小學英語英語故事童話故事The Snake蛇

TheSnake蛇

TheSnake

Afarmerwentoutmowingeveryday,andatnoononeortheotherofhisthreedaughters

wouldbringhimhislunchOnacertaindayitfelltotheoldestgirltogoBythe

timeshereachedthewoods,though,shewastiredandsatdownonastonetorest

aminutebeforeproceedingtothemeadowNosoonerhadshetakenaseatthanshe

feltastrongthudunderneath,andoutcrawledasnakeThegirldroppedthebasket

andranhomeasfastasherlegswouldcarryherThatdaythefatherwenthungry

andwhenhecameinfromthefieldhescoldedhisdaughtersangrily

ThenextdaythemiddlegirlstartedoutShetoosatdownonthestone,andthesame

thingoccurredasthedaybeforeThenthethirdgirlsaid,〃It'smyturnnow,but

rmnotafraid"Insteadofonelunchbasket,shepreparedtwoWhenshefeltthethud

andsawthesnake,shegaveitoneofthebasketsoffood,andthesnakespoke"Take

mehomewithyou,andIwillbringyouluck〃Thegirlputthesnakeinherapron

andthenwentontoherfatherwithhislunchWhenshegotbackhome,sheplaced

thesnakeunderherbedItgrewsorapidlythatsoonitwastoobigtofitunder

thebed,soitwentawayBeforeleaving,however,itbestowedthreecharmsonthe

girl:weeping,shewouldshedtearsofpearlandsilver;laughing,shewouldsee

goldenpomegranateseedsfallfromherhead;andwashingherhands,shewouldproduce

fishofeverykind

Thatdaytherewasnothinginthehousetoeat,andherfatherandsisterswereweak

fromthehunger,sowhatdidshedobutwashherhandsandseethebasinfillup

withfish!Hersistersbecameenviousandconvincedtheirfatherthattherewas

somethingstrangebehindallthisandthathewouldbewisetolockthegirlupin

theattic

Fromtheatticwindowthegirllookedintotheking'sgarden,wheretheking，sson

wasplayingballRunningaftertheball,heslippedandfell,sendingthegirlinto

pealsoflaughterAsshelaughed,goldpomegranateseedsrainedfromherheadon

thegardenTheking，ssonhadnoideawheretheycamefrom,forthegirlhadslammed

thewindow

Returningtothegardennextdaytoplayball,theking，ssonnoticedthata

pomegranatetreehadsprungupItwasalreadyquitetallandladenwithfruitHe

wenttopickthepomegranates,butthetreegrewtallerrightbeforehiseyes,and

allhehadtodowasreachforapomegranateandthebrancheswouldriseafootbeyond

hisgraspSincenobodymanagedtoplucksomuchasoneleafofthetree,theking

assembledthewisementoexplainthemagicspellTheoldestofthemallsaidthat

onlyonemaidenwouldbeabletopickthefruitandthatshewouldbecomethebride

oftheking'sson

Sothekingissuedaproclamationforallmarriageablegirlstocometothegarden,

underpainofdeath,totrytopickthepomegranatesGirlsofeveryraceandstation

showedup,butnoladderswereeverlongenoughforthemtoreachthefruitAmong

thecontestantswerethefarmer'stwoolderdaughters,buttheyfellofftheladder

andlandedflatontheirbacksThekinghadthehousessearchedandfoundothergirls,

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includingtheonelockedupintheatticAssoonastheytookhertothetree,the

branchesbentdownandplacedthepomegranatesrightinherhandsEveryonecheered,

“That'sthebride,that'sthebride!z/withtheking'ssonshoutingloudestofall

Preparationsweremadeforthewedding,towhichthesisters,asenviousasever,

wereinvitedTheyallthreerodeinthesamecarriage,whichdrewtoahaltinthe

middleofaforestTheoldergirlsorderedtheyoungeroneoutofthecarriage,cur

offherhands,gougedouthereyes,andleftherlyingunconsciousinthebushes

Thentheoldestgirldressedintheweddinggownandwenttotheking，ssonHecouldn，t

understandwhyshe'dbecomesougly,butsinceshefaintlyresembledtheothergirl,

hedecidedhe，dbeenmistakenallalongaboutheroriginalbeauty

Eyelessandhandless,themaidenremainedintheforestweepingAcartercameby

andhadpityonherHeseatedheronhismuleandtookhertohishouseShetold

himtolookdown:thegroundwasstrewnwithsilverandpearls,whichwerenoneother

thanthegirTstearsThecartertookthemandsoldthemformorethanathousand

crownsHowgladhewastohavetakenthepoorgirlin,evenifshewasunableto

workandhelpthefamily

Onedaythegirlfeltasnakewraparoundherleg:itwasthesnakeshehadonce

befriended"Didyouknowyoursistermarriedtheking'ssonandbecamequeen,since

theoldkingdied?Nowshe'sexpectingababyandwantsfigs〃

Thegirlsaidtothecarter,“Loadamulewithfigsandtakethemtothequeen/z

z/WhereamIgoingtogetfigsthistimeofyear?”askedthecarterIthappenedto

bewinter

Butthenextmorninghewentintothegardenandfoundthefigtreeladenwithfruit,

eventhoughtherewasn51aleafonthetreeHefilleduptwobasketsandloadedthem

ontohisdonkey

〃HowhighapricecanIaskforfigsinwinter?”saidthecarter

〃Askforapairofeyes,〃repliedthemaiden

Thathedid,butneitherthekingnorthequeennorherothersisterwouldhaveever

gougedouttheireyesSothesisterstalkedthematterover〃Let'sgivehimour

sister'seyes,whichareofnousetous〃Withthoseeyestheypurchasedthefigs

ThecarterreturnedtothemaidenwiththeeyesSheputthembackinplaceandsaw

againaswellasever

Thenthequeenhadadesireforpeaches,andthekingsenttothecarteraskingif

hecouldn，tfindsomepeachesthewayhe'dfoundfigsThenextmorningthepeach

treeinthecarter，sgardenwasladenwithpeaches,andhetookaloadtocourtat

onceonhisdonkeyWhentheyaskedhimwhathewantedforthem,hereplied,〃Apair

ofhands”

Butnobodywouldcutofftheirhands,noteventopleasethekingThenthesisters

talkedthematterover〃Let'sgivehimoursister,s〃

Whenthegirlgotherhandsback,shereattachedthemtoherarmsandwasassound

asever

Notlongafterward,thequeenwentintolaborandbroughtforthascorpionTheking

nonethelessgaveaball,towhicheverybodywasinvitedThegirlwentdressedas

aqueenandwasthebelleoftheballThekingfellinlovewithherandrealized

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shewashistruebrideShelaughedgoldenseeds,weptpearls,andwashedfishinto

thebasin,asshetoldherstoryfromstarttofinish

ThetwowickedsistersandthescorpionwereburnedonapyreskyhighOnthesame

daythegrandweddingbanquettookplace

Theyputonthedogandhighdidtheysoar;Isaw,Iheard,Ihidbehindthedoor

ThentodinerepairedItotheinn,Andtheremystorydrawstoanend

(Monferrato)

NOTES:

“TheSnakez/(LaBiscia)fromComparetti,25,Monferrato,Piedmont

TheluxuriantstoryfromTheFacetiousNights(III,3)aboutBiancabellaandthe

serpent,oneofStraparola，sfinest,isheretold,onthecontrary,inbarerustic

simplicity,inthemidstofmeadowsreadyforamowing,fruits,andseasonsThe

episodeofthepomegranatetreewithitsfruitthatcannotbepluckedwasaddedby

metofilloutasomewhatsketchypassageinthePiedmonteseversionItookitfrom

aTuscanvariant(Gradi),basedonmotifsfromthistaleandothers,where

supernaturalhelpcomesfromaredandgoldfish

Copyright:ItalianFolktalesSelectedandRetoldbyItaloCalvino,

translatedbyGeorgeMartin,

PantheonBooks,NewYork1980

蛇

有一個農夫每天都到田里去除草，到了中午，他的三個女兒輪流給他送飯。一天大女兒來送

飯，穿過樹林的時候，她因為走累了，就坐在一塊石頭上休息。剛一坐下，就聽到地下發(fā)出

一聲巨大的敲擊聲，一條蛇從石頭下邊鉆了出來。姑娘嚇得扔下盛飯的籃子，大喊救命，逃

走了。結果，那天爸爸一整天都餓著肚子，晚上回到家里，狠狠地訓斥了三個女兒。

第二天，輪到二女兒去送飯。她也坐在那塊石頭上休息，也看見了那條蛇，也嚇得逃走了。

于是三女兒說：“我去，我去！我不怕?！彼龓チ藘苫@子食物，當她聽見聲響看到蛇鉆出

來的時候，就遞給它一籃子食物。蛇對她說：“把我?guī)Щ啬慵?，我會給你帶來好運?！迸?/p>

就把它藏在圍裙里，給田里的爸爸送去另一份午餐后，回到了家，把蛇放在自己的床下。蛇

一天天長大，不能再待在床下了。它要離開了，走之前，它送給姑娘三個法寶作為報答：當

姑娘哭的時候，掉下來的眼淚會變成一串串珍珠和銀子；笑的時候，會從頭上掉下來一粒粒

的金石榴籽；洗手的時候，會從她的手指間掉出各種各樣的魚。

一天，家里什么吃的也沒有了，父親和姐姐們餓得無精打采的。三女兒突然試著洗洗手，果

然，臉盆里立即游滿了魚。兩個姐姐心生嫉妒，硬說這里面一定有什么邪術，讓父親最好把

她關在閣樓上。

姑娘從閣樓的窗戶，可以看見王宮的花園，國王的兒子正在花園里踢球。踢著踢著，一不小

心，王子滑倒了，摔了個屁股蹲。姑娘禁不住大笑起來。她一笑，一粒粒的金石榴籽像雨點

般落了下去。王子弄不清這些金石榴籽是從哪里掉下來的，因為姑娘很快關上了窗戶。

第二天，王子又來到花園踢球，他發(fā)現花園中長出一棵石榴樹，石榴樹長得很高，還結出了

果實。王子讓人去摘石榴果，但石榴樹眼看著就長高了，正好就高出一個手掌；怎么夠也夠

不到?？吹饺藗冞B一片樹葉也摘不到，國王就召集身邊的幾位智者，讓他們搞清楚這棵樹到

底有什么魔力。其中一位年紀最大的老智者說，只有一個姑娘才能把這些石榴果摘下來，而

這個姑娘將會成為王子的新娘。

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國王立即派人貼出布告，讓每個待嫁的姑娘都到王宮花園來試著摘石榴，違令者斬首。結果,

各家各戶的姑娘都來了，可是不論她們用多高的梯子，都夠不到果子。農夫的兩個大女兒也

來了，但很快就從梯子上摔了下來。國王又派人繼續(xù)到各家去搜尋，看有沒有遺漏的姑娘，

這樣，被關在閣樓上的姑娘就被找到了。她剛被送到樹旁，樹枝就垂下來，把石榴果送到她

的手上。所有人都驚奇地大叫：“她就是新娘！她就是新娘！”其中，王子叫得最歡。

婚禮已經準備就緒，一直就懷著妒意的兩個姐姐也被邀請去參加婚禮。姐妹三人坐同一輛馬

車進宮。馬車穿過一處森林時，停了下來。兩個姐姐讓小妹下車，砍下她的雙手，挖出她的

雙眼，把她當作死人扔在了樹叢中。而大姐則穿上新娘的衣服，去見王子。王子看見新娘一

時變得如此丑陋，疑惑不解，但是因為大姐與小妹妹長得有些相像，王子覺得是自己先前看

走眼了。

失去了雙眼、雙手的姑娘在樹林中哭著。這時一個馬夫正好路過，他很同情她，扶她上了自

己的驢背，好把她帶回家。姑娘讓馬夫看看地上，只見滿地是姑娘眼淚變成的珍珠和銀子，

馬夫把這些東西拿出去賣了，得了一千多里拉。這樣，雖然姑娘沒有雙手、雙眼，不能干活,

也不能照顧家，但生活得還算滿意。

有一天，姑娘感覺到有一條蛇纏在她的一條腿上，這正是她的老朋友，那條她曾照顧