小学英语英语故事童话故事The Swineherd 猪倌

TheSwineherd猪信

OncetherewasapoorPrince.Hehadakingdom;itwasverytiny.Stillitwaslarge

enoughtomarryupon,andonmarriagehisheartwasset.

Nowitwascertainlyratherboldofhimtosay,“Willyouhaveme?〃totheEmperor，s

owndaughter.Buthedid,forhisnamewasfamous,andfarandneartherewerehundreds

ofPrincesseswhowouldhavesaid,〃Yes!〃and〃Thankyou!〃too.Butwhatdidthe

Emperor，sdaughtersay?Well,we'11soonfindout.

ArosetreegrewoverthegraveofthePrince，sfather.Itwassuchabeautifultree.

Itbloomedonlyonceinfivelongyears,andthenitborebutasingleflower.Oh,

thatwasaroseindeed!Thefragranceofitwouldmakeamanforgetallofhissorrows

andhiscares.ThePrincehadanightingaletoo.Itsangasifallthesweetsongs

oftheworldwereinitslittlethroat.Thenightingaleandtheroseweretobegifts

tothePrincess.Sotheyweresenttoherintwolargesilvercases.

TheEmperororderedthecasescarriedbeforehim,tothegreathallwherethePrincess

wasplayingat〃visitors,〃withhermaids-inwaiting.Theyseldomdidanythingelse.

AssoonasthePrincesssawthatthelargecasescontainedpresents,sheclapped

herhandsinglee.〃0h,〃shesaid,〃IdohopeIgetalittlepussy-cat.，zSheopened

acasketandtherewasthesplendidrose.

〃0h,howprettyitis,〃saidallthemaids-in-waiting.

〃It'smorethanpretty,/zsaidtheEmperor.〃It'ssuperb.z/

ButthePrincesspokeditwithherfinger,andshealmoststartedtocry.〃0hfie!

Papa,〃shesaid,〃itisn'tartificial.Itisnatural.〃

〃0h,fie,〃saidallhermaids-in-waiting,〃it'sonlynatural.z/

“Well,〃saidtheEmperor,“beforewefretandpout,let'sseewhat'sintheother

case.z/Heopenedit,andoutcamethenightingale,whichsangsosweetlythatfor

alittlewhilenoonecouldthinkofasinglethingtosayagainstit.

〃Superbe!〃Charmant!/zsaidthemaids-in-waitingwiththeirsmatteringofFrench,

eachonespeakingitworsethanthenext.

〃HowthebirddoesremindmeofourlamentedEmpress，smusicbox,〃saidoneold

courtier.〃Ithasjustthesametone,andtheverysamewayoftrilling.，z

TheEmperorweptlikeachild.〃Ahme,〃hesaid.

〃Bird?〃saidthePrincess.〃Youmeantosayit'sreal?”

〃Areallivebird,〃themenwhohadbroughtitassuredher.

“Thenletitflyandbegone,〃saidthePrincess,whorefusedtohearawordabout

thePrince,muchlesstoseehim.

Butitwasnotsoeasytodiscouragehim.Hedarkenedhisfacebothbrownandblack,

pulledhishatdownoverhiseyes,andknockedatthedoor.

“Hello,Emperor,〃hesaid.〃Howdoyoudo?Canyougivemesomeworkaboutthepalace?”

“Well,〃saidtheEmperor,“peoplearealwayslookingforjobs,butletmesee.I

doneedsomebodytotendthepigs,becausewe'vegotsomanyofthem.z/

SothePrincewasappointedzzImperialPigTender.z/Hewasgivenawretchedlittle

roomdownbythepigsties,andtherehehadtolive.Alldaylonghesatandworked,

asbusyascouldbe,andbyeveninghehadmadeaneatlittlekettlewithbellsall

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aroundthebrimofit.Whenthekettleboiled,thebellswouldtinkleandplaythe

oldtune:

〃0h,dearAugustin,

Allislost,lost,lost.，z

Butthatwastheleastofit.Ifanyoneputhisfingerinthesteamfromthiskettle

hecouldimmediatelysmellwhatevertherewasfordinnerinanycooking-potintown.

Norosewaseverlikethis!

NowthePrincesshappenedtobepassingbywithallofhermaids-in-waiting.When

sheheardthetuneshestoppedandlookedpleased,forshetooknewhowtoplay〃0h,

dearAugustin.zzItwastheonlytuneshedidknow,andsheplayeditwithonefinger.

“Why,that，stheverysametuneIplay.Isn'ttheswineherdhighlyaccomplished?

Isay,〃sheordered,〃goandaskhimthepriceoftheinstrument.，z

Sooneofthemaidshadtogo,inamongthepigsties,butsheputonherovershoes

first.

“Whatwillyoutakeforthekettle?”sheasked.

〃I'11taketenkissesfromthePrincess,〃saidtheswineherd.

〃0o,forgoodness'sakes!”saidthemaid.

“AndIwon，ttakeless,/zsaidtheswineherd.

“Well,whatdoeshesay?〃thePrincesswantedtoknow.

〃Ican，ttellyou,〃saidthemaid.〃He'stoohorrible.〃

“Thenwhisperitclosetomyear.〃Shelistenedtowhatthemaidhadtowhisper.

〃0o,isn'thenaughty!zzsaidthePrincessandwalkedrightawayfromthere.Butshe

hadnotgoneveryfarwhensheheardtheprettybellsplayagain:

〃0h,dearAugustin,

Allislost,lost,lost.，z

〃Isay,〃thePrincessordered,〃askhimifhewilltakehistenkissesfrommy

maids-in-waiting.〃

〃No,Ithankyou,〃saidtheswineherd."TenkissesfromthePrincess,orIkeepmy

kettle.zz

“Nowisn，tthatdisgusting!z/saidthePrincess.〃Atleaststandaroundmesothat

noonecansee.〃

Sohermaidsstoodaroundher,andspreadtheirskirtswide,whiletheswineherd

tookhistenkisses.Thenthekettlewashers.

Andthenthefunstarted.Neverwasakettlekeptsobusy.Theyboileditfrommorning

tillnight.Fromthechamberlain'sbanquettothecobbler，sbreakfast,theyknew

allthatwascookedintown.Themaids-in-waitingdancedaboutandclappedtheir

hands.

〃Weknowwho,shavingsweetsoupandpancakes.Weknowwho'shavingporridgeand

cutlets.Isntitinteresting?77

“Mostinteresting,〃saidtheheadladyofthebedchamber.

“Now,afterall,I'mtheEmperor，sdaughter,z/thePrincessremindedthem."Don't

youtellhowIgotit.〃

“Goodnessgracious,no!〃saidtheyall.

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Buttheswineherd-that，sthePrince,fornobodyknewhewasn'tarealswineherd-was

busyashecouldbe.Thistimehemadearattle.Swingitaround,anditwouldplay

allthewaltzes,jigs,anddancetunesthathavebeenheardsincethebeginningof

time.

〃Whyit'ssuperbe!，/saidthePrincessasshecameby.〃Ineverdidhearbettermusic.

Isay,goandaskhimthepriceofthatinstrument.Butmindyou-nomorekissing!z/

〃HewantsahundredkissesfromthePrincess,〃saidthemaid-in-waitingwhohadbeen

intoaskhim.

〃Ibelievehe'soutofhismind,〃saidthePrincess,andshewalkedrightawayfrom

there.Butshehadnotgoneveryfarwhenshesaid,zzAfterall,I'mtheEmperor，s

daughter,andit'smydutytoencouragethearts.Tellhimhecanhavetenkisses,

ashedidyesterday,buthemustcollecttherestfrommymaids-in-waiting.z/

〃0h,butwewouldn，tlikethat,z/saidthemaids.

“Fiddlesticks,〃saidthePrincess,〃Ifhecankissmehecertainlycankissyou.

Remember,I'mtheonewhogivesyouboardandwages.〃Sothemaidhadtogoback

totheswineherd.

〃AhundredkissesfromthePrincess,z/theswineherdtoldher,〃orleteachkeephis

own.z/

/zStandaroundme,〃saidthePrincess,andallhermaids-in-waitingstoodinacircle

tohideherwhiletheswineherdbegantocollect.

〃Whatcanhavedrawnsuchacrowdnearthepigsties?”theEmperorwondered,ashe

lookeddownfromhisbalcony.Herubbedhiseyes,andheputonhisspectacles."Bless

mysoulifthosemaids-in-waitingaren，tuptomischiefagain.I'dbettergosee

whattheyareuptonow.〃

Hepulledhiseasyslippersupoverhisheels,thoughordinarilyhejustshovedhis

feetinthemandletthemflap.Then,my!Howmuchfasterhewent.Assoonashe

camenearthepenshetookverysoftsteps.Themaids-in-waitingweresobusycounting

kisses,toseethateverythingwentfairandthathedidn，tgettoomanyortoofew,

thattheydidn，tnoticetheEmperorbehindthem.Hestoodonhistiptoes.

“Suchnaughtiness!hesaidwhenhesawthemkissing,andheboxedtheirearswith

hisslipperjustastheswineherdwastakinghiseighty-sixthkiss.

〃Beoffwithyou!”theEmperorsaidinarage.AndboththePrincessandtheswineherd

wereturnedoutofhisempire.Andthereshestoodcr