HOW OUR FLAG DEVELOPED

The thirteen stripes in our flag represent the thirteen original colonies.

Every star in the field of blue represents a state—“A star for every state, and a state for every star.”

The flag brings a picture to our minds of all the things we are grateful for in our history, and of all the things we want our country and ourselves to be.

[53]
QUESTIONS

What does our flag mean?

Are you not glad that you live in a country where all the people rule, instead of any one person or just a few people?

Can you repeat the Scouts’ Pledge? (Standing.)

Who was Betsy Ross?

Can you form a tableau¹ like the picture of Betsy Ross sewing the American Flag?

Isn’t it almost as brave to live up to the red, white, and blue as to die for our colors?

Why is our nation’s flag always hung higher in this country than the flag of any other nation?

Will you bring pictures of the flags of some other countries to class?

Do you think any other flag more beautiful than ours?

Will you try to do all you can to honor our flag, and never to let the star of your state grow dimmer because of any act of yours?
Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles², a ruffle³ of drums,
A flash of color beneath the sky:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!
—H. H. Bennett.

1 tableau   

n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面）

参考例句：

• The movie was a tableau of a soldier's life.这部电影的画面生动地描绘了军人的生活。
• History is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.历史不过是由罪恶和灾难构成的静止舞台造型罢了。

2 bugles   

妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠

参考例句：

• Blow, bugles, blow, set the wild echoes flying. "响起来，号角，响起来，让激昂的回声在空中震荡"。
• We hear the silver voices of heroic bugles. 我们听到了那清亮的号角。

3 ruffle   

v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边

参考例句：

• Don't ruffle my hair.I've just combed it.别把我的头发弄乱了。我刚刚梳好了的。
• You shouldn't ruffle so easily.你不该那么容易发脾气。