The buckwheat 荞麦
作者：古文学 时间：2017/12/18 8:50:19 阅读：次 类别：英语童话
THEBUCKWHEAT荞麦
VERYoften,afteraviolentthunder-storm,afieldofbuckwheatappearsblackenedandsinged,asifaflameoffirehadpassedoverit.Thecountrypeoplesaythatthisappearanceiscausedbylightning;butIwilltellyouwhatthesparrowsays,andthesparrowhearditfromanoldwillow-treewhichgrewnearafieldofbuckwheat,andistherestill.Itisalargevenerabletree,thoughalittlecrippledbyage.Thetrunkhasbeensplit,andoutofthecrevicegrassandbramblesgrow.Thetreebendsfor-wardslightly,andthebrancheshangquitedowntothegroundjustlikegreenhair.
Corngrowsinthesurroundingfields,notonlyryeandbarley,butoats,-prettyoatsthat,whenripe,looklikeanumberoflittlegoldencanary-birdssittingonabough.Thecornhasasmilinglookandtheheaviestandrichestearsbendtheirheadslowasifinpioushumility.Oncetherewasalsoafieldofbuckwheat,andthisfieldwasexactlyoppositetooldwillow-tree.Thebuckwheatdidnotbendliketheothergrain,buterecteditsheadproudlyandstifflyonthestem."Iamasvaluableasanyothercorn,"saidhe,"andIammuchhandsomer;myflowersareasbeautifulasthebloomoftheappleblossom,anditisapleasuretolookatus.Doyouknowofanythingprettierthanweare,youoldwillow-tree?"Andthewillow-treenoddedhishead,asifhewouldsay,"IndeedIdo."Butthebuckwheatspreaditselfoutwithpride,andsaid,"Stupidtree;heissooldthatgrassgrowsoutofhisbody."Therearoseaveryterriblestorm.Allthefield-flowersfoldedtheirleavestogether,orbowedtheirlittleheads,whilethestormpassedoverthem,butthebuckwheatstooderectinitspride."Bendyourheadaswedo,"saidtheflowers.
"Ihavenooccasiontodoso,"repliedthebuckwheat.
"Bendyourheadaswedo,"criedtheearsofcorn;"theangelofthestormiscoming;hiswingsspreadfromtheskyabovetotheearthbeneath.Hewillstrikeyoudownbeforeyoucancryformercy."
"ButIwillnotbendmyhead,"saidthebuckwheat.
"Closeyourflowersandbendyourleaves,"saidtheoldwillow-tree."Donotlookatthelightningwhenthecloudbursts;evenmencannotdothat.Inaflashoflightningheavenopens,andwecanlookin;butthesightwillstrikeevenhumanbeingsblind.Whatthenmusthappentous,whoonlygrowoutoftheearth,andaresoinferiortothem,ifweventuretodoso??"
"Inferior,indeed!"saidthebuckwheat."NowIintendtohaveapeepintoheaven."Proudlyandboldlyhelookedup,whilethelightningflashedacrosstheskyasifthewholeworldwereinflames.
Whenthedreadfulstormhadpassed,theflowersandthecornraisedtheirdroopingheadsinthepurestillair,refreshedbytherain,butthebuckwheatlaylikeaweedinthefield,burnttoblacknessbythelightning.Thebranchesoftheoldwillow-treerustledinthewind,andlargewater-dropsfellfromhisgreenleavesasiftheoldwillowwereweeping.Thenthesparrowsaskedwhyhewasweeping,whenallaroundhimseemedsocheerful."See,"theysaid,howthesunshines,andthecloudsfloatinthebluesky.Doyounotsmellthesweetperfumefromflowerandbush?Whereforedoyouweep,oldwillow-tree?"Thenthewillowtoldthemofthehaughtyprideofthebuckwheat,andofthepunishmentwhichfollowedinconsequence.
ThisisthestorytoldmebythesparrowsoneeveningwhenIbeggedthemtorelatesometaletome.
THEEND
VERYoften,afteraviolentthunder-storm,afieldofbuckwheatappearsblackenedandsinged,asifaflameoffirehadpassedoverit.Thecountrypeoplesaythatthisappearanceiscausedbylightning;butIwilltellyouwhatthesparrowsays,andthesparrowhearditfromanoldwillow-treewhichgrewnearafieldofbuckwheat,andistherestill.Itisalargevenerabletree,thoughalittlecrippledbyage.Thetrunkhasbeensplit,andoutofthecrevicegrassandbramblesgrow.Thetreebendsfor-wardslightly,andthebrancheshangquitedowntothegroundjustlikegreenhair.
Corngrowsinthesurroundingfields,notonlyryeandbarley,butoats,-prettyoatsthat,whenripe,looklikeanumberoflittlegoldencanary-birdssittingonabough.Thecornhasasmilinglookandtheheaviestandrichestearsbendtheirheadslowasifinpioushumility.Oncetherewasalsoafieldofbuckwheat,andthisfieldwasexactlyoppositetooldwillow-tree.Thebuckwheatdidnotbendliketheothergrain,buterecteditsheadproudlyandstifflyonthestem."Iamasvaluableasanyothercorn,"saidhe,"andIammuchhandsomer;myflowersareasbeautifulasthebloomoftheappleblossom,anditisapleasuretolookatus.Doyouknowofanythingprettierthanweare,youoldwillow-tree?"Andthewillow-treenoddedhishead,asifhewouldsay,"IndeedIdo."Butthebuckwheatspreaditselfoutwithpride,andsaid,"Stupidtree;heissooldthatgrassgrowsoutofhisbody."Therearoseaveryterriblestorm.Allthefield-flowersfoldedtheirleavestogether,orbowedtheirlittleheads,whilethestormpassedoverthem,butthebuckwheatstooderectinitspride."Bendyourheadaswedo,"saidtheflowers.
"Ihavenooccasiontodoso,"repliedthebuckwheat.
"Bendyourheadaswedo,"criedtheearsofcorn;"theangelofthestormiscoming;hiswingsspreadfromtheskyabovetotheearthbeneath.Hewillstrikeyoudownbeforeyoucancryformercy."
"ButIwillnotbendmyhead,"saidthebuckwheat.
"Closeyourflowersandbendyourleaves,"saidtheoldwillow-tree."Donotlookatthelightningwhenthecloudbursts;evenmencannotdothat.Inaflashoflightningheavenopens,andwecanlookin;butthesightwillstrikeevenhumanbeingsblind.Whatthenmusthappentous,whoonlygrowoutoftheearth,andaresoinferiortothem,ifweventuretodoso??"
"Inferior,indeed!"saidthebuckwheat."NowIintendtohaveapeepintoheaven."Proudlyandboldlyhelookedup,whilethelightningflashedacrosstheskyasifthewholeworldwereinflames.
Whenthedreadfulstormhadpassed,theflowersandthecornraisedtheirdroopingheadsinthepurestillair,refreshedbytherain,butthebuckwheatlaylikeaweedinthefield,burnttoblacknessbythelightning.Thebranchesoftheoldwillow-treerustledinthewind,andlargewater-dropsfellfromhisgreenleavesasiftheoldwillowwereweeping.Thenthesparrowsaskedwhyhewasweeping,whenallaroundhimseemedsocheerful."See,"theysaid,howthesunshines,andthecloudsfloatinthebluesky.Doyounotsmellthesweetperfumefromflowerandbush?Whereforedoyouweep,oldwillow-tree?"Thenthewillowtoldthemofthehaughtyprideofthebuckwheat,andofthepunishmentwhichfollowedinconsequence.
ThisisthestorytoldmebythesparrowsoneeveningwhenIbeggedthemtorelatesometaletome.
THEEND