英文短故事：The Foolish Crow

The winter had been especially cold. The snow lay thick and heavy on the ground. The squirrels, the badgers¹ and the hedgehogs had vanished into their snug² winter homes to sleep away the cold, dark months. The swifts and the swallows had left for warmer countries long ago. Even the slugs and snails³ had disappeared, hiding away in some dark, warm patch of woodland to wait for the spring. The woods and fields were silent and empty. Only a big, black Crow was hunting for her evening meal. 

 

The Crow had flown all day in search of food. But she had found nothing, not even a tiny mouse or a piece of someone’s leftover⁴ lunch. Now she was tired and hungry. She cawed sadly. 

 

“I will have to go without dinner tonight,’ she thought as she flapped slowly across the sky in one last desperate search for something to eat. 

 

She was on the point of turning back when she saw a thin column of smoke coming up into the sky, far away in the distance. 

 

“Smoke means fire and fire means cooking and cooking means food!" thought the Crow. She flew as fast as she could, towards the curling smoke. The smoke came from the chimney of a large farmhouse⁵ where the farmer's wife was cooking dinner for her family. A delicious-smelling stew⁶ was bubbling in a large pot over the fire and loaves of fresh-baked bread were on the table, ready to be cut into slices. A pat of butter and a chunk⁷ of cheese lay in their platters on the window sill. The farmer’s wife had left the window open so the cold air would keep the butter from melting and the cheese from sweating. 

 

The Crow saw the cheese by the open window. Quick as a flash, she flew down to the window sill, picked cheese in her big black beak⁸ and flew off. The farmer’s wife was stirring the stew, with her back to the window. She did not see the Crow. The Crow was very pleased with herself. 'Nothing like a piece of cheese on a cold winter afternoon!' she thought. 

 

She flew towards a clump⁹ of tall trees and perched comfortably on a bare branch high above the ground to enjoy her meal in comfort. 

 

A wily old Fox lay hidden among the bushes in the farmer’s garden. He had roamed the woods and fields all day in search of food. But he had found nothing to eat, not a bird nor a mouse nor even the scraps¹¹ from someone’s picnic. Now he was tired and hungry. 

 

“I will have to go without dinner tonight.’ he sighed. 

 

He was on the point of turning back, when he saw the Crow perch¹⁰ on the bare branch with the piece of cheese in her beak. 

 

“What a lovely, smelly piece of cheese!' thought the Fox. I must have that piece of cheese for my dinner. Now, if only I can take that cheese away from the Crow…" 

 

The Fox watched the Crow settle herself comfortably on the branch. He smiled slyly to himself. Strolling up to the foot of the tree, the Fox called out. 

 

“Good evening. Mrs. Crow! You look well today!' 

 

The Crow looked down at the Fox in surprise. She had never heard him speak so politely before. 

 

The Fox continued. 'Oh Mrs. Crow, how beautiful you are! Your feathers are so black! So smooth and shining! Truly. I have never seen such feathers before!' 

 

The Crow was even more surprised. No one had ever called her beautiful before! Of course, she had always known how pretty she was. But it was pleasant to be admired by some one else. 

 

The Fox looked up at her and sighed. ‘How graceful¹² you are. Mrs. Crow, how elegant! You fly so wonderfully well too and higher than an eagle!' 

 

The Crow held herself taller. She had always known how graceful and elegant she was. Of course, she could fly most wonderfully high! How clever of the Fox to know that. She flapped her wings just a little bit so he could admire them again. What a charming creature he was! 

 

The Fox took a deep breath and continued. ‘Your claws, ahem, I mean your talons¹³. Mrs. Crow! They are stronger than steel!' 

 

Ah… her talons! She had always been proud of her talons. She hopped¹⁴ clumsily on the branch so that the Fox could take another look at her claws. Really, he did say the nicest things! 

 

The Crow was by now quite sure that she was the prettiest, most graceful and the strongest bird of all. 

 

The Fox smiled secretly to himself. He looked admiringly at the Crow and said. 'Dear Mrs. Crow. I have not heard your voice. It must be the sweetest voice in the world, as beautiful as you are. Dear Mrs. Crow, won't you sing for me?' 

 

The Crow was flattered. All the other birds had told her that she had an awful voice. And here was the Fox begging her to sing for him! Of course, she had always known what a lovely voice she had... 

 

The Crow took a deep breath and opened her beak in a loud and raucous¹⁵ Caw!' Down dropped the piece of cheese! The Fox snapped it up as it fell and swallowed it before the Crow realised what had happened. 

 

The Fox walked off chuckling¹⁶. ’Next time, Mrs. Crow, be careful what you believe!' he cried as he vanished through the trees. 

 

The Crow was left feeling foolish. How could she have been so vain and so silly, as to be taken in by the Fox's clever words and to lose her lovely dinner! 

 

The Crow ruffled¹⁷ her feathers sadly and got ready for a hungry night.  

1 badgers   

n.獾( badger的名词复数 )；獾皮；（大写）獾州人（美国威斯康星州人的别称）；毛鼻袋熊

参考例句：

• Badgers had undermined the foundations of the church. 獾在这座教堂的地基处打了洞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• And rams ' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood. 5染红的公羊皮，海狗皮，皂荚木。 来自互联网

2 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。

3 snails   

n.蜗牛；迟钝的人；蜗牛( snail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think I'll try the snails for lunch—I'm feeling adventurous today. 我想我午餐要尝一下蜗牛——我今天很想冒险。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Most snails have shells on their backs. 大多数蜗牛背上有壳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 leftover   

n.剩货，残留物，剩饭；adj.残余的

参考例句：

• These narrow roads are a leftover from the days of horse-drawn carriages.这些小道是从马车时代沿用下来的。
• Wonder if that bakery lets us take leftover home.不知道那家糕饼店会不会让我们把卖剩的带回家。

5 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

6 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

7 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

8 beak   

n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻

参考例句：

• The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
• This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。

9 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

10 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

11 scraps   

油渣

参考例句：

• Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
• A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。

12 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。

13 talons   

n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部

参考例句：

• The fingers were curved like talons, but they closed on empty air. 他的指头弯得像鹰爪一样，可是抓了个空。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
• The tiger has a pair of talons. 老虎有一对利爪。 来自辞典例句

14 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。

15 raucous   

adj.(声音)沙哑的，粗糙的

参考例句：

• I heard sounds of raucous laughter upstairs.我听见楼上传来沙哑的笑声。
• They heard a bottle being smashed,then more raucous laughter.他们听见酒瓶摔碎的声音，然后是一阵更喧闹的笑声。

16 chuckling   

轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him chuckling to himself as he read his book. 他看书时，我能听见他的轻声发笑。
• He couldn't help chuckling aloud. 他忍不住的笑了出来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

17 ruffled   

adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She ruffled his hair affectionately. 她情意绵绵地拨弄着他的头发。
• All this talk of a strike has clearly ruffled the management's feathers. 所有这些关于罢工的闲言碎语显然让管理层很不高兴。