《【儿童英文读物】American Fairy Tales.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《【儿童英文读物】American Fairy Tales.docx（77页珍藏版）》请在taowenge.com淘文阁网|工程机械CAD图纸|机械工程制图|CAD装配图下载|SolidWorks_CaTia_CAD_UG_PROE_设计图分享下载上搜索。
1、【儿童英文读物】American Fairy TalesTHE BOX OF ROBBERS No one intended to leave Martha alone that afternoon, but it happened that everyone was called away, for one reason or another. Mrs. McFarland was attending the weekly card party held by the Womens Anti-Gambling League. Sister Nells young man had called
2、 quite unexpectedly to take her for a long drive. Papa was at the office, as usual. It was Mary Anns day out. As for Emeline, she certainly should have stayed in the house and looked after the little girl; but Emeline had a restless nature. Would you mind, miss, if I just crossed the alley to speak
3、a word to Mrs. Carletons girl? she asked Martha. Course not, replied the child. Youd better lock the back door, though, and take the key, for I shall be upstairs. Oh, Ill do that, of course, miss, said the delighted maid, and ran away to spend the afternoon with her friend, leaving Martha quite alon
4、e in the big house, and locked in, into the bargain. The little girl read a few pages in her new book, sewed a few stitches in her embroidery and started to play visiting with her four favorite dolls. Then she remembered that in the attic was a dolls playhouse that hadnt been used for months, so she
5、 decided she would dust it and put it in order. Filled with this idea, the girl climbed the winding stairs to the big room under the roof. It was well lighted by three dormer windows and was warm and pleasant. Around the walls were rows of boxes and trunks, piles of old carpeting, pieces of damaged
6、furniture, bundles of discarded clothing and other odds and ends of more or less value. Every well-regulated house has an attic of this sort, so I need not describe it. The dolls house had been moved, but after a search Martha found it away over in a corner near the big chimney. She drew it out and
7、noticed that behind it was a black wooden chest which Uncle Walter had sent over from Italy years and years agobefore Martha was born, in fact. Mamma had told her about it one day; how there was no key to it, because Uncle Walter wished it to remain unopened until he returned home; and how this wand
8、ering uncle, who was a mighty hunter, had gone into Africa to hunt elephants and had never been heard from afterwards. The little girl looked at the chest curiously, now that it had by accident attracted her attention. It was quite bigbigger even than mammas traveling trunkand was studded all over w
9、ith tarnished brassheaded nails. It was heavy, too, for when Martha tried to lift one end of it she found she could not stir it a bit. But there was a place in the side of the cover for a key. She stooped to examine the lock, and saw that it would take a rather big key to open it. Then, as you may s
10、uspect, the little girl longed to open Uncle Walters big box and see what was in it. For we are all curious, and little girls are just as curious as the rest of us. I dont blieve Uncle Walterll ever come back, she thought. Papa said once that some elephant must have killed him. If I only had a key S
11、he stopped and clapped her little hands together gayly as she remembered a big basket of keys on the shelf in the linen closet. They were of all sorts and sizes; perhaps one of them would unlock the mysterious chest! She flew down the stairs, found the basket and returned with it to the attic. Then
12、she sat down before the brass-studded box and began trying one key after another in the curious old lock. Some were too large, but most were too small. One would go into the lock but would not turn; another stuck so fast that she feared for a time that she would never get it out again. But at last,
13、when the basket was almost empty, an oddly-shaped, ancient brass key slipped easily into the lock. With a cry of joy Martha turned the key with both hands; then she heard a sharp click, and the next moment the heavy lid flew up of its own accord! The little girl leaned over the edge of the chest an
14、instant, and the sight that met her eyes caused her to start back in amazement. Slowly and carefully a man unpacked himself from the chest, stepped out upon the floor, stretched his limbs and then took off his hat and bowed politely to the astonished child. He was tall and thin and his face seemed b
15、adly tanned or sunburnt. Then another man emerged from the chest, yawning and rubbing his eyes like a sleepy schoolboy. He was of middle size and his skin seemed as badly tanned as that of the first. While Martha stared open-mouthed at the remarkable sight a third man crawled from the chest. He had
16、the same complexion as his fellows, but was short and fat. All three were dressed in a curious manner. They wore short jackets of red velvet braided with gold, and knee breeches of sky-blue satin with silver buttons. Over their stockings were laced wide ribbons of red and yellow and blue, while thei
17、r hats had broad brims with high, peaked crowns, from which fluttered yards of bright-colored ribbons. They had big gold rings in their ears and rows of knives and pistols in their belts. Their eyes were black and glittering and they wore long, fierce mustaches, curling at the ends like a pigs tail.
18、 My! but you were heavy, exclaimed the fat one, when he had pulled down his velvet jacket and brushed the dust from his sky-blue breeches. And you squeezed me all out of shape. It was unavoidable, Luigi, responded the thin man, lightly; the lid of the chest pressed me down upon you. Yet I tender you
19、 my regrets. As for me, said the middle-sized man, carelessly rolling a cigarette and lighting it, you must acknowledge I have been your nearest friend for years; so do not be disagreeable. You mustnt smoke in the attic, said Martha, recovering herself at sight of the cigarette. You might set the ho
20、use on fire. The middle-sized man, who had not noticed her before, at this speech turned to the girl and bowed. Since a lady requests it, said he, I shall abandon my cigarette, and he threw it on the floor and extinguished it with his foot. Who are you? asked Martha, who until now had been too aston
21、ished to be frightened. Permit us to introduce ourselves, said the thin man, flourishing his hat gracefully. This is Lugui, the fat man nodded; and this is Beni, the middle-sized man bowed; and I am Victor. We are three banditsItalian bandits. Bandits! cried Martha, with a look of horror. Exactly. P
22、erhaps in all the world there are not three other bandits so terrible and fierce as ourselves, said Victor, proudly. Tis so, said the fat man, nodding gravely. But its wicked! exclaimed Martha. Yes, indeed, replied Victor. We are extremely and tremendously wicked. Perhaps in all the world you could
23、not find three men more wicked than those who now stand before you. Tis so, said the fat man, approvingly. But you shouldnt be so wicked, said the girl; itsitsnaughty! Victor cast down his eyes and blushed. Naughty! gasped Beni, with a horrified look. Tis a hard word, said Luigi, sadly, and buried h
24、is face in his hands. I little thought, murmured Victor, in a voice broken by emotion, ever to be so reviledand by a lady! Yet, perhaps you spoke thoughtlessly. You must consider, miss, that our wickedness has an excuse. For how are we to be bandits, let me ask, unless we are wicked? Martha was puzz
25、led and shook her head, thoughtfully. Then she remembered something. You cant remain bandits any longer, said she, because you are now in America. America! cried the three, together. Certainly. You are on Prairie avenue, in Chicago. Uncle Walter sent you here from Italy in this chest. The bandits se
26、emed greatly bewildered by this announcement. Lugui sat down on an old chair with a broken rocker and wiped his forehead with a yellow silk handkerchief. Beni and Victor fell back upon the chest and looked at her with pale faces and staring eyes. When he had somewhat recovered himself Victor spoke.
27、Your Uncle Walter has greatly wronged us, he said, reproachfully. He has taken us from our beloved Italy, where bandits are highly respected, and brought us to a strange country where we shall not know whom to rob or how much to ask for a ransom. Tis so! said the fat man, slapping his leg sharply. A
28、nd we had won such fine reputations in Italy! said Beni, regretfully. Perhaps Uncle Walter wanted to reform you, suggested Martha. Are there, then, no bandits in Chicago? asked Victor. Well, replied the girl, blushing in her turn, we do not call them bandits. Then what shall we do for a living? inqu
29、ired Beni, despairingly. A great deal can be done in a big American city, said the child. My father is a lawyer (the bandits shuddered), and my mothers cousin is a police inspector. Ah, said Victor, that is a good employment. The police need to be inspected, especially in Italy. Everywhere! added Be
30、ni. Then you could do other things, continued Martha, encouragingly. You could be motor men on trolley cars, or clerks in a department store. Some people even become aldermen to earn a living. The bandits shook their heads sadly. We are not fitted for such work, said Victor. Our business is to rob.
31、Martha tried to think. It is rather hard to get positions in the gas office, she said, but you might become politicians. No! cried Beni, with sudden fierceness; we must not abandon our high calling. Bandits we have always been, and bandits we must remain! Tis so! agreed the fat man. Even in Chicago
32、there must be people to rob, remarked Victor, with cheerfulness. Martha was distressed. I think they have all been robbed, she objected. Then we can rob the robbers, for we have experience and talent beyond the ordinary, said Beni. Oh, dear; oh, dear! moaned the girl; why did Uncle Walter ever send
33、you here in this chest? The bandits became interested. That is what we should like to know, declared Victor, eagerly. But no one will ever know, for Uncle Walter was lost while hunting elephants in Africa, she continued, with conviction. Then we must accept our fate and rob to the best of our abilit
34、y, said Victor. So long as we are faithful to our beloved profession we need not be ashamed. Tis so! cried the fat man. Brothers! we will begin now. Let us rob the house we are in. Good! shouted the others and sprang to their feet. Beni turned threateningly upon the child. Remain here! he commanded.
35、 If you stir one step your blood will be on your own head! Then he added, in a gentler voice: Dont be afraid; thats the way all bandits talk to their captives. But of course we wouldnt hurt a young lady under any circumstances. Of course not, said Victor. The fat man drew a big knife from his belt a
36、nd flourished it about his head. Sblood! he ejaculated, fiercely. Sbananas! cried Beni, in a terrible voice. Confusion to our foes! hissed Victor. And then the three bent themselves nearly double and crept stealthily down the stairway with cocked pistols in their hands and glittering knives between
37、their teeth, leaving Martha trembling with fear and too horrified to even cry for help. How long she remained alone in the attic she never knew, but finally she heard the catlike tread of the returning bandits and saw them coming up the stairs in single file. All bore heavy loads of plunder in their
38、 arms, and Lugui was balancing a mince pie on the top of a pile of her mothers best evening dresses. Victor came next with an armful of bric-a-brac, a brass candelabra and the parlor clock. Beni had the family Bible, the basket of silverware from the sideboard, a copper kettle and papas fur overcoat
39、. Oh, joy! said Victor, putting down his load; it is pleasant to rob once more. Oh, ecstacy! said Beni; but he let the kettle drop on his toe and immediately began dancing around in anguish, while he muttered queer words in the Italian language. We have much wealth, continued Victor, holding the min
40、ce pie while Lugui added his spoils to the heap; and all from one house! This America must be a rich place. With a dagger he then cut himself a piece of the pie and handed the remainder to his comrades. Whereupon all three sat upon the floor and consumed the pie while Martha looked on sadly. We shou
41、ld have a cave, remarked Beni; for we must store our plunder in a safe place. Can you tell us of a secret cave? he asked Martha. Theres a Mammoth cave, she answered, but its in Kentucky. You would be obliged to ride on the cars a long time to get there. The three bandits looked thoughtful and munche
42、d their pie silently, but the next moment they were startled by the ringing of the electric doorbell, which was heard plainly even in the remote attic. Whats that? demanded Victor, in a hoarse voice, as the three scrambled to their feet with drawn daggers. Martha ran to the window and saw it was onl
43、y the postman, who had dropped a letter in the box and gone away again. But the incident gave her an idea of how to get rid of her troublesome bandits, so she began wringing her hands as if in great distress and cried out: Its the police! The robbers looked at one another with genuine alarm, and Lug
44、ui asked, tremblingly: Are there many of them? A hundred and twelve! exclaimed Martha, after pretending to count them. Then we are lost! declared Beni; for we could never fight so many and live. Are they armed? inquired Victor, who was shivering as if cold. Oh, yes, said she. They have guns and swor
45、ds and pistols and axes andand And what? demanded Lugui. And cannons! The three wicked ones groaned aloud and Beni said, in a hollow voice: I hope they will kill us quickly and not put us to the torture. I have been told these Americans are painted Indians, who are bloodthirsty and terrible. Tis so!
46、 gasped the fat man, with a shudder. Suddenly Martha turned from the window. You are my friends, are you not? she asked. We are devoted! answered Victor. We adore you! cried Beni. We would die for you! added Lugui, thinking he was about to die anyway. Then I will save you, said the girl. How? asked
47、the three, with one voice. Get back into the chest, she said. I will then close the lid, so they will be unable to find you. They looked around the room in a dazed and irresolute way, but she exclaimed: You must be quick! They will soon be here to arrest you. Then Lugui sprang into the chest and lay fat upon the bottom. Beni tumbled in next and packed himself in the back side. Victor followed after pausing to kiss her hand to the girl in a gracefu