安徒生童话-丑小鸭(2).doc

安徒生童话-丑小鸭(2) .doc第2页 / 总页数 45 页
安徒生童话-丑小鸭(2)
安徒生童话－丑小鸭(2)

T was lovely summer weather in the country, and the golden corn, the green oats, and the haystacks piled up in the
meadows
looked beautiful. The stork1 walking about on his long red legs chattered2 in the Egyptian language, which he had learnt from
his mother. The corn-fields and meadows were surrounded by large forests, in the midst of which were deep pools. It was,
indeed, delightful3 to walk about in the country. In a sunny spot stood a pleasant old farm-house close by a deep river, and
from the house down to the water side grew great burdock leaves, so high, that under the tallest of them a little child could
stand upright. The spot was as wild as the centre of a thick wood. In this snug4 retreat sat a duck on her nest, watching for
her young brood to hatch; she was beginning to get tired of her task, for the little ones were a long time coming out
of
their shells, and she seldom had any visitors. The other ducks liked much better to swim about in the river than to climb the
第3页 / 总页数 45 页
slippery banks, and sit under a burdock leaf, to have a gossip with her. At length one shell cracked, and then another, and
from each egg came a living creature that lifted its head and cried, Peep, peep. Quack5, quack, said the mother, and
then they all quacked6 as well as they could, and looked about them on every side at the large green leaves. Their mother
allowed them to look as much as they liked, because green is good for the eyes. How large the world is, said the young
ducks, when they found how much more room they now had than while they were inside the egg-shell. Do you imagine this is
the whole world? asked the mother; Wait till you have seen the garden; it stretches far beyond that to the parson s
field, but I have never ventured to such a distance. Are you all out? she continued, rising; No, I declare, the largest
egg lies there still. I wonder how long th