青蛙王子的英語故事欣賞(2)

時間：2016-11-19 08:51:24 韋彥867由分享

　　青蛙王子的英語故事篇2

　　The Frog Prince

　　In olden times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the king's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the king's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite play thing.

　　Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The king's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. At this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented someone said to her, "What ails you, king's daughter? You weep so that even a stone would show pity."

　　She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its big, ugly head from the water. "Ah, old water-splashier, is it you," she said, "I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well." "Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your play thing up again?" "Whatever you will have, dear frog," said she, "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing." The frog answered, "I do not care for your clothes, your pearls and jewels, nor for your golden crown, but if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed - if you will promise me this I will go down below, and bring you your golden ball up again."

　　"Oh yes," said she, "I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again." But she thought, "How the silly frog does talk. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak. He can be no companion to any human being."

　　But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank down; and in a short while came swimming up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The king's daughter was delighted to see her pretty play thing once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with you. I can't run as you can." But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could. She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again.

　　The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The king saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, "My child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry you away?"

　　"Ah, no," replied she. "It is no giant but a disgusting frog."

　　"What does a frog want with you?"

　　"Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me."

　　In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me, do you not know what you said to me yesterday by the cool waters of the well. Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me."

　　Then said the king, "That which you have promised must you perform. Go and let him in." She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside you." She delayed, until at last the king commanded her to do it. Once the frog was on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, "Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said, "I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep."

　　The king's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the king grew angry and said, "He who helped you when you were in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by you." So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner, but when she was in bed he crept to her and said, "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up or I will tell your father." At this she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. "Now, will you be quiet, odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a king's son with kind and beautiful eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but herself, and that tomorrow they would go together into his kingdom.

　　Then they went to sleep, and the next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white ostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young king's servant Faithful Henry.

　　Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young king into his kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of joy because of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the king's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, "Henry, the carriage is breaking."

　　"No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned in the well." Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the king's son thought the carriage was breaking, but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of Faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.

　　青蛙王子的英語故事篇3

　　The frog king or Iron Henry

　　In the old times, when it was still of some use to wish for the thing one wanted, there lived aKing whose daughters were all handsome, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sunhimself, who has seen so much, wondered each time he shone over her because of her beauty.Near the royal castle there was a great dark wood, and in the wood under an old linden-treewas a well; and when the day was hot, the King's daughter used to go forth into the wood andsit by the brink of the cool well, and if the time seemed long, she would take out a golden ball,and throw it up and catch it again, and this was her favourite pastime.

　　Now it happened one day that the golden ball, instead of falling back into the maiden's littlehand which had sent it aloft, dropped to the ground near the edge of the well and rolled in. Theking's daughter followed it with her eyes as it sank, but the well was deep, so deep that thebottom could not be seen. Then she began to weep, and she wept and wept as if she couldnever be comforted. And in the midst of her weeping she heard a voice saying to her: "Whatails thee, king's daughter? Thy tears would melt a heart of stone." And when she looked to seewhere the voice came from, there was nothing but a frog stretching his thick ugly head out ofthe water. "Oh, is it you, old waddler?" said she, "I weep because my golden ball has fallen intothe well." - "Never mind, do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help you; but what will yougive me if I fetch up your ball again?" - "Whatever you like, dear frog," said she, "any of myclothes, my pearls and jewels, or even the golden crown that I wear." - "Thy clothes, thy pearlsand jewels, and thy golden crown are not for me," answered the frog, "but if thou wouldst loveme, and have me for thy companion and play-fellow, and let me sit by thee at table, and eatfrom thy plate, and drink from thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed, if thou wouldst promise allthis, then would I dive below the water and fetch thee thy golden ball again." - "Oh yes," sheanswered, "I will promise it all, whatever you want, if you will only get me my ball again." But shethought to herself: What nonsense he talks! As if he could do anything but sit in the water andcroak with the other frogs, or could possibly be any one's companion.

　　But the frog, as soon as he heard her promise, drew his head under the water and sank downout of sight, but after a while he came to the surface again with the ball in his mouth, and hethrew it on the grass. The King's daughter was overjoyed to see her pretty plaything again, andshe caught it up and ran off with it. "Stop, stop!" cried the frog, "take me up too. I cannot runas fast as you!" But it was of no use, for croak, croak after her as he might, she would notlisten to him, but made haste home, and very soon forgot all about the poor frog, who had tobetake himself to his well again.

　　The next day, when the King's daughter was sitting at table with the King and all the court, andeating from her golden plate, there came something pitter patter up the marble stairs, andthen there came a knocking at the door, and a voice crying: "Youngest King's daughter, let mein!" And she got up and ran to see who it could be, but when she opened the door, there wasthe frog sitting outside. Then she shut the door hastily and went back to her seat, feeling veryuneasy. The King noticed how quickly her heart was beating, and said: "My child, what are youafraid of? Is there a giant standing at the door ready to carry you away?" - "Oh no," answeredshe, "no giant, but a horrid frog." - "And what does the frog want?" asked the King. "O dearfather," answered she, "when I was sitting by the well yesterday, and playing with my goldenball, it fell into the water, and while I was crying for the loss of it, the frog came and got it againfor me on condition I would let him be my companion, but I never thought that he could leavethe water and come after me; but now there he is outside the door, and he wants to come in tome." And then they all heard him knocking the second time and crying:

　　"Youngest King's daughter,Open to me!By the well water What promised you me?YoungestKing's daughterNow open to me!"

　　"That which thou hast promised must thou perform," said the King, "so go now and let himin." So she went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in, following at her heels, till shereached her chair. Then he stopped and cried: "Lift me up to sit by you." But she delayed doingso until the King ordered her. When once the frog was on the chair, he wanted to get on thetable, and there he sat and said: "Now push your golden plate a little nearer, so that we mayeat together." And so she did, but everybody might see how unwilling she was, and the frogfeasted heartily, but every morsel seemed to stick in her throat. "I have had enough now," saidthe frog at last, "and as I am tired, you must carry me to your room, and make ready yoursilken bed, and we will lie down and go to sleep." Then the King's daughter began to weep, andwas afraid of the cold frog, that nothing would satisfy him but he must sleep in her pretty cleanbed. Now the King grew angry with her, saying: "That which thou hast promised in thy time ofnecessity, must thou now perform." So she picked up the frog with her finger and thumb,carried him upstairs and put him in a corner, and when she had lain down to sleep, he camecreeping up, saying: "I am tired and want sleep as much as you; take me up, or I will tell yourfather." Then she felt beside herself with rage, and picking him up, she threw him with all herstrength against the wall, crying: "Now will you be quiet, you horrid frog!"

　　But as he fell, he ceased to be a frog, and became all at once a prince with beautiful kind eyes.And it came to pass that, with her father's consent, they became bride and bridegroom. Andhe told her how a wicked witch had bound him by her spells, and how no one but she alonecould have released him, and that they two would go together to his father's kingdom. Andthere came to the door a carriage drawn by eight white horses, with white plumes on theirheads, and with golden harness, and behind the carriage was standing faithful Henry, theservant of the young prince. Now, faithful Henry had suffered such care and pain when hismaster was turned into a frog, that he had been obliged to wear three iron bands over hisheart, to keep it from breaking with trouble and anxiety. When the carriage started to take theprince to his kingdom, and faithful Henry had helped them both in, he got up behind, and wasfull of joy at his master's deliverance.

　　And when they had gone a part of the way, the prince heard a sound at the back of thecarriage, as if something had broken, and he turned round and cried: "Henry, the wheel mustbe breaking!""The wheel does not break,'Tis the band round my heartThat, to lessen itsache,When I grieved for your sake,I bound round my heart."

　　Again, and yet once again there was the same sound, and the prince thought it must be thewheel breaking, but it was the breaking of the other bands from faithful Henry's heart,because it was now so relieved and happy.

　　
看了“青蛙王子的英語故事”的人還看了：