stories to tell to children-第21节

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He　whisked　off；　and　the　child　waited。



Presently　a　wren　came　hopping　by。



〃Are　you　my　brother？〃　asked　the　child。



〃No；　indeed！〃　said　the　wren。　　〃What

impertinence！　　You　will　find　no　tidier　person　than

I　in　the　whole　garden。　　Not　a　feather　is　out　of

place；　and　my　eggs　are　the　wonder　of　all　for

smoothness　and　beauty。　　Brother；　indeed！〃

He　hopped　off；　ruffling　his　feathers；　and　the

child　waited。



By…and…by　a　large　Tommy　Cat　came　along。



〃Are　you　my　brother？〃　asked　the　child。



〃Go　and　look　at　yourself　in　the　glass；〃　said

the　Tommy　Cat　haughtily；　〃and　you　will　have

your　answer。　　I　have　been　washing　myself　in

the　sun　all　the　morning；　while　it　is　clear　that　no

water　has　come　near　you　for　a　long　time。　　There

are　no　such　creatures　as　you　in　my　family；　I　am

humbly　thankful　to　say。〃



He　walked　on；　waving　his　tail；　and　the　child

waited。



Presently　a　pig　came　trotting　along。



The　child　did　not　wish　to　ask　the　pig　if　he　were

his　brother；　but　the　pig　did　not　wait　to　be　asked。



〃Hallo；　brother！〃　he　grunted。



〃I　am　not　your　brother！〃　said　the　child。



〃Oh　yes；　you　are！〃　said　the　pig。　　〃I　confess

I　am　not　proud　of　you；　but　there　is　no　mistaking

the　members　of　our　family。　　Come　along；　and

have　a　good　roll　in　the　barnyard！　　There　is

some　lovely　black　mud　there。〃



〃I　don't　like　to　roll　in　mud！〃　said　the　child。



〃Tell　that　to　the　hens！〃　said　the　Pig　Brother。

〃Look　at　your　hands　and　your　shoes；　and　your

pinafore！　　Come　along；　I　say！　　You　may　have

some　of　the　pig…wash　for　supper；　if　there　is　more

than　I　want。〃



〃I　don't　want　pig…wash！〃　said　the　child；　and

he　began　to　cry。



Just　then　the　Tidy　Angel　came　out。



〃I　have　set　everything　to　rights；〃　she　said；

〃and　so　it　must　stay。　　Now；　will　you　go　with

the　Pig　Brother；　or　will　you　come　back　with　me；

and　be　a　tidy　child？〃



〃With　you；　with　you！〃　cried　the　child；　and

he　clung　to　the　Angel's　dress。



The　Pig　Brother　grunted。



〃Small　loss！〃　he　said。　　〃There　will　be　all　

the　more　wash　for　me！〃　　And　he　trotted　off。







THE　CAKE＇1＇



＇1＇　From　The　Golden　Windows；　by　Laura　E　Richards。　　（H。　R。

Allenson　Ltd。　2s　6d。　net。）





A　child　quarrelled　with　his　brother　one　day

about　a　cake。



〃It　is　my　cake！〃　said　the　child。



〃No；　it　is　mine！〃　said　his　brother。



〃You　shall　not　have　it！〃　said　the　child。

〃Give　it　to　me　this　minute！〃　　And　he　fell　upon

his　brother　and　beat　him。



Just　then　came　by　an　Angel　who　knew　the

child。



〃Who　is　this　that　you　are　beating？〃　asked

the　Angel。



〃It　is　my　brother；〃　said　the　child。



〃No；　but　truly；〃　said　the　Angel；　〃who　is

it？〃



〃It　is　my　brother；　I　tell　you！〃　said　the　child。



〃Oh　no；〃　said　the　Angel；　〃that　cannot　be；

and　it　seems　a　pity　for　you　to　tell　an　untruth；

because　that　makes　spots　on　your　soul。　　If　it

were　your　brother；　you　would　not　beat　him。〃



〃But　he　has　my　cake！〃　said　the　child。



〃Oh；〃　said　the　Angel；　〃now　I　see　my

mistake。　　You　mean　that　the　cake　is　your　brother；

and　that　seems　a　pity；　too；　for　it　does　not　look

like　a　very　good　cake；and；　besides；　it　is　all

crumbled　to　pieces。〃







THE　PIED　PIPER　OF　HAMELIN　TOWN＇1＇



＇1＇　From　traditions；　with　rhymes　from　Browning's　The　Pied

Piper　of　Hamelin。





Once　I　made　a　pleasure　trip　to　a　country

called　Germany；　and　I　went　to　a　funny　little

town；　where　all　the　streets　ran　uphill。　　At　the

top　there　was　a　big　mountain；　steep　like　the

roof　of　a　house；　and　at　the　bottom　there　was　a

big　river；　broad　and　slow。　　And　the　funniest

thing　about　the　little　town　was　that　all　the　shops

had　the　same　thing　in　them；　bakers'　shops；

grocers'　shops；　everywhere　we　went　we　saw　the

same　thing；big　chocolate　rats；　rats　and　mice；

made　out　of　chocolate。　　We　were　so　surprised

that　after　a　while；　〃Why　do　you　have　rats　in

your　shops？〃　we　asked。



〃Don't　you　know　this　is　Hamelin　town？〃

they　said。　　〃What　of　that？〃　said　we。　　〃Why；

Hamelin　town　is　where　the　Pied　Piper　came；〃

they　told　us；　〃surely　you　know　about　the　Pied

Piper？〃　　〃WHAT　about　the　Pied　Piper？〃　we

said。　　And　this　is　what　they　told　us　about

him。



It　seems　that　once；　long；　long　ago；　that　little

town　was　dreadfully　troubled　with　rats。　　The

houses　were　full　of　them；　the　shops　were　full　of　

them；　the　churches　were　full　of　them；　they　were

EVERYWHERE。　　The　people　were　all　but　eaten　out

of　house　and　home。　　Those　rats；



　They　fought　the　dogs　and　killed　the　cats；

　　　　　　And　bit　the　babies　in　the　cradles；

　　　　　　And　ate　the　cheeses　out　of　the　vats；

　And　licked　the　soup　from　the　cooks'　own　ladles；

　Split　open　the　kegs　of　salted　sprats；

　Made　nests　inside　men's　Sunday　hats；

　And　even　spoiled　the　women's　chats

　　　　　　By　drowning　their　speaking

　　　　　　With　shrieking　and　squeaking

　In　fifty　different　sharps　and　flats！





At　last　it　got　so　bad　that　the　people　simply

couldn't　stand　it　any　longer。　　So　they　all　came

together　and　went　to　the　town　hall；　and　they

said　to　the　Mayor　（you　know　what　a　mayor　is？）；

〃See　here；　what　do　we　pay　you　your　salary　for？

What　are　you　good　for；　if　you　can't　do　a　little

thing　like　getting　rid　of　these　rats？　　You　must

go　to　work　and　clear　the　town　of　them；　find

the　remedy　that's　lacking；　orwe'll　send　you

packing！〃



Well；　the　poor　Mayor　was　in　a　terrible　way。

What　to　do　he　didn't　know。　　He　sat　with　his

head　in　his　hands；　and　thought　and　thought　and

thought。



Suddenly　there　came　a　little　rat…tat　at　the

door。　　Oh！　how　the　Mayor　jumped！　　His　poor

old　heart　went　pit…a…pat　at　anything　like　the　

sound　of　a　rat。　　But　it　was　only　the　scraping　of

shoes　on　the　mat。　　So　the　Mayor　sat　up；　and

said；　〃Come　in！〃



And　in　came　the　strangest　figure！　　It　was　a

man；　very　tall　and　very　thin；　with　a　sharp　chin

and　a　mouth　where　the　smiles　went　out　and　in；

and　two　blue　eyes；　each　like　a　pin；　and　he　was

dressed　half　in　red　and　half　in　yellowhe　really

was　the　strangest　fellow！and　round　his　neck

he　had　a　long　red　and　yellow　ribbon；　and　on　it

was　hung　a　thing　something　like　a　flute；　and

his　fingers　went　straying　up　and　down　it　as　if

he　wanted　to　be　playing。



He　came　up　to　the　Mayor　and　said；　〃I　hear

you　are　troubled　with　rats　in　this　town。〃



〃I　should　say　we　were；〃　groaned　the　Mayor。



〃Would　you　like　to　get　rid　of　them？　　I　can

do　it　for　you。〃



〃You　can？〃　cried　the　Mayor。　　〃How？　　Who

are　you？〃



〃Men　call　me　the　Pied　Piper；〃　said　the　man；

〃and　I　know　a　way　to　draw　after　me　everything

that　walks；　or　flies；　or　swims。　　What

will　you　give　me　if　I　rid　your　town　of　rats？〃



〃Anything；　anything；〃　said　the　Mayor。　　〃I

don't　believe　you　can　do　it；　but　if　you　can；　I'll

give　you　a　thousand　guineas。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　the　Piper；　〃it　is　a　bargain。〃



And　then　he　went　to　the　door　and　stepped

out　into　the　street　and　stood；　and　put　the　long

flute…like　thing　to　his　lips；　and　began　to　play　a

little　tune。　　A　strange；　high；　little　tune。　　And

before



　　　　　　three　shrill　notes　the　pipe　uttered；

　You　heard　as　if　an　army　muttered；

　And　the　muttering　grew　to　a　grumbling；

　And　the　grumbling　grew　to　a　mighty　rumbling；

　And　out　of　the　houses　the　rats　came　tumbling　I

　Great　rats；　small　rats；　lean　rats；　brawny　rats；

　Brown　rats；　black　rats；　gray　rats；　tawny　rats；

　Grave　old　plodders；　gay　young　friskers；

　Fathers；　mothers；　uncles；　cousins；

　Cocking　tails　and　pricking　whiskers；

　Families　by　tens　and　dozens；

　Brothers；　sisters；　husbands；　wives

　Followed　the　Piper　for　their　lives！





From　street　to　street　he　piped；　advancing；

from　street　to　street　they　followed；　dancing。

Up　one　street　and　down　another；　till　they　came

to　the　edge　of　the　big　river；　and　there　the　piper

turned　sharply　about　and　stepped　aside；　and　all

those　rats　tumbled　hurry　skurry；　head　over　heels；

down　the　bank　into　the　river　ANDWERE

DROWNED。　　Every　single　one。　　No；　there　was

one　big　old　fat　rat；　he　was　so　fat　he　didn't

sink；　and　he　swam　across；　and　ran　away　to　tell

the　tale。



Then　the　Piper　came　back　to　the　town　hall。

And　all　the　people　were　waving　their　hats　and

shouting　for　joy。　　The　Mayor　said　they　would

have　a　big　celebration；　and　build　a　tremendous　

bonfire　in　the　middle　of　the　town。　　He　asked

the　Piper　to　stay　and　see　the　bonfire；very

politely。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Piper；　〃that　will　be　very

nice；　but　first；　if　you　please；　I　should　like　my

thousand　guineas。〃



〃H'm；erahem！〃　said　the　Mayor。　　〃You

mean　that　little　joke　of　mine；　of　course　that

was　a　joke。〃　　（You　see　it　is　always　harder　to

pay　for　a　thing　when　you　no　longer　need　it。）



〃I　do　not　joke；〃　said　the　Piper　very　quietly；

〃my　thousand　guineas；　if　you　please。〃



〃Oh；　come；　now；〃　said　the　Mayor；　〃you

know　very　well　it　wasn't　worth　sixpence　to

play　a　little　tune　like　that；　call　it　one　guinea；

and　let　it　go　at　that。〃



〃A　bargain　is　a　bargain；〃　said　the　Piper；

〃for