小学英语 英语故事（童话故事）The Flax 亚麻

The Flax 亚麻Theflaxwasinfullbloom.Ithadsuchprettyblueblossoms,assoftasthewingsofamoth,andevenmoredelicate.Andthesunshonedownontheflax,andtheraincloudswateredit,andthatwasasgoodforitasitisforlittlechildrentobebathedandkissedbytheirmothers-itmakesthemlooksomuchprettier,andsoitdidtheflax."PeoplesaythatIstandexceedinglywell,"saidtheflax,"andthatIamgrowingsocharminglytallthatI'llmakeagrandpieceoflinen.Oh,howhappyIam!Noonecouldpossiblybehappier!HowwelloffIam!AndI'msureI'llbeputtosomegooduse,too.Thesunshinemakesmesocheerful,andtheraintastessofresh!I'mexceedinglyhappy;yes,I'msureI'mthehappiestbeingintheworld!""Oh,yes,"jeeredthehedgestakes."Butyoudon'tknowtheworldthewaywedo.Thereareknotsinus."Andthentheycreakedoutdolefully:   Snip,snap,snurre,   Basselurre!   Theballadisover!"No,it'snot,"saidtheflax."Thesunwillshinetomorrow,andtherainissogoodforme,Icanhearmyselfgrow;IcanfeelthatI'minblossom.WhocouldeverbeashappyasI?"Butonedaypeoplecame,grabbedtheflaxbythetop,andpulleditupbytheroots.Oh,howthathurt!Thenitwasthrownintothewaterasiftobedrowned,andafterthatlaidonthefireasiftoberoasted.Itwasterrible!"Youcan'talwayshavewhatyouwant,"saidtheflax."It'sgoodtosuffersometimes;itgivesyouexperience."Buttherewasstillworsetocome.Theflaxwasbrokenandcracked,hackledandscalded-itdidn'tevenknowwhattheoperationswerecalled-andfinallyputonthewheel-snurre,snurre!Itwasimpossibletothinkclearly."Ihavebeenveryhappyinthepast,"itthoughtinallitspain."Youshouldalwaysbethankfulforthehappinessyou'veenjoyed.Thankful,oh,yes!"Andtheflaxclungtothatthoughtasitwastakentotheloom.Andthereitwaswovenintoalarge,beautifulpieceoflinen.Alltheflaxfromonefieldwasmadeintoonepieceofcloth."Butthisisamazing!"criedtheflax."Inevershouldhaveexpectedit!HowluckyIam!Whatnonsensethehedgestakesusedtotalkwiththeir,   Snip,snap,snurre,   Basselurre!"Why,theballadisbynomeansover!No,itisjustbeginning!Thisiswonderful!I'vesuffered,yes,butI'vebeenmadeintosomethingthroughsuffering.I'mhappierthananyonecouldbe.HowstrongandyetsoftIam,howwhiteandlong!Thisismuchbetterthanjustbeingaplant;evenifyoubearflowers,nobodyattendstoyou,andyouonlygetwateredwhenitrains.NowIgetattention!Themaidturnsmeovereverymorning,andgivesmeashowerbathinthewashtubeveryevening.Why,theparson'swifeherselfcameandlookedatme,andsaidIwasthefinestpieceoflineninthewholeparish!WhocouldbeanyhappierthanIamnow!"Nowthelinenwastakenintothehouseandcutupbythescissors.Howtheyclippedandhowtheycut,andhowitwaspiercedthroughwithneedles!Yes,that'swhattheydid,anditwasallveryunpleasant.Butatlastitwasmadeupintotwelvegarments-garmentsthatareunmentionable,butthatpeoplecannotdowithout.Twelveofthem."Well,lookatthat!NowIamreallyuseful!"criedthelinen."Sothisismydestiny!Whatablessing!NowIamuseful.Andnothingbringssuchhappinessastobeusefulintheworld!Nowwe'retwelvepieces,butwe'restilloneandthesame.Weareonedozen.Whatastrokeofluck!"Theyearspassed,andatlastthelinenpieceswouldn'tholdtogetheranylonger."Everythingmustcometoanend,"saideachpiece."Ishouldliketohavelastedalittlelonger,butyoushouldn'twishforthingslikethat."Nowthepiecesweretornintoragsandfragments,andtheyweresureitwasgoingtobetheendofthem.Theywerehackedandmashedandboiled-yes,theydidn'tknowwhatelsewasdonetothem-butfinallytheybecamebeautifulwhitepaper!"Well,ifthisisn'tasurprise!"saidthepaper."Andawonderfulsurprise!Why,I'mfinerthanever!Andpeoplewillwriteonmenow.Whatwonderfulstoriesthey'llwrite!Icertainlyamlucky!"Andbeautifulstorieswerewrittenonthepaper,andpeoplereadthemandsaidtheywereveryfineandwouldmakemankindwiserandbetter.Thewordswrittenonthatpaperwouldbringgreatblessingstotheworld."ThisismorethanIcouldeverhavedreamedof,whenIwasatinyblueflowerinthefield.HowcouldIhaveexpectedtospreadwisdomandjoytomankind?Ican'tyetunderstandit,butthat'swhathashappened.OurLordknowsthatI'vereallyneverdoneanythingmyself,butjusttriedtoliveaswellasIcould,yetHecarriesmeonehonortoanother.EverytimeIthink,'Nowsurelytheballadisover,'Iammoveduptosomethingbetter.NowIsupposepeoplewillsendmearoundtheworld,soeverybodycanreadme.That'smostlikely.ForeveryblueflowerIusedtohave,Iwillnowcarryabeautifulthought!Howcouldanyonebehappier!"Butthepaperdidnottravelaroundtheworld-insteaditwenttotheprinter,andthereeverythingthatwaswrittenonitwasprintedinabook,yes,inhundredsofbooks.Inthatwayagreatmanymorepeoplecouldgetpleasureandbenefitfromthewritingsthaniftheonepaperonwhichitwaswrittenhadbeensentoutintotheworldandbeenwornoutbeforeithadgoneveryfar."Yes,thisisthemostsensibleway,"thoughtthepaper."Ididn'tthinkofit.I'llstayathome,andbeheldingreathonor,likeanoldgrandfather.Becausethebookwaswrittenonmefirst;everywordcamedownfromtheauthor'spenrightontome.Butitismuchbetterfortheprintedbookstogooutintotheworldanddogood;Icouldn'thavewanderedasfarastheycango.My,howhappyIam,andhowlucky!"Thenthepaperwasbundledupandputawayonashelf."It'sgoodtorestalittleafterworking,"saidthepaper."Itgivesyouachancetocollectyourthoughtsandfigureoutwhat'sinsideofyou.Now!Ireallyknowallthatiswrittenonme,andthatmeanstrueprogress.Iwonderwhat'sgoingtohappentomenow!Atanyrate,IknowI'llgoforwardagain;I'malwaysgoingforward."Atlastthepaperwastakenouttothestove-itwastobeburnt,foreverybodysaiditwouldn'tbepropertosellthatpapertothehucksterforwrappingbutterandpowderedsugar.Andallthechildreninthehouseflockedaround,fortheywantedtoseetheblazeandcountthemanytinyredsparksastheydiedout,oneafteranother.Theycallthesesparks"thechildrengoingoutofschool,"andthelastsparkofallisthe"schoolmaster."Sometimestheythinkhehasgone,butthencomesanother-theschoolmasteralwayscomealittlebehindtherest.Sothebigbundleofpaperwaslaidonthefire."Oh!"itcried,asitsuddenlyburstintoflame.Itrosehigherintotheairthantheflaxhadeverbeenabletosenditslittleblueblossoms,anditshonemorebrilliantlythanthelinenhadeverbeenabletoshine.Instantlytheletterswrittenonitbecamefieryred,andthewordsandthoughtsofthewritervanishedintheflame.I'mgoingstraightuptothesun!"saidavoiceintheflame.Itwasasifathousandvoicescriedthistogether,astheflamesburstthroughthechimneyandoutatthetop.Andbrighterthantheflames,butstillinvisibletomortaleyes,littletinybeingshovered,justasmanyastherehadbeenblossomsontheflaxlongago.Theywerelightereventhantheflamewhichgavethembirth,andwhenthatflamehaddiedawayandnothingwasleftofthepaperbutblackashes,theydancedovertheembersagain.Wherevertheirfeettouched,theirfootprints,thetinyredsparks,couldbeseen.Thusthechildrencameoutofschool,andtheschoolmastercamelast.Itwasapleasuretowatch,andthechildrenofthehousesangoverthedeadashes:   Snip,snap,snurre,   Basselurre!   Theballadisover!Butthetinyinvisiblebeingscried,"Theballadisneverover!Thatisthebestofall!Weknowthat,andthereforenonearesohappyaswe!"Butthechildrencouldn'thearorunderstandthat.Andperhapsthat'sjustaswell;childrenshouldn'tknoweverything.