外国英文童话故事：Once-upon-a-time

外国英文童话故事：Onceuponatime...

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英文童话故事|长篇童话故事

Onceuponatime...

Inaveryhotcountry,amanlivedwithhiswifeinalittlehut,whichwassurroundedbygrassandflowers.Theywereperfectlyhappytogethertill,by-and-by,thewomanfellillandrefusedtotakeanyfood.Thehusbandtriedtopersuadehertoeatallsortsofdeliciousfruitsthathehadfoundintheforest,butshewouldhavenoneofthem,andgrewsothinhefearedshewoulddie.”Istherenothingyouwouldlike?”hesaidatlastindespair.

”Yes,IthinkIcouldeatsomewildhoney,”answeredshe.Thehusbandwasoverjoyed,forhethoughtthissoundedeasyenoughtoget,andhewentoffatonceinsearchofit.

Hecamebackwithawoodenpanquitefull,andgaveittohiswife.”Ican”teatthat,”shesaid,turningawayindisgust.”Look!therearesomedeadbeesinit!Iwanthoneythatisquitepure.”Andthemanthrewtherejectedhoneyonthegrass,andstartedofftogetsomefresh.Whenhegotbackheofferedittohiswife,whotreateditasshehaddonethefirstbowlful.”Thathoneyhasgotantsinit:throwitaway,”shesaid,andwhenhebroughthersomemore,shedeclareditwasfullofearth.Inhisfourthjourneyhemanagedtofindsomethatshewouldeat,andthenshebeggedhimtogethersomewater.Thistookhimsometime,butatlengthhecametoalakewhosewatersweresweetenedwithsugar.Hefilledapannikinquitefull,andcarriedithometohiswife,whodrankiteagerly,andsaidthatshenowfeltquitewell.Whenshewasupandhaddressedherself,herhusbandlaydowninherplace,saying:”Youhavegivenmeagreatdealoftrouble,andnowitismyturn!”

”Whatisthematterwithyou?”askedthewife.

”Iamthirstyandwantsomewater,”answeredhe;andshetookalargepotandcarriedittothenearestspring,whichwasagoodwayoff.”Hereisthewater,”shesaidtoherhusband,liftingtheheavypotfromherhead;butheturnedawayindisgust.

”Youhavedrawnitfromthepoolthatisfulloffrogsandwillows;youmustgetmesomemore.”Sothewomansetoutagainandwalkedstillfurthertoanotherlake.

”Thiswatertastesofrushes,”heexclaimed,”goandgetsomefresh.”Butwhenshebroughtbackathirdsupplyhedeclaredthatitseemedmadeupofwater-lilies,andthathemusthavewaterthatwaspure,andnotspoiltbywillows,orfrogs,orrushes.Soforthefourthtimesheputherjugonherhead,andpassingallthelakesshehadhithertotried,shecametoanother,wherethewaterwasgoldenlikehoney.Shestoopeddowntodrink,whenahorribleheadbobbeduponthesurface.

”Howdareyoustealmywater?”criedthehead.

”Itismyhusbandwhohassentme,”shereplied,tremblingallover.”Butdonotkillme!Youshallhavemybaby,ifyouwillonlyletmego.”

”HowamItoknowwhichisyourbaby?”askedtheOgre.

”Oh,thatiseasilymanaged.Iwillshavebothsidesofhishead,andhangsomewhitebeadsroundhisneck.Andwhenyoucometothehutyouhaveonlytocall“Motikatika!“andhewillruntomeetyou,andyoucaneathim.”

”Verywell,”saidtheogre,”youcangohome.”Andafterfillingthepotshereturned,andtoldherhusbandofthedreadfuldangershehadbeenin.

Now,thoughhismotherdidnotknowit,thebabywasamagicianandhehadheardallthathismotherhadpromisedtheogre;andhelaughedtohimselfasheplannedhowtooutwither.

Thenextmorningsheshavedhisheadonbothsides,andhungthewhitebeadsroundhisneck,andsaidtohim:”Iamgoingtothefieldstowork,butyoumuststayathome.Besureyoudonotgooutside,orsomewildbeastmayeatyou.”

”Verywell,”answeredhe.

Assoonashismotherwasoutofsight,thebabytookoutsomemagicbones,andplacedtheminarowbeforehim.”Youaremyfather,”hetoldonebone,”andyouaremymother.Youarethebiggest,”hesaidtothethird,”soyoushallbetheogrewhowantstoeatme;andyou,”toanother,”areverylittle,thereforeyoushallbeme.Now,then,tellmewhatIamtodo.”

”Collectallthebabiesinthevillagethesamesizeasyourself,”answeredthebones;”shavethesidesoftheirheads,andhangwhitebeadsroundtheirnecks,andtellthemthatwhenanybodycalls“Motikatika,“theyaretoanswertoit.Andbequickforyouhavenotimetolose.”

Motikatikawentoutdirectly,andbroughtbackquiteacrowdofbabies,andshavedtheirheadsandhungwhitebeadsroundtheirlittleblacknecks,andjustashehadfinished,thegroundbegantoshake,andthehugeogrecamestridingalong,crying:”Motikatika!Motikatika!”

”Hereweare!hereweare!”answeredthebabies,allrunningtomeethim.

”ItisMotikatikaIwant,”saidtheogre.

”WeareallMotikatika,”theyreplied.Andtheogresatdowninbewilderment,forhedarednoteatthechildrenofpeoplewhohaddonehimnowrong,oraheavypunishmentwouldbefallhim.Thechildrenwaitedforalittle,wondering,andthentheywentaway.

Theogreremainedwherehewas,tilltheevening,whenthewomanreturnedfromthefields.

”IhavenotseenMotikatika,”saidhe.

”Butwhydidyounotcallhimbyhisname,asItoldyou?”sheasked.

”Idid,butallthebabiesinthevillageseemedtobenamedMotikatika,”answeredtheogre;”youcannotthinkthenumberwhocamerunningtome.”

Thewomandidnotknowwhattomakeofit,so,tokeephiminagoodtemper,sheenteredthehutandpreparedabowlofmaize,whichshebroughthim.

”Idonotwantmaize,Iwantthebaby,”grumbledhe”andIwillhavehim.”

”Havepatience,”answeredshe;”Iwillcallhim,andyoucaneathimatonce.”Andshewentintothehutandcried,”Motikatika!”

”Iamcoming,mother,”repliedhe;butfirsthetookouthisbones,and,crouchingdownonthegroundbehindthehut,askedthemhowheshouldescapetheogre.

”Changeyourselfintoamouse,”saidthebones;andsohedid,andtheogregrewtiredofwaiting,andtoldthewomanshemustinventsomeotherplan.

”To-morrowIwillsendhimintothefieldtopicksomebeansforme,andyouwillfindhimthere,andcaneathim.”

”Verywell,”repliedtheogre,”andthistimeIwilltakecaretohavehim,”andhewentbacktohislake.

NextmorningMotikatikawassentoutwithabasket,andtoldtopicksomebeansfordinner.Onthewaytothefieldhetookouthisbonesandaskedthemwhathewastodotoescapefromtheogre.”Changeyourselfintoabirdandsnapoffthebeans,”saidthebones.Andtheogrechasedawaythebird,not