THE BEETLE WHO WENT ON HIS TRAVELSWord格式.docx

THE BEETLE WHO WENT ON HIS TRAVELSWord格式.docx

《THE BEETLE WHO WENT ON HIS TRAVELSWord格式.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《THE BEETLE WHO WENT ON HIS TRAVELSWord格式.docx（9页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

butsizeisnotalwaysaproofof

greatness."

Hestretchedouthisthinlegashespoke.

"

Andpraywhatdoyouwant?

askedthefarrier.

Goldenshoes,"

repliedthebeetle.

Why,youmustbeoutofyoursenses,"

criedthefarrier.

Goldenshoesforyou,indeed!

Yes,certainly;

goldenshoes,"

repliedthebeetle."

AmInotjust

asgoodasthatgreatcreatureyonder,whoiswaiteduponandbrushed,

andhasfoodanddrinkplacedbeforehim?

Anddon'

tIbelongtothe

royalstables?

Butwhydoesthehorsehavegoldenshoes?

askedthefarrier;

of

courseyouunderstandthereason?

Understand!

Well,Iunderstandthatitisapersonalslightto

me,"

criedthebeetle."

Itisdonetoannoyme,soIintendtogo

outintotheworldandseekmyfortune."

Goalongwithyou,"

saidthefarrier.

You'

rearudefellow,"

criedthebeetle,ashewalkedoutof

thestable;

andthenheflewforashortdistance,tillhefound

himselfinabeautifulflower-garden,allfragrantwithrosesand

lavender.Thelady-birds,withredandblackshellsontheirbacks,

anddelicatewings,wereflyingabout,andoneofthemsaid,"

Isit

notsweetandlovelyhere?

Oh,howbeautifuleverythingis."

Iamaccustomedtobetterthings,"

saidthebeetle."

Doyou

callthisbeautiful?

Why,thereisnotevenadung-heap."

Thenhewent

on,andundertheshadowofalargehaystackhefoundacaterpillar

crawlingalong."

Howbeautifulthisworldis!

saidthecaterpillar.

Thesunissowarm,Iquiteenjoyit.AndsoonIshallgotosleep,

anddieastheycallit,butIshallwakeupwithbeautifulwingsto

flywith,likeabutterfly."

Howconceitedyouare!

exclaimedthebeetle."

Flyaboutasa

butterfly,indeed!

whatofthat.IhavecomeoutoftheEmperor'

s

stable,andnoonethere,noteventheEmperor'

shorse,who,in

fact,wearsmycast-offgoldenshoes,hasanyideaofflying,

exceptingmyself.Tohavewingsandfly!

why,Icandothat

already;

andsosaying,hespreadhiswingsandflewaway."

Idon'

t

wanttobedisgusted,"

hesaidtohimself,"

andyetIcan'

thelp

it."

Soonafter,hefelldownuponanextensivelawn,andforatime

pretendedtosleep,butatlastfellasleepinearnest.Suddenlya

heavyshowerofraincamefallingfromtheclouds.Thebeetlewoke

upwiththenoiseandwouldhavebeengladtocreepintotheearthfor

shelter,buthecouldnot.Hewastumbledoverandoverwiththerain,

sometimesswimmingonhisstomachandsometimesonhisback;

andas

forflying,thatwasoutofthequestion.Hebegantodoubtwhetherhe

shouldescapewithhislife,soheremained,quietlylyingwherehe

was.Afterawhiletheweatherclearedupalittle,andthebeetlewas

abletorubthewaterfromhiseyes,andlookabouthim.Hesaw

somethinggleaming,andhemanagedtomakehiswayuptoit.Itwas

linenwhichhadbeenlaidtobleachonthegrass.Hecreptintoafold

ofthedamplinen,whichcertainlywasnotsocomfortableaplaceto

lieinasthewarmstable,buttherewasnothingbetter,sohe

remainedlyingthereforawholedayandnight,andtherainkepton

allthetime.Towardsmorninghecreptoutofhishiding-place,

feelinginaverybadtemperwiththeclimate.Twofrogswere

sittingonthelinen,andtheirbrighteyesactuallyglistenedwith

pleasure.

Wonderfulweatherthis,"

criedoneofthem,"

andsorefreshing.

Thislinenholdsthewatertogethersobeautifully,thatmyhind

legsquiverasifIweregoingtoswim."

Ishouldliketoknow,"

saidanother,"

Iftheswallowwhoflies

sofarinhermanyjourneystoforeignlands,evermetwithabetter

climatethanthis.Whatdeliciousmoisture!

Itisaspleasantaslying

inawetditch.Iamsureanyonewhodoesnotenjoythishasno

loveforhisfatherland."

HaveyoueverbeenintheEmperor'

sstable?

askedthebeetle.

Therethemoistureiswarmandrefreshing;

that'

stheclimateforme,

butIcouldnottakeitwithmeonmytravels.Istherenotevena

dunghillhereinthisgarden,whereapersonofrank,likemyself,

couldtakeuphisabodeandfeelathome?

Butthefrogseitherdid

notorwouldnotunderstandhim.

Ineveraskaquestiontwice,"

saidthebeetle,afterhehad

askedthisonethreetimes,andreceivednoanswer.Thenhewenton

alittlefartherandstumbledagainstapieceofbrokencrockery-ware,

whichcertainlyoughtnottohavebeenlyingthere.Butasitwas

there,itformedagoodshelteragainstwindandweathertoseveral

familiesofearwigswhodweltinit.Theirrequirementswerenotmany,

theywereverysociable,andfullofaffectionfortheirchildren,

somuchsothateachmotherconsideredherownchildthemost

beautifulandcleverofthemall.

Ourdearsonhasengagedhimself,"

saidonemother,"

dear

innocentboy;

hisgreatestambitionisthathemayonedaycreep

intoaclergyman'

sear.Thatisaveryartlessandloveablewish;

andbeingengagedwillkeephimsteady.Whathappinessforamother!

Ourson,"

hadscarcelycreptoutoftheegg,

whenhewasoffonhistravels.Heisalllifeandspirits,Iexpect

hewillwearouthishornswithrunning.Howcharmingthisisfora

mother,isitnotMr.Beetle?

forsheknewthestrangerbyhis

hornycoat.

Youarebothquiteright,"

saidhe;

sotheybeggedhimtowalk

in,thatistocomeasfarashecouldunderthebrokenpieceof

earthenware.

Nowyoushallalsoseemylittleearwigs,"

saidathirdanda

fourthmother,"

theyarelovelylittlethings,andhighlyamusing.

Theyareneverill-behaved,exceptwhentheyareuncomfortablein

theirinside,whichunfortunatelyoftenhappensattheirage."

Thuseachmotherspokeofherbaby,andtheirbabiestalked

aftertheirownfashion,andmadeuseofthelittlenippersthey

haveintheirtailstonipthebeardofthebeetle.

Theyarealwaysbusyaboutsomething,thelittlerogues,"

said

themother,beamingwithmaternalpride;

butthebeetlefeltita

bore,andhethereforeinquiredthewaytothenearestdung-heap.

Thatisquiteoutinthegreatworld,ontheothersideofthe

ditch,"

answeredanearwig,"

Ihopenoneofmychildrenwillevergo

sofar,itwouldbethedeathofme."

ButIshalltrytogetsofar,"

saidthebeetle,andhewalked

offwithouttakinganyformalleave,whichisconsideredapolite

thingtodo.

Whenhearrivedattheditch,hemetseveralfriends,allthem

beetles;

Welivehere,"

theysaid,"

andweareverycomfortable.

Mayweaskyoutostepdownintothisrichmud,youmustbefatigued

afteryourjourney."

Certainly,"

saidthebeetle,"

Ishallbemosthappy;

Ihave

beenexposedtotherain,andhavehadtolieuponlinen,and

cleanlinessisathingthatgreatlyexhaustsme;

Ihavealsopains

inoneofmywingsfromstandinginthedraughtunderapieceof

brokencrockery.Itisreallyquiterefreshingtobewithone'

sown

kindredagain."

Perhapsyoucamefromadung-heap,"

observedtheoldestofthem.

No,indeed,Icamefromamuchgranderplace,"

repliedthe

beetle;

Icamefromtheemperor'

sstable,whereIwasborn,with

goldenshoesonmyfeet.Iamtravellingonasecretembassy,but

youmustnotaskmeanyquestions,forIcannotbetraymysecret."

Thenthebeetlesteppeddownintotherichmud,wheresatthree

young-ladybeetles,whotittered,becausetheydidnotknowwhatto

say.

Noneofthemareengagedyet,"

saidtheirmother,andthe

beetlemaidenstitteredagain,thistimequiteinconfusion.

Ihaveneverseengreaterbeauties,evenintheroyalstables,"

exclaimedthebeetle,whowasnowrestinghimself.

Don'

tspoilmygirls,"

saidthemother;

anddon'

ttalkto

them,pray,unlessyouhaveseriousintentions."

Butofcoursethebeetle'

sintentionswereserious,andaftera

whileourfriendwasengaged.Themothergavethemherblessing,and

alltheotherbeetlescried"

hurrah."

Immediatelyafterthebetrothalcamethemarriage,fortherewas

noreasontodelay.Thefollowingdaypassedverypleasantly,and

thenextwastolerablycomfortable;

butonthethirditbecame

necessaryforhimtothinkofgettingfoodforhiswife,and,perhaps,

forchildren.

Ihaveallowedmyselftobetakenin,"

saidourbeetleto

himself,"

andnowthere'

snothingtobedonebuttotakethemin,in

return."

Nosoonersaidthandone.Awayhewent,andstayedawayallday

andallnight,andhiswiferemainedbehindaforsakenwidow.

Oh,"

saidtheotherbeetles,"

thisfellowthatwehavereceived

intoourfamilyisnothingbutacompletevagabond.Hehasgoneaway

andlefthiswifeaburdenuponourhands."

Well,shecanbeunmarriedagain,andremainherewithmyother

daughters,"

saidthemother."

Fieonthevillainthatforsookher!

Inthemeantimethebeetle,whohadsailedacrosstheditchon

acabbageleaf,hadbeenjourneyingontheothe