JULIAN AND HIS RABBIT.

One day little Susan Clare came to her mother, with the request that she would tell her a short story. Her mother, after satisfying herself that Susan had been industriously¹ employed during the morning, promised to comply with her request, and the following conversation took place between them.

“What shall I tell you about, my little girl?” said Mrs. Clare; “do you know the story of the grateful Julian?”

“No, mother,” was the reply.

“Well, you shall hear it,” said Mrs. Clare. “There once lived a very poor man, who had one child six years old, whose name was Julian. This little boy was the owner of but one thing in the wide world, and that was a rabbit.”

“Ah, mother,” exclaimed Susan, “it is a pretty little animal—the rabbit. I wish that I had one.”
Julian and his Rabbit

NEW-YORK

D. APPLETON & CO. 200 BROADWAY.

“My dear Susan,” replied her mother, “you have so many nice things to make you happy, that you can do[21] very well without a rabbit. You have nice clothes, good food and drink, and a clean bed on which to lie down at night. You have a pretty doll, a couple of pigeons, and a whole closet full of books and playthings. Poor little Julian had nothing of all these.”

“What!” said Susan, “had he not even good clothes to keep him warm?”

“Some old rags hastily patched together, were all he had to cover himself.”

“And did he have no bed?”

“A little straw in the corner, upon the ground.”

“And nothing to eat or drink?” asked Susan.

“Oftentimes nothing to eat,” said Mrs. Clare; “or, when he was very hungry, a morsel³ of dry brown bread with some water.”

“O, poor Julian!” exclaimed Susan. “If he were here, I would give him every day half of my breakfast and of my luncheon⁴.”

“Now hear the rest of my story,” said her mother. “Notwithstanding he was so poor, Julian was contented⁵, for his little rabbit made up for all his privations, and it was indeed a charming animal. Its hair was as white as snow glittering in the sunshine, and soft as silk. Its eyes were bright as diamonds, and then it was so tame, so fond of its little master! When his father gave him a bit of bread, Julian would go behind the hut,[22] and sit down upon the grass; and then he had but to call, ‘Jeannot, Jeannot;’ and instantly his rabbit would run to him, leap upon his arm, and take from him the morsels⁶ of bread one by one in his mouth.”

“O, my dear mother,” Susan here exclaimed, “I must, indeed, I must have a rabbit exactly like it.”

“But you might tame with equal ease your lamb and your pigeons,” answered Mrs. Clare. “Believe me, my child, all animals are indued with gratitude⁷, and they all love us, when they see that we love them. But let me return to little Julian. Although he had often to suffer hunger, cold, and numerous other hardships and privations, he still kept a good heart, because his little rabbit was to him every day a source of new pleasure.

“But at last a sad misfortune befell poor Julian; he became very sick. His father, for want of money, could not take care of him, which his sickness needed. So the poor little fellow lay stretched upon the damp floor, enduring great pain, without any one to cure him.

“His little rabbit soon came to find him, and took a place by his side on the straw. The little creature even looked at him so mournfully, that it seemed as if he would say to him:—‘Ah, my poor master, how I pity you!’ And Julian regarded his rabbit with looks[23] so forlorn, that he seemed ready to reply: ‘Ah, my little rabbit; I shall soon have to leave you!’

“Fortunately there resided in the neighborhood a rich and benevolent⁸ man, who chanced to hear of Julian’s sickness and his father’s poverty. He immediately resolved to visit their hut, to learn if what he heard was true, and to see what aid he could render. When this good man entered the hut, and saw poor Julian sick, thin and pale, upon his bed of straw, he could hardly refrain from shedding tears.

“‘My poor child,’ said he, ‘be consoled. I come to bring you assistance.’

“So, without more delay, this kind friend caused Julian to be carried to his house, where a proper bed was prepared for him, and every care was taken to restore him to health. The means employed for his cure were so successful that, at the end of two weeks, he was able to return to his father’s hut.

“During that time the rich man had also afforded some aid to the father, and had presented little Julian with a whole new suit of clothes. So the father and son found themselves happier than they had ever been before. The little rabbit leaped up with joy on again beholding⁹ its dear Julian.

“The father now said to his son: ‘You see, my dear[24] Julian, how happy this gentleman has made us. What shall we do to show him our gratitude?’

“Julian reflected a moment; and then exclaimed, full of joy: ‘Oh! I will go and carry him my little rabbit!’ ‘Yes, my child,’ said his father; ‘it is the most valuable thing that you have; it is all your wealth; you can do nothing better to prove to him your gratitude. Tell him, also, that your father will work for him, without pay, one day every week.’

“Julian took his rabbit, and, although much attached to it, he went nevertheless with a good deal of joy, to offer it to his benefactor¹⁰. This worthy¹¹ man first heard all that he had to say, but then fondly embraced him, and said: ‘It is well, my dear boy: we ought to be grateful towards those who do us a kindness; I am content with your good will. Not only I do not wish to deprive you of your rabbit, but I wish to do more for you than I have yet done.’ To be brief, the good gentleman paid the expense of Julian’s schooling¹², that he might have a good education; then he employed the boy’s father so profitably, that both were soon above want.

“Julian grew up an intelligent and industrious² lad. Every thing prospered¹³ with him; and when the parents of other children wished to inspire their children with gratitude, they used to tell them the story of Julian and his little rabbit.”

1 industriously   

参考例句：

• She paces the whole class in studying English industriously. 她在刻苦学习英语上给全班同学树立了榜样。
• He industriously engages in unostentatious hard work. 他勤勤恳恳，埋头苦干。

2 industrious   

adj.勤劳的，刻苦的，奋发的

参考例句：

• If the tiller is industrious,the farmland is productive.人勤地不懒。
• She was an industrious and willing worker.她是个勤劳肯干的员工。

3 morsel   

n.一口，一点点

参考例句：

• He refused to touch a morsel of the food they had brought.他们拿来的东西他一口也不吃。
• The patient has not had a morsel of food since the morning.从早上起病人一直没有进食。

4 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

5 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

6 morsels   

n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑

参考例句：

• They are the most delicate morsels. 这些确是最好吃的部分。 来自辞典例句
• Foxes will scratch up grass to find tasty bug and beetle morsels. 狐狸会挖草地，寻找美味的虫子和甲壳虫。 来自互联网

7 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

8 benevolent   

adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的

参考例句：

• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him.他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。
• He was a benevolent old man and he wouldn't hurt a fly.他是一个仁慈的老人，连只苍蝇都不愿伤害。

9 beholding   

v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟

参考例句：

• Beholding, besides love, the end of love,/Hearing oblivion beyond memory! 我看见了爱，还看到了爱的结局，／听到了记忆外层的哪一片寂寥！ 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
• Hence people who began by beholding him ended by perusing him. 所以人们从随便看一看他开始的，都要以仔细捉摸他而终结。 来自辞典例句

10 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

11 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

12 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

13 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。