“How miserable2 we are! We work all day, and we have barely enough food to keep life in our bodies! Surely there are few who work as hard as we do and have so little!”
The housewife replied, “Yes, indeed, we are very miserable.”
“Well, I’m off for another day’s work,” sighed the husband. “My lot is too hard.”
He picked up his ax and made his way to 40the place in the forest where he was to perform his task. Suddenly, a dear little fairy whose face was wreathed in smiles danced into the path and stood before him.
“I am the wishing fairy,” she began. “I heard what you said about your work and your life, and my heart aches for you. Now, because I am a fairy, it is in my power to grant you three wishes. Ask for any three things you desire and your wishes shall be granted.” The fairy disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, and the woodcutter was left standing3 alone in the forest. Was he dreaming? He couldn’t believe his own senses! He thought of a thousand wishes all in an instant. He would go home and talk the matter over with his wife. He turned in his path and retraced4 his steps to the cabin.
“Art thou ill?” demanded his wife, who came to the door.
“Oh, no, indeed, I am not ill; I am very, very happy!” he burst forth5. “I met a fairy in the forest. She told me that she was very, very sorry for me, and that she would help me 41by granting three wishes. Think of it! Any three wishes in the world will be granted by the charming fairy.”
“Wonderful!” responded the housewife.
“Oh, how happy the very thought of it makes me! Come, let us sit down and talk the matter over; for I assure you it is not easy to come to a decision. I am indeed, very, very happy.”
They drew up their chairs to the little table and sat down.
“I am so hungry,” began the woodcutter. “Let us have dinner, and then, while we are eating, we can talk about our wishes and see which three are nearest our hearts’ desires.”
They began their humble6 meal immediately, and the husband continued: “Of course one of our wishes must be great riches. What do you say?”
“Oh, yes, indeed,” said his wife. “I should love a beautiful house to live in, also carriages and fine clothes, and servants and—”
“Oh, for that matter,” said the husband, “we could wish for an empire.”
42“Or rich jewels, such as great numbers of pearls and diamonds! What a wish that would be,” said the wife, whose face was all aglow7.
“I have it,” burst forth the woodman, “let us wish for a fine large family, five sons and five daughters, What say you to that?”
“Oh!” returned his wife, “I think I prefer six sons and four daughters.”
So they continued weighing one wish with another until they seemed almost in despair about coming to a decision regarding which three wishes would be the wisest and best. They finally stopped talking and ate their simple food in silence. The woodcutter did not seem to relish8 his soup and dry bread.
“Oh,” he cried out suddenly, “how I wish I had some nice savory9 sausage for dinner!” No sooner had the words fallen from his lips than a large dish of fine sausages appeared on the table. What a surprise! The two were so astonished that for a few moments they could not speak. Then the wife said impatiently:
43“What do you mean by making such a foolish wish? Do you not see that this dish of sausage means that one wish has been granted and that there are but two left? How could you make such a stupid, stupid wish?”
“Well,” replied the husband, “to be sure I have been foolish. I really did not think what I was saying. However, we may still wish for great riches and an empire.”
“Humph!” grumbled10 the wife, “we may wish for riches and an empire, but what about a fine large family? You have certainly been foolish in wishing for that horrid11 sausage. I suppose, however, you prefer sausage to a fine family;” and she burst out into tears of lamentation12, crying: “How could you? How could you be so foolish? Oh, dear! Oh, dear! How very foolish and stupid you have been.”
Finally her husband lost all patience and cried out: “I’m tired of your grumbling13! I wish the sausage were on the end of your nose!”
44In an instant the sausage was fastened to the end of the poor woman’s nose. How comical she did look! The husband and wife were so astonished that they could not speak. The poor woman again burst into tears.
“Oh!” she cried. “How could you? How could you? First, you wished for sausage, and second, you wished that the sausage were fastened to my poor nose. It is terrible. It is cruel. Two wishes have been granted. There remains14 but one! Oh, dear, dear!”
The husband, who now saw what a dreadful mistake he had made, said meekly15,
“We may still wish for great riches.”
“Riches indeed!” snapped his wife. “Here I am with this great sausage fastened to the end of my nose. What good would riches do me? How ridiculous I am. It is all your fault. I was so happy at the thought of great riches, beautiful jewels, and a fine family, and now I am sad and miserable.” She continued to weep so pitifully that her husband’s heart was touched.
45“I wish with all my heart that the sausage were not on your nose,” he said. In an instant the sausage disappeared. There the two sat lamenting16; but as the three wishes had been granted there is nothing further to be said.
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收听单词发音
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1
scantily
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| adv.缺乏地；不充足地；吝啬地；狭窄地 | |
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2
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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3
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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4
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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5
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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6
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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7
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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8
relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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9
savory
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| adj.风味极佳的，可口的，味香的 | |
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10
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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11
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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12
lamentation
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| n.悲叹，哀悼 | |
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13
grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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14
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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15
meekly
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| adv.温顺地，逆来顺受地 | |
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16
lamenting
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| adj.悲伤的，悲哀的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的现在分词 ) | |
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