英语讲故事比赛

TheFoxandtheHorse

JacobandWilhelmGrimm

Apeasanthadafaithfulhorsewhichhadgrownoldandcoulddonomorework,sohismasternolongerwantedtogivehimanythingtoeatandsaid,Icancertainlymakenomoreuseofyou,butstillImeanwellbyyou,andifyouproveyourselfstillstrongenoughtobringmealionhere,Iwillmaintainyou.Butfornowgetoutofmystable.Andwiththathechasedhimintotheopenfield.

Thehorsewassad,andwenttotheforesttoseekalittleprotectiontherefromtheweather.Therethefoxmethimandsaid,Whydoyouhangyourheadso,andgoaboutallalone?

Alas,repliedthehorse,greedandloyaltydonotdwelltogetherinonehouse.MymasterhasforgottenwhatservicesIhaveperformedforhimforsomanyyears,andbecauseIcannolongerplowwell,hewillgivemenomorefood,andhasdrivenmeout.

Withoutgivingyouachance?askedthefox.

Thechancewasabadone.Hesaid,ifIwerestillstrongenoughtobringhimalion,hewouldkeepme,buthewellknowsthatIcannotdothat.

Thefoxsaid,Iwillhelpyou.Justliedown,stretchoutasifyouweredead,anddonotstir.

Thehorsedidwhatthefoxasked,andthenthefoxwenttothelion,whohadhisdennotfaroff,andsaid,Adeadhorseislyingoutthere.Justcomewithme,andyoucanhavearichmeal.

Thelionwentwithhim,andwhentheywerebothstandingbythehorsethefoxsaid,Afterall,itisnotverycomfortableforyouhere——Itellyouwhat——Iwillfastenittoyoubythetail,andthenyoucandragitintoyourcaveandeatitinpeace.

Thisadvicepleasedthelion.Hepositionedhimself,andinorderthatthefoxmighttiethehorsefasttohim,hekeptcompletelyquiet.Butthefoxtiedthelion'slegstogetherwiththehorse'stail,andtwistedandfastenedeverythingsowellandsostronglythatnoamountofstrengthcouldpullitloose.Whenhehadfinishedhiswork,hetappedthehorseontheshoulderandsaid,Pull,whitehorse,pull!

Thenupsprangthehorseatonce,andpulledthelionawaywithhim.Thelionbegantoroarsothatallthebirdsintheforestflewupinterror,butthehorselethimroar,anddrewhimanddraggedhimacrossthefieldtohismaster'sdoor.Whenthemastersawthelion,hewasofabettermind,andsaidtothehorse,Youshallstaywithmeandfarewell.Andhegavehimplentytoeatuntilhedied.

一个农夫有一匹勤勤恳恳、任劳任怨为他干活的马,但这匹马现在已经老了,干活也不行了,所以农夫不想再给马吃东西。他对马说:“我再也用不着你了,你自己离开马厩走吧,到你比一头狮子更强壮时,我自然会把你牵回来的。”

说完,他打开门,让马自己去谋生去了。

这匹可怜的马非常悲哀,它在森林里茫无目标地到处徘徊,寒风夹着细雨,更增加了它的痛楚,它想寻找一个小小的避雨处。不久,它遇到了一只狐狸,狐狸问它:“我的好朋友,你怎么了?为甚么垂头丧气,一副孤苦伶仃、愁眉苦脸的样子呢?”马叹了一口气回答说:“哎——!公正和吝啬不能住在一间房子里。我的主人完全忘了我这许多年为他辛辛苦苦所干的一切,因为我不能再干活了,他就把我赶了出来,说除非我变得比一头狮子更强壮,他才会重新收留我。我有这样的能力吗?其实,主人是知道我没有这样的能力的,要不然,他也不会这样说了。”

狐狸听了之后,要它别愁了,只管放心,说道:“我来帮助你,你躺在那儿,把身子伸直,装做死了的样子,我自有办法。”马按狐狸的吩咐做了。狐狸跑到狮子住的洞口边,对狮子说:“狮子大王,有条小路上躺着一匹死马,我们一同去,你可以作一顿很不错的午餐来享受哩。”狮子听了非常高兴,立即就动身了。

它们来到马躺的地方,狐狸说:“在这儿你吃不完它,我告诉你怎么办:先让我把它的尾巴牢牢地绑在你的身上,然后你就能够将它拖回你的洞穴去慢慢地享用了。”狮子对这个建议很欣赏。於是它一动不动地躺下来,让狐狸把它绑在马背上。但狐狸却设法将它的腿捆在一起,用最大的力气把狮子牢牢地捆作一团,狮子没法挣脱束缚了。

一切料理完毕,狐狸拍了拍马的肩背说道:“起来吧!老马头,你可以走了!”那匹马跳起来,把狮子拖在尾巴后面离开了。狮子知道上了狐狸的当,开始咆哮吼叫起来,巨大的吼声把树上所有的鸟儿都吓得飞走了。但老马随便它怎么叫,只管自己慢慢悠悠地走过田野,终於把狮子拖到了主人的屋里。

它对主人说:“主人,狮子在这儿,我把它料理妥当了。”当主人看见它的这匹老马后,对它产生了怜悯之心,说道:“你就住在马厩里吧,我会好好待你的。”於是,这匹可怜的老马又有了吃的东西,主人一直供养它到死去。