英语小故事（要作者）

扔掉的亚麻的故事

TheHurds

JacobandWilhelmGrimm

Onceuponatimetherewasagirlwhowasbeautiful,butlazyandnegligent.Whenshehadtospinshewassoilltemperedthatiftherewasalittleknotintheflax,sheatoncepulledoutawholeheapofit,andscattereditaboutonthegroundbesideher.Nowshehadaservantwhowasindustrious,andwhogatheredtogetherthediscardedflax,cleanedit,spunitwell,andhadabeautifuldresswovenoutofitforherself.

Ayoungmanhadcourtedthelazygirl,andtheweddingwasabouttotakeplace.Ontheeveofthewedding,theindustriousgirlwasdancingmerrilyaboutinherbeautifuldress,andthebridesaid,

Ach,watkanndasM??kenspringen

inminenSlickerlingen!

Ah,howthatgirlcanjumpabout,

inmyhurds!

Thebridegroomheardthis,andaskedthebridewhatshemeantbyit.Soshetoldhimthatthegirlwaswearingadressmadefromtheflaxwhichshehadthrownaway.Whenthebridegroomheardthis,andsawhowlazyshewas,andhowindustriousthepoorgirlwas,hegaveherupandwenttotheothergirl,andchoseherashiswife.

从前有位姑娘长得很漂亮,但很懒惰又马虎。如果叫她纺织,她总是心浮意躁,麻里有个小结,她就会扯掉一大堆麻,扔在身边的地上。有一个勤快的丫头,把摔掉的麻收拢来,洗乾净,又精心地纺了一遍,用它织成了一件漂亮的衣服。一个年轻人向那懒姑娘求婚,他们很快就要举行婚礼了。在结婚的前一晚,那勤快的丫头穿着她那美丽的衣服,高兴地来他家跳舞,新娘说:

“啊呀,那丫头穿着我不要的东西,

竟来堂而皇之地跳舞!“

新郎听见了,很是迷惑,问新娘说这话是甚么意思。於是她跟他说,那女孩穿的衣服,是她扔掉的麻织成的。新郎听到这话,晓得她懒,而那穷女孩勤快,就毫不犹豫地撇下了她,走到了那勤快的姑娘跟前,选了她做了自己的妻子。