how to tell stories to children-第7节

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ee　where　they　were。　　And　he　pounced　on　them；　killed　them；　and　gobbled　them　up。

He　did　this　so　often　that　at　last　there　was　not　a　single　thing　left　alive　in　the　jungle　besides　the　Lion；　except　two　little　Jackals；　a　little　father　Jackal　and　a　little　mother　Jackal。

They　had　run　away　so　many　times　that　they　were　quite　thin　and　very　tired；　and　they　could　not　run　so　fast　any　more。　　And　one　day　the　Lion　was　so　near　that　the　little　mother　Jackal　grew　frightened；　she　said；

〃Oh；　Father　Jackal；　Father　Jackal！　I　b'lieve　our　time　has　come！　the　Lion　will　surely　catch　us　this　time！〃

〃Pooh！　nonsense；　mother！〃　said　the　little　father　Jackal。　　〃Come；　we'll　run　on　a　bit！〃

And　they　ran；　ran；　ran　very　fast；　and　the　Lion　did　not　catch　them　that　time。

But　at　last　a　day　came　when　the　Lion　was　nearer　still　and　the　little　mother　Jackal　was　frightened　about　to　death。

〃Oh；　Father　Jackal；　Father　Jackal！〃　she　cried；　〃I'm　sure　our　time　has　come！　The　Lion's　going　to　eat　us　this　time！〃

〃Now；　mother；　don't　you　fret；〃　said　the　little　father　Jackal；　〃you　do　just　as　I　tell　you；　and　it　will　be　all　right。〃

Then　what　did　those　cunning　little　Jackals　do　but　take　hold　of　hands　and　run　up　towards　the　Lion；　as　if　they　had　meant　　to　come　all　the　time。　　When　he　saw　them　coming　he　stood　up；　and　roared　in　a　terrible　voice；

〃You　miserable　little　wretches；　come　here　and　be　eaten；　at　once！　　Why　didn't　you　come　before？〃

The　father　Jackal　bowed　very　low。

〃Indeed；　Father　Lion；〃　he　said；　〃we　meant　to　come　before；　we　knew　we　ought　to　come　before；　and　we　wanted　to　come　before；　but　every　time　we　started　to　come；　a　dreadful　great　lion　came　out　of　the　woods　and　roared　at　us；　and　frightened　us　so　that　we　ran　away。〃

〃What　do　you　mean？〃　roared　the　Lion。　〃There's　no　other　lion　in　this　jungle；　and　you　know　it！〃

〃Indeed；　indeed；　Father　Lion；〃　said　the　little　Jackal；　〃I　know　that　is　what　everybody　thinks；　but　indeed　and　indeed　there　is　another　lion！　　And　he　is　as　much　bigger　than　you　as　you　are　bigger　than　I！　　His　face　is　much　more　terrible；　and　his　roar　far；　far　more　dreadful。　　Oh；　he　is　far　more　fearful　than　you！〃

At　that　the　Lion　stood　up　and　roared　so　that　the　jungle　shook。

〃Take　me　to　this　lion；〃　he　said；　〃I'll　eat　him　up　and　then　I'll　eat　you　up。〃

The　little　Jackals　danced　on　ahead；　and　the　Lion　stalked　behind。　　They　led　him　to　a　place　where　there　was　a　round；　deep　well　of　clear　water。　　They　went　round　on　one　side　of　it；　and　the　Lion　stalked　up　to　the　other。

〃He　lives　down　there；　Father　Lion！〃　said　the　little　Jackal。　　〃He　lives　down　there！〃

The　Lion　came　close　and　looked　down　into　the　water；and　a　lion's　face　looked　back　at　him　out　of　the　water！

When　he　saw　that；　the　Lion　roared　and　shook　his　mane　and　showed　his　teeth。　　And　the　lion　in　the　water　shook　his　mane　and　showed　his　teeth。　　The　Lion　above　shook　his　mane　again　and　growled　again；　and　made　a　terrible　face。　　But　the　lion　in　the　water　made　just　as　terrible　a　one；　back。　The　Lion　above　couldn't　stand　that。　　He　leaped　down　into　the　well　after　the　other　lion。

But；　of　course；　as　you　know　very　well；　there　wasn't　any　other　lion！　　It　was　only　the　reflection　in　the　water！

So　the　poor　old　Lion　floundered　about　and　floundered　about；　and　as　he　couldn't　get　up　the　steep　sides　of　the　well；　he　was　drowned　dead。　　And　when　he　was　drowned　the　little　Jackals　took　hold　of　hands　and　danced　round　the　well；　and　sang；

〃The　Lion　is　dead！　The　Lion　is　dead！

〃We　have　killed　the　great　Lion　who　would　have　killed　us！

〃The　Lion　is　dead！　　The　Lion　is　dead！

〃Ao！　Ao！　Ao！〃



THE　COUNTRY　MOUSE　AND　THE　CITY　MOUSE＇1＇

＇1＇　The　following　story　of　the　two　mice；　with　the　similar　fables　of　The　Boy　who　cried　Wolf；　The　Frog　King；　and　The　Sun　and　the　Wind；　are　given　here　with　the　hope　that　they　may　be　of　use　to　the　many　teachers　who　find　the　over…familiar　material　of　the　fables　difficult　to　adapt；　and　who　are　yet　aware　of　the　great　usefulness　of　the　stories　to　young　minds。　　A　certain　degree　of　vividness　and　amplitude　must　be　added　to　the　compact　statement　of　the　famous　collections；　and　yet　it　is　not　wise　to　change　the　style…effect　of　a　fable；　wholly。　　I　venture　to　give　these　versions；　not　as　perfect　models；　surely；　but　as　renderings　which　have　been　acceptable　to　children；　and　which　I　believe　retain　the　original　point　simply　and　strongly。


Once　a　little　mouse　who　lived　in　the　country　invited　a　little　Mouse　from　the　city　to　visit　him。　　When　the　little　City　Mouse　　sat　down　to　dinner　he　was　surprised　to　find　that　the　Country　Mouse　had　nothing　to　eat　except　barley　and　grain。

〃Really；〃　he　said；　〃you　do　not　live　well　at　all；　you　should　see　how　I　live！　　I　have　all　sorts　of　fine　things　to　eat　every　day。　　You　must　come　to　visit　me　and　see　how　nice　it　is　to　live　in　the　city。〃

The　little　Country　Mouse　was　glad　to　do　this；　and　after　a　while　he　went　to　the　city　to　visit　his　friend。

The　very　first　place　that　the　City　Mouse　took　the　Country　Mouse　to　see　was　the　kitchen　cupboard　of　the　house　where　he　lived。　　There；　on　the　lowest　shelf；　behind　some　stone　jars；　stood　a　big　paper　bag　of　brown　sugar。　　The　little　City　Mouse　gnawed　a　hole　in　the　bag　and　invited　his　friend　to　nibble　for　himself。

The　two　little　mice　nibbled　and　nibbled；　and　the　Country　Mouse　thought　he　had　never　tasted　anything　so　delicious　in　his　life。　　He　was　just　thinking　how　lucky　the　City　Mouse　was；　when　suddenly　the　door　opened　with　a　bang；　and　in　came　the　cook　to　get　some　flour。

〃Run！〃　whispered　the　City　Mouse。　And　they　ran　as　fast　as　they　could　to　the　little　hole　where　they　had　come　in。　　The　little　Country　Mouse　was　shaking　all　over　when　they　got　safely　away；　but　the　little　City　Mouse　said；　〃That　is　nothing；　she　will　soon　go　away　and　then　we　can　go　back。〃

After　the　cook　had　gone　away　and　shut　the　door　they　stole　softly　back；　and　this　time　the　City　Mouse　had　something　new　to　show：　he　took　the　little　Country　Mouse　into　a　corner　on　the　top　shelf；　where　a　big　jar　of　dried　prunes　stood　open。　　After　much　tugging　and　pulling　they　got　a　large　dried　prune　out　of　the　jar　on　to　the　shelf　and　began　to　nibble　at　it。　　This　was　even　better　than　the　brown　sugar。　　The　little　Country　Mouse　liked　the　taste　so　much　that　he　could　hardly　nibble　fast　enough。　But　all　at　once；　in　the　midst　of　their　eating；　there　came　a　scratching　at　the　door　and　a　sharp；　loud　MIAOUW！

〃What　is　that？〃　said　the　Country　Mouse。　　The　City　Mouse　just　whispered；　〃Sh！〃　and　ran　as　fast　as　he　could　to　the　hole。　　The　Country　Mouse　ran　after；　you　may　be　sure；　as　fast　as　HE　could。　　As　soon　as　they　were　out　of　danger　the　City　Mouse　　said；　〃That　was　the　old　Cat；　she　is　the　best　mouser　in　town；if　she　once　gets　you；　you　are　lost。〃

〃This　is　very　terrible；〃　said　the　little　Country　Mouse；　〃let　us　not　go　back　to　the　cupboard　again。〃

〃No；〃　said　the　City　Mouse；　〃I　will　take　you　to　the　cellar；　there　is　something　especial　there。〃

So　the　City　Mouse　took　his　little　friend　down　the　cellar　stairs　and　into　a　big　cupboard　where　there　were　many　shelves。　　On　the　shelves　were　jars　of　butter；　and　cheeses　in　bags　and　out　of　bags。　　Overhead　hung　bunches　of　sausages；　and　there　were　spicy　apples　in　barrels　standing　about。　　It　smelled　so　good　that　it　went　to　the　little　Country　Mouse's　head。　　He　ran　along　the　shelf　and　nibbled　at　a　cheese　here；　and　a　bit　of　butter　there；　until　he　saw　an　especially　rich；　very　delicious…smelling　piece　of　cheese　on　a　queer　little　stand　in　a　corner。　He　was　just　on　the　point　of　putting　his　teeth　into　the　cheese　when　the　City　Mouse　saw　him。

〃Stop！　stop！〃　cried　the　City　Mouse。　〃That　is　a　trap！〃

The　little　Country　Mouse　stopped　and　said；　〃What　is　a　trap？〃

〃That　thing　is　a　trap；〃　said　the　little　City　Mouse。　　〃The　minute　you　touch　the　cheese　with　your　teeth　something　comes　down　on　your　head　hard；　and　you're　dead。〃

The　little　Country　Mouse　looked　at　the　trap；　and　he　looked　at　the　cheese；　and　he　looked　at　the　little　City　Mouse。　　〃If　you'll　excuse　me；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　will　go　home。　　I'd　rather　have　barley　and　grain　to　eat　and　eat　it　in　peace　and　comfort；　than　have　brown　sugar　and　dried　prunes　and　cheese；and　be　frightened　to　death　all　the　time！〃

So　the　little　Country　Mouse　went　back　to　his　home；　and　there　he　stayed　all　the　rest　of　his　life。



LITTLE　JACK　ROLLAROUND＇1＇

＇1＇　Based　on　Theodor　Storm's　story　of　Der　Kleine　Hawelmanu　（George　Westermann；　Braunschweig）。　　Very　freely　adapted　from　the　German　story。


Once　upon　a　time　there　was　a　wee　little　boy　who　slept　in　a　tiny　trundle…bed　near　his　mother's　great　bed。　　The　trundle…bed　had　castors　on　it　so　that　it　could　be　rolled　about；　and　there　was　nothing　in　the　world　the　little　boy　liked　so　much　as　to　have　it　rolled。　　When　his　mother　came　to　bed　he　would　cry；　〃Roll　me　around！　roll　me　around！〃　　And　his　mother　would　put　out　her　hand　from　the　big　bed　and　push　the　little　bed　back　and　forth　till　she　was　tired。　The　little　boy　could　never　get　enough；　so　for　this　he　was　called　〃Little　Jack　Rollaround。〃

One　night　he　had　made　his　mother　roll　him　about；　till　she　fell　asleep；　and　even　then　he　kept　crying；　〃Roll　me　around！　roll　me　around！〃　　His　mother　pushed　him　about　in　her　sleep；　until　she　fell　too　soundly　aslumbering；　then　she　stopped。　　But　Little　Jack　Rollaround　kept　on　crying；　〃Roll　around！　roll　around！〃

By　and　by　the