手机版

格林童话: 寿命(英)

阅读 :

The Duration of Life

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

  When God created the world and was about to determine the duration of life for all the creatures, the donkey came and asked, "Lord, how long am I to live?"

  "Thirty years," answered God. "Is that all right with you?"

  "Oh, Lord," replied the donkey, "that is a long time. Think of my tiresome existence carrying heavy loads from morning until night, dragging bags of grain to the mill so that others might eat bread, only to be cheered along and refreshed with kicks and blows! Spare me part of this long time."

  So God had mercy and gave him eighteen years. The donkey went away satisfied, and the dog made his appearance.

  "How long do you want to live?" said God to him. "Thirty years was too much for the donkey, but you will be satisfied with that long."

  "Lord," answered the dog. "Is that your will? Just think how much I have to run. My feet will not hold out so long. And what can I do but growl and run from one corner to another after I have lost my voice for barking and my teeth for biting?"

  God saw that he was right, and he took away twelve years. Then came the monkey.

  "Surely you would like to live thirty years," said the Lord to him. "You do not need to work like the donkey and the dog, and are always having fun."

  "Oh, Lord," he answered, "so it appears, but it is different. When it rains porridge, I don't have a spoon. I am always supposed to be playing funny tricks and making faces so people will laugh, but when they give me an apple and I bite into it, it is always sour. How often is sorrow hidden behind a joke. I cannot put up with all that for thirty years!"

  God had mercy and gave him ten years. Finally man made his appearance. Cheerful, healthy, and refreshed, he asked God to determine the duration of his life.

  "You shall live thirty years," spoke the Lord. "Is that enough for you?"

  "What a short time!" cried the man. "When I have built a house and a fire is burning on my own hearth, when I have planted trees that blossom and bear fruit, and am just beginning to enjoy life, then I am to die. Oh, Lord, extend my time."

  "I will add the donkey's eighteen years," said God.

  "That is not enough," replied the man.

  "You shall also have the dog's twelve years."

  "Still too little."

  "Well, then," said God, "I will give you the monkey's ten years as well, but you shall receive no more."

  The man went away, but he was not satisfied.

  Thus man lives seventy years. The first thirty are his human years, and they quickly disappear. Here he is healthy and happy; he works with pleasure, and enjoys his existence. The donkey's eighteen years follow. Here one burden after the other is laid on him; he carries the grain that feeds others, and his faithful service is rewarded with kicks and blows. Then come the dog's twelve years, and he lies in the corner growling, no longer having teeth with which to bite. And when this time is past, the monkey's ten years conclude. Now man is weak headed and foolish; he does silly things and becomes a laughingstock for children.

更多 英语小故事英文故事英语故事英语童话故事、少儿英语故事儿童英语故事

请继续关注 英语作文大全

少儿 英语 故事
本文标题:格林童话: 寿命(英) - 英语故事_英文故事_英语小故事
本文地址:http://www.dioenglish.com/writing/story/51277.html

相关文章

  • 格林童话集:Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie

    "good-day, father hollenthe." "many thanks, pif-paf-poltrie." "may i be allowed to have your daughter?" "oh, yes, if mother mal...

    2018-10-29 英语故事
  • 安徒生童话:顽皮的孩子(英)

    THE NAUGHTY BOY  Along time ago, there lived an old poet, a thoroughly kind old poet. As he was sitting one evening in his room, a dreadful storm arose without, and the rain streamed down from heave...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 跟圣诞节有关的英语小故事,中英文双语对照
    跟圣诞节有关的英语小故事,中英文双语对照

    for today's christian, the origin of christmas is, and should be, the birth of jesus christ as recorded in the bible. nothing more and nothing less. however, most of what we witness on dece...

    2018-10-29 英语故事
  • The First Swim

      Baby polar bear was very unhappy, and all because he could not swim.  Now, though his mummy loved baby polar bear very much, his brothers and sisters would make fun of him. “He cannot swim!” t...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 《红皮童话书》之The Marvellous Musician

      THERE was once upon a time a marvellous musician. One day he was wandering through a wood all by himself, thinking now of one thing, now of another, till there was nothing else left to think abou...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 安徒生童话:THE OLD HOUSE

    In the street, up there, was an old, a very old house-it was almost three hundred years old, for that might be known by reading the great beam on which the date of the year was carved: together wit...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • The Tale Of Princess Laughing Dove

      Once there was a man, neither young nor old, and his name was Wainaina. He lived alone on his farm at the forest edge, in the house he had built himself. The house was small but that did not matt...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 格林童话: 六只天鹅(英)

    The Six SwansJacob and Wilhelm Grimm  A king was once hunting in a great forest, and he chased his prey so eagerly that none of his men could follow him. As evening approached he stopped and loo...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 伊索寓言:宙斯和猴子

      Jupiter and the Monkey  JUPITER ISSUED a proclamation to all the beasts of the forest and promised a royal reward to the one whose offspring should be deemed the handsomest. The Monkey came...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
  • 安徒生童话:Luck May Lie in a Pin

    A Story Told For My Young American Friends  I'll tell you a story about luck. All of us know what it is to be lucky. Some know good luck day in, day out; others only now and then in their lucky se...

    2018-12-12 英语故事
你可能感兴趣