英语故事The Crocodiles Tail.docx
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英语故事TheCrocodilesTail
英语故事
TheCrocodile’sTail
Thecrab,thejackalandthecrocodilehadonethingincommon.Theyateanything,absolutelyanything.Thecrocodileevenatethejackal,whenhecouldcatchhim!
Besidesbeingverygreedy,thecrocodilealsohadtheworsttemperofanyoneintheforest.Noonecouldbenastier.Noteventhewart-hog.Noteventhebuffalo.Noteventheelephantwhenhehadnose-bleed.
Whenthecrocodileinareallybadmood,hecaughthistailbetweenhisteethandslitheredroundandroundincirclesintheoozymudoftheriverbank.
Onthishotandhungry,dryanddustyday,thecrocodilewasintheworstofallpossiblemoods.
’Whereiseveryone?
’hegrunted.
Hehadbeenlyingbythedrinkingplaceattheedgeoftheriverfortwowholedays.Notasinglecreaturehadcomeoutoftheforesttodrink.Theonlysoundhehadheardwasthehowlingofthejackal.Iftherewasonecreaturewhosevoicethecrocodilehated,itwasthejackal.
’Typical!
’snortedthecrocodile.‘Nothoughtforothers!
Mybellyisemptierthanahollowlogandnoonecomestobeeaten.Noteventhatworthlessjackal.Theforestwouldbebetterwithouthim.’
Theonlycreatureinsightwasthecrab,whosehardshellprotectedhimfromthecrocodile.Now,thecrabandthecrocodilewerenotexactlyfriends,buttheyrubbedalongtogetherliketwooldporcupines,keepingawatchfuleyeoutforeachother’sbadmoods.Thecrabwasfullofcuriosityandhadavoicelikevinegar.Hedidnotlikethetasteofithimself.Hewalkedsideways,tryingtoedgeintoeverybodyelse’sconversation.
’Well!
’snappedthecrocodile.‘Whereiseveryone?
’
’Ifyouwanttocatchthem,’saidthecrab,inhistartvoice,‘it’stimeyoulearnttosmile.’
’Idosmile,’saidthecrocodile,whopracticedeveryday.
’Noonebelievesyou,’saidthecrab.‘That’sthetrouble.’
’Whataboutthatbeastlyjackal?
’askedthecrocodile.‘He’susuallydownheretwoorthreetimesaday.’
’Themorehestaysawaythebetter,’saidthecrab.‘Hesnuffleslikepigforroots.Haveyouheardhimsnore?
’
’IfIgotthatclose,’saidthecrocodile,‘hewouldneversnoreagain,Ipromiseyou.’
’Youwouldnoteathim!
’squeakedthecrabinahorrifiedvoice.Thehimselfwouldeatlastweek’sdinneroramonkey’sdustbin,ifhecould,buthelikedtopretendthatheonlyatethebest.
’Icouldeataswampsnakerightnow,’saidthecrocodile.‘Myteetharefallingout,I’msohungry.’
’Whynotgoandcatchsomething?
’askedthecrab.‘Youarecleverenough,’hesaid,‘mostofthetime.’
’It’snogood,’moanedthecrocodile.‘Theyallhide.Nomusthavediedatleastfivedaysbefore.Hewasfeelingquitefullandrathercomfortable.Foronceinhislife,hefeltjustalittlesorryforthecrocodile.Itwasprobablyafoolishthingtofeel.
’CanIhelp?
’askedthecrab.
’Well,’saidthecrocodile,becomingalittlemorecheerful.‘Nowyoumentionit,youcan.Goandinvitethejackaldownforadrink.Tellhimit’squitesafeandI’llnothurthim.Tellhim.Iknowhemustbeverythirsty.’
Thecrabwentsidewaysuptheriverbanktowardsthelineofmangrovetrees.Helookedasifhehadaguiltysecret.Insidetheforestitwascoolandfullofshadows.Sunlightslippedbetweentheleaves.
Thejackalwassittingonagianttree-root,eatingthelastofaguineafowlandsnufflinglikeadogatthebottomofadoor.
’Thatlooksgood,’saidthecrab.
’Thatis,’saidthejackal.
’Ibetthatmakesyouthirsty,’saidthecrab.
’Thatdoes,’saidthejackal.
’Whynotcomewithmetotheriverforaquickdrink?
’saidthecrab.
’Thatcrocodile,’saidthejackal.Hewastoobusygnawingthebonesoftheguineafowltosaymorethantwowordsatatime.
’Noneedtoworryabouthim,’saidthecrab.‘Hehaseatenoncetoday.Youwillfindhimveryfriendlynow.’
’Toofriendly,’saidthejackal.
’Hewillbeveryhurtifyoudon’tcome,’saidthecrab.‘Heespeciallywishedtohaveawordwithyou.’
’Notlikely,’saidthejackalandturnedhisbackonthecrab.
’Verywell,then,’saidthecrab.‘I’llgoandtellhim.’
Hesidledoffdowntotheriverbankagain.
Assoonashehadgone,thejackaltrottedafterhim,keepingtotheshadows.Hehadbehindalogattheedgeoftheforest,wherehecouldhearwhatthecrabandthecrocodilesaidbutcouldnotbeseenbythem.
’Ishecoming?
’askedthecrocodile,openinghisgreatjawswithahungrygrin.
’No,’saidthecrab.‘Herefuses.’
Thecrocodilesnappedatadragonflyandmissed.
’DidyoutellhimIwouldbefriendly?
’heasked.
’Ofcourse,’saidthecrab.‘Hedidn’tbelieveme.’
’Hewasright,’snortedthecrocodile.‘I’mnotfriendlynow.I’mfurious.Howdareherefuse!
Washethirsty?
’
’Histonguelookedasdryasanoldanionskin,’saidthecrab.
’Thenwewillplayabettertrickonhim,’saidthecrocodile.‘GoandtellhimI’mdead.’
’Hewillnotbelievethateither,’saidthecrab.
’Hewillifheisthirstyenough,’snarledthecrocodile.‘I’llliehalf-waybetweentheforestandtheriver.WhenhecomespastmeI’llsnaphimup.Ipromiseyou,I’lllookasdeadasafishfloatingupside-down.’
’Thatsoundsverydead,’agreedthecrab,lickinghislipsatthethought.
’Getsomeflowers,’saidthecrocodile,‘andspreadthemoverme.Makealotofnoise,asifyoureallythinkthatI’mdead.Doyouunderstand?
’
Thecrocodiledraggedhimselfupthebankandlaydownbesidethelogwherethejackalwashiding.Helaydownasdeadasadrunkenmonkey.Thecrabscuttledoffandfoundsomebrilliantorchids.Hescatteredthemoverthecrocodile.
’Thecrocodileisdead!
’hewailedinavoicelikesandpaperontheskin.‘Thecrocodileisdead!
’
’Idiot!
’whisperedthecrocodilethroughthesideofhismouth.‘Goandfindthejackalandtellhimquickly.Idon’twanttolieherealldaywaitingforhim.’
’Iseemtobedoingallthework,’complainedthecrab.‘WhatdoIgetoutofit?
’
’Stopgrumblingandgetonwithit,’mutteredthecrocodile.‘Ifwecatchhimyoucanpickmyteethafterwardsforscraps.’
’Verykind,’saidthecrabsarcastically.
Hewentoffintothemangrovetreestofetchthejackalagain.Meanwhilethejackalhadslippedawayfromhishiding-placebackintotheforest.
’Fancythatoldfooltryingatricklikethatonme,’hechuckledtohimself.‘Andtrustthatsneakycrabtodoallthedirtyworkforhim.’
Hewaspickinghisearcleanwithhisbacktoenailwhenthecrabfoundhim.
’Psst?
’saidthecrab,nudginghimintheside.‘Takeyourfootoutofyourearandlistentome.’
’What’sthat?
’saidthejackal.‘Ican’thear.’
Thecrabnippedhislegwithapincer.
’Ouch!
’yelpedthejackal.‘Thatwasunnecessary.Whatdoyouwant?
’
’Thecrocodileisdead,’saidthecrab.
’Sincewhen?
’askedthejackal,suspiciously.
’Sincejustnow,’saidthecrab.‘He’sasdeadasthatguineafowlyouate.’
’Iwanttoseeformyself,’saidthejackal.
’Comeon,then,’saidthecrab.
Theywalkedbacktotheriverbankandeverynowandthenthejackalstartedlaughingtohimself.
’What’sfunny?
’askedthecrab.
’Oh,’saidthejackal,‘Iwasjustwonderingifyoufoundithardtowalksidewaysallthetime.’
’Nothankyou,’saidthecrabinasharp,stuffyvoice.‘Ithelpsmetoseebackwardsandforwardsatthesametime.’
’Veryuseful,’saidthejackal,hidinghissmile.
’There,’saidthecrab.‘Thereisthecrocodile.Dead.’
’Imustadmit,’saidthejackal,‘thathedoeslooklikeadeadcrocodile.’
’Itoldyouso,’saidthecrab.
Thejackallookedhardatthecrocodile,whowasdoinghisbesttoholdhisbreathandtokeepvery,verystill.
’Areyouquitesurehe’sdead?
’askedthejackal.
’OfcourseIam,’saidthecrab.‘Youcanwalkrightpasthimandcomeforadrinkwithoutanyfear.’
Thejackalkepthisdistancefromthecrocodileandshoutedoutsuddenly,‘Areyoudead,there,oldmancrocodile?
’
Thecrocodileverynearlyopenedhiseyesandansweredbuthemanagedtokeeponlyingstill.
’Satisfied?
’askedthecrab.
’Well,I’mjustabitpuzzled,’mutteredthejackal.
’Whatisitnow?
’askedthecrab,whowasgettingprettyimpatient.
’Iwasthinking,’saidthejackal,thatIneverdidseeadeadcrocodilekeepthatstillbefore.’
’Isthattrue?
’saidthecrab.
’Theydosaythatareallydeadcrocodileisneverabsolutelystill,’saidthejackal.‘Histailgoesonwaggingforanhourortwoafterhedies.Likeachickenthatkeepsonrunning.’
’Well,Inever,’saidthecrab.
’It’strue,’saidthejackal.
Justthen,thecrocodile’stailbegantomove.Justthetipofit.Justalittle.
’Idodeclare,youareright,’saidthecrab.
’Iknow,’laughedthejackal.‘IdodeclareIam.Ihadyouthen,oldmancrocodile,’helaughed.‘Goodtoseeyoustillalive!
’
Andwiththatheranlaughingbackintotheforest.
Youcanimaginehowbad-temperedthecrocodilewaswhenhelosthisonlymealoftheweek.Hewasmorebad-temperedthanarhinoceroswithanitch.Eventhecrabfoundittoomuchtobear.Hewenttofindsomewhereelsetoliveandleftthecrocodiletosulkbyhimselfinthemangroveswamp.