小學英語英語故事童話故事The SnowMan雪人

TheSnowMan雪人

〃It'ssobitterlycoldthatmywholebodycrackles!/zsaidtheSnowMan."Thiswind

canreallyblowlifeintoyou!Andhowthatglaringthingupthereglaresatme!〃

Hemeantthesun;itwasjustsetting.〃Shewon51makemeblink;I'11holdontothe

pieces.，z

“Thepieces〃weretwolargetriangularpiecesoftile,whichhehadforeyes.His

mouthwaspartofanoldrake,hencehehadteeth.Hehadbeenbornamidthetriumphant

shoutsoftheboys,andwelcomedbythejinglingofsleighbellsandthecracking

ofwhipsfromthepassingsleighs.

Thesunwentdown,andthefullmoonrose,bigandround,brightandbeautiful,in

theclearbluesky.

“Hereshecomesagainfromtheotherside,zzsaidtheSnowMan,forhethoughtit

wasthesunshowingitselfagain.〃Ah,I'vecuredherofstaring,allright.Now

letherhangupthereandshinesothatIcanseemyself.IfIonlyknewhowtomove

fromthisplace-I'dlikesomuchtomove!IfIcould,I'dslidealongthereon

theice,thewayIseetheboysslide,butIdon，tknowhowtorun./z

“Away!Away!barkedtheoldWatchdog.Hewasquitehoarsefromthetimewhenhe

wasahousedoglyingunderthestove."Thesunwillteachyouhowtorun.Isaw

yourpredecessorlastwinter,andbeforethathispredecessor.Away!Away!Andaway

theyallgo!〃

〃Idon，tunderstandyou,friend,〃saidtheSnowMan.〃Isthatthinguptheregoing

toteachmetorun?”Hemeantthemoon."Why,shewasrunningthelasttimeIsaw

heralittlewhileago,andnowshecomessneakingbackfromtheotherside./z

〃Youdon51knowanythingatall,〃repliedtheWatchdog."Butthen,ofcourse,you，ve

justbeenputtogether.Theoneyouarelookingatnowiscalledthemoon,andthe

onewhowentawaywasthesun.Shewillcomeagaintomorrow,andshewillteachyou

torundownintotheditch.We'regoingtohaveachangeofweathersoon;Icanfeel

itinmylefthindleg;Ihaveapaininit.Theweather，sgoingtochange.，z

〃Idon51understandhim,〃saidtheSnowMantohimself,“butIhaveafeelinghe's

talkingaboutsomethingunpleasant.Theonethatstaredatmeandwentaway,whom

hecalledthesun,isnofriendofmineeither,Icanfeelthat.z/

“Away!Away!”barkedtheWatchdog,andthenhewalkedaroundthreetimesandcrept

intohiskenneltosleep.

Theweatherreallydidchange.Earlynextmorningathick,dampmistlayoverthe

wholecountryside.Atdawnawindrose;itwasicycold.Thefrostsetinhard,but

whenthesunrose,whatabeautifulsightitwas!Thetreesandbusheswerecovered

withhoarfrostandlookedlikeaforestofwhitecoral,whileeverytwigseemed

smotheredwithglitteringwhiteflowers.Theenormouslymanydelicatebranchesthat

areconcealedbytheleavesinsummernowappeared,everysingleoneofthem,and

madeagleamingwhitelacework,sosnowywhitethatawhiteradianceseemedtospring

fromeverybough.Thebirchwavedinthewind,asifithadlife,liketherestof

thetreesinthesummer.Itwasallwonderfullybeautiful.Andwhenthesuncame

out,howitallglitteredandsparkled,asifeverythinghadbeenstrewnwithdiamond

1

dust,andbigdiamondshadbeensprinkledonthesnowycarpetoftheearth;orone

couldalsoimaginethatcountlesslittlelightsweregleaming,brightereventhan

thesnowitself.

〃It'swonderfullybeautiful!/zsaidayounggirl,whohadcomeoutintothegarden

withayoungman.TheystoppedneartheSnowManandgazedattheflashingtrees.

z/Summercan'tshowusaloveliersight!〃shesaid,andhereyessparkledwithdelight.

“Andwecan，thaveafellowlikethisinthesummertime,either,〃theyoungmanagreed,

ashepointedtotheSnowMan.〃He'ssplendid./z

Theyounggirllaughed,noddedtotheSnowMan,andthendancedoverthesnowwith

herfriend-oversnowthatcrackledundertheirfeetasthoughtheywerewalking

onstarch.

“Whowerethosetwo?”askedtheSnowManoftheWatchdog."You'vebeenaroundthis

yardlongerthanIhave.Doyouknowthem?”

〃0fcourseIknowthem,〃saidtheWatchdog."Shepetsme,andheoncethrewmea

meatbone.Idon'tbitethosetwo.〃

“Butwhataretheysupposedtobe?〃askedtheSnowMan.zzSweethearts!zzrepliedthe

Watchdog."They’11gotomoveintothesamekennelsomedayandgnawthesamebone

together.Away!Away!〃

“ButaretheyasimportantasyouandI?〃askedtheSnowMan.

“Why,theyaremembersofthemaster5sfamily,zzsaidtheWatchdog."Peoplecertainly

don'tknowverymuchiftheywereonlybornyesterday;Icantellthatfromyou.

NowIhaveageandknowledge.Iknoweverybodyhereinthehouse,andIknowatime

whenIdidn'thavetostandouthereinthecold,fastenedtoachain.Away!Away!”

“Thecoldislovely,〃saidtheSnowMan.〃Buttellme,tellme.Onlydon'trattle

thatchain;itmakesmeshiverinsidewhenyoudothat.〃

“Away!Away!”barkedtheWatchdog."TheyusedtotellmeIwasaprettylittlepuppy,

whenIlayinavelvet-coveredchair,upinthemaster'shouse,orsatinthemistress'

lap.Theyusedtokissmeonthenoseandwipemypawswithanembroidered

handkerchief.

“Theycalledme'thehandsomest'and'littlepuppsy-wuppsy.’ButthenIgrewtoo

bigforthemtokeep,sotheygavemeawaytothehousekeeper.That'showIcame

tolivedowninthebasement.Youcanlookdownintoitfromwhereyou，restanding;

youcanlookrightintotheroomwhereIwasmaster,forthatwaswhatIwastothe

housekeeper.Ofcourse,theplacewasinferiortothatupstairs,butIwasmore

comfortablethereandwasn，tconstantlygrabbedandpulledaboutbythechildren

asIhadbeenupstairs.Ihadjustasgoodfoodasever,andmuchmoreofit.Ihad

myowncushion,andthentherewasastove,whichisthefinestthingintheworld

atthistimeofyear.Icreptrightinunderit,sothatIwasoutoftheway.Ah,

Istilldreamofthatstovesometimes.Away!Away!”

“Doesastovelooksobeautiful?77askedtheStoneMan."Doesitlooklikeme?〃

/zIt，sjusttheoppositeofyou.It'sasblackascoalandhasalongneckandabrass

stomach.Iteatsfirewood,sothatfirespurtsfromitsmouth.Youmustkeepbeside

itorunderneathit;it'sverycomfortablethere.Youmustbeabletoseeitthrough

thewindowfromwhereyou，restanding.〃

2

ThentheSnowManlooked,andhereallysawabrightlypolishedthingwithabrass

stomachandfireglowingfromthelowerpartofit.Averystrangefeelingswept

overtheSnowMan;hedidn，tknowwhatitmeant,andcouldn，tunderstandit,but

allpeoplewhoaren'tsnowmenknowthatfeeling.

“Whydidyouleaveher?”askedtheSnowMan,foritseemedtohimthatthestove

mustbeafemale.〃Howcouldyouleaveaplacelikethat?”

〃Iwascompelledto,〃repliedtheWatchdog."Theyturnedmeoutsideandchainedme

uphere.Yousee,Ihadbittentheyoungestofthemaster'schildrenintheleg,

becausehehadkickedawayaboneIwasgnawing.’Aboneforabone,'Ialwayssay.

Theydidn，tlikethatatall,andfromthattimeI'vebeenchainedouthereandhave

lostmyvoice.Don，tyouhearhowhoarseIam?Away!Away!Andthatwastheendof

that!〃

ButtheSnowManwasn，tlisteningtohimanylonger.Hekeptpeeringinatthe

housekeeper，sbasementroom,wherethestovestoodonitsfourironlegs,justabout

thesamesizeastheSnowManhimself.

Z/Whatastrangecracklingthereisinsideme!z/hecried.〃IwonderifI'11everget

inthere.That5saninnocentwish,andourinnocentwishesaresuretobefulfilled.

Itismyonlywish,mybiggestwish;itwouldalmostbeunfairifitwasn，tgranted.

Imustgetinandleanagainsther,evenifIhavetobreakawindow.z/

〃You'11nevergetinthere,z，saidtheWatchdog.〃Andifyougonearthatstoveyou'11

meltaway!Away!〃

〃I'masgoodasgone,anyway,“repliedtheSnowMan.〃IthinkI'mbreakingup.〃

AlldaylongtheSnowManstoodlookinginthroughthewindow.Attwilighttheroom

grewstillmoreinviting;amildglowcamefromthestove,notlikethemoonorthe

suneither,butjustliketheglowofastovewhenithasbeenwellfilled.Every

timetheroomdoorwasopened,theflamesleapedoutofthestove5smouth;thiswas

ahabitithad.TheflamefelldistinctlyonthewhitefaceoftheSnowManandglowed

ruddyonhisbreast.

〃Ican，tstanditanylonger!/zhecried.〃Howbeautifulshelookswhenshesticks

outhertongue!z/

Thenightwasverylong,butitdidn，tseemlongtotheSnowMan;hestoodlostin

hisownpleasantthoughts,andtheyfrozeuntiltheycrackled.

Inthemorningthewindowpanesofthebasementroomwerecoveredwithice.Theyshowed

themostbeautifuliceflowersthatanySnowMancoulddesire,buttheyhidthestove.

Thewindowpaneswouldn'tthaw,sohecouldn，tseethestove.Itcreaked,andit

crackled.

ItwasjustthesortofweatheraSnowManshouldmostthoroughlyenjoy.Buthedidn't

enjoyit;indeed,howcouldheenjoyanythingwhenhewassostove-sick?

“That'saterriblesicknessforaSnowMan,〃saidtheWatchdog.〃I'vealsosuffered

fromitmyself,butIgotoverit.Away!Away!There5sgoingtobeachangeinthe

weather.zz

Andtherewasachangeintheweather;itbegantothaw!Thethawincreased,and

theSnowMandecreased.Henevercomplained,andthat'saninfalliblesign.