‘The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night,’murmured the young Student,‘and my love will be of the company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose, I shall hold her in my arms. and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine. But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by. She will have no heed of me, and my heart will break.’
‘Here indeed is the true lover,’said the Nightingale.‘What I sing of, he suffersu0027 what is joy to me, to him is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opats. Pearls and pome granates can not byu it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.’
‘The musicians will sit in their gallery,’said the young Student,‘and play upon their stringed instruments, and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin. She will dance so lightly that her feet willnot touch the floor. and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her. But with me she will not dance, for I have nored rose to give her,’ and he flung himself down on the grass,and buried his face in his hands, and wept.
‘Why is he weeping?’asked a little Green Lizard, as he ran past him with his tall in the air.
‘Why, indeed?’whispered a Daisy to his neighbour, in a soft, low voice.
‘He is weeping for a red rose,’said the Nightingale.
‘For a red rose!’they cried:‘how very ridiculous!’and the little Lizard, who was something of a cvnic, laughed outright.
But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Studentu0027s sorrow, and she sat silent in the oaktree, and thought about the mystery of Love.
Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. She passed through the grove like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed across the garden.
In the centre of the grassplot was standing a beautiful Rosetree, and when she saw it, she flew over to it, and lit upon a spray.
‘Give me a red rose,’she cried,‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’But the Tree shook its head.
‘My roses are white.’it answered;‘as white as the foam of the sea, and whiter than the snow upon the mountain. But go to my brother who grows round the old sundial, and perhaps he will give you what you want.’
So the Nightingale flew over to the Rosetree that was growing round the old sundial.
‘Give me a red rose,’she cried,‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the Tree shook its head.
‘My roses are yellow,’it answered;‘as yellow as the hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne, and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe. But go to my brother who grows beneath the Studentu0027s window, and perhaps he will give you what you want.’
So the Nightingale flew over to the Rosetree that was growing beneath the Studentu0027s window.
‘Give me a red rose,’she cried,‘and I will sing you my sweetest song.’
But the Tree shook its head.
‘My roses are red.’it answered.`as red as the feet of the dove, and redder than the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the oceancavern. But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds. and the storm has broken my branches. and I shall have no roses at all this year.u0027
‘One red rose is all I want,’sried the Nightingale,‘only one red rose! Is there no way by which I can get it?’
‘There is a way,’answered the Tree:‘but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.’
‘Tell it to me,’said the Nightingale,‘I am not afraid.’
‘If you want a red rose,’said the Tree,‘you must build it out of music by moonlight, and stain it with your own heartu0027sblood. You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn. All night long you must sing to me, and the thon, must pierce your heart, and your lifeblood must flow into my veins, and become mine.’
‘Death is a great price to pay for a red rose,’cried the Nightingale,‘and Life is very dear to all. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the velley and the heather that blows on the hill. Yet Love is better than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?’
So she spread her brown wings for flight, and soared into the air. She swept over the garden like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed through the grove.
The young Student was still lying on the grass. where she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautiful eyes.
‘Be happy,’cried the Nightingale,‘be happy; you shall have your red rose. I will build it out of music by moon light, and stain it with my own heartu0027sblood. All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty. Flamecoloured are his wings, and coloured like flame is his body. His lips are sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.’
The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books.
But the Oaktree understood, and felf sad, for he was very fond of the little Nightingale who had built her nest in his branches.
‘Sing me one last song,’he whispered;‘I shall feel very lonely when you are gone.’
So the Nightingale sang to the Oaktree, and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar.
When she had finished her song the Student got up, and pulled a notebook and a leadpencil out of his pocket.
‘She has form,’he said to himself, as he walked away through the grove‘that cannot be denied to her; but has she got feeling? I am afraid not. In fact, she is like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others. She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish. Still, it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in the voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do any practical good.’And he went into his room, and lay down on his little palletbed, and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he fell asleep.
And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rosetree, and set her breast against the thorn. All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn, and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened. All night long she sang, and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her lifeblood ebbed away from her.
She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl. And on the topmost spray of the Rosetree there blossomed a marvellous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song. Pale was it, at first, as the mist that hangs over the dawn. As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of silver, as the shadow of a rose in a waterpool, so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.
But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn,‘Press closer, little Nightingale,’cried the Tree, ‘or the Day will come before the rose is finished.’
So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and louder and louder grew her song, for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.
And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose, like the flush in the face of the brideg room when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart, so the roseu0027s heart remained white, for only a Nightingaleu0027s heartu0027sblood can crimson the heart of a rose.
And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn.‘Press closer, little Nightingale, ’ cried the Tree, ‘or the Day will come before the rose is finished.’
So the Nightingale pressed closer agains the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb.
And the marvellous rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.
But the Nightingaleu0027s voice grew fainter, and her little wings began to beat, and a film came over her eyes. Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat.
Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy, and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hill, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river. and they carried its message to the sea.
‘Look, look!’cried the Tree, ‘the rose is finished now;’but the Nightingale made no answer, for the was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.
And at noon the Studnet opened his window and looked out.
‘Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!’he cried;‘here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name;’and he leaned down and plucked it.
Then he put on his hat, and ran up to the Professoru0027s house with the rose in his hand.
The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet.
‘You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose,’cried the Student.‘Here is the reddest rose in all the world. You will wear it tonight ext your heart, and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you.’
But the girl frowned.
‘I am afraid it will not go with my dress.’she answered;‘and, besides, the Chamberlainu0027s nephew has sent me some real jewels, and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.’
‘Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful,’said the Student angrily; and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cartwheet went over it.
‘Ungrateful!’said the girl,‘Hell you what, you are very rude; and, after all, who are you? Only a Student. Why, I donu0027t believeyou have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Chamberlainu0027s nephew has; and she got up from her chair and went into the house.
‘What a silly thing Love is.’said the Student as he walked away.‘It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not grove anything, and it is always telling oneof things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics.’
So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.
THE SELFISH GIANT
Every afternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play in the Giantu0027s garden.
It was a large lovely garden, with soft green grass. Here and there over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars, and there were twelve peachtrees that in the springtime broke out into delicate blossoms of pink and pearl, and in the autumn bore rich fruit. The birds sat on the trees and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to listen to them‘How happy we are here!’they cried to each other.
One day the Giant came back. He had been to visit his friend the Cornish ogre, and had stayed with him for seven years. After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited, and he determined to return to his own castle. When he arrived he saw the children playing in the garden.
‘What are you doing there?’he cried in a very gruff voice, and the children ran away.
‘My own garden is my own garden,’said the Giant,‘any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody it play in to but myself.’So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a noticeboard.
TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED
He was a very selfish Giant.
The poor children had now nowhere to play. They tried to play on the road, but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones, and they did not like it. They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons were over, and talk about the beautiful garden inside.‘How happy we were ,’they said to each other.
Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter. The birds did not care tosing in it as there were no children, and the strees forgot to blossom. Once a beautiful flower put its head out from the grass ,but when it saw the noticeboard it was so sorry for the children that it slipped back into the ground again, and went off to sleep. The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost. ‘Spring has forgotten this garden,’they cried.‘so we will live here all the year round.’The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak, and the Frost painted all the trees silver. Then they invited the North Windto stay with them, and he came. He was wrapped in furs, and he roared all day about the garden, and blew the chimneypots down. ‘This is a delightful spot,’he said,‘we must ask the Hail on a visit.’So the Hail came. Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he broke most of the slates, and then he ran round and round the garden as fast as he could go. He was dressed in grey, and his breath was like ice.
‘I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in coming,’said the Selfish Giant, as he sat at the window and looked out at his could white garden;‘I hope there will be a change in the weather.’
But the Spring never came, nor the Summer. The Autumn gave golden fruit to every garden, but to the Giantu0027s garden she gave none.‘He is too selfish,’she said. So it was always Winter there, and the North Wind and the Hail, and the Frost, and the Snow danced about through the trees.
One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some lovely music. It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be the Kingu0027s musicians passing by. It was really only a little linnet singing outside his window, but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world. Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head, and the North Wind ceased roaring, and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement.‘I believe the Spring has come at last,’said the Giant; and he jumped out of bed and looked out.
What did he see?
He saw a most wonderful sight. Through a little hole in the wall the children had crept in, and they were sitting in the branches of the tress. In every tree that he could see there was a little child. And the trees were so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves with blossoms, and were waving their arms gently above the childrenu0027s heads. The birds were flying about and twittering with delight, and the flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing. It was the farthest corner of the garden, and in it was standing a little boy. He was so small that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree, and he was wandering all round it, crying bitterly. The poo tree was still quite covered with frost and snow, and the North Wind was blowing and roaring above it.‘Climb up! little boy,’said the Tree, adn it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny.
And the Giantu0027s heart melted as he looked out.‘How selfish I have been!’he said;‘now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poorlittle boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the childrenu0027s playground for ever and ever.’He was really very sorry for what he had done.
So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly, and went out into the garden. But when the children saw him they were so frightened that they all ran away, and the garden became winter again. Only the little boy did not run, for his eyes were so full of tears that he did not see the Giant coming. And the Giant stole up behind him and took him gently in his hand, and put him up into the tree. And the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it, and the little boy stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giantu0027s neck, and kissed him. And the other children, when they saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer, came running back, and with them came the Spring.‘It is your garden now, little children,’said the Giant, and he took a great axe and knocked down the wall. And when the people were going to market at twelve ou0027ckock they found the Giant playing with the children in the most beautiful garden they had ever seen.
All day long they played, and in the evening they came to the Giant bid him goodbye.
‘But where is your little companion?’he said :‘the boy I put into the tree.’ The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him.
‘We donu0027t know,’answered the children ;‘he has gone away.’
‘You must tell him to be sure and come here to-morrow,’said the Giant. But the children said that they did not know where he lived, and had vever seen him be fore;and the Giant felt very sad.
Every afternoon, when school was over, the children came and played with the Giant. But the little boy whom the Giant loved was never seen again. The Giant was very kind to all the children, yet he longed for his first little friend, and often, spoke of him.‘How I would like to see him!’he used to say.
Years went over, and the Giant grew very old and feeble, He could not play about any more, sohe sat in a huge armchair, and watched the children at their ganes, and admired his garden, ‘I have many beautiful flowers,’he said;‘but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.’
One winter morning he looked out of his window as he was dressing. He did not hate the Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that flowers were resting.
Suddenly he rubbed his eyes in wonder, and looked and looked. It certainly was a marvellous sight, In the farthest corner of the garden was a tree quite covered with lovely white blossoms. Its branches were all golden, and silver fruit hung down from them, and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved.
Downstairs ran Giant in great joy, and out into the garden. He hastened across the grass, and came near to the child. And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger, and he said, Who hath dared to wound thee?‘For on the palras of two nailu0027s were on the little feet.
‘Who hath dared to wound thee?’cried the Giant;‘tell me that I may big sword and slay him.’
‘Nay!’ansered the child;‘but these are the wounds of Love.’
‘Who art thou?’said Giant, ane a strange awe fell on him, and he knelt before the little child.
And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, ‘You let me play once in your garden, to-day shall come with me to my garden, which is Parndise.’
And when the children ran in that afternoon, they found the Giantying dead under the tree, all covered with white blossoms.
THE DEVOTED FRIEND
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers, and his tail was like a long bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
‘You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads.’she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them how it was done.But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They were so young that did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.
‘What disobedient children!’cied the old water-rat;‘they really deserve to be drowned.’
‘Nothing of the kind,’answered the Duck,‘every one must make a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient.’
‘Ah! know nothing about the feelings of parents,’said the Water-rat; ‘I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married, and I never intend to be .Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.’
‘And what, pray, is your idea of the duties of a devoted friend?’asked a Green Linnet, who was sitting in a willow-tree hard by, and had overheard the conversation.
‘Yes, that is just what I want to know,’said the Duck, and she swam away to the end of the pond, and stood upon her head, in order to give her children a good example.
‘What a silly question!’cred the Water-rat.‘I should expect my devoted friend to be devoted to me. of course.’
‘And what would you do in return?’said the little bird, swinging upon a silver spray, and flapping his tiny wings.
‘I donu0027t understand you.’answered the Water-rat.
‘Let me tell you a story on the subject,’said the Linnet.muts. In the winter, also he was extremely lonely, as the Miller never came to see him then.
“There is no good in my going see little Hans as long as the snow lasts,”the Miller used to say to his wife.“for when people are in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered by visitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large basket of primroses, and he will be able to give me a large badket of primroses, and that will make him so happy.”
“You are certainly very thoughtful about others,”answered the Wife, as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the big pinewood fire;“very thoughtrul indeed. It is quite a treat to hear you atlk about friendship. I am sure the elergy man him self could not say such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in a therr-storied house, and wear a gold ring on his ittle finger.”
“But could we not ask little Hans up here ?”said the Milleru0027s youngest son. “If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits.”
“What a silly boy you are!”cried the Miller,“I really donu0027t know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anytheing. Why. if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybodyu0027s nature. I certainly will not allow Hansu0027s nature to be spoiled. Iam his best friend, and I will always watch over him ,and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if. Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.”
‘“How well you talk!”said the Milleru0027s wife. pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale; “really I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.”
‘“Lots of people act well,”answcred the Miller;“but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the nore difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also;”and he looked sternly across the table at his little son, who felt so ashamed of himse the table at his little son, who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea. However, he was so young that you must excuse him.
‘Is that the end of the story? asked the Water-tat.’
‘Is rhw aroey about me?’asked the Water-rat.‘If so, I will listen to it, for I am extremely fond of fiction.’
‘It is applicable to you ’answered the Linnet; and he flew down, and alighting upon the bank, he told the story of The Devoted Friend.
‘Once upon a time,’said the Linnet,‘there was an honest little fellow named Hans.’
‘Was he very distinguished?’asked the Water-rat.
‘No,’answered the Linnet, ‘I donu0027t think he was distin-guished at all. except for his kind heart, and his funny round good-humoured face. He lived in a tiny cottage all by himself and every day he worked in his garden . In all the country-side there was no garden so lovely as his. Sweet-William grew there, and Gilly-Flowcrs, and Shepherdsu0027 Purses and Fairmaids of France. There were Damask Roses, and yellow Roses, lilac Crocuses, and gold, purple Violets and white. Columbine and Ladysmock. Marjoram and Wild Basil, the Cowslip and the Flower-de-luce,the Daffodil and the Clove-Pink blooned or blossomed in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another floweru0027s place, so that there were always beautiful things to look at, and pleasant odours to smell.’
‘Little Hans had a great many friends,but the most devoted friend of all was big Hugh the Miller. Indeed, so devoted was the rich Miller to little Hans, that he would never go by his garden without leaning over the wall and plucking a large nosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.
“Real friends should have every thing in common,” the Miller used to say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt very proud of having a friend with such noble ideas.
‘Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave little Hans anything in return though he had a hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill and six milch cows, and a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about these things, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things the Millet used to say about the unselfishness of true friendship.
‘So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring,the summer, and the autumn he was very happy, but when the winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market, he suffered a good deal from cold and hunger, and often had to go to bed without any supper but a few dried pcars or some hard muts, In the winter, also he was extremely lonely, as the Miller never came to see him then.
‘“There is no good in my going to see little Hans as ling as the snow lasts.” the Miller used to say to his wife,“for when people are in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered by visitors. That at least is my ides about friendship, and I am sure Iam right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and that will make him so happy.”
‘“You are certainly very thoughtful about others.”answered the Wife, as she sat in her com for table armchair by the big pinewood fire,“very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship. am sure the clergyman himself could not say such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in a three-storied house, and wear a gold ring on his little finger.”
‘“But could we not ask little Hans came up here?\" saidthe Milleru0027s youngest son.“If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits.”
‘“What a silly boy you are!”cried the Miller; “I really donu0027t know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybodyu0027s nature. I certainly will not allow Hansu0027s nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if. Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.”
‘“How well you talk!”said the Milleru0027s Wife, pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale;“really I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.”
‘“Lots of people act well,”answered the Miller; but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also;“and he loodked sternly across the table at his little son ,who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea, How ever, he was so young that you must excuse him.”
‘Is that the end of the story?’asked the Water-rat.
‘Then you are qulte behind the age 1’said the Wnter-rut,‘Every good story-telier nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle. That IS the new nethod, I heard all about it the other day from a critic who was walking round the pond with a young man made any remark, he always answered“Pooh!”But pray go on with your story. I like the Miller immensely, I have all kinds of beautiful sentiments my self, so there is a great sympathy between us.’
‘Well,said the Linnet, hopping now on one leg and mow on the other, as soon as the winter was over,and the primroses began to open their pale yellow stars, the miller said to his wife that he would go down and see little Hans.
‘“Why, what a good heart you have!”cried his Wife. “you are always thinking of others. And mind you take the big basket with you for the flowers.”
‘So the Miller tied the sails of the windmill together with a strong iron chain, and went down the hill with the basket on his arm.
‘“Good mornig, little Hans.”said the Miller.
‘“Good mornig,”said Hans, leaning on his spade, and smiling from ear to ear.
‘“And how have you been all the winter?”said the Miller.
‘“Well, really,”cried Hans,“it is very good of you to ask, very good indeed. I am afraid I had rather a hard time of it but now the spring has come, and I am quite happy, and all my flowers are doing well.”
‘“We often talked of you during the winter, Hans.”said the Miller, “and wondered how you were getting on.”
‘“That was kind of you,”said Hans; “ I was half afraid you had forgotten me.”
‘“Hans. I am surprised at you,”said the Miller,“friendship never forgets. That is the wonderful thing about it. but I am afraid you donu0027t understand the poetry of life. How lovely your primroses are looking, by-the-bye!\"
‘“They are certainly very lovely,”said Hans,“and it is a most lucky thing for me that I have so many. I am going to bring them into the market and sell them to the Burgomasteru0027s daughter. and buy back my wheelbarrow with the money.”
‘“Buy back your wheelbarrow? You donu0027t mean to say you have sold it? What a very stupid thing to do !”
‘“Well, the fact is,”said Hans.“that I was obliged to. You see the winter was a very bad time for me, and I really had no money at all to buy bread with. So I first sold the silver buttons off my Sunday coat, and then I sold my silver chain. and then I sold my big pipe. and at last I sold my wheelbarrow. But I amgoing to buy them all back again now.”
‘“Hans,”said the Miller.“I will give you my wheelbarrow. It is not in very good repair, indeed. one side is gone, and there is something wrong with the wheel-spokes: but in spite of that I will give it to you. I know it is very generous of me, and a great many people would think me extremely foolish for farting with it. but I am not like the rest of the world I think that generosity is the essence of friendship, and. besides. I have got a mew wheclbarrow for myself. Yes. you may set your mind at ease. I will give you my wheelbarrow.”
‘“Well, really, that is generous of you,”said little Hans. and his runny round face glowed all over with pleasure.“I can easily pur it in repair, as I have a plank of wood in the house.”
‘“A plank of wood!”said the Miller;“why, that is just what I want for the roof of my barn. There is a very large hole in it. and the corn will all get damp if I donu0027t stop it up. How lucky you mentioned it! It is quite remarkable how one good action always breeds another. I have given you my wheelbarrow. and now you are going to give me your plank. Of course, the wheelbarrow is worth far more than the plank,but true friendship mever notices things like that. Pray get it at once, and I will set to work at my barn this very day.”
‘“Certainly,”cried little Hans. and ran into the shed and dragged the plank out.
‘“It is not a very big plank.”said the Miller. looking at it “and I am afraid that after I have mended my barn-roof. there wonu0027t be any left for you to mend the wheelbarrow with, but of course.that is not my fault. Andnow, as I have given you my wheelbarrow. I am sure you would like to give me some flowers in return. Here is the basket, and mind you!fill it quite full.”
“Quite full?”said little Hans, rather sorrowfully, for it was really a very big basket, and he knew that if he filled it he would have no flowers left for the market, and he was very anxious to get his silver buttonsback.
‘“Well, really,”answered the Miller,“as I have given you my wheelbarrow,I donu0027t think that it is much to ask you for few flowers. I may be wrong, but I should have thought that friendship, friendship. was quite free from selfishness of any kind.”
“My dear friend, my bestfriend.”cried little Hans.“you are welcome to all the flowers in my garden. I would much sooner have your good opinion than my silver buttons , any day;”and he ran and plucked all his pretty primroses, and filled the Milleru0027s basket.
“Good-bye,little Hans.”said the Miller. as he went up the hill with the plank on his shoulder, and the big basket in his hand.
“Good-bye.”said little Hans. and he began to dig away quite merrily, he was so pleased about the wheelbarrow.
‘The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against the porch, when he heard the Milleru0027s voice calling to him from the road. So he jumped off the ladder. and ran down the garden. and looked over the wall.
‘There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
‘“Dear little Hans,”said the Miller,“would you mind carrying his sack of flour for me to market?”
‘“Oh, I am so sorry,”said Hans,“but I am really very busy to-day. I have got all my creepers to nail up, and all my flowers to water, and all my grass to roll.”
‘“Well, really,”said the Miller.“I think that. considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow. it is rather unfriendly of you to refuse.”
‘“Oh,donu0027t say that.”cried little Hans,“I wouldnu0027t be unfriendly for the whole world;”and the he ran in for his cap his cap, and trudged off with with the big sack on his shoulders.
‘It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusy, and before Hans had reached the sixth milestone he was so tired that be had to sit down and rest. However, he went on bravely, and at last he reached market. After he had waited there some time. he sold the sack of flour for a very good price,and then he retuined home at once, for he was afraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some some robbers on the way.
‘“It has cetrainly been a hard day,”said little Hans to himself as he was going to bed, “but I am gland I did not refuse the Miller, for he is my best friend, and, besides, he is going to give me his wheelbarrow.”
‘Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money for his sack of flour,but little Hans was so tired that he was still in bed.’
‘“Upon my word,”said the Miller,“you are very lazy. Really, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbar-row, I think you might work harder, Idieness is a great sin, and I certainly donu0027t like any of my friends to be idle or sluggish. You must not mind my speaking quite plainly to you. Of course I should not dream of doing so if I were not your friend. But what is the good of friendship if I were not your friend. But what is the good of friendship if one cannot say exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things, and does not mind giving pain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for he knows that then he is doing good.”
‘“I am very sorry,”said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and pulling off his night-cap,“but I was so tired that I thought I would lie in bed for a little time, and listen to the birds singing. Do you know that I always work better after hearing the birds sing ?”
‘“Well, I am glad of that,”said the Miller, clapping little Hans on the back,“for I want you to come up to the mill as soon as you are dressed, and mend my barn-roof for me.”
‘Poor little Hans was, very anxious to go and work in his garden, for his flowers had not been watered for two days, but he did not like to refuse the Miller, as he was such a good friend to him.
‘“Do you think it would be unfriendly of me if I said I was busy?”he inquired in a shy and timid voice.
‘“Well, really,”answered the Miller,“I do not think it is much to ask of you, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow; but of course if you refuse I will go and do it myself.”
‘“Oh! on no account,”cried little Hans; and he jumped out of bed, and dressed himself, and went up to the barn.
‘He worked there all day long, till sunset, and at sunset the Miller came to see how he was getting on.
‘“Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?”cried the Miller in a cheery voice.
‘“It is quite mended,”answered little Hans, coming down the ladder.
‘“Ah!”said the Miller,“there is no work so delingtful as the work one does for others.”
‘“It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,”answered little Hans, sitting down and wiping his forehead, “a very great privilege. But I am afraid I shall never have such beautiful ideas as you have.”
‘“Oh! they will come to you,”said the Miller,“but you must take more pains. At present you have the theory also.”
‘“Do you really think I shall?”asked little Hans.
‘“I have no doubt of it,”answered the Miller,“but now that you have mended the roof, you had better go home and rest, for I want you to drive my sheep to the mountain tomorrow.”
‘Poor little Hans was afraid to say anything to this,and early the next morning the Miller brought his sheep round to the cottage, and Hans started off with them to the mountain, It took him the whole day to get there and back, and when he returned be was so tired that he went off to sleep in his chair and did not wake up till it was broad daylight.
‘“What a delightful time I shall have in my garden,”he said,and he went to work at once.
‘But somehow he was never able to look after his flowers at all, for his friend the Miller was always coming round and sending him off on long errands, of getting him to help at the mill.Little Hans was very much distressed at times, as he was afraid his flowers would think he had forgotten them, but he consoled himself by the reflection that the Miller was his best friend.“Besides,”he used to say,“he is going to give me his wheelbarrow,and that is an act of pure generosity. ”
‘So little Hans worked worked away for the Miller, and the Miller said all kinds of beautiful things about friendship, which Hans took down in a note-book, and used to read over at night, for he was a very good scholar.
‘Now it happened that one evening little Hans was sitting by his fireside when a loud rap came at the door. It was a very wild night, and the wind was blowing and roaring round the house so terribly that at first he thought it was merely the storm. But a second rap came, and then a third, louder than either of the others.
‘“It is some poor traveller,” said little Hans to himself, and he ran to the door.
‘There stood the Miller with a lantern in one hand and a big stick in the other.
‘“Dear little Hans,”cried the Miller,“I am in great trouble. My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himsclf, and I am going for the Doctor But he lives so far awny and it is such a bad night, that it has just occurred to me that it would be much better it you went instead of me. You know I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, and so it is only fair that you should do something for me if return.”
‘“Certainly,”cried little Hans,“I take it quite as a compli-ment your coming to me, and I will start off at once. But you must lend me your lantern, as the night is so dark that I am afraid I might fall into the ditch.”
‘“I am very sorry,”answered the Miller,“but it is my new lantern, and it would be a great loss to me if anything happened to it.”
‘“Well, never mind, I will do without it,”cried little Hans, and the took down his great fur coat, and his warm scarlet cap, and tied a muffler round his throat, and started off.
‘What a dreadful storm it was! The night was so black that little Hans could hardly see, and the wind was so strong that he could scarcely stand. However, he was so strong that he could scarcely stand. However, he was very courageous, and after he had been walking about three hours, he arrived at the Doctoru0027s house, and knocked at the door.
‘“Who is there?”cried the Doctor, putting his head out of his bedroom window.
‘“Little Hans, Doctor.”
‘“What do you want, little Hans?”
‘“The Milleru0027son has fallen from a ladder, and has hurt himself,and the Miller wants you to come at once.”
‘“All right!”said the Doctor,and he ordered his horse, and his big boots, and his lantern, and came downstairs, and rode off in the direction of the Milleru0027s house, little Hans trudging behind him.
‘But the storm grew worse and worse, and the rain fell in torrents, and little Hans could not see where he was going, or keep up with the hores. At last he lost his way, and wandered off on the moor, which was a very dangerous place, as it was full of deep holes, and there poor little Hans was drowned. His body was found the next day by some goatherds, floating in a great pool of water, and was brought back by them to the cottage.
‘Everybody went to little Hansu0027s funeral, as he was so popular, and the Miller was the chief mourner.
‘“As I was his best friend,”said the Miller,“it is only fair that I should have the best place,”so he walked at the head of the procession in a long black cloak, and every now and then he wiped his eyes with a big pocket-handkerchief.
‘“Little Hans is certainly a great loss to every one,”said the Blacksmith. when the funeral was over, and they were all seated comfortably in the inn, dring spieed wine and eating sweet cakes.
‘“A great loss to me at any rate,”answered the Miller“why, I had as good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now I really donu0027t know what to do with it. It is very much in my way at home, and it is in such bad repair that I could not get anything for it if I sold it.I will certainly take care not to give away any thing again.One always suffers for being generous.”’
‘Well?’ said the Water-rat, after a long pause.
‘Well, that is the end,said the Linnet.
‘But what became of the Miller? asked the Water-rat.’
‘Oh! really donu0027t know,’replied the Linnet;‘and I am sure that I donu0027t care.’
‘It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in your nature,’said the Water-rat.
‘I am afraid you donu0027t quite see the moral of the story,’remarked the Linnet.
‘The what?’sereamed the Water-rat.
‘The moral’
‘Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?’
‘Certainly’said the Linnet.
‘Well, really,’said the Whter-rat,in a very ang ymanner,‘I think you should have told me that before you began. It you had done so. I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said “Pooh,”like the critic. However, I can say it now;’so he shouted out ‘Pooh’at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole.
‘And how do you like the Water-rat?’asked the Duck,who came paddling up some up some minutes afterwards.‘He has a great many good points, but for my own part I have a motheru0027s feelings, and I can never look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming into my eyes.’
‘I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,’answered the Linnet.‘The fact is that I told him a story with a moral.’
‘Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do,’said the Duck.
And I quite agree with her.
THE REMARKABLE ROCKET
The Kingu0027s son was going to be married, so there general rejoicings. He had waited a whole year for his bride, and at last she had arrived. She was Russian Prineess, and had driven all the way from Finland in a slesge drawn by six reindeer. The sledge was shaped like a great golden swan, and between the swanu0027s wings lay the little Prineess herself. Her long ermine cloak reached right down to her feet. on her head was a tiny cap of silver tissue,and she was as pale as the Snow Palace in which she had always lived. So pale was she that as she drove through the streets all the people wonderd.‘She is like a white rose!’they cried and they threw down flowers on her from the balconies.
At the gate of the Castle the Prince was waiting to receiveher. He had dreamy violeteyes, and his hair was like fine gold. When he saw her he sank upon one knee, and kissed her hand.
‘Your picture was beautiful,’he murmured,‘but you are more beautiful than your pieture; ’and the little Princess blushed.
‘She was like a white rose before.’said a young Page to his neighbour.‘but she is like a red rose now ;’and the whole Court was delighted.
Forthe next three days wverybody went about saying,‘White rose, Red rose, Red, White rose; and the King gave orders that the Pageu0027s salary was to be doubled. As he received no salary at all this was not of much use to him, but it was considered a great honour, and was published in the Court Gazette.
When the three days were over the marriage was celebrated.It was a magnificent ecremony, and the bride and bridegroom walked hand in hand under a canopy of purple velvet embroidered with little pearls. Then there was a State Banquet, which lasted for five hours. The Prince and Princess sat at the top of the Great Hall and drank out of a cup clear crystal. Only true lovers could drink out of this cup, for if false lips touched it,it grew grey and dull and cloudy.
‘It is quite clear that they love each other.’said the little Page ‘as clear as crystal!’and the King doubled his salary a second time,‘What an honour!’cried all the courtiers.
Afrer the banquet there was to be a Ball. The bride and bridegroom were to dance the Rose-dance together, and the King had promised to play the flute. He played very badly, but no one had ever dared to tell him so, because he was the King. Indeed, he only knew two airs, and was never quite certain which one he was playing; but it made no matter, for, whatever he did, everybody cried out, `Charming!charming!u0027
The last item on the programme was a grand display of fireworks, to be let off exactly at midnight, The little Princess had never seen a firework in her life, so the King had given orders that the Royal Pyrotechnist should be in attendance on the day of her marriage.
‘What are fireworks loke?’she had asked the Prince. one morning, as she was walking on the terrace.
`They are like the Aurora Borealis, said the King, who always answered questions that were addressed to other people, ‘only much more natural, I prefer them to stars my self. as you always know when they are going to appear, and they are as delightful as my own flute-playing. You must certaingly see them.’
So at the end of the Kingu0027s garden a great stand had been set up. and as soon as the Royal Pyrotechnist had put everything in its proper place, the fireworks began to talk to each other.
‘The world is certainly very beautiful.’cried a Squib. ‘Just look at those yellow tulips. Why! if they were real crackers they could not be lovelier.I am very glad I have travelled. Travel improves the mind wonderfully, and does away with all oneu0027s prejudices.’
‘The Kingu0027s garden is not the world. you foolish squib.’said a big Roman Candle; ‘the world is an enormous place. and it would take you three days to see it thoroughly.’
‘Any place you love is the world to you.exclaimed a pensive Catharine Wheel. who had been attached to an old deal box in early life, and prided herself on her broken heart;‘but love is not fashionable any more, the poets have killed it’.
They wrote so much about it that nobody believed them,and I am not surprised. True love suffers.and is silent, I remember myself once-But it is no matter now. Romance is a thing of the past.
‘Nonsense!’ said the Roman Candle,‘Romance never dies. It is like the moon, and lives for ever. The bride and bridegroom. for instance. love each other very dearly, I heard all about them this mornig from a brown-paper cartridge, who happened to be staying in the same drawer as myself, and knew the latest Court news.’
But the Catharine Whell shook her head.‘Romance is dead, Romance is dead, Romance is dead,’she murmured, She was one of those people who think that, if you say the same thing over and over a great many times, it becomes true in the end.
Suddenly, a sharp, dry cough was heard, and thev all looked round.
It came from a tall, supercilious-looking Rocket, who was tied to the end of a long stick. He always coughed before he made any observation, so as to attract attention.
‘Ahem! ahem!’ he said, and everybody listened except the poor Catharine Wheel, who was still shaking her head, and murmuring, ‘Romance is dead.’
‘Order! order!’cried out a Cracker. He was something of a politician, and had always taken a prominent part in the local elections, so he knew the proper Parliamentary expressions to use.
‘Quite dead,’whispered the Catharine Wheel,and she went off to sleep.
As soon as there was perfect silence, the Rocket coughed a third time and began. He spoke with a very slow, distinct voice, as if he was dictating his memoris, and always looked over the shoulder of the person to whom he was talking. In fact, he had a most distinguished manner.
‘How fortunate it is for the Kingu0027s son,’he remarked,‘that he is to be married on the very day on which I am to be let off. Really, if it had been arranged beforehand, it could not have turned out better for him; but Princes are always lucky.’
‘Dear me! ’said the little Squib, ‘I thought it was quite the other way, and that we were to be let off in the Princeu0027s honour.’
‘It may be so with you,’he answered; indeed, I have no doubt that it is, but with me it is different. I am a very remarkable Rocket, and come of remarkable parents. My mother was the most celebrated Catharine Wheel of her day, and was renowned for her graceful dancing. When she made her great public appearance she spun round nineteen times before she went out, and each time that she did so she threw into the air seven pink stars. She was three feet and a half in diameter, and made of the very best gunpowder. My father was a Rocket like myself. and of French extruction. He flew so high that the people were afrald that he would never come down again. He did, though, for he was of a kindly disposition, and he made a most brilliant descent in a shower of golden rain. The newspapers wrote about his performance in very flattering terms. Indeed, the Court Gazette called him a triuph of Pylotechnic art.’
‘Pyrotechnic, Pyrotechnic, you mean,’said a Bengal Light; ‘I know it is Pyrotechnic, for I saw it written on my own canister.’
‘Well, I said Plyotechnic,’answered the Rocket, in a severe tone of voice, and the Bengal Linght felt so crudhed that he began at once to bully the little squibs, in order to show that he was still a person of some importance.
‘I was saying,’continued the Rocket,‘I was saying-What was I saying?’
‘You were talking about yourself,’replied the Roman Candle.
‘Of course; I knew I was discussing some interesting subject when I was so rudely interrupted. I hate rudeness and bad manners of every kind, for I am, I am quite sure of that.’
‘What is a sensitive person?’said the Cracker to the Roman Candle.
‘A person who, because he has corns himself always treads on other peopleu0027s toes,’answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter
‘Pray, what are you larghing at? ’inquired the Rocket;‘I am not laughing.’
‘I am laughing because I am happy,’replied the Cracker.
‘That is a very selfish reason.’ said the Rocket angrily.‘What right have you to be happy? You should be thinking a bout others. In fact, you should be thinking about me. I am always thinking about myself, and I expect every body else to do the same. That is what is called sympathy. It is a beautiful virtue,and I possess it in a high degree. Suppose, for instance anything happened to me to-night, waht a misfortune that would be for every one! The Prince and Princess woild never be happy again. their whole married life would be spoiled-and as for the King, I know he would not get over it. Really when I begin to reflect on the importance of my position I am almost moved to tears.’
‘If you want to give pleasure to others.’cried the Roman Candle,‘you had better keep yourself dry.’
‘Certainly,’exclaimed the Bengal Light, who was now in better spirits;‘that is only common sense.’
‘Common sense, sense, indeed!’said the Rocket indingnantly; you forget that I am very uncommon, and very remarkable. Why.anybody can have common sense, provided that they have no imagination. But I have imagination, for I never think of things as they really are; I always think of them as being quite different. As for keeping myself dry, there is evidently no one here who can at all appreciate an emotional nature. Fortunately for myself, I donu0027t care. The only thing that sustains one through life is the consciousness of the immense in feriority of everybody else, and this is a feeling that I have always cultivated. But none of you have any hearts. Here you are larghing and making merry just as if the Prince and Princess had not just been married.’
‘Well. really,’exclaimed a small Fire-balloon,‘why not? It is a most joyful occasion, and when I soar up into the air I intend to tell the stars all about it. You will see them twinkle when I talk to them about the pretty bride.’
‘Ah! what a trivial view of life!’said the Rocket, ‘but it is only what I wxpected. There is nothing in you, you are hollow and empty. Why, perhaps the Prince and Princess may go to live in a country where there is a deep river, and perhaps they may have one only son, a little fair-haired boy with violet eyes like the Prince himself; and perhaps the nurse may go to sleep under a great elder-tree; and perhaps the little boy may fall into the deep river and be drowned. What a terrible misfortune! Poor people to lose their only son! It is really too dreadful! I shall never get over it.’
‘But they have not lost their only son.’said the Roman Candle; ‘no misfortune has happened to them at all.’
‘I never said that they had,’replied the Rocket;‘I said that they might, If they had lost their only son there would be no use in saying anything more about the matter. I hate people who cry over spilt milk. But when I think that they might lose their only son, I certainly am very much affected.’
‘You certainly are!’cried the Bengal Light.‘In fact, you are the most affected person I ever met.’
‘You are the rudest person I ever met.’said the Rocket,‘and you cannot understand my friendship for the Prince.’
‘Why, you donu0027t even know him.’growled the Roman Candle.
‘I never said I knew him.’answered the Rocket.‘I dare say that if I knew him I should not be his friend at all. It is a very dangerous thing to know oneu0027s friends. ’
‘You had really better keep yourself dry.’said the Fire-balloon. ‘That is the important thing.’
‘Very important for you. I have no doubt.’answered the Rocket.‘but I shall weep of I choose;’and he actually burst into realtears, which flowed down his stick like raindrons, and nearly drowned two little beetles, who were just thinking of setting up house together, and were looking for a nice dry spot to live in.
‘He must have a truly romantic nature.’said the Catharine Wheel.‘for he weeps when there is nothing at all to weep about;’and she heaved a deep sigh, and thought about the deal box.
But the Roman Candle and the Bengal Light were quite indingnant, and kept saying. Humbug! humbug!‘at the top of their voices. They were extremely practical, and whenever they objccted to anything they called it humbug.’
Then the moon tose like a wonderful silver shield, and the stars began to shine, and a sound of music came from the palace.
The Prince and Princess were leading the dance. They danced so beautifully that the tall white lilies peeped in at the window and watched them, and the great red poppies nodded their heads and beat time.
Then ten ou0027clock struck, and then eleven,and then twelve and at the last strode of midnight every one came out on the terrace, and the King sent for the Royal Pyrotechnist.
‘Let the fireworks begin,’said the King; and the Royal Pyrotechnist made a low bow, and marched down to the end of the garden. He had six attendants with him, cach of whom carried a lighted torch at the end of a long pole.
It was cerainly a magnificent display.
Whizz! Whizz! went the Catharine Wheel, as she spun round and round. Boom! Boom! went the Roman Candle. Then the Squibs daneed all over the place. and the Bengal Lights made everything look sxarlet.‘Good-bye.’cried the Fire-balloon. as he soared away dropping tiny blue sparks. Band! Bang!answered the Crackers, who were enjoying themselves immensely. Every one was a great success except the Remarkable Rocket. He was so damp with crying that he could not go off at all. The best thing in him was the gunpowder, and that was so wet with tears that it was of no use. All his poor relations, to whom he would never speak, except with a sneer. shot up into the sky like wonderful golden flowers with blossons of fire. Huzza! Huzza!cried the Court and the little Princess laughed with pleasure.
‘I suppose they are reserving me for some grand occasion.’said the Rocket;‘no doubt that is what it means.’and he looked more supercilious than ever.
The next day the work men came to put everything tidy.‘This is evidently a deputation’said the Rocket;‘I will receive them with becoming dignity;’so he put his nose in the air, and began to frown severely as if he were thinking about some very important subject. But they took no notice of him at all till they were just going away. Then one of them caught sight of him.‘Hallo!’he cried, ‘what a bad rocket!’and he threw him over the wall into the ditch.
‘BAD Rocket ocket? BAD Rocket?’he said as he whirled through the air;‘jmpossible! GRAND Rocket,that is what the man said.B A D and GRAND sound very much the same, indeed they they often are the same;’and he fell into the mud.
‘It is not comfortable here,’he remarked,‘but no doubt it is some fashionable watering-place, and they have sent me away to recruit my health.My nerves are certainly very much shattered, and I require rest.’
Then a little Frog,with bright jewelled eyes, and a green mottled coat, swam up to him.
‘A new arrival,I see!’said the Frog.‘Well,after all there is nothing like mud. Give me rainy weather and a ditch, and I am quite happy. Do you think it will be a wet afternoon? I am sure I hope so, but the sky is quite blue and cloudless. What a pity!’
‘Ahem! ahem!’said the Rocket, and he began to cough.
‘What a delightful voice you have!’cried the Frog.‘Really it is quite like a croak, and croaking is of course the most musical sound in the world. You will hear our glee-club this evening. We sit in the old duck-pond close by the farmeru0027s house,and as soon as the moon rises we begin.It is so entrancing that everybody lies awake to listen to us. In fact, it was only yesterday that I heard the farmeru0027s wife say to her mother that she could not get a wink of sleep at night on account of un. It is most gratifying to find oneself so popular.’
‘Ahem! ahem!’said the Rocket angrily.He was very much annoyed that he could not get a word in.
‘A delightful voice, certainly,’continued the Frog;‘I hope you will come over to the duck-bond. I am off to look for my daughters. I have six beautiful daughters. and I am so afraid the Pike may meet them. He is a perfect monster, and would have no hesitation in break fasting off them. Well, good-bye; I have enjoyed our conversation very much. I assure you.’
‘Conversation, indeed!’said the Rocket. ‘You have talked the whole time yourself. That is not conversation.’
‘Somedoby must listen! answered the frog; and I have to do all the talking myself. It saves time,and prevents artguments.’
‘I hope not,’said the Frong complacently.‘Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions. Good-bye a second time; I see my daughters in the distance;’and the little Fronswam away.
‘You are a very irritating person.’said the Rocket,‘and very ill-bred. I hate peope who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself. as I do. It is what I call selfishness, and selfishness is amost detestable thing, especially to any one of my temperament, for I am well known for my sympathetic nature. In fact, you should take example by me, you could not possibly have a better model. Now that you have the chance you had better avail yourself of it, for I am going back to Court almost immediately. I am a great favourite at Court;in fact, the Prince and Princess were married yesterday in my honour. Of course you know nothing of these matters, for you are a provincial.’
‘There is no good talking to him,’said a Dragon-fly, who was sitting on the top of a large brown bulrush;‘no good at all,for he has gone away.’
‘Well, that is his loss, not mine,’answered the Rocket.‘I am not going to stop talking to him merely. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by my self, and I am so clever that sometimes I donu0027t understand a single word of what I am saying.’
‘Then you should certainly lecture on Philosophy,’said the Dragon-fly; and he spread a pair of lovely gauze wings and soared away into the sky.
‘How very silly of him not to stay here!’said the Rocket.‘I am sure that he has not often got such a chance of improving his mind. However, I donu0027t care a bit. Genius like mine is sure to be appreciated some day;’and he sank down a little deeper into the mud.
After some time a large White Duck swam up to him. She had yellow legs, and webbed feet, and was considered a great beauty on account of her waddle.
‘Quack, quack, quack,’she said. What a curious shape you are! ‘May I ask were you born like that, or is it the result of an accident?’
‘It is quite evident that you have always lived in the country.’answered the Rocket,‘otherwise you would know who I am, However, I excuse your ignorance. It would be unfair to expect other people to be as remarkable as oneself You will no doubt be surprised to hear that I can fly up into the sky, and come down in a shower of golden rain. ’
‘I donu0027t think much of that,’said the Duck,‘as I cannot see what use it is to any one. Now, if you could plough the fields like the ox, or draw a cart like the house, or look after the sheep like the collie-dog, that would be something.’
‘My good creature,’cried the Rocket in a very haughty tone of voice,‘I see that you belong to the lower ouders. A person of my position is never useful. We have certain accomplishments, and that is more than sufficient. I have no sympathy myself with industry of any kind, least of all with such industries as you seem to recommend. In deed, I have always been of opinion that hard work is simply the refuge of people who have nothing whatever to do.’
‘Well, well,’said the Duck, who was of a very peaceable disposition,and never quarrelled with any one,‘everbody has different tastes. I hope, at any rate, that you are going to take up your residence here.’
‘Oh! dear no,’cried the Rocket . ‘I am merely a visitor, a distinguished visitor. The fact is that I find this place rather tedious. There is neither society here, nor solitude. In Court, for I konw that I am destined. I shall probably go back to Court, for I know that I am destined to make a sensation in the world.’
‘I had thoughts of entering public life once myself,’remarked the Duck;‘there are so many things that need reforming.Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. Now I go in for domesticity, and look after my family.’
‘I am made for public life,’said the Rocket,‘and so are all my relations, even the humblest of them. Whenver we appear we excite great attention. I have not actually appeared myself, but when I do so it will be a mangificent sight. As for domesticity, it ages one rapidly, and distracts oneu0027s mind from higher things.’
‘Ah! the higher things of life, how fine they are!’said the Duck;‘and that reminds me how hungry I feel;’and she swam away down the stream, saying ‘Quack, quack, quack.’
‘Come back! come back!’sereamced the Rocket,‘I have a great deal to say to you;’but the Duek paid no attention to him, `I am plad that she had gone? he said to himself,u0027‘she has a decidedly middle-class mind;’and he sank a little deeper still into the mud, and began to think about the loneliness of genius, when suddenly two little boys in white smocks came running down the bank, with a kettle and some faggots.
‘This must be the deputation.’said the Rocket. and he tried to look very dingnified.
‘Hallo!’cried one of the boys,‘look at this old stick! I wonder how it came here;’and he picked the roket out of the ditch.
‘OLD Stick!’said the Rocket.‘impossible! GOLD Stick. I that is what he said. Gold Sitck is very complimentary. In fact. he mistakes me for one of the Court dignitaries!’
‘Let us put it into the fire!’said the other boy, ‘it will help to boil the kettle.’
So they poled the faggots to gather, and put the Rocket on top. boil the fire.
‘This is magnificent,’cried the Rocket,‘they are going to let me off in broad boiled;’and they lay down on the grass, and shut their eyes.
The Rocket was very damp. so he took a long time to burn.At last, however, the fire caught him.
‘Now I am going off!’he cried, and he made himself very stiff and straight.‘ I know I shall go much higher than the stars, much higher than the moon, much higher than the sun. In fact, I shall go so high that—’
Fizz! Fizz! Fizz! and he went straight up into the air.
Delightful! he cried,‘ I shall go on like this forever. What a success I am !’
But nobody saw him.
Then he began to feel a curious tingling sensation all over him.
‘Now I am going to explode,’he cried.‘I shall set the whole woeld on fire, and make such a noise, that nobody will talk about anything else for a whole year, And he certainly did explode. Bang! Bang! Bang! went the gunpowder. There was no doubt about it.
But nobody heard him. not even the two little boys, for they were sound asleep.
Then all that was left of him was the stick, and this fell down on the back of a Goose who was taking a walk by the side of the ditch.
‘Good heavens!’cried the Goose.‘It is going to rain sticks;’and she rushed into the water.
‘I knew I should create a great sensation.’gasped the Rocket, and he went out.
Exercises
Answer the following questions about Wilde:
1.What nationality was Wilde?
2.When was Wilde born? When did he die?
3.What was the name of the movement he became involved in while at Oxford?
4.What characteristics made Wilde popular in London society?
5.What happened in 1895?
6.Did Oscar Wilde die happy? Explain.
7.When was The Happy Prince and Other Tales published?
8.How many novels did Wilde write?
9.What is the name of wildeu0027s most famous play?
Answer the fo llowing questions about The Happy Prince:
1. Who are the two main characters in The Happy Prince?
2.Are the main characters human?
3.Describe the life of the Prince while he was alive.
4.Why was the Prince so sad?
5.Why did the Swallow agree to stay for one night? What did he do for the Prince?
6.What did the Swallow do with do with the sapphire eyes of the Prince?
7.Why did the Swallow decide not to fly to Egypt?
8.What happened to the Prince when the Swallow died?
9.Why did the Mayor pull down the statue of the Prince?
10.What two precious objects did the Angel take from the city to Paradise?
11.What is the moral of this story?
Answer the following questions about The Devoted Frlend:
1.Who are the main characters of this story?
2.Where does the story take place?
3.Describe the Milleru0027s character.
4.Describe little Hansu0027s character.
5.Do you prefer the Miller or little Hans? Why?
6“Acting well”versus“talking well”:which of the two did the Miller believe nore important? What is your opinion?
7.What happened to little Hans in the end?
8.Do you think that the Miller was a true and generous friend?
9.What is yor definition of friendship?
內容梗概
快樂王子
在一座城市裏聳立著一尊高高的披金塑像。城市的人們稱他為快樂王子。每天人們都讚美和羨慕他。一天， 一隻去埃及越冬的燕子飛落 在塑像腳下。燕子從塑像那裏得知，他曾是無憂宮的王子，生前一直過著快樂的生活，從不知痛苦是什麼，因此王宮裏的人都叫他“快樂王子。”他死後，人們豎起他的塑像。高高的位置使他看到了人間的醜惡和痛苦。王子請求小燕子留下來，取下他配劍上的紅寶石，摘下他兩支藍寶石的眼睛，送給城裏的窮人。小燕子為了幫助王子一天天留了下來。每日它飛翔在城市上空，遍察窮人的苦難，回去講給王子。王子則一次次地讓燕子把他身上的金片揭下來送給窮人。天愈來愈冷，小燕子終於被凍死了。快樂王子也由於日益醜陋，被拆除後送入熔爐熔化。王子的心是鉛做的，不能熔化，於是工人把它扔入垃圾堆。
後來，上帝派天使去城市中將最珍貴的東西帶給他。天使帶來了鉛心和死去的燕子。上帝把燕子和鉛心放在天堂，讓鳥兒為自己歌唱，讓王子讚美他。
夜鶯和玫瑰
一個年輕的大學生為沒有紅玫瑰而陷入痛苦中不能自拔。教授的女兒曾答應他，如果他能在即將舉行的宮庭舞會上帶給她一朵紅玫瑰，她就會整晚與他跳舞。而他是那麼地愛她。
夜鶯被青年的真情所感動。為了人類崇高的愛情，它決定幫助他。它開始到處尋找紅玫瑰。但是當它終於找到一棵紅玫瑰樹時，這棵樹卻困風寒而凋零了。玫瑰樹告訴它，隻有一種辦法可以獲得紅玫瑰。夜鶯必須在月光下將胸脯伏在玫瑰的刺上，一邊歌唱，一邊讓自己的心靈之血流入枯萎的枝幹，隻有這樣玫瑰才能綻放。
夜鶯為了比生命更美好的愛情，飛向玫瑰樹。它讓玫瑰的刺穿透自己的胸脯，深入心髒。夜鶯的鮮血培養出紅霞般的玫瑰，而它自己卻死在了樹上。
青年打開窗戶看到了紅玫瑰。他迫不急待地帶著它來到教授家。但是，教授的女兒已經有皇宮內侍的侄子送來的珠寶，不再稀罕玫瑰。
青年不再相信愛情這個不切實際的東西。回到家後，他重又鑽入哲學和玄學的書堆中。
自私的巨人
巨人去拜訪朋友，一去七年沒有回來。他有個很大很美的花園，孩子們每天下午放學後都在裏麵玩耍。
但是有一天，巨人回來了。他把孩子們都趕出了花園，並在四周建立起高高的圍牆。
春天來了，到處鳥語花香，但是巨人的花園中卻風霜肅殺。
一天，巨人聽到紅雀優美的歌聲。他打開窗子，看到孩子們從牆上的一個洞中鑽進了花園，花園立即生機盎然。但在一個角落裏，一個男孩站在樹下，那裏卻依然冷若寒冬。巨人走過去，輕輕地把孩子放在樹上，這個角落也春色一片了。
從此，孩子們整天在花園中嬉戲。可是就是不見那個男孩。這時的巨人已經很老了。
一個冬日的早晨，男孩又出現在花園裏。他說：“你曾經讓我在你的花園中玩耍，現在我要帶你去我的花園—天堂。”
第二天下午，孩子們看到巨人死在樹下，身上覆蓋著白花。
忠實的朋友
一天，水塘裏的水鼠和紅雀談論起友情。水鼠說友情是最高貴， 最稀有的東西。他願他的朋友對他忠心不二。紅雀問：“那你又該怎麼做呢?”水鼠不明白他的問題，於是紅雀講了一個故事。
從前有個誠實的人，叫漢斯。他有一個最美麗的花園。在他的許多朋友中，米勒是最忠實的。每逢路過米勒的花園，他總要采花、摘果。米勒就帶著碩大的花籃采摘鮮花來了。漢斯說起他為生活所迫曾把自己的手推車賣掉了，現在要賣花把車贖回來。米勒答應將自己的舊車送給漢斯。漢斯感動萬分。在給漢斯手推車的許諾下，米勒利用漢斯的善良支使他為自己做這做那。終於有一天，漢斯在為米勒的兒子請醫生的途中迷路，淹死在沼澤裏。
原來米勒要給漢斯的手推車是破得不能再修補，賣不上好價錢的東西。
故事講完了，水鼠認為這個故事對他沒什麼寓意，而且非常不屑地鑽回洞去。
非凡的爆竹
王子的婚禮上要燃放大量的煙花以示慶祝。
煙花燃放師把各種各樣的煙花安排就位後，煙花之間談話便開始了。
他們之中有一個叫“Rocket”的大爆竹。他自命不凡，傲慢無禮，成了談話的中心人物。他認為王子和公主非常幸運，因為他們要在他被燃放的日子裏結婚。這對兩位新人來說是無尚的光榮。大爆竹為自己的重要地位激動得淚盈眶。
午夜來臨，其它的煙花都飛上了天空，盡顯輝煌，隻剩下大爆竹自己，因為他的淚水把自己染濕了。
工作人員第二天收拾燃放場時，把大爆竹當作廢物扔進水溝。大爆竹不僅沒有為此悲傷，反而更加洋洋自得，認為他來到了一處可以休息的好地方。在水溝中他對遇到的青蛙、蜻蜓和鴨子大講自己如何聰明絕頂，身世不凡，並且認為他的講話對每個人都不無裨益。
然而他在水溝中愈陷愈深。一天，兩個孩子來到水溝旁，將其撈出扔進火裏用來燒火。大爆竹終於燃起來，之後直衝雲霄。他以為自己會點燃整個世界。他爆炸了。可是在白天既沒有人看見他；也沒人聽到他。隻是當他最後燃盡落下砸在鵝子背上時，才有一點點反應。可是大爆竹卻以為他確實引起了巨大的轟動。
Part 4 大學校園講演與致詞
English speeches and Toasts in the college)
大學校園講演與致詞
課堂校園，多姿多彩。置身其中，知識得以豐富，情操得以陶冶，才能得以增強。
在這樣的殿堂裏，講演與致詞有其特殊的作用。教師的授課，就是一篇篇豐富精彩的講演。師生間，同窗間的討論切磋，也常常是環繞某一主題的思辨型演說。課堂校園還有許許多多的活動：文藝晚會、聯誼舞會、知識競賽、學校運動會、技能比賽、講演比賽、迎新或畢業典禮，等等，都需要有相應的精彩發言。
如果身為迎新典禮的致詞人，你須向新學生介紹學校的曆史與傳統，本校的教學方向和重點學科，提出期望與祝願。
如果作為畢業生代表向母校獻上你的心聲，你發言的重點是表達全體即將離校學生的感激之情、留戀之情，以及大展鴻圖為母校爭光的誌向。
你是比賽活動中榮譽獲得者，則在即席演說中自然會表示由衷的興奮激動，並追根溯源，講講成績的得來如何離不開恩師的教導、父母的督促、同學的鼓勵，還有不忘挑戰未來更高的目標。
同窗數載，臨別贈言，則應有難忘的往事回憶，依依的惜別，帶著成功再相會的豪情壯誌。
擔當某一活動的主持人，你的發言猶如樂隊的指揮棒，須以你流暢、明確、幽默的講演來引線串聯，呼風喚雨，使整台活動收放自如，出氣氛、見內涵、收效果。
課堂校園講演與致詞的基調應該是：明快、歡暢、趣味盎然，富有青春氣息，注意啟發性和鼓動性。
INTRODUCTION TO A NEWLY ARRLVED TEACHER
Ladies and Gentlemen:
It is my special pleasure to welcome our new staff member, mr. Jimmy Malan, who has come here from England.
Mr. Malan has recently graduated from the Univer sity of Lancashire where he majored in English Literature and minored in Teaching English as a Second Language. He is 23 years and unmarried.
Mr. Malan will be working mostly in our daytime classes, and he has also graciously consented to take some of our evening classes. He will be with us here for at least two years.
One of the goals of our school,in addition to teaching English, is to promote understanding and cooperation between the young people of our two countries. By having dedicated people like Mr. Malan, who are willing to sacrifice the comfort of their friends in their own country to come to a strange and unknown country, we feel we are very lucky and that our goals will be all the more easily realized.
Mr. Malan, the other faculty members and the rest of the staff of the school join with me in extending to you our sincerest welcome. We are indeed happy to have you here, and we wish you all the best during the time that you are with us. Thank you.
介紹新來的教師
女士們，先生們：
能歡迎我們來自英國的新老師傑米·馬倫先生，是我的殊榮。
馬倫先生剛從蘭開夏大學畢業，主修英國文學，副修英語外語教學。他今年23歲，未婚。
馬倫先生大部分時間將教授日課，他還很體諒地答應教幾節夜間課程。他至少與我們一起待上兩年。
除了英語教學，本校的另一個目標，就是促進兩國年輕人之間的了解與合作。能有像馬倫先生那樣全心奉獻的人，願意犧牲自己國內朋友的慰藉，來到一個陌生未知的國家，我們感到非常幸運，也覺得我們的目標更加容易實現。
馬倫先生，學校其他教師及職員和我一起向你表示最真摯的歡迎。你來到此地，我們感到由衷的高興，願你在此與我們共事中事事如意。謝謝。
PRESENTATION OF THE PRIZES
Ladies and Gentlemen:
A few moments ago, while I was sitting on this platfrom, feeling sorry for myself because I had got to make a speech, my thoughts went back to the last Speech Day I attended. It was, in fact, my last Speech Day at school. I remember it very well, because I happened to win a prize, The reason why I remember it is because it was the only prize I ever won all the time I was at school.
Now on that occasion a very distinguished gentleman came to the school to present the prizes. (Nowadays, of course, this job is done by very undistinguished people.)This gentleman followed the custom and made a speech, and I shall never forget what he said. You see, I was this prize and my parents were there to see me go up and collect it. And I thought the speaker was going to say what a fine thing it was to win a prize.
But he did not say that. He told us about his school days, just as I am telling you about mine. And he told us that he had never won a prize. He went on to imply that he did not think much of those who did. Chaps who never won prizes, he said, nearly always made a tremendous success of life; while those who walked off with piles of books under their arms—well, he did not actually say they all ended up in the gutter or in gaol ,but that was the impression we got. And if I were to meet him again today ,I suppose he would say that the only reason that I did not end up in the gutter or gaol was that I only got one prize in the whole of my school career.
Now I am not going to make a speech like that. In fact, I am not going to make a speech at all. I am just going to present the prizes, and I want to say to the winners now that I offer them my hearty congratulations. I do not think any of them will end up in the gutter or gaol, and they have every right to be groud of their success. I will add that winning prizes at school does not mean that you are bound to make a success of life, and more than not winning prizes means that you are going to be a failure. We cannot all with prizes. But let us give credit to those who do.
授獎致詞
女士們，先生們：
剛才，我坐在講台上，為自己必須要講個話而感到不好受，我的記憶也回到了我所參加的上一個講演日。事實上，那是我學生時期的最後一個講演日。這天我記得很清楚，因為正巧我也贏得了大獎。我記得這一天的理由還在於，它是我在學校中贏得的唯一獎賞。
當時，一位名人出席學校的頒獎儀式，並為我們發獎(如今，這種事情當然由不知名的人士來做的)。這位名人按照禮儀，作了講演。而我也不會忘記了說了些什。各位知道，我當時對自己很感滿意，因為我得了獎，我的父母也在場目睹我上台領獎。我滿以為講演者會說，得獎真是件開心的事情。
但是他並未那樣說。他給我們講他的學生時候，就如我現在給你們講的一樣。他告訴我們他從未得過什麼獎。他繼續暗示說，對得獎之人他感到不以為然。他說，那些從小不得獎的孩子，幾乎總在今後的生活中取得了巨大成功；而那些手夾一大堆書本離開學校的人……。雖然他沒有真正講出來，但給我們的印象就是：他們到頭來都一文不名，要不就蹲上了監獄。如果今天我再遇見他，猜想他會說，我之所以最終沒有兩手空空或去坐大牢，是因為我在整個學生生涯中僅僅得過一次獎。
現在，我不會作像他那樣的講演。事實上我也不準備作什麼講演。我隻是頒獎，而且我要對得獎者說衷心祝賀他們。我認為他們不管哪個將來都不會一錢不值或進監獄，他們有權為得獎而自豪。我要補充的是，在學校裏得了獎並不意味你一定會成功的；不得獎也並不意味你會是個失敗者。我們不可能都得獎。讓我們把獎勵頒發給那些應該得獎的吧!
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING ADDRESS
AT AN ENGLISH SPEECH CONTEST
Honourable Judges, Ladies and Gentlemen, My Fellow Students:
Thank you for your coming to the 5 annual English speech contest of this college. This contest is one of the most famous in the city, and several of the past winners of our contest have gone on to win fame for themselves and our college in other contests all over the city.
Today, we are going to be privileged to hear the speeches of 20 contestants from our regular course students. Their topics cover a wide range as from vacation spending to environmental pollution.
We are fortunate to have two distinguished judges with us today. One is Mr. Fox, a broadcaster with CCTV, and the other is Miss Gladstone, a protessor from Oxford Univerysity who is in the city working on special research for the UKu0027s NCRAC Foundation. Welcome and thanks to our judges.
Each speaker will have three minutes. At the end of two and a half minutes, the timer will sound a gong. At three minutes, the timer will stand up, and the speaker will be disqualified if he has not finished by then.
Now letu0027s begin and letu0027s all give the speakers our support.
執行主席在英語講演比賽上的開場白
尊敬的裁判先生，女士們，先生們，各位同學：
感謝光臨我校第五屆年度英語講演比賽。這是全市最著名的講演賽之一，過去幾屆講演賽的優勝者中，有好幾位在本市舉辦的其他比賽中也為他們及本校繼續贏得了聲譽。
今天，我們將十分榮幸地聆聽我校20位學生參賽者的講演。他們的話題範圍很廣泛，既有“如何度假”，又將討論“環境汙染”等問題。
我們很榮幸邀請了兩位知名人士作為比賽的裁判。一位是中央電視台的主持福克斯先生。另一位則是正在本市為英國國家癌症研究與治療基金作特別研究項目的牛津大學教授葛萊德·斯通小姐。歡迎兩位，同時感謝為本次比賽作評判。
每一位講演者的講演時間為3分鍾。兩分半鍾時計時器發出一聲鈴響，到了3分鍾，計時器就將豎起，如果講演者那時未能結束講演，就要被取消資格。
現在講演賽開始。讓我們大家為講演者鼓勁。
SPPEECH AT THE
DONATION CEREMONYDean South, members of the faculty, students, ladies and gentlemen:
Today, I know all of you here feel as proud as I do of this new building to house the Architecture Graduate School at ABC University. It is an important step for the Architecture School, the university, and the entire nation. It is with great pleasure that I come today on behalf of China Artistisu0027 Association to present a bronze statue to the Architecture school to be displayed in the courtyard of the new building. This statue is by one of premier sculptors,who was very happy to work on this project.
It is fitting that this modern building will house the Architecture School. This department boasts several internationally acclaimed architects among its professors. The high level of instruction and the use of the most upto date teaching methods have been producing many highly talented and inspired young architects over the past few years. Once working in their fields, these young people have proven themselves to be among the worldu0027s finest.
The face of this city is slowly showing the new image of these talented individuals, where only a few years ago, most architectural services were hired out to foreign contractors. We can proudly say that we have turned that situation around and use mostly our “home grown”talent now.
We, in the Artistsu0027 Association, feel that the design of our citis represents artistic expression sometimes overlooked by planners and developers. As architects, you students will have a leading role in deciding the future faces of our cities. The Artistsu0027 Association decided to donate this bronze statue with a hope to help stimulate a greater artistic sense in your young minds, to help you realize the importance of an artistic element in you future work. We know that your work is very important in creating an image and impression of our country in the minds of our own people and visitors. We know that your work will be of the highest calibre and will stand for many generations for all to see and take pride in.
捐贈儀式上的講話
索斯院長，各拉教授，各位同學，女士們，先生們：
今天我知道在場各位與我一樣感到驕傲，因為新落成的大樓裏將設置ABC大學的建築學院研究生院。這對於建築學院，大學以及整個國家來說都是重要的步驟。我很高興今天能代表“中國藝術家協會”贈送這座銅像給建築學院，並將其展示在新大樓的院子內。這座塑像是我們協會中一位著名雕塑家的作品，他為能從事這一項目而高興。
建築學院設在這樣一棟現代大樓裏是很合適的。該學院以擁有數位國際著名的建築師擔任教授而自豪。高水準的教學和最先進的教學手段的應用，幾年來造就了許多才華橫溢的年輕建築師。這些年輕人一旦在這個領域中展露頭角，就證明自己是世界上最優秀的建築師。這座城市的麵貌也慢慢呈現出這些天賦之人的新手筆。而在幾年前，大部分的建築業務還是由外國承包商來做的。如今我們可以自豪地說，我們已經改變了這種狀況，主要在使用我們“自家培養”的人才了。
我們藝術家協會認為，我們的城市設計應富有藝術表現，這有時卻被規劃者和開發商所忽略。作為建築師，同學們在決定我們未來都市的形象上起著主導作用。藝術家協會之所以決定捐贈這座銅像，是希望它有助於激發各位年輕心靈中更多的藝術靈感，有助於各位了解未來作品蘊含藝術成分的重要性。我們知道，在你們的作品中把自己民族形象留在國民和外國訪客心中是極為重要的。我們知道，你們的作品將是最有才華的，將留存世代，為後人觀賞並引以為榮。
A TOAST TO THE SCHOOL
Ladies and gentlemen:
The Old School Tie has been the subject of so many musichall jokes that one might expect it to have been laughed out of existence. Yet there seems to be plenty of evidence to the contrary here tonight; and the fact that it has curvived so much ridicute surely proves that it is by no means a meaningless symbol．
Most loyalties are difficult to explain, and loyalty to the School is no exception. The only thing that we have in common, is that our respective parents happened to send us to the some educational establishment; and one might ask what bond can exist among us. The answer is not far to seek. As boys we were drawn together in comradeship,not because we liked the look of each otheru0027s faces－I am sure you will agree with me on this pointbut through loyatly to a common ideal.
The strength of that ideal continues to hold us together other the end of our communal life. It is not easy to express its source of inspiration. It has nothing to do with the Schoolu0027s scholastic or sporting achievements; it does not derive from the School buildings or grounds; it does not even come from the headmaster and the teaching staff, although without their good influence it could hardly survive. It is simply one of those imponderables, and can only be defined as the Spiritof the School—a spirit compounded of honour, teamwork, comradeship and all that is best in communal life.
Ladies and Gentleman, —The School!
為母校幹杯
女士們，先生們：
校友領帶一直是許多歌舞雜耍表演中搞笑節目的主題，以致使人認為它已在笑聲中消失了。然而，今夜這裏恰恰有著太多的證明，證明事實正相反。它曆經嘲弄而不衰，說明這不是種無謂的象征。
忠誠多數是難以解釋的，對母校的忠誠也不例外。我們僅有的共同之處，在於各自的父母湊巧將我們送到了這麼同一個教育結構裏。如果要向我們之間存在有什麼樣的結合力，答案不難找到。孩提時，夥伴情誼把我們拉到了一塊，不是因為我們喜歡彼此的臉蛋模樣——我肯定這點大家都會同意——而是出於對共同理想的忠誠。
那種理想的力量在我們共同生活結束以後，仍然繼續使我們團結在一起。用言詞很難表達這種激勵人心的東西究竟來自哪裏。它與母校的教育或體育成就毫不相幹；它不從母校的大樓或操場產生出來；也非來自校長和教師，雖然沒有他們的影響它是不能存在下來的。它簡直就是一種說不清道不明的東西，隻能解釋以“母校精神”——一種由榮譽、團隊合作、同窗情誼以及我們共同生活中所有最美好的事物複合而成的精神。
女士們，先生們，為母校，幹杯!
ACCEPTANCE OF DONATION
Members of the faculty, students, ladies and gentlemen:
As the representative of the entire Architecture School, let me express a warm thank to China Artistsu0027 Association for this thoughtful and beautiful addition to our new building. This bronze statue will occupy a prominent position in the courtyard for all to see and admire.
We in this school are honored to hear the kind words spoken just now by a member of this association. We all know the contributions to the cultural development of China by this association. This active, civic minded group is responsible for the introduction to China of many styles of art through numerous shows and workshops. Its role in supporting and encouraging our native forms is especially commendable.
We are impressed with the beauty of this statue for our courtyard. We are proud to know that it is a product of one of your leading sculptors. We know it will serve as an inspiration for students at this school for many years to come.
I think that we here in the faculty of the architecture school also feel that our work is an art form. We are recognizing more and more the importance of pleasing aesthetics to the success both of the image and the function of our designs. It is heartening to know that there are others who appreciate these more subtle aspects of what we try to teach here.
So, let me say for all the faculty and students in the Architecture School, thank you very much for this beautiful piece of art. We will be remindeddaily of your support and encouragement. We hope that by working together, we can contribute to a better, more attractive city in the future for us all. Thank you.
接受捐贈答謝詞
各位教授，各位同學，女士們，先生們：
身為建築學院的代表，請讓我向“中國藝術家協會”表示深切的謝意。謝謝貴協會為我們新大樓增添這樣既貼切又美麗的藝術品。這座雕像將放置在院子中的顯著地位，供大家觀賞。
剛剛聽到藝術家協會成員的讚美之詞，我們深感榮耀。我們都知道該協會在中國文化傳播方麵的貢獻，這個十分活躍且將人民放在心中的團體借助許多展覽和研討會，把多種藝術形式介紹到中國。它在支持和鼓勵我國民族藝術形式方麵的作用尤其值得讚揚。
我們對於這座新大樓院子中雕像的美，印象深刻。在知道它出於著名雕塑家之手後，更是感到驕傲。我知道在未來許多年中，它將激發學生的靈感。
我想我們建築學院的全體教授也覺得自己的工作是一種藝術形式。我們意識到令人愉快的美學在取得形象及功能設計成功方麵所占的重要性。對還有其他人欣賞我們在此傳授的精致觀點，確是令人鼓舞。
因此，謹讓本人代表建築學院的全體師生，謝謝你們捐贈的這件精美藝術品。我們將天天想到你們的支持和鼓勵。願我們通力合作，為我們城市更美好更迷人的未來作貢獻。
謝謝大家。
本例評述：在這類接受損贈的致詞中，除了表達對捐贈的謝意，還要讓捐贈人和聽眾知道，你完全理解該捐贈的目的和意義，並有相應的計劃使捐贈發揮其作用。
CONGRATULATION SPEECH
ON THEANNIVERSARY OF PEKING
UNIVERSITYLadies and Gentleman, Dear Colleagues:
Because I am the Vice Chancellor of the oldest of the foreign universities represented here today, I have been chosen to speak on their behalf. I am pleased to be their voice in presenting our heartfell congratulations to the professors, teachers, researchers and students of Peking University on the 100th anniversary of its foundation.
Our universities form a great intellectual community round the world. Science has no nationality; knowledge belongs to everyone.
Our universities create new knowledge. They teach this knowledge, together with that of other nuiversities and also the best of the great storehouse of knowledge, which those who came before us have uncovered, tested and accumulated.
All universities contribute to the prosperity and success of their country. They also conserve the culture and inheritance〔2〕 specific to their countryu0027s cizilization. But, they do more. Knowledge is secure only when it is hard won by the independent tests of accuracy, rational〔3〕 explanation and truth. So, when we teach our students skills, we also give them values〔1〕.On the other side, these values underwrite the personal need for independent Understanding which is the source of human creativity.
These duties give universities a high responsibility. They are rooted in a great and fine tradition of honesty, free fearless enquiry and independence. Each university is a beacon of light in its own society and, by its association with its sisters, its knowledge and its values are spread wide.
A tradition is not built easily or quickly. During one hundred years, Peking University has been fashioning its tradition. Present and future members of the University! We hope to see you elaborate and consolidate your tradition. We hope to see you become a keystone of the intellectual community. In your next century, we hope to see you contribute to the international academic movement as a whole, as more and more of your members come to participate in the activities of your sister universities.
Congratulations, Peking University on your first century of achievement!
北大百年校慶賀詞
女士們，先生們，親愛的同仁們：
由於我是今天在此派有代表的各國大學中最古老的大學的副校長，我被推選來代表他們講話。我很高興作為大家的代言人，發表我們衷心的祝賀，向北大的教授們、教師們、研究員們和學生們祝賀北大成立一百周年。
我們這些大學在全世界形成一個很大的知識界。科學沒有國籍；知識屬於每個人。
我們這些大學創造新的知識。我們教這些知識，也教其他大學創造的新知識，也教我們先輩們所發現、試驗和積累的偉大知識寶庫中的最佳知識。
所有大學都對本國的繁榮和成功作出貢獻。他們也保存本國文明所特有的文化和遺產。但是他們做的比這還要多。隻有經過準確、合理解釋和真理的獨立試驗而辛苦獲得的知識，才是牢靠的知識。因此，當我們教學生技能時，我們還在教他們價值觀。一方麵，這些是個人行為和社會行為的價值觀；另一方麵，這些價值觀強調個人需要有獨立的見解，因為獨立見解是人類創造力的源泉。
這些職能賦予大學高度的責任。這些責任植根於誠實、自由無畏的探究和獨立性這三者構成的偉大的優秀傳統。每一所大學是本國社會裏的一座燈塔；通過它和姐妹大學的聯係，它的知識和價值觀得以廣為傳播。
一個傳統是不容易樹立的，不是很快就能樹立的。一百年來，北京大學培育了自己的傳統。北大今天和將來的成員們!我們希望看到你們發展和鞏固你們的傳統。我們希望看到你們成為知識界的一塊拱頂石。在你們的第二個百年中，我們希望看到，隨著你們越來越多的成員參與姐妹大學的活動，你們會對整個國際學術運動作出貢獻。
為北京大學第一個百年的成就，向北大表示慶賀!
PROPOSE A VOTE OF THANKS
AFTER A SCHOOL CONCERTLadies and Gentremen:
A few days ago I was asked if I would propose a vote of thanks after the School Concert. That seemed to me almost as bad a task as having to get up on the stage and do a turn myself; so I sat down, and after a lot of labour I managed to write out a speech. Then I leamed it by heart, and that was harder than learning Shakespeare. And now I cannot make the speech at all, because it would sound absurd after a Concert such as this. I expected it to be good, but I never thought it could be as good as it has been.
My own memory of school concerts it rather dim,but I know we never put on shows of this class. Acting, singing, dancing—everything has been really tiptop. You have given us a show that would shame most shows in the West End of London. I am not going to single out any particular item in the programme, because it was all good, and if I once started like that I should have to take up a lot of your time. But I must express my special appreciation of the way the staging and lighting were done. And so, to those who worked behind the scenes as well as those who entertained us from behind the footlights, I offer the appreciation and gratitude of the audience. Thank you all very much.
學校音樂會後提議鼓掌感謝
女士們，先生們：
幾天前，有人問我能否在學校音樂會後講幾句話，提議大家為演出鼓掌，表示感謝。那真像要我自己上台去演出節目一樣。於是我坐下來，費盡心思，總算寫出了講稿，然後比背誦莎士比亞還艱難地把它背了出來 。而現在我根本就不會講什麼了。因為有了這麼一台音樂會，再要講什麼話就顯得極為荒謬。我早就料想這是一台不錯的音樂會，但沒想到它竟是如此精彩。
我已記不清楚我們當年學校音樂會的情況，但我知道，我們的演出從未達到過這樣的水平。演、唱、舞——無論哪一樣都是第一流的。你們呈獻的演出，足可讓倫敦西部那些號稱優秀演出的也覺得羞愧。我不想從演出中挑選出什麼特別出色的節目。因為都是好節目。如果真要這麼做，會占去各位太多的時間。然而我必須特別對舞美效果和燈光表示讚賞。因此我代表觀眾對那些在台下幕後給我們以娛樂的人士表示感激和謝意。非常謝謝各位。
GRADUATION SPEECH
Parents, teachers, and fellow students:
This is the day our graduation. It is supposed to be our day. This is the day to mark the end of our studies and the beginning of a new life for all of us. We are supposed to feel happy on a day such as this, and we are supposed to be full of enthusiasm for the future.
We all do feel these things, but we feel much more, too. There as a great feeling of sadness amongst us today as we realize that this is the last time that we will all be together as members of this school.
However, the thing we feel most, I guess, is gratitude. We have some idea of the sacrufices you, our parents, have made for us, and we have some idea of all the efforts that you, our teachers, have made on our behalf. No words can express how thankful we are to you on this day.
We will always remember this day, and we will always remember you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
畢業獻詞
各位父母，各位老師，同學們：
今天是我們畢業的日子。這是我們的節日。今天是我們學業的終結，又是我們全體畢業生新生活的開始。在這樣的日子，我們應該感到幸福，應該充滿對未來的熱忱。
我們都感受到了這些，但又遠不止是這些。當我們意識到，作為這所學校的成員，今天是我們最後一次相聚在一堂，那真有一種巨大的傷感之情。
然而，我認為，我們最有感觸的，便是感激之情。我們都了解，我們的父母雙親，你們為我們作出了種種犧牲；我們也都了解，我們的恩師，你們為我們傾盡了所有的努力。對你們的感激之情，我們實在難以用語言來表達。
我們將永遠銘記不忘今天的日子，銘記不忘我們的父母和恩師。謝謝你們，從心底裏謝謝你們。