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快乐王子童话集(英文版)-第5部分

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                                           17 

                          The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




knows that jewels cost far more than flowers。〃 
    〃Well; upon my word; you are very ungrateful;〃 said the Student 
angrily; and he threw the rose into the street; where it fell into the gutter; 
and a cart…wheel went over it。 
    〃Ungrateful!〃 said the girl。 〃I tell you what; you are very rude; and; 
after all; who are you? Only a Student。 Why; I don't believe you have 
even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Chamberlain's nephew has〃; 
and she got up from her chair and went into the house。 
    〃What I a silly thing Love is;〃 said the Student as he walked away。 〃It 
is not half as useful as Logic; for it does not prove anything; and it is 
always telling one of things that are not going to happen; and making one 
believe things that are not true。 In fact; it is quite unpractical; and; as in 
this age to be practical is everything; I shall go back to Philosophy and 
study Metaphysics。〃 
    So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book; and 
began to read。 




                                        18 

                           The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




                THE SELFISH GIANT 

    Every afternoon; as they were ing from school; the children used 
to go and play in the Giant's garden。 
    It was a large lovely garden; with soft green grass。 Here and there 
over the grass stood beautiful flowers like stars; and there were twelve 
peach…trees that in the spring…time broke out into delicate blossoms of pink 
and pearl; and in the autumn bore rich fruit。 The birds sat on the trees 
and sang so sweetly that the children used to stop their games in order to 
listen to them。 〃How happy we are here!〃 they cried to each other。 
    One day the Giant came back。 He had been to visit his friend the 
Cornish ogre; and had stayed with him for seven years。 After the seven 
years were over he had said all that he had to say; for his conversation was 
limited; and he determined to return to his own castle。         When he arrived 
he saw the children playing in the garden。 
    〃What are you doing here?〃 he cried in a very gruff voice; and the 
children ran away。 
    〃My own garden is my own garden;〃 said the Giant; 〃any one can 
understand that; and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself。〃 So he 
built a high wall all round it; and put up a notice…board。 
     TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED 
     He was a very selfish Giant。 
    The poor children had now nowhere to play。 They tried to play on 
the road; but the road was very dusty and full of hard stones; and they did 
not like it。 They used to wander round the high wall when their lessons 
were over; and talk about the beautiful garden inside。          〃How happy we 
were there;〃 they said to each other。 
    Then the Spring came; and all over the country there were little 
blossoms and little birds。 Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was 

                                         19 

                            The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




still winter。 The birds did not care to sing in it as there were no children; 
and the trees forgot to blossom。 Once a beautiful flower put its head out 
from the grass; but when it saw the notice…board it was so sorry for the 
children that it slipped back into the ground again; and went off to sleep。 
The only people who were pleased were the Snow and the Frost。 〃Spring 
has forgotten this garden;〃 they cried; 〃so we will live here all the year 
round。〃 The Snow covered up the grass with her great white cloak; and 
the Frost painted all the trees silver。 Then they invited the North Wind to 
stay with them; and he came。 He was wrapped in furs; and he roared all 
day about the garden; and blew the chimney…pots down。 〃This is a 
delightful spot;〃 he said; 〃we must ask the Hail on a visit。〃 So the Hail 
came。 Every day for three hours he rattled on the roof of the castle till he 
broke most of the slates; and then he ran round and round the garden as 
fast as he could go。 He was dressed in grey; and his breath was like ice。 
     〃I cannot understand why the Spring is so late in ing;〃 said the 
Selfish Giant; as he sat at the window and looked out at his cold white 
garden; 〃I hope there will be a change in the weather。〃 
     But the Spring never came; nor the Summer。 The Autumn gave 
golden fruit to every garden; but to the Giant's garden she gave none。 〃He 
is too selfish;〃 she said。 So it was always Winter there; and the North 
Wind; and the Hail; and the Frost; and the Snow danced about through the 
trees。 
     One morning the Giant was lying awake in bed when he heard some 
lovely music。 It sounded so sweet to his ears that he thought it must be 
the King's musicians passing by。 It was really only a little lin singing 
outside his window; but it was so long since he had heard a bird sing in his 
garden that it seemed to him to be the most beautiful music in the world。 
Then the Hail stopped dancing over his head; and the North Wind ceased 
roaring; and a delicious perfume came to him through the open casement。 
〃I believe the Spring has e at last;〃 said the Giant; and he jumped out 
of bed and looked out。 
     What did he see? 

                                          20 

                           The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




    He saw a most wonderful sight。 Through a little hole in the wall the 
children had crept in; and they were sitting in the branches of the trees。 
In every tree that he could see there was a little child。 And the trees were 
so glad to have the children back again that they had covered themselves 
with blossoms; and were waving their arms gently above the children's 
heads。 The birds were flying about and twittering with delight; and the 
flowers were looking up through the green grass and laughing。 It was a 
lovely scene; only in one corner it was still winter。 It was the farthest 
corner of the garden; and in it was standing a little boy。 He was so small 
that he could not reach up to the branches of the tree; and he was 
wandering all round it; crying bitterly。 The poor tree was still quite 
covered with frost and snow; and the North Wind was blowing and roaring 
above it。 〃Climb up! little boy;〃 said the Tree; and it bent its branches 
down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny。 
    And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out。 〃How selfish I have 
been!〃 he said; 〃now I know why the Spring would not e here。 I will 
put that poor little boy on the top of the tree; and then I will knock down 
the wall; and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and 
ever。〃 He was really very sorry for what he had done。 
    So he crept downstairs and opened the front door quite softly; and 
went out into the garden。 But when the children saw him they were so 
frightened that they all ran away; and the garden became winter again。 
Only the little boy did not run; for his eyes were so full of tears that he did 
not see the Giant ing。 And the Giant stole up behind him and took 
him gently in his hand; and put him up into the tree。 And the tree broke 
at once into blossom; and the birds came and sang on it; and the little boy 
stretched out his two arms and flung them round the Giant's neck; and 
kissed him。 And the other children; when they saw that the Giant was not 
wicked any longer; came running back; and with them came the Spring。 
〃It is your garden now; little children;〃 said the Giant; and he took a great 
axe and knocked down the wall。 And when the people were going to 
market at twelve o'clock they found the Giant playing with the children in 

                                         21 

                             The Happy Prince and Other Tales 




the most beautiful garden they had ever seen。 
     All day long they played; and in the evening they came to the Giant to 
bid him good…bye。 
     〃But where is your little panion?〃 he said: 〃the boy I put into the 
tree。〃 The Giant loved him the best because he had kissed him。 
     〃We don't know;〃 answer
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