Easy Stories-3

[Keane]

21.Jack and the Beanstalk

(Part 1)

Once upon a time there was a poor widow who had an only son named Jack. All that they had was the house they lived in and a cow. At last they became too poor to keep the cow. The widow said to Jack one day, “Take this cow to the market and sell her. Then we’ll be able to buy bread. Try to get as much money as you can.” Jack, who was a good, but thoughtless boy, started for the market with his cow. On his may to t he market he met a man who had a pig with him. “Good morning,” said the man. “Good morning,” answered Jack. “Won’t you give me your old cow for this fat young pig?” said the man. Jack thought it a good idea. So he ax-changed his old cow for the young pig He walked on happily until he met another man who had some fine beans. “These are magic beans,” said the man. “I’ll give you one of them, if you give me that pig.” Jack thought it wonderful to have a magic bean. So he consented to it and carried the bean proudly back home. He showed the bean to his mother. “Is this all that you have got for that cow?” she said. “Now, we have on cow to give us milk. All we have is this bean.” She got angry. She threw it out of the window. The bean fall in their garden. During that night is sprouted and grew in a wonderful way. When jack and his mother woke the next morning, they saw that the beanstalk had grown so high that they could not see the top Jack made up his mind to climb to the top of the beanstalk. Higher and higher up he climbed until he found himself near a window of an old castle. Looking in, Jack saw a giant eating his, dinner. The giant finished his dinner and ordered his servant to bring his chief treasures, a hen and a harp. Lay eggs,” said the giant to the hen. The hen began to lay eggs. They were eggs of gold. “Play,” said the giant to the harp. The harp began to play sweet music. The harp played on and on until the giant grew tired and fell asleep.

(Part 2)

Jack had crawled into the room by this time. When the giant was asleep, a servant beckoned to Jack. “Look here. These are the treasures which the giant stole from your father before you were born,” said he. “Take them back to your mother, if you like. But, be quiet. He may wake.” Jack thanked him, and picked up the hen and the harp very carefully. When he was climbing down the beanstalk, the harp happened to make a loud noise. The giant woke. Jack climbed down the beanstalk, with the hen and the harp under his arms. The giant ran down after Jack, but Jack ran faster than the giant. When he was near his home, he called out to his mother, “Mother, bring an ax.” His mother brought an ax. She saw her son climbing down the beanstalk. As soon as he got down to the ground, he chopped down the beanstalk. Down fell the giant with the beanstalk. He broke his neck, and was dead. Jack and his mother were rich all the rest of their lives and lived happily ever after.



22.The Happy Shoemaker

(1)

Once there lived a rich merchant and a poor shoemaker in the same house. The merchant occupied in the same house. The merchant occupied the second floor, but the shoemaker lived and worked in a small room on the first floor. The shoemaker was one of the happiest persons on earth. He worked from morning till night, singing merrily. His heart was filled with joy, whenever he looked at the boots and shoes to be repaired. Now the merchant upstairs was so rich that he hardly knew how much wealth he had. He was always counting over his gold and silver coins far into the night. Even in bed his uneasiness about his riches kept him awake when at last he had been asleep for an hour or two, up came the song of the happy shoemaker, who was an early riser. It continued all day and was a trouble to the merchant day by day the merchant grew more and more tired through want of sleep he asked a wise friend of his how he could put an end to the shoemaker's song. “Well, if I were you, I would give the shoemaker a hundred pounds,” answered his friend. “You are rich enough to do that, I suppose. Ask for nothing in return. Simply give the money. ”The merchant readily followed the advice.

(2)

When the shoemaker opened the bag that had been sent by the merchant, he was amazed to find shining coins. “I must hide this from the eyes of my neighbors. If they see it, they will think that I have stolen it,” he thought. “I will keep it away even from my wife.” So he hid the bag of money under the floor. From then on he avoided his neighbors as much as he could. His wife who had been the best companion to him, became troublesome now his mind was too much set on the money bag to attend to his work with diligence. He could not sing merrily now. Whenever he thought of the money bag, he became uneasy and unhappy. At length one day his wife said to him in tears, ---“dear husband, what makes you so sad and uneasy? All our neighbors say you have changed. I wish you were as good and gentle as before.” He was so sorry for her that he told her everything. “We were happy before the merchant gave us the money, ” said his wife, when she heard the story. “We have good health. We have plenty of work to do. What more do we need? Send the money back to the merchant, and the happy life that was once ours will return to us.” The shoemaker agreed and went to the merchant to return the bag of money. “Sir” he said, “let me return this to you. By giving this to me, you have spoiled my happy and easy life. So I want to have it back by returning your present.” Merry song was again heard all over the house. He was as happy as he had ever been.



23.The Three Wishes

A man and his wife were always wishing for luck. One night a fairy came to them and said, “You may have three wishes.” In the morning the woman went to a neighbor’s house to get some bread. She saw a nice pudding there. When she came back, she said, “I wish I had a pudding like that! She did not think of the three wishes, but there was a pudding beside her. “Silly!” cried the man, you have lost one of your wishes, and we have only a pudding. I wish it were on your nose!” At that, the pudding jumped up and grew fast to her nose. “Silly, yourself!” cried the woman, “you have lost another wish. We have only one wish more.” “What shall it be?” asked the man. “We must wish this pudding off,” said the woman. “I can’t have it on my nose.” So they wished it would go away, and away it went. They had had their three wishes, but they were on better off than when the fairy came to them.



24.Childe Rowland

(1)Long ago there was a little princess named Ellen. She lived with her mother, the queen in a great castle y the sea. She had three brothers. One day. As they were playing ball, one of her brothers threw the ball over the castle. Ellen ran to get it, and did not come back. The three brothers looked for her. They looked and looked, but they could not find her. Day after day went by. At last the oldest brother went to a wise man and asked what man. The wise man told him as he had told the oldest brother. Then the next brother set out to find the dark tower. The youngest brother waited. He waited long, but no one came back. Now the youngest brother was called childe Rowland. At last childe Rowland went to his mother, the queen, and said, “mother, let me go and find the dark tower and bring home Ellen and my brothers. “I cannot let you go. You are all that I have now,” said the queen. But childe Rowland asked again and again, until at last the queen said, “go, my boy. ”then she gave him his father’s sword, and he set out. He went to the wise man and asked the way. The wise man told him and said: “I will tell you two things: one thing is for you to do, and one thing is for you not to do. “the thing to do is this: when you get to the country of the elves, hold your father’s sword, pull it out quickly, and cut off the head of anyone who speaks to you, until you find the princess Ellen. “the thing not to do is this: bite no bit and drink no drop until you come back. Go hungry and thirsty while you are in the country of the elves.” Childe Rowland said the two things over and over, lest he should forget. Then he went on his way. He went on and on and on, until he came to some horses with eyes of fire. Then he knew he was in the country of the elves. A man was with the horses. “where is the dark tower?” asked childe Rowland. “I cannot tell. Ask the woman that keeps the hens,” said the man. Childe Rowland took the sword and off went the man’s head. Then he went on and on, until he came to some hens with eyes of fire. An old woman was with them. “where is the dark tower?” asked childe Rowland. “go and look for a hill,” said the old woman. “go around the hill three times. Each time you go around say: “open, door! Open, door! Let me come in. “when you have gone three times around, door will open. Go in.” “when you have gone three times around, door will open. Go in.”

 

(2)Childe Rowland did not like to cut off the head of the old woman, but he thought of what the wise man had told him. So he took hold of the sword, and off went her head. After this he went on and on and on, until at last he came to a hill. He went three times around it, and each time he said: “open, door! Open, door! Let me come in.” when he had gone three times around, a door opened. In he went. The door shut after him, and he was in the dark. Soon he began to see a dim light. It seemed to come from the walls. He went down a long way, and at last he came to another door. All at once it flew open, and he found himself in a great hall. The walls were of gold and silver, and were hung with diamonds. How the diamonds shone! And there sat the princess Ellen in a big chair of gold, with diamonds all about her head. When she saw childe Rowland, she came to him and said: “brother, why are you here? If the king of the elves comes, it will be a sad ay for you.” But this did not frighten childe Rowland. He sat down and told her all that he had done. She told him that the two brothers were in the tower. The king of the elves had turned them into stone. Soon childe Rowland began to be very hungry, and asked for something to eat. All at once he thought of what the wise man had said. So he threw the bowl down upon the floor, and said: “Not a bit will I bite, Not a drop will I drink, till Ellen is free.” Then they heard a great noise outside, and someone cried out:---” fee-fi-fo- fum!  I smell the blood of an Englishman!” the door of the hall flew open and the king of the elves came in. childe Rowland took his sword. They fought and they fought. At last childe Rowland beat the king of the elves down to the ground. “stop!” cried the king of the elves. “I have had enough.” “I will stop when you set free the princess Ellen and my brothers,” said childe Rowland. “I will set them free,” said the king. He went at once to a cupboard and took out a blood-red bottle. Out of this bottle he let a drop or tow fall upon the eyes of the two brothers, and up they jumped. Childe Rowland took the hand of his sister Ellen and went out of the hall, and up the long way. The two brothers went after them. And they all came out from the hill and found their way back to their own home. How glad their mother was!

　



25.The Monkey and the Turtle

One day a monkey who was very hungry met with a turtle creeping along the road. “My dear Slow Foot, can’t you find anything to eat for me?” said the monkey. “O yes, Sly Head, I can,” said the turtle. “ Come this way; there is a banana-plant just over there.” Soon they came to the banana-plant bearing lot of ripe fruit. The monkey climbed the plant, but before he could pick some bananas, the turtle cried, “Run, Sly Head, run! Here comes a man!” Instantly he came down and ran in a hurry. But the turtle could not run, but she caught the monkey’s tail in her mouth and the monkey pulled her away. When they were safe, the monkey said, “Slow Foot, that man did not catch you because I pulled you away.” “O no, Sly Head, on!” the turtle said, “you were not pulling me. I was pushing you.”



26.Dickens and His Cat狄更斯與他的貓

Charles Dickens, the famous English novelist, wrote a great many books. He had a cat of which he was very fond. She was a fine Persian cat with pure white fur. One evening, as he was absorbed in reading one of his favorite books by a candle-light, the candle suddenly went out. He was surprised, but took a match, struck it, and lighted the and lighted the candle again, and once more sat down to read. You can imagine his astonishment when he again found himself in complete darkness. He looked around the room, lighted the candle again, and began to read once more. After a while he stopped and looked up. He saw that his cat was trying to put out the light with her paw. The cat’s intentions were quite clear to him-she wanted him to stop reading and play with her a while. Of course he did this, and besides he gave her some milk. The cat was quite contented. She went over and curled herself into a ball on the sofa to take a nap. Then Dickens continued to read, and this time pussy did not interrupt him again.



27.Talking to a Fish

One day a negro went to a fish shop to buy some fish for his dinner. He picked up a fresh fish, and after examining it carefully, he held it up to his nose and smelled it. “Hey! What’s this?” cried the master of the shop. “Why do you smell that fish, do you think it,” answered the negro. “Then what were you doing with your face so close to the fish?” asked the master. “I wasn’t smelling the fish; I was only talking to it,” answered the negro. “Talking to it!” said the shopkeeper, why, what on earth did you say to it?” “I asked him if there was any negro. “Well, and what did the fish say to that?” asked the shopkeeper. “He said he didn’t know the latest news, because he had been away from the sea or more than three weeks.”



28.Peter Pan

Once there lived in England a little girl whose name was Wendy Darling She had two brothers john Darling and Michael Darling. Their house was small house made of brick, and they kept big dog called Nana, and Nana acted as nurse to the three children.

   Nana was very clever, and she always took care that the children would put on pajamas after warming them at the fire Sometimes the children would not go to bed, but Nana always made them do as they were always made them do as they told. Mrs. Darling loved Nana and she had very good reason for keeping Nana as the children’s nurse One night, when she went into the nursery, she saw a strange Shape flying to and fro in the dim light.

When this Shape saw Mrs. Darling, it rushed to the window after it, just as ran out into the night, Mrs. Darling suddenly closed the window. And Mrs. Darling rushed to the window after it ran out into the night, Mrs. Darling suddenly closed the window. The Shape fled; but something fell on the floor at Mrs. Darling’s feet. It was the shadow of this strange flying Shape. Mrs. Darling picked up the shadow and put it in a drawer; but she felt very anxious about the safety of her children. She was afraid that the Shape might come back and hurt them, but she hoped that Nana would come to the nursery and protect them from all danger. But some days after that Nana was led to the yard to sleep in her kennel. That night the window was pushed open and the strange Shape slipped into the room and began to dance about.

“Where is my shadow?” it cried. Nana barked furiously outside. “I can’t be happy without my shadow. Tinker Bell, Tinker Bell, where is my dear little shadow?” cried the Shape. At that a tiny Ball of fire flew into the room, and sprang round the room. Wherever it went it made a tinkling sound like a little silver bell. Now this little ball of fire was really a fairy girl. She told the Shape where the shadow was. Soon the drawer was opened, the shadow was pulled out, and the Shape danced round the room with delight. The Shape could find its shadow, it was true; but it could never put it on again. And so all the delight went, and the shape was so unhappy that tears filled its eyes and rolled down its cheeks. Just at that time, Wendy woke up. She was not afraid, but asked the little Shape why it was crying. Then she asked it its name, and the shape told her that it was Peter Pan. Wend got a needle and some thread and sewed the shadow on to Peter Pan, and then Peter Pan danced with joy, for wherever he went the shadow followed him on the floor. Peter Pan then told Wendy the story of his life. He said that he lived in a place called never-Never-Land, with a lot of little boys who had all been dropped out of their baby carriages by careless nurses. He also said that they lived with fairies ever would remain happy boys in this enchanting Never-Never-Land. He then told her that when the first baby laughed, the laughter broke into little pieces, and each little piece became a fairy, and went dancing about the world. But whenever a child said that it did not believe in fairies, then one of the fairies died. Peter Pan said that it was a dreadful and wicked thing for a child to say that it did not believe in fairies. There was only one thing that made them sad, he sad, and that was the want of a mother; all the boys in Never-Never-Land wanted to have a mother very much indeed. Wendy asked if there was any little girl among them who could pretend to be their mother; but Peter Pan shook his head and answered that girls never dropped out of their baby-carriages; they were far too clever. This pleased Wendy, and she loved Peter Pan. “Oh, wend,” cried Peter, “come and live with us and be our mother!” Wendy’ s brothers woke up. Peter Pan said he would teach them all to fly if Wendy would only come and be their mother. When the children heard that they could learn to fly, they were quite excited, and at once began to jump up into the air. But every time they jumped they fell onto the ground, “Look and fly as I do,” cried Peter; and so saying, he flew gracefully high up into the air, and sailed noiselessly round the room. Soon the children learned, and all began to fly round the room with cries of delight. Then the windows were opened wide, and tinker bell led the way into the night. Peter held Wendy’ s hand and they floated away into the starry night. Very soon Mrs. Darling, who had just come home from the theater, rushed into the nursery with Nana at her heels. But it was too late. The children had already left for never-never-land.

(2)Now, the boys in never-never-land were beginning to get anxious about Peter Pan, who was their leader. He was away for a long time, and they were afraid of wolves and pirates. By and by they saw something that looked like a large white bird in the sky. As they looked at it, tinker bell suddenly shone on the trees, and told them that Peter Pan wanted them to shoot this bird at once. So they ran and got bows and arrows, and shot the bird. Suddenly down it fell—what do you think it was?-----poor Wendy fell with an arrow in her breast. But Wendy was not dead. Soon she felt well, and then with her brothers round her, and Peter Pan holding her hand, she promised all the boys to be their mother. Then they began working and built Wendy funny little house, with john’s silk-hat for a chimney; and every body was very, very happy. But tinker bell was very jealous of Wendy. Though they were so happy in their house, there were on the lake near the forest some terrible pirates. The captain of these terrible pirates was named James hook. All his crew were afraid of him and trembled when they saw him. His long black hair was fearful, the wrinkles on his face was fearful, his eyes were fearful, and his voice was fearful. But, above all, his right hand was most fearful. It wasn’t a common hand at all; it was an iron hook. Peter pan had once driven this terrible pirate into the sea, and a huge crocodile had bitten off his hand and part of his wrist. The crocodile followed the captain wherever he went, and wanted to have another bite. It dreamed of the happy day when it could eat him all up. The captain always knew when this fearful enemy was near, because on one occasion it had swallowed an alarm-clock. It was so made that it would go for one century without stopping. Now the ticking of this clock could plainly be heard even through its thick skin. It ticked so loudly that the captain could al-ways hear it coming, and it was the signal for him to run! But the captain was afraid, because he knew the clock would stop some day. Then the crocodile would come up behind him and eat him up. So he grew to hate Peter Pan, and wanted to kill him. The home of the lost boys was in the forest by the lake. They lived under the ground for fear of the pirates and the wolves. Each boy had a special staircase hollowed in a tree-trunk; so that they could easily run down among the roots of the trees into their cave. Wendy, you must know, had become the mother of these boys, and they all loved her, because it was so delightful to have a mother after having lived so long without one. Wendy gave each of the boys some medicine, taught them how to behave nicely, and put them all in their comfortable beds at night. Though she was only nine years old, Wendy was quite a splendid mother. The lost boys were protected by some friendly Indians. On this day, up came the pirates, and suddenly there was a stamping overhead, and a sound of people fighting and struggling here and there. The pirates had attacked the red Indians by surprise. The battle was very soon over. The Indians were beaten and ran away, or crawled seriously wounded into the forest. The pirates won a victory close above the children’s heads. Now, on this night, before the fight had started, Wendy had been telling the boys a story about her own father and mother-a beautiful story which showed how her father and mother must be crying for their lost children. As she was finishing her story, John and Michael sprang up in their beds and said, “Wendy, we must go back quickly!” “yes, answered Wendy, “we must go back quickly” You can imagine how sad all the motherless boys were when they heard that Wendy was going home. They cried so much that at last she told them they might return with her and her brothers. She said they could live in there house, and have Mr. And Mr. Darling for their father and mother. All the boys except Peter Pan were very glad to hear that. Peter Pan said he did not want to grow up. He did not want to live in a real house and go to school. He wanted to live always in Never-Never-Land. So they all said good-by to Peter Pan, and climbed up the staircases in the tree-trunks which led from their underground home to the forest. Wendy was the last to go, and before she went she left some medicine for Peter and mad him promise that he would take it when he woke up in the morning. But the pirates were there on the ground waiting for them to come out. The boys were caught as they stepped on the ground; a rough hand was held over their mouths to prevent them from crying out, and they were carried away to the pirate ship with Wendy.

(3) Wendy and all the Lost Boys were now on board the pirate ship. Peter Pan lay asleep in his underground bed. He was alone. Captain hook was creeping down the stair-case above. Now was the chance for the captain to kill Peter Pan. He crept up to the door and peeped in. Peter Pan was fast asleep. The captain tried to open the door and failed. Again and again he tried to open the door with his hook, but without success. Peter Pan was safe. But, no! the terrible captain found the glass of medicine left by Wendy on a shelf; he reached toward it, and then, taking a bottle of poison from his pocket, poured the contents into the glass. Peter Pan woke up. He remembered his promise to Wendy, and went to drink the poison. At that moment tinker bell rushed in, crying, “don’t drink! Don’t drink!” but her warning was useless. “I have promised Wendy,” answered Peter, and walked toward the glass, stretching out his hand. Just as Peter was about to drink, the little tinker bell flew into the glass and drank all its deadly contents. Then its light flamed weakly and went pale, and it fell toward the bed dying. Peter Pan knew there was only way in which he could possibly save tinker bell. “Do you believe in fairies? Oh, please say you believe in fairies!” cried Peter Pan to all the children in the world. And back from the children everywhere, who were so sorry for poor tinker bell, came the answer, “We believe in fairies. So tinker bell got well again and was saved. Then she told Peter Pan how the pirates had carried off the Lost boys, with Wendy and her brothers, to their ship, and that they were all in very great danger. The poor children were all at once driven into the dark and dirty hold. Captain Hook thought that at last he had them in his power. “Are all the children chained so that they cannot fly away?” he asked. “YES, Captain,” replied his men. “Then bring them up, ”shouted the Captain. He seated himself. On a chair on the deck, waiting while the boys were dragged out of the hold and brought before him. Six of them, he said, were to walk the plank at once, but he would save any two of them who were willing to be cabin boys. The children could not understand him well, but Hook soon explained them the meaning by roaring out something like a song; ”Yo ho! Yo ho! The jolly plank, You walk along it so----- Till it goes down, and you go down To tooral looral lo.” Then he waved his hook to show them that when the plank tipped they would be shot into the water and drowned! But Peter Pan had already started out. He had an alarm-clock in his pocket. It had begun ticking. “Tick! Tick! Ter-ick, tick, tick!” the captain heard, and at the dreaded sound, he shouted, “the crocodile! Hide me! Hide me!”  He rushed into a corner of the ship, while his men crowded round him, anxious to protect their captain from the terrible crocodile. The boys, too, waited, breathless with horror. At last, with sudden relief and joy, they saw, not the crocodile, but their brave leader, peter Pan, appearing over the ship’s side. In one hand he held the alarm-clock, the ticking of which had made the captain believe that the crocodile was coming to eat him. Peter Pan dashed into the cabin unseen by the pirates, and closed the door. The ticking stopped at once, and the captain’s terror disappeared. Captain Hook again began to sing his song “The Jolly Plank,” but the boys, filled with hope and delight, drowned his voice by singing “Rule, Britannia, Britannia Rules the waves.” And just as the captain was about to force them to walk the plank, he was silenced by a terrible shriek from the cabin. The captain ordered one of his men to enter the cabin and find out what was the matter. The man went, but did not return. Once more they heard that dreadful shriek. The rest of the men were now frightened. They refused to enter the cabin; one threw himself into the sea. “Drive the boys in—let them fight the terror,” cried the captain. “if they kill him. So much the better; it he kills them, we’re none the worse.” This, of course, was just what the boys wanted, but, hiding their delight, they allowed themselves to be driven into the cabin. But as for the pirates, all of them were so terrified that no one saw Peter Pan steal out, followed by the boys. No one saw Peter Pan cut the ropes with which Wendy had been bound, take her the brown cloak she had left, while Wendy joined the boys. "It's the girl!" cried the captain, "there's never luck on a pirate ship with a girl on board; let's throw her into the sea!" All the men knew that their captain was right, and one of them started up and cried to the figure at the mast, "There's nothing can save you now!" "There is one," came a ringing voice, and the brown cloak was thrown aside, and there stood Peter Pan. "Down, boys, and at them," the captain shouted, and the boys, armed with the weapons Peter Pan had found and given them in the cabin, rushed down upon the lower deck. A terrible fight followed. Some of the crew jumped into the sea; others rushed at the boys with their knives, while Captain Hook tried to escape into the cabin, fighting for his life. "Put away your knives, boys; that man is mine!" cried Peter Pan, pointing to Captain Hook. Hook's men jumped one by one into the sea and were drowned. Peter Pan and Captain Hook appeared at the cabin door, fighting violently. Step by step, Hook was driven back to the side of the ship. At last, Peter Pan pushed him into the sea, right into the mouth of the waiting crocodile, which ate him up at last. The boys burst into ringing cheers as they and Wendy crowded round their hero, who stood like a victorious Napoleon while the pirate flag was lowered. Then Wendy and all the boys went home, and you can imagine how glad Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana were to see their lost children again. Mrs. Darling had always kept the window open, and used to sing "Home, Sweet Home," hoping that the children might hear her and come back. But Peter Pan, all alone in Never-Never-Land, longed for little Wendy; and Mrs. Darling allowed Wendy to go every now and then to visit Peter Pan, and see that his house was nice and tidy. Peter Pan never wanted to grow up, and Wendy never forgot the fairies.

--------by James Barrie(Easified)