CLOVER-BLOSSOM.

 IN a quiet, pleasant meadow,

Beneath a summer sky,

Where green old trees their branches waved,

And winds went singing by;

Where a little brook¹ went rippling²

So musically low,

And passing clouds cast shadows

On the waving grass below;

Where low, sweet notes of brooding birds

Stole out on the fragrant³ air,

And golden sunlight shone undimmed

On all most fresh and fair;—

There bloomed a lovely sisterhood

Of happy little flowers,

Together in this pleasant home,

Through quiet summer hours.

No rude hand came to gather them,

No chilling winds to blight⁴;

Warm sunbeams smiled on them by day,

And soft dews fell at night.

So here, along the brook-side,

Beneath the green old trees,

The flowers dwelt among their friends,

The sunbeams and the breeze.

 

One morning, as the flowers awoke,

Fragrant, and fresh, and fair,

A little worm came creeping by,

And begged a shelter there.

"Ah! pity and love me," sighed the worm,

"I am lonely, poor, and weak;

A little spot for a resting-place,

Dear flowers, is all I seek.

I am not fair, and have dwelt unloved

By butterfly, bird, and bee.

They little knew that in this dark form

Lay the beauty they yet may see.

Then let me lie in the deep green moss⁶,

And weave my little tomb,

And sleep my long, unbroken sleep

Till Spring's first flowers come.

Then will I come in a fairer dress,

And your gentle care repay

By the grateful love of the humble⁷ worm;

Kind flowers, O let me stay!"

But the wild rose showed her little thorns,

While her soft face glowed with pride;

The violet hid beneath the drooping⁸ ferns,

And the daisy turned aside.

Little Houstonia scornfully laughed,

As she danced on her slender stem;

While the cowslip bent⁹ to the rippling waves,

And whispered the tale to them.

A blue-eyed grass looked down on the worm,

As it silently turned away,

And cried, "Thou wilt¹⁰ harm our delicate leaves,

And therefore thou canst not stay."

Then a sweet, soft voice, called out from far,

"Come hither, poor worm, to me;

The sun lies warm in this quiet spot,

And I'll share my home with thee."

The wondering flowers looked up to see

Who had offered the worm a home:

'T was a clover-blossom, whose fluttering leaves

Seemed beckoning¹² him to come;

It dwelt in a sunny little nook,

Where cool winds rustled¹³ by,

And murmuring bees and butterflies came,

On the flower's breast to lie.

Down through the leaves the sunlight stole,

And seemed to linger there,

As if it loved to brighten the home

Of one so sweet and fair.

Its rosy¹⁴ face smiled kindly¹⁵ down,

As the friendless worm drew near;

And its low voice, softly whispering, said

"Poor thing, thou art welcome here;

Close at my side, in the soft green moss,

Thou wilt find a quiet bed,

Where thou canst softly sleep till Spring,

With my leaves above thee spread.

I pity and love thee, friendless worm,

Though thou art not graceful¹⁶ or fair;

For many a dark, unlovely form,

Hath a kind heart dwelling¹⁷ there;

No more o'er the green and pleasant earth,

Lonely and poor, shalt thou roam,

For a loving friend hast thou found in me,

And rest in my little home."

Then, deep in its quiet mossy bed,

Sheltered from sun and shower,

The grateful worm spun¹⁸ its winter tomb,

In the shadow of the flower.

And Clover guarded well its rest,

Till Autumn's leaves were sere¹⁹,

Till all her sister flowers were gone,

And her winter sleep drew near.

Then her withered²⁰ leaves were softly spread

O'er the sleeping worm below,

Ere the faithful little flower lay

Beneath the winter snow.

 

Spring came again, and the flowers rose

From their quiet winter graves,

And gayly danced on their slender stems,

And sang with the rippling waves.

Softly the warm winds kissed their cheeks;

Brightly the sunbeams fell,

As, one by one, they came again

In their summer homes to dwell.

And little Clover bloomed once more,

Rosy, and sweet, and fair,

And patiently watched by the mossy bed,

For the worm still slumbered²¹ there.

Then her sister flowers scornfully cried,

As they waved in the summer air,

"The ugly worm was friendless and poor;

Little Clover, why shouldst thou care?

Then watch no more, nor dwell alone,

Away from thy sister flowers;

Come, dance and feast, and spend with us

These pleasant summer hours.

We pity thee, foolish little flower,

To trust what the false worm said;

He will not come in a fairer dress,

For he lies in the green moss dead."

But little Clover still watched on,

Alone in her sunny home;

She did not doubt the poor worm's truth,

And trusted he would come.

 

At last the small cell opened wide,

And a glittering butterfly,

From out the moss, on golden wings,

Soared up to the sunny sky.

Then the wondering flowers cried aloud,

"Clover, thy watch was vain;

He only sought a shelter here,

And never will come again."

And the unkind flowers danced for joy,

When they saw him thus depart;

For the love of a beautiful butterfly

Is dear to a flower's heart.

They feared he would stay in Clover's home,

And her tender care repay;

So they danced for joy, when at last he rose

And silently flew away.

Then little Clover bowed her head,

While her soft tears fell like dew;

For her gentle heart was grieved, to find

That her sisters' words were true,

And the insect she had watched so long

When helpless, poor, and lone⁵,

Thankless for all her faithful care,

On his golden wings had flown.

But as she drooped²², in silent grief,

She heard little Daisy cry,

"O sisters, look! I see him now,

Afar in the sunny sky;

He is floating back from Cloud-Land now,

Borne by the fragrant air.

Spread wide your leaves, that he may choose

The flower he deems most fair."

Then the wild rose glowed with a deeper blush,

As she proudly waved on her stem;

The Cowslip bent to the clear blue waves,

And made her mirror of them.

Little Houstonia merrily danced,

And spread her white leaves wide;

While Daisy whispered her joy and hope,

As she stood by her gay friends' side.

Violet peeped from the tall green ferns,

And lifted her soft blue eye

To watch the glittering form, that shone

Afar in the summer sky.

They thought no more of the ugly worm,

Who once had wakened their scorn;

But looked and longed for the butterfly now,

As the soft wind bore him on.

 

Nearer and nearer the bright form came,

And fairer the blossoms grew;

Each welcomed him, in her sweetest tones;

Each offered her honey and dew.

But in vain did they beckon¹¹, and smile, and call,

And wider their leaves unclose;

The glittering form still floated on,

By Violet, Daisy, and Rose.

Lightly it flew to the pleasant home

Of the flower most truly fair,

On Clover's breast he softly lit,

And folded his bright wings there.

"Dear flower," the butterfly whispered low,

"Long hast thou waited for me;

Now I am come, and my grateful love

Shall brighten thy home for thee;

Thou hast loved and cared for me, when alone,

Hast watched o'er me long and well;

And now will I strive to show the thanks

The poor worm could not tell.

Sunbeam and breeze shall come to thee,

And the coolest dews that fall;

Whate'er a flower can wish is thine,

For thou art worthy²³ all.

And the home thou shared with the friendless worm

The butterfly's home shall be;

And thou shalt find, dear, faithful flower,

A loving friend in me."

Then, through the long, bright summer hours

Through sunshine and through shower,

Together in their happy home

Dwelt butterfly and flower.

 

"Ah, that is very lovely," cried the Elves, gathering²⁴ round little Sunbeam as she ceased, to place a garland in her hair and praise her song.

 

"Now," said the Queen, "call hither Moon-light and Summer-Wind, for they have seen many pleasant things in their long wanderings, and will gladly tell us them."

 

"Most joyfully²⁵ will we do our best, dear Queen," said the Elves, as they folded their wings beside her.

 

"Now, Summer-Wind," said Moonlight, "till your turn comes, do you sit here and fan me while I tell this tale of 

1 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

2 rippling   

起涟漪的，潺潺流水般声音的

参考例句：

• I could see the dawn breeze rippling the shining water. 我能看见黎明的微风在波光粼粼的水面上吹出道道涟漪。
• The pool rippling was caused by the waving of the reeds. 池塘里的潺潺声是芦苇摇动时引起的。

3 fragrant   

adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的

参考例句：

• The Fragrant Hills are exceptionally beautiful in late autumn.深秋的香山格外美丽。
• The air was fragrant with lavender.空气中弥漫薰衣草香。

4 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

5 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

6 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

7 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

8 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

9 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

10 wilt   

v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱

参考例句：

• Golden roses do not wilt and will never need to be watered.金色的玫瑰不枯萎绝也不需要浇水。
• Several sleepless nights made him wilt.数个不眠之夜使他憔悴。

11 beckon   

v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤

参考例句：

• She crooked her finger to beckon him.她勾勾手指向他示意。
• The wave for Hawaii beckon surfers from all around the world.夏威夷的海浪吸引着世界各地的冲浪者前来。

12 beckoning   

adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• An even more beautiful future is beckoning us on. 一个更加美好的未来在召唤我们继续前进。 来自辞典例句
• He saw a youth of great radiance beckoning to him. 他看见一个丰神飘逸的少年向他招手。 来自辞典例句

13 rustled   

v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He rustled his papers. 他把试卷弄得沙沙地响。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Leaves rustled gently in the breeze. 树叶迎着微风沙沙作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

15 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

16 graceful   

adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的

参考例句：

• His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
• The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

17 dwelling   

n.住宅，住所，寓所

参考例句：

• Those two men are dwelling with us.那两个人跟我们住在一起。
• He occupies a three-story dwelling place on the Park Street.他在派克街上有一幢3层楼的寓所。

18 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

19 sere   

adj.干枯的；n.演替系列

参考例句：

• The desert was edged with sere vegetation.沙漠周围零星地长着一些干枯的植被。
• A sere on uncovered rock is a lithosere.在光秃岩石上的演替系列是岩生演替系列。

20 withered   

adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The grass had withered in the warm sun. 这些草在温暖的阳光下枯死了。
• The leaves of this tree have become dry and withered. 这棵树下的叶子干枯了。

21 slumbered   

微睡，睡眠（slumber的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The baby slumbered in his cradle. 婴儿安睡在摇篮中。
• At that time my virtue slumbered; my evil, kept awake by ambition. 就在那时，我的善的一面睡着了，我的邪恶面因野心勃勃而清醒着。

22 drooped   

弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyelids drooped as if she were on the verge of sleep. 她眼睑低垂好像快要睡着的样子。
• The flowers drooped in the heat of the sun. 花儿晒蔫了。

23 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。

24 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

25 joyfully   

adv. 喜悦地, 高兴地

参考例句：

• She tripped along joyfully as if treading on air. 她高兴地走着，脚底下轻飘飘的。
• During these first weeks she slaved joyfully. 在最初的几周里，她干得很高兴。