小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭

小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭资料仅供参考文件编号：2022年4月小学英语-英语故事(童话故事)The-Happy-Family-幸福的家庭版本号：A修改号：1页次：1.0审核：批准:发布日期：The

Happy

Family

幸福的家庭Thebiggestleafwehaveinthiscountryiscertainlytheburdockleaf.Ifyouholdoneinfrontofyourlittlestomach,it'sjustlikearealapron;andinrainyweather,ifyoulayitonyourhead,itdoesalmostaswellasanumbrella.It'sreallyamazinglylarge.Now,aburdocknevergrowsalone;no,whenyouseeoneyou'llalwaysseeothersaroundit.It'sasplendidsight;andallthissplendorisnothingmorethanfoodforsnails-thebigwhitesnailswhichthefinepeopleinoldendaysusedtohavemadeintofricassees.Whentheyhadeatenthem,theywouldsmacktheirlipsandsay,"My!Howgoodthatis!"Forsomehowtheyhadtheideathatthesnailstasteddelicious.Yousee,thesesnailslivedontheburdockleaves,andthat'swhytheburdockwasfirstgrown.Therewasacertainoldmanorhousewherethepeopledidn'teatsnailsanymore.Thesnailshadalmostdiedout,buttheburdockhadn't.Thesegrewandgrewonallthewalksandflowerbeds-theycouldn'tbestopped-untilthewholeplacewasaforestofburdocks.Hereandtherestoodanappleoraplumtree,butexceptforthat,peoplewouldn'thavethoughttherehadeverbeenagardenthere.Everywherewasburdock,andamongtheburdockslivedthelasttwoincrediblyoldsnails!Theythemselvesdidn'tknowhowoldtheywere,buttheycouldrememberveryclearlythatoncetherehadbeenagreatmanymoreofthem,thattheyhaddescendedfromaprominentforeignfamily,andtheyknewperfectlywellthatthewholeforesthadbeenplantedjustforthemandtheirfamily.Theyhadneverbeenawayfromhome,buttheydidknowthatsomewheretherewassomethingcalledamanorhouse,andthatthereyouwereboileduntilyouturnedblack,andwerelaidonasilverdish;butwhathappenedafterwardstheyhadn'ttheleastidea.Furthermore,theycouldn'timaginewhatitwouldbeliketobeboiledandlaidonasilverdish,buteveryonesaiditmustbeverywonderfulandagreatdistinction.Neitherthecockchafernorthetoadnortheearthworm,whomtheyaskedaboutit,couldgivethemanyinformation.Noneoftheirfamilieshadeverbeenboiledorlaidonsilverdishes.Sotheoldwhitesnailsknewtheywerebyfarthemostimportantpeopleintheworld.Theforestwastherejustfortheirsake,andthemanorhouseexistedjustsothattheycouldbeboiledandlaidonsilverdishes!Thetwooldsnailsledaquietandhappylife,andsincetheywerechildlesstheyhadadoptedalittleorphansnail,whichtheywerebringingupastheirownchild.Hewouldn'tgrowverylarge,forhewasonlyacommonsnail;butthetwooldsnails-andespeciallythemothersnail-thoughtitwaseasytoseehowwellhewasgrowing.Andshebeggedthefathersnailtotouchthelittlesnail'sshell,ifhecouldn'tseeit,andsohefeltitandfoundthatshewasright.Onedayitrainedveryhard."Justlistentoitdrumontheburdockleaves!"criedFatherSnail."Rum-dum-dum!Rum-dum-dum!""Dropsarealsocomingdownhere"!saidthemother."It'scomingstraightdownthestalks,andit'llbewetdownherebeforeyouknowit.I'mcertainlygladwehaveourowngoodhousesandthelittleonehashisown.We'rebetteroffthananyothercreatures;it'squiteplainthatwe'rethemostimportantpeopleintheworld.Wehaveourownhousesfromourverybirth,andtheburdockforesthasbeenplantedjustforus.Iwonderhowfaritextends,andwhatliesbeyondit.""Therecan'tbeanythingbeyond,"saidFatherSnail,"that'sanybetterthanwehavehere.Ihavenothingintheworldtowishfor.""Well,Ihave,"saidthemother."I'dliketobetakentothemanorhouseandboiledandlaidonasilverdish.Allourancestorshadthatdonetothem,and,believeme,itmustbesomethingquiteuncommon!""Maybethemanorhousehasfallentopieces,"suggestedFatherSnail."Orperhapstheburdockforesthasgrownoverit,sothatthepeoplecan'tgetoutatall.Don'tbeinsuchahurry-butthenyou'realwayshurryingso.Andthelittleoneisbeginningtodothesamething.Why,he'sbeencreepingupthatstalkforthreedays.Itreallymakesmyheaddizzytowatchhimgo!""Don'tscoldhim,"saidMotherSnail."Hecrawlsverycarefully.He'llbringusmuchjoy,andweoldfolkdon'thaveanythingelsetolivefor.ButhaveyoueverthoughtwherewecanfindawifeforhimDon'tyouthinktheremightbesomemoreofourkindofpeoplefartherbackintheburdockwoods"

"Isupposetheremaybeblacksnailsbackthere,"saidtheoldman."Blacksnailswithouthouses!Muchtoovulgar!Andthey'reconceited,anyway.Butlet'sasktheantstofindoutforus;they'realwaysrunningaroundasiftheyhadimportantbusiness.They'resuretoknowofawifeforourlittlesnail.""Certainly,Iknowaverybeautifulbride,"saidoneoftheants."ButIdon'tthinkshe'ddo,becauseshe'saqueen!""Thatdoesn'tmatter,"saidMotherSnailemphatically."Doesshehaveahouse""Shehasacastle!"repliedtheant."Themostbeautifulant'scastle,withsevenhundredcorridors!""Thankyouverymuch,"saidMotherSnail,"butourboyshallnotgointoananthill!Ifyoudon'tknowofanythingbetter,we'llaskthewhitegnatstofindoutforus.Theyflitaroundintherainandsunshine,andtheyknowthisforestinsideandout.""Wehavejustthewifeforhim,"saidthegnats."Ahundredman-stepsfromherealittlesnailwithahouseissittingonagooseberrybush.Sheisallaloneintheworld,andquiteoldenoughtomarry.It'sonlyahundredman-stepsfromhere!""Fine,butshemustcometohim,"saidtheoldcouple."Ourchildhasawholeburdockforest,andshehasonlyabush."Andsothegnatshadthelittlemaidensnailcomeover.Ittookhereightdaystogetthere,butthatwasthewonderfulpartofit-foritshowedshehadtherightsortofdignity.Andthentheyhadafinewedding!Sixglow-wormslighteduptheplaceaswellastheycould,butasidefromthatitwasaveryquietceremony,fortheoldpeopledidnotcareforfeastingormerriment.AcharmingspeechwasmadebyMotherSnail,butFatherSnailcouldn'tsayaword;hewastoodeeplymoved.Andsoshegavetheyoungcouplethewholeburdockforestforadowry,andrepeatedwhatshehadalwayssaid-thatitwasthefinestplaceintheworld,andthattheyoungpeople,iftheylivedhonorablyandhadmanychildren,wouldsomedaybe