章节正文
the birds bring me the cherry leaves for my tea. Yet it is a hard
life, as I am all alone most of the time and have no one to talk
to, and besides, I am blind."
"Say, grandfather," said Rabbit, "let us change places. I think I
would like to live here."
"If we exchange clothes," said the other, "you will become old and
blind, while I will assume your youth and good looks." (Now, this
old man was placed here for punishment by Rabbit's brother. He had
killed his wife, so the genie made him old and blind, and he would
remain so until some one came who would exchange places with him).
"I don't care for youth and good looks," said Rabbit, "let us make
the change."
They changed clothes, and Rabbit became old and blind, whilst the
old man became young and handsome.
"Well, I must go," said the man. He went out and cutting the
strings close to the door, ran off laughing. "You will get enough
of your living alone, you crazy boy," and saying this he ran into
the woods.
Rabbit thought he would like to get some fresh water and try the
string paths so that he would get accustomed to it. He bumped
around the room and finally found the tripe water bucket. He took
hold of the string and started out. When he had gotten a short
distance from the door he came to the end of the string so
suddenly, that he lost the end which he had in his hand, and he
wandered about, bumping against the trees, and tangling himself up
in plum bushes and thorns, scratching his face and hands so badly
that the blood ran from them. Then it was that he commenced again
to cry, "Cinye! Cinye!" (brother, brother). Soon his brother
arrived, and asked which way the old man had gone.
"I don't know," said Rabbit, "I couldn't see which path he took, as
I was blind."
The genie called the birds, and they came flying from every
direction. As fast as they arrived the brother asked them if they
had seen the man whom he had placed here for punishment, but none
had seen him. The owl came last, and when asked if he had seen the
man, he said "hoo-hoo." "The man who lived here," said the
brother. "Last night I was hunting mice in the woods south of here
and I saw a man sleeping beneath a plum tree. I thought it was
your brother, Rabbit, so I didn't awaken him," said the owl.
"Good for you, owl," said the brother, "for this good news, you
shall hereafter roam around only at night, and I will fix your
eyes, so the darker the night the better you will be able to see.
You will always have the fine cool nights to hunt your food. You
other birds can hunt your food during the hot daylight." (Since
then the owl has been the night bird).
The brother flew to the woods and brought the man back and cut the
strings short, and said to him: "Now you can get a taste of what
you gave my brother."
To Rabbit he said: "I ought not to have helped you this time. Any
one who is so crazy as to change places with a blind man should be
left without help, so be careful, as I am getting tired of your
foolishness, and will not help you again if you do anything as
foolish as you did this time."
Rabbit started to return to his home. When he had nearly completed
his journey he came to a little creek, and being thirsty took a
good long drink. While he was drinking he heard a noise as though
a wolf or cat was scratching the earth. Looking up to a hill which
overhung the creek, he saw four wolves, with their tails
intertwined, pulling with all their might. As Rabbit came up to
them one pulled loose, and Rabbit saw that his tail was broken.
"Let me pull tails with you. My tail is long and strong," said
Rabbit, and the wolves assenting, Rabbit interlocked his long tail
with those of the three wolves and commenced pulling and the wolves
pulled so hard that they pulled Rabbit's tail off at the second
joint. The wolves disappeared.
"Cinye! Cinye! (Brother, brother.) I have lost my tail," cried
Rabbit. The genie came and seeing his brother Rabbit's tail
missing, said: "You look better without a tail anyway."
From that time on rabbits have had no tails.
UNKTOMI AND THE ARROWHEADS
There were once upon a time two young men who were very great
friends, and were constantly together. One was a very thoughtful
young man, the other very impulsive, who never stopped to think
before he committed an act.
One day these two friends were walking along, telling each other of
their experiences in love making. They ascended a high hill, and
on reaching the top, heard a ticking noise as if small stones or
pebbles were being struck together.
Looking around they discovered a large spider sitting in the midst
of a great many flint arrowheads. The spider was busily engaged
making the flint rocks into arrow heads. They looked at the
spider, but he never moved, but continued hammering away on a piece
of flint which he had nearly completed into another arrowhead.
"Let's hit him," said the thoughtless one. "No," said the other,
"he is not harming any one; in fact, he is doing a great good, as
he is making the flint arrowheads which we use to point our
arrows."
"Oh, you are afraid," said the first young man. "He can't harm
you. just watch me hit him." So saying, he picked up an arrowhead
and throwing it at "Unktomi," hit him on the side. As Unktomi
rolled over on his side, got up and stood looking at them, the
young man laughed and said: "Well, let us be going, as your
grandfather, "Unktomi," doesn't seem to like our company." They
started down the hill, when suddenly the one who had hit Unktomi
took a severe fit of coughing. He coughed and coughed, and finally
small particles of blood came from his mouth. The blood kept
coming thicker and in great gushes. Finally it came so thick and
fast that the man could not get his breath and fell upon the ground
dead.
The thoughtful young man, seeing that his friend was no more,
hurried to the village and reported what had happened. The
relatives and friends hurried to the hill, and sure enough, there
lay the thoughtless young man still and cold in death. They held
a council and sent for the chief of the Unktomi tribe. When he
heard what had happened, he told the council that he could do
nothing to his Unktomi, as it had only defended itself.
Said he: "My friends, seeing that your tribe was running short of
arrowheads, I set a great many of my tribe to work making flint
arrowheads for you. When my men are thus engaged they do not wish
to be disturbed, and your young man not only disturbed my man, but
grossly insulted him by striking him with one of the arrowheads
which he had worked so hard to make. My man could not sit and take
this insult, so as the young man walked away the Unktomi shot him
with a very tiny arrowhead. This produced a hemorrhage, which
caused his death. So now, my friends, if you will fill and pass
the peace pipe, we will part good friends and my tribe shall always
furnish you with plenty of flint arrowheads." So saying, Unktomi
Tanka finished his peace smoke and returned to his tribe.
Ever after that, when the Indians heard a ticking in the grass,
they would go out of their way to get around the sound, saying,
Unktomi is making arrowheads; we must not disturb him.
Thus it was that Unktomi Tanka (Big Spider) had the respect of this
tribe, and was never after disturbed in his work of making
arrowheads.
THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT HUNT
BUFFALO
Once upon a time there lived as neighbors, a bear and a rabbit.
The rabbit was a good shot, and the bear being very clumsy could
not use the arrow to good advantage. The bear was very unkind to
the rabbit. Every morning, the bear would call over to the rabbit
and say: "Take your bow and arrows and come with me to the other
side of the hill. A large herd of buffalo are grazing there, and
I want you to shoot some of them for me, as my children
are crying for meat."
The rabbit, fearing to arouse the bear's anger by refusing,
consented, and went with the bear, and shot enough buffalo to
satisfy the hungry family. Indeed, he shot and killed so many that
there was lots of meat left after the bear and his family had
loaded themselves, and packed all they could carry home. The bear
being very gluttonous, and not wanting the rabbit to get any of the
meat, said: "Rabbit, you come along home with us and we will return
and get the remainder of the meat."
The poor rabbit could not even taste the blood from the butchering,
as the bear would throw earth on the blood and dry it up. Poor
Rabbit would have to go home hungry after his hard day's work.
The bear was the father of five children. The youngest boy was
very kind to the rabbit. The mother bear, knowing that her
youngest was a very hearty eater, always gave him an extra large
piece of meat. What the baby bear did not eat, he would take
outside with him and pretend to play ball with it, kicking it
toward the rabbit's house, and when he got close to the door he
would give the meat such a great kick, that it would fly into the
rabbit's house, and in this way poor Rabbit would get his meal
unknown to the papa bear.
Baby bear never forgot his friend Rabbit. Papa bear often wondered
why his baby would go outside after each meal. He grew suspicious
and asked the baby where he had been. "Oh, I always play ball
outside, around the house, and when I get tired playing I eat up my
meat ball and then come in."
The baby bear was too cunning to let papa bear know that he was
keeping his friend rabbit from starving to death. Nevertheless,
papa bear suspected baby and said: "Baby, I think you go over to
the rabbit's after every meal."
The four older brothers were very handsome, but baby bear was a
little puny fellow, whose coat couldn't keep out much cold, as it
was short and shaggy, and of a dirty brown color. The three older
brothers were very unkind to baby bear, but the fourth one always
took baby's part, and was always kind to his baby brother.
Rabbit was getting tired of being ordered and bullied around by
papa bear. He puzzled his brain to scheme some way of getting even
with Mr. Bear for abusing him so much. He studied all night long,
but no scheme worth trying presented itself. Early one morning Mr.
Bear presented himself at Rabbit's door.
"Say, Rabbit, my meat is all used up, and there is a fine herd of
buffalo grazing on the hillside. Get your bow and arrows and come
with me. I want you to shoot some of them for me."
"Very well," said Rabbit, and he went and killed six buffalo for
Bear. Bear got busy butchering and poor Rabbit, thinking he would
get a chance to lick up one mouthful of blood, stayed very close to
the bear while he was cutting up the meat. The bear was very
watchful lest the rabbit get something to eat. Despite bear's
watchfulness, a small clot of blood rolled past and behind the
bear's feet. At once Rabbit seized the clot and hid it in his
bosom. By the time Rabbit got home, the blood clot was hardened
from the warmth of his body, so, being hungry, it put Mr. Rabbit
out of sorts to think that after all his trouble he could not eat
the blood.
Very badly disappointed, he lay down on his floor and gazed up into
the chimney hole. Disgusted with the way things had turned out, he
grabbed up the blood clot and threw it up through the hole.
Scarcely had it hit the ground when he heard the voice of a baby
crying, "Ate! Ate!" (father, father). He went outside and there
he found a big baby boy. He took the baby into his house and threw
him out through the hole again. This time the boy was large enough
to say "Ate, Ate, he-cun-sin-lo." (Father, father, don't do that).
But nevertheless, he threw him up and out again. On going out the
third time, there stood a handsome youth smiling at him. Rabbit at
once adopted the youth and took him into his house, seating him in
the seat of honor (which is directly opposite the entrance), and
saying: "My son, I want you to be a good, honest, straightforward
man. Now, I have in my possession a fine outfit, and you, my son,
life, as I am all alone most of the time and have no one to talk
to, and besides, I am blind."
"Say, grandfather," said Rabbit, "let us change places. I think I
would like to live here."
"If we exchange clothes," said the other, "you will become old and
blind, while I will assume your youth and good looks." (Now, this
old man was placed here for punishment by Rabbit's brother. He had
killed his wife, so the genie made him old and blind, and he would
remain so until some one came who would exchange places with him).
"I don't care for youth and good looks," said Rabbit, "let us make
the change."
They changed clothes, and Rabbit became old and blind, whilst the
old man became young and handsome.
"Well, I must go," said the man. He went out and cutting the
strings close to the door, ran off laughing. "You will get enough
of your living alone, you crazy boy," and saying this he ran into
the woods.
Rabbit thought he would like to get some fresh water and try the
string paths so that he would get accustomed to it. He bumped
around the room and finally found the tripe water bucket. He took
hold of the string and started out. When he had gotten a short
distance from the door he came to the end of the string so
suddenly, that he lost the end which he had in his hand, and he
wandered about, bumping against the trees, and tangling himself up
in plum bushes and thorns, scratching his face and hands so badly
that the blood ran from them. Then it was that he commenced again
to cry, "Cinye! Cinye!" (brother, brother). Soon his brother
arrived, and asked which way the old man had gone.
"I don't know," said Rabbit, "I couldn't see which path he took, as
I was blind."
The genie called the birds, and they came flying from every
direction. As fast as they arrived the brother asked them if they
had seen the man whom he had placed here for punishment, but none
had seen him. The owl came last, and when asked if he had seen the
man, he said "hoo-hoo." "The man who lived here," said the
brother. "Last night I was hunting mice in the woods south of here
and I saw a man sleeping beneath a plum tree. I thought it was
your brother, Rabbit, so I didn't awaken him," said the owl.
"Good for you, owl," said the brother, "for this good news, you
shall hereafter roam around only at night, and I will fix your
eyes, so the darker the night the better you will be able to see.
You will always have the fine cool nights to hunt your food. You
other birds can hunt your food during the hot daylight." (Since
then the owl has been the night bird).
The brother flew to the woods and brought the man back and cut the
strings short, and said to him: "Now you can get a taste of what
you gave my brother."
To Rabbit he said: "I ought not to have helped you this time. Any
one who is so crazy as to change places with a blind man should be
left without help, so be careful, as I am getting tired of your
foolishness, and will not help you again if you do anything as
foolish as you did this time."
Rabbit started to return to his home. When he had nearly completed
his journey he came to a little creek, and being thirsty took a
good long drink. While he was drinking he heard a noise as though
a wolf or cat was scratching the earth. Looking up to a hill which
overhung the creek, he saw four wolves, with their tails
intertwined, pulling with all their might. As Rabbit came up to
them one pulled loose, and Rabbit saw that his tail was broken.
"Let me pull tails with you. My tail is long and strong," said
Rabbit, and the wolves assenting, Rabbit interlocked his long tail
with those of the three wolves and commenced pulling and the wolves
pulled so hard that they pulled Rabbit's tail off at the second
joint. The wolves disappeared.
"Cinye! Cinye! (Brother, brother.) I have lost my tail," cried
Rabbit. The genie came and seeing his brother Rabbit's tail
missing, said: "You look better without a tail anyway."
From that time on rabbits have had no tails.
UNKTOMI AND THE ARROWHEADS
There were once upon a time two young men who were very great
friends, and were constantly together. One was a very thoughtful
young man, the other very impulsive, who never stopped to think
before he committed an act.
One day these two friends were walking along, telling each other of
their experiences in love making. They ascended a high hill, and
on reaching the top, heard a ticking noise as if small stones or
pebbles were being struck together.
Looking around they discovered a large spider sitting in the midst
of a great many flint arrowheads. The spider was busily engaged
making the flint rocks into arrow heads. They looked at the
spider, but he never moved, but continued hammering away on a piece
of flint which he had nearly completed into another arrowhead.
"Let's hit him," said the thoughtless one. "No," said the other,
"he is not harming any one; in fact, he is doing a great good, as
he is making the flint arrowheads which we use to point our
arrows."
"Oh, you are afraid," said the first young man. "He can't harm
you. just watch me hit him." So saying, he picked up an arrowhead
and throwing it at "Unktomi," hit him on the side. As Unktomi
rolled over on his side, got up and stood looking at them, the
young man laughed and said: "Well, let us be going, as your
grandfather, "Unktomi," doesn't seem to like our company." They
started down the hill, when suddenly the one who had hit Unktomi
took a severe fit of coughing. He coughed and coughed, and finally
small particles of blood came from his mouth. The blood kept
coming thicker and in great gushes. Finally it came so thick and
fast that the man could not get his breath and fell upon the ground
dead.
The thoughtful young man, seeing that his friend was no more,
hurried to the village and reported what had happened. The
relatives and friends hurried to the hill, and sure enough, there
lay the thoughtless young man still and cold in death. They held
a council and sent for the chief of the Unktomi tribe. When he
heard what had happened, he told the council that he could do
nothing to his Unktomi, as it had only defended itself.
Said he: "My friends, seeing that your tribe was running short of
arrowheads, I set a great many of my tribe to work making flint
arrowheads for you. When my men are thus engaged they do not wish
to be disturbed, and your young man not only disturbed my man, but
grossly insulted him by striking him with one of the arrowheads
which he had worked so hard to make. My man could not sit and take
this insult, so as the young man walked away the Unktomi shot him
with a very tiny arrowhead. This produced a hemorrhage, which
caused his death. So now, my friends, if you will fill and pass
the peace pipe, we will part good friends and my tribe shall always
furnish you with plenty of flint arrowheads." So saying, Unktomi
Tanka finished his peace smoke and returned to his tribe.
Ever after that, when the Indians heard a ticking in the grass,
they would go out of their way to get around the sound, saying,
Unktomi is making arrowheads; we must not disturb him.
Thus it was that Unktomi Tanka (Big Spider) had the respect of this
tribe, and was never after disturbed in his work of making
arrowheads.
THE BEAR AND THE RABBIT HUNT
BUFFALO
Once upon a time there lived as neighbors, a bear and a rabbit.
The rabbit was a good shot, and the bear being very clumsy could
not use the arrow to good advantage. The bear was very unkind to
the rabbit. Every morning, the bear would call over to the rabbit
and say: "Take your bow and arrows and come with me to the other
side of the hill. A large herd of buffalo are grazing there, and
I want you to shoot some of them for me, as my children
are crying for meat."
The rabbit, fearing to arouse the bear's anger by refusing,
consented, and went with the bear, and shot enough buffalo to
satisfy the hungry family. Indeed, he shot and killed so many that
there was lots of meat left after the bear and his family had
loaded themselves, and packed all they could carry home. The bear
being very gluttonous, and not wanting the rabbit to get any of the
meat, said: "Rabbit, you come along home with us and we will return
and get the remainder of the meat."
The poor rabbit could not even taste the blood from the butchering,
as the bear would throw earth on the blood and dry it up. Poor
Rabbit would have to go home hungry after his hard day's work.
The bear was the father of five children. The youngest boy was
very kind to the rabbit. The mother bear, knowing that her
youngest was a very hearty eater, always gave him an extra large
piece of meat. What the baby bear did not eat, he would take
outside with him and pretend to play ball with it, kicking it
toward the rabbit's house, and when he got close to the door he
would give the meat such a great kick, that it would fly into the
rabbit's house, and in this way poor Rabbit would get his meal
unknown to the papa bear.
Baby bear never forgot his friend Rabbit. Papa bear often wondered
why his baby would go outside after each meal. He grew suspicious
and asked the baby where he had been. "Oh, I always play ball
outside, around the house, and when I get tired playing I eat up my
meat ball and then come in."
The baby bear was too cunning to let papa bear know that he was
keeping his friend rabbit from starving to death. Nevertheless,
papa bear suspected baby and said: "Baby, I think you go over to
the rabbit's after every meal."
The four older brothers were very handsome, but baby bear was a
little puny fellow, whose coat couldn't keep out much cold, as it
was short and shaggy, and of a dirty brown color. The three older
brothers were very unkind to baby bear, but the fourth one always
took baby's part, and was always kind to his baby brother.
Rabbit was getting tired of being ordered and bullied around by
papa bear. He puzzled his brain to scheme some way of getting even
with Mr. Bear for abusing him so much. He studied all night long,
but no scheme worth trying presented itself. Early one morning Mr.
Bear presented himself at Rabbit's door.
"Say, Rabbit, my meat is all used up, and there is a fine herd of
buffalo grazing on the hillside. Get your bow and arrows and come
with me. I want you to shoot some of them for me."
"Very well," said Rabbit, and he went and killed six buffalo for
Bear. Bear got busy butchering and poor Rabbit, thinking he would
get a chance to lick up one mouthful of blood, stayed very close to
the bear while he was cutting up the meat. The bear was very
watchful lest the rabbit get something to eat. Despite bear's
watchfulness, a small clot of blood rolled past and behind the
bear's feet. At once Rabbit seized the clot and hid it in his
bosom. By the time Rabbit got home, the blood clot was hardened
from the warmth of his body, so, being hungry, it put Mr. Rabbit
out of sorts to think that after all his trouble he could not eat
the blood.
Very badly disappointed, he lay down on his floor and gazed up into
the chimney hole. Disgusted with the way things had turned out, he
grabbed up the blood clot and threw it up through the hole.
Scarcely had it hit the ground when he heard the voice of a baby
crying, "Ate! Ate!" (father, father). He went outside and there
he found a big baby boy. He took the baby into his house and threw
him out through the hole again. This time the boy was large enough
to say "Ate, Ate, he-cun-sin-lo." (Father, father, don't do that).
But nevertheless, he threw him up and out again. On going out the
third time, there stood a handsome youth smiling at him. Rabbit at
once adopted the youth and took him into his house, seating him in
the seat of honor (which is directly opposite the entrance), and
saying: "My son, I want you to be a good, honest, straightforward
man. Now, I have in my possession a fine outfit, and you, my son,
- rabbit [´ræbit]
n.兔子，野兔 (初中英语单词) - punishment [´pʌniʃmənt] n.罚，刑罚 (初中英语单词)
- sleeping [´sli:piŋ] n.&a.睡着(的) (初中英语单词)
- awaken [ə´weikən] v.唤起，叫醒 (初中英语单词)
- constantly [´kɔnstəntli] ad.经常地；不断地 (初中英语单词)
- spider [´spaidə] n.蜘蛛；三角架 (初中英语单词)
- severe [si´viə] a.严厉的；苛刻的 (初中英语单词)
- breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
- running [´rʌniŋ] a.奔跑的；流动的 (初中英语单词)
- striking [´straikiŋ] a.显著的，明显的 (初中英语单词)
- insult [in´sʌlt, ´insʌlt] n.&vt.侮辱；损害 (初中英语单词)
- disturb [di´stə:b] vt.扰乱；使不安；打乱 (初中英语单词)
- advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
- arouse [ə´rauz] vt.唤醒，唤起；激起 (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- pretend [pri´tend] v.假装；借口；妄求 (初中英语单词)
- cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
- scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)
- hillside [´hilsaid] n.山腰 (初中英语单词)
- despite [di´spait] prep.尽管 (初中英语单词)
- warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)
- nevertheless [,nevəðə´les] conj.&ad.然而；不过 (初中英语单词)
- cherry [´tʃeri] n.樱桃(树) (高中英语单词)
- whilst [wailst] conj.当...时候；虽然 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- bucket [´bʌkit] n.水桶 (高中英语单词)
- hereafter [hiər´ɑ:ftə] ad.&n.将来；来世 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- thoughtful [´θɔ:tfəl] a.深思的；体贴的 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- clumsy [´klʌmzi] a.笨拙的；粗俗的 (高中英语单词)
- buffalo [´bʌfələu] n.水牛；野牛 (高中英语单词)
- remainder [ri´meində] n.剩余物；残余部分 (高中英语单词)
- hearty [´hɑ:ti] a.热忱的；强健的 (高中英语单词)
- studied [´stʌdid] a.故意的；有计划的 (高中英语单词)
- outfit [´aut,fit] n.装备 vt.供给；装备 (高中英语单词)
- gotten [´gɔtn] get的过去分词 (英语四级单词)
- busily [´bizili] ad.忙碌地 (英语四级单词)
- unkind [,ʌn´kaind] a.不客气的；不和善的 (英语四级单词)
- shaggy [´ʃægi] a.蓬乱的；多粗毛的 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- mouthful [´mauθful] n.一口；少量 (英语四级单词)
- hunting [´hʌntiŋ] n.打猎 (英语六级单词)
- impulsive [im´pʌlsiv] a.易冲动的 (英语六级单词)
- thoughtless [´θɔ:tləs] a.粗心的，轻率的 (英语六级单词)
- wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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