安徒生童話英文

安徒生童話英文

歡樂家庭theHAPPYFAMILY

Really，thelargestGREenleafinthiscountryisadockleaf;ifoneholdsitbeforeone，itislikeawholeapron，andifoneholdsitoverone'sheadinrainyweather，itisalmostasgoodasanumbrella，foritissoimmenselylarge.Theburdocknevergrowsalone，butwheretheregrowsonetherealwaysgrowseveral：itisagreatdelight，andallthisdelightfulnessissnails'food.Thegreatwhitesnailswhichpersonsofqualityinformertimesmadefricasseesof，ate，andsaid，"Hem，hem!howdelicious!"fortheythoughtittastedsodelicate――livedondockleaves，andthereforeburdockseedsweresown.

Now，therewasanoldmanor-house，wheretheynolongeratesnails，theywerequiteextinct;buttheburdockswerenotextinct，theyGREwandgrewalloverthewalksandallthebeds;theycouldnotgetthemasteryoverthem――itwasawholeforestofburdocks.Hereandtherestoodanappleandaplum-tree，orelseoneneverwouldhavethoughtthatitwasagarden;allwasburdocks，andtherelivedthetwolastvenerableoldsnails.

theythemselvesknewnothowoldtheywere，buttheycouldrememberverywellthattherehadbeenmanymore;thattheywereofafamilyfromforeignlands，andthatforthemandtheirsthewholeforestwasplanted.Theyhadneverbeenoutsideit，buttheyknewthattherewasstillsomethingmoreintheworld，whichwascalledthemanor-house，andthattheretheywereboiled，andthentheybecameblack，andwerethenplacedonasilverdish;butwhathappenedfurthertheyknewnot;or，infact，whatitwastobeboiled，andtolieonasilverdish，theycouldnotpossiblyimagine;butitwassaidtobedelightful，andparticularlygenteel.Neitherthechafers，thetoads，northeearth-worms，whomtheyaskedaboutitcouldgivethemanyinformation――noneofthemhadbeenboiledorlaidonasilverdish.

theoldwhitesnailswerethefirstpersonsofdistinctionintheworld，thattheyknew;theforestwasplantedfortheirsake，andthemanor-housewastherethattheymightbeboiledandlaidonasilverdish.

Nowtheylivedaverylonelyandhappylife;andastheyhadnochildrenthemselves，theyhadadoptedalittlecommonsnail，whichtheybroughtupastheirown;butthelittleonewouldnotgrow，forhewasofacommonfamily;buttheoldones，especiallyDameMotherSnail，thoughttheycouldobservehowheincreasedinsize，andshebeggedfather，ifhecouldnotseeit，thathewouldatleastfeelthelittlesnail'sshell;andthenhefeltit，andfoundthegooddamewasright.

Onedaytherewasaheavystormofrain.

"Hearhowitbeatslikeadrumonthedock-leaves!"saidFatherSnail.

"therearealsorain-drops!"saidMotherSnail."Andnowtherainpoursrightdownthestalk!Youwillseethatitwillbewethere!Iamveryhappytothinkthatwehaveourgoodhouse，andthelittleonehashisalso!Thereismoredoneforusthanforallothercreatures，sureenough;butcanyounotseethatwearefolksofqualityintheworld?Weareprovidedwithahousefromourbirth，andtheburdockforestisplantedforoursakes!Ishouldliketoknowhowfaritextends，andwhatthereisoutside!"

"thereisnothingatall，"saidFatherSnail."Noplacecanbebetterthanours，andIhavenothingtowishfor!"

"Yes，"saidthedame."Iwouldwillinglygotothemanorhouse，beboiled，andlaidonasilverdish;allourforefathershavebeentreatedso;thereissomethingextraordinaryinit，youmaybesure!"

"themanor-househasmostlikelyfallentoruin!"saidFatherSnail."Ortheburdockshavegrownupoverit，sothattheycannotcomeout.Thereneednot，however，beanyhasteaboutthat;butyouarealwaysinsuchatremendoushurry，andthelittleoneisbeginningtobethesame.Hashenotbeencreepingupthatstalkthesethreedays?ItgivesmeaheadachewhenIlookuptohim!"

"Youmustnotscoldhim，"saidMotherSnail."Hecreepssocarefully;hewillaffordusmuchpleasure――andwehavenothingbuthimtolivefor!Buthaveyounotthoughtofit?Whereshallwegetawifeforhim?DoyounotthinkthattherearesomeofourspeciesataGREatdistanceintheinterioroftheburdockforest?"

"Blacksnails，Idaresay，thereareenoughof，"saidtheoldone."Blacksnailswithoutahouse――buttheyaresocommon，andsoconceited.Butwemightgivetheantsacommissiontolookoutforus;theyruntoandfroasiftheyhadsomethingtodo，andtheycertainlyknowofawifeforourlittlesnail!"

"Iknowone，sureenough――themostcharmingone!"saidoneoftheants."ButIamafraidweshallhardlysucceed，forsheisaqueen!"

"Thatisnothing!"saidtheoldfolks."Hassheahouse?"

"Shehasapalace!"saidtheant."Thefinestant'spalace，withsevenhundredpassages!"

"Ithankyou!"saidMotherSnail."Oursonshallnotgointoanant-hill;ifyouknownothingbetterthanthat，weshallgivethecommissiontothewhitegnats.Theyflyfarandwide，inrainandsunshine;theyknowthewholeforesthere，bothwithinandwithout."

"Wehaveawifeforhim，"saidthegnats."Atahundredhumanpacesfromheretheresitsalittlesnailinherhouse，onagooseberrybush;sheisquitelonely，andoldenoughtobemarried.Itisonlyahundredhumanpaces!"

"Well，then，lethercometohim!"saidtheoldones."Hehasawholeforestofburdocks，shehasonlyabush!"

AndsotheywentandfetchedlittleMissSnail.Itwasawholeweekbeforeshearrived;butthereinwasjusttheverybestofit，foronecouldthusseethatshewasofthesamespecies.

Andthenthemarriagewascelebrated.Sixearth-wormsshoneaswellastheycould.Inotherrespectsthewholewentoffveryquietly，fortheoldfolkscouldnotbearnoiseandmerriment;butoldDameSnailmadeabrilliantspeech.FatherSnailcouldnotspeak，hewastoomuchaffected;andsotheygavethemasadowryandinheritance，thewholeforestofburdocks，andsaid――whattheyhadalwayssaid――thatitwasthebestintheworld;andiftheylivedhonestlyanddecently，andincreasedandmultiplied，theyandtheirchildrenwouldonceinthecourseoftimecometothemanor-house，beboiledblack，andlaidonsilverdishes.Afterthisspeechwasmade，theoldonescreptintotheirshells，andnevermorecameout.Theyslept;theyoungcouplegovernedintheforest，andhadanumerousprogeny，buttheywereneverboiled，andnevercameonthesilverdishes;sofromthistheyconcludedthatthemanor-househadfallentoruins，andthatallthemenintheworldwereextinct;andasnoonecontradictedthem，so，ofcourseitwasso.Andtherainbeatonthedock-leavestomakedrum-musicfortheirsake，andthesunshoneinordertogivetheburdockforestacolorfortheirsakes;andtheywereveryhappy，andthewholefamilywashappy;forthey，indeedwereso.