儿童故事集：Tim’s Swimming Lesson

 All the pond life who live with Bertie the Frog agree that the silliest creature by far is Tim the Tadpole¹. Colin the Carp is always complaining about his silly questions. Even so, the creatures were amazed recently when Tim suggested that all the fishes, frogs, and tadpoles² should have swimming lessons. In fact, Colin said that was the silliest thing he had ever heard. But as this brief tale goes to show, even the dumbest ideas can sometimes lead to good ones.

 

Read by Natasha. Duration 5.5 minutes.

Proofread³ by Claire Deakin.

 

 

As you know, Bertie used to be a handsome prince, but now he’s a frog. His little friend, Tim the Tadpole, has been has been asking him about his life in the palace when he was a prince.

 

“What did you do on Wednesdays, Bertie?” Asked little Tim.

 

Bertie tried to remember. He was pretty sure that Wednesdays in the palace began like most other days, with his feet in comfy slippers⁴, a copy of his favourite comic on a silver tray, and toast dripping with lots of lovely honey. But what happened after that?

 

“Ah yes,” he said, “Wednesdays were for swimming lessons.”

 

Tim grew very excited at this. “What a wonderful idea! Can we have swimming lessons here on the pond?”

 

Colin the grumpy carp overheard⁵ this suggestion of Tim’s and barged in, as is his way, with a rude comment, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard yet. Tadpoles don’t don’t know much, but at least they’re supposed to know how to swim.”

 

Tim swam around in circles for a bit and thought about this. After a minute or so, he came up with another idea.

 

“Well can we have walking lessons then? I don’t know how to walk, and I think it would be a terribly useful thing to know how to do. Please Bertie. Show us how to walk. Princes know everything, so I’m sure you can teach us how to walk beautifully.”

 

Colin was about to point out that the reason that Tim couldn’t walk was that he didn’t have any legs. But he was in a particularly grumpy mood that morning, and he thought to himself, “What’s the point? These creatures are too stupid for words. I might as well talk to stone – it would be more interesting.” So Colin sank down to the bottom of the pond to find an interesting stone he could talk to. A little later, he looked up through the water and saw that Bertie had hopped⁷ onto the bank of the pond.

 

“There you are,” Colin said to the stone. “That stupid frog is trying to walk. But his legs are too bendy. That’s why frogs don’t walk. They hop⁶.”

 

And sure enough, Bertie found that walking wasn’t so easy as it was in the old days when he was a handsome prince. He tried to put one foot in front of the other, but he couldn’t. His legs just weren’t made that way anymore.

 

“Croak!” He said. “Walking is more difficult than I remembered.” A moment later, he bent⁸ both legs, and than sprang two feet in the air. Little Tim was mighty⁹ impressed and called out, “That was great. Go on Bertie, walk again!”

 

This was too much for Colin. He rose to the top of the pond and stuck his mouth out of the water. “That’s not walking,” he said. “That’s hopping¹⁰ and not very good hopping at that.”

 

“Well,” said Bertie, “It’s true that tadpoles and frogs are not so good at walking as princes are. But one day, Little Tim will start to grow legs like all tadpoles do when they get older. Then he will turn into a frog like me and will be able to hop on land whenever he wants to, and swim in the pond whenever he wants to. That’s twice as clever as you. You’ll never be able to hop, you grumpy old fish.”

 

“Pah! Pond life!” Said Colin. He sank to the bottom of the pond to continue his conversation with his new friend, the stone.

 

But one day, if enough children listen to Bertie’s stories, he’ll turn back into a handsome prince and he’ll be able show everybody how well princes can walk, with straight backs, and holding their chins up high. He’ll have swimming lessons every Wednesday again, and perhaps he will invite his pond life friends to joining him in the pool and watch him dive bomb Colin the Carp with a big splash¹¹.

1 tadpole   

n.[动]蝌蚪

参考例句：

• As a tadpole changes into a frog,its tail is gradually absorbed.蝌蚪变成蛙，它的尾巴就逐渐被吸收掉。
• It was a tadpole.Now it is a frog.它过去是蝌蚪，现在是一只青蛙。

2 tadpoles   

n.蝌蚪( tadpole的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pond teemed with tadpoles. 池子里有很多蝌蚪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Both fish and tadpoles have gills. 鱼和蝌蚪都有鳃。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 proofread   

vt.校正，校对

参考例句：

• I didn't even have the chance to proofread my own report.我甚至没有机会校对自己的报告。
• Before handing in his application to his teacher,he proofread it again.交给老师之前，他又将申请书补正了一遍。

4 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

5 overheard   

adj. 串音的, 偶而听到的 动词overhear的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• We talked quietly so as not to be overheard. 我们低声交谈，以免别人听到。
• I told Lucy the news under my breath, but Joyce overheard me. 我低声地把这个消息告诉露西，可还是被乔伊斯听到了。

6 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

7 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

8 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。

9 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 hopping   

n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The clubs in town are really hopping. 城里的俱乐部真够热闹的。
• I'm hopping over to Paris for the weekend. 我要去巴黎度周末。

11 splash   

v.溅，泼；n.溅泼声，溅出的水等，斑点

参考例句：

• I fell into the water with a splash.我跌入水中，激起水花四溅。
• There's a splash of paint on the white wall.白墙上溅上了一片油漆。