried the mouse with the cropped ears; "the credit is mine. Did I not cause the ring to jump out of the man's mouth?"
"No, it is mine," cried the lame one, "for I ran off with the ring."
And from high words they soon came to blows, and, alas! when the quarrel was fiercest the bronze ring fell into the sea.
"How are we to face our queen," said the three mice "when by our folly we have lost the talisman and condemned our people to be utterly exterminated? We cannot go back to our country; let us land on this desert island and there end our miserable lives." No sooner said than done. The boat reached the island, and the mice landed.
The blind mouse was speedily deserted by her two sisters, who went off to hunt flies, but as she wandered sadly along the shore she found a dead fish, and was eating it, when she felt something very hard. At her cries the other two mice ran up.
"It is the bronze ring! It is the talisman!" they cried joyfully, and, getting into their boat again, they soon reached the mouse island. It was time they did, for the captain was just going to land his cargo of cats, when a deputation of mice brought him the precious bronze ring.
"Bronze ring," commanded the young man, "obey thy master. Let my ship appear as it was before."
Immediately the genii of the ring set to work, and the old black vessel became once more the wonderful golden ship with sails of brocade; the handsome sailors ran to the silver masts and the silken ropes, and very soon they set sail for the capital.
Ah! how merrily the sailors sang as they flew over the glassy sea!
At last the port was reached.
The captain landed and ran to the palace, where he found the wicked old man asleep. The Princess clasped her husband in a long embrace. The magician tried to escape, but he was seized and bound with strong cords.
The next day the sorcerer, tied to the tail of a savage mule loaded with nuts, was broken into as many pieces as there were nuts upon the mule's back.
Slowly, slowly, slowly,, Said the sloth
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
a sloth crawled along a branch of a tree.
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
the sloth ate a leaf.
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
the sloth fell asleep.
Slowly, slowly, slowly,
the sloth woke up.
All day long the sloth hung upside down in the tree.
All night long the sloth hung upside down in the tree.
Even when it rained
the sloth hung upside down in the tree.
"Why are you so slow?"
the howler monkey asked one day.
But the sloth didn't answer.
"Why are you so quiet?" the caiman asked.
But the sloth didin't answer.
"Why are you so boring?"
the anteater asked.
But the sloth didn't answer.
"Tell me," said the jaguar,
"why are you so lazy?"
The sloth thought
and thought
and thought
for a long, long, long time.
Finally, the sloth replied.
"It is true that I am slow, quiet and boring. I am lackadaisical, I dawdle and I dillydally.
I am also unflappable, languid, stoic, impassive, sluggish, lethargic, placid, calm, mellow, laid-back and, well, slothful!
I am relaxed and tranquil, and I like to live in peace.
But I am not lazy."
Then the sloth yawned and said,
"That's just how I am.
I like to do things
slowly,
slowly,
slowly."
Why are we always in a hurry?
Rush. Rush. Rush.
We scurry from here and there.
We play computer games and then--
quick!click!--we watch TV. We eat fast food.
Everyone tells us to make it snappy!
Hurry up! Time is flying! Step on it!
There's so little time just to be with friends, to watch a sunset or gaze at a star-filled sky.
Ah, what we could learn--even if just a little--
from the gentle sloth who slowly, slowly, slowly crawls along a branch of a tree,
eats a little, sleeps a lot, and lives in peace.
Little Cloud by Eric Carle
Little Cloud by Eric Carle
1、The clouds drifted slowly across the sky.
Little Cloud trailed behind.
2、The clouds pushed upward and away.
Little Cloud pushed downward and
touched the tops of the houses and trees.
3、The clouds moved out of sight.
Little Cloud changed into a giant cloud.
4、Little Cloud changed into an airplane.
Little Cloudoften saw airplanes
flying through the clouds.
5、Little Cloud changed into a shark.
Little Cloud once saw a shark
through the waves of the ocean.
6、Little Cloud changed into trees.
Little Cluod liked the way trees never
moved and stayed in one place.
7、Little Cloud changed into a rabbit.
Little Cloud loved to watch rabbits dash across the meadows.;
8、Little Cloud changed intoa hat. Because...
9、Little Cloud changed intoa clown and needed a hat.
10、The other clouds drifted back.
The huddled close together. "Little Cloud,Little Cloud," they called."Come back."
Little Cloud drifted toward the clouds. 11、Then all the clouds changed into one big cloud and rained!
The Story of Little Kettle-head 长着汤锅脑袋的女孩
The Story of Little Kettle-head
Helen Bannerman
Once upon a time there was a little girl in India, and her name was Mary. And she was very fond of poking fires.
Her Mother used often to scold her and pull her away, but it was no use. She always poked fires when she got the chance.
But for a long time she had not managed to poke any fire, till at last one day she noticed that her Mother was very busy taking the cook's account.
And began poking the fire joyfully.
But the cooking-places were very very high up, and she could not reach them properly, so she pulled forward the big kettle. in which the cook boiled the hot water.
And got on to it. Then she found she could poke the fire splendidly, and she was very much pleased.
But the kettle was round at the bottom, and not very steady, and suddenly it tipped over, and she fell into the fire, and her head was burned right off.
There she lay, with no head, and oh! how frightened Domingo was when he found a Missy Baba with no head lying in his kitchen.
He picked her, and set her on her feet.
And seizing the kettle, popped it on for a head.
And tied on her sun bonnet to keep it firm
Then he drew the best eyes, nose and mouth he could with the burnt stick she had been poking the fire with.
And sent her back to her Mother. But when her Mother spoke to her, Kettle-head was so frightened to show her face that she kept turning her back to her.
And when they sat down to breakfast she would not take off her sun-bonnet, and
she bent her head down, so that her Father and Mother should not see her face, and she could say nothing but "Clip - clap - clapper - apper apper," as the lid rattled against the kettle.
And her Father and Mother said, "What a rude child!"
And she kept in a corner all day, pretending to play with her doll, and crying all the time. And the noise she made was just "Clip - clap - clapper - apper apper."
And when her Father and Mother went out for a walk, she would not go with them, but sat in her corner, and tried to hide her face, and cried "Clip - clap - clapper - apper apper."
At last night came, and she went to bed, but still she would not take off her sun-bonnet, for fear of losing the only head she had, and she lay down very sorrowfully and fell asleep. Now it just happened to be Christmas Eve, and Old Father Christmas came in, with his bag on his back, when everybody was asleep, and he was very much puzzled when he saw such a strange looking child.
"What can I give her?" said he; "she has no proper eyes to read a book with, and no proper nose to smell a scent bottle - no ears to hear a drum, and no mouth for sweets. And she couldn't kiss a doll with that face!" And he turned out his bag to the very bottom to try to find something.
And at the very bottom he found a poor doll that had been all cut to pieces by some wild toy soldiers with their sharp swords. Her body was all chopped into little bits, and if Father Christmas had not taken them out and given them to some wild boys, they would have chopped her head too! "The very thing!" said Father Christmas, and he put a little table by the bedside, and laid the doll's head on it. It was a beautiful doll's head, with long golden hair, and real eyelashes
When Kettle-head woke, she was delighted to find Father Christmas had brought her a new head. She got up at once, holding it carefully in both hands. And carried it over to the looking-glass to see how it looked. Then, with great care, for fear of dropping it, she went to the drawing room, and fetched the gum bottle off her Mother's writing table.
Then she gummed her neck carefully before the glass, and stuck the beautiful new head on. And sat very still and quiet till the gum was quite hard. Then she got up, and bent her head gently over to see if it was quite secure, and finding it was, she shook it, and wagged it, and at last .
she jumped six times for joy, and ran off to show her wonderful new head to her Father and Mother, who said, "Why Mary what have you done to yourself? Your hair has grown a yard long in one night, and we never saw you look so smiling before." And they were very much pleased. And after that Mary would not go near a fire. Even when she held her Mother's hand she had to be dragged past, she was so frightened.
And that is how her head has never been burned off again.