THE FLOWER-SCHOOL

 WHEN storm clouds rumble¹ in the sky and June showers come down,

 

The moist east wind comes marching over the heath to blow its bagpipes² among the bamboos.

 

Then crowds of flowers come out of a sudden, from nobody knows where, and dance upon the grass in wild glee.

 

Mother, I really think the flowers go to school underground.

 

They do their lessons with doors shut, and if they want to come out to play before it is time, their master makes them stand in a corner.

 

When the rains come they have their holidays.

 

Branches clash³ together in the forest, and the leaves rustle⁴ in the wild wind, the thunder-clouds clap their giant hands and the flower children rush out in dresses of pink and yellow and white.

 

Do you know, mother, their home is in the sky, where the stars are.

 

Haven't you seen how eager they are to get there? Don't you know why they are in such a hurry?

 

Of course, I can guess to whom they raise their arms: they have their mother as I have my own.

1 rumble   

n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说

参考例句：

• I hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.我听到远处雷声隆隆。
• We could tell from the rumble of the thunder that rain was coming.我们根据雷的轰隆声可断定，天要下雨了。

2 bagpipes   

n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Yes, and I'm also learning to play the bagpipes. 是的，我也想学习吹风笛。 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away. 于是醋溜先生拿过了风笛，风笛手牵走了奶牛。 来自互联网

3 clash   

vi.冲突，不协调，砰地相撞；n.冲突，不协调

参考例句：

• There is a clash between two classes at 2 p.m. on Thursday.星期四下午两点有两堂课是冲突的。
• The pot came down on the stone floor with a clash.锅“当”地一声掉到石地上。

4 rustle   

v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声

参考例句：

• She heard a rustle in the bushes.她听到灌木丛中一阵沙沙声。
• He heard a rustle of leaves in the breeze.他听到树叶在微风中发出的沙沙声。