书城英文图书课外英语-猫和铃(双语版)
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第9章 小红帽

从前有个可爱的小姑娘,谁见了都喜欢,但最喜欢她的是她的外婆,简直是她要什么就给她什么。一次,外婆送给小姑娘一顶用丝绒做的小红帽,戴在她的头上正好合适。从此,姑娘再也不愿意戴任何别的帽子,于是大家便叫她“小红帽”。

一天,妈妈对小红帽说:“来,小红帽,这里有一块蛋糕和一瓶葡萄酒,快给外婆送去,外婆生病了,身子很虚弱,吃了这些就会好一些的。趁着现在天还没有热,赶紧动身吧。在路上要好好走,不要跑,也不要离开大路,否则你会摔跤的,那样外婆就什么也吃不上了。到外婆家的时候,别忘了说“早上好”,也不要一进屋就东瞧西瞅。”

“我会小心的。”小红帽对妈妈说,并且还和妈妈拉手作保证。

外婆住在村子外面的森林里,离小红帽家有很长一段路。小红帽刚走进森林就碰到了一只狼。小红帽不知道狼是坏家伙,所以一点也不怕它。“你好,小红帽,”狼说。“谢谢你,狼先生。”“小红帽,这么早要到哪里去呀?”“我要到外婆家去。”“你那围裙下面有什么呀?”“蛋糕和葡萄酒。昨天我们家烤了一些蛋糕,可怜的外婆生了病,要吃一些好东西才能恢复过来。”“你外婆住在哪里呀,小红帽?”“进了林子还有一段路呢。她的房子就在三棵大橡树下,低处围着核桃树篱笆。你一定知道的。”小红帽说。

狼在心中盘算着:“这小东西细皮嫩肉的,味道肯定比那老太婆要好。我要讲究一下策略,让她们都逃不出我的手心。”于是它陪着小红帽走了一会儿,然后说:“小红帽,你看周围这些花多么美丽啊!干吗不回头看一看呢?还有这些小鸟,它们唱得多么动听啊!你大概根本没有听到吧?林子里的一切多么美好啊,而你却只管往前走,就像是去上学一样。”

小红帽抬起头来,看到阳光在树木间来回跳荡,美丽的鲜花在四周开放,便想:“也许我该摘一把鲜花给外婆,让她高兴高兴。现在天色还早,我不会去迟的。”她于是离开大路,走进林子去采花。她每采下一朵花,总觉得前面还有更美丽的花朵,便又向前走去,结果一直走到了林子深处。

就在此时,狼却直接跑到外婆家,敲了敲门。“是谁呀?”“是小红帽。”狼回答,“我给你送蛋糕和葡萄酒来了。快开门哪。”“你拉一下门闩就行了,”外婆大声说,“我身上没有力气,起不来。”狼刚拉起门闩,那门就开了。狼二话没说就冲到外婆的床前,把外婆吞进了肚子。然后她穿上外婆的衣服,戴上她的帽子,躺在床上,还拉上了帘子。

可这时小红帽还在跑来跑去地采花。直到采了许多许多,她都拿不了啦,她才想起外婆,重新上路去外婆家。看到外婆家的屋门敞开着,她感到很奇怪。她一走进屋子就有一种异样的感觉,心中便想:“天哪!平常我那么喜欢来外婆家,今天怎么这样害怕?”她大声叫道:“早上好!”,可是没有听到回答。她走到床前拉开帘子,只见外婆躺在床上,帽子拉得低低的,把脸都遮住了,样子非常奇怪。“哎,外婆,”她说,“你的耳朵怎么这样大呀?”“为了更好地听你说话呀,乖乖。”“可是外婆,你的眼睛怎么这样大呀?”小红帽又问。“为了更清楚地看你呀,乖乖。”“外婆,你的手怎么这样大呀?”“可以更好地抱着你呀。”“外婆,你的嘴巴怎么大得很吓人呀?”“可以一口把你吃掉呀!”狼刚把话说完,就从床上跳起来,把小红帽吞进了肚子,狼满足了食欲之后便重新躺到床上睡觉,而且鼾声震天。

一位猎人碰巧从屋前走过,心想:“这老太太鼾打得好响啊!我要进去看看她是不是出什么事了。”猎人进了屋,来到床前时却发现躺在那里的竟是狼。“你这老坏蛋,我找了你这么久,真没想到在这里找到你!”他说。他正准备向狼开枪,突然又想到,这狼很可能把老太太吞进了肚子,老太太也许还活着。猎人就没有开枪,而是操起一把剪刀,动手把呼呼大睡的狼的肚子剪了开来。他刚剪了两下,就看到了红色的小帽子。他又剪了两下,小姑娘便跳了出来,叫道:“真把我吓坏了!狼肚子里黑漆漆的。”接着,外婆也活着出来了,只是有点喘不过气来。小红帽赶紧跑去搬来几块大石头,塞进狼的肚子。狼醒来之后想逃走,可是那些石头太重了,它刚站起来就跌倒在地,摔死了。

三个人高兴极了。猎人剥下狼皮,回家去了;外婆吃了小红帽带来的蛋糕和葡萄酒,精神好多了;而小红帽却在想:“要是妈妈不允许,我一辈子也不独自离开大路,跑进森林了。”

人们还说,小红帽后来又有一次把蛋糕送给外婆,而且在路上又有一只狼跟她搭话,想骗她离开大路。可小红帽这次提高了警惕,头也不回地向前走。她告诉外婆她碰到了狼,那家伙嘴上虽然对她说“你好”,眼睛里却露着凶光,要不是在大路上,它准把她给吃了。“那么,”外婆说,“我们把门关紧,不让它进来。”不一会儿,狼真的一面敲着门一面叫道:“外婆,快开门呀。我是小红帽,给你送蛋糕来了。”但是她们既不说话,也不开门。这长着灰毛的家伙围着房子转了两三圈,最后跳上屋顶,打算等小红帽在傍晚回家时偷偷跟在她的后面,趁天黑把她吃掉。可外婆看穿了这家伙的坏心思。她想起屋子前有一个大石头槽子,便对小姑娘说:“小红帽,把桶拿来。我昨天做了一些香肠,提些煮香肠的水去倒进石头槽里。”小红帽提了很多很多水,把那个大石头槽子装得满满的。香肠的气味飘进了狼的鼻孔,它使劲地用鼻子闻呀闻,并且朝下张望着,到最后把脖子伸得太长了,身子开始往下滑。它从屋顶上滑了下来,正好落在大石槽中,淹死了。小红帽高高兴兴地回了家,从此再也没有谁伤害过她。

Mouse and Cat in Partnership

A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse,and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her,that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together.“But we must make a provision for winter,or else we shall suffer from hunger,”said the cat,“and you,little mouse,cannot venture everywhere,or you will be caught in a trap some day.”The good advice was followed,and a pot of fat was bought,but they did not know where to put it.At length,after much consideration,the cat said,“I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church,for no one dares take anything away from there.We will set it beneath the altar,and not touch it until we are really in need of it.”So the pot was placed in safety,but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it,and said to the mouse,“I want to tell you something,little mouse,my cousin has brought a little son into the world,and has asked me to be godmother,he is white with brown spots,and I am to hold him over the font at the christening.Let me go out today,and you look after the house by yourself.”“Yes,yes,”answered the mouse,“by all means go,and if you get anything very good to eat,think of me,I should like a drop of sweet red christening wine myself.”All this,however,was untrue,the cat had no cousin,and had not been asked to be godmother.She went straight to the church,stole to the pot of fat,began to lick at it,and licked the top of the fat off.Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town,looked out for opportunities,and then stretched herself in the sun,and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat,and not until it was evening did she return home.“Well,here you are again,”said the mouse,“no doubt you have had a merry day.”“All went off well,”answered the cat.“What name did they give the child?”“Top off,”said the cat quite coolly.“Top off,”cried the mouse,“that is a very odd and uncommon name,is it a usual one in your family.”“What does that matter,”said the cat,“it is no worse than crumbstealer,as your godchildren are called.”

Before long the cat was seized by another fit of yearning.She said to the mouse,“You must do me a favor,and once more manage the house for a day alone.I am again asked to be godmother,and,as the child has a white ring round its neck,I cannot refuse.”The good mouse consented,but the cat crept behind the town walls to the church,and devoured half the pot of fat.“Nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself,”said she,and was quite satisfied with her days work.When she went home the mouse inquired,and what was this child christened.“Halfdone,”answered the cat.“Halfdone.What are you saying.I never heard the name in my life,I’ll wager anything it is not in the calendar.”

The cats mouth soon began to water for some more licking.“All good things go in threes,”said she,“I am asked to stand godmother again.The child is quite black,only it has white paws,but with that exception,it has not a single white hair on its whole body,this only happens once every few years,you will let me go,wont you?”“Topoff.Halfdone,”answered the mouse,“they are such odd names,they make me very thoughtful.”“You sit at home,”said the cat,“in your darkgray fur coat and long tail,and are filled with fancies,thats because you do not go out in the daytime.”During the cats absence the mouse cleaned the house,and put it in order but the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat.“When everything is eaten up one has some peace,”said she to herself,and well filled and fat she did not return home till night.The mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child.“It will not please you more than the others,”said the cat.“He is called allgone.”“Allgone,”cried the mouse,“that is the most suspicious name of all.I have never seen it in print.Allgone,what can that mean,”and she shook her head,curled herself up,and lay down to sleep.

From this time forth no one invited the cat to be godmother,but when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside,the mouse thought of their provision,and said,“Come cat,we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored up for ourselves—we shall enjoy that.”“Yes,”answered the cat,“you will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window.”They set out on their way,but when they arrived,the pot of fat certainly was still in its place,but it was empty.“Alas,”said the mouse,“now I see what has happened,now it comes to light.You are a true friend.You have devoured all when you were standing godmother.First top off then half done,then—”“Will you hold your tongue,”cried the cat,“one word more and I will eat you too.”All gone was already on the poor mouses lips,scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her,seized her,and swallowed her down.Verily,that is the way of the world.

Exercises:

判断对(T)、错(F):

①The cat told the mouse she want to be godmother twice.

②The cat ate the pot of fat.

③At last the cat ate her friend the mouse.