The Wonderful Cloth 神奇的布

One day a poor woman was making some porridge. 有一天，一个穷女人正在做粥。

She sent her son to the cupboard for some meal. 她让儿子去橱柜里拿些米。

As the lad got the meal, the North Wind came along, puffing and blowing. 于是少年去拿米，北风来了，它吹啊吹，

He puffed at the meal and blew it away. 吹在米上，把它们吹走了。

The lad went back to the cupboard for more meal, 少年回到橱柜拿了更多的米，

but the North Wind blew it away a second time. 但北风又把它吹走了。

The lad got more meal, and a third time the North Wind blew it away. 少年又拿了很多米，但北风第三次把它吹走了。

Then the lad became angry. 少年很生气，

"I will go to the North Wind and make him give me back my meal." he said. 他说：“我要去找北风，让它把米还回来。”

He walked and walked until he came to the North Wind's house. 他走啊走，走到了北风的家里。

"Good-day, North Wind." said the lad. “北风，你好。”少年说。

"Good-day!" roared the North Wind. "What do you want?" “你好，你想要什么？”北风咆哮道。

"I want my meal," said the lad. "We are poor and we need it." “我想要我的米，”少年说，“我们很穷，需要它。”

"Your meal is not here," said the Wind. “你的米不在这里，”北风说，

"But because you are poor, I will give you this cloth instead. “但因为你穷，我会给你这块布。

When you want food, just say 'Cloth, spread yourself' and you will have plenty to eat." 你想要食物时，就说‘布，展开’，然后会有很多食物。”

"Thank you, North Wind," said the lad. “北风，谢谢你，”少年说，

"This cloth is certainly worth more than the meal." And he set out for home. “这块布绝对比米值钱。”然后他就出发回家了。

The lad could not get home that night. So he went to an inn to stay. 少年晚上到不了家。于是，他去了一个旅馆住宿。

"I am very hungry," thought the lad. “我非常饿，”少年想，

"I will get out my magic cloth and see if it will give me some bread and meat." “我要拿出魔法布，看看它能否给我一些面包和肉。”

Then he laid the cloth on the table and said, "Cloth, spread yourself." 于是他把布放在桌子上，说道：“布，展开。”

At once he had a fine supper. 他立刻吃了一顿丰盛的晚餐。

"What a wonderful cloth!" the inn-keeper said to himself. "I wish it were mine." “多么神奇的布啊！”旅馆老板自言自语道，“我希望它是我的。”

Late that night the inn-keeper went quietly to the room where the boy slept. 那天深夜，旅馆老板悄悄来到男孩睡觉的房间。

He took away the magic cloth and put another cloth in its place. 他拿走了神奇的布，并用另一块布代替。

In the morning the lad took the cloth and went home to his mother. 少年早上拿着布回家见妈妈。

"Where have you been, my son?" she asked. “儿子，你去哪儿了？”她问。

"Oh, I have been to visit the North Wind," said the lad. “噢，我去拜访北风了，”少年说，

"I went to get our meal back, but he did not have it. He gave me this cloth instead. “我去把我们的米要回来，但它没米。于是给了我这块布，

When I say, 'Cloth, spread yourself,' it gives me all the good things I can eat." 当我说‘布，展开’时，它就会给我所有可以吃的美食。”

"I can't believe that is true," said his mother, "until I see it myself." “我不相信这是真的，”他妈妈说，“我自己看到才算。”

So the boy laid the cloth on the table and said, "Cloth, spread yourself." 于是少年把布放在桌子上说：“布，展开。”

But the cloth did not give him any food. 但布没有给他任何食物。

He was too surprised to say a word. 他惊讶地说不出话来。