stories to tell to children-第30节

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She　sank　beneath　it；　to　the　ground。



〃Take　thy　reward；〃　said　the　next；　and　his

shield　rang　against　the　first。



〃Thy　reward；〃　said　the　nextand　the　next

and　the　nextand　the　next；　every　man　wore

his　shield　on　his　left　arm。



So　Tarpeia　lay　buried　beneath　the　reward

she　had　claimed；　and　the　Sabines　marched　past

her　dead　body；　into　the　city　she　had　betrayed。







THE　BUCKWHEAT＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Hans　Christian　Andersen。





Down　by　the　river　were　fields　of　barley　and

rye　and　golden　oats。　　Wheat　grew　there；　too；

and　the　heaviest　and　richest　ears　bent　lowest；

in　humility。　　Opposite　the　corn　was　a　field　of

buckwheat；　but　the　buckwheat　never　bent；　it

held　its　head　proud　and　stiff　on　the　stem。



The　wise　old　willow…tree　by　the　river　looked

down　on　the　fields；　and　thought　his　thoughts。



One　day　a　dreadful　storm　came。　　The　field…

flowers　folded　their　leaves　together；　and　bowed

their　heads。　　But　the　buckwheat　stood　straight

and　proud。



〃Bend　your　head；　as　we　do；〃　called　the　field…

flowers。



〃I　have　no　need　to；〃　said　the　buckwheat。



〃Bend　your　head；　as　we　do！〃　warned　the

golden　wheat…ears；　〃the　angel　of　the　storm　is

coming；　he　will　strike　you　down。〃



〃I　will　not　bend　my　head；〃　said　the　buckwheat。



Then　the　old　willow…tree　spoke：　　〃Close　your

flowers　and　bend　your　leaves。　　Do　not　look　at

the　lightning　when　the　cloud　bursts。　　Even　men

cannot　do　that；　the　sight　of　heaven　would　strike

them　blind。　　Much　less　can　we　who　are　so

inferior　to　them！〃



〃‘Inferior；'　indeed！〃　said　the　buckwheat。

〃Now　I　WILL　look！〃　　And　he　looked　straight

up；　while　the　lightning　flashed　across　the　sky。



When　the　dreadful　storm　had　passed；　the

flowers　and　the　wheat　raised　their　drooping

heads；　clean　and　refreshed　in　the　pure；　sweet

air。　　The　willow…tree　shook　the　gentle　drops

from　its　leaves。



But　the　buckwheat　lay　like　a　weed　in　the

field；　scorched　black　by　the　lightning。







THE　JUDGMENT　OF　MIDAS＇1＇



＇1＇　Adapted　from　Old　Greek　Folk…Stories；　by　Josephine　Preston

Peabody。　　（Harrap　&　Co。　　9d。）





The　Greek　God　Pan；　the　god　of　the　open　air；

was　a　great　musician。　　He　played　on　a　pipe　of

reeds。　　And　the　sound　of　his　reed…pipe　was　so

sweet　that　he　grew　proud；　and　believed　himself

greater　than　the　chief　musician　of　the　gods；

Apollo；　the　son…god。　　So　he　challenged　great

Apollo　to　make　better　music　than　he。



Apollo　consented　to　the　test；　for　he　wished　to

punish　Pan's　vanity；　and　they　chose　the　mountain

Tmolus　for　judge；　since　no　one　is　so　old　and

wise　as　the　hills。



When　Pan　and　Apollo　came　before　Tmolus；

to　play；　their　followers　came　with　them；　to　hear；

and　one　of　those　who　came　with　Pan　was　a

mortal　named　Midas。



First　Pan　played；　he　blew　on　his　reed…pipe；

and　out　came　a　tune　so　wild　and　yet　so　coaxing

that　the　birds　hopped　from　the　trees　to　get　near；

the　squirrels　came　running　from　their　holes；

and　the　very　trees　swayed　as　if　they　wanted　to

dance。　　The　fauns　laughed　aloud　for　joy　as　the

melody　tickled　their　furry　little　ears。　　And

Midas　thought　it　the　sweetest　music　in　the

world。



Then　Apollo　rose。　　His　hair　shook　drops　of

light　from　its　curls；　his　robes　were　like　the

edge　of　the　sunset　cloud；　in　his　hands　he　held

a　golden　lyre。　　And　when　he　touched　the

strings　of　the　lyre；　such　music　stole　upon　the

air　as　never　god　nor　mortal　heard　before。　　The

wild　creatures　of　the　wood　crouched　still　as

stone；　the　trees　kept　every　leaf　from　rustling；

earth　and　air　were　silent　as　a　dream。　　To　hear

such　music　cease　was　like　bidding　farewell　to

father　and　mother。



When　the　charm　was　broken；　the　hearers

fell　at　Apollo's　feet　and　proclaimed　the　victory

his。　　All　but　Midas。　　He　alone　would　not

admit　that　the　music　was　better　than　Pan's。



〃If　thine　ears　are　so　dull；　mortal；〃　said

Apollo；　〃they　shall　take　the　shape　that　suits

them。〃　　And　he　touched　the　ears　of　Midas。

And　straightway　the　dull　ears　grew　long；

pointed；　and　furry；　and　they　turned　this　way

and　that。　　They　were　the　ears　of　an　ass！



For　a　long　time　Midas　managed　to　hide

the　tell…tale　ears　from　everyone；　but　at　last　a

servant　discovered　the　secret。　　He　knew　he

must　not　tell；　yet　he　could　not　bear　not　to；

so　one　day　he　went　into　the　meadow；　scooped

a　little　hollow　in　the　turf；　and　whispered　the

secret　into　the　earth。　　Then　he　covered　it　up

again；　and　went　away。　　But；　alas；　a　bed　of

reeds　sprang　up　from　the　spot；　and　whispered

the　secret　to　the　grass。　　The　grass　told　it　to

the　tree…tops；　the　tree…tops　to　the　little　birds；

and　they　cried　it　all　abroad。



And　to　this　day；　when　the　wind　sets　the

reeds　nodding　together；　they　whisper；　laughing；

〃Midas　has　the　ears　of　an　ass！　　Oh；　hush；

hush！〃







WHY　THE　SEA　IS　SALT＇1＇



＇1＇　There　are　many　versions　of　this　tale；　in　different

collections。　　This　one　is　the　story　which　grew　up　in　my　mind；

about　the　bare　outline　related　to　me　by　one　of　Mrs　Rutan's

hearers。　　What　the　original　teller　said；　I　never　knew；　but

what　the　listener　felt　was　clear。　　And　in　this　form　I　have

told　it　a　great　many　times。





Once　there　were　two　brothers。　　One　was

rich；　and　one　was　poor；　the　rich　one　was

rather　mean。　　When　the　Poor　Brother　used

to　come　to　ask　for　things　it　annoyed　him；　and

finally　one　day　he　said；　〃There；　I'll　give　it　to

you　this　time；　but　the　next　time　you　want

anything；　you　can　go　Below　for　it！〃



Presently　the　Poor　Brother　did　want　something；

and　he　knew　it　wasn't　any　use　to　go　to

his　brother；　he　must　go　Below　for　it。　　So　he

went；　and　he　went；　and　he　went；　till　he　came

Below。



It　was　the　queerest　place！　　There　were　red

and　yellow　fires　burning　all　around；　and　kettles

of　boiling　oil　hanging　over　them；　and　a　queer

sort　of　men　standing　round；　poking　the　fires。

There　was　a　Chief　Man；　he　had　a　long　curly

tail　that　curled　up　behind；　and　two　ugly　little

horns　just　over　his　ears；　and　one　foot　was　very

queer　indeed。　　And　as　soon　as　anyone　came

in　the　door；　these　men　would　catch　him　up

and　put　him　over　one　of　the　fires；　and　turn

him　on　a　spit。　　And　then　the　Chief　Man；　who

was　the　worst　of　all；　would　come　and　say；

〃Eh；　how　do　you　feel　now？　　How　do　you

feel　now？〃　　And　of　course　the　poor　people

screamed　and　screeched　and　said；　〃Let　us　out！

Let　us　out！〃　　That　was　just　what　the　Chief

Man　wanted。



When　the　Poor　Brother　came　in；　they　picked

him　up　at　once；　and　put　him　over　one　of　the

hottest　fires；　and　began　to　turn　him　round　and

round　like　the　rest；　and　of　course　the　Chief

Man　came　up　to　him　and　said；　〃Eh；　how　do

you　feel　now？　　How　do　you　feel　now？〃　　But

the　Poor　Brother　did　not　say；　〃Let　me　out！

Let　me　out！〃　　He　said；　〃Pretty　well；　thank

you。〃



The　Chief　Man　grunted　and　said　to　the

other　men；　〃Make　the　fire　hotter。〃　　But　the

next　time　he　asked　the　Poor　Brother　how　he

felt；　the　Poor　Brother　smiled　and　said。　　〃Much

better　now；　thank　you。〃　　The　Chief　Man　did

not　like　this　at　all；　because；　of　course；　the　whole

object　in　life　of　the　people　Below　was　to　make

their　victims　uncomfortable。　　So　he　piled　on

more　fuel　and　made　the　fire　hotter　still。　　But

every　time　he　asked　the　Poor　Brother　how　he

felt；　the　Poor　Brother　would　say；　〃Very　much

better〃；　and　at　last　he　said；　〃Perfectly

comfortable；　thank　you；　couldn't　be　better。〃



You　see　when　the　Poor　Brother　was　on

earth　he　had　never　once　had　money　enough

to　buy　coal　enough　to　keep　him　warm；　so　he

liked　the　heat。



At　last　the　Chief　Man　could　stand　it　no

longer。



〃Oh；　look　here；〃　he　said；　〃you　can　go

home。〃



〃Oh　no；　thank　you；〃　said　the　Poor　Brother；

〃I　like　it　here。〃



〃You　MUST　go　home；〃　said　the　Chief　Man



〃But　I　won't　go　home；〃　said　the　Poor

Brother。



The　Chief　Man　went　away　and　talked　with

the　other　men；　but　no　matter　what　they　did

they　could　not　make　the　Poor　Brother　uncomfortable；

so　at　last　the　Chief　Man　came　back

and　said；



〃What'll　you　take　to　go　home？〃



〃What　have　you　got？〃　said　the　Poor

Brother。



〃Well；〃　said　the　Chief　Man；　〃if　you'll　go

home　quietly　I'll　give　you　the　Little　Mill　that

stands　behind　my　door。〃



〃What's　the　good　of　it？〃　said　the　Poor

Brother。



〃It　is　the　most　wonderful　mill　in　the　world；〃

said　the　Chief　Man。　　〃Anything　at　all　that　you

want；　you　have　only　to　name　it；　and　say；　‘Grind

this；　Little　Mill；　and　grind　quickly；'　and　the

Mill　will　grind　that　thing　until　you　say　the

magic　word；　to　stop　it。〃



〃That　sounds　nice；〃　said　the　Poor　Brother。

〃I'll　take　it。〃　　And　he　took　the　Little　Mill

under　his　arm；　and　went　up；　and　up；　and　up；

till　he　came　to　his　own　house。



When　he　was　in　front　of　his　little　old　hut；　he

put　the　Little　Mill　down　on　the　ground　and

said　to　it；　〃Grind　a　fine　house；　Little　Mill；　and

grind　quickly。〃　　And　the　Little　Mill　ground；

and　ground；　and　ground　the　finest　house　that

ever　was　seen。　　It