英语故事Strongfist.docx

英语故事Strongfist.docx

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英语故事Strongfist

英语故事

Strongfist

　　Therewereonceamanandawifewhohadoneson，abig，strong，healthyladwhomeveryonecalledStrongfist.WhenStrongfistreachedtheageofeighteenhemadeuphismindtowalkaroundtheworld.Heforgedhimselfastickofironweighingalloftwentypoods，andnotadaypassedbuthewouldbeghisparentstolethimgo.Thefatheragreedatoncebutthemothersaid：

　　“Iwon’tletyougountilyourootoutthatoldoakyonderandplantitinfrontofmywindowformetorememberyouby.”

　　ThatseemedasimpleenoughtasktohimandStrongfistonlysmiled.Onthefollowingmorning，beforebreakfastwasonthetable，theoakwasalreadyswayinginfrontofhismother’swindow.Seeingitthere，themotherputtogetherawholesackoffoodforStrongfistwalkedalongtheroadatfirst，butwhenhesawthatthepeoplehemet，alarmedbyhissizeandbulk，wereapttorunfromhimheturnedoffintotheforest.Hefollowedtheforestpathtoitsend，and，comingoutoftheforest，sawamanploughingafieldandwipingthesweatfromhisbrowasheploughed.Theploughman，however，waswiserthantheothersandmadenoattempttorunaway.ThispleasedStrongfistnoend.

　　“Itissoveryhardtoploughafield，then，friend？

”askedhe.

　　“Whatdoyouthink！

Can’tyouseethatthesweatispouringfrommeandmyhorseisallcoveredwithlather？

”

　　“Seehere，friend，”Strongfistsaid，“itseemstomethatyourhorsehasn’tbeenfedproperly.Unharnessitandletitgrazeintheglen，andI’llpulltheploughinitssteadinthemeantime.”

　　TheploughmanletloosehishorseintheglenandharnessedStrongfisttotheploughinitsstead.Butherewastroubleanew-tryashemight，theploughmancouldnotkeeppacewithStrongfist.Hewasforcedtorunaftertheploughandwassooncompletelywornout.

　　“Thiswon’tdoatall！

”Strongfistcried.“You’dbettergoandfetchussomedinner.I’llploughthefieldbymyself.”

　　BythetimetheploughmanbroughtthefoodStrongfisthadploughedthewholefield.Theysatdown，bothofthem，andbegantoeat.Whentheyhadfinished，theploughmanthankedStrongfistforhishelpandpreparedtotakehisploughhome.ButStrongfiststoppedhim，saying：

　　“Howwillyoueverfeedyourselfwithafieldsosmall？

Why，thecropitwillyieldisnotbigenoughforyourselfalone，tosaynothingofyourwifeandchildren.LetmehavetheploughandI’llploughyouafieldthatwillreachtotheking’spalace.”

　　“Youmustbeoffyourhead！

Why，itwillonlymakethekingangry.”

　　“Ifhe’ssofoolishastobeangrybecauseofsuchatrifle，thenlethimbe，I’llploughitanyway.”

　　Strongfistbeganploughingthefield，andwhenhehadploughedforadaytherewasthekingglancingoutofapalacewindow.Strongfistploughedforasecondday，andthekingbegantochafeandtofume.Strongfistploughedforathirdday，andthekingappearedbeforehim.

　　“Whogaveyoupermissiontoploughhere？

”askedhe.

　　“Noone.IdiditbecauseIwantedto.Andhowcoulditbeotherwise？

Sotinyistheplotoflandbelongingtotheploughmanthathe’llneverbeabletofeedhimselfbutwilldieofhunger.Andthislargefieldliesidleandyouneitherploughityourselfnorletanyoneelsedoit.”

　　“What’sthattoyou！

”thekingreplied.“Ifyoudon’tputyourploughasideofyourownfreewillmysoldierswilldriveyouawayfromhere.”

　　“Doyoureallythinkyoucanfrightenmewiththosesoldiersofyours？

”Strongfistsnapped，andhewentbacktohisploughing.

　　Atthisthekingflewintoatoweringrage.HesummonedthreehundredsoldiersandbadethemdriveoutStrongfist，butStrongfisttookuphisironstickandstruckthemalldown.Thekingthensummonedsixhundredsoldiers，butStrongfisttookuphisironstickagainanddidawaywiththelot.Hewasabouttodothesametotheking，butthekingbeganbegginghimformercyandevenpromisedtogivehimhisowndaughterinmarriageifonlyhesparedhislife.

　　“Verywell，Iagree！

”Strongfistcried，wellpleased.“I’llfinishmyploughingbyeveningandthenyoucansendyourcoachforme.”

　　Eveningcame，andthekingorderedhisstrongesthorsestobeharnessedtohisbeatcoachandhimselfwenttofetchStrongfist.ButnosoonerhadStrongfistgotintothecoachwithhisheavystickofironandsettleddownintheseatthan-crash！

-theaxlesbrokedown.Anothercoachwassentforbutthesamethinghappened.Sothenthestrongest-builtcoachthekinghadwasbroughtandtheyjustmanagedtodragtothepalaceinit.

　　Theprincessherselfmetthematthegate.Strongfistgotoutofthecoach，and，cominguptoher，asked：

　　“Well，fairestofmaids，willyouhavemeforyourhusband？

”

　　“Icouldn’tverywellrefuseamansostrongandhave，couldI！

”theprincesssaid.“ButthereissomethingIwantyoutodoandyoumustpromisetodoitbeforewearewed.”

　　“Gladly！

Anythingyouwish.”

　　“Thenlistentome.Beyondthethrice-threerealmtherestandsacastlesurroundedbyhigh，thickwalls.Inthatcastlelivesmyeldersisterandthekingherhusband.Theywereveryhappytogetherforalongtime，butonedayaterriblemisfortuneoccurred.Adevilattackedthecastle，seizeditandplungeditinsuchdarknessthatthoselivingtherearedeprivedofthelightofday.Deliverthemfromthedevil’sclaws，andyouandIwillbewedatonce.”

　　“Allright，IsupposeI’llhavetodothat！

”Strongfistagreed.“ButsinceIhavetogoalongwayitwouldbeagoodthingifthekingyourfathergavemeahorsetorideon.”

　　TothisthekingreadilyagreedandgaveStrongfistthebesthorsethatcouldbefoundinthewholeoftherealm.OffrodeStrongfistatagallopbuthalfwaytothecastlethehorsewassowornoutthatitcouldtakehimnofarther.Therewasnothingtobedone，soStrongfiststrippedalime-treeofsomeofitsbark，plaitedaropeoutofit，and，findingagrassyglade，tetheredthehorsetherethatitmightnibblethegrassallitwanted.Then，talkinghisstick，hewenton，onfoot.Hehadnotgonefar，however，whenheheardastrangenoisecomingfromanotherglade.Hestoppedandlistenedbutcouldnotmakeoutwhatitwas.Hecameupveryclose，and，steppingoutontotheglade，sawatinylittlemanfightingahugeserpent.NosoonerdidthelittlemancatchsightofStrongfistthanheaskedhimtohelphimkillit.

　　“Gladly！

”saidStrongfist，andwithoneblowofhisstickhestrucktheserpentdown，dead.

　　“Thankyouforhelpingme！

”saidthetinylittleman.“IhavenothingIcangiveyoutoshowmygratitude，butifeveryouneedme，I’llbethereintimetohelpyou.”

　　OffStrongfistwentandonandonhewalkedtillhecametothecastlewherethekinglanguishedindarknessunderthedevil’syoke.

　　ButStrongfistdidnotattackthedevilallatonce.Hedecidedtorestafterhislongjourneyandpickupsomestrengthfirst.

　　Butnorestdidheget.Forhewasjustabouttositdownwhenafearfulgiantemergedfromoutoftheforestandfellonhimlikeawildbeast.ButStrongfistwastooquickforhim.Hesnatcheduphisironstickanddrovethegianttohischestintotheground.ThegiantcriedoutatthisandbeggedStrongfisttosparehislife，promisingtobeafriendtohimalwaysifhedid.

　　“Sinceyouspeaktomeoffriendship，tellmewhoforcedyoutoattackme，”saidStrongfist.

　　“WhatcanIsay，myfriend！

”thegiantbroughtoutinsorrowfultones.“Thedevilswhodwellinthesepartshavemeintheirpoweranditistheywhoforcedmetokilleveryonewhocomeshere.IwouldhavebeengladtoberidofthemifonlyIcouldfindsomeonewhowouldhelpmetodoit.”

　　“Good，good！

OnlytellmehowmanydevilsthereandwhereIcanmeetthem，formypurposeincominghereistodobattleagainstthemandridtheking’scastleoftheirpresence.”

　　“Thatisnotassimpleasyoumaythink，”saidthegiant.“YoumaybeabletogetthebetterofthethreedevilsbutIamnotsosureabouttheoldwitch，shemayprovetobetoomuchforyou.But，anyway，hereisapieceofadvice：

donotgetintoafightwiththedevilstoonearthecastlelestthewitchhearyouandcomerunningtohelpthem.Hideinthiscaveforaday.Intheevening，whenthedevilgoesprancinghome，I’llcallhimhereandyou’lldoawaywithhimandtakeawaythewitch’sapplethathealwayshaswithhim.Itisamagicapple：

takeabiteofit，andyouwillturnintowhoeveryouwish；takeanotherbite，andyouwillgetbackyourpropershapeagain.Thebestthingtodoistoturnintoamosquito.Thenyou’llbeabletogetclosetothewitchandhearwhatshesays.”

　　Wellandgood.Intheeveningtherewasthedevilprancingbyonhiswaytothecastle，andthegiantwavedtohimandbeckonedhimnear.

　　“Whatdoyouwant？

”thedevilasked，prancinguptohim.

　　“Someone，astranger，hasgotintothecave，andIcandonothingwithhim.Youhadbetterdealwithhimyourself，”saidthegiant.

　　“Lethimcomeout，then！

”roaredthedevilangrily.

　　OutcameStrongfist，andthedevilandhecametogetherandgrappledandfoughtforalongtime.AtlastStrongfistgotthebetterofthedevil，hestruckhimwithhisironstickandthedevilgaveajerkandanotherandbreathedhislast.Strongfistthentookabiteoftheapple，turnedintoamosquito，and，makingstraightforthecastle，flewintothewitch’schamberthroughthekeyhole.Thewitchneversawhimnorfelthispresence，butshesattheretroubled，mumblingtoherself：

　　“Saywhatyouwill，butsomeonemusthavefallenonmyhusbandanddonehimtodeathorhewouldhavebeenhomelongbeforenow！

”

　　Saidthelittledevils，tryingtocomforther：

　　“Donotbegrieved！

Fathermustjusthavebeenheldupontheway.”

　　“No，thatcannotbe！

Hemustbedeadandgon