小学英语 格林童话系列（三）the Three Feathers三片羽毛（一）阅读素材

theThreeFeathers三片羽毛JacobandWilhelmGrimm　　Onceuponatimetherewasakingwhohadthreesons,twoofwhomwerecleverandintelligent,butthethirdonedidnottalkverymuch,wassimpleminded,andtheonlynametheygavehimwastheSimpleton.　　Whenthekingbecameoldandweak,andthoughtthathewasnearinghisend,hedidnotknowwhichofhissonsshouldinheritthekingdomafterhim,sohesaidtothem,"Goforth,andtheoneofyouwhobringsmethefinestcarpet,heshallbekingaftermydeath."　　Sotherewouldbenodisputeamongthem,heledthemtothefrontofhiscastle,blewthreefeathersintotheair,andsaid,"Astheyfly,soshallyougo."　　theonefeatherflewtotheeast,theothertothewest,andthethirdfeatherflewstraightahead,fallingquicklytothegroundaftergoingonlyashortdistance.Theonebrotherwenttotheright,theothertotheleft,andtheylaughedattheSimpletonwhohadtostandtherewherethethirdfeatherhadfallen.　　theSimpletonsatdownandwassad.Thenhesuddenlynoticedthattherewasatrapdoornexttohisfeather.Helifteditup,foundastairway,andclimbeddowninside.Hecametoanotherdoorandknockedonit,uponwhichheheardsomeonecallingoutfromwithin:　　MaidenGREenandsmall,Hoppingtoad,Hoppingtoad'spuppy,Hoptoandfro,Quicklyseewhoisoutside.　　thedooropened,andhesawabig,fattoadsittingthere,surroundedbyalargenumberoflittletoads.Thefattoadaskedwhathewanted.　　theSimpletonanswered,"Iwouldlikethemostbeautifulandfinestcarpet."　　thenthefattoadcalledtoayoungtoad,saying:　　MaidenGREenandsmall,Hoppingtoad,Hoppingtoad'spuppy,Hoptoandfro,Bringmethelargebox.　　theyoungtoadbroughtthebox,andthefattoadopenedit,thengavetheSimpletonacarpetfromit.Itwassobeautifulandsofine,thelikeofwhichcouldneverhavebeenwovenintheworldabove.Hethankedthetoadandclimbedbackout.　　Nowtheothertwothoughtthattheirbrotherwassostupidthathewouldnotfindanythingtobringhome.　　"Whyshouldwespendalotofeffortlookingforacarpet?"theysaid,sotheytooksomepiecesofcourseclothfromthefirstshepherd'swifetheycameto,andtookthesebackhometotheking.　　Atthesametimetheyreturnedhome,theSimpletonarrived,bringinghisbeautifulcarpet.Whenthekingsawit,hewasastounded,andsaid,"Itisonlyrightthatthekingdomshouldgotomyyoungestson."　　However,thetwoothersonsgavetheirfathernopeace,sayingthatitwouldbeimpossiblefortheSimpletontobecomeking,becausehelackedunderstandinginallthings.Theyaskedhimtodeclareanothercontest.　　thenthefathersaid,"Hewhobringsmethemostbeautifulringshallinheritthekingdom."Leadingthethreebrothersoutside,heblewthethreefeathersintotheairthattheyweretofollow.　　thetwooldestbrothersagainwenttotheeastandtothewest,andtheSimpleton'sfeatheragainflewstraightahead,fallingdownnexttothedoorintheground.Onceagainheclimbeddowntothefattoadandtolditthatheneededthemostbeautifulring.Thetoadhadtheboxbroughtoutagainandgavehimfromitaringthatglistenedwithpreciousstonesandwassobeautifulthatnogoldsmithonearthcouldhavemadeit.　　thetwooldestbrotherslaughedattheSimpleton,whowasgoingtolookforagoldenring,andtheytooknoeffortatall.Instead,theydrovethenailsoutofanoldwagonringandbroughtittotheking.However,whentheSimpletonpresentedhisring,thekingsaidonceagain,"Thekingdombelongstohim."　　thetwooldestsonstormentedthekingendlessly,untilfinallyhedeclaredathirdcontest,sayingthathewhowouldbringhomethemostbeautifulwomanshouldhavethekingdom.　　Onceagainheblewthethreefeathersintotheairandtheyflewinthesamedirectionsasbefore.　　Withouthesitating,theSimpletonwentbacktothefattoadandsaid,"Iamsupposedtotakehomethemostbeautifulwoman."　　"Oh!"answeredthetoad."Themostbeautifulwoman!Sheisnothereatthemoment,butyoushallhavehernonetheless."　　thefattoadgavehimahollowedoutyellowturnip,towhichwereharnessedsixlittlemice.　　theSimpletonsaidsadly,"WhatamItodowiththis?"　　thetoadanswered,"Justputoneofmylittletoadsinsideit."　　thehegrabbedoneofthemfromthegroupandsetitinsidetheyellowcoach.Thelittletoadwasscarcelyinsidewhenitturnedintoabeautifulyounglady,theturnipintoacoach,andthesixmiceintohorses.Hekissedher,racedawaywiththehorses,andbroughthertotheking.　　Hisbrotherscamealongafterward.Theyhadgivennoefforttofindabeautifulwoman,butsimplybroughtalongthefirstpeasantwomentheyhadcomeupon.　　Afterlookingatthem,thekingsaid,"Aftermydeaththekingdombelongstomyyoungestson."　　However,thetwooldestsonsagaindeafenedtheking'searswiththecry,"WecannotallowtheSimpletontobecomeking,"andtheydemandedthatthepreferenceshouldgotothebrotherwhosewomancouldjumpthroughahoopthatwashanginginthemiddleofthehall.　　theythought,"Thepeasantwomenwillbeabletodothatverywell.Theyareverystrong,butthedaintyladywilljumpherselftodeath."　　theoldkinggaveintothisaswell.Thetwopeasantwomendidindeedjumpthroughthehoop,buttheyweresoplumpthateachonefell,breakingherthickarmsandlegs.Thenthebeautifullady,thattheSimpletonhadbroughthome,jumped,andshejumpedthroughthehoopaslightlyasadeer.　　Afterthisalltheprotestshadtostop.ThustheSimpletonreceivedthecrown,andheruledwiselyforalongtime.