佩科斯-比爾英文故事

佩科斯-比爾英文故事

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TodaywetellatraditionalAmericanstorycalledatalltale.Atalltaleisastoryaboutapersonwhoislargerthanlife.Thedescriptionsinthestoryareexaggerated–muchgreaterthaninreallife.Longago,thepeoplewhosettledinundevelopedareasinAmericafirsttoldtalltales.Afteraharddayswork,peoplegatheredtotelleachotherfunnystories.

PecosBillwasalargerthanlifeherooftheAmericanWest.NooneknowswhofirsttoldstoriesaboutPecosBill.Cowboysmayhaveinventedthestories.OtherssayEdwardOReillyinventedthecharacterinstorieshewroteforTheCenturyMagazineintheearlynineteenhundreds.ThestorieswerecollectedinabookcalledTheSagaofPecosBillpublishedinnineteentwenty-three.

Anotherwriter,JamesCloydBowman,wroteanaward-winningchildrensbookcalledPecosBill:TheGreatestCowboyofAllTime.ThebookwontheNewberyHonorinnineteenthirty-eight.

PecosBillwasnotahistoricalperson.ButhedoesrepresentthespiritofearlysettlersintheAmericanWest.Hisunusualchildhoodandextraordinaryactionstellaboutpeoplewhobelievedtherewerenolimitstowhattheycoulddo.Now,hereisBarbaraKleinwithourstory.

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STORYTELLER:

PecosBillhadoneofthestrangestchildhoodsaboyeverhad.ItallstartedafterhisfatherdecidedthattherewasnolongerenoughroomineastTexasforhisfamily.

Packup,Ma!hecried.Neighborsmovininfiftymilesaway!Itsgettingtoocrowded!

Sotheyloadedupawagonwithalltheirthings.Nowsomesaytheyhadfifteenchildrenwhileotherssayeighteen.Howevermanytherewere,thechildrenwerelouderthanthunder.AndastheysetoffacrossthewildcountryofwestTexas,theirmotherandfathercouldhardlyhearathing.

Now,astheycametothePecosRiver,thewagonhitabigrock.TheforcethrewlittleBilloutofthewagonandhelandedonthesandyground.MotherdidnotknowBillwasgoneuntilshegatheredthechildrenforthemiddaymeal.MothersetoffwithsomeofthechildrentolookforBill,buttheycouldfindnosignofhim.

Well,somepeoplesayBillwasjustababywhenhisfamilylosthim.Otherssayhewasfouryearsold.ButallagreethatagroupofanimalscalledcoyotesfoundBillandraisedhim.Billdidallthethingsthoseanimalsdid,likechaselizardsandhowlatthemoon.Hebecameasgoodacoyoteasany.

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Now,Billspentseventeenyearslivinglikeacoyoteuntilonedayacowboyrodebyonhishorse.SomesaythecowboywasoneofBillsbrothers.Whoeverhewas,hetookonelookatBillandasked,Whatareyou?

Billwasnotusedtohumanlanguage.Atfirst,hecouldnotsayanything.Thecowboyrepeatedhisquestion.Thistime,Billsaid,varmint.

Thatisawordusedforanykindofwildanimal.

Noyouarent,saidthecowboy.

Yes,Iam,saidBill.Ihavefleas.

Lotsofpeoplehavefleas,saidthecowboy.Youdonthaveatail.

Yes,Ido,saidBill.

Showittomethen,thecowboysaid.

Billlookedathisbacksideandrealizedthathedidnothaveatailliketheothercoyotes.Well,whatamIthen?askedBill.

Youreacowboy!Sostartactinglikeone!thecowboycriedout.WellthatwasallBillneededtohear.Hesaidgoodbyetohiscoyotefriendsandlefttojointheworldofhumans.

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Now,PecosBillwasagoodcowboy.Still,hehungeredforadventure.Onedayheheardaboutaroughgroupofmen.Thereissomedebateoverwhatthegroupwascalled.ButonestorytellercallsittheHellsGateGang.

SoBillsetoutacrosstheroughcountrytofindthisgangofmen.Well,BillshorsesoonwasinjuredsoBillhadtocarryitforahundredmiles.ThenBillmetarattlesnakefiftyfeetlong.ThesnakemadeahissingnoiseandwasnotabouttoletBillpass.Butafteratenseminute,Billbeatthesnakeuntilitsurrendered.Hefeltsorryforthevarmint,though,andwrappeditaroundhisarm.

AfterBillwalkedanotherhundredmiles,hecameacrossanangrymountainlion.Therewasahugebattle,butBilltookcontrolofthebigcatandputhissaddleonit.HerodethatmountainlionallthewaytothecampoftheHellsGateGang.

Now,whenBillsawthegangheshoutedout,Whosthebossaroundhere?

Ahugecowboy,ninefeettall,tookonelookatBillandsaidinashakyvoice,Iwastheboss.Butyouarethebossfromhereonin.

Withhisgang,PecosBillwasabletocreatethebiggestranchintheSouthwest.BillandhismenhadsomanycattlethattheyneededallofNewMexicotoholdthem.Arizonawasthepasturewherethecattleategrass.

PecosBillinventedtheartofbeingacowboy.Heinventedtheskillofthrowingaspecialropecalledalassooveracowsheadtocatchwanderingcattle.

Somesayheusedarattlesnakeforalasso.OtherssayhemadealassosobigthatitcircledthewholeEarth.

Billinventedthemethodofusingahotbrandingirontopermanentlyputthemarkofaranchonacowsskin.Thathelpedstoppeoplefromstealingcattle.Somesayheinventedcowboysongstohelpcalmthecattleandmakethecowboyslifeeasier.Butheisalsosaidtohaveinventedtarantulasandscorpionsasjokes.Cowboyshavehadtroublewiththosepoisonouscreatureseversince.

Now,PecosBillcouldrideanythingthateverwas.So,assometellthestory,therecameastormbiggerthananyother.ItallhappenedduringtheworstdroughttheWesthadeverseen.Itwassodrythathorsesandcowsstartedtodryupandblowawayinthewind.SowhenBillsawthewindstorm,hegotanidea.Thehugetornadokickedacrossthelandlikeawildbronco.ButBilljumpedonitwithoutathought.

HerodethattornadoacrossTexas,NewMexicoandArizona,allthetimesqueezingtherainoutofittosavethelandfromdrought.Whenthestormwasover,Billfelloffthetornado.HelandedinCalifornia.HeleftaholesodeepthattothisdayitisknownasDeathValley.

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Now,BillhadahorsenamedWidowMaker.Hegotthatnamebecauseanymanwhorodethathorsewouldbethrownoffandkilledandhiswifewouldbecomeawidow.NoonecouldridethathorsebutBill.

AndWidowMaker,intheend,causedthebiggestproblemforPecosBill.Yousee,onedayBillsawawoman.Notjustanywoman,butawild,red-hairedwoman,ridingagiantcatfishdowntheRioGrandeRiver.

HernamewasSlue-footSue.AndBillfellinlovewithheratfirstsight.Well,Billwouldnotrestuntilhehadaskedforherhandinmarriage.AndSlue-footSueaccepted.

Ontheirweddingday,PecosBilldressedinhisbestbuckskinsuit.AndSueworeabeautifulwhitedresswithahugesteel-springbustleintheback.Itwasthekindofbigdressthatmanywomenworeinthosedays—thebiggerthebetter.

Now,afterthemarriageceremonySlue-footSuegotareallybadidea.ShedecidedthatshewantedtorideWidowMaker.Billbeggedhernottotry.Butshehadhermindmadeup.

Well,thesecondshejumpedonthehorsesbackhebegantokickandbucklikenothinganyonehadeverseen.HesentSueflyingsohighthatshesailedclearoverthenewmoon.

ShefellbacktoEarth,butthesteel-springbustlejustbouncedherbackupashighasbefore.

Now,therearemanydifferentstoriesaboutwhathappenednext.OnestorysaysBillsawthatSu