经典英文绘本

相约星期二

Tuesdays with Morrie

今天，多吉要讲的是美国体育记者米奇·阿尔博姆写的《相约星期二》。

Today, Duoji is going to tell you the story of Tuesdays with Morrie, by the American sportswriter Mitch Albom.

十六年前，米奇曾答应自己的大学教授，毕业以后会常回来看他。后来，这个承诺被他忘了整整十六年，直到某个深夜，他又在电视上看见了那张熟悉的脸。

Sixteen years earlier, Mitch had made his college professor a promise - that after graduation, he would come back to visit. Then he forgot about it for sixteen years, until one night he saw that same face again, on television.

故事，就从一台电视机说起。

The story starts with a television set.

米奇本来是真心想做到的。可赶稿、赶航班、赶合同，一件接一件，渐渐把这件事挤没了地方。直到某个深夜，一档电视节目把镜头对准一位坐在轮椅上的老人。主持人问他，知道自己快要死了，是什么感觉。老人没有回避，说自己正在练习怎么告别——跟喜欢的事物告别，跟还能走路的日子告别。

Mitch had meant to keep his word. But deadlines, flights, and contracts kept piling up, until there was no room left for anything else. Then, late one night, a television program put the camera on an old man in a wheelchair. The host asked him what it felt like to know he was dying. The old man didn't look away. He said he was practicing how to say goodbye - to the things he loved, to the days when he could still walk.

米奇认出了他，那正是他大学时最喜欢的教授，莫里。

Mitch recognized him. It was his favorite professor from college - Morrie.

第二天，米奇就订了机票，飞去老师家里。此后的每个星期二，他都准时出现：带着录音机、带着饭盒，也带着一身放不下的工作焦虑。莫里的身体正以一种残忍又清楚的速度垮掉——先是拄拐杖，接着坐轮椅，再后来，连自己翻身、擦嘴都做不到，必须靠人帮忙。

The next day, Mitch booked a flight to his old teacher's house. After that, he showed up every single Tuesday, carrying a tape recorder, a container of food, and all the work anxiety he couldn't quite shake. Morrie's body was failing at a pace that was both cruel and unmistakable - first a cane, then a wheelchair, and later he couldn't even turn himself over in bed, or wipe his own mouth, without help.

可莫里没有把这段时间用来哀悼自己。他甚至提前替自己办了一场"生前葬礼"——把还在世的老朋友、老学生都请到家里，一个一个把悼词念给他听。按常理，这些话要等人死了才会被说出来，而死者自己根本听不到；莫里觉得这不公平，索性提前把葬礼办了。听着朋友们讲起他年轻时的样子，他一边笑一边掉眼泪，像是在参加别人的告别式，又像是在参加自己的。

But Morrie didn't spend that time mourning himself. He even held his own funeral while he was still alive - he invited old friends and former students to his house, and had them read their eulogies to him, one by one. Normally those words only get spoken after someone has died, when the person they're about can no longer hear them. Morrie thought that was unfair, so he simply held the funeral early. As his friends talked about who he'd been when he was young, he laughed and cried at the same time - as if he were attending someone else's farewell, and his own, all at once.

每个星期二，莫里都会提前想好一个要聊的话题：这个世界、自怜、家庭、金钱、文化。有一次，米奇从报纸上剪下一句话给他看，是一位传媒大亨说的："我不想将来墓碑上刻着，他这辈子没拥有过一家电视网。"莫里看完没有笑，只是说，这就是很多人活着的样子：被一套不断告诉你"还不够"的文化推着走。买了大房子还想要更大的，赚了第一笔钱还想赚更多，总觉得下一样东西到手，才会真的安心。

Every Tuesday, Morrie would have a topic ready to discuss - the world, self-pity, family, money, culture. One day, Mitch brought him a line clipped from a newspaper, something said by a media billionaire: "I don't want my tombstone to say I never owned a network." Morrie read it and didn't laugh. He just said that's how a lot of people live - pushed along by a culture that keeps telling them it isn't enough. You buy a big house and want a bigger one; you make your first million and want more; you keep thinking the next thing you get is finally going to make you feel settled.

他说，如果这套文化不适合你，你完全有权利不买账，自己去建一套——小事上不必样样和人对着干，红灯照样停。但什么才是真正重要的，这个答案不必照抄别人的。

He said if that culture doesn't fit you, you're allowed not to buy into it - build your own instead. You don't have to fight every small rule; stop at red lights like everyone else. But deciding what actually matters - that answer doesn't have to be borrowed from anyone.

米奇一开始是带着记者的习惯在听，想从里面摘出一两句能用的金句。可听得越多，他越发现，真正需要调整的不是笔记本上的句子，而是自己那套被工作填满、却说不清到底在忙什么的生活。

At first, Mitch listened the way a reporter would - trying to catch one or two quotable lines. But the more he listened, the more he realized what actually needed adjusting wasn't anything in his notebook. It was the entire life he'd built, filled wall to wall with work he couldn't quite explain the point of.

有一次他忍不住问老师，一点一点失去对身体的控制，到底是什么感觉。莫里说，等真的失去说话、吞咽、呼吸的能力那天，大概才是最难的；但在那之前，他拒绝提前替自己哀悼。

Once he couldn't help asking his teacher what it actually felt like, losing control of his body bit by bit. Morrie said the hardest part would probably come the day he lost the ability to speak, to swallow, to breathe - but until then, he refused to mourn himself in advance.

他也不否认痛苦。身体彻底不听使唤的那些夜里，他会一个人哭。可第二天，他照常醒来，继续说话，继续生活——哪怕只剩手指和脸还能动，他说，也宁愿把这点力气，用来笑、用来听一首歌，而不是用来可怜自己。

He didn't pretend it didn't hurt. On the nights his body wouldn't obey him at all, he cried alone. But the next morning, he got up as usual, kept talking, kept living - even with just his fingers and his face still able to move, he said he'd rather spend that strength laughing, listening to a song, than feeling sorry for himself.

谈到婚姻，莫里常提起一句诗——"相爱，或者死亡"，这是他年轻时读到、后来当成一生信条的一句话。他和妻子夏绿蒂一起生活了几十年。他说，两个人能不能走下去，关键不在于吵不吵架，而在于有没有一套彼此都认的规矩：什么最重要，什么能让，什么不能让。

On the subject of marriage, Morrie often quoted a line of poetry - "Love each other, or perish" - something he'd read when he was young and had carried as a kind of personal creed ever since. He'd spent decades with his wife, Charlotte. He said whether two people could stay together had little to do with whether they fought, and everything to do with whether they agreed on one shared set of rules - what mattered most, what could be let go, and what couldn't.

谈到宽恕，他指了指书架上一座铜像，说那是老朋友诺曼三十年前替他做的。后来诺曼搬去了芝加哥，正赶上夏绿蒂动一次大手术，诺曼却没打过一个电话。莫里为此很受伤，两人渐渐就断了来往。

巴比伦最富有的人
The Richest Man in Babylon

今天，多吉要讲的是美国作家乔治·克拉森的《巴比伦最富有的人》。
Today, Doji is telling you The Richest Man in Babylon, by the American writer George S. Clason.

一个造战车的，一个弹琴的，干了大半辈子活，钱袋却还是空的。
One man built chariots. The other played the lyre. They had worked most of their lives, and their purses were still empty.

他们有个老同学，同一位老师教过，同样的游戏玩过，如今却成了全巴比伦最富有的人。起点一样，他到底多懂了什么？
They had an old classmate who studied under the same teacher and played the same games. Now he was the richest man in all of Babylon. They had started out equal, so what did he know that they didn't?

故事，得从一堵矮墙说起。
The story begins on a low wall.

造战车的班西尔坐在自家院墙上，半天没动。妻子几次在门口探头，米袋快见底了，那辆战车得赶紧做完，交给有钱的主顾。
Bansir, the chariot builder, sat on the wall around his yard and did not move. His wife kept peeking out the door. The meal bag was nearly empty, and the chariot had to be finished and handed over to his wealthy customer.

可他满脑子都是昨夜的梦。梦里他腰间挂着一只沉甸甸的钱袋，银币随手赏给乞丐，金币压在身上，让他对明天一点不慌。醒来，钱袋还是空的。
But his mind was full of last night's dream. In it, a heavy purse hung from his belt. He tossed silver to beggars, and the gold in his pocket kept him calm about tomorrow. Then he woke up, and the purse was empty.

老朋友科比拨着琴弦走来，笑着想借两枚钱币，等晚上贵族的宴席散了就还。
His old friend Kobbi came along, strumming his lyre. He asked, with a smile, to borrow two coins until after the nobles' feast that night.

班西尔苦笑着说，就算我有两枚，也借不出去。那是我的全部家当，没有人会把全部家当借出去，连最好的朋友也不会。
Bansir laughed bitterly. Even if I had two coins, I couldn't lend them, he said. They'd be everything I own, and no one lends everything he owns, not even to his best friend.

他又说，我们从早干到黑，盼着神灵看见，可神灵从没赏过我们。
He went on. We work from dawn until dark, he said, hoping the gods will notice us, but they have never rewarded us.

科比说，今天他在街上遇见了阿卡德。阿卡德坐在金色的战车里，还朝他这个穷琴师挥了挥手。人人都说，他是巴比伦最富的人。
Kobbi said he had passed Arkad in the street that day. Arkad was riding in a golden chariot, and he still waved at a poor musician like Kobbi. Everyone says he is the richest man in Babylon.

科比说，钱袋鼓起来不算富，金子不断流进来才算。班西尔眼睛亮了：收入，这正是我要的，哪怕坐在墙上，钱袋里也有钱流进来。
A full purse doesn't make a man rich, Kobbi said. Rich is when gold keeps flowing in. Bansir's eyes lit up. Income, he said, that is what I want, gold flowing into my purse even while I sit on this wall.

听说阿卡德的儿子去了尼尼微，没靠父亲，也成了那里的富人。这么说，赚钱的门道是可以教的。
They had heard that Arkad's son went to Nineveh and became wealthy there without his father's help. So the way to wealth could be taught.

于是他们动身去找阿卡德，还叫上了少年时同样没混出头的朋友。
So they set out to find Arkad, and they brought along friends from their youth who had not done well either.

老朋友们对阿卡德说：我们一起读书，一起玩耍，你没有比我们更勤奋，也没有比我们更体面，凭什么命运偏偏挑中了你？
The old friends said to Arkad: We studied together and played together. You were no harder a worker than we were, and no more respected. Why did fate choose you?

阿卡德说，你们几十年没攒下什么，要么是没学会赚钱的规矩，要么是学了却不遵守。
Arkad said that if they had saved nothing in all those years, it was because they had not learned the rules of making money, or had learned them and not followed them.

你们说的命运，只会给人横财，然后毁掉他。有的人把钱挥霍一空，只剩下满身的欲望。有的人成了守财奴，天天怕被偷。
The fate they spoke of only hands out sudden riches and then ruins the one who gets them. Some people waste it all and are left with nothing but appetites. Others turn into misers, afraid every day of thieves.

想想那些突然继承了财产的人。朋友们想了想，承认确实如此。
Think of the men who suddenly inherit wealth, he said. The friends thought about it and admitted he was right.

接着，阿卡德讲起了自己的事。
Then Arkad told them his own story.

他是小商人的儿子，没有遗产可等，也不算格外聪明。他想，那就花时间去学。
He was a small merchant's son. He had no inheritance to wait for, and he was not especially clever. So he decided to spend his time learning.

他在档案厅做抄写员，每天在泥板上刻字，可工钱全花光了，什么也没剩下。
He worked as a scribe in the hall of records, carving letters into clay tablets all day. But he spent every coin he earned and had nothing left.

有一天，放债人阿尔加米什来取一份《第九法》的抄本，说两天内要，给两枚铜币。抄本没刻完，老人发了火。
One day a moneylender named Algamish came for a copy of the Ninth Law. He needed it in two days and would pay two coppers. The copy wasn't finished, and the old man was angry.

阿卡德知道城主不会让老人伤害他，就说：您很有钱，请告诉我怎样才能富起来，我今晚通宵把它刻完。老人骂他无礼，却答应了。
Arkad knew the city master would not let the old man hurt him. So he said: You are a rich man. Tell me how to become rich, and I will carve all night until it is done. The old man called him insolent, but he agreed.

阿卡德刻了一整夜。天亮了，老人说：我找到发财的路，是从我决定，赚来的钱，有一部分是留给自己的那天开始。你也一样，不管赚多少，至少留下十分之一。
Arkad carved all night. At daybreak the old man said: I found my road to wealth the day I decided that a part of what I earn is mine to keep. You must do the same. However much you earn, keep at least a tenth.

你付钱给做衣服的，付钱给做鞋的，付钱给卖吃的，偏偏不付给自己。存下来的每一枚金币，都是替你干活的奴隶。它赚来的每一枚铜币，是它的孩子，也能替你赚钱。
You pay the tailor, the sandal maker, and the food seller, and the only one you never pay is yourself. Every gold piece you save is a slave who works for you. Every copper it earns is its child, and that child can earn for you too.

阿卡德照做了。每次领工钱，他都抽出十分之一藏起来。奇怪的是，日子并没有更紧。
Arkad did as he was told. Each time he was paid, he hid away a tenth. Oddly, he was no worse off for it.

一年后，老人问：钱呢？阿卡德说，借给砖匠阿兹穆尔了。他要去泰尔买珠宝，回来平分。
A year later the old man asked, where is your money? Arkad said he had lent it to Azmur, a brickmaker, who was going to Tyre to buy jewels and would split the profit with him.

老人说：你为什么相信一个砖匠懂珠宝？你想问星星的事，会去找面包师吗？你的财富树，被你连根拔了。
The old man said: Why trust a brickmaker about jewels? If you wanted to ask about the stars, would you go to a baker? You have pulled your tree of wealth up by the roots.

结果，腓尼基人卖给阿兹穆尔的，是冒充宝石的碎玻璃。阿卡德第一年的存款，就这样没了。可他照老人说的，重新开始存。
In the end, the Phoenicians sold Azmur worthless glass made to look like gems. Arkad's first year of savings was gone. But he did as the old man said and started saving again.

又过了一年，他把存款交给盾牌匠阿格尔去买青铜，每隔四个月收一次租金。
Another year went by. This time he gave his savings to Agger, a shield maker, to buy bronze, and every four months Agger paid him rent for the money.

老人问租金怎么用，他说，办了宴席，买了件猩红色的外衣，还打算买头小驴骑。
The old man asked what he did with the rent. Arkad said he had held a feast, bought a scarlet tunic, and planned to buy a young donkey to ride.

老人大笑：你把存款的孩子吃了，它们还怎么替你干活？先有一支金奴隶的大军，再去享受宴席。
The old man laughed. You eat the children of your savings, he said, so how can they work for you? First build an army of golden slaves, and then enjoy your feasts.

两年后，老人又来了，更老了。阿卡德说，还没有我想要的那么多，但已经有一些了，它在生利，利又生利。
Two years later the old man came again, older now. Arkad told him he did not have as much as he wanted yet, but he had some, and it was earning, and its earnings were earning too.

老人说：你学会了三件事。花得比赚得少，向懂行的人求教，让金子替你干活。
The old man said: You have learned three things. Spend less than you earn, take advice from people who know, and make your gold work for you.

我的儿子只想着花钱，我的产业又太大，我一个人管不过来。你去尼普尔替我看管田产，我让你做合伙人，分我的遗产。
My sons think only of spending, he said, and my holdings are too large for me to manage alone. Go to Nippur and look after my lands. I will make you my partner, and you will share in my estate.

阿卡德去了，把田产经营得更值钱。老人去世后，他依约分得了一份遗产。
Arkad went and made the lands worth more. When the old man died, Arkad received his share, just as they had agreed.

有人说，你运气真好。阿卡德说，一个渔夫研究了多年鱼群，风向一变就能撒网，你会说他走运吗？机会这位女神，从不把时间浪费在没有准备的人身上。
Someone said, you were lucky. Arkad answered: A fisherman studies the fish for years, and when the wind changes he casts his net. Would you call him lucky? Opportunity is a goddess who wastes no time on people who are not ready.

最后有人说，我们都老了，什么也没存下。
Finally someone said, we are all old now, and we have saved nothing.

阿卡德说，那就把阿尔加米什的话，对自己说。早晨说，中午说，夜里说：我赚来的钱，有一部分是我的。先拿出这一份，至少十分之一，再安排别的开销。
Arkad said, then say Algamish's words to yourselves. Say them in the morning, at noon, and at night: a part of all I earn is mine to keep. Set that part aside first, at least a tenth, and then arrange your other spending.

让它去生钱，要谨慎。高得吓人的利息，是骗人撞上礁石的海妖歌声。要向每天跟钱打交道的人请教。
Then put it to work, and be careful. Interest that is too high is a siren's song that lures the unwary onto the rocks. Ask advice from people who handle money every day.

也别逼自己攒太多。生活是好的，该享受的，就要享受。
And do not force yourself to save too much. Life is good, and what is worth enjoying should be enjoyed.

朋友们道了谢，各自离开了。有人沉默，没听懂。有人冷笑，觉得这么富的人，本该分一些给老朋友。也有人眼里有了光。
The friends thanked him and went their separate ways. Some were silent because they did not understand. Some sneered, thinking so rich a man should share with old friends. And some had a new light in their eyes.

他们这才明白，阿尔加米什每次回到抄写员的房间，是在看一个人怎样从黑暗里一步步走出来。等那个人找到了光，他的位置就在那里等着。
Those friends understood that each time Algamish returned to the scribes' room, he was watching a man work his way out of the dark. When that man found the light, a place was waiting for him.

此后几年，这几个人常去看阿卡德。他高兴地接待他们，教他们把积蓄放到既有利息、又不会丢掉的地方。
In the years that followed, those friends often visited Arkad. He welcomed them gladly and showed them where to put their savings so that they would earn interest and not be lost.

查理和巧克力工厂

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

今天，多吉要讲的是罗尔德·达尔的《查理和巧克力工厂》。

Today, Duoji is going to tell you the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

这座工厂里，巧克力流成河，连草地都能吃。可住在附近的查理，一年只能吃到一块巧克力。

Inside this factory, chocolate flows in a river, and even the grass is edible. But Charlie, who lives nearby, gets just one chocolate bar a year.

后来，他和另外四个孩子走进了工厂。参观还没结束，其他孩子就一个接一个地不见了。

One day, he enters the factory with four other children. Before the tour is over, the other children begin disappearing, one by one.

故事要从查理每年生日收到的那块巧克力说起。

Our story begins with the chocolate bar Charlie receives each year on his birthday.

他舍不得马上吃掉，总是先收起来，再一点点剥开包装。每天只咬一小口，一块巧克力能吃一个多月。

He cannot bear to eat it all at once, so he puts it away and unwraps it a little at a time. With just one tiny bite each day, he can make a single bar last more than a month.

查理一家七口挤在一间小木屋里，四位老人共睡一张床。

All seven members of Charlie's family live in a cramped little wooden house. His four grandparents share one bed.

爸爸在牙膏厂拧瓶盖，一家人常常只有面包、土豆和卷心菜汤可吃。

His father screws caps onto toothpaste tubes at a factory. Often, the family has only bread, potatoes, and cabbage soup to eat.

可查理每天上学都要经过旺卡的巧克力工厂，只能闻着空气中的香味往前走。

Yet every day on his way to school, Charlie has to pass Wonka's chocolate factory. He can only breathe in the sweet smell and keep walking.

乔爷爷告诉他，旺卡先生曾因间谍偷走配方而关闭工厂。

Grandpa Joe tells him that Mr. Wonka once closed the factory because spies had stolen his recipes.

后来，烟囱重新冒烟，大门却一直锁着，没人看见工人进出。

Later, smoke began rising from the chimneys again, but the gates stayed locked. No one ever saw any workers going in or out.

直到有一天，报纸登出消息：旺卡在五块巧克力里藏了金奖券。

Then, one day, an announcement appears in the newspaper. Wonka has hidden Golden Tickets in five chocolate bars.

找到奖券的人可以带家人参观工厂，还能得到够吃一辈子的糖果。

Anyone who finds a ticket can bring family members on a tour of the factory. Each winner will also receive a lifetime supply of sweets.

有人一箱箱地买巧克力。一个叫维鲁卡的女孩也想要奖券，她爸爸便让自己厂里的工人停下剥花生，改拆巧克力包装。

Some people buy chocolate by the box. When a girl named Veruca wants a ticket, her father has the workers at his factory stop shelling peanuts and start unwrapping chocolate bars instead.

查理只能等生日。那天，一家人围着他，看他拆开唯一的巧克力，里面却没有奖券。

Charlie can only wait for his birthday. When it arrives, his family gathers around as he unwraps his one chocolate bar, but there is no ticket inside.

后来，乔爷爷拿出偷偷攒下的一点钱，两人又试了一次，还是没有。

Later, Grandpa Joe brings out a little money he has secretly saved. They try again, but still find no ticket.

冬天越来越冷，爸爸工作的牙膏厂又倒闭了。一家人的饭更少了，查理走路也越来越慢。

The winter grows colder, and the toothpaste factory where his father works closes down. The family has even less food, and Charlie walks more and more slowly.

为了不因赶路耗尽力气，他尽量早点出门。就在这时，他在路边的积雪里发现了钱。

He tries to leave home early so that he will not waste his strength hurrying. Then, one day, he finds some money in the snow beside the road.

他走进商店，买了一块巧克力，很快吃完，又买了一块。

He goes into a shop, buys a chocolate bar, and gobbles it up. Then he buys another.

这一次，包装纸下露出了金色。最后一张金奖券，就在他手里。

This time, something gold appears beneath the wrapper. The very last Golden Ticket is in his hands.

人群立刻围了上来，有人出钱要买。店主帮他挡住人群，让他赶快回家。

A crowd quickly gathers, and someone offers to buy the ticket. The shopkeeper keeps the crowd back and tells Charlie to hurry home.

消息传回小木屋，卧床多年的乔爷爷激动得跳下了床。他要陪查理去参观。

When the news reaches the little wooden house, Grandpa Joe is so excited that he jumps out of bed after years of lying in it. He is going to accompany Charlie.

工厂大门终于打开，旺卡先生领着五个孩子和他们的家人走进去。

At last, the factory gates open. Mr. Wonka leads the five children and their families inside.

门后竟然是一座山谷，有草地、树木，还有一条巧克力河。

Beyond the door lies a valley, with grass, trees, and a river of chocolate.

一道瀑布不停搅打着巧克力，河岸边的小人忙个不停。

A waterfall churns the chocolate, while little people work busily along the riverbank.

他们是奥帕—伦帕人。旺卡请他们从伦帕国搬来，在这里生活、工作，并答应用他们最喜欢的可可豆支付报酬。

They are the Oompa-Loompas. Wonka invited them to leave Loompaland to live and work here, promising to pay them in their favourite food: cocoa beans.

那些从不走出大门的工人，原来就在这里。

So these are the workers no one ever sees leaving the factory.

旺卡让大家尝尝草地上的糖果，奥古斯塔斯却趴到河边，捧起巧克力就喝。

Wonka invites everyone to taste the sweets growing in the grass. But Augustus lies down at the river's edge and scoops up chocolate to drink.

旺卡叫他停下，他还是往前够，结果掉进河里，又被输送巧克力的管道吸了上去。

Wonka tells him to stop, but he keeps reaching forward. He falls into the river and is sucked up into a pipe that carries the chocolate away.

他先卡在透明管子里，接着又被冲走。妈妈急得大叫，旺卡却担心巧克力被弄脏，随后才派人带她去找孩子。

He gets stuck in the clear pipe before being swept away. His mother cries out in alarm, but Wonka worries about his chocolate getting dirty before sending someone to help her find her son.

参观继续。发明室里，一小片口香糖就能让人尝到一整顿饭。

The tour continues. In the Inventing Room, a tiny piece of chewing gum can give you the taste of an entire meal.

先是番茄汤，再是烤牛肉，最后是蓝莓派。

First comes tomato soup, then roast beef, and finally blueberry pie.

旺卡说这种口香糖还没研制成功，维奥莉特却已经抢过去嚼了起来。

Wonka says the gum is not ready yet, but Violet has already grabbed it and begun to chew.

嚼口香糖是她最得意的事，这种新发明，她当然要抢先试。

She takes great pride in her gum-chewing skills. Of course she wants to be the first to try this new invention.

可她刚尝到甜点，鼻子就变蓝了，身体越胀越大，最后变成一颗圆滚滚的大蓝莓。

But as soon as she tastes the dessert, her nose turns blue. Her body swells until she becomes a huge, round blueberry.

工人们把她滚走，赶去榨掉她身体里的果汁。

The workers roll her away to squeeze the juice out of her body.

到了坚果车间，维鲁卡看中了会剥核桃的松鼠。爸爸愿意出钱，旺卡却不肯卖。

In the Nut Room, Veruca sets her heart on one of the squirrels that shell walnuts. Her father offers to pay, but Wonka refuses to sell one.

她干脆闯进去，伸手就抓。松鼠们一拥而上，按住她，像检查核桃一样敲了敲她的脑袋。

So she rushes inside and reaches for a squirrel. The squirrels swarm around her, hold her down, and tap her head as if they were checking a walnut.

它们判定她是颗坏坚果，把她丢进垃圾滑道。旺卡说，滑道通往焚化炉，不过今天也许没有点火。

They decide she is a bad nut and throw her down the rubbish chute. Wonka says it leads to an incinerator, though it might not be lit today.

爸妈赶去探头寻找孩子，也被松鼠推了下去。

Her parents hurry over and peer down the chute to look for her. The squirrels push them down too.

查理紧紧跟着乔爷爷。现在，只剩下他和迈克两个孩子了。

Charlie stays close to Grandpa Joe. Now he and Mike are the only two children left.

在电视巧克力室，旺卡展示了一台能传送巨大巧克力的机器。

In the Television-Chocolate Room, Wonka demonstrates a machine that can transmit an enormous bar of chocolate.

巧克力传送后会缩小，出现在电视屏幕里，甚至能伸手拿出来吃。

The chocolate shrinks as it is transmitted and appears inside a television screen. You can even reach in, take it out, and eat it.

迈克一心想钻进电视。他不顾阻拦，冲进机器，把自己传送了过去。

Mike is determined to get inside the television. Ignoring every attempt to stop him, he rushes into the machine and transmits himself.

等妈妈把他从屏幕里拿出来时，他只有几厘米高。旺卡安排工人用拉伸口香糖的机器，把他重新拉长。

When his mother takes him out of the screen, he is only a few centimetres tall. Wonka sends him to the workers to be stretched back out in a machine used for stretching chewing gum.

这时，旺卡发现只剩下查理，便兴奋地宣布他赢了。可查理还不知道自己究竟赢得了什么。

Then Wonka notices that Charlie is the only child left and excitedly announces that he has won. But Charlie does not yet know what he has won.

旺卡领着查理和乔爷爷乘上玻璃升降机，冲破厂房屋顶，飞到城镇上空。

Wonka leads Charlie and Grandpa Joe into the glass lift. They burst through the factory roof and fly high above the town.

他们看见另外四个孩子都出来了：奥古斯塔斯瘦了，维奥莉特还是紫色。

They see that all four of the other children have come out. Augustus is thinner, and Violet is still purple.

维鲁卡一家沾满垃圾，迈克被拉得又高又细。每家都领到了旺卡答应给他们的糖果。

Veruca and her parents are covered in rubbish, and Mike has been stretched tall and thin. Each family has received the sweets Wonka promised them.

升降机再次升高，旺卡问查理是不是真的喜欢这座工厂。查理觉得，这是全世界最奇妙的地方。

The lift rises again, and Wonka asks Charlie if he really loves the factory. Charlie thinks it is the most wonderful place in the world.

旺卡这才告诉他，等他长大到能独立管理时，整座工厂都会属于他。

Only then does Wonka tell him that the whole factory will be his when he is old enough to run it himself.

查理和乔爷爷都愣住了。他只是来参观的，怎么连工厂都成了他的？

Charlie and Grandpa Joe are stunned. He only came for a visit, so how can the whole factory be his?

旺卡解释，他年纪大了，又没有孩子，需要有人接着管理工厂。

Wonka explains that he is getting old and has no children. He needs someone to take over the factory.

他不愿找一个事事按自己想法来的大人，而想找一个善良、懂事、有爱心，愿意向他学习的孩子。

He does not want a grown-up who will insist on doing everything their own way. He wants a kind, sensible, caring child who is willing to learn from him.

他要把制作糖果的秘密传给这个孩子。五张奖券，就是为了从受邀的孩子中选出他最喜欢的一个。

He wants to pass his sweet-making secrets on to that child. The five tickets were his way of finding his favourite among the children he invited.

查理担心妈妈不肯离开家里的老人。旺卡说，他们都可以搬来，连床也一起带走。

Charlie worries that his mother will not leave his grandparents behind. Wonka says they can all move in, and bring the bed along too.

在查理长大之前，全家都可以帮忙照管工厂。

Until Charlie grows up, the whole family can help look after the factory.

升降机飞向小木屋，撞穿屋顶，落进查理家里。一家人吓坏了。

The lift flies towards the little wooden house, crashes through its roof, and lands inside. The family is terrified.

查理和乔爷爷解释了好一阵，三位老人还是不肯坐升降机。

Charlie and Grandpa Joe spend quite some time explaining what has happened. Even then, the other three grandparents refuse to ride in the lift.

于是，旺卡、乔爷爷和查理把躺着他们的大床推进升降机，再让爸妈也进来。

So Wonka, Grandpa Joe, and Charlie push the big bed into the lift with the three grandparents still in it. Then they get Charlie's parents inside too.

一家人连同大床一起升上天空。查理爬到床上，安慰惊魂未定的老人。

The whole family, big bed and all, rises into the sky. Charlie climbs onto the bed and tries to calm his frightened grandparents.

乔奶奶还惦记着吃饭：到了那里，有没有东西吃？全家都饿着肚子。

Grandma Josephine is still thinking about food: will there be anything to eat when they arrive? The whole family is hungry.

查理笑了，让她等着瞧。升降机朝巧克力工厂飞去。

Charlie laughs and tells her to wait and see. The lift flies towards the chocolate factory.

工厂里还有许多奇妙的发明，奥帕—伦帕人也有自己的歌。

There are many more wonderful inventions in the factory, and the Oompa-Loompas have songs of their own.

想了解更多故事细节，试着读一读英文原著，可以到橱窗选购《查理和巧克力工厂》英文原版。

If you would like to discover more of the story and try reading it in the original English, you can find an English edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in our shop.

怦然心动 Flipped.

今天，多吉要讲的是温德琳·范·德拉安南的《怦然心动》，英文名叫 Flipped。 Today, Duoji is telling the story of Flipped, by Wendelin Van Draanen.

朱莉喜欢了邻居男孩好几年。她盼过他牵自己的手，盼过他的一个吻。可等布莱斯终于想吻她，她却躲开，跑走了。这些年，她一直看着他，究竟看漏了什么？ Juli had liked the boy next door for years. She had dreamed of holding his hand, and of a kiss. But when Bryce finally tried to kiss her, she pulled away and ran. After watching him all those years, what had she failed to see?

事情，要从他搬来的那一天说起。 It began on the day he moved in.

搬家车刚停下，朱莉就跑过去帮忙。布莱斯想躲，她偏往前凑。她看见他那双蓝眼睛，觉得这个男孩好极了；他看见这个甩不掉的小姑娘，只想赶快关上门。 The moving truck had barely stopped when Juli came over to help. Bryce tried to get away, but she kept coming closer. She saw his blue eyes and thought he was wonderful. He saw a little girl he could not get rid of, and just wanted to shut the door.

以后几年，他们一直这样错着步子。朱莉找机会和他说话，布莱斯找机会脱身。她把他的躲闪当成害羞，他却觉得她总让自己在同学面前难堪。 For years, they kept missing each other like this. Juli looked for chances to talk to him. Bryce looked for ways to escape. She took his attempts to avoid her as shyness. He felt she was always embarrassing him in front of his classmates.

但朱莉的生活里，也有比布莱斯更让她着迷的东西。 But there were things in Juli's life that fascinated her even more than Bryce.

附近有棵高大的悬铃木。她喜欢爬上去，看熟悉的街道和屋顶在脚下展开。坐在那里，能望得很远。 A tall sycamore tree stood nearby. She loved climbing it and looking down at the familiar streets and rooftops. Up there, she could see so far.

她想让布莱斯也上来看看，他却始终留在下面。 She wanted Bryce to come up and see it too, but he always stayed below.

一天早晨，工人带着工具来砍树。朱莉坐在枝头不肯下来，向赶校车的同学求助。 One morning, workers arrived with tools to cut the tree down. Juli stayed in its branches and refused to come down. She called to the children heading for the school bus, asking for help.

她希望有人留下，尤其希望布莱斯留下。他还是上了车。 She hoped someone would stay, especially Bryce. He got on the bus anyway.

最后，爸爸来接她。她下了树，那棵树也没能留下。后来，爸爸把它画了下来。朱莉能看着画想念它，却再也不能坐回那些枝丫之间。 In the end, her father came for her. She came down, and the tree was cut down. Later, her father painted a picture of it. Juli could look at the painting and remember her tree, but she could never sit among its branches again.

布莱斯知道她很难过，也想过安慰她，可他没有开口。朱莉听不到那些没说出来的话，只记得自己求助时，他走了。 Bryce knew she was upset and had thought about comforting her, but he said nothing. Juli could not hear the words he never spoke. She only remembered that when she asked for help, he had left.

她还不知道，自己送给他家的鸡蛋，也一直被扔进垃圾桶。 She did not yet know that the eggs she brought his family kept ending up in the trash too.

那些母鸡是她认真养大的。鸡蛋多了，她就卖给邻居，挣些钱。只有送给布莱斯家的那份，她不收钱。 She had raised those hens with care. When there were more eggs than her family needed, she sold some to the neighbors. The eggs she brought Bryce's family were the only ones she gave away for free.

每次敲门，都能见他一面，也能把自己养鸡的成果分给他。 Each visit meant seeing him, and sharing something she had worked hard to produce.

布莱斯家却嫌她家院子杂乱，担心鸡蛋不卫生。爸爸让他拒收。他怕把话说出来伤人，又怕惹麻烦，便接过来，偷偷扔掉。一盒又一盒，朱莉一直不知道。 But Bryce's family thought her yard was a mess and worried that the eggs might not be safe to eat. His father told him to stop accepting them. Afraid of hurting her feelings, and of getting into trouble, Bryce took the eggs and secretly threw them away. Carton after carton, Juli had no idea.

直到她撞见他扔鸡蛋。布莱斯解释，问题出在她家那个脏乱的院子。朱莉这才明白，自己每次高高兴兴送来的东西，在他家从来没上过餐桌。 Then she caught him throwing them away. Bryce explained that it was because of her dirty, messy yard. Only then did Juli understand: the eggs she had been so happy to bring had never even reached his family's table.

她不再送了。她也第一次因为自家的院子感到难堪。 She stopped bringing eggs. And for the first time, she felt ashamed of her yard.

可院子为什么会这样，她慢慢知道得更多。房子是租的，父母忙着维持生活，爸爸还要负担大卫叔叔的照护费用。叔叔有智力障碍，住在需要专人照顾的地方。 Gradually, she learned more about why it looked that way. Her family rented their home. Her parents worked hard to make ends meet, and her father also paid for Uncle David's care. David had an intellectual disability and lived in a place where staff could look after him.

爸爸没有很多钱，却一直没有放下自己的弟弟。 Her father did not have much money, but he had never stopped caring for his brother.

朱莉开始动手整理院子。布莱斯的外公过来帮忙，两个人一起清理、种植，也聊起那棵被砍掉的树。 Juli began fixing up the yard. Bryce's grandfather came over to help. As they cleared and planted, they talked about the tree that had been cut down.

布莱斯看着他们，想知道，外公怎么会和朱莉有那么多话可说。 Watching them, Bryce wondered how his grandfather could have so much to say to Juli.

外公早就留意到了这个女孩。他从报纸上读到她护树的事，欣赏她的坚持。布莱斯重新翻看那篇报道。 His grandfather had noticed her long before. He had read about her fight to save the tree in the newspaper and admired her determination. Bryce looked at the article again.

以前，他只顾着担心朱莉让自己丢脸。现在，看着报纸上的她，他却想多了解一点。 Before, all he had worried about was Juli embarrassing him. Now, looking at her picture, he wanted to know more.

她不再来送鸡蛋，他才知道，那些鸡蛋在邻居那里很受欢迎，还能卖钱。她一直免费送给自己家，自己却连拒绝都不肯当面说。 Only after she stopped bringing eggs did he learn how popular they were with the neighbors, and that people paid for them. She had always given his family theirs for free, and he had not even been willing to tell her he could not accept them.

院子里的朱莉仍忙着自己的事，他开始想和她说话，却不知道该怎么走过去。 Juli kept busy with her own work in the yard. He wanted to talk to her now, but did not know how to approach her.

大卫叔叔生日那天，她跟爸爸一起去探望。叔叔收到拼图很高兴。 On Uncle David's birthday, Juli went with her father to visit him. David was delighted with his new jigsaw puzzle.

出去吃冰激凌时，蛋筒掉了，他一下子哭闹起来。爸爸留在那里安抚，朱莉去拿了一个新的，叔叔终于平静下来。 When they went out for ice cream, he dropped his cone and began to cry and shout. Her father stayed with him, trying to calm him. Juli got another cone, and at last David settled down.

回家路上，爸爸说起照顾弟弟的困难，也说起自己有时觉得很失败。他羡慕布莱斯的爸爸，觉得对方比自己成功。 On the way home, her father talked about how hard it was to care for his brother, and how he sometimes felt he had failed. He envied Bryce's father, who seemed more successful.

朱莉却告诉爸爸，以后如果结婚，她希望找一个像他这样的人。 But Juli told her dad that if she got married someday, she would want someone like him.

没过多久，她在图书馆听见布莱斯和朋友谈论叔叔。朋友拿叔叔的智力障碍开玩笑，布莱斯没有站出来制止。 Not long afterward, she overheard Bryce and a friend talking about her uncle in the library. The friend made a cruel joke about David's disability. Bryce did not speak up to stop him.

她刚刚陪叔叔过完生日，还记得爸爸怎样耐心安抚他。布莱斯并不知道这些，却也没有替这个被取笑的人说一句话。 She had just celebrated her uncle's birthday with him. She still remembered how patiently her father had calmed him. Bryce knew none of that, but he had not said a word in defense of the person being mocked.

她不愿再和他说话，可星期五，两家人偏偏要一起吃晚饭。 She did not want to speak to him anymore. Yet on Friday, their families were supposed to have dinner together.

到了布莱斯家，她告诉他，图书馆里的话，她都听见了。布莱斯后悔没有制止朋友，可朱莉听见那些话的时候，并不知道他心里在后悔。 At Bryce's house, she told him she had heard everything in the library. Bryce regretted not stopping his friend. But when Juli heard those words, she had no way of knowing he regretted them.

晚饭中，父亲问起朱莉两个哥哥今后的打算。兄弟俩想做音乐，还拿出了自己攒钱录的歌。布莱斯的姐姐把歌放给大家听。 During dinner, Bryce's father asked Juli's two brothers about their plans. They wanted to make music and had brought songs they had saved up to record. Bryce's sister played them for everyone.

客人走后，父亲却猜测，他们录歌的钱是贩毒赚来的。姐姐愤怒地反驳，父亲打了她一巴掌。 After the guests left, his father suggested the boys had paid for the recording by selling drugs. His sister angrily challenged him. He slapped her across the face.

布莱斯佩服姐姐敢站出来，自己却总是事后才后悔。以前别人说他像爸爸，他觉得是夸奖。那天晚上，他再想起这句话，已经高兴不起来了。 Bryce admired his sister for speaking up. He himself always seemed to regret his silence afterward. When people used to say he was like his father, he took it as a compliment. That night, the thought no longer made him happy.

他也忘不掉朱莉临走前的样子。她为刚来时的怒气道了歉，还碰了碰他的胳膊，弄得他晕乎乎的。 He could not forget Juli just before she left, either. She had apologized for being angry when she arrived and touched his arm, leaving him dizzy.

可再到学校，她却只对他客气。她不再缠着他，见面也能打招呼，却好像不需要他了。 But back at school, she was simply polite. She no longer followed him around. She still said hello, but it was as though she no longer needed him.

学校随后举办筹款活动，被选中的男孩准备午餐，其他人竞价，和他一起吃。布莱斯入选了。 Then the school held a fundraiser. Selected boys would pack lunches, and other people would bid to share a meal with them. Bryce was chosen.

朱莉听说别的女孩准备竞拍他，心里仍然不好受。她把钱留在家里，免得自己到了现场，又忍不住为他举手。 It still hurt Juli to hear that other girls planned to bid on him. She left her money at home so she would not be tempted to raise her hand for him after all.

可上学路上，一位邻居付了欠她的鸡蛋钱。轮到乔恩时，台下没有人出价。朱莉不愿让这个温和的男孩站在那里难堪，便拿出了刚收到的钱。 But on her way to school, a neighbor paid her for some eggs. When Jon's turn came, nobody bid. Juli did not want this gentle boy to stand there feeling humiliated, so she offered the money she had just received.

布莱斯看见她举手，整个人乱了。她喜欢乔恩了吗？ Bryce saw her raise her hand and felt completely thrown. Did she like Jon now?

两个女孩合伙竞拍到了他的午餐，他却一直留意着朱莉那一桌。身边的人取笑另一个女孩，他听着别扭；再看过去，朱莉正和乔恩说笑。 Two girls teamed up to win his lunch, but he kept watching Juli's table. The girls beside him were mocking another girl, and it made him uncomfortable. He looked over again. Juli was laughing and talking with Jon.

他离开座位，走到朱莉身边，拉住她的手，问她是不是喜欢乔恩。她说不是。 He left his seat, went over to Juli, and took her hand. Did she like Jon? She said no.

他随即想吻她，朱莉却躲开，匆忙离开了餐厅。 Then he tried to kiss her. Juli pulled away and hurried out of the cafeteria.

她回到家，把自己关进房间。她努力了那么久，想不再喜欢他，却还是会在意谁和他一起吃午餐。 She went home and shut herself in her room. She had tried so hard to stop liking him, yet she still cared who ate lunch with him.

可他突然靠过来的时候，她也确实不愿意。妈妈来问，她才把图书馆里的话和今天的事一起讲出来。 But when he suddenly leaned toward her, she had not wanted that either. Only when her mother asked did she tell her about the library and what had happened that day.

布莱斯的朋友又拿朱莉来嘲笑他。这一次，他让对方住口。如果朋友只能这样取笑他喜欢的人，他也不想再和对方做朋友了。 Bryce's friend teased him about Juli again. This time, Bryce told him to stop. If all his friend could do was mock the girl he liked, Bryce did not want to be his friend anymore.

布莱斯去找朱莉，她不愿见。朱莉的妈妈劝他给她一点时间。 Bryce went to see Juli, but she refused to see him. Her mother told him to give her some time.

她也提醒女儿，人是会变的。朱莉听进去了，可电话再响起来，她还是不愿接。 She also reminded her daughter that people could change. Juli took that in, but when the phone rang again, she still did not want to answer.

几天后，她发现他正在自家院子里挖土。那片草才刚刚长出来，是她好不容易种起来的。爸爸却告诉她，自己已经同意布莱斯在这里做一件事。 A few days later, she found him digging in her front yard. The grass had only just begun to grow. She had worked so hard to plant it. But her father told her he had given Bryce permission to do something there.

她再看过去，才认出他带来的小树。 She looked again and recognized the little tree he had brought.

是一棵悬铃木。 It was a sycamore.

朱莉看着他把树种好。她还没想好要对他说什么，也不知道他们以后会怎样。 Juli watched him finish planting it. She did not yet know what to say to him, or what might happen between them.

但等他再来敲门，也许，她愿意听一听了。院子里，多了一棵小小的悬铃木。 But perhaps, the next time he knocked, she would be willing to listen. There was a little sycamore tree in her yard now.

如果你已经能读英文原著，也想听听朱莉和布莱斯各自怎样讲述这些事，可以到多吉的橱窗选购《怦然心动》英文原著 Flipped。 If you can already read novels in English and want to hear how Juli and Bryce each tell their side of the story, you can buy the English edition of Flipped from Duoji's shop.

玛蒂尔达 Matilda.

今天，多吉要讲的是1996年的电影《玛蒂尔达》。 Today, Duoji is telling the story of Matilda, the 1996 film.

一个小女孩，能读懂厚厚的小说，却始终没法让爸爸妈妈听她说话。后来，她拥有了隔空移动东西的本领，甚至能把全校最可怕的大人赶走。可她最想要的，是和一个愿意听她说话的人，住在一起。 A little girl can understand thick novels, but she cannot get her own parents to listen to her. Later, she discovers she can move things with her mind. She can even drive away the most frightening adult in her school. But what she wants most is to live with someone who will listen.

故事，得从她第一次走进图书馆说起。 Our story begins with her first visit to the library.

家里人都出门了。爸爸去卖二手车，妈妈去玩宾果，哥哥去上学。小小的玛蒂尔达自己做早餐，再一个人走到图书馆。 Everyone else has gone out. Her father is selling used cars, her mother is playing bingo, and her brother is at school. Little Matilda makes her own breakfast, then walks to the library alone.

图书管理员帮她找书。她一本接一本地读，还把书装进小拖车，带回家。那些故事陪她度过了许多独自在家的下午。 The librarian helps her find books. She reads one after another, then loads books into a little wagon and takes them home. Those stories keep her company through many afternoons on her own.

可爸爸看见书就烦。他靠着隐瞒汽车毛病、欺骗顾客挣钱，觉得女儿根本用不着读那么多书。玛蒂尔达想上学，大人连她已经到了上学年龄都没弄清。 But her father cannot stand the sight of books. He makes money by hiding problems with cars and cheating his customers. He thinks his daughter has no need to read so much. Matilda wants to go to school, but her parents have not even realized she is old enough.

她也会报复。往爸爸的帽子里抹强力胶，把妈妈的金色染发剂倒进爸爸的护发液里。爸爸顶着粘牢的帽子、变了颜色的头发大发雷霆，却没有因此开始听女儿说话。 She gets her own back, too. She puts strong glue inside her father's hat and pours her mother's blonde hair dye into his hair tonic. He is furious about his stuck-on hat and his newly blond hair, but he still does not start listening to her.

一次，全家围着电视吃饭，玛蒂尔达在读书。爸爸夺过书，把它撕了，逼她盯着屏幕。她越生气，越死死看着电视，直到电视突然炸开。她还不知道，自己身上正在发生什么。 One evening, the family is eating in front of the television while Matilda reads. Her father snatches her book, tears it up, and makes her stare at the screen. As her anger grows, she fixes her eyes on the television until it suddenly explodes. She does not yet understand what is happening to her.

后来，爸爸卖了一辆车给特朗奇布尔校长，也终于把女儿送进了她的学校。 Later, her father sells a car to Miss Trunchbull, a school principal. At last, he sends Matilda to her school.

学校里，孩子们看见校长就躲。她能抓住女孩的辫子，把人甩过围栏；还把孩子关进一间狭窄的禁闭室，里面伸着尖钉，连转身都困难。 At school, children hide when they see Miss Trunchbull. She grabs a girl by her braids and throws her over the fence. She also shuts children in a narrow cupboard lined with sharp nails. There is hardly room to turn around.

男孩布鲁斯偷吃了她一块蛋糕，她就逼他当着全校学生的面，吃完一整只巨大的巧克力蛋糕。吃到后来，他几乎撑不住了。玛蒂尔达开始为他加油，其他孩子也跟着喊起来。布鲁斯终于吃完，校长却砸碎盘子，继续惩罚他们。 When a boy named Bruce steals a slice of her cake, she makes him eat an enormous chocolate cake in front of the whole school. He can barely keep going. Matilda begins cheering for him, and the other children join in. Bruce finally finishes, but Miss Trunchbull smashes the plate and punishes them anyway.

可教室里，还有哈妮老师。 But there is someone else in the classroom: Miss Honey.

她发现玛蒂尔达能轻松算出复杂的乘法，便想让她去更高的年级。校长拒绝了。她又去找玛蒂尔达的父母，告诉他们，女儿有多么聪明。那对夫妇依旧觉得，读书没什么用。 She notices how easily Matilda solves difficult multiplication problems and asks for her to move to a higher class. Miss Trunchbull refuses. Miss Honey visits Matilda's parents to explain how bright their daughter is. They still think studying is a waste of time.

哈妮老师只好先给玛蒂尔达找来适合她的学习材料。终于有一个大人，看见了她会什么，也愿意为她多做一点事。 So Miss Honey finds learning materials that suit Matilda's abilities. At last, an adult sees what she can do and is willing to make an effort for her.

爸爸卖给校长的车很快出了毛病。校长拿玛蒂尔达出气，把她关进禁闭室，哈妮老师赶来救出了她。随后，校长到班里检查，发现水里有一只蝾螈，便认定又是玛蒂尔达捣鬼。 The car her father sold Miss Trunchbull soon breaks down. Miss Trunchbull takes her anger out on Matilda and locks her in the punishment cupboard. Miss Honey comes to rescue her. Later, Miss Trunchbull visits the class, finds a newt in her water, and decides Matilda is responsible again.

其实，那是朋友拉文德放进去的。玛蒂尔达没有做，却怎么辩解都没用。愤怒中，她盯着杯子，杯子竟然翻倒了，水和蝾螈一起泼向校长。 In fact, Matilda's friend Lavender put it there. Matilda has done nothing, but Miss Trunchbull will not listen. Furious, Matilda stares at the glass. It tips over, splashing water and the newt onto the principal.

她终于意识到，自己能不用手，就让东西移动。可等她单独告诉哈妮老师，想再做一次，杯子却一动不动。 Now Matilda realizes she can move things without touching them. But when she tells Miss Honey in private and tries again, the glass does not move at all.

放学后，哈妮老师请玛蒂尔达去家里喝茶。路上，她们经过校长住的大房子，玛蒂尔达看见了院子里的秋千。老师讲起一个曾经住在这里的小女孩。 After school, Miss Honey invites Matilda home for tea. On the way, they pass Miss Trunchbull’s large house, and Matilda notices a swing in the garden. Her teacher begins telling her about a little girl who once lived there.

女孩小时候失去了妈妈，爸爸便请姨母来照顾她。可姨母一直虐待她。后来，爸爸突然死了，警方认定是自杀，房子和财产也落到了姨母手里。女孩长大后搬了出来，租下一间小屋，种上花，终于离开了姨母。 The girl lost her mother when she was little, so her father asked her aunt to look after her. But the aunt abused her. Then her father died suddenly. The police concluded that he had killed himself, and the house and money went to the aunt. When the girl grew up, she moved out, rented a little cottage, and planted flowers. At last, she was free of her aunt.

到了小屋，玛蒂尔达认出来了：故事里的女孩，就是哈妮老师。那个姨母，竟然就是校长。喝茶时，老师说起自己没能带走的东西：父母的照片，还有妈妈送的童年娃娃。 When they reach the cottage, Matilda realizes that the girl in the story is Miss Honey. And the aunt is Miss Trunchbull. Over tea, her teacher tells her about the things she had to leave behind: photographs of her parents and a doll her mother gave her as a child.

玛蒂尔达问老师为什么不离开这里。哈妮舍不得自己的学生，也舍不得教书。玛蒂尔达以为大人不会害怕，老师却告诉她，大人也会和孩子一样害怕。 Matilda asks why her teacher does not leave the area. Miss Honey cannot bear to abandon her students or give up teaching. Matilda thought grown-ups were never afraid, but her teacher tells her that adults get scared, just like children.

后来，她们趁校长出门，悄悄进入旧宅，想取回老师童年的东西。看到父亲的照片时，哈妮和玛蒂尔达都说，她们不相信他会自杀。可校长提前回来了，两个人东躲西藏，才终于逃出去。哈妮不许玛蒂尔达再冒险，可娃娃还留在屋里。 Later, while Miss Trunchbull is out, they sneak into the old house to retrieve Miss Honey’s childhood belongings. Looking at a photograph of her father, Miss Honey and Matilda both say they do not believe he killed himself. But Miss Trunchbull returns early. They hide and only just escape. Miss Honey tells Matilda not to take that risk again, but the doll is still inside.

回到家，玛蒂尔达开始练习。盯住一件东西，集中注意，再试一次。渐渐地，物品能按她的心意移动，她不用等到大发脾气，才能使出这股力量。 Back home, Matilda begins to practice. She fixes her eyes on an object, concentrates, and tries again. Gradually, things begin to move as she wants them to. She no longer has to wait until she is furious to use her power.

她又去了旧宅。这一次，娃娃终于被她取了回来。她还让屋里的东西自行移动，假装哈妮爸爸的鬼魂回来，把校长吓得够呛。可她留下的一条发带，暴露了自己。 She returns to the old house. This time, she gets the doll back. She also makes things move around the house, pretending that the ghost of Miss Honey's father has returned. Miss Trunchbull is terrified. But a hair ribbon Matilda leaves behind gives her away.

第二天，娃娃回到了哈妮老师手里。校长也冲进了教室，要找玛蒂尔达算账。哈妮站出来，替她揽下闯入旧宅的事，校长却抓住老师的手腕，威胁再折断她的胳膊。哈妮挣脱了。 The next day, Matilda gives Miss Honey her doll. Then Miss Trunchbull bursts into the classroom to punish Matilda. Miss Honey steps forward and takes the blame for entering the house. Miss Trunchbull grabs her wrist and threatens to break her arm again. Miss Honey pulls free.

就在这时，一截粉笔自己升了起来，在黑板上写字。玛蒂尔达让粉笔以哈妮父亲的口吻，指控校长害死了自己，命令她归还房子和钱，离开这里。 Just then, a piece of chalk rises into the air and begins writing on the board. Matilda makes it write as though Miss Honey's father is speaking. The message accuses Miss Trunchbull of killing him and orders her to return the house and money, then leave.

没有鬼魂。是玛蒂尔达在控制粉笔。 There is no ghost. Matilda is controlling the chalk.

玛蒂尔达让黑板擦接连飞向校长，把她打昏。可校长很快醒来，又抓起一个男孩，扔出窗外。玛蒂尔达立刻用超能力托住他，让他从空中飞回教室。 Matilda sends blackboard erasers flying at Miss Trunchbull until she collapses. But the principal soon gets up, grabs a boy, and throws him out of the window. Matilda immediately uses her power to catch him in midair and bring him flying back into the classroom.

飞回来的男孩把校长撞到了地球仪上。玛蒂尔达让地球仪飞快旋转，把她甩下来。校长还想扑向拉文德，玛蒂尔达又让朋友升到空中，躲开了她。孩子们也一起反击，把午餐里的食物扔过去，一路把校长赶出学校。她逃走了，再也没有回来。 The returning boy knocks Miss Trunchbull onto the globe. Matilda makes it spin fast, sending her tumbling off. When the principal charges at Lavender, Matilda lifts her friend into the air, out of reach. The children fight back together, throwing food from their lunches and driving Miss Trunchbull out of the school. She runs away and never returns.

哈妮老师搬回了从小生活的房子，玛蒂尔达常常去看她。可是一天，父母和哥哥突然赶来，催她赶紧上车。爸爸那些违法的汽车买卖被联邦调查局盯上了，一家人要逃走。 Miss Honey moves back into her childhood home, and Matilda often visits. But one day, her parents and brother suddenly arrive, urging her to get into the car. The FBI is investigating her father's illegal car business, and the family is about to flee.

玛蒂尔达不肯。她喜欢这里，喜欢学校，她想和哈妮老师生活。爸爸催她上车，连名字都叫错了。她纠正了他，又转向老师，请她别让父母带自己走。 Matilda refuses. She loves it here, loves her school, and wants to live with Miss Honey. Her father orders her into the car and even gets her name wrong. She corrects him, then turns to her teacher and begs her not to let her parents take her away.

妈妈不相信，哈妮会愿意留下一个不听话的孩子。哈妮当着他们的面说，玛蒂尔达是个很好的孩子，自己爱她。 Her mother cannot believe Miss Honey would want to keep a disobedient child. In front of them both, Miss Honey says Matilda is a wonderful child and that she loves her.

玛蒂尔达立刻请求老师收养自己。爸爸嫌麻烦，没时间处理这些手续。可她早已准备好了文件：她从图书馆的书里找到，复印后一直留着。现在，只需要他们签字。 Matilda immediately asks Miss Honey to adopt her. Her father says he has no time for the paperwork. But Matilda already has the documents ready. She found them in a library book, made copies, and kept them. Now her parents only need to sign.

警笛声催着父母离开。妈妈看着女儿，承认自己一直没有理解过她，然后开口要了一支笔。爸爸也签了字，还向哈妮确认，以后不会再找他们要抚养费。哈妮答应了。 The sound of sirens makes her parents even more eager to leave. Her mother looks at Matilda, admits she has never understood her, and asks for a pen. Her father signs too. He also checks that Miss Honey will not ask them for money to support Matilda. Miss Honey agrees.

车开走了。哈妮把玛蒂尔达抱了起来。 The car drives away. Miss Honey lifts Matilda into her arms.

后来，哈妮成了学校的新校长。玛蒂尔达仍然有那份神奇的本领，不过在新家里，她很少需要动用它。到了晚上，她依偎在哈妮身旁，两个人一起读书。 Later, Miss Honey becomes the school's new principal. Matilda still has her extraordinary power, but in her new home, she rarely needs to use it. At night, she snuggles beside Miss Honey, and they read together.

今天，多吉讲凯特·迪卡米洛的《傻狗温迪克》。

Today, Duoji brings you Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.

这部二〇〇一年纽伯瑞荣誉奖作品，从一只流浪狗讲起，触及一个孩子难以启齿的心事。

This 2001 Newbery Honor Book begins with a stray dog and a question a child finds hard to ask.

妈妈已经离开多年，欧宝还能向爸爸问些什么？

Her mother has been gone for years. What can Opal ask her father about her?

这个夏天，小狗没能带回她的妈妈，却带她认识了许多人。

Over the summer, the dog will not bring her mother back. But he will lead her to many other people.

十岁的欧宝跟随当牧师的爸爸，搬到了佛罗里达州的内奥米。

Ten-year-old Opal has moved to Naomi, Florida, with her father, a preacher.

妈妈在她三岁时离开，她对妈妈的记忆正一点点变淡。

Opal was three when her mother left, and her memories of her mother are fading.

她在镇上没有朋友。爸爸很少提起妈妈，父女俩也总是避开这个话题。

She has no friends in town. Her father rarely mentions her mother, and they both avoid the subject.

一天，欧宝去温迪克超市购物，遇见一只正在闯祸的大狗。

One day, Opal goes shopping at a Winn-Dixie supermarket and finds a big dog causing trouble.

狗又脏又瘦，经理准备把它送去动物收容所。

The dog is dirty and thin. The manager wants to send him to the pound.

欧宝赶紧认下了它，可要把狗叫走，她得先想出一个名字。

Opal quickly claims him as her own. But to call him over, she needs a name.

她索性叫它“温迪克”，就用超市的名字。狗真的跟她走了。

She calls him Winn-Dixie, borrowing the store’s name. The dog actually follows her.

回到家，她替狗向爸爸求情，终于说服爸爸让它留下。

Back home, she pleads with her father until he agrees to let the dog stay.

给温迪克洗澡、梳毛时，欧宝把自己的经历讲给它听。

While washing and brushing Winn-Dixie, Opal tells him about her life.

它身边没有妈妈，她也一样。那些一直憋在心里的问题，她决定去问爸爸。

He has no mother with him, and neither does she. She decides to ask her father the questions she has been keeping to herself.

她请爸爸说十件关于妈妈的事，一岁对应一件。

She asks for ten things about her mother—one for each year of her own life.

爸爸告诉她，妈妈喜欢种花草，也喜欢听故事、讲故事，笑起来很好听。

Her father says her mother loved growing things, listening to stories, and telling them. She had a lovely laugh.

但妈妈不喜欢当牧师的太太，还喝太多酒。

But she did not like being a preacher’s wife, and she drank too much.

爸爸没有回避这些难堪的往事，也告诉欧宝，妈妈非常爱她。

Her father does not hide the painful details. He also tells Opal that her mother loved her very much.

欧宝把每件事都记下来。妈妈依然没有回来，但她对妈妈的模样多了一点认识。

Opal remembers every detail. Her mother is still gone, but now Opal has a clearer picture of her.

温迪克受不了独处。欧宝只好带着它出门，去哪里都在一起。

Winn-Dixie cannot bear to be alone, so Opal takes him wherever she goes.

在图书馆，芳妮小姐见到大狗，吓得以为年轻时闯进来的那头熊又回来了。

At the library, the big dog frightens Miss Franny Block. She thinks a bear that once wandered in when she was young has returned.

她讲完那段好笑的往事，又说起当年认识的人都已经去世了。

After telling the funny story, she says that everyone she knew back then has died.

欧宝愿意做她的新朋友，温迪克也是。

Opal offers to be her new friend. Winn-Dixie can be her friend too.

欧宝还想给温迪克买项圈和牵引绳，便去宠物店商量用打扫店铺来抵钱。

Opal also wants a collar and leash for Winn-Dixie. At the pet store, she arranges to pay for them by cleaning the shop.

店员奥蒂斯不太会和人交谈，却弹得一手吉他。

Otis, who works there, finds it hard to talk to people. But he can play the guitar.

一天她来早了，发现动物全出了笼子，安安静静地听奥蒂斯弹琴。

One morning, she arrives early and finds the animals out of their cages, quietly listening to Otis play.

奥蒂斯承认，动物是他放出来的。他坐过牢，明白被关住的滋味。

Otis admits he let them out. He has been in jail and knows how it feels to be locked up.

欧宝不确定自己是否该害怕他。

Opal is not sure whether she should be afraid of him.

镇上的邓拉普和斯蒂夫兄弟，又告诉她格洛丽亚是个巫婆。

Two brothers in town, Dunlap and Stevie, tell her that Gloria Dump is a witch.

可当温迪克跑进那个院子，她追进去，看见的只是一位视力很差的老妇人，在喂狗吃花生酱。

But when Winn-Dixie runs into Gloria’s yard and Opal follows, she finds an older woman with poor eyesight feeding him peanut butter.

格洛丽亚看不清欧宝，就请她说说自己的事。欧宝讲家里、讲镇上，她一直听。

Gloria cannot see Opal clearly, so she asks her to talk about herself. Opal talks about home and the town, and Gloria listens.

后来，欧宝问起奥蒂斯的过去。格洛丽亚给她看一棵挂满空酒瓶的树。

Later, Opal asks about Otis’s past. Gloria shows her a tree covered with empty bottles.

格洛丽亚喝过瓶子里的酒，也留下瓶子提醒自己曾经的过错。

Gloria drank the alcohol that was in those bottles. She keeps them to remind herself of her mistakes.

她劝欧宝看看别人现在怎样待人，别只用过去判断他们。欧宝想到了奥蒂斯，也想到了妈妈。

She asks Opal to notice how people treat others now, rather than judging them only by their past. Opal thinks of Otis, and of her mother.

在芳妮小姐那里，欧宝还尝了一颗利特摩斯糖：甜味里，竟藏着悲伤。

At Miss Franny’s, Opal tries a Littmus Lozenge, a candy with sadness tucked into its sweetness.

同一种糖，勾起每个人不同的伤心事。欧宝想念妈妈，其他人也都有自己的失去。

The same candy brings back different sorrows for each person. Opal misses her mother. The others have their own losses too.

欧宝决定在格洛丽亚家办聚会，让这些朋友坐到一起。

Opal decides to hold a party at Gloria’s house and bring these friends together.

格洛丽亚同意，但也要邀请邓拉普和斯蒂夫。欧宝虽然不情愿，还是答应了。

Gloria agrees, but wants Dunlap and Stevie invited too. Opal is reluctant, but she agrees.

芳妮小姐和小女孩甜心派都收到了邀请。奥蒂斯却怕面对这么多人。

Miss Franny and a little girl called Sweetie Pie receive invitations. Otis, however, is afraid of being around so many people.

欧宝反复劝，还答应多做些活儿，他才同意带着吉他来。

Opal keeps asking and offers to do extra work. At last, he agrees to come with his guitar.

聚会开始后，一场雷雨突然袭来。大家赶着把食物搬进屋。

After the party begins, a thunderstorm breaks out. Everyone hurries to carry the food indoors.

欧宝这才想起温迪克。它一听打雷就会惊慌乱跑，现在却不见了。

Then Opal remembers Winn-Dixie. Thunder sends him running in a panic, and now he is missing.

她和爸爸出去，一处接一处地冒雨寻找。

She and her father go out into the rain, searching one place after another.

爸爸说该回去了，欧宝积压多年的委屈一下涌了上来。

When her father says it is time to go back, Opal’s years of hurt come pouring out.

为什么不接着找？当年妈妈走的时候，他是不是也这样放弃了？

Why will he not keep looking? Did he give up like this when her mother left?

爸爸哭了。他也想留住妈妈，可是留不住。

Her father cries. He wanted her mother to stay too, but he could not make her stay.

妈妈不会回来了，但她留下了欧宝。欧宝终于看见，爸爸也一直在难过。

Her mother will not be coming back, but she left him with Opal. At last, Opal sees that her father has been hurting too.

回到格洛丽亚家，他们才知道温迪克原来躲到了床下。

Back at Gloria’s house, they learn that Winn-Dixie had hidden under a bed.

原来，奥蒂斯弹吉他时，温迪克打了个喷嚏，暴露了藏身处。

While Otis was playing his guitar, Winn-Dixie had sneezed and given away his hiding place.

狗找回来了，朋友们也没走，聚会继续进行。

The dog is safe, the friends are still there, and the party goes on.

欧宝独自到院子里，在心里把这个夏天讲给妈妈听。

Opal goes into the yard alone and silently tells her mother about the summer.

她还是想妈妈。但如今，她有爸爸可以谈心，也有朋友可以拜访。

She still misses her mother. But now she has her father to talk to and friends to visit.

邓拉普伸出手，她这次没有躲开。随后，欧宝走回亮着灯的屋子，歌声还在。

Dunlap offers his hand, and this time she does not pull away. Then Opal walks back toward the lighted house. The singing is still going on.

Today, Duoji is telling you about The Stranger by Albert Camus who won the Nobel Prize in Literature

A man doesn't cry at his mother's funeral

The next day he swims in the sea watches a comedy and finds a girlfriend

Soon after he shoots a man on a beach

At his trial the prosecutor barely asks about the shooting

He keeps asking about the funeral

In the end the man is sentenced to death and when the sentence is read he says he is happy

What kind of man is this

The story begins with a telegram

Meursault is a clerk in Algiers

One day the nursing home sends word that his mother has died

He asks for two days off and takes the bus to Marengo

His mother moved into the home three years ago because his small salary couldn't pay anyone to care for her

She hadn't visited him in a long time and he had almost stopped visiting her

At the vigil the doorkeeper offers him a cigarette

He takes it

The doorkeeper brings him a cup of milk coffee and he drinks that too

Near dawn he even dozes off

When the coffin is closed the director asks if he wants to see her one last time

He says no

On the walk to the grave the sun is heavy and all he thinks about is going back to the city and sleeping for twelve hours

On the Sunday after the funeral he goes to the public beach and runs into Marie who used to work in his office

They watch a comedy together

That night she asks if he wants to marry her

He says it doesn't matter and if she wants to they can

She asks if he loves her

He says the word doesn't mean much and probably he doesn't

His neighbor Raymond is friendly with him

Raymond says his mistress has betrayed him

He asks Meursault to write a letter that will bring her back and then punish her

Meursault writes it

When the police come after Raymond Meursault agrees to testify that the woman treated him badly

That Sunday Raymond invites him and Marie to a friend's cabin by the sea

On the beach they meet two Arabs

One of them is the brother of Raymond's mistress

There is a fight and Raymond is cut

At noon in the worst heat of the day Meursault walks back to the beach alone

The sun hangs over him like a red hot blade

The sand is so white it hurts his eyes

The Arab has come back too

He stands by the spring with his hand in his pocket

Meursault only wants to get out of the sun but sweat runs into his eyes salty and sharp and the world blurs

Then a blade flashes in the Arab's pocket

The light from its edge cuts into his forehead

Sweat and light fall on him together

He can't hold on any longer

His whole body tightens and his finger finds the trigger of the gun Raymond lent him

One shot

He knows that shot has broken the quiet of the beach and the quiet of his old life with it

Then he fires four more times into the body on the ground

Meursault is arrested

He doesn't take it very seriously

He thinks the case is simple

The magistrate asks if he loved his mother

He says he loved her the way everyone does

The magistrate waves a crucifix at him and tells him to believe in God and repent

He refuses

He says he doesn't believe in God

But in court the prosecutor barely asks about the shooting

One by one the witnesses talk about the funeral

The director of the home testifies that Meursault didn't cry

He drank coffee he smoked he slept

Marie testifies that the very next day they went to see a comedy

The prosecutor stands up and speaks to the jury

A single shot might be explained by a moment of madness but a man who can't shed one tear for his mother carried that coldness from the funeral to the beach

I accuse this man of burying his mother with the heart of a murderer

No one speaks for him

Meursault sits in the dock and listens to people talk about him as if he isn't there

He tries to interrupt and he is told to sit still

All through the trial he feels like an outsider

The verdict comes death in public

Back in his cell he waits for the appeal

He doesn't think much about dying

Sometimes at dawn he listens to the sounds in the corridor

If a shot came now the day would break right after it

The chaplain comes again and again to ask him to repent before God

He keeps refusing

At the last visit the chaplain won't let it go and Meursault explodes

He grabs the chaplain by the collar and shouts what he has been holding inside

If there is only one fate and his fate is death then what difference does any other fate make

Everyone dies

People were doomed to die thirty thousand years ago and dying now is no different

After that he lies on his bunk and looks at the stars

For the first time he opens himself to the gentle indifference of the world

He finds that he was happy before and he is happy now

For this to be complete he has one last wish

He wants a crowd at his execution

He wants them to greet him with cries of hate

A long time ago, an old mare and her colt lived in a barn

"Child, you've grown up," said the old mare

"Can you help your mother with something"

"I can, Mother," said the colt

"I'd be glad to help you"

"Good child," she said

"Then take this half sack of wheat to the mill"

"No problem, Mother"

The colt loaded the wheat on his back and trotted off to the mill

He ran and ran, and then a little river blocked his way

The water rushed and splashed

The colt stood still, not sure what to do

"Can I get across," he wondered

"Is the water deep or shallow"

"If only Mother were here," he thought

"She would know what to say"

But Mother was far away

The colt looked around, hoping someone could help him

Not far from the river, an old ox was grazing on the hillside

"I've got an idea," he said

The old ox was eating grass, slow and easy, when he heard hooves go tap tap tap

"Hello, Uncle Ox," said the colt

"I have a question for you"

"Well, it's the little colt," said the ox

"Go ahead and ask"

"Please tell me, can I wade across this river"

"This river is shallow," said the ox

"It only comes up to your shins"

"You can wade across"

"Really," said the colt

"Trust me," said the ox

"I graze on the other side all the time"

"Thank you, Uncle Ox"

"Don't mention it"

The colt went back to the river and stepped toward the water

"Colt, don't cross," cried a voice

"Colt, don't cross, the water will drown you"

"Is it deep," asked the colt

"Very deep," said Little Squirrel

"Yesterday a friend of mine fell in and drowned"

"Oh no," said the colt

"That's terrible"

"Remember," said Little Squirrel

"Never go into that river"

"But I have to deliver this wheat," said the colt

"What am I going to do"

"I can't help you," said Little Squirrel

"Go home and ask your mother"

"Thank you, Little Squirrel," said the colt

He flicked his tail and ran home

From far away, the old mare saw her colt coming back with the wheat still on his back

"Why are you home," she asked

"A river is in my way," said the colt

"I can't get across"

"Isn't that river shallow," she asked

"Uncle Ox said so too," said the colt

"But Little Squirrel says it's deep"

"He says his friend drowned in it"

"So is the water deep or shallow," asked the old mare

"Did you think carefully about what they told you"

"No," said the colt

"Child," she said

"Listening to others is not enough"

"You have to think for yourself"

"And you have to try"

"Deep or shallow, you'll know when you try"

"Yes, Mother," said the colt

"I understand"

The colt turned and ran back to the river

He stood at the water's edge and lifted one front hoof

Just then, a little brown shape popped up in front of him

It was Little Squirrel

"What are you doing," he said

"I told you it's dangerous"

"Why are you going into the river again"

"Let me try," said the colt

He stepped in slowly and waded across

The water was not as shallow as Uncle Ox had said

And it was not as deep as Little Squirrel had said

On the grass on the other side, the colt felt pleased with himself

Some things you just have to be brave and try for yourself

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个穷小子借女人与报馆一路往上爬，把恩人、情人和妻子都当成台阶。

Today, Duji is going to tell you Bel Ami, a famous novel by Guy de Maupassant

It's about a poor young man who couldn't even write his first article

Somehow he became the son-in-law of a newspaper owner, and before that he was the bride's mother's lover

How did he get there

And why didn't the people he used and betrayed ruin him

The story starts with him standing on a Paris street, counting the coins in his pocket

He had just come out of a cheap restaurant, and he was working out how many meals the coins would buy

It was a summer night, and the cafes along the street were full

Cold drinks stood on every table

He was thirsty, but he wouldn't go in and spend the money

He had been a soldier

Now he was a clerk at the railway office

His clothes were old, but he was a handsome man, tall, with a curled mustache and a cavalryman's walk

He watched the men who could afford to drink, and the longer he watched, the angrier he got

Then he ran into an old friend from the army, Charles Forestier

Forestier was an editor at a newspaper now

He heard Duroy's troubles and invited him to dinner at his home, where he would introduce him to the owner of the paper

To go to the dinner, Duroy borrowed money and bought proper clothes

On the stairs he caught sight of a well-dressed man in the mirror

For a moment he didn't recognize him

Then he saw it was himself

He smiled at the glass, bowed, and practiced the way he would greet the guests

At the table he told stories about his years as a soldier in Africa, and everyone listened with interest

The owner told him to write them down for the paper

Back in his room, Duroy set out paper and picked up his pen

Nothing came

In the end, Forestier's wife helped him

Madeleine asked him about his life and shaped his answers into an article

It appeared under his name

He bought a copy and read his own name over and over

He joined the newspaper office and learned to hunt for news and stay close to useful people

The work came easily enough, but the money never stretched

That was when he and Madame de Marelle became lovers

She liked him, met him when she could, and left money behind when she saw he was short

Her little daughter called him Bel Ami, which means handsome friend

Duroy took the help

They quarreled and parted, then drifted back together

When she caught him tangled up with another woman, she stormed off

But they never made a clean break, and sooner or later they met again

Then Forestier fell ill

Duroy traveled south and sat with Madeleine at his bedside

The man who had brought him into the newspaper office died

During the wake, he began to speak to the dead man's wife about a future together

Madeleine didn't want to be a wife ruled by her husband

She wanted freedom, and she wanted a marriage that worked as a partnership

Duroy agreed

After the wedding she kept writing with him and brought politicians into their sitting room

His articles were taken more seriously, and he gave his name a noble sound

But when a colleague compared him to the dead Forestier, he grew angry

He didn't like being reminded whose place he was sitting in

A count who had been close to Madeleine died and left her a large fortune

Duroy seized on it

He questioned her about the man, then demanded half the money, saying he wanted to avoid gossip

In the end, he got it

He also went after Madame Walter

Her husband, Monsieur Walter, owned the paper

At first she refused him

Then she fell into the affair

He soon tired of her clinging, but she still wanted to hold on to him

She even told him secrets from her husband's business

The paper stood close to the men in power, and it got news early, which made its name

Duroy's articles spoke for them in public

But when there was real money to be made, he was kept in the dark too

Minister Laroche-Mathieu denied any plan to send troops into Morocco

In secret, the minister had already bought Moroccan bonds with Walter

They knew the bonds would rise once France sent its army and guaranteed the debt

Madame Walter told Duroy what was really happening and helped him into the deal

He made a profit

Then he found that his owner had made far more

He wrote other men's articles while they grew rich behind his back

He walked into the grand new house Walter had bought and looked at everything in it

That was when he fixed his eyes on Suzanne, Walter's younger daughter

Suzanne liked him and told him her private thoughts

But he was already married

To step into that family's money and name, he first had to get rid of Madeleine

He watched his wife's movements in secret

At last he brought the police and caught her with the minister

The official record of adultery let him apply for a divorce, and he meant to expose the minister in the paper

Walter hesitated

The minister had been the paper's ally, but the scandal was now a fact, and there was nothing left to gain by protecting him

The owner agreed to print the story

Duroy was free of his wife, had brought down a minister, and had shown Walter what he could do

After the divorce, he had Suzanne speak to her parents first

If they refused, she was to slip out at night and meet him

Suzanne thought of the elopements in novels, two people running away so no one could part them again

She said yes

That night Duroy waited in a carriage at the Place de la Concorde

The clock struck twelve and she didn't come

One o'clock came too

He was sure the plan had failed when her face finally appeared at the window

She had fought with her parents

Her mother refused outright, and her father said he wasn't good enough for his daughter

Now she had come to him

The carriage rolled out of Paris

Madame Walter found her daughter's bed empty and called her husband

Walter looked into the empty room and understood that he had been outplayed

A daughter who ran off with a man became harder to hide with every hour

His wife still refused

But he had begun to speak for Duroy

This man could bring down a minister with a few articles

One day he might be a deputy, even a minister

His rank was low for now, but his future might not be

The letter Duroy had prepared arrived

It said Suzanne had come to him of her own free will

Without her parents' consent, he would keep her with him and hide her

Walter agreed to the marriage

Suzanne was still in the country with Duroy, and he introduced her as his sister

They didn't sleep together

What he needed was the elopement itself, and the threat of scandal

Once he had his answer, he sent her home

Madame de Marelle learned what he was planning

She came and told him what she thought of him, and they fought

Duroy struck her

The quarrel ended, and he went back to preparing his wedding

On the wedding day the church was packed

Duroy stood beside Suzanne and listened to the blessings

Important men came to shake his hand, and as he looked at the crowd, he felt that all of them were there for him

Madame de Marelle came too

When they shook hands, there was the old warmth between them

He understood that the two of them were not finished

He walked out of the church with his bride on his arm

Below the steps, the crowd waited to see him

He lifted his head and looked past the Place de la Concorde to the parliament building far away

A few more steps, it seemed, and he would be there

As he came down the steps, the image of Madame de Marelle rose in his mind again

He saw her standing at the mirror, tidying the curls at her temples

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个人把巨石推上山，石头又滚下来，加缪却要我们想象他是幸福的。

Today, Duoji is telling you about The Myth of Sisyphus, by Albert Camus

A man pushes a huge rock up a mountain

It rolls down

He walks down and pushes again

The gods gave him this punishment, and it never ends

Yet Camus asks us to imagine that this man is happy

Watch the walk down

A moment ago his cheek was on the stone, his shoulder under the weight, his muddy hands pushing it up inch by inch

Then the long effort ended, and the rock rolled back down

Now he walks toward it, heavy and even, knowing what comes

If he still believed one more push would keep the rock on top, his pain would have a hope

But Sisyphus knows there's no such push

He sees it clearly, nothing hidden

Camus stops and looks at this man

The same clarity can come on an ordinary day

Get up, take the bus, work, eat, work again, sleep

Monday passes, Tuesday follows, and one day a person asks, why

What he did without thinking yesterday now needs an explanation

Tomorrow he'll still get up and work, but where is it going

He wants his labor to mean something, his scattered life to be one whole he understands

The world won't answer

The man who asks and the world that stays silent face each other

Camus calls that clash the absurd

A sharper question follows

If you can't find the meaning of life, is life not worth living

He asks about that step

Is there a necessary link between "I can't explain life" and "I must end it"

His answer is no

Ending a life removes the asker, and the clash goes too

But it doesn't say how to face the world

Others leap past reason into faith and hand the unknown to eternity

Camus refuses that too

He won't pretend he has an answer he doesn't

He wants to live inside the question

The asking stays, the silence stays

Neither is erased

Every day he faces the clash again

That is revolt

On the hillside, Sisyphus is still walking down

This mountain wasn't always all he knew

In one legend, before he died, he told his wife not to bury him, to test her love

She obeyed

In the underworld he asked to go back and punish her

He was allowed to return

Once he tasted water, saw the sun, the warm stones and the sea, he didn't want to return

He lived on earth for years and wouldn't leave, despite the calls and warnings

So the messenger of the gods dragged him back

The rock was waiting

He had loved the earth

Now its happiness is a memory, and he must walk back to the rock

The road down hurts

Camus doesn't wipe that away

What he lost can turn so vivid it's hard to bear

Clarity alone doesn't make anyone happy

But Camus saw something else

Sisyphus saw the whole fate the gods gave him and kept no last hope for them

He can despise this judgment

It is still carried out

His contempt stays

He bears the work without agreeing they're right

This revolt brings no pardon

The rock will fall again

Where is freedom left

Camus looks at the life a person really lives

Death makes eternal freedom impossible

It shows how much of today he held back for tomorrow

That tomorrow is gone, and what can be felt and done now becomes urgent

An actor knows the curtain will fall, and still lives a character's love and pain on stage

A creator knows the work may be destroyed, and still shapes it

Neither solves the absurd

Both keep giving themselves to life

That's the freedom and passion Camus finds

Life is limited, and you feel it as fully as you can

Back to Sisyphus

The summit isn't closer, the punishment isn't shorter

But when he looks back, his actions, his memories, his labor join into a life that is his own

The judgment of the gods can't speak it for him

Here happiness becomes possible

It sits with the pain, with the revolt, with work that has no end

So Camus says, we must imagine Sisyphus happy

He leaves Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain

The rock is still there

Every grain on it, every fleck of mineral on that dark peak, makes a world

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一对少年把爱当作通往圣洁的路，一路克制与分离，直到彼此再也走不进对方的心门。

Today, Duoji is going to tell you the story of Strait Is the Gate, by the Nobel Prize winner André Gide

They had loved each other since they were children, and both families hoped they would marry

Yet the two of them made a pact

On the day the girl came down to dinner without her cross, the man would leave the next morning

He would not complain, and he would not say goodbye

In the end, she really did take off the cross

And yet, after he was gone, she searched for him the whole morning

If she couldn't bear to let him go, why did she still send him away

This pact began in a white house in Normandy

Jerome's father died young

In the holidays, his mother took him to his uncle's house

There he had two cousins, Alissa and Juliette

The younger one played and laughed with him, but it was the older sister he loved

In front of Alissa, he chose every word with care

One day, passing his aunt's bedroom, he saw a young officer making her laugh

He ran upstairs and pushed open Alissa's door

She was kneeling by the bed, her face covered in tears

Jerome couldn't yet understand her sorrow, but he already wanted to keep every hurt away from her

He held her, and kissed her forehead

Soon after, the aunt left home with her lover

That Sunday, the pastor spoke of the wide gate and the narrow gate

The broad road leads to ruin, he said

But the road to life is narrow and hard to walk

Jerome sat behind Alissa

He thought of the laughter downstairs, and of the room where she had wept

In his heart, the narrow gate slowly became Alissa's door

Only by giving up selfishness and holding himself back could he be worthy to enter

When the service ended, he even made a point of not going to her

He wanted to see her, yet he held himself back

That small ache, he took as proof of his love

They studied Latin together and read the same books

Holding her hand, he said that whatever he hoped to become, it was all for her

But Alissa answered that everyone must walk to God alone

He said, but the one who showed him the way was her

When his mother was very ill, Jerome asked her whether Alissa loved him too

Again and again she answered, yes, and she blessed them both

Later his mother died, and Alissa sent a letter through her father

She was sorry she had never said the words that would have comforted his mother

She told Jerome that she belonged to him more tenderly than ever

Jerome believed that once he finished his studies, they would marry

But when he asked to be engaged, Alissa refused

She wanted to stay with her father

She also said she couldn't marry before her younger sister

At Christmas, Juliette asked him straight out whether he knew whom her sister wanted her to marry

You, she said

Jerome burst out that it was ridiculous

She said she already knew what she had to do

A friend finally pointed it out

Juliette was the one who loved Jerome

In his view, the older sister was stepping aside for the younger

But back inside the house, they saw Juliette accept another man's proposal

Alissa begged Jerome to stop it

Her sister didn't love that man at all

Beside the Christmas tree, Juliette fainted

When she recovered, she still insisted on marrying soon

Later, the younger sister had children

She was busy with her husband's business and the household, and sent word through Alissa that she was well again

Little by little, Alissa admitted that Juliette was truly happy

Hope rose in Jerome again

Studying, traveling, serving in the army, he wrote to Alissa again and again

When he read a passage he wanted to share with her, he wrote an "A" in the margin, the first letter of her name

When Alissa received the gift books, she found his marks beside the lines she loved

She copied those poems into her letters, as if the two of them had read them together all over again

Yet when they truly met, they didn't know how to begin

One day, out walking, he took her hand

The day was hot, and they walked fast, so their palms slowly grew damp with sweat

Finding nothing to say, they finally let go

Afterwards Alissa wrote that they should not meet again

Yet in the same letter, she wrote that she had waited for him a whole morning

And once he left, she regretted saying nothing

From farther away, it seemed, she loved him more

Jerome suggested they stop writing for a while, and in spring return to the farm they knew so well

On the day they met again, she was dressed in white

She stood up, and her sewing slid to the floor

She held out both hands, laid them on his shoulders, and looked at him, smiling

This time it was Jerome who asked for a sign

Whenever she gave it, he would leave

Alissa chose the amethyst cross at her throat

The day she came down to dinner without it would be their last night

He promised

He would not complain, and he would not say goodbye

In the first few days, they trimmed the roses together, cutting the dead branches and tying up the living ones

With their hands busy, the silence no longer hurt

Each night, seeing the cross still there, Jerome felt a little more at ease

At last he brought it up

Since her sister was happy now, couldn't they be happy too

Alissa's face changed at once

She said, "Beside you, I am happier than I ever imagined But we were not made for happiness"

Jerome asked what a soul could choose that was better than happiness

Softly she answered, "Holiness"

He laid his head on her knees and wept

Without her, he said, he could never reach it

That night she wore no cross

At daybreak, Jerome left

Her letter came soon after

She had searched for him a whole morning, she wrote

She wrote that being together was too sweet, and that very sweetness made her uneasy

Yet he still believed that if he kept climbing, even the hardest road would lead him to her

When autumn came again, Alissa seemed a different person

Her hair was pulled tight against her head, and her clothes were dull and rough

The books they had read together were gone, replaced by religious pamphlets

He offered to read to her, but she said she was busy mending, and would not be able to listen

Before he left, they sat on the same old bench

Jerome spoke of his sorrow, and she answered, "You are in love with a shadow"

He was quick to argue back

This was the one he had always loved

How could she be a shadow

Alissa kept her head down, slowly picking a flower apart

She asked why he wouldn't admit that he no longer loved her as he once had

He said, "I have never loved you like this"

But she said the one he held on to now lived only in memory

One day, he would remember only that he had once loved her

Jerome left in despair

He even wondered whether he had placed her too high, and whether the woman before him was the way she had always been

For three years after that, they did not meet

When he returned to the farm, his uncle had died

Jerome wandered by the little gate of the kitchen garden, and suddenly heard Alissa call his name

She had come to wait for him here for several evenings now

She was terribly thin, and she carried the letters he had sent her long ago

She brought out the cross and asked him to keep it for a future daughter, as a keepsake of her

Jerome refused to take it

"Why not give it to her yourself" he asked

Alissa's lips trembled, and she couldn't speak

He caught her in his arms and kissed her lips

She leaned against him and closed her eyes, then begged him not to ruin their love

Jerome knelt before her

He had waited for her sister to marry

He had waited for her sister to be happy

He had thought she simply couldn't bear to leave her father

Now all of that was past

Why still not

Alissa said she had once imagined this love too high

Once they lived as man and wife, it would stop being perfect, and she couldn't bear that

He asked whether she had ever thought about what it would mean if they were never together

She said no

Never

At the little gate of the kitchen garden, she turned

She laid both hands on his shoulders and looked at him a while

Then she shut the gate and drew the bolt

Jerome wept outside for a long time, and never once could step in again

In less than a month, a letter from her sister arrived

Alissa was dead

She had gone alone to Paris, hiding her name and her address, and taken a room in a sanatorium

By the time the family found the place, she was already gone

The cross he had refused to take was on her neck, as she had wished

Then Jerome received the diary she left behind

At last he saw what those days he had thought he understood had been like in her heart

When her sister was happy, she felt sad, and blamed herself

Was it because that happiness didn't need her sacrifice

She asked herself whether she wanted happiness itself, or only the endless walking toward it

She decided she had taken up Jerome's whole heart and blocked his road to God

To let him go further, she had to make him stop loving her

She also wrote of the day he stood behind her reading, and how his breath and warmth made her rise in a hurry

That same night, her father looked at her lying on the sofa and said he seemed to see her mother again

She slept badly that night

Old memories rose up, as if she had done something wrong

But whichever book she opened, she could still hear Jerome's voice

She tried to write words that weren't like his, yet even in resisting him, she was still thinking of him

That autumn she asked herself whether he loved her a little less now

That was what she hoped for, and what she feared

She had never loved him like this

Sometimes she stopped believing her own reasons for fleeing, and yet she still fled

On the night of their last parting, she could neither sleep nor pray

She went back into the dark garden, back to the gate where she had left him outside

She opened it again, hoping he would return

She called out, and groped through the dark

Then she went back inside to write to him

She wrote, tore it up, and wrote again

Slowly the day broke, and the first sounds came from the farm

That letter was never sent

More than ten years later, Jerome saw Juliette again

She asked him to be godfather to her youngest daughter

The child was named Alissa too

She asked him why he still hadn't married

He said there were some things he did not wish to forget

In a small room filled with her sister's old furniture, Juliette asked whether a love without hope could really stay in the heart so long

Did the days blow over it, day after day, without ever putting it out

Jerome said yes, it could

Dusk slowly drowned the furniture

Juliette stood up, then sank back down without strength, her hands over her face

Jerome couldn't tell whether she was crying

Just then, the maid came in carrying a lamp

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一群孩子流落荒岛，从文明走向野蛮，一部关于人性幽暗与纯真消逝的经典寓言。

Today, Duoji is going to tell you the story of Lord of the Flies, by the Nobel Prize winner Golding

A group of children were stranded on a deserted island

At last, there were no grown-ups to boss them around

They didn't have to go to school

They could play all day, and pick one of themselves to be their leader

But later, one of those children had to run for his life

The other children were hunting him down

How did things ever come to this

Well, the story starts with a conch shell

That conch shell was found by twelve-year-old Ralph and a chubby boy in thick glasses

They were wading in the shallow water

A plane crash had left these British boys on the island

They had been flying away from the war

A storm swept the wreckage out to sea, and no one knew where they had landed

The chubby boy had asthma

Earlier, he had quietly asked Ralph not to tell the others his school nickname

But Ralph told them anyway

From then on, everyone called him Piggy

In time, no one even said his real name

It was also Piggy who came up with the idea to blow the conch shell

If they blew it, the children scattered across the island would come together

The children followed the sound and came running

They raised their hands and chose Ralph as their leader

Then he made one rule

At meetings, whoever held the conch shell had the right to speak, and no one could interrupt

Another boy who wanted to be leader was Jack

He used to lead the school choir

After he lost the vote, Ralph put him in charge of hunting, together with the boys who had sung under him

One day, as they explored the island, they found a small pig caught in the vines

Jack raised his knife, but he couldn't bring himself to do it

In the end, he let the pig go

What Ralph cared about most was going home

He asked everyone to build huts and keep a fire burning on the mountain

That way, any passing ship would see the smoke

The boys used Piggy's glasses to focus the sunlight and light the fire

But they got so excited that they forgot to watch it, and the fire spread into the trees

By the time they noticed, a little boy with a birthmark on his face was gone

They never found him again

After that, the boys who had promised to help often ran off to play

Only Ralph and a boy named Simon stayed to build the huts

Jack, though, fell deeper and deeper in love with hunting

He painted his face with mud and charcoal

Then he led his hunters into the forest, and even called away the boy who was supposed to keep the fire going

And just then, a ship appeared on the sea

Ralph raced up to the top of the mountain, but the fire had gone out

When Jack came back carrying the first wild pig he had ever killed, the ship had already sailed away

Jack told them all about the hunt, excited and proud

But Ralph said only one thing, over and over

A ship had passed by just now

Piggy spoke up and blamed Jack too

So Jack hit him

Piggy's glasses fell onto the rocks, and one lens broke

That night, they still ate the meat

Meat could be handed out right away

But keeping the fire might mean waiting day after day and getting nothing

Ralph was still the leader, but the meetings he called were harder and harder to hold

The children were always afraid that a beast was hiding on the island

Simon tried to say that maybe the thing they feared was inside themselves

No one understood him, and he couldn't explain it well

One night, there was a battle in the sky far away

A dead parachutist fell onto the top of the mountain, and his parachute caught on the rocks

When the wind blew, the ropes made the body move

The twins who were keeping watch on the fire saw the dark shape rise and fall

They ran back, terrified, and said they had seen the beast with their own eyes

Later, even Ralph and Jack were frightened away by that shadow in the dim light

The children didn't dare go to the mountain top again

Jack accused Ralph of being a coward, and demanded a new vote for leader

But not one hand went up to support him

Crying, he stormed off and said he would hunt on his own

Little by little, some children slipped away to follow him

This time, the hunters chased down a mother pig and killed her while she was feeding her young

They cut off her head and stuck it on a sharpened stick, as an offering to the beast

Jack took some of his boys to Ralph's camp and stole fire from them

Then he invited the other children to come and eat meat

But Simon, who had stayed behind in the forest, came face to face, all alone, with that pig's head

It was crawling with flies

It was the Lord of the Flies

In a daze, he felt the pig's head was talking to him

It laughed at him for thinking the beast was something he could chase and kill

The beast was in them

The flies buzzed and buzzed, and Simon fainted

When he woke up, he climbed the mountain alone

At last he saw clearly what the so-called beast really was

It was just a dead body, pulled by the ropes of a parachute

He had to hurry and tell the others

They didn't need to be afraid of that thing anymore

Down below, Ralph and Piggy came too, to eat the meat

A storm was coming

Jack made the children dance the hunting dance

They made a circle, stamped their feet, and waved their sticks

They shouted, over and over, to kill the beast

And Ralph and Piggy pushed into the crowd with them

Simon came stumbling out of the dark, trying to tell them about the mountain

But the crowd took him for the beast, and rushed at him all together

Before he could pass on his news, his friends killed him there by the sea

In the night, the rising tide carried his body away

The next day, Ralph said it was murder

He remembered that he had been there too

But Piggy kept saying it was only an accident

It was too dark, and everyone was too scared

He reminded Ralph again and again that they had been standing outside the circle

Jack told his tribe that the beast might come back

Someone was tied up and beaten, and no one could say what he had done wrong

To make fire for cooking meat, Jack led a night raid on the camp and stole Piggy's glasses

Now Piggy could barely see, and Ralph and his friends had lost the only way to light the fire again

Piggy insisted on getting his glasses back

Holding the conch shell, he walked with Ralph and the twins to the rock castle that Jack had taken over

He still believed that whoever held the conch shell had the right to speak

He asked the painted children which was better, following the rules or chasing the kill

Then Roger, up above, pushed down on a lever

A huge rock came rolling down

It struck Piggy and knocked him off the cliff

The conch shell in his hands shattered at the very same moment

The twins were seized, and Ralph was hurt

He could only flee into the forest alone

The next day, they began to hunt Ralph

To drive him out of the bushes where he was hiding, the hunters set the forest on fire

Ralph ran and ran for his life, the fire behind him, his companions all around him, searching

At last, he burst out of the trees and fell down on the beach

When he lifted his head, he saw a naval officer in uniform

The smoke of the burning forest had brought a cruiser to the island

The rescue fire Ralph had kept for so long had not brought help

What finally brought the grown-ups was the fire his own friends had lit to kill him

At first, the officer thought the boys were just playing at war

Then Ralph said that two people were already dead

The painted children with their sharp sticks stopped one by one on the beach

Ralph wept

He wept for the innocence that could never come back

He wept for the darkness he had seen in people's hearts

And he wept for Piggy, the boy he had once laughed at, who had always stood by his side

The other children began to cry too

The officer felt uneasy

He turned away to give them some time

His eyes moved out over the sea, and rested on the neat cruiser far away

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一封没有署名的长信，揭开一生的爱恋、沉默与遗忘，让温柔与疏离、自尊与执念同时显现。

On his forty-first birthday, the writer R came home to Vienna and found a long, unsigned letter

A woman told him her child had died the day before

She had a fever, too

If she survived, she'd tear up these pages

The letter would reach him only after her death

He began to read

This woman knew his home and his habits

He had no idea who she was

At thirteen, she'd lived across the hall with her widowed mother

Her mother was always grieving, and she had no one to confide in

Before the new writer appeared, crates of his books arrived

Some were written in languages she couldn't even recognize

She wandered around the piles, imagining the man who'd read them

She imagined, too, the unfamiliar world behind his door

Then she saw him running lightly down the stairs

He was young, nothing like the white-bearded old man she'd pictured

Once, she opened a door for him

He thanked her with a gentle smile

She thought that look belonged to her alone

Much later, she learned he looked at many women that way

She began reading more, practicing the piano, and taking care with her clothes

When they met, she hid the patches on her old clothes behind her schoolbag

She was afraid he'd look down on her

More often, she sat in the chilly entrance hall, watching his door through a peephole

She knew his footsteps, when he went out, and when he traveled

He hardly noticed her

Her mother remarried and decided to move to Innsbruck

Before they left, the girl rang his bell

No one answered

She waited again in the freezing hall until late that night

At last he came home, with a woman beside him

The next day, she was taken away from Vienna

Her stepfather treated her kindly

Her mother was willing to grant her wishes

People invited her on outings, and young men showed interest

She refused them all

She didn't want to be happy somewhere far from him

At eighteen, she insisted on earning her own living

Finally, she returned to Vienna and found work in a clothing shop

After work, she waited near his home

At last, he turned to look at her

She understood immediately

He saw a pretty stranger

All these years, she'd remembered every little thing about him

She'd even imagined he might sometimes think of her

She'd considered the possibility of rejection

It had never occurred to her that he wouldn't remember her at all

He took her to dinner, then invited her home

She followed him up the familiar stairs, through the doorway where she'd once kept watch

He was considerate and kind

He neither pressured her nor made promises

She wouldn't tell him about the past

She feared that knowing how much she loved him would make him keep his distance

In the morning, he took white roses from a blue vase and gave them to her

She spent three nights there in all

Then he was leaving on a trip

He promised to contact her when he returned

She left an address where the post office could hold his letters

Still, she didn't tell him she was the child who'd once lived across the hall

Every day, she asked whether a letter had arrived

Eventually, his windows were lit again

Still, no letter came

She was pregnant

She decided not to tell him

In her letter, she said she feared he might doubt the child was his

He might feel trapped

Worse, he might ask her to give up the child, and she might be unable to refuse him

Yet she knew he was always willing to help people who asked

As a child, she'd seen him give a beggar a generous sum

But he'd been eager to send the man away

She didn't want to become another person he wanted to get rid of quickly

She'd never asked him any of these questions

She made the decision alone

As the child grew inside her, she felt she finally had a life connected to his

This one wouldn't leave her as he had

Late in her pregnancy, she left the shop, afraid her relatives would find out

She didn't ask her mother for help

She lived by selling her jewelry

Then her last money was stolen

She had to enter a hospital that took in poor women giving birth

In the crowded ward, she endured the pain

She also endured doctors and students watching and examining her

Her son was born there

She wouldn't let her child suffer the humiliation of poverty

Later, she accepted support from wealthy men and became their mistress

Her son had fine clothes and a good education

An older count cared for her

He also worked to get the boy into a good school

Several times he asked her to marry him

Every time, she refused

She knew marriage would give her and her son a secure home

But she still wanted to remain free

If the writer ever called for her, she wanted to be able to go to him at once

Her son grew older

He could lose himself in a book or spend hours happily playing

In him, she saw the writer's own shifts between seriousness and playfulness

With her child, longing for the man no longer hurt so much

But every year, on the writer's birthday, she still sent white roses without her name

Years later, she went to a dance hall with her lover and friends

The writer watched her from the next table and signaled for her to come outside

She followed

Again, he didn't recognize her

But he invited her to leave with him

She told her lover she'd be right back

She left him sitting there

This was the man who cared for her and her son, the man who hoped to marry her

She knew she was humiliating him

Still, she didn't even collect her coat

With only a scarf around her, she followed the writer into the night fog

Back in the familiar room, she saw white roses in the blue vase

She'd sent them the day before

He treasured the flowers and held her tenderly

But he didn't know who'd sent them

He didn't know who he was holding, either

The next morning, he invited her to breakfast and chatted warmly

Still, he didn't ask her name or where she lived

He was about to travel again

At last, she tried to remind him

The man she'd loved, she said, was always traveling, too

Whenever he returned, he forgot her

He looked at her earnestly and reassured her

He wouldn't forget her, he said

For a moment, she almost believed he'd finally remembered

Then, in the mirror, she saw him quietly slipping several large banknotes into her muff, the garment she used to warm her hands

She'd loved him for years

She'd borne his son and raised him

Now he was treating her as a woman he could pay to spend the night with him

Still, she didn't tell him who she was

Before leaving, she asked him for a rose

Perhaps, she suggested, the flowers came from a woman he'd forgotten

He only looked at her with friendly bewilderment

At the door, his old servant Johann saw her tearful eyes

Suddenly, he recognized her

She pushed the banknotes into his hands and hurried away

He hadn't seen her for years

Yet he knew who she was

Now her son was dead from influenza

She'd watched over him for days and nights, until at last she fell asleep in her chair

When she woke, he was no longer breathing

By candlelight, she wrote these memories to the writer

For the first time, she told him the boy had been his son, too

Again and again, she said she didn't blame him

Yet she couldn't stop writing that he'd never recognized her

She'd once feared he wouldn't believe the child was his

Now she regretted keeping it secret

He would have loved the boy, she believed

The letter was almost finished

She said it comforted her to know her death wouldn't disturb his life

But then she thought of the white roses

Who would send them now

At last, she asked him to buy roses every year on his birthday and put them in the vase

Then she could still remain quietly beside him for one day

R put down the letter

His hands were trembling

He tried to remember the child across the hall, the young girl, the woman in the dance hall

Fragments rose and faded

They never formed a clear face

He looked toward his desk

The blue vase was empty

For the first time in years, there were no white roses on his birthday

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。小男孩麦克斯被关回房间，却在想象中乘船闯进野兽国，当上野兽之王尽情撒野，最后仍想念家里那碗热腾腾的晚饭。

That night, little Max put on his wolf suit and made all kinds of mischief around the house

His mother called him a little wild thing, and Max talked right back

He even said he would eat her up

So his mother sent him to bed without any supper

Max stayed all alone in his room

And that very night, the room began to change

Trees started to grow, vines reached up toward the ceiling, and the four walls slowly turned into a wide, wide world

Now the little boy who could only stay in his room had a forest and an ocean right in front of him

He climbed into a little boat and sailed away, off to the place where the wild things live

Day and night went by, and the journey stretched out so long that it felt almost like a whole year

And there, at last, were the wild things

They roared and showed their teeth and claws, trying to scare the new little boy

But Max didn't back away

He told them to be still, and he stared straight at them without blinking once

That frightened the wild things

The wild things decided that Max was wilder than all of them, so they made him their king

Back home, he had just been sent to his room for being naughty

But here, a whole crowd of huge wild things listened to his every word

Max led them in a great wild rumpus

This time, he was the one who decided when it would begin, and he was the one who decided when it would stop

When the fun was over, he sent the wild things off to bed without any supper

What his mother had once done to him, Max now did to the wild things

When everything grew quiet, Max felt lonely

The wild things still called him their king and obeyed his every command, but he wanted to go back to the place where someone loved him best of all

Then the smell of good food came drifting to him from far, far away

He wanted to go home

Even if it meant he would no longer be king, Max made up his mind to leave

The wild things begged him to stay

They said they loved him so much that they wanted to eat him up

But Max said no

They roared again and showed their teeth and claws, yet Max still climbed into his little boat and waved goodbye

That long, strange journey carried him back to his own room, back to that very same night

When he'd set out, he'd gone without his supper for talking back to his mother

Now he was home, and his supper was sitting there waiting for him

And it was still hot

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只少了一颗纽扣的小熊，为了找纽扣在深夜商场冒险，最终被小女孩莉萨带回家，拥有了家和朋友。

In the toy department of a big store, sat a little bear in green corduroy overalls

His name was Corduroy

Every day, he waited with the other toys, hoping someone would stop and take him home

Many people came and went

They bought all kinds of things, but the little bear stayed on his shelf

One morning, a little girl stopped in front of him and looked into his eyes

She knew right away this was the bear she wanted, and she begged her mother to buy him

But her mother said no

They had already spent a lot of money that day, and the bear looked a little old, with a button missing from his overalls

The little girl had to leave

Corduroy watched them go, and that was when he learned his clothes were missing a button

He decided that when night came, he would go look for it

When the shoppers had gone and the doors were locked, Corduroy climbed down from his shelf and searched the floor

As he looked, the floor beneath him began to move, carrying him upward

He had stepped onto an escalator, but to Corduroy it felt like climbing a mountain

The little bear had never had an adventure like this before

The escalator carried him to the next floor, where there were tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, and rows of beds

Corduroy looked around and thought he must be in a palace

He walked among the furniture and climbed onto a bed to see how it felt

There, on the thick mattress, he found a small round thing

A button

He thought he had found what he was looking for

But it was a button sewn onto the mattress, not one lying on the floor for him to pick up

He grabbed it and pulled with both paws

The button came off, and Corduroy lost his balance

He tumbled off the bed and knocked over a tall floor lamp

It crashed to the floor with a loud bang

The night watchman upstairs heard the noise and hurried down to see

He shone his flashlight over the sofas and under the beds

Near a big bed, he saw two fuzzy brown ears sticking out from under the covers

Corduroy was hiding there

The watchman found him, tucked him under his arm, and rode the escalator back down

He set the bear back on the toy shelf

After his long night, Corduroy sat among the other toys once more, still missing his button

The next morning, as the first customers came in, Corduroy woke to see the same little girl standing before him

Smiling, she told him her name was Lisa

Last night, she had counted the money in her piggy bank, and her mother had said she could take the bear home

Lisa paid

The sales clerk began to find a box for the bear, but Lisa chose to hold him in her arms instead

And so Corduroy left the big department store

At home, Lisa carried him up the stairs, through the door, and into her room

It was a small room with a chair and a chest of drawers

Next to Lisa's bed sat a little bed, just the right size for Corduroy

There were not as many pieces of furniture as in the store, and it was not the palace he had seen at night

But when Corduroy looked at that little bed, he knew the place he had always wished for

He was home

Lisa sat down, set Corduroy on her lap, and sewed a button onto his overalls

She told him she liked him just the way he was, and that she had sewn the button only to make him more comfortable

And Corduroy had a friend at last, just as he had always wanted

Lisa had wanted a friend too

They reached out their arms and gave each other a big hug

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。藏在老房子地板下、会借走小东西的迷你一家人，与一个男孩从恐惧走向信任，又在被迫分离中留下一个没有答案的温柔结局。

Kate pushed her needle through the cloth, sewing into an old piece of fabric

Mrs May sat beside her and watched the stitches

Suddenly she remembered something that had happened in this old house, many years ago

Back then, she was still a little girl

Her brother had come home from India to get well, and he stayed in a room in their great-aunt's house

The house was very big

Under the floor, inside the walls, and in the cracks of the fireplace and old furniture, there lived a family of very, very tiny people

They were called the Borrowers

Borrowers never bought anything

They took little bits of things they could use from the big people's house

A needle could be a sword

A lump of sugar could last a long time

A piece of paper could become a tablecloth

As long as the big people didn't notice them, the Borrowers could go on living in the house

But there was one rule that mattered more than anything

Never let a human being see you

The Clock family lived under the kitchen floor

Pod was the father, Homily was the mother, and Arrietty was their daughter

Arrietty was already growing up, but she had never been out borrowing with her father

She had no brothers or sisters, so Pod decided to take her out one night

It was time for her to learn how to survive in the big people's house

That night, Pod pinned a needle to himself and led Arrietty up through the cracks in the wall

They were going to fetch some paper from a room

Pod knew every foothold on the way

But Arrietty couldn't help looking up at the world above the floor

It was a world she had never truly seen before

It was on this trip that the boy saw Arrietty

Terrified, she fled home

When Pod and Homily heard about it, their first thought wasn't to blame her

They were afraid

If a human being knew that Borrowers lived under the floor, that human might drive them away, or even catch them

The family had heard such stories before

Pod's brother, Hendreary, had once been seen by a human, and later his daughter had disappeared

To the Clock family, being seen was never a small thing

But the boy didn't tell on her

Instead, he tried to talk to Arrietty

She wanted to know about the world above the floor, and she wanted someone she could talk to

The boy lived all alone in the house, with no friends of his own age

Little by little, across the floor and through the cracks in the wall, the two of them got to know each other

The boy brought them small pieces of furniture and other useful things

Life became much easier for the Clock family

Pod didn't have to risk going out so often, and Homily had new things to decorate their home

But these gifts also made the family depend more and more on the boy

Arrietty's friendship with him made life easier, and at the same time it brought them closer to being discovered

The boy wanted to introduce the Borrowers to the grown-ups

He believed that once everyone knew they were real, no one would hurt them

But Arrietty understood that the thing the boy found wonderful could be a disaster for the Clock family

She didn't want him treating her home like a secret toy, and she didn't want him deciding how they should live their lives

Before long, the housekeeper, Mrs Driver, noticed that small things kept disappearing

She suspected the boy of stealing, and she began to watch for strange signs

One day she saw a light under the kitchen floor

She lifted the floorboard and at last found the Clock family's home

Mrs Driver didn't see them as a family who lived and felt afraid

She sent for a rat catcher, planning to smoke them out from under the floor and let the hunting dogs finish them

The other people in the house might not have believed every word she said, but danger had already reached the door

The boy knew the Clock family was in trouble, and he tried to save them

He stole the rat catcher's tools and tried to open a way out

The wall boards and the iron grille blocked him

He ran outside and finally pried open the grille that led to the Clock family's home, leaving them a way to escape

But he didn't know whether they could find the way out in time

Mrs Driver took him away, and the car was already waiting

The boy left the house, and he never saw Pod, Homily, or Arrietty again

Many years later, Mrs May brought Kate back to the old house

They went to see the place where the Clock family might have escaped, and they left some small things there

When they came back a few days later, the things were gone

Kate believed the Borrowers had taken them

Mrs May didn't say so for certain

She took out a very small notebook in which the Clock family's story was written

The handwriting was exactly the same as her brother's

Did the people under the floor ever escape

And who wrote that little notebook

Mrs May had no answer

She and Kate went on sewing their cloth

The stitches moved forward, one by one, and the story stayed in that old house, its last page still open

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只来自秘鲁的小熊来到伦敦，被布朗一家收留，从此闹出无数温暖又好笑的日常。

At a London train station, people hurried through with their luggage

A small bear sat on an old suitcase, wearing a broad-brimmed hat

A card hung around his neck that said, "Please look after this bear, Thank you"

Mr and Mrs Brown had come to meet their daughter Judy

Mr Brown saw the bear first and led his wife through the crowd to stand before him

The bear stood up, tipped his hat, and very politely asked if they needed any help

But the one with nowhere to go was the bear himself

He came from Peru, where he had always lived with his Aunt Lucy

Aunt Lucy wanted him to live abroad when he grew up, so she taught him English

Later, when Aunt Lucy moved into the Home for Retired Bears, he set off on his own

He stowed away on a boat and hid in a lifeboat, filling up on marmalade

Now the voyage was over, and the marmalade in his suitcase was nearly gone

Mrs Brown looked at the card around his neck

She could not bear to leave him alone in such a big city, so she offered to take him home for a few days

Mr Brown thought it was all rather sudden, but in the end he invited the bear to come along

The bear was so happy his hat nearly fell off

Mrs Brown promised that he could have marmalade every morning

He began to worry about money, until she explained that the family would treat him as one of their own, and no one would charge him a thing

His Peruvian name was hard to understand, so Mrs Brown borrowed the name of the station

From that moment on, he was called Paddington

Before taking their new family member home, Mr Brown treated him to tea

Paddington climbed onto the table and tackled a large bun filled with cream and jam, getting the filling all over his whiskers

When Judy arrived, he hurried to bow, slipped, and toppled into a dish of tea

Then he stepped right into Mr Brown's cup

Judy could not stop laughing

Then she took his paw and led him home for a bath

At the house, Mrs Bird looked after the Brown family

Paddington had heard she could be fierce, so he felt a little nervous as they came in

When she saw the sticky little bear, she did grumble a bit, but then she remembered how much he liked marmalade and went off to buy some more

Judy showed him his room and told him where the bathroom was

But after she left, Paddington filled the bath too full, and when he got in, he found his nose could barely stay above the water

The tub was too slippery to climb out of, so he scooped water out with his hat

The more he scooped, the more water spread across the floor

Downstairs, the family was talking about letting him stay for good

Mr Brown wanted to think everything through, but everyone else was already in favor, and even Mrs Bird agreed

Just then, water began to seep down through the ceiling

Judy and her brother Jonathan hurried up to help

They pulled him out of the bath and cleaned up the bathroom

Judy told him that pulling out the plug would drain the water, and only then did Paddington learn that he did not have to scoop it out hatful by hatful

The next day, they took him out to buy clothes

Paddington got separated from Mrs Brown and Judy in the underground station

He watched their escalator go up while his went down, and no matter how he ran, he could not catch up

So he pressed the emergency button and stopped the escalator

Once they found each other, the shopping could go on

At the department store, he got into trouble again

After the lift, he felt unwell and wanted some fresh air, but the hood of his new coat covered his eyes

He wandered straight into a shop window and knocked over a pile of tins

He hurried to stack them up again, while more and more people gathered outside the glass

Mrs Brown was worried about losing him, but the manager was delighted, for the bear had drawn a great crowd to the shop

In the end, Paddington received a big jar of marmalade

This time, when they left, he preferred to take the stairs

Little by little, he began to help with the shopping

He picked fruit with care and hunted for good, cheap things

The stallholders at the market got to know him, and so did Mr Gruber, the owner of the antique shop

Paddington often dropped in to sit, have a snack, and listen to him talk

One day, Mr Gruber said that under the paint of some old pictures, an even older painting might be hiding

So Paddington went home and tried to wash one of Mr Brown's paintings, but underneath there was only blank canvas

He quickly grabbed his paints to fix it, and the more he painted, the less it looked like the original

That painting happened to be entered in a competition, and the judges loved the freshly repainted colors, so it won first prize

Looking at the picture, Mr Brown guessed what had happened and gave the prize money to the Home for Retired Bears in South America

But Paddington sat in the audience, still bothered that the painting was hanging upside down

They also took him to the theater and to the seaside

He took the show on stage far too seriously

At the beach, he was busy building sandcastles when he drifted out into the harbor, sitting in his own bucket by accident

By the time the family drove home, he was wrapped in a blanket and fast asleep in the back seat

Two months after he arrived, Mrs Bird got him a birthday cake

No one knew how old he was, so they all decided to count from one

Paddington received a magic set, and he could not wait to perform for his guests

He borrowed a watch from Mr Curry, the neighbor, covered it with a handkerchief, and tapped it just as the instructions said

Only after turning the page did he discover that the trick needed another watch

The one in front of him was already broken, and Mr Curry shouted in fury

Then they moved on to a card trick

Mr Gruber played along and pulled a gold coin from behind his ear, giving it to Paddington as a birthday present

Everyone wished him many more birthdays to come, and Paddington took the coin and thanked his friends

As the guests left, he thought of Aunt Lucy

If only she could see him now, she would be so pleased

Mrs Brown took his paw and reminded him to write to Aunt Lucy in the morning, telling him to go to bed tonight before the ink made a mess of the clean sheets again

Paddington agreed

He was still a little sticky and already sleepy, so he climbed the stairs and went back to his room to sleep

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。蟾蜍以为青蛙需要安慰，带着午餐匆匆赶去陪伴，却发现独自待着也能是幸福的事。

Toad went to Frog's house

He found a note on the door

The note said, "Dear Toad, I am not at homeI went outI want to be alone."

"Alone?" said Toad

"Frog has me for a friend

Why does he want to be alone?"

Toad looked through the windows

He looked in the garden

He did not see Frog

Toad went to the woods

Frog was not there

He went to the meadow

Frog was not there

Toad went down to the river

There was Frog

He was sitting on an island by himself

"Poor Frog," said Toad

"He must be very sad

I will cheer him up."

Toad ran home

He made sandwiches

He made a pitcher of iced tea

He put everything in a basket

Toad hurried back to the river

"Frog," he shouted, "it's meIt's your best friend, Toad!"

Frog was too far away to hear

Toad took off his jacket and waved it like a flag

Frog was too far away to see

Toad shouted and waved, but it was no use

Frog sat on the island

He did not see or hear Toad

A turtle swam by

Toad climbed on the turtle's back

"Turtle," said Toad, "carry me to the islandFrog is thereHe wants to be alone."

"If Frog wants to be alone," said the turtle, "why don't you leave him alone?"

"Maybe you are right," said Toad

"Maybe Frog does not want to see me

Maybe he does not want me to be his friend anymore."

"Yes, maybe," said the turtle as he swam to the island

"Frog!" cried Toad

"I am sorry for all the dumb things I do

I am sorry for all the silly things I say

Please be my friend again!"

Toad slipped off the turtle

With a splash, he fell in the river

Frog pulled Toad up onto the island

Toad looked in the basket

The sandwiches were wet

The pitcher of iced tea was empty

"Our lunch is spoiled," said Toad

"I made it for you, Frog, so that you would be happy."

"But Toad," said Frog

"I am happy

I am very happy

This morning when I woke up I felt good because the sun was shining

I felt good because I was a frog

And I felt good because I have you for a friend

I wanted to be alone

I wanted to think about how fine everything is."

"Oh," said Toad

"I guess that is a very good reason for wanting to be alone."

"Now," said Frog, "I will be glad not to be aloneLet's eat lunch."

Frog and Toad stayed on the island all afternoon

They ate wet sandwiches without iced tea

They were two close friends sitting alone together

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。蟾蜍事事拖到明天，青蛙一句反问点醒他，原来动手做完，心情也会变好。

"I will do it tomorrow," said Toad

"Today I will take life easy

Frog came into the house

"Toad," said Frog"your pants and jacket are lying on the floor

"Tomorrow," said Toad from under the covers

"Your kitchen sink is filled with dirty dishes," said Frog

"I am thinking about tomorrow," said Toad

"I am thinking about all of the many things that I will have to do

"Yes," said Frog"tomorrow will be a very hard day for you

"But Frog," said Toad"if I pick up my pants and jacket right nowthen I will not have to pick them up tomorrowwill I

"No," said Frog

"You will not have to

Toad picked up his clothes

He put them in the closet

"Frog," said Toad"if I wash my dishes right nowthen I will not have to wash them tomorrowwill I

"No," said Frog

"You will not have to

Toad washed and dried his dishes

He put them in the cupboard

"Frog," said Toad"if I dust my chairs and scrub my windows and water my plants right nowthen I will not have to do it tomorrowwill I

"No," said Frog

"You will not have to do any of it

Toad dusted his chairs

He scrubbed his windows

He watered his plants

"There," said Toad

"Now I feel betterI am not in the dumps anymore

"Why" asked Frog

"Because I have done all that work," said Toad

"Now I can save tomorrow for something that I really want to do

"What is that" asked Frog

"Tomorrow," said Toad"I can just take life easy

Toad went back to bed

He pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。好奇的小象一路问个不停，被鳄鱼咬长了大鼻子，还用它打败了麻烦，从此世间大象都有了长鼻子。

Long, long ago,every elephant had a nose about the size of a boot

It was black,and it could wiggle from side to side

But it couldn't pick up a single melon rind off the ground

In Africa,a little elephant lived with just such a short nose

And oh,how he loved to ask questions

Why did Aunt Ostrich's tail feathers grow that way,how did Uncle Giraffe get his spots,why were Aunt Hippo's eyes so red,and why did melons taste the way they did

Aunt Ostrich whacked him with her claw,Uncle Giraffe kicked him with his hoof,Aunt Hippo and the Baboon hit him too

But even after a good smacking,he still wanted to know

Whatever he saw,whatever he heard,whatever he smelled,he had to understand it

One morning,he had a brand new question

"What does the Crocodile have for dinner,"his whole family shouted at him to be quiet

Then they smacked him long and hard

When they were done,the little elephant went to the thorn bush to find the Kolokolo Bird

"My father smacks me,"he said

"My mother smacks me too,my aunts and uncles smack me as well"

"But I still want to know what the Crocodile eats"

The bird showed him the way

"Go to the great grey-green,greasy Limpopo River,"he said

"Go there and find the answer for yourself"

The next day,the little elephant packed bananas,sugarcane and melons

He said goodbye to his family,and they smacked him once more

Very politely,he asked them to stop

Then off he went,munching melons and dropping the rinds behind him

His short nose still couldn't pick up a thing

He walked and walked,all the way to the Limpopo River

But even then,he didn't know what a Crocodile looked like

Up on a rock lay the Bi-Coloured Python Rock Snake

The little elephant asked him about the Crocodile and his dinner

The python unwound himself and smacked him with his tail

The little elephant wasn't even surprised

He said goodbye very politely and even helped the python coil back onto the rock

Then he walked on

By the water,he stepped on a piece of wood

The wood blinked one eye

"Excuse me,"said the little elephant

"Have you seen the Crocodile,"the wood blinked again and lifted half its tail out of the mud

The little elephant hopped back

That tail reminded him of all the smacking

"I've been smacked so many times,"he said

"Please don't smack me again"

"Come here,little one,"said the wood

"I am the Crocodile"

The little elephant's breath came fast

After all these days,he'd found him at last

He knelt on the bank and asked the question nobody would answer

The Crocodile told him to come closer

"I'll whisper the answer,"he said

So the little elephant bent down

The Crocodile grabbed his nose with his teeth

"Today,"said the Crocodile,"I think I'll begin with an elephant's child"

The little elephant yelled for him to let go

The python came racing up

"Pull back,"he cried

"Pull hard,or he'll drag you into the river"

The little elephant squatted down and pulled with all his might

The Crocodile backed into the water,and his tail churned the river into white foam

One pulled toward the water,the other pulled toward the shore

And the little elephant's nose began to grow longer

He spread his four legs wide,and still his nose grew

It hurt more and more,and his feet began to slip

He couldn't hold on much longer

Then the python wrapped himself around his back legs and pulled too

At last,the Crocodile let go

The little elephant tumbled onto the bank,safe at last

But his short nose had been stretched into one long,long nose

First,he thanked the python

Then he wrapped his nose in cool banana leaves and dipped it in the river

He waited for it to shrink

One day passed,then two

On the third day,the nose was still long

It hung right in front of his eyes,so close that his eyes nearly crossed

Just then,a fly bit his shoulder

Before he could even think,his long nose swung up and smacked the fly dead

"There's your first good use for that nose,"said the python

So the little elephant plucked a big bunch of grass,tapped the mud off it,and popped it into his mouth

The sun beat down,so he scooped up wet mud and plopped it on his head

Cool mud water ran down behind his ears

The python had one more question

"Do you still want to get smacked,"of course not

"Then do you want to smack others,""very much,"said the little elephant

"Good,"said the python

"That long nose of yours is very good for that too"

So the little elephant swung his long nose and headed home

He picked fruit right off the trees

He grabbed grass without kneeling down

He even picked up every melon rind he'd dropped along the way

But to test what the python had said,he found a hippo who had nothing to do with him at all

And he gave her a good,hard smacking

One dark evening,the little elephant came home

He curled his long nose up and said hello to everyone

His family was glad to see him

Then they told him to come over

It was time for his smacking,for all those questions he'd asked

But this time,he uncurled his long nose and knocked two of his brothers head over heels

His family stared at the nose

"Where did you get that,"they asked

"I got it at the Limpopo River,"he said

"I asked the Crocodile what he had for dinner"

The Baboon said the nose was ugly

"It is,"said the little elephant

"But it's very useful"

Then he wrapped his nose around the Baboon's leg and tossed him into a hornets' nest

He pulled out Aunt Ostrich's tail feathers

He dragged Uncle Giraffe by his back legs through a thorn bush

And while Aunt Hippo slept in the water,he blew bubbles into her ear

He smacked his family for a long,long time

But no one was allowed to touch the Kolokolo Bird

After that,his family hurried to the Limpopo River,one by one

They all wanted new noses from the Crocodile

When they came home,nobody smacked anybody anymore

And from that day on,every elephant in the world has a long nose,just like the little elephant who asked questions all the way to the river

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵｜吉卜林经典童话，偷懒的骆驼只会说哼，沙漠精灵施魔法让它长出驼峰，学会承担。

Long, long ago,when the world was just beginning,the Camel's back was flat

Back then,the animals had just started to work for Man

The Horse wore a saddle

The Dog learned to fetch things

The Ox pulled the plow

Only the Camel wouldn't work

He hid in a desert where the wind blew and blew

He munched on twigs and chewed on sharp grass

He did nothing at all

If anyone spoke to him,he said just one word

"Humph,"that was all he ever said

On Monday morning,the Horse came to find him

The Horse wore his saddle and held a bit in his mouth

"Camel, Camel, come out," he called

"Run with us and help us work,"

"Humph," said the Camel

So the Horse went back and told Man

Then the Dog came,with a stick in his mouth

"Camel, Camel, come carry and fetch for us,"

"Humph," said the Camel

So the Dog went back and told Man too

Next came the Ox,with the plow frame round his neck

"Camel, Camel, come out and plow with us,"

"Humph," said the Camel again

The Ox couldn't make him move,so he went back to find Man

That evening,Man called the Horse, the Dog, and the Ox together

"I'm sorry for you three," he said

"That hummer in the desert won't work,"I'll leave him alone,you must work twice as hard and do his share as well

The Horse, the Dog, and the Ox were very angry

They already worked hard,but the Camel did nothing

Now they had to do his share too

The three animals met by the edge of the desert to talk it over

Then the Camel came walking by

He chewed grass and looked at them

Ha,he laughed

Then he said "Humph" and walked away

A cloud of dust rolled across the sand

Inside the dust was the Djinn of All Deserts

He stopped in front of the three animals and listened

"Is it right, Djinn,that someone does no work when the world has just begun," asked the Horse

"Of course not," said the Djinn

"In your desert there is such a one," said the Horse

"Long neck, long legs,and not a bit of work since Monday morning

"He won't even run,"

Then the Djinn knew at once

"That is the Camel," he said

"When you asked him to work,what did he say,"

"He said Humph," said the Dog,"and he wouldn't fetch or carry,"

"What else did he say," asked the Djinn

"Just Humph," said the Ox

"He wouldn't plow,"

"Wait here," he said

"I'll go and find him,"

The Djinn wrapped himself in a cloak of dust and headed deep into the desert

He found the Camel standing by a pool of water,looking at his own reflection

His long neck, his long legs, and his flat back,the one he was so proud of,all shone in the water

"I hear you won't work," said the Djinn

"Humph," said the Camel

He kept staring at himself in the water

The Djinn sat down and held his chin in his hand

He began to shape a big magic

"Since Monday morning you've done nothing," he said

"The Horse, the Dog, and the Ox have done your work for you,"

"Humph," said the Camel again

The Djinn held his chin and kept on with his magic

"If I were you,I wouldn't say that word again," said the Djinn

"Say it once more and you'll be sorry,I'm going to make you work,"

But the Camel wouldn't listen

He opened his mouth and said it once more

"Humph,"

The moment he said it,the Djinn's magic went to work

The Camel watched his fine flat back begin to rise

Up it rose, and up,bigger and bigger,until it puffed into a great wobbly hump

You see, in English,Humph sounds a lot like hump

So the Camel's little Humph became a hump on his back

"Do you see," said the Djinn

"This is the hump you gave yourself by refusing to work,"

"Today is already Thursday,"You've been idle a full three days since Monday

"Now it's time for you to work,"

For the first time,the Camel said something new

"But how can I work with such a big lump on my back,"

The Djinn was strict,but his heart was kind

He'd never do anything truly cruel

Even his magic left the Camel a little gift

"This hump is made for you," said the Djinn

"With it,you can work for three whole days without eating

"You wasted three days,so now you can lean on it and do your work

"Don't say I did nothing for you,""Walk out of the desert,find them, and work hard,"

The Camel's flat back,the one he loved,had changed

But that big lump on his back gave him a power he never had before

So the Camel carried his big hump out of the desert and joined the Horse, the Dog, and the Ox

From that day on,he never made up the three days he lost when the world began

And he never quite learned to behave

But the hump the Djinn gave him stays on his back to this very day

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一位能听懂动物语言的医生，远赴非洲救助猴群，智斗国王与海盗，最终带回家园与友谊的经典温情冒险。

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。大灰狼三次伪装骗开门，最小的羊躲进钟盒活下来，山羊妈妈剪开狼肚救回六只小羊。

Mother Goat stood by the door and said the same thing seven times,once for each of her kids

"Don't open the door while I'm away,not for anyone"

"Even if the voice sounds sweet,watch out for the Big Bad Wolf"

"He can soften his voice,but his throat stays rough"

"He can wash his paws,but they stay black"

"Listen,look,you'll know it's him"

She shut the door and walked into the woods

The seven little goats stayed in the house

They looked at one another and stayed very quiet

Soon the doorbell rang

"Kids,I'm homeopen the door"

The voice was deep and rough,like stones scraping on the ground

The biggest kid pressed close to the crack in the door and whispered,"That's not Mama"

"Mama's voice isn't that rough"

They all called out,"Your voice is too rough"

"You're the big bad wolf,we won't open"

The wolf stomped his feet outside and left in a huff

But he didn't go far

He remembered what the little goats had said

He wanted a softer voice

So he went and found some chalk and gobbled it up

He coughed and coughed

When he spoke again,his voice really had turned soft and sweet

So he came back and called in a gentle,silky tone,"Good children,it's me,Mama"

"Open the door"

One little kid softened and reached for the latch

But the smallest one ran over and peeked through the crack in the door

A black paw rested right by the window

He gasped and pulled back

"Your paw is black,that's not Mama"

"Mama's paws aren't black"

And the house went quiet again

The wolf came back a third time

This time he found the miller

He spoke harshly and made the miller roll his paw in white flour

The black paw turned white,as white as if it had been washed

The wolf turned and pressed a white paw against the crack in the door

"See,Mama's paws are white"

"Now you can open up"

Six little goats believed him

The smallest one shook his head,but no one listened

The door opened

The wolf lunged inside

The little house burst into chaos

Goats dashed under the bed

Goats leapt to the window

Goats squeezed into the chimney

But that big wide mouth opened and closed,and one by one,six little goats went into the dark belly,too fast to even kick their legs

Only the smallest one,the one nobody could watch,crept up the wall and slipped into the clock case

He curled into a ball and held his breath

The wolf licked his lips and walked out the front door

The house went suddenly,terribly still

When Mother Goat came home,the door hung open

The sheet was torn

The chairs were tipped over

The bowls were smashed

She called their names,once,twice,her voice trembling more each time

The room was empty and quiet,except from the farthest corner came a tiny sob

It was the smallest goat,the one in the clock case

He climbed out and threw himself into his mother's arms

He told her,crying,how the door was opened and how the wolf came in

Then he asked,"Mama,are they still alive"

Mother Goat didn't stop to cry

She took the little goat and went out to look

Under a big tree on the hillside,the big bad wolf was sleeping,snoring hard

His belly bulged like a pot,rising and falling

Mother Goat told the smallest kid to wait outside

She tiptoed over and pressed close to the wolf's belly

The scissors came down

One cut

First a pair of black little ears popped out

Two cuts

Then a woolly little head

Three cuts

Four cuts

The six little goats bounced out of the wolf's belly,one by one,surprised and overjoyed,hugging one another

Mother Goat gathered a big pile of stones

She filled the wolf's belly with them,and sewed it shut with a needle and thread

When she was done,she led all seven kids back home,tiptoeing quietly

The wolf slept until evening and woke up thirsty

He went to the well to drink

The stones in his belly hung heavy and made his front legs weak

He leaned over one more inch,and the stones pulled him down

There was a splash,a big gulp,and the water rose high

The big bad wolf never came up again

Mother Goat stood by the well with her seven kids and watched for a little while

Then she closed the door and went home

And the smallest goat,who used to fear the clock case,now bounded up to it first and set his little pillow just right

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一桩迷雾荒原上的诅咒奇案，福尔摩斯如何识破幽灵猎犬背后的真凶。

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221B Baker Street in London

One autumn morning, a country doctor named Mortimer came to see them

He held an old, yellowed paper in his hands

"The Baskerville family," he said, "has been cursed for many, many years"

Long ago, a wild man named Hugo Baskerville chased a girl across the moor

He set his hounds after her

When his friends found him, he lay on the dark moor with his throat torn open

A huge black hound stood over him, with fire in its eyes

Since that night, the men of the Baskerville family died alone on the moor, one by one

Now the curse seemed to strike again

Sir Charles Baskerville was found dead on the Yew Alley outside the great house

His face was frozen in fear

Beside him in the muddy ground were the footprints of a huge hound

Doctor Mortimer was afraid for the next heir

He was a young man named Sir Henry, who had just come home from Canada

If the curse was real, he would be the next to die

Holmes didn't go to Devonshire at once

He sent Watson to go with Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall

"Write to me," he said, "and tell me everything that happens"

The old house was huge and cold

At night the wind blew in from the moor, like something roaring far away

On the moor, Watson met a naturalist named Stapleton and his sister

The sister was lovely, but she said one thing to Sir Henry that Watson never forgot

"Go back to London," she whispered

"Don't stay on the moor"

Sir Henry didn't listen

He was falling in love with the girl

Strange things followed

The housekeeper's wife crept out at night to bring food to a convict on the moor, her own brother

Watson saw a lone figure standing far off in the mist

Then came the terrible night

The convict was found dead, wearing Sir Henry's old clothes

Something huge had torn his throat

"It was the hound," people said

"The hound mistook him for Sir Henry"

Just when Watson was losing hope, he found a man hiding in a little stone hut on the moor

It was Holmes

He had been there all along

And Holmes told the whole truth

There was no curse at all

Stapleton, the quiet naturalist, was the real Baskerville

He had come to the moor in secret

He had spread the legend and bought a giant hound, and he painted it with phosphorus so that it glowed in the dark

First he scared Sir Charles to death, for Sir Charles had a weak heart

Now he meant to kill Sir Henry and take the whole estate

His so-called sister was really his wife, and he kept her locked up, beaten and bruised

That night, the fog rolled in over the moor

Stapleton laid a trap and sent Sir Henry walking home alone through the mist

The hound sprang out, glowing green, with a low growl rolling in its throat

Guns roared

Holmes, Watson, and Inspector Lestrade all fired at once

The giant hound fell into the mud and never rose again

Stapleton turned and ran toward the marsh, the mire that swallows men whole

The next morning, people found a line of footprints leading into the deep marsh, and then nothing

Sir Henry was very ill, and he was sent away to rest

When he came home, the fog had lifted

And the house was quiet at night again

The eyes in the dark never gleamed again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。祖孙一场公交车之旅，一路问答间学会在平凡生活里看见并分享身边的美。

It was Sunday and the rain had just started to fall as CJ and his nana stepped out of the church

They stood under a gray sky at the bus stop and rain tapped on Nana's flowered umbrella

CJ looked up and asked "Why do we have to stand in the rain to wait for the bus"

Nana smiled and said "Look the big tree is drinking too It's been thirsty all week"

A car slid past them and CJ's friend Colby sat inside waving

The car drove away warm and dry and CJ whispered "Why don't we have a car"

Nana didn't hesitate "Don't we have a big bus that breathes fire and the driver even does magic"

The bus pulled up the door opened and the driver winked at CJ

On the bus CJ saw two older boys each with big headphones bobbing their heads to the beat

"Why don't I have one of those" he asked and Nana pointed out the window

"Somebody out there is sitting under a tree listening to the birds sing That one doesn't need charging and it can't be plugged into your ears"

The bus rolled on and a blind man stepped aboard with his guide dog

"Why can't he see" CJ asked and Nana said "Some people see with their ears"

CJ went quiet and watched the blind man's ear twitch like he was hearing something very soft

The bus passed an old dirty road with faded paint on the walls and a trash can tipped by the curb

"It's dirty here" CJ said and Nana said "The more you stand in a dirty place the better you can see what is truly beautiful"

A man with a guitar sat down and strummed a few chords and the music spread like water

CJ closed his eyes and heard it climb high then settle softly onto everyone

When he opened his eyes everyone on the bus was smiling and even the guide dog slowly wagged its tail

The driver called out "Market Street last stop"

CJ knew this road well with cracks in the ground and broken bottles by the wall

"Why is it always here" he asked and Nana said "The most beautiful things are often right in front of your eyes"

They walked into a low building on Market Street and warmth and the smell of good food rushed out

CJ saw so many familiar faces Somebody waved at him somebody called his name

Nana put on an apron and ladled food onto plate after plate and CJ stood on his tiptoes to pass the plates along

He looked at the people holding their plates and said "Nana I'm glad we came"

Nana looked at him and said nothing She just smiled bright as the brightest lamp in the room

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。美国公使一家搬进闹鬼古宅，用实用主义把老幽灵整得灰头土脸，直到小女儿弗吉尼亚用怜悯让他安息。

Canterville Chase was up for sale, but no one in England would even ask about the price, because the old house was haunted

Lord Canterville was honest with every buyer, he told them a ghost lived here, that it had been in the house for three hundred years, and that it appeared whenever a member of the family was about to die

The buyer was Mr. Otis, an American minister, he only laughed and said that suited him fine, they would take the house, the furniture, and the ghost too

The family moved in on a July evening, in the library, in front of the fireplace, there was a dark red stain on the floor

Mrs. Umney, the housekeeper, lowered her voice and whispered that it was the blood of the lady Sir Simon killed in 1575, and that in three hundred years, no one had ever been able to wash it away

Washington said nothing, he pulled out his American stain remover, knelt down, and scrubbed the stain away

The next morning the stain was gone, but on the third morning, it came back, even brighter than before

So it went on and on, the stain was scrubbed away, and back it came, again and again, neither of them would give up

That night, a long hallway echoed with the sound of heavy chains dragging across the stone floor

The door opened by itself, and an old man stood in the doorway

His eyes were red, his long gray hair fell to his shoulders, and rusty chains were wrapped all around him, a low moan rose from his throat

Mr. Otis stepped out in his dressing gown and placed a small bottle of oil in the ghost's hand, telling him his chains were far too noisy, and that he really should oil them

Before he could finish, the twins poked their heads out from under the covers, one on each side, and two pillows flew through the air

The old man stood frozen in the doorway, and at last, without a word, he drifted back to his own room, for the first time in three hundred years, he knew what shame felt like

His name was Simon, and he had once been the master of this house, he had killed his own wife, and his wife's brothers had locked him in a secret room and left him to starve

After that, he became a ghost, and he kept what little dignity he had left by frightening people

He put on heavier chains, wrapped himself in armor, and dressed up as a headless knight, in the middle of the night, he let out screams loud enough to rattle the windows

But not one person in this family was ever afraid

Mrs. Otis handed him a bottle of medicine for his stomach, the twins spread butter on the stairs he always used, and set a hollowed pumpkin with a candle inside to look like a ghost

Again and again he slipped, again and again he bumped into doors, until at last he hid in the darkest corner and didn't come out at all

Then, one afternoon, he met the youngest daughter, Virginia, upstairs, the girl didn't scream when she saw him, and she didn't run

She looked at his drooping shoulders and asked him softly why he was so sad

For a long moment, he couldn't speak, then he told her about those three hundred years, about his hunger, and how much he wanted to stop, and how he could never stop

On the window of the library, there were words carved into the glass, saying that when a golden-haired girl prays for a sinner and sheds a tear, this house will be at peace, and he may at last lie down and rest

Virginia understood, and she told him that she would help him

She followed him to a wall, the wall slowly opened, and inside it was dark, with no bottom in sight

That evening, no one in the family could find Virginia, the twins searched every cupboard, and her mother stood in the rain, calling her name again and again

When the sky grew dark, still no one had seen her, at midnight, a storm beat hard against the roof

Suddenly, the wooden panel of the library slid open, and there stood Virginia, her hair was wet, and in her arms she held a small box

She told them not to ask where he had gone, that he was so pitiful, and that now he was dead at last

She opened the box, inside were jewels left for her, and a thank-you that couldn't be spoken aloud

Later, in a secret room deep inside the house, they found the bones of Sir Simon, with the chains still wrapped around his wrists, they buried him in the old graveyard

The bloodstain never appeared again, and the whole house fell quiet

Many years later, someone asked about the ghost, Virginia only smiled

She said it was a secret she would keep for the rest of her life

She said the ghost had taught her one thing, that pity is stronger than death

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。贫苦樵夫阿里巴巴意外发现芝麻开门宝藏，招来杀身之祸，全凭机智女仆马尔基娜三次化险为夷。

In the deep mountains of Persia there lived a poor woodcutter named Ali Baba

His rich brother Cassim ate well with his wife, while Ali Baba could hardly feed his own family

One day Ali Baba heard the thunder of many horses and saw yellow dust fill the sky

Forty riders galloped up, each with a long sword at his side

Their captain stood before a huge rock and cried out, "Open, Sesame"

The rock split open, and inside lay a cave piled high with gold and silver

When the riders left, Ali Baba called out the same magic words and stepped inside

He took only a few bags of gold, just enough to keep his family well

But those few bags of gold would soon bring great danger to his door

His brother's wife smeared wax on the bottom of the scale and found a gold coin stuck there

That night Cassim forced his poor brother to tell him the secret of the cave

The next morning Cassim drove ten donkeys up the mountain and cried, "Open, Sesame"

He filled bag after bag with treasure until he heard horses outside

But in his fear he forgot the magic words and shouted barley and wheat instead

The stone door would not move, no matter what name he called

The thieves found Cassim, cut him into four pieces, and hung them at the cave door

Ali Baba crept up the mountain and froze when he saw what had happened

He carried the body home in secret, too afraid to tell a single soul

Then the clever maidservant Morgiana stepped forward with a plan

She brought a blindfolded tailor to sew the broken body whole again

The family told the whole town that Cassim had died of a sudden sickness

The forty thieves found the body gone and knew someone else shared their secret

The captain drew a white chalk circle on Ali Baba's gate in the night

Morgiana saw it and drew the same circle on every gate along the street

The thieves came and stamped their feet in fury at dozens of white circles

Then the captain dressed as an oil merchant and sent his men to hide in great oil jars

At night Morgiana heard a whisper from a jar, "Is it time yet"

She boiled oil and poured it into every jar to burn the hidden thieves

Later the captain returned as a silk merchant, but Morgiana knew his eyes at once

While she danced she drove a dagger into the captain's heart and saved the family

Ali Baba thanked her with tears, and Morgiana married into his family and lived in joy

And the stone door with its treasure stayed shut, while the mountain wind blew year after year

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个挥霍的年轻人七次出海冒险，用机智与勇气在死亡边缘换回财富的传奇故事。

In the busiest street of Baghdad, a porter leaned against a rich merchant's wall to catch his breath

He carried a sack of rice on his back

His name was Sinbad, just like the owner of the house

But their lives were as different as night and day

He looked up at the carved door and sighed

The door opened

The owner invited him in, served him food and wine, and asked why he sighed

The porter said, "I carry rice all day longI earn less than the price of half a chickenhow come you live in such a big house and wear such fine clothes"

The owner laughed

"Do you think this house came freesit down, and I'll tell you how I got everything I own"

When I was young, my father left me a lot of money

I spent it on parties and fun

In a few years, it was all gone

When I had nothing left but a bed, I sold the bed

I bought goods and sailed away with the merchants

I told myself, either I win back my father's fortune, or I die at sea

On my first voyage, our ship stopped by a small island

We went ashore to build a fire and cook

Suddenly, the "island" began to move

It wasn't an island at all

It was a giant whale, fast asleep

The whale got scared and dove into the sea

The ship sailed away without me

I grabbed a piece of wood and drifted on the sea for a whole day and night

A merchant ship picked me up

By luck, my old ship's goods were still safe, and the captain gave them all back to me

I sold the goods, made a good profit, and went home to Baghdad

But I didn't keep that money for long

On my second voyage, I overslept on a desert island

When I woke up, the ship was gone

All alone, I found a huge egg

It was a roc's egg

I tied myself to the bird's leg

When the roc flew, it carried me into the Valley of Diamonds

That valley was full of diamonds, everywhere you looked

But giant snakes, thick as tree trunks, coiled at the bottom

Anyone who landed there would die

I filled a bag with diamonds

Then I saw a piece of meat fall from the mountaintop, and a huge eagle swooped down to grab it

Then I understood

The merchants on the mountaintop used meat to lure the eagles, so the birds would carry diamonds up to them

So I tied myself to a piece of meat

An eagle carried me up to the mountaintop

The merchants were shocked

I shared my diamonds with them and took a bag home to Baghdad

On my third voyage, a storm blew our ship to the land of cannibals

A giant roasted my friends one by one on a spit

My friends and I took red-hot iron rods and poked out the giant's eyes

We ran to the sea and built a raft

The giant chased us with his friends and threw stones

They sank our raft, and two of my friends were caught and eaten

I drifted alone to another island, where a group of merchants saved me

I came home with new wealth

My fourth voyage was the closest I ever came to death

After my ship was wrecked, I drifted to an island of savages

The people there caught us and fed us grass, fattening us up like animals before they ate us

My friends were eaten one by one

But I refused to eat the grass

I grew thin as a stick, so nobody paid me any mind

One night, I slipped away

I climbed over the mountain and reached a polite country, where I got married

But my wife fell sick and died

In that land, when a wife dies, the husband must be buried with her

They threw me into a deep pit

The pit was full of food and water left by earlier burials, and full of bones too

I lived on that food

One day, a wild beast crawled in through a hole in the wall

I followed it and found a way out

I climbed out of the pit, and some passing merchants saved me

I went home to Baghdad with treasure

On my fifth voyage, I met something even scarier

A white-bearded old man climbed onto my shoulders, and he wouldn't get off

They call him the Old Man of the Sea

He rode me by day and by night

He ate and slept on my back

He used me like a donkey, and I carried him for years

Then one day, I picked grapes and made wine

The old man drank too much and fell into a deep sleep

I threw him off my shoulders, and he fell to the ground and died

At last I was free

I caught a ship and went home

On my sixth voyage, my ship was wrecked again

I drifted to an island covered with jewels

There I found an underground river

I built a raft and floated down it for days and nights

Some merchants downstream fished me out

They sent me home to Baghdad

Only then did I learn that the river ran all the way to the edge of Baghdad

On my seventh voyage, I ran into pirates, and they sold me as a slave

My master made me shoot elephants with a bow and arrow to get their ivory

Day after day, I shot arrows into the elephant herd

Then one day, the elephants led me to a secret place

It was piled high with ivory

It was the elephants' own graveyard, where they came to bury their kind

I told my master the secret, and he gave me a big share of the treasure

With ivory and gold, I came back to Baghdad one last time

Sinbad finished his story

He looked at the porter and said, "You ask me why I live in such a big houseseven voyages, and seven times I nearly died at seaI barely escaped with my lifethis house was bought with my life"

He told his steward to bring a bag of gold coins and gave it to the porter

Porter Sinbad took the coins and couldn't speak

From that day on, the two Sinbads were friends

And the porter never sighed at the street corner again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事,读绘本,磨耳朵。一个穷裁缝之子用神灯改写命运,从地底到王座,守护挚爱的奇幻冒险。

每天五分钟听经典英文故事,读绘本,磨耳朵。一个关于自我认同的温暖童话,名字不是标签,是你活过的痕迹。

Xiao Man lived high up in a tall apartment building

Looking down from his balcony, cars looked like rolling tin cans, and people like scattered sesame seeds

But in this city, the most important thing really was cans

Not canned meat, not canned peaches, but name cans

Everyone got a name can on the day they were born

Dad's can was deep blue, like the sea at midnight

Mom's was cream white with tiny flowers on it

Uncle Wang sold breakfast downstairs, his gold can always smelled like fried dough

His classmate Lily had a pink can, covered in sparkles and star stickers

Xiao Man's can was a plain red tin can

His name was written by his mom in black marker

Xiao Man loved his red can

Every morning he'd polish it first thing, every night he'd check the lid was tight

Names were well-behaved little things, they wouldn't run off if you kept them sealed

But one morning, something went wrong

Xiao Man reached for his can on the nightstand

It felt lighter than usual

He lifted the lid and looked inside, it was empty

He shook it upside down, no glowing name jumped out

He checked under the bed, under the pillow, in every drawer

He even looked inside his socks

Nothing

His name was gone

Xiao Man ran downstairs in a panic

Uncle Wang was setting up his stall, his gold can glinting on the counter

Xiao Man asked if he'd seen his name

Uncle Wang looked down and smiled, asking if he wanted to buy fried dough

Uncle Wang didn't recognize him anymore

Xiao Man ran to school

Lily had her pink can on the desk, kids crowded around to see the sparkles

Xiao Man pushed through and asked about his red can

Lily tilted her head and asked who he was

Even his best friend didn't know him

The bell rang

The teacher opened the roll and read every name

She read the whole book, but never said Xiao Man

Xiao Man raised his hand and opened his mouth

No sound came out

People without names don't even get to say "here"

He ran out of school and into the park

An old grandpa was watering flowers by the bed

His can was dark and worn, the label rubbed away like old stone

Xiao Man asked if he'd ever lost his name too

The old man looked at him for a long time, then smiled

He didn't answer, he just kept watering his flowers

Water landed on petals, the petals trembled, and drops rolled into the soil

Xiao Man sat by the fountain, staring at his blurry reflection

Without a name, he looked like a fuzzy shadow

If nobody can call your name, do you really exist

Just then, a ball of orange fur rubbed against his ankle

It was Tangerine

The stray cat he'd been feeding for a whole month

Tangerine had no can, no tag, no collar

Nobody in this city had ever given her a name

But Xiao Man knew her

She was Tangerine when she chased butterflies

She was Tangerine when she rolled in the sun belly-up

She was Tangerine when she waited at the gate at three for dried fish

Nobody gave Tangerine a name can, but Xiao Man knew exactly who she was

He watched her chase a butterfly into the grass

He watched her jump on a bench and curl up to wash her face

She turned her head suddenly, and looked straight at him with round yellow eyes

Xiao Man stood up and ran home

He didn't check trash cans or ask strangers

He ran to his room and closed the door

He took out crayons and drew an orange cat on paper

He gave the cat wings, flying high above the clouds

He dipped his fingers in blue paint, and pressed handprints all over the page

He opened the window and sang his favorite song as loud as he could

He sang loud and off-key, so loud the neighbors peeked out to see

He laughed as he sang, and tears rolled down his face

A tear dropped onto his red tin can

That's when something floated in through the window

A tiny glowing character landed softly in his palm

It was the first part of his name

He held his breath

A few seconds later, another character floated in

It was the second part

The two characters sat quietly in his hand, like two tiny awake fireflies

He gently placed them back in the red can, and closed the lid

He looked down at the can

It had marks on it now

A streak of blue crayon, a dusty cat paw print, a smudge of grease, a teardrop

"Xiao Man, dinner's ready," his mom called from the kitchen

"Coming," he shouted back

He opened the door, the smell of tomato and eggs filled the hall

Dad was setting chopsticks, Mom was scooping rice

Neither of them noticed a thing

They didn't need to open a can to know

When they called his name, he was right there

That night before bed, he put the red can back

He didn't seal the lid tight

He left a little crack open

What if his name wanted to go for a walk again

That was okay

He knew how to call it back

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵｜孤女朱迪在神秘资助人的帮助下走进大学，用一封封书信书写成长，遇见爱与归属的暖心经典。

Every first Wednesday of the month,the John Grier Home felt like a trial

Ninety-seven children had to be scrubbed clean

The bedsheets couldn't have a single wrinkle

When the trustees arrived,the children could only say"Yes, sir"or"No, sir"

Eighteen-year-old Jerusha worked from five in the morning till evening,mopping floors,making sandwiches,and looking after a whole room of little ones

When the trustees finally left,she saw a man crossing the hall

His car's headlights shone through the door,stretching his shadow tall and thin

His arms and legs looked like a daddy longlegs spider

She didn't know it yet,but that shadow would change her whole life

The superintendent called Jerusha into her office

One of the trustees,who wouldn't give his name,had read her essay,"Blue Wednesday"

It was a funny piece about inspection day at the orphanage

He wasn't angry

He thought she had a real gift for writing

He wanted to pay for four years of college,all her tuition and living costs

There was just one condition

She had to write him a letter every month about her studies and her life

The letters were to go to"Mr John Smith,"and he would never write back

Jerusha rode a train for the first time

She had a little room all to herself for the first time

She also learned that other children grew up with Christmas gifts,letters from family,and bedtime stories

Her childhood had only been bells,rules,and rows of small beds

She didn't like the name the superintendent had picked for her

So she used the only nickname she'd had as a child,Judy

And the benefactor she'd only seen as a shadow,she called him"Daddy-Long-Legs"

College days were so bright they made her dizzy

Sally was warm and friendly

Julia came from a wealthy New York family

They talked about books,plays,and trips that Judy had never heard of

The other girls had grown up reading"Little Women"

Judy didn't read it until college,when she bought a copy in secret and caught up

She read one book after another,slowly filling in the gaps

She bombed exams

She argued with her teachers,only to find out she'd been wrong

She even lost her temper with Daddy-Long-Legs in her letters

He stayed silent

Now and then,his secretary sent a check or a short reply

But Judy still wrote her monthly letters like family news

She wrote about fallen leaves on the basketball court

She wrote about trying on real gloves for the first time

She wrote about failed essays and about her dream of becoming a writer

A girl who had never had a home first imagined a family on paper,someone she could talk to

That first summer,she didn't have to go back to the orphanage

She went to Lock Willow Farm instead,with its hills,cows,orchards,and free wind

For the first time,she didn't have to keep looking over her shoulder,afraid someone would drag her back

She learned the farm had once belonged to Julia's uncle,Jervis Pendleton

Mrs Semple,who ran the farm,still called him"Master Jervie"

Then Jervis came to visit

He climbed hills with Judy,fished,read books,and told her plainly when her stories were too fancy

They laughed at the same things

In her letters to Daddy-Long-Legs,Judy mentioned him more and more

She didn't realize the man who'd sent her to this farm and the man who read her letters were the same person

Judy's stories came back again and again

She rewrote them again and again

At last,one story earned her fifty dollars

She also won a two-year scholarship for her grades

Daddy-Long-Legs didn't want her to take it

For the first time,Judy refused to obey

She was grateful for his help,but she didn't want to live her whole life as someone who just received charity

She wanted to pay her own way

She hoped he'd use the saved money to send another orphan girl to school

After college,Judy stayed at Lock Willow to write

She finally wrote about the place she knew best and most wanted to escape,the orphanage itself

The story was bought,printed in a magazine,then published as a book

She sent the thousand dollars she'd earned to Daddy-Long-Legs

She told him she still owed him a lot,but she could at least start paying him back

Just then,Jervis asked her to marry him

Judy loved him

But she thought of the Pendleton name and of how she didn't even know who her parents were

She was afraid that one day Jervis would regret it

So she said no,without explaining why

Jervis thought she was in love with Sally's brother,Jimmy,and he left with that misunderstanding

For almost two months,Judy heard nothing from him

She only learned from Julia's letters that he'd been caught in a storm while hunting in Canada and had come down with pneumonia

Judy couldn't bear it anymore

She wrote to Daddy-Long-Legs,begging to see him just once

She wanted to ask this family she'd never met face to face whether she should go back and tell Jervis the truth

After a few days,an invitation came at last

On an October morning,Judy left the farm before dawn

She took the train to New York and walked once around a tall,quiet house before she found the courage to ring the bell

The butler led her into a dim study

By the fireplace,a man still weak from illness sat wrapped in a blanket in an armchair

When he heard her name,he held the back of the chair and slowly stood up

It was Jervis

Judy thought he'd just come to help her meet Daddy-Long-Legs

Then Jervis smiled and held out his hand

"Dear little Judy,haven't you guessed by now,I'm Daddy-Long-Legs"

The trips he'd turned down,the farm he'd arranged,the feelings he always seemed to know ahead of time,all at once,they made sense

They only had half an hour before the doctor sent Judy away

When she got back to Lock Willow,the woods had sunk into the night

But the stars shone brighter than they ever had before

The next day,she wrote her last letter

The name at the top was no longer just a father she'd imagined,and no longer just Jervis,the man she loved

The girl who had grown up without a home had always felt the world had barely taken her in

Now she could finally write at the bottom of her letter,"We truly belong to each other"

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。狼孩莫格里在丛林中成长，在野兽与人类之间寻找归属，历经考验学会勇气与法则。

Deep in the Seeonee Hills of India, the night was dry and hot

Father Wolf and Mother Wolf Raksha had just heard their cubs stir, when a heavy, hoarse voice came from the cave mouth

It was Shere Khan the lame tiger

He had attacked a human camp, and a man and woman had run for their lives, leaving their tiny baby behind in the jungle

He'd lost the grown-ups, but he'd smelled the child

He followed the scent to the wolf den and demanded the "man's cub"

Raksha stepped in front of her cubs

She didn't back down

Bagheera the black panther stepped out of the shadows

He had brought a freshly killed bull

In the jungle, a bull can buy a life

He used the bull to buy the human boy's right to live with the pack

Old Akela the wolf chief nodded his head

Baloo the brown bear volunteered to be the boy's teacher, to teach him the Law of the Jungle and every animal's language

They named him Mowgli

It means "frog", because he was bare and smooth, with no fur at all

And so Mowgli grew up with the wolf pack

He didn't remember humans, or his parents, or the night Shere Khan had hunted him

He only remembered the warmth of Raksha's belly, and Bagheera's cool fur as they hunted at night

And he remembered Baloo's deep, patient voice, saying the Law of the Jungle again and again

The jungle had laws

The only ones who didn't follow them were the monkey people, and every tribe looked down on them

But the monkeys came to Mowgli anyway, promising a world with no rules

Mowgli went with them

He thought freedom meant never following rules

Later, Kaa the python saved him

Kaa was the oldest creature in the jungle, his body able to rise from the ground to the treetops

After that day, Mowgli understood that a place without laws isn't freedom

It's chaos

But Shere Khan kept waiting

He waited for Akela to grow old

The pack rule was simple, if a wolf chief missed his kill, he was no longer fit to lead

Shere Khan bribed the young wolves with meat, winning them over one by one

He told them Akela was old, that it was time for him to step down, and time to give up the man's cub

Bagheera told Mowgli all of this ahead of time

He also told him something else, that humans had something every animal feared

Fire

They called it the Red Flower

Mowgli went to the human village and stole fire from a clay pot

He didn't know what fire was, but by the time he ran back, his hands were covered in blisters

On the Council Rock in the moonlight, Akela was about to be killed

Mowgli burst in, holding the pot of fire

He flung fire at Shere Khan's face, scorching the whiskers on one side

He waved the burning stick at the bribed wolves, and they tucked their tails and backed away

Mowgli told Shere Khan he would come back and kill him

Then he turned and walked into the human village

He was not yet ten years old

In the village lived a woman named Messua

The moment she saw Mowgli, she cried and said he was her child, the one the tiger had carried away years ago

Mowgli couldn't speak the human language, but Messua taught him word by word

He learned quickly

He slept in a bed, ate cooked food, and learned to bend down and plow the fields

He didn't forget Shere Khan

His wolf brother Grey Brother watched the tiger's moves from the jungle edge

Shere Khan was older now, and lamer too, but he still waited

He slept in the valley outside the village, waiting for the day Mowgli was alone

Mowgli didn't wait for him

He split the village buffalo herd into two groups

He led one, and Grey Brother led the other

They charged into the valley from both ends at once

Horns and hooves crowded the narrow valley floor

Shere Khan had nowhere to run

He died under the buffalo's trampling feet

Mowgli skinned the tiger, threw the pelt over his shoulders, and walked back to the Council Rock

He spread the skin on the spot where Shere Khan used to sit

The wolves who had betrayed him lowered their heads and dared not look at him

But the village didn't want him anymore

The villagers saw he could command buffalo and talk to wolves

They called him a demon and drove him out with stones

Messua was punished too

Mowgli stood in the clearing between the village and the jungle

Neither place felt like home

He stayed in the jungle for a few more years, hunting with his four wolf brothers

Baloo and Bagheera still sat with him in the moonlight, just like before

But something had changed

In the spring of his seventeenth year, a strange restlessness stirred inside him

All the hinds were running, all the birds were molting, Kaa shed his skin, and Baloo grew a new coat

Mowgli had everything he needed, but he couldn't sit still

He ran to the village edge and watched human life from far away

He didn't go in

He just watched

That night, when he returned to Baloo and Bagheera, he suddenly cried

Jungle animals never cried in front of others

Baloo and Bagheera watched him in silence

They said nothing

They knew what it was

He said goodbye to his four wolf brothers, to Baloo, to Bagheera

Bagheera just rubbed his head against Mowgli's leg

He walked down the hillside, toward the human world he'd never truly belonged to

Behind him was the jungle that had raised him

Ahead of him were the humans he hadn't yet learned to understand

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个少年跟随教授从火山口进入地心，经历了一场惊心动魄的地下冒险。

Professor Lidenbrock burst into the study and Axel knew his uncle had gone mad again

He clutched an old parchment full of strange symbols from a twelfth-century Icelandic book

Axel tried to slip away but the professor grabbed him

Sit down the professor said this is Saknussemm's secret code

The two of them worked on that parchment all night long

Axel's head spun from hunger his fingers traced the symbols by chance

Then he froze

Read backwards it was a single message

Go down from the crater shadow of Sneffels and you'll reach the center of the earth I did it Arne Saknussemm

The professor decided to leave right away

Not tomorrow not next week right now

Axel was terrified

Going down into a volcano all the way to the earth's center how was that different from jumping into a furnace

But the professor was his only family in the world

He had no choice he had to follow

They reached Iceland

Endless lava fields stretched before them Sneffels volcano sat like a silent beast

A man named Hans became their guide

He barely spoke three words a day but he was strong as an ox

His only demand was three silver coins a week

On the last morning of June they stood at the crater's edge

A long rope went down into the darkness

Axel took one last look at the sun then crawled into the dark

Underground there was no day and no night

The passages were so tight they had to squeeze through sideways

Some places were wide as a great cathedral

After days of walking Axel found himself alone

He called out for his uncle no answer

He called for Hans only the echo of rocks replied

He ran stones fell into endless cracks

His lamp was almost out and his water was completely gone

He lay down in the darkness sure he was about to die

A rough hand grabbed his collar in the dark

It was Hans

The silent Icelander had tracked him by tiny marks on the rocks

When Axel woke up he heard his uncle's voice

Drink he said pushing the last of their water toward him

Then they went deeper

The walls began to sweat hot water

The rock turned from black to reddish-brown

Hans struck the wall with his pickax and a hot fountain burst out

The three men laughed together in the steam

They stepped out of the tunnel into an incredible sight

An underground sea stretched before them waves crashed on black sand

Above them a sky of giant stalactites glowed with dim green light

The beach was covered in giant mushrooms taller than a man

Golden spores floated in the air like shining mist

Axel stood at the shoreline and for the first time he understood why Saknussemm kept going

If no one had ever been here before this sea these mushrooms this glowing sky would belong only to the dark forever

They built a raft and sailed out onto the sea

On the second day the water exploded around them

Two monsters rose from the depths an ichthyosaur and a plesiosaur

They tore at each other in a violent fight blood turned the sea red

Axel lay flat on the raft watching one beast's dead eyes glance their way

Then it disappeared back into the deep

In this place he thought humans were too small to even be prey

Then the storm came

Lightning hit the giant stalactites sending sparks like waterfalls into the sea

Their raft spun in the waves for three days and three nights

Finally it crashed onto an unknown shore

They crawled out of the wreckage

Hans pointed to a rock with three letters carved into it

A S

Saknussemm's mark

They pushed on deeper into the cave

In a giant underground cavern Axel saw something moving on a far slope

A herd of huge mastodons

And walking beside them a human figure three times normal size

Leaning on a tree trunk as a staff

Axel grabbed his uncle and they ran back the way they'd come

They didn't stop until the figure disappeared behind the ridge

The professor caught his breath his eyes shining with excitement

There are people at the earth's center

Saknussemm was right

They hit a dead end

Saknussemm had left his mark but no passage through

The professor decided to blast the wall with gunpowder

Hans lit the fuse and they hid in a crack in the rocks

The explosion was much bigger than they'd expected

The whole wall collapsed and the sea disappeared

The blast had broken through the bottom of the cavern

Seawater poured into the abyss pulling their raft along with it

They tumbled through the dark waterway

Axel's ears filled with the roar of water tearing through rock

The water grew hotter and hotter around them

He realized they weren't sinking anymore they were rising

Deep underground water had turned to steam making the passage a giant cannon

Then everything went silent

The world became a cloud of white steam

Axel woke up to a blue sky above him

They lay on the slopes of Mount Stromboli covered in volcanic ash

Sicilian children gathered around them thinking they were devils

Hans sat up said something in Icelandic and went back to eating his dried fish

Later the professor wrote a book becoming the most famous geologist in Europe

Grauben waited at the Hamburg train station

When Axel stepped off the train she stood on her toes and hugged his neck

Hans didn't stay

He put his wages in his pocket and sailed back to Iceland

The professor asked if he'd like to go on another adventure

Hans thought about it for a moment then slowly shook his head

Three silver coins a week once is enough

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个永远不愿长大的男孩，带温迪飞往梦幻岛，经历与海盗胡克的惊险对决。

All children grow up

Except one

Wendy Darling knew she would grow up one day

She ran in from the garden with a flower in her hand

Her mother looked at her and said, "I wish you could stay just like this forever"

The Darlings lived in London

Wendy had two little brothers, John and Michael

Their nanny was a big dog named Nana

But Mr. Darling thought it looked silly to have a dog watching the nursery

Some nights Wendy found leaves she'd never seen before by the window

She said Peter Pan had forgotten to wipe his feet

Her mother didn't believe her

What child could climb to a third-floor window

Then one night, Peter really did fly in

Nana lunged at him

Peter escaped, but his shadow got caught in the window and stayed behind

A week later, Mr. Darling had a tantrum over the medicine and Nana

He tied Nana up in the yard

Then he and Mrs. Darling went out to dinner

The children fell asleep

And the window softly opened

A boy landed on the floor

He wore clothes made of leaves

Next to him floated a tiny ball of light

It was Tinker Bell, a fairy

Peter rummaged through the drawers and found his shadow

He tried to stick it back on with soap

It wouldn't work

The boy who never admitted to crying sat on the floor and wept

Wendy woke up

She took out her sewing kit and stitched the shadow back onto Peter's feet

Peter was so happy he jumped around the room

Then he claimed he'd done it all himself

"Where do you live," Wendy asked

"Second star to the right," Peter said

"Straight on till morning"

Peter told her about Neverland

The Lost Boys lived there

They had no mother

No one told them stories or tucked them in

Wendy could come and do all that

Peter sprinkled fairy dust on the children and told them to think happy thoughts

The three children flew out the window, across London's night sky, toward Neverland

Neverland was fun by day and dangerous by night

Pirates, wild beasts, mermaids, and the Lost Boys all waited on the island

The scariest of all was Captain Hook

His right hand was a gleaming iron hook

Peter had cut off his real hand and fed it to a crocodile

The crocodile loved the taste of Hook so much it followed him everywhere

It had also swallowed a clock, so its belly went tick-tock, tick-tock

Whenever Hook heard that sound, his face went pale

Tinker Bell didn't like Wendy at all

She was jealous

She tricked the Lost Boy Tootles into shooting Wendy with an arrow

Wendy fell from the sky

But the arrow hit the acorn button she wore around her neck

She was alive, just knocked out

The boys didn't dare touch her

They gathered branches and blankets and built a little house around her

When Wendy woke up, the first thing she saw was a tiny door, just the right size for her to crawl through

She moved into the underground home

She told the boys stories about fathers and mothers

She sewed their clothes and mended their pockets

She reminded Peter to take his medicine

Sometimes Peter was like a little brother

Other times he was a proud captain

He liked having her there, but he'd never say how much she meant to him

Wendy began to miss home

She thought of her mother and the three empty beds

She decided to go back

John and Michael wanted to go too

The Lost Boys wanted to come along and see what a real home was like

Peter agreed to help them leave

His face showed nothing at all

But Hook was waiting

He led his pirates to the underground home

They captured Wendy and the boys

Then Hook found Peter fast asleep

He couldn't reach Peter through the hollow tree, so he dropped poison into Peter's medicine cup

Tinker Bell rushed back and told Peter everything

Peter reached for his cup

Tinker Bell threw herself at it and drank every drop

The little fairy fell to the ground

Her light grew dim, flickering like a candle in the wind

For the first time, Peter was truly afraid

He begged anyone who believed in fairies to prove it

He asked them to believe Tinker Bell was still alive

Slowly, her light flickered back

She opened her eyes

Peter flew to the pirate ship

Wendy was tied to the mast

The boys were being forced to walk the plank

Then a sound echoed across the deck

Tick-tock Tick-tock

Hook thought the crocodile had climbed aboard

He trembled

But it wasn't the crocodile who stepped out of the shadows

It was Peter

Peter freed Wendy and the boys

Then he fought Hook alone

The iron hook swung across the deck

Peter was pushed to the edge, then sprang back

Finally, Hook was wounded

Peter held out his hand

Hook refused it and fell into the sea

The crocodile was waiting

Peter sailed the pirate ship back to London

Wendy, John, and Michael flew to the nursery window

It was still open

Their mother sat inside, waiting

Mr. Darling had been living in Nana's doghouse ever since he tied her up

He was waiting for his children to come home, and punishing himself too

The Lost Boys found a new family

But Peter refused to stay

Mrs. Darling asked if he wanted to be adopted too

Go to school Work in an office

Peter stepped back

No one could catch him and make him grow up

Wendy wanted to go with him

Her mother held her tight

"Peter needs a mother," she said

"But you need one too"

Peter promised to come back every spring and take Wendy to Neverland for spring cleaning

The first year, he came

The second year, Wendy waited in a new dress

He never came

Years passed

Wendy grew up

She got married

She had a daughter named Jane

One night, Peter flew into the nursery again

He still had his baby teeth

He still hadn't grown up at all

He saw Wendy and could hardly believe she was a grown-up

Wendy couldn't fly anymore

So Peter took Jane by the hand and flew her to Neverland

Jane grew up too

She had a daughter named Margaret

Every spring, Peter sometimes forgot to come

But sometimes he came and took Margaret to Neverland

She would tell him stories about himself

And Peter would sit there, listening, as if hearing them for the very first time

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个关于大脚女孩坚持芭蕾梦想的温暖故事，告诉孩子别让别人的评判挡住你的舞台。

Every morning, Belinda practiced ballet in the dance studio

The floor was cool, and the mirror stretched her shadow long

She held the barre, lifted her arms, and pointed her toes

Even before the music started, she counted the beat in her heart

She was tall and thin, turning like a willow in the wind

Her steps were soft, as if she didn't want to wake anyone

But everyone who saw her, noticed her feet first

Belinda had two very, very big feet

She didn't think there was anything wrong with that

Her feet helped her stand, spin, and leap into the air

She believed, dancing wasn't about the size of your feet

It was about, whether your body could hear the music

So when the ballet audition came, Belinda put on her shoes and went

She fixed her hair, smoothed her skirt, and waited on stage

But before the music began, the judges saw her feet

They frowned, whispered, and shook their heads

They didn't let her dance, not even one single step

Belinda stood frozen, her arms still in dancing position

No one watched her dance, they only stared at her feet

And then, she was asked to leave the stage

On her way home, Belinda walked very slowly

Before, she always heard rhythm in everything around her

The wind, the wheels, the voices, all turned into dance

But that day, her feet felt heavy, too heavy to lift

Maybe they were right, she thought, maybe big feet can't do ballet

Belinda put her ballet shoes away

She stopped going to the dance studio, and found a job at a restaurant

The restaurant was busy, tables sat close, and plates clinked

Belinda carried her tray, weaving lightly through the crowd

The soup never spilled, and the cups never fell

The boss loved her, and the guests loved her too

Belinda liked it there, no one judged her by her feet

But sometimes, music drifted by from far away

A violin on the corner, or a guest humming a tune

When she heard it, her fingers would pause for just a moment

Then she'd steady her tray, take a breath, and keep walking

Then one day, the restaurant hired a band to play

The lights grew soft, and people spoke in quiet voices

The musicians sat down, and the first notes filled the air

Belinda stood in the aisle, holding her tray

And suddenly, her toes knew the way home

She only meant to walk to the next table

But her body moved first, gliding with the melody

She rounded the chairs, her skirt swaying as she went

She set the tray down, but her feet kept dancing to the music

After one turn, she realized, she wasn't walking anymore

She was dancing

The restaurant fell quiet

No one stopped her, and no one stared at her feet

The boss watched her spin, turning the restaurant into a little stage

When the song ended, the guests clapped and clapped

Belinda stood still, it had been so long since she heard applause

This wasn't cold judgment, it was warm, like a gentle breeze

The boss asked her to dance again, so she did

After that, crowds came to the restaurant every day

They sat down, ordered their food, and waited for Belinda to dance

She still carried plates, and smiled at every guest

But when the music played, she was finally home

Her big feet held her steady, as she spun, leaped, and bowed

Children watched with wide eyes, and even the adults fell silent

One evening, the conductor of the Metropolitan Ballet came

He sat in the crowd, and watched Belinda dance

He didn't judge her feet, he watched how she moved with the music

After the show, he invited her to dance at the Metropolitan Theater

Belinda put her ballet shoes on again

The theater was grand, with bright lights shining on the stage

The hall was full of people

Belinda stood there, her heart beating fast

She remembered the audition, and those heavy steps walking home

But then, the music began

She raised her arms, pointed her toes, and started to dance

She didn't hide her feet, she just danced

Forward, turn, leap, and land softly

The audience watched her, spinning in the light

They saw her skirt, her arms, and her joy in every step

Those big feet didn't hold her back, they carried her all the way here

When the applause rose up, Belinda smiled

She didn't need the judges to tell her, she knew she could dance

The stage was hers, the music played on, and she kept dancing

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个用快乐游戏照亮整个小镇的女孩，即使遭遇不幸，也从不放弃寻找值得高兴的理由。

Pollyanna came to her aunt's house for the first time, but her aunt did not come downstairs to greet her

She just sent the maid, Nancy, to take the girl to the attic, and handed her a sheet of paper full of rules

When to get up, when to eat, when to practice piano, when to read, not a single one could be missed

But when Nancy opened the attic door, she saw Pollyanna standing in the middle of the empty room, looking up at the small window

The room was hot, the furniture was sparse, and the wallpaper was old and dark

Pollyanna said it was wonderful, because she could finally see the treetops, and the distant sky through the window

She had no doll, no father, and an aunt she'd never really met, yet she still tried to make herself happy

She had certainly known sadness before

On the contrary, she had learned sadness very early

After her mother died, she lived with her father, a poor pastor who was often ill, and later he left her too

The glad game was what her father taught her in the hardest of times

Once, Pollyanna asked her father for a doll

There were no dolls in the missionary barrel, but there was a pair of children's crutches instead

She cried, but her father pointed at the crutches and said, you can be glad about them, because you don't need them

From then on, they played a game: no matter what happened, you had to find something to be glad about

The harder it was, the trickier it was to find, but once you did, the game became all the more fun

Pollyanna brought the game into her aunt's house, and into the whole town

Her aunt wouldn't let her talk about her father, wouldn't let her run around freely, and certainly wouldn't let her live without rules

But Pollyanna went out every day

She visited Mrs. Snow, who had been bedridden for years, a woman who kept her curtains drawn tight, and was never satisfied with anything

Pollyanna didn't rush to cheer her up, she brushed her hair first, and opened the curtains

Mrs. Snow was still complaining, but her eyes, for the first time, turned toward the light outside the window

She also met Mr. Pendleton in the woods

The man had injured his leg, lived in a gloomy big house, and had no one but a dog by his side

He didn't like visitors, and wouldn't admit he was lonely

But Pollyanna kept coming to talk to him, telling him the leg was just a fracture, and would heal in time

She also told him, at least he could be glad he hadn't broken both legs

One day, Pollyanna met Jimmy Bean by the roadside

The boy had run away from the orphanage, wanting nothing more than a normal home, with a mother who would truly care about him, not a matron in charge of many children

Pollyanna brought him home, but her aunt wouldn't take him in

So she went to the Ladies' Aid Society, hoping those women would give Jimmy a home, but in the end, they decided to send the money far away, so it wouldn't affect their year-end report

Pollyanna was disappointed, but she didn't give up

She remembered Mr. Pendleton once saying, the house was missing a child

She told him about Jimmy, at first he was angry, thinking it was just childish nonsense

But later, he let Jimmy come to see him

And later still, Mr. Pendleton told Aunt Polly himself: Jimmy would become his child

When Pollyanna heard this, she smiled at once

She was glad for Jimmy, and glad for Mr. Pendleton too, because this big house finally had a child's voice in it

She also, without meaning to, touched upon the old story between her aunt and Dr. Chilton

Aunt Polly had once loved Dr. Chilton, but pushed him away after a quarrel, and Mr. Pendleton, had loved Pollyanna's mother

Words the grown-ups had hidden for years, rose to the surface again, through Pollyanna's straightforward questions

She didn't understand what was proper, or why people who loved each other, would punish one another with silence

She just felt, if someone still missed another person, she should let them meet again

One day in late October, Pollyanna was walking home from school

As she crossed the street at the corner, a car suddenly came rushing toward her

No one could say exactly what happened in that moment, only that the child was brought home, unconscious

When she woke up, her head was bandaged, but her legs felt nothing at all

Aunt Polly told her, she was just injured, and would soon be better

Pollyanna tried hard to find something to be glad about: at least it wasn't contagious, at least she wouldn't be bedridden forever, at least Mr. Pendleton's leg had healed after his fracture

But as the days passed, she still couldn't get out of bed

She finally understood, her leg wasn't just a simple fracture, it was her spine that had been injured

In that moment, the glad game stopped right in front of her

For the first time, she admitted she couldn't find anything to be glad about

Those words made it impossible for Aunt Polly to hide behind the rules any longer

She remembered, when this child first arrived, she was only carrying out her sister's will

She remembered, Pollyanna had always called her aunt, but had never truly received a warm home

She also finally admitted, she had never forgotten Dr. Chilton

When Dr. Chilton arrived, Pollyanna lay in bed, watching the colored light from the prism by the window

The doctor told her, there might still be a way to treat her, she would need to go far away, to see a famous doctor in New York

Pollyanna still couldn't stand up, and didn't know if she would ever walk again, but she was about to leave this house, and set out on a new journey

Before she left, Aunt Polly came to her bedside, and for the first time, spoke without a cold, hard voice

She told Pollyanna, when the child got better, she would bring Dr. Chilton back, to be her uncle

When Pollyanna heard this, she clapped her hands with joy, then stopped

She lay in bed, still unable to move her legs, but at last she had found something to be glad about again

Aunt Polly was no longer just the person who took her in

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。两个孩子跨越半个地球寻找失踪父亲的冒险故事，勇气与亲情交织的凡尔纳经典之作。

When a hammerhead shark was hauled onto the deck of the Duncan, no one imagined that it was carrying a message from a missing father deep in its belly

Lord Glenarvan sliced open the shark and pulled out a bottle, bleached pale by the sea Inside were three sheets of paper, written in English, French, and German The ink had faded so badly that only a few place names and a single coordinate could be read: 37 degrees 11 minutes south latitude

And one sentence, broken and faint, like a last cry drifting across the water

Captain Grant and two sailors have perished Come to their rescue

Lord and Lady Glenarvan set out at once to trace Captain Grant They soon found Mary and Robert Mary was already grown, but Robert was still a child Their mother had died long ago, and their father had never returned from the sea

The Admiralty decided that a few scraps of paper could not prove Grant was still alive, and they refused to send a warship Lord Glenarvan did not argue for long He returned to his castle and made ready his own steam yacht, the Duncan

This time, he would take Grant's two children and search for their father himself

The yacht sailed south along the 37th parallel toward South America A French geographer named Paganel boarded the Duncan by mistake, having mixed up the ship's name, but he soon became the most important member of the expedition He was the one who deciphered the three papers, and the one who pointed out a new path when everyone else was losing hope

They crossed Patagonia, climbed the Andes, and marched into the Pampas Meltwater from the high peaks rushed down the valleys, and the rivers on the grasslands swelled overnight Robert was the youngest, but he always kept up at the back of the line He stumbled, he was afraid, but every time he heard his sister call his name, he got back on his feet

Mary wanted to know just one thing

Was their father dead, or was he still out there somewhere, waiting for them

They did not find Grant in South America So the Duncan sailed on, rounding the cape and heading for Australia The wilderness there was far larger than they had imagined A single line on the map, once you were standing in it, stretched into endless forests, swamps, and roads that no one had walked in years

That was when they met Ayrton

Ayrton claimed to have served under Captain Grant He said Grant was very likely still alive, and that he was right here in Australia Those words gave Mary hope again She did not care whether this stranger was trustworthy As long as the path he pointed to still led toward her father, she would keep walking

But John Mangles never stopped watching Ayrton

This man knew the ship too well He knew their route too well He kept urging Glenarvan to send the Duncan to another bay while he led the party across the Australian interior Then, under the pretense of delivering a message, Ayrton forged Glenarvan's orders

His real name was Ben Joyce He was a convict

He meant to lure the Duncan to where his gang could seize it and take the ship for themselves

By the time the expedition discovered the truth, it was too late Floodwaters had swollen the rivers and cut them off from the coast The sailor Mulrady, who had been sent with the message, came back wounded, and only then did they learn that Ayrton's gang was already on its way to capture the ship

Glenarvan and his men raced to the shore, only to find an empty sea

The Duncan had been taken by Ben Joyce

Grant was still lost, and now their own ship was gone Everyone believed the rescue had failed completely Mary did not cry She only lowered her head, unable to speak her father's name anymore But John told her that as long as there was still a way forward, he would keep searching

They boarded a ship bound for New Zealand at the bay A storm struck at sea, and the ship crashed onto a reef The captain and crew fled in the night, taking the only lifeboat and leaving Glenarvan and his party stranded on the sinking vessel

At dawn, they finally reached New Zealand, only to be captured by Maori warriors

Mountains, volcanoes, lakes, and a ring of guns trapped them inside a hilltop fortress Mary and Lady Glenarvan were locked in a sacred hut, and Robert could only hold his sister's hand Everyone knew that when the next clash came, they might not leave this place alive

Somehow, they broke out of the siege and stumbled through the forests and volcanic highlands, fighting for survival And then, out on the sea, a familiar ship appeared

It was the Duncan

No one could believe their eyes Only Paganel understood what had happened He had made a mistake in writing down a place name He had meant to send the ship to Australia, but he had written New Zealand instead That mistake had kept the Duncan away from the convicts and brought it, by sheer chance, to the very waters where they were stranded

Paganel's mistake had not carried them to Grant, but it had put them on the last road that mattered

They boarded the ship once more and sailed along the 37th parallel into the Pacific Ahead lay only one small, unremarkable island on the map: Tabor Island, also called Maria Theresa Island on British charts

At dusk, the lookout spotted smoke rising from the island

Mary stood on the deck, staring at the land as it drew closer For more than two years, she had pictured her father's face a thousand times Sometimes, she felt she could no longer remember the sound of his voice

A boat was lowered and rowed toward the shore

Before they reached the beach, a man suddenly rose from the sand He was tall and worn, but his face had the same lines as Mary's and Robert's

Mary recognized him first

"Father"

Captain Grant heard the cry, opened his arms, and collapsed onto the sand His two children rushed forward and held him tight

Grant had lived on this desolate island for two and a half years He and his two sailors had built a hut from the wreckage of their ship, planted seeds saved from the wreck, hunted goats, and grown vegetables They knew they were far from every shipping route They knew the chance of rescue grew smaller every day Still, they worked every day, and they waited

The day before, Grant had climbed to the hilltop and seen a wisp of smoke rising on the horizon

He lit a signal fire, plunged into the sea, and tried to swim toward the ship But the ship changed course, and he could only drag himself back to shore with the last of his strength

The next morning, the Duncan finally drew close to the island

Grant did not know that the people on board were his own children

And he did not know that the bottle drifting on the sea had carried Mary and Robert across half the world

After the reunion, Ayrton made a request of Glenarvan: do not hand him over to the courts, but leave him on an uninhabited island He would live by his own labor there, and he would spend the rest of his life atoning for what he had done

In the end, Ayrton was put ashore on Tabor Island

Grant stood on the deck and watched him The man who had once betrayed him and nearly destroyed them all offered no resistance now He simply stood on the beach, watching the ship sail away in silence

The Duncan turned its bow toward Scotland

Mary was back at her father's side at last, and Robert had decided to become a sailor As the coastline faded behind them, Captain Grant began to speak of a new plan: to find a new land where the poor people of Scotland could build a fresh life

This time, he was no longer a missing captain waiting alone to be rescued

He had his children, his friends, and a ship, and he was sailing on toward the open sea

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。小浣熊奇斯特不愿上学，妈妈用一个"魔法亲亲"，把爱传进他的心里，也收到了爱的回馈。

At the edge of the forest, little raccoon Chester clung tightly to his mother's hand

Tears rolling down his cheeks one after another

Tonight was his first night at school

But Chester didn't want to go at all

He wanted to stay home with his mother, play with his own toys, read his own books, and swing on his favorite little swing

"I'm not going to school," Chester cried, pleading with his mother

"I want to stay home"

Mother didn't rush him

She simply pulled him close and gently touched his ear

She knew that leaving the familiar home and walking into a completely strange place was truly hard for a little raccoon

Mother told him that some things, even if they seem strange and scary at first, still need to be done

Once he actually walked in, Chester would meet new friends, play with new toys, read new books

And discover that school wasn't as scary as he imagined

But Chester still kept his head down

Just then, Mother suddenly said

"I have a secret Maybe it can help you feel as warm at school as you do at home"

Chester lifted his face and wiped his tears

"What secret"

Mother said it was a very old secret

She had learned it from her own mother, and Grandma had learned it from family even longer ago

This secret was called the Kissing Hand

Mother took Chester's left hand, spread his tiny fingers apart one by one, making his palm open like a little fan

Then she leaned down and gently kissed the center of his palm

Chester was stunned at first

Then he felt the kiss travel from his palm, up his arm, over his shoulder, and finally settle into his heart

Even the dark mask on his face felt as if it had been softly touched by a wave of warmth

Mother told him that from now on, if he ever felt lonely or missed her at school, he should press that hand to his cheek and think

Mommy loves you

The kiss would jump to his face and send the warmth back into his heart

Then Mother playfully held his fingers together and warned him to be very careful not to lose the kiss

Chester asked worriedly if washing his hands would wash the kiss away

Mother smiled and told him no, it wouldn't

So Chester closed his hand tightly

He knew that his mother's love would go with him to school

No matter how far school was from home, whenever he wanted, he could find it right there in his palm

Night fell, and the lights of the forest school came on

Chester stood at the school gate, gazing at the tall tree

The little raccoon who had been crying moments ago suddenly turned around and said to his mother, "Give me your hand"

Mother held out her hand

Chester did exactly what Mother had done

He spread her fingers apart one by one, making her palm open like a little fan

Then he leaned down and carefully kissed the center of her palm

"Now you have a Kissing Hand too," he said

Mother looked at him, speechless

Chester waved goodbye to his mother, turned, and ran along the branch toward the school

His steps grew faster and faster, until he was almost dancing on the branches

The owl's bell rang, and the little animals of the forest filed into the school one by one

Mother still stood where she was

She lifted her left hand and pressed the kiss to her cheek

The warmth Chester had left in her palm slowly spread into her heart

In that moment, she seemed to hear a voice coming from her palm

Chester loves you

And up in the tree school, Chester had already walked into the light

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。跟随鹦鹉螺号潜入深海，见证不可思议的海底奇观与人性深处的情感风暴。

Fear came from the sea

A ship said, something scraped its hull at night

Like a piece of glowing iron

Another ship said, the hull was breached, seawater poured in

All anyone saw was a long dark shadow

In the harbor, sailors whispered about it

Some said it was a giant narwhal

Some said it was a monster from the deep

Professor Aronnax heard the rumors too

He was a man who studied the ocean

The more frightening the tales, the more he wanted the truth

He boarded the Abraham Lincoln

With him was Conseil, who never left his master's side

On board was also a harpooner, Ned Land

His temper was hard, his arm even harder

Ned trusted no mystery, only his harpoon

The warship searched the sea for a long time

By day, the water was empty

By night, the deck grew cold in the wind

One day, a strange light appeared in the distance

Like a cold flame moving beneath the surface

The whole crew rushed to the deck

Cannons turned, harpoons raised

The ship chased the light

But the thing was faster than any ship

It vanished, then reappeared behind the waves

Ned threw his harpoon

Metal struck the target, but bit into no flesh

Only a hard clang rang out

The next moment, the impact tilted the ship

Aronnax was hurled into the dark cold sea

Conseil did not hesitate, he jumped in after him

Ned landed nearby

The three men struggled in the waves

At last they climbed onto the back of the monster

Their hands touched not scales, not skin

It was cold steel

At dawn, the steel plates opened

Silent men led them inside

There was no smell of beasts, only metal and light

Machines hummed quietly

A man walked out, his eyes deep and cold

He was Captain Nemo, master of the Nautilus

Nemo did not kill them

He gave them food, rooms, and books

He also showed them a seabed no human had ever seen

But he left one sentence with them

Those who know the secret, cannot return to land

From that moment on, wonder and captivity became one

Aronnax watched through thick glass as fish swam through the dark

Like ribbons of colored wind

He put on a diving suit, walked across the seafloor forest

The sand beneath his feet made no sound

Light from above fell through the water in layers

Conseil stayed beside him, calmly naming every fish

As long as his master was near, fear stayed tucked in his pocket

Ned grew quieter by the day

The most beautiful coral was still a prison wall

The richest sea feast could not replace a piece of bread

He was not unimpressed

He just knew wonders could not take the place of freedom

Captain Nemo was as hard to read as the sea itself

He showed them gold and silver inside sunken ships

He also gave wealth to the suffering on land

He saved a pearl diver from a shark in the Indian Ocean

Then coldly refused to speak of his past

He said he had cut all ties with land

Yet his heart was still stung by the suffering of the land

One time, the Nautilus stopped at a coral cemetery

The dead crewman was carried into the sea

Buried among the quiet coral

No bells, no crowd

Only water flowing slowly past

Aronnax felt for the first time, this ship was a drifting tomb

Carrying secrets, and wounds that could not be spoken

Later, they broke into the Antarctic ice

White walls surrounded them on every side

The submarine was trapped beneath the ice

The air grew thinner by the minute

The crew took turns digging at the ice, their faces turning gray

Aronnax could almost hear each breath growing faint

Just when they could hold on no longer, the Nautilus smashed through

It shot back to the surface

Fresh air rushed in

Like a life flowing back into the chest

But the danger did not end

In the Atlantic, a giant squid wrapped itself around the submarine

Its tentacles slid across the hull, like black ropes

The crew rushed to the deck to fight

Ned swung his harpoon

Nemo himself charged into the battle

In the chaos, a crewman was swept away

His voice swallowed by the wind and waves

Nemo stood there, his face without tears

Only a deeper silence

After that, he appeared less and less

Aronnax began to understand

Nemo hid in the sea not because there were no people

But because the land had taken too much from him

Home, family, his former name, all locked inside his heart

Hatred had not been washed away by the sea

It simply traveled with the Nautilus, always lurking

At last, the enemy warship appeared on the horizon

Nemo recognized it

Aronnax saw the captain's face change

Like years of darkness suddenly finding an outlet

The warship fired, the Nautilus dove

Like a silent blade, it struck the ship's hull from below

Aronnax watched through the glass as the ship tilted, cracked, sank

Figures on the deck struggled and vanished into the waves

In that moment, the sea was no longer wonder

It became the abyss of revenge

Nemo returned to his cabin, knelt before the portraits of his wife and child

Aronnax knew at last he could not stay

Nemo deserved pity, and he inspired fear

He had shown them the deepest beauty of the world

And dragged them into his deepest hatred

The chance to escape came near the coast of Norway

Ned whispered, land is not far

The three slipped toward the skiff in the dark

Aronnax looked back one last time, heard a cry from deep within the cabin

Like a man in the darkness begging for everything to stop

The moment the skiff left the Nautilus, the sea began to spin

They had sailed into the great maelstrom

Waves lifted the skiff and hurled it down

In the darkness nothing could be seen

They could only cling to the planks, hear the sea roar like a machine

When Aronnax awoke, he lay on a small island in Norway

Conseil and Ned were still alive

In the distance, the sea was gray

The surface was utterly empty

No sign of the steel submarine

No sign of Captain Nemo

He had taken them twenty thousand leagues under the sea

Shown them coral, ice fields, shipwrecks and light in the darkness

But all that remained on the water was a quiet ripple

Where the Nautilus went, no one knows

Whether Nemo is still down there, no one knows

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个女孩掉进兔子洞，在荒诞离奇的地下世界展开一场难忘的冒险。

The afternoon by the riverbank was hot and quiet

Alice's sister sat on the grass reading a book

Alice sat next to her, so bored she could almost fall asleep

The book had no pictures and no conversations, and she could not see what was interesting about it

The air felt still, the grass pressed against her arm, and the water in the distance swayed gently

A white rabbit ran past her

It was not an ordinary rabbit

It wore a waistcoat, glanced at its pocket watch, and said in a hurry that it was going to be late

Alice snapped awake at once

She did not have time to think about how strange this was — she just knew she could not let it get away

She chased the rabbit and crawled into a hole at the root of a tree

The hole was very deep, and she kept falling down

Cabinets, bookshelves, maps and empty bottles floated past her, and she still had time to wonder if she would fall all the way to the other side of the earth

When she finally landed, the rabbit had already turned a corner down the hallway and disappeared, leaving only a tiny door and a glass table waiting for her

On the table lay a small key, and behind the door was a beautiful garden

But the door was too small for her to get through

She drank what was in the bottle and shrank very small, but now she could not reach the key on the table

She ate a cake and shot up tall again, her head nearly touching the ceiling

She cried

Her tears grew and grew until they formed a pool

When she shrank again, she found herself splashing into her own tears

A mouse, a duck, a dodo bird and many other animals were floundering in the water too

Everyone climbed out dripping wet, and nobody knew how to get dry

In the end they ran a race that anyone could start and anyone could finish, and the prize was something Alice pulled from her own pocket

This place did not make sense from the very beginning

The white rabbit appeared again, mistook Alice for a maid and sent her to fetch gloves and a fan from his house

Alice went inside, saw a bottle, drank from it, and grew so big again that her arms stretched out the windows and her feet filled the room

The rabbit and the animals outside panicked and threw pebbles at the house

The pebbles turned into little cakes, and Alice ate one to shrink again and escape

In the woods she met a caterpillar

The caterpillar sat on a mushroom, slowly smoking a hookah, and asked who she was

Alice could not answer

She had changed so many times today that even she did not know who she was anymore

The caterpillar did not comfort her

It only said that one side of the mushroom would make her taller and the other side would make her shorter

Alice broke the mushroom into two pieces and nibbled at each side, trying to get back to the right size

But in this world, being the right size never lasted long

As soon as she could walk again, she arrived at the Duchess's kitchen

Smoke filled the room, the cook was throwing pepper into the soup, and the baby was crying loudly

The Duchess held the child like a burden

Alice took the baby, wanting to take it away

But the child squirmed and twisted in her arms, its nose pushed upward and its voice changed

When she looked down, it was no longer a baby — it had become a little pig

The pig ran into the woods, and Alice stood there, not knowing whether to be scared or to laugh

On a branch, the Cheshire Cat slowly showed its grinning face

It said that everyone here was mad

One way led to the Hatter, the other way led to the March Hare

Alice said she did not want to stay with mad people

The cat said there was no escaping them here

Alice walked up to a tea table

The Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse were crowded around the table with many cups set out but never enough seats

Their talk went in circles, their riddles had no answers

Time itself seemed to have been offended and stopped forever at teatime

Alice tried to reason with them, tried to follow their thinking, but every sentence got twisted and every question became another question

She left the tea table, walked through a door, and saw a garden

Gardeners were painting white roses red — they had planted the wrong color and were afraid the Queen of Hearts would cut off their heads

The Queen arrived with a whole procession of card soldiers

Her voice was sharp, and she ordered beheadings at every turn

The King whispered quietly nearby, trying to smooth things over, and the soldiers scrambled to obey

Nobody knew whether those orders would ever really be carried out

Alice was pulled into a game of croquet

The balls were hedgehogs, the mallets were flamingos, and the hoops were card soldiers bending over

The hedgehogs ran away, the flamingos twisted their heads, and the hoops moved around too

The Queen kept getting angry and shouting for beheadings

Alice realized that the scariest thing here was not how strict the rules were, but that the rules changed all the while and everyone still pretended they were real

The Gryphon took her to meet the Mock Turtle

The Mock Turtle sobbed as it told stories about its school, about lessons with strange names, sounding both truly sad and like it was joking

As Alice listened, she was taken off to a trial

The courtroom was packed

The Knave of Hearts was accused of stealing the Queen's tarts

The King served as judge, and the jurors hurried to write their own names on slates so they would not forget

Witness after witness came up, but nothing they said made any real sense

The Mad Hatter carried his teacup, the Dormouse was pushed around, and the evidence was as light as a scrap of paper, yet everyone held it up with great seriousness

Alice sat to one side, and her body began to grow again

At first she tried to stay quiet, but the more she heard, the more absurd it seemed

The King said to pass the verdict before the judgment, and the Queen just kept shouting for beheadings

The whole courtroom was like a game getting noisier and noisier, with everyone putting on solemn faces to defend a hollow order

This time, Alice did not shrink herself

She stood up and looked at the fluttering cards — the Queen, the King, the soldiers and the jurors — and suddenly understood that they were not as big as she had imagined

She was no longer afraid of their shouting, and she no longer felt the need to make everything reasonable

The cards flew toward her

Alice waved them away — and snapped her eyes open

She was still on the riverbank, her head resting on her sister's lap

What fell down on her was not cards but leaves

The sunshine was still there, the river was still there, and her sister's hand gently brushed her face

She told her sister about the dream — the White Rabbit, the garden, the tea party, the courtroom

Then she got up and ran home

The grass grew quiet again

Her sister sat alone for a while, as if she could still see the shadow of that strange world, as if she could see Alice grown up, still remembering this afternoon, remembering a rabbit in a waistcoat with a pocket watch, remembering falling into a dream where nothing followed the rules

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只家犬被命运抛入冰天雪地的荒野，在棍棒与狼群中找回深埋血脉的野性呼唤。

Buck, as he was led out of Judge Miller's house, did not know he was leaving the safest place he would ever have

Before that day, he belonged to the sun, the grass, and the stablesHe knew every path in the yard, for he was like the little master of the estate

But the hand that led him was not the hand that took him for walksManuel owed gambling debts and sold Buck to strangersThe rope tightened, the crate closed, and the sounds outside faded awayFor the first time, Buck learned that a human hand could shut everything familiar behind him

He crashed against the crate walls in fury until he was dragged out to face a man in a red sweaterBuck lunged, and the club came downOnce, twice, again and againThe pain taught him that teeth do not always win, and anger does not always win—the one still standing is the one holding the club

The cold of the North soon swallowed his old identityBuck was bought by Perrault and François and joined the sled teamThere were no cushions or food bowls there—only snow, whips, dogs panting white breath, and food that could be stolen at any moment

Curly's death showed Buck the teeth of the wildThe gentle dog only wanted to approach a strange dog, but she was knocked downThe pack surged over her at once, and the snow became nothing but thrashing, screaming, and bloodBy the time men drove them off with clubs, Curly could no longer stand

Buck stared at the trampled snow and remembered one thing, here, once you fall, you never give the enemy a second chance

He began to learnHe learned to dig into the snow and bury his body for the nightHe learned to steal food when others turned awayHe learned to listen for the whip and to read the eyes of his teammates

The lead dog, Spitz, watched him constantlySpitz was calm, cunning, and cruel—he knew how to make the other show weaknessBuck resisted at first, then learned to waitHe no longer wasted his fury in growls but saved his strength for the final moment

The duel finally broke out on the snowThe dogs formed a silent circleSpitz dodged again and again, then bit back just as quicklyWounds split open on Buck's body, and blood dripped into the snowHe did not retreatAt last, he broke Spitz's footing, lunged, and pinned him downWhen the pack rushed in, the old lead dog vanished into the snow

The next day, Buck stood at the front of the teamAs the sled set off again, the traces tightened across his chest, and the wind rushed past his ears

But the wild never rewards anyone for longAfter the masters changed, the trail grew longer and the food grew scarcerThe dogs dragged their weary bodies forwardDave fell ill, walking crookedly, yet still stubbornly insisted on returning to his place in the harness

Later, the men took Dave behind the treesWhen the gunshot rang out, the team did not look backThe snow still fell, the traces still pulled forward, and Buck only buried the sound deeper in his chest

By the time Hal, Charles, and Mercedes took over the team, disaster was already waiting on the trailThey brought too much baggage and understood nothing of hunger or coldThey argued, cut the dogs' rations, and drove the dogs forward with the whipOne by one, the dogs collapsed, and the humans' panic pressed down like an even heavier load on those who remained

By the time they reached John Thornton's camp, Buck no longer wanted to riseIt was not laziness—every bone in his body was telling him the road ahead could not be traveledHal raised the club and struck him again and againBuck lay in the snow and bore it in silence

Thornton burst forward

He tore the club away, cut the traces from Buck's body, and pulled him from that doomed teamHal and the others drove on with the remaining dogsSoon after, the sled slid onto thin ice, and men, dogs, and baggage sank together into the riverBuck did not see it happen, but he knew—that fall was not a defeat

Beside Thornton, Buck learned a different way of drawing nearThis man's hands did not fall without reason, and his voice carried no crack of impatienceBuck could lay his head against Thornton's knee, or grip his hand in his teeth without really biting downWhen Thornton was in danger, Buck would charge forward without hesitation

He had saved Thornton, and he had pulled a heavy sled to win a wager for himBut what weighed heavier in Buck's heart was the long-lost belonging he felt when Thornton held him close

Yet late at night, a voice in the forest kept calling to himThe voice rose from his blood, traveling through the snow, the moonlight, and the dark, pressing against his ear—telling him to run, to leave the firelight, to go smell the farther wind

Again and again he walked into the forest, and again and again he returned to Thornton's sideThornton was the warm hand, the place by the fireThe forest was the footsteps in the shadows, the scent of prey, the freedom he knew better with every passing day

Until the day he came back from afar and the camp held no human soundThe fire was cold, the belongings scattered, the air thick with the smell of bloodThornton lay there, never to call his name againBuck lowered his head and stayed beside that body a long, long timeEverything that had tied him to the world of men snapped in that moment

He charged at the men who had attacked the camp, like a black wind full of teethTerror exploded among them—they had never seen a dog like this, and they did not know it was no longer a dog that obeyed menBuck killed them, scattered them, and at last stood in the silent camp, hearing the call from deep in the forest rise once more

This time, he did not look back

When the wolves appeared among the trees, Buck went forward to meet themHe ran with them, fought them, tested them, until they accepted him and followed himThe moonlight fell on his back, and the snow recorded his tracks before the wind quickly smoothed them away

Later, the people of the North told tales of a ghostly giant dog in the forest, running at the head of the wolf packEvery year, Buck would return to that old camp, walk to the place where Thornton fell, and lower his head to smell the silent earth

Then he would lift his head and howl long into the cold sky

After the howl faded, the forest closed around him againBuck turned and ran, crossing snow, rivers, and the black shadows of trees, vanishing into the wild that belonged to him

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只小鹿在森林中经历成长、失去与独立，从懵懂幼崽到孤独王者的生命之旅。

In the deepest part of the forest, just as spring was unfolding the leaves, a little fawn was born

He lay in a soft nest of grass, his body still damp with the moisture of birth His mother bent her head low and licked him, over and over The woods were quiet, and the sunlight sifted through the leaves into tiny bright spots that fell upon his back Those spots of light mingled with the spots on his coat, as if the forest had hidden him in its arms from the very beginning

His name was Bambi

In those first days, Bambi knew nothing at all He thought the world was his mother's body, the warm milk, the narrow paths between the bushes, and those sounds that suddenly began and suddenly stopped Squirrels quarreled in the branches, birds fluttered among the leaves, a hare darted out of the grass and vanished just as fast Everything amazed him, and he wanted to ask his mother about every single thing

His mother often answered him, and often stayed silent Bambi slowly discovered that the forest was not only gentle A weasel would bite a mouse to death, a bird would steal another's nest, and in the grass there was running and there was chasing His mother led him forward, but she did not explain everything She only made him remember to walk lightly, to keep his ears up, that there was news in the wind, and news in the silence too

One day, his mother took him to the meadow

That was the first time Bambi had ever seen so much light The trees suddenly fell away behind him, and before him opened a vast space where blades of grass shimmered silver in the wind Butterflies were like flowers that could fly, and a grasshopper shot out from in front of him and vanished in an instant Bambi was so happy he nearly forgot to be afraid He wanted to run forward, wanted to stamp his hooves across the whole meadow

But his mother stood at the edge, perfectly still

She listened first, then looked, then smelled Only after a very long time did she let Bambi step out Bambi did not understand then why his mother was most tense in the brightest place Later he would learn that the meadow lets a deer see far away, and also lets things far away see the deer

In the meadow, Bambi met his aunt Ena, and two fawns about his own age One was called Faline, lively and quick, her eyes bright as a stream The other was called Gobo, weaker in body, always staying close to his mother, yet trying hard to make himself look brave

The three children soon played together They chased, they leaped, they showed off the skills they had just learned In those days Bambi believed that growing up meant nothing more than running faster, jumping higher, and knowing the names of more small creatures

Until one day, they saw several tall stags walking through the trees

Those stags seemed to emerge from ancient shadows, crowns of branching antlers on their heads, silent and solemn, utterly unlike the mothers Bambi held his breath and watched them pass Only later did he learn that among them were their fathers But the fathers did not play with the children, nor stay by the mothers' side They belonged to the deeper paths of the forest, to loneliness, to alertness, and to dangers that no one could quite name

Bambi slowly grew, and his mother began to leave him

At first, he was terribly afraid Whenever his mother was gone, he would call for her through the trees, his voice rising one after another, small and frantic Then an old stag appeared before him Bambi had never seen a stag like him He was tall and lean, his gaze calm, as if he had long ago seen through every path in the forest

He scolded Bambi for not being able to stay by himself

Bambi felt ashamed, and hurt He did not yet understand that his mother's leaving was not a lack of love, but the forest pushing him toward growing up in the coldest way

Winter came

The snow fell, covering the grass, covering the scents, covering many of the paths that led home The forest was no longer abundant, and all the animals grew quiet Hunger slowed their steps, and the cold made their bodies shiver It was in this winter that Man came

They were not a single sound They had footsteps, they had shouts, they had hounds, they had guns

The forest exploded Birds burst into the air, hares scattered wildly, the herd of deer fled across the snow Bambi ran with his mother, the white snow kicked up and flying in all directions All he heard was his mother telling him to run, not to look back When the gunshot rang out, the air felt torn open And when everything slowly fell quiet, Bambi could no longer find his mother

He waited in the snow, searched among the bushes, sniffed along the paths they had once walked together But his mother did not come back

Gobo was gone too Many familiar voices were gone After that winter, Bambi truly understood that the forest could hold a child in its arms, and could also, one day, leave him all alone without a single word of explanation

Time passed, and Bambi grew antlers He was no longer the fawn who could only call for his mother Other stags would close in on him, test him, ram him He was bullied, and he learned to fight back When summer came again, he met Faline, now grown

Faline was still beautiful, still light on her feet She came running from the meadow, like old days suddenly returning before his eyes Bambi fought other stags for her, antlers crashing together, bodies crashing together Pain, panting breath, the smell of earth and crushed grass all mixed together In the end, he won

For a while, Bambi and Faline were often together They walked through the woods, out to the edge of the meadow, and listened to the early morning wind Bambi almost believed that the warmth he had lost could come back in another form

But the forest never lets anyone stay in warmth forever

Once, Bambi heard a doe's call coming from far away The voice was soft and urgent, like Faline calling to him He nearly rushed toward it at once Just then, the old stag blocked his way Bambi was angry, struggled, could not understand why he must not go

The old stag only told him to listen

The voice sounded again, so alike, so alike it made his heart uneasy But it was not Faline It was a voice that Man had learned to make, a bait woven from love and urgency, waiting for a young stag to walk into the gun's mouth

Bambi stood still, and for the first time he understood that fear did not come from the darkness, but from wanting too much to believe

Later, Gobo came back

Everyone had thought he died that winter long ago, yet he returned to the meadow from beyond the forest He said that Man had saved him, given him food, kept him alive He carried the marks of Man upon him, and when he spoke of those days there was a kind of pride in his voice He believed he knew Man, and he believed Man would not harm him

His mother Ena was happy for him, and Faline and Marena listened with wonder Only the old stag looked at him and said he was pitiful Bambi could not yet say why, but he felt there was a dangerous brightness about Gobo It was not courage It was a blindness born of having once been protected

Not long after, Gobo walked out onto the meadow again When Man appeared, he did not run He believed he was different from the other deer, believed that because he had once been saved, he would never be harmed

The gunshot rang out, and Gobo fell

The forest did not pause for his mistake The meadow was still bright, the wind still blew, and the other deer could only retreat from that open space back into the shadows of the trees Bambi saw that the most terrible thing was not never having seen danger, but having seen it and still treating the exception as the rule

Bambi spent less and less time with Faline He still remembered her, and her voice could still stir him, but he began to walk deeper and more hidden paths The old stag taught him to avoid the routes Man often took, taught him to recognize snares, taught him not to mistake a familiar trail for safety

Later, Bambi was shot

Pain burned through his body, and the blood trickled down drop by drop The baying of hounds chased behind him, and the footsteps of Man chased behind him Bambi could barely hold on The old stag appeared, forcing him to circle, forcing him to scramble his own scent, forcing him to keep moving through the pain Every step felt like it would tear him apart, but he could not stop

Only when the blood slowly stopped and the sounds of pursuit faded did Bambi collapse into a hidden place The old stag stayed with him, waiting until he could stand again In that silence, Bambi understood that staying alive was not a beautiful thing Sometimes it was only enduring the pain, keeping your mouth shut, and placing your hoof on the next fallen leaf

Many years passed, and Bambi grew old His coat no longer held only the colors of spring, and his eyes carried much silence The old stag led him to see a dead human The man lay fallen in the forest, brought down by another human's gun

Bambi stood beside the body and did not move for a long time

So humans could fall too So those footsteps that made the whole forest tremble were not gods in the sky They were powerful, cruel, clever, they set traps, they mimicked calls, they could take away mothers and friends, but they too could bleed, and they too could die at the hands of their own kind

The old stag looked at Bambi Now that the time for parting had come, he no longer spoke to him only with cold lessons He admitted that he had always loved Bambi And then he called him my son

After these words, the old stag walked into the depths of the forest and never returned

Another spring, Bambi met two little fawns among the trees They stood in the shadows of the branches, calling for their mother in panic, their voices just like his own from many years ago Bambi stopped and looked at them

He did not go over to comfort them He only told them to stop crying out, to learn to be alone

The fawns stood frozen where they were The wind passed through the young leaves, and the light of the meadow shone in from the distance As Bambi turned to leave, he thought of Faline, and he saw in one of the fawns a familiar shadow, the kind that would one day grow into strength

The forest went on growing New children were born, and new hoofprints pressed into the old paths Mothers would leave, gunshots would ring out, and the meadow would shine in the early morning

And Bambi walked among the shadows of the trees, slowly vanishing into the deeper green

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一块面包换来十九年牢狱，一对银烛台照亮一生的救赎之路。

When Jean Valjean walked out of prison, all he had on him was a yellow passport

That paper was heavier than chains

It told every inn, every door, every person who saw him, this man has been in prison

Nineteen years ago, he had stolen a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child

Nineteen years later, he had become a silent, hardened man, pushed out by the world

At night, he knocked on doors in the cold wind

Some drove him away, some set their dogs on him

At last, a bishop opened his door, sat him down, fed him, and gave him a clean bed

Jean Valjean did not trust this kindness

In the middle of the night, he stole the bishop's silver and fled

He was soon caught by the gendarmes and brought back, the silver still on him

The bishop looked at him, but did not expose him

The bishop said the silver had been a gift all along

Then he brought out a pair of silver candlesticks and placed them in Jean Valjean's hands, as if handing him the last road forward

Jean Valjean walked out clutching the silver, as if something had struck him

He did not know whom to hate, nor where to go

After that night, the convict who had only known how to fight the world with his fists began to hide himself away, bit by bit, and live as another man

Years later, a man named Madeleine appeared in a seaside town

He opened a factory, helped the poor, and became mayor

People respected him, for he was quiet and hardworking, and because he always seemed to see the suffering others missed

But Inspector Javert kept his eyes on him

Javert believed the law was as hard as stone

A criminal was a criminal, even in fine clothes, even praised by the whole town, in his bones, he was still a criminal

In that very town, Fantine was falling, step by step, into the depths

She had left her daughter Cosette with the Thénardiers and gone to work in a factory

She believed that if she endured, saved, and sent money home, her daughter would have food to eat and clothes to wear

But when it was discovered she had a child out of wedlock, the factory turned her out

After that, she sold her golden hair, sold her teeth, sold everything she had left to sell

She grew thinner and thinner, her cough grew worse and worse, and still she had to believe her daughter far away was being taken care of

In truth, Cosette was living like a little servant in the Thénardiers' dark house

She carried water, took the scoldings, wore rags, and on winter nights hauled a bucket bigger than herself into the woods

She did not know her mother was giving her life away for her, little by little

Jean Valjean discovered Fantine's suffering at a moment already too late

He rescued her, gave her shelter, and promised he would bring Cosette back

But just then, another poor man was mistaken for Jean Valjean and about to be sentenced for his crimes

Jean Valjean could go on being mayor, could go on protecting the people in his factory, could let that stranger sink in his place

He wrestled with himself all night, then walked into the courtroom and spoke his name

It was not her daughter who came to Fantine, but the footsteps of Javert

She heard that Jean Valjean was to be arrested again, heard hope shatter beside her bed

When she died, Cosette was still far away, her hands cracked with cold, her eyes without a single grown-up's true love

Jean Valjean did not forget his promise

He escaped his pursuers and found Cosette on Christmas Eve

The child was dragging a water bucket back from the woods, her small body swallowed by the dark

Jean Valjean walked over and took the handle in his hands

From that moment on, Cosette had a hand she could hold onto

He took her away from the Thénardiers, then hid with her in Paris, hid in a convent

For many years, he dared not make too much noise, dared not stand in too bright a place

He poured all his tenderness into Cosette

When she grew a little taller, he felt a quiet joy

When she glanced a little longer at the world outside, he feared the day would come when he could not keep her

Cosette grew up

In a garden, she met Marius

The two young souls only saw each other from a distance, missed each other again and again, yet their hearts had already crossed the garden wall

Jean Valjean saw the change in Cosette's eyes

He understood for the first time that the child he had saved could not belong forever to his loneliness alone

Love had given him a life, and now it was beginning to push him toward loss

The streets of Paris grew restless

Young men gathered, talking of the suffering of the poor, of the republic, of the uprising about to ignite

Marius too went to the barricade

Believing he had lost Cosette, he gave his life to a battle that had almost no hope of winning

When Jean Valjean heard the news, he too went to the barricade

He did not come for any flag

He only knew that the man Cosette loved was there

Cannon fire, smoke, rubble, blood, the night pressed down low

One by one, the young men on the barricade fell

The boy Gavroche gathered bullets under the gunfire, as if picking up scraps of hope from the ruins, until he too lay still in the street

Javert was captured by the rebels and handed over to Jean Valjean

The man who had hunted him all his life now stood before him, waiting to die

Jean Valjean led him to a quiet corner, but did not fire

He cut the ropes and let him go

Javert could not understand

The law told him Jean Valjean should be arrested

Everything unfolding before his eyes told him this criminal had saved a man, forgiven his enemy, and was carrying a young man's life through the darkness

After the barricade fell, Jean Valjean lifted the wounded Marius onto his back and disappeared into the sewers of Paris

Above was gunfire, below was sewage, mud, and an endless black

He pressed on, step by step, as if carrying the whole weight of Cosette's future

At last, he carried Marius out of the darkness

Javert was waiting there

But this time, Javert did not lock him up at once

The man who had believed in nothing but the iron law all his life was cornered by Jean Valjean's goodness, with nowhere left to go

Deep in the night, he walked to the river and threw himself in

Marius survived and married Cosette

On the wedding day, Jean Valjean stood beside the happiness, yet stood outside it

He told Marius about his past, that he was a convict, and then he left of his own accord

He believed this was how to protect Cosette

So he stopped visiting her as often

The room grew colder, his steps grew slower

The old man who had once carried a man through the sewers was left in the end with only a chair, a candle's light, and a heart too afraid to ask for love

Until at last Marius learned that the man who had saved him was Jean Valjean

He rushed with Cosette to the old man's side

Jean Valjean saw Cosette coming, as if from a great distance he saw that small hand again

The bishop's silver candlesticks glowed beside him

That light had traveled from a night many years ago to this very moment, shining past bread and chains and courtrooms and barricades and sewers, and now it fell upon a man's face at the end

He took no wealth with him, and no fame

He had only placed Cosette into the hands of the one she loved, repaid what he owed where he could, and little by little saved himself from hate

The candlelight burned quietly

Jean Valjean closed his eyes, and at last, he stopped running

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一头老驴带着老狗、老猫和公鸡，踏上通往不来梅的音乐之路，却在一间强盗的小屋里找到了真正的家。

The donkey was old

Once, he carried heavy sacks every day, back and forth between the mill and the village road

His back grew more and more bent, his steps slower and slower, and his master, seeing there was little strength left to squeeze out of him, slowly lost all patience

The donkey heard those words

He knew staying would lead to no good

So one day, without waiting for the whip to fall, he lowered his head and quietly walked away down the road

He was heading to Bremen

There were streets there, and crowds, and maybe someone would be willing to listen to an old donkey sing

Since he could no longer carry things, he thought, he might as well become a musician

Halfway there, he saw a hound lying by the road, panting heavily, as if even standing up was a struggle

The donkey asked him why he looked so downcast

The hound said he was old, could no longer run, and could not catch prey anymore

His master thought keeping him was useless and wanted to beat him to death

He had no choice but to run away, but after escaping, he had no idea where else to go

After hearing this, the donkey said, then come with me

I am going to Bremen to be a musician, and you can beat the drum or sing the bass

We can always earn a meal with our voices

The hound lifted his head and looked at this equally old and weary donkey

With nowhere better to go, he followed him down the road

The two old fellows continued on their way

Not long after, they saw a cat sitting by the road, his face long and drawn, as if he had just stepped out of the rain

The cat said his teeth were loose, he was no good at catching mice anymore, and all he wanted was to doze by the stove

But his mistress thought he was useless and wanted to throw him into the water to drown

He had escaped, but he did not know how to survive

The donkey said, then come with us

You know the songs of the night, your voice is sharp and bright, in Bremen, that might just come in handy

The cat thought for a moment, stood up, shook the dust from his coat, and joined the band

Later, they passed a farmyard and saw a rooster standing at the gate, crowing at the top of his lungs

That sound was not like a morning call, it was more like saying goodbye to someone

The donkey asked him why he was crowing so sadly

The rooster said guests were coming tomorrow, and the mistress had already said she would turn him into soup

Today he could still stand at the gate and crow, but tomorrow there would be nothing left but a pot of steam

The donkey said, then you come with us too

Your voice is so bright, it would be a shame to leave it in a pot

Let us go to Bremen together, and form a band

And so the donkey, the hound, the cat, and the rooster, four creatures cast out by their old lives, walked on together down the road

But Bremen was farther than they had thought

The sky slowly darkened, the trees along the road turned black one by one, and the wind passed through the woods like someone whispering

Too tired to go on, they had to find a place in the forest to spend the night

The rooster flew up into a tree and looked into the distance

Suddenly he called out, saying there was a light over there

They walked toward the light and saw a house deep in the forest

Through the window glowed firelight, a table was spread with food, and inside sat a band of robbers, eating, drinking, and laughing

The four animals stood outside, cold and hungry

They had no knives and no guns, only their voices and a handful of old bones

The donkey thought for a moment and told everyone to stack up

The donkey stood at the bottom, the hound jumped onto his back, the cat climbed onto the hound's back, and the rooster flew to the very top

As they drew near the window, all four voices burst out at once

The donkey brayed, the hound barked wildly, the cat screeched, and the rooster crowed at full volume

The next moment, they crashed through the window together and charged into the house

The robbers could not make out what it was at all, they only saw dark shapes rushing in, glass shattering everywhere, and the room filling with terrible shrieks

Scared out of their wits, they dropped their food and fled into the forest

The house fell quiet all at once

The four animals stood by the table, breathing in the smell of hot food, and not one of them said a word

It had been a long time since any of them had seen a meal this solid and real

The donkey ate the hay, the hound gnawed the bones, the cat licked the plates, and the rooster pecked at the breadcrumbs

After they had eaten their fill, they found places to sleep

The donkey lay down on the straw pile in the yard, the hound slept behind the door, the cat curled up by the stove, and the rooster flew up onto the roof beam

The firelight faded little by little, the night of the forest wrapped around the little house, and for the first time, the house belonged not to robbers, but to four old animals who had run away

In the middle of the night, the robbers saw from afar that the house had gone quiet, so they sent one man back to investigate

The man crept into the dark house, saw two glowing points by the stove, thought they were embers, and reached out to light a candle

But those were the cat's eyes

The cat was startled awake, pounced at him fiercely, and scratched his face

The robber turned and ran, but just as he reached the door, the hound bit him hard on the leg

He dashed into the yard, and the donkey raised his hind legs and kicked him flying

The rooster on the roof beam was woken too and let out a piercing crow

The robber tumbled all the way back to the forest and, trembling all over, told his companions, inside the house was a terrible witch who had clawed his face, by the door was a man with a knife who had stabbed his leg, in the yard was a black monster who had beaten him with a club, and on the roof was a judge who kept shouting to bring him forward

After hearing this, the robbers never dared go near that house again

When morning came, the forest was still the same forest, and the road still led to Bremen

But the four animals were in no hurry to keep going

They looked at the table, at the fire in the stove, at the straw pile by the door and the spot on the roof beam, and suddenly understood, this place was already good enough

They had set out to become musicians in Bremen

In the end, they never reached Bremen

They simply moved into a little house left behind by robbers

The donkey could walk slowly, the hound could guard the door, the cat could sleep by the warm stove, and the rooster stood on the rooftop every day to wake the morning

The forest was vast, and the night would still fall dark

But from that day on, the four old creatures who had been driven from their homes were never driven away again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只勇敢的小黑鱼带领伙伴们团结起来，用智慧吓退大鱼，在奇妙海底世界中发现自我的故事。

In a corner of the sea, there lived a school of little red fish, only one was black, and his name was Swimmy

Swimmy swam faster than all his brothers and sisters

One day, a big fierce tuna came rushing in, it opened its huge mouth and swallowed all the little red fish in one gulp, only Swimmy escaped

Swimmy swam into the deep sea, scared and lonely

The sea was full of wonderful creatures, and Swimmy saw them all

Jellyfish floated like transparent rainbow umbrellas in the water

A big lobster walked by with huge claws, like an underwater machine

A school of strange fish swam back and forth in perfect order, pulled by invisible strings

A forest of seaweed swayed gently on the rocks, with no beginning or end in sight

Sea anemones looked like pink palm trees, dancing in the current

Swimmy looked at all this and smiled happily

He swam on and on, until he saw a school of little red fish hiding in the shadow of a reef

"Come out and play, there are so many wonderful things to see," Swimmy said

"No, the big fish will eat us all," the little red fish answered

Swimmy thought and thought for a long time

Suddenly, he said, "I've got it"

"You must all swim together, and swim like one big fish"

One by one, the little red fish pressed close together

They became one big red fish, the biggest fish in the sea

"I will be the eye," Swimmy said

When morning came, they swam out into the cool dawn water

The big red fish sparkled in the sunlight, and the shadows of the big fish scattered and fled

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个孤儿从沼泽走向伦敦，追逐绅士梦却发现财富来自逃犯，最终在幻灭中找回真正的爱与尊严。

When the wind blew across the marshes, Pip was still just a little boy.

He stood before his parents' gravestones, looking at a row of stones under the gray sky.

No one was around, only mud, reeds, a distant river, and a child's unstoppable fear

Just then, a man in prison clothes lunged from behind a gravestone, chains dragging at his feet, his face marked by hunger and cold.

The man grabbed him and demanded he bring food tomorrow, and a file.

Otherwise, someone would come and tear his body apart.

Pip trembled with fear, went home and stole a meat pie and brandy from his sister's kitchen, then stole a file from his brother in law Joe's forge, and ran into the marshes before dawn

He thought he was only doing this to stay alive.

He did not know then that this convict would pull his whole life in another direction.

Pip lived at his sister's house.

His sister ruled him with scolding and a stick, as if raising him was a debt that could never be repaid.

Only Joe was different.

Joe was a blacksmith with rough hands, his clothes smelling of forge fire and iron filings, but he always spoke to Pip slowly, as if afraid of startling him.

The steadiest warmth Pip had in that home was the shadow of Joe sitting by the fire.

But later, Pip was taken into Miss Havisham's house.

That house seemed locked in time.

The curtains were heavy, the light was dim, the wedding feast on the table had long rotted, and the clocks had stopped many years ago

Miss Havisham wore a yellowed wedding dress, as if she had withered into old age from a wedding that never ended.

Beside her was a girl, Estella, beautiful and cold, like a finely polished cold instrument.

The first time Pip saw her, she looked down on him.

She mocked his coarse hands, his clumsy boots, and his unrefined speech

Those words were small, but they pierced Pip's heart like needles.

Back at the forge, he began to stare at his own hands, at Joe's apron, at everything familiar by the fire, and felt shame for the first time

He could have been Joe's apprentice, keeping to the anvil, the sparks, the supper, and the country lanes, living a steady but rough life

But Estella's eyes made him believe he had to become someone else.

Someone who spoke well, dressed neatly, and would not be laughed at.

Soon, a lawyer from London named Jaggers told him that an anonymous benefactor was willing to give him a large sum of money, to leave the forge, go to London for an education, and become a gentleman.

Pip believed almost at once that the person must be Miss Havisham.

He thought it was all arranged.

Miss Havisham had let him meet Estella, made him fall in love with her, then gave him wealth and status, and perhaps in the end would place Estella in his hands

The fantasy was too sweet and too pleasing, so he asked no questions and left Joe with a pride as fresh as his new clothes and new name.

When Joe came to London to see him, he stood in Pip's fine room, not even knowing where to put his hat.

Watching Joe's awkwardness, Pip felt not pain, but embarrassment.

He wished Joe would leave quickly, wished his poor origins would not be seen by anyone.

After Joe left, the room fell quiet.

Pip did not become more of a true gentleman because of it.

He spent money in London, ran up debts, befriended Herbert, and learned the manners of a gentleman, but the deepest place in his heart remained empty

Estella appeared again and again, and left again and again.

She never promised him love, only watched men suffer for her with cold cruelty, just as Miss Havisham had raised her to do.

Yet Pip still waited.

Until one stormy night, a rough old man appeared at his door.

The man's clothes were soaked, his voice was hoarse, but his eyes were fixed intently on Pip.

Pip soon recognized him as the convict from the marshes all those years ago, Magwitch.

Magwitch told him that all the money, all the prospects, had come from him.

He had been transported overseas, survived hard labor and danger, and saved money bit by bit, just to make a gentleman of the boy who had given him food and a file

He could not return to England, or he might be executed, yet he still had to see with his own eyes the "gentleman" he had made.

Pip's heart sank to the bottom.

It was not Miss Havisham.

It was not a marriage arrangement.

It was not fate finally noticing him.

The illusion that had sustained him for years had come from a convict, from a pair of hands reaching out of the marshes.

At first he felt disgust, fear, and even thought himself tainted.

But there was no calculation in Magwitch's eyes, only a clumsy and dangerous love.

This man cast out by society had made Pip the proof that he had lived.

The more Pip wanted to flee, the more he saw that his true cruelty lay not in poverty or birth, but in how he had abandoned Joe and treated the love of others as shame.

Meanwhile, Miss Havisham began to see what she had done.

She had raised Estella with a cold, hard heart, to take revenge on all men.

But Estella was not a knife, nor a shadow to take revenge for her; she too was someone whose warmth had been stolen.

When Estella married the brutal Drummle, Miss Havisham finally felt regret, too late, in that frozen house.

Then, the fire started.

Miss Havisham's old wedding dress was caught by the flames, and Pip rushed to save her, his arms burned.

The woman who had locked herself in old humiliation finally fell amid fire and smoke.

She did not truly win back Estella, nor set Pip's life right; she only left a late apology and a rotting house.

Pip decided to help Magwitch escape.

He no longer only wanted to be rid of him.

He knew this old man was guilty, rough, and had once been violent, but he also knew that Magwitch had staked everything he had on him.

Pip and his friends arranged a boat, hoping to leave England by the river.

Mist pressed down on the water, and they thought there was still a sliver of hope.

The pursuers came anyway.

Magwitch was captured.

His old enemy died in the river, and he himself was badly wounded, thrown into prison to await judgment.

Pip stayed by his side, no longer calling him a burden, no longer seeing him as a stain.

He only told the dying man that Estella was still alive, and that she was his daughter.

Hearing this, Magwitch seemed to grasp a sliver of human warmth at the last moment, and then slowly died.

After Magwitch died, the money vanished too.

Pip fell ill, buried in debt, without even the strength to stand.

The one who came to care for him was Joe.

Joe did not blame him for years of coldness, did not ask how his gentleman dreams had shattered.

Joe simply sat by the bed, gave him medicine, paid off his debts, and watched over him quietly, just as he had by the forge fire all those years ago.

When Pip woke, Joe was already preparing to leave.

He was still gentle, still clumsy, yet more solid than all the refinement Pip had ever chased.

When Pip returned to his hometown, he wanted to apologize to Joe and Biddy, and secretly thought of staying.

But when he pushed open the door, he saw that Joe and Biddy were already married.

He had come too late.

The days he had scorned and missed would not wait for him just because he had finally understood.

So Pip left England and went overseas to work with Herbert.

He no longer lived on illusions, nor waited for an invisible hand to lift him up.

Years later, he returned to his hometown and walked to the ruins of Miss Havisham's old house.

There was no stopped clock, no rotten wedding feast, and no old woman in a wedding dress

He met Estella.

She was no longer the girl who had wounded him with cold eyes.

Suffering had changed her, and worn away the cold hardness that had been taught into her.

Pip looked at her as if seeing all the shame, misrecognition, longing, and loss of his youth slowly quieting in the shadow of the ruins.

Together they walked out of that desolate place.

The mist lifted, and the old house was left behind.

Pip did not reclaim the glory he had once wanted, nor turn his broken years into something whole.

But at last he could walk beside Estella, no longer hating himself for his poverty, no longer hiding from those who had loved him behind a mask of refinement.

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一部关于时间、勇气与信念的冒险史诗，八十天环游地球的传奇旅程。

In London in 1872, Mr. Fogg lived every day like a clock

He woke up at a fixed time each morning, walked a fixed route to the Reform Club, and sat at a fixed seat to read the paper, eat, and play cards

His clothes must not wrinkle, his water must be the right temperature, his steps must not falter

Even his new French servant Passepartout thought he had finally found a master who could not be any quieter

But on this day, a timetable of the world appeared in the newspaper

Starting from London, take a train to Italy, then a steamer across the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal; to India, switch to railway; then to Hong Kong, Yokohama, cross the Pacific to America; go across the North American continent, and return to Europe from New York

All the routes, trains, and steamer schedules added together made exactly eighty days

The gentlemen at the club did not believe it

The weather could change, ships could be late, railways could break, storms could rage at sea, and people could fall ill

But Mr. Fogg only looked at that timetable and said calmly that he could do it

The wager was twenty thousand pounds

That very evening at eight forty-five, Fogg left London with Passepartout

Passepartout had wanted a quiet life, but on his very first day on the job, his master dragged him on a journey around the world

They first arrived at Suez

At the port beside the desert, ship smoke rose, passengers came ashore, and merchants, soldiers, and officials mingled together

And it was right here that Detective Fix set his sights on Fogg

The Bank of England had just been robbed, and the suspect was said to be a respectable gentleman

Fogg carried a large amount of cash and was in a hurry to travel; in Fix's eyes, he looked suspicious in every way

The arrest warrant had not yet arrived, so Fix could only follow and wait for a chance to hold up this silent Englishman

Fogg, however, did not explain

He only looked at the time, only looked at the next stretch of road

The ship crossed the Red Sea and arrived at Bombay

According to the plan, the railway would take them to Calcutta

But halfway there, they discovered that the railway on the map was not fully built

The tracks stopped in the wilderness, and a stretch of road ahead had to be crossed on foot

The timetable cracked open for the first time

Fogg did not complain

He bought an elephant, hired a guide, and pressed on

Forests, heat, earth, and the smell of wild beasts pressed in from all sides; sitting on the elephant's back, Passepartout finally understood that this was not a route on paper; this was the earth that had to be crossed inch by inch with one's own body

And in the jungles of India, they met Aouda

She was a young Parsi woman whose husband had died, and she was being held by the locals to be burned alive on her husband's funeral pyre

She was drugged and had almost no strength left to resist

That night, firelight lit up the forest, drumbeats drew closer and closer, and time was closing in too

Fogg, who valued time above all else, stopped

Passepartout risked his life, disguised himself as the dead man, leaped up from beside the pyre, and in the chaos rescued Aouda

The elephant kept moving forward, with shouts of pursuit behind them and railways and steamers ahead

Fogg had saved someone who was never part of his plan, and from that moment on, he was no longer racing only against time

They reached Calcutta and then boarded a ship bound for Hong Kong

Fix was still chasing behind them

He waited for the arrest warrant time and again, and missed chance after chance under British jurisdiction

He saw Fogg spend money like water, saw him cold and almost heartless, and grew more and more convinced that this man must have a secret

Hong Kong was a critical stop

If they could catch the ship to Yokohama, they could continue across the Pacific as planned

But Fix, to delay their journey, told part of the truth to Passepartout and threw him into confusion

Passepartout failed to warn his master, stumbled onto the ship himself by accident, while Fogg and Aouda were left behind in Hong Kong

This time, the road was cut off even more completely

Fogg still did not panic

He found a boat, negotiated a price, calculated the wind, and finally took a small vessel on a risky voyage to Shanghai to catch another steamer bound for Japan

A storm at sea whipped up waves, and the boat struggled on the water like a piece of driftwood

Watching this always silent man, Aouda slowly came to understand that his calm was not a lack of feeling, but a refusal to hand his fear to anyone

They finally reached Yokohama and found Passepartout again

The poor servant, just to survive, had already joined a traveling acrobat troupe and was performing unsteadily on stage

When his master appeared, he could hardly believe his eyes

There was no scolding, no long explanation; Fogg simply brought him back to his side and kept going

Next came the Pacific Ocean

The steamer sailed from Japan toward San Francisco, the sea stretching out as if it had no end

Every day, the sun rose from the east and sank into the sea

In Fogg's travel journal, the dates turned page by page; but unbeknownst to them, time was quietly changing because they kept moving east

In America, they boarded the transcontinental railway

Outside the window were plains, snowy mountains, canyons, and herds of wild buffalo

The railway was like a thin thread stitching unfamiliar lands together, but this thread could snap at any moment

Bridges were dangerous, a blizzard was closing in, and the train came under attack

In the chaos, Passepartout risked his life to uncouple the train cars to save everyone, but he was taken away

Fogg did not keep going

He knew full well that every minute could cost him the wager, yet he still took men back to rescue him

By the time Passepartout was rescued, they had already missed their original train

So they took a sled, raced across the ice and snow with the wind, then switched to a train and rushed toward New York

But fate seemed to be one step too slow on purpose

By the time they rushed to the harbor, the ship bound for England had just left the shore

Just a little too late

Fogg did not stand on the dock and sigh

He found another ship and paid a fortune to change its course

When the coal ran low, he bought the entire ship and tore down its timber to burn as fuel

The ship pushed across the Atlantic belching thick smoke, as if burning every piece of furniture, railing, and deck into time to get home

They finally arrived in England

But at Liverpool, Fix finally got his chance to make an arrest

He seized Fogg and locked him up

All the rushing, calculating, risk taking, and money were blocked by a single door

A short while later, word came that the real bank robber had already been caught

Fix was wrong

When Fogg was released, he did not roar or defend himself

He simply punched Fix in the face, then continued on his way to London

But he thought he was still too late

Back home, the room fell quiet

The wager was lost, his fortune was nearly gone, and the eighty day journey felt like a colossal waste

But Aouda did not leave

She looked at this man who had protected her all the way and had been chased by time all the way, and asked if he would marry her

Fogg said yes

Passepartout ran off to arrange the wedding

And it was during this very run that he suddenly realized the date in London was not what they thought it was

They had been traveling east all along, and with every meridian they crossed, they quietly gained a few extra minutes from the sun

Around the entire globe, all those minutes added up to exactly one extra day

Fogg thought he was late, but in truth he still had time

Passepartout sprinted home

Fogg left at once and rushed to the Reform Club

At a few minutes past eight forty-four in the evening, at the card table in the club, several gentlemen were waiting for the final second to tick by

The door opened and Fogg walked in, neatly dressed and calm, as if he had simply come from home for a game of cards as usual

He had won

In those eighty days, the steamers, railways, meridians, time zones, and every inch of distance on the map had not stayed merely on paper

They had carried a man so punctual he was almost cold across deserts, jungles, oceans, and snowy plains, and had also brought Aouda and Passepartout into his life

What remained in the London night was not just the wager won back

There was also a pocket watch closed once more, a journey rewritten by the world, and a man who no longer had to live alone

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个男孩在端午节这天，从五色线、艾草和粽子中，慢慢懂得了古老心愿的意义，也记住了奶奶的温暖。

On the morning of the Dragon Boat Festival, Xiaoman woke up and found a five color thread tied around his wrist

Red, yellow, blue, white, and black, the thin threads twisted together, resting against his skin, a little itchy

He frowned and asked his grandma, "Why do we have to tie this on every year I'm not a zongzi"

Grandma was in the kitchen, washing bamboo leaves

The green leaves floated in the water basin, like little boats

She did not answer right away

She just handed a leaf to Xiaoman for him to smell

The scent was very fresh, carrying the fragrance of grass and rain

Grandma said, "The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month

Long ago, people believed that when the fifth month arrived, the weather grew hot, insects multiplied, and people fell ill more easily

So they would hang mugwort and calamus at the door, wear sachets, and tie five color threads around children's wrists

It was not for decoration

It was to keep peace and safety close by"

Xiaoman ran to the door and sure enough, he saw a bundle of mugwort tucked above the doorframe

When the wind blew, the tips of the leaves swayed gently, as if standing guard for the home

The water in the pot began to bubble

Grandma wrapped glutinous rice, red dates, and red bean paste into the bamboo leaves, bit by bit

Her hands were steady

As she wound the string around, the zongzi took shape in her palm, forming a tiny pointed corner

Xiaoman asked, "Then why do we eat zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival"

Grandma said, "There are many stories

The best known one is that people do this to honor Qu Yuan

Legend says that after he threw himself into the river, the common people rowed their boats to search for him and threw balls of rice into the water, hoping the fish and shrimp would not harm his body

Over time, the rowing became dragon boat racing, and the rice balls slowly became zongzi"

Xiaoman looked down at the white steam rising from the edge of the pot

So a zongzi was not just rice and dates

Inside it was also the heart of people from long ago, who wanted to hold on to someone they loved

At noon, the sound of dragon boat drums came from far away

Boom, boom, boom

Xiaoman stood by the window and listened

The sound did not feel like a race to him

It felt more like many people searching together across the water

Grandma placed the cooked zongzi into a bowl

When she unwrapped the leaves, steam rose into the air, and the glutinous rice glistened

Xiaoman took a bite, and the sweetness melted slowly on his tongue

Suddenly, he did not want to cut off the five color thread anymore

Grandma said, "In our hometown, when the first rain after the Dragon Boat Festival comes, you can take off the thread and place it by the water

The old folks say the rain will carry away all the bad things"

A few days later, the first rain really did fall

Xiaoman stood under the eaves and gently untied the five color thread

Rainwater flowed along the roof tiles into a thin little stream

He placed the thread into it and watched it drift slowly away

In that moment, he felt he understood the Dragon Boat Festival

It was not a big holiday, nor a distant legend

It was the bundle of mugwort at the door, the zongzi in the pot, the tiny thread around a wrist

It was grown ups quietly tying an ancient wish onto a child

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只穿靴子的猫用智慧帮助主人改变命运的经典童话，机智勇敢，扣人心弦。

The miller died

He left three things, a mill, a donkey, and a cat

The oldest son took the mill

The second son took the donkey

The youngest son only got the cat

Everyone in the village laughed at him

They said the cat was useless

The youngest son sat in the corner, staring at the thin cat

The cat looked up

He smoothed his whiskers with his paw, and he spoke

"Give me a pair of boots," said the cat

The youngest son fell back in shock

"Don't be afraid," the cat said, his tail held high

"I just need boots and a sack, just wait and see"

The youngest son spent his last coin on a pair of leather boots

The cat put on the boots, slung the sack over his shoulder, and marched out of the mill

He went into the fields, filled the sack with bran and greens

He lay on the ground, held the sack open, and played dead

A foolish rabbit jumped into the sack

The cat pulled the rope tight, and the rabbit was trapped

The cat slung the rabbit over his shoulder and marched to the palace

The guards stopped him

"Stop, what does a cat want at the palace

The cat puffed out his chest, his boots clicking on the stones

"I'm the Marquis of Carabas's messenger. This is a gift for the king"

The guard took the rabbit into the palace

The king looked at the fat rabbit and smiled

"This Marquis of Carabas is very thoughtful," said the king

For a month, the cat hunted every day

He brought quail, pheasant, and partridge

Each time, he said it was a gift from the Marquis of Carabas

The king remembered the name

One day, the cat learned the king would travel along the river with his daughter

The cat ran to the youngest son

"Take off your clothes and jump into the river

"Why

"No time to explain, just do it

The youngest son jumped into the river

The cat threw his old clothes aside and shouted from the bank

"Help, the Marquis of Carabas has fallen into the river

The king's carriage happened to pass by

The king pulled back the curtain and saw a cat in boots jumping on the riverbank

"Isn't that the Marquis's cat, quick, save him

The guards pulled the youngest son out

The king ordered fine silk clothes for him from head to toe

The princess looked out

She saw a handsome young man in a golden silk robe standing in the sunlight

Her heart beat faster, and her cheeks turned red

The king invited the youngest son to ride in the carriage

The cat ran ahead

He reached a wheat field where farmers were harvesting

The cat jumped onto the fence and spoke sharply

"The king's carriage will pass by soon. If anyone asks who owns this land, say it belongs to the Marquis of Carabas. Otherwise, you'll be chopped into pieces

The farmers nodded in fear

The carriage passed by

The king leaned out and asked, "This wheat field is beautiful, who owns it

"It belongs to the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty," the farmers answered together

The king nodded

"So the Marquis of Carabas is very wealthy

The cat ran further ahead

He passed a vineyard, a pasture, and a forest

Everywhere, he threatened the farmers to give the same answer

All of it belonged to the Marquis of Carabas

The king grew more amazed

This Marquis's lands were even larger than the palace grounds

The carriage finally stopped before a huge castle

The castle belonged to an ogre, the true lord of the land

The cat rushed into the castle

The ogre sat by the fire, chewing on a leg of lamb

His body was covered in red fur, and sharp fangs showed from his mouth

"Greetings, honorable lord," said the cat, taking off his hat and bowing

"Who are you" the ogre rumbled like thunder

"I'm just a passing cat. I heard you can turn into any animal, is that true

The ogre smiled proudly

He took a deep breath, his body began to swell, his fur grew stiff

In a moment, he turned into a lion

The lion roared, and the whole castle trembled

The cat stepped back but didn't run

He patted his chest, and said, "Amazing. But I bet you can't turn into something small. You're so big, you probably can't turn into a mouse

The ogre's pride was sparked

The lion vanished, smoke cleared, and on the ground was a tiny mouse

The cat pounced

He bit the mouse's neck in one snap

The ogre was dead

The king's carriage rolled into the castle

The cat stood at the gate, bowing

"Welcome to the castle of the Marquis of Carabas, Your Majesty

The king stepped down from the carriage

He looked at the tall stone walls and the golden hall

He turned to the princess and smiled

"My daughter, this Marquis is worthy of you

The princess blushed and nodded

That night, the youngest son and the princess were married

The king gave half his kingdom as a dowry

The cat sat at the center of the feast table

He wore his little leather boots, a gold ribbon around his neck, and a plate of grilled fish before him

From then on, he was no ordinary cat

He was Puss in Boots, the First Minister of the Kingdom of Carabas

He changed his fate with just three things

A pair of boots, a sack, and a heart bold enough to dream

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。少年达达尼昂独闯巴黎，与三位火枪手结为生死兄弟，为守护王后荣誉历险伦敦，以"人人为我，我为人人"的誓言书写传奇。

To become a musketeer, you need three things, a sword, a brave heart, and a secret code

D'Artagnan set out with only the first, never knowing the other two were waiting for him

D'Artagnan climbed onto his old yellow horse, bid his mother farewell, and left Gascony behind

His father had given him a sword and a letter of introduction

He was heading to Paris, to become one of the king's musketeers

The young man cracked his whip, ambition hidden in the rising dust

He stopped at the town of Meung, where he ran into a gentleman in black

The man mocked his old horse, laughing without restraint

D'Artagnan drew his sword and charged, only to be knocked to the ground with a single blow

His sword broke in two, and the letter of introduction was stolen

Covered in mud, the young man gritted his teeth and rose to his feet

He'd never forget that face, that mocking laugh

The man was Rochefort, the cardinal's right-hand man

D'Artagnan went to see Monsieur de Treville, captain of the musketeers

Without the letter, the captain was only half convinced

Then through the window, he spotted Rochefort and bolted out the door

He crashed into Athos, hurting the man's wounded shoulder

He bumped into Porthos, tearing off the fake golden shoulder strap

He ran into Aramis, scattering a pile of manuscripts across the floor

All three men challenged him to a duel, all at once

The first duel was set in the monastery's backyard

His opponent was Athos, cold as ice

Just as D'Artagnan drew his sword, the cardinal's guards stormed in

Porthos and Aramis arrived as well

Three duels turned into a fierce battle, three against five

The young man turned and stood with the musketeers

The four of them fought together and drove back the cardinal's guards

That day, they became brothers in arms

All for one, and one for all

Four swords crossed together as one

D'Artagnan rented a room in Paris

He met his young and beautiful landlady

Her name was Constance, the queen's personal maid

The queen had secretly given her diamond studs to the Duke of Buckingham

The cardinal learned of this and set a trap

He asked the king to throw a ball for the queen

And demanded she wear the diamond studs to the event

The studs were far away in London, and the queen was helpless

Constance came to D'Artagnan in tears, begging for his help

Without a word, the young man saddled his horse and set off

He'd ride to London, to bring back those studs

Athos and the other two joined him on the journey

The cardinal's men hunted them down, laying ambushes along the way

Athos was shot and collapsed at a roadside inn

Porthos was trapped in a post station

Aramis was wounded and left behind to recover at an inn

Only D'Artagnan kept running, racing toward the port of Calais

A woman was hot on his heels

Her name was Milady, the cardinal's secret weapon

She was beautiful as a serpent, with the brand of a fleur-de-lis on her wrist

She caught up with him, pretending to be friendly

D'Artagnan saw through her trick, and crossed the sea that very night

Milady's men reached the harbor, but the ship had already sailed

D'Artagnan arrived in London, and rode straight to Buckingham Palace

The duke recognized the token, and handed over the diamond studs

Two of the diamonds had already been stolen by the cardinal's men

The duke had them restored overnight, with new diamonds set in place

D'Artagnan took the studs and rode back to Paris

He changed horses, but never stopped, riding day and night

On the night of the ball, the young man burst through the palace gates

He placed the studs in the queen's hands

Twelve diamonds, not a single one missing

The queen wore the studs, and appeared at the ball in all her splendor

The cardinal was speechless, his plan had failed

The queen smiled at the young man

Constance wept in the shadows

Milady was imprisoned in an English castle

She pretended to be pious and repentant, winning the trust of her guard

Felton set her free, and even agreed to assassinate the duke for her

The Duke of Buckingham fell in his own palace, his robes stained with blood

Milady fled back to France, and hid herself in a convent

She found Constance, and offered her a cup of poisoned wine

Constance drank the poisoned wine, and died in the young man's arms

D'Artagnan's eyes turned red, he drew his sword and charged into the night

The four brothers reunited, to hunt down the serpent woman

Aramis disguised himself as a priest, and listened to her final confession

Athos revealed the proof of his former wife's crimes, every word a blade

The executioner swung his axe, the fleur-de-lis stained with blood

The four stood in silence by the river, their swords had tasted revenge

D'Artagnan knelt down, and received the commission

Even the cardinal had come to recognize his courage

He was made lieutenant of the musketeers

That old sword, had finally found its home

He looked up, Athos was smiling at him from across the street

Porthos raised his glass in the tavern, Aramis closed his bible

Four swords, four hearts, one city of Paris

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。红发孤女安妮被绿山墙农舍误收，从被质疑到被接纳，从闯祸到成长，最终主动选择守护家园的温暖故事。

When Matthew Cuthbert went to the station to pick someone up,

he thought he would be bringing home a boy.

Green Gables needed a helper.

He and his sister Marilla were getting on in years,

and the farm work was growing harder by the day.

But waiting for him on the platform was a thin little girl in worn clothes,

clutching a traveling bag, her red hair blazing fiercely in the evening light.

Her name was Anne Shirley,

and it had to be spelled with an "e." The moment she climbed into the carriage,

it was as if she had finally found someone willing to listen to her.

She called the road lined with apple blossoms the "White Way of Delight,"

and she imagined the pond to be the "Lake of Shining Waters." Matthew had been

a quiet man all his life, but that day he listened all the way home

and never once asked her to be still.

But Marilla did not want a girl.

She was practical, restrained, and knew exactly what a farm truly needed.

Anne could not do much heavy work, and she was far too fond of daydreams

and far too fond of talking.

When Anne heard that she might be sent away again,

the light in her face went out all at once.

It was not the first time she had been pushed from one roof to another,

and she knew that the moment she did not fit, she would be returned.

Marilla had meant to send her back.

But she soon learned that if Green Gables would not take Anne,

Mrs. Blewett might take her instead

and put her to work looking after a houseful of children, carrying on through hard, rough days.

Matthew was never good at fighting for anything, yet he spoke up for Anne, awkwardly.

He did not say the girl would be useful; he only felt that keeping

her might be a good thing for her.

Marilla did not suddenly grow tender, but she kept Anne.

After Anne stayed, trouble followed.

The first time Mrs. Lynde saw Anne,

she told her to her face that she was skinny, homely,

and had terribly red hair.

Those words struck Anne in her sorest spot, and she burst out at once, crying

and hitting back.

Marilla told her to apologize, and Anne thought that was harder than any punishment,

yet she still stood before Mrs. Lynde and swallowed her pride, bit by bit.

She began to learn the ways of Green Gables,

and she brought her imagination into the house too.

The little room in the attic got a name,

the tree outside the window gained a character, and ordinary roads

and ponds turned into fairy tales in her eyes.

Matthew remained a man of few words,

but he always stood a little closer whenever someone looked down on her.

Marilla was stern with her words,

but in her heart she was slowly making room for Anne.

But trust does not grow all at once.

One time, Marilla's amethyst brooch went missing.

Anne said she had not taken it, but Marilla did not believe her.

To put an end to the questioning and

so she could go to the picnic she had been longing for,

Anne made up a confession and took the blame for something she had never done.

Later the brooch was found, and only then did Marilla realize she had wronged her.

Anne had been scolded before and punished before, but this time it hurt more.

What she truly feared was not being shut in her room,

but that the grown-ups had already decided she was not worth believing.

Marilla also saw for the first time that her own strictness was sometimes not discipline,

but a way of pushing this child right back to the place where

she had nowhere to go.

The person Anne treasured most was Diana Barry.

They became bosom friends and vowed never to part.

But at one tea party, Anne mistakenly gave Diana wine instead of cordial,

and Diana went home drunk.

Mrs. Barry decided Anne had corrupted her daughter and forbade them from seeing each other.

Anne's world felt like a door had been shut.

Friendship had only just let her believe she could be liked,

and then in an instant it was taken back because of a single mistake.

Later, Diana's little sister Minnie May fell dangerously ill in the night,

and the adults were away.

Anne had once looked after children and knew what to do.

She stayed by the little girl who could barely breathe

and pulled her back from danger, little by little. When morning came,

Mrs. Barry finally understood that this girl who was always getting into trouble

was not a bad child after all.

Diana came back to Anne's side.

At school, Anne met Gilbert Blythe.

Gilbert was clever and well-liked,

but the first time he tried to get Anne's attention,

he chose the worst possible way.

He teased her about her red hair.

Anne picked up her slate and cracked it over his head,

and from that day on she refused to forgive him.

Gilbert wanted to make peace, but Anne would not.

Yet it was precisely because he was always ahead that she began to study furiously

and fight furiously for first place.

Later Miss Stacy came to the school, and she truly saw Anne's brightness, bringing her

and her classmates into the Queen's class to prepare for higher studies.

Anne's imagination did not disappear; it simply settled quietly into books and exams

and the glow of late-night lamps.

She still made mistakes.

She dyed her hair a dreadful green and had to cut it short.

To prove her courage she walked the ridgepole of a roof

and fell, spending weeks recovering.

She lay in a boat pretending to be a storybook maiden

and nearly came to grief on the water,

only to be rescued by Gilbert in the end.

Time and again she got herself into a mess, and time

and again she found that Green Gables was still waiting for her to come home.

The seasons passed one after another.

Matthew secretly bought her a dress with puffed sleeves,

because he knew she wanted to look pretty just once, like the other girls.

It was nothing terribly fine, but it was Matthew's quietest form of devotion.

He never stood in the middle of the room and said he loved her,

yet every small wish Anne had, he kept it close to his heart.

Later, Anne passed the entrance exams for Queen's Academy

and went on to win the Avery Scholarship.

She could have gone to Redmond to continue her studies.

The girl who once stood at the station waiting for others to decide her fate

had finally walked herself to the threshold of a much longer road.

And then Matthew died.

Word came that the Abbey Bank had failed,

and Matthew, whose heart had long been weak, could not bear the shock.

He collapsed at the gate of Green Gables.

The old man who had always quietly listened to Anne

and always stood behind her to shield her would never come back from the fields again.

Marilla's eyes were growing worse too.

The doctor said she must not overwork herself any longer.

Without Matthew, Green Gables might have to be sold.

Anne looked at this home, looked at Marilla's face as she braced herself

and refused to soften, and made her decision.

She would not go to Redmond.

She would stay, teach at the nearby school, look after Marilla,

and hold on to Green Gables.

This was not the ending she had dreamed of as a child. But this time,

it was not someone else sending her somewhere; it was she herself choosing where to stay.

When Gilbert heard of it, he gave up the Avonlea school post for Anne

and went to teach elsewhere.

Anne finally reached out her hand in reconciliation.

The slates and the teasing and the rivalry

and the silence slowly fell away behind them.

Dusk settled over Green Gables.

Anne walked home from school, the shadows of the roadside trees stretching beneath her feet,

and inside the house Marilla was waiting for her.

She pushed open the door, and lamplight fell across the familiar table and chairs.

This home had once nearly sent her away; now it was she who kept it,

with her own two hands.

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。这是一个关于忠诚与虚伪的友谊的故事，善良的小汉斯被所谓的朋友利用，最终酿成悲剧。

By the pond, the old water rat said: there is nothing in the world nobler than devoted friendship

The linnet asked him what a devoted friend should do

The water rat answered without hesitation: be devoted to me, of course

Hearing this, the linnet began to tell the story of little Hans

Little Hans lived in a tiny cottage at the edge of the village, with a beautiful garden in front

In spring, summer, and autumn, flowers bloomed one patch after another

He took his flowers and fruit to the market to sell, trading them for bread and a little pocket money

Among all his friends, the one who talked most about being "devoted" was the miller, Hugh

Hugh was very rich

His mill was stacked with sacks of flour

He kept cows and sheep at home, and he burned a warm stove in winter

But every time he passed little Hans's garden, he picked a big bunch of flowers and pulled up handfuls of sweet herbs

When the fruit ripened, he stuffed his pockets full of plums and cherries

He always said: true friends ought to share everything

When little Hans heard this, he felt very proud to have such a friend

Winter came, and the garden lay empty

Little Hans had no flowers to sell

He shivered with cold and often went to bed on an empty stomach

One by one, he sold his silver buttons, his silver chain, his big pipe, and finally even his wheelbarrow, just to buy food

But the whole winter long, Hugh never once came to see him

Hugh sat by his own warm fire and said: a person in trouble ought to be left alone

A friend should not disturb him at such a time

When spring came and Hans had flowers to give again, then he would truly make Hans happy

Spring arrived, and the primroses bloomed

Hugh came down the hill carrying a large basket and finally visited little Hans's garden

Little Hans was overjoyed

He said he was planning to sell the primroses so he could buy back his wheelbarrow

As soon as Hugh heard this, he jumped in: Hans, I'll give you my wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow was broken on one side, and the spokes had cracks too

But little Hans's face still lit up

He said he had a plank of wood in his cottage that could fix it

Hugh said at once: oh, that plank would be just the thing to patch my barn roof

I have already promised you the wheelbarrow, so giving me the plank would be a fair exchange between friends

Hans did not hesitate

He ran inside and dragged the plank out

After the plank was taken away, Hugh handed over his basket again and told Hans to fill it with flowers

Hans knew that if all his flowers were gone, he would never get his silver buttons back

But Hugh reminded him that a true friend should not be so selfish

Little Hans was afraid Hugh would think less of him

So he picked every last primrose and stuffed the big basket full

Hugh carried the plank and the flowers and walked back up the hill

Hans stayed alone in the garden, thinking about the wheelbarrow he had not yet received, and felt happy again

The next day, Hugh arrived carrying a sack of flour and told Hans to take it to the market for him

Hans had been planning to nail up the vines, water the flowers, and tidy the grass

But Hugh said: look, I am about to give you my wheelbarrow

If you refuse me now, that would be very unfriendly of you

Without a second word, Hans hoisted the flour onto his shoulder and set off

The road was hot and dusty

He was so tired that when he reached the sixth milestone, he had to stop and catch his breath

But he sold the flour anyway and brought all the money back

The next day, Hugh came to collect the money

Seeing Hans still in bed, he accused him of being lazy

Hans tried to explain that he was simply exhausted

But Hugh said: a true friend tells you hard truths

If I do not say it, who will

Then he sent Hans off to mend the barn roof

Hans's flowers had gone two days without water

How he longed to go back to his garden

But the wheelbarrow weighed on his mind

So he climbed onto the roof and worked all day long

When the sun went down, Hugh only said: working for others is the most pleasant work of all

After that, Hugh sent him to drive the sheep up the mountain, then on a long errand, then to help at the mill

Little Hans's garden slowly fell into ruin

The flower stems drooped, the weeds grew tall

Sometimes he felt so sad, as if the flowers themselves thought they had been forgotten

But every time, he told himself: the miller is my best friend

Besides, he promised me a wheelbarrow

One stormy night, a knock came at the door

Little Hans opened it and saw Hugh standing outside, holding a lantern in one hand and a walking stick in the other

Hugh said his little son had fallen from a ladder and was badly hurt

The doctor lived far away, and the night was so dreadful

So it would be best if Hans went to fetch the doctor

After all, Hugh was about to give him the wheelbarrow, so it was only fair that Hans did something for him in return

Hans agreed at once

He asked only one thing: the night was so dark he was afraid of falling into a ditch

Could Hugh lend him the lantern

Hugh said: no

This is a new lantern, and if anything happened to it, I would suffer a great loss

Little Hans said nothing more

He put on his thick coat, his red cap, and wrapped his scarf around his neck, then stepped out into the wind and rain

The night was so dark he could barely see the road, and the wind nearly knocked him over

After walking for three hours, he finally knocked on the doctor's door

The doctor lit his own lantern, mounted his horse, and rode toward the mill

Little Hans ran behind the horse

But the rain grew heavier and the wind grew fiercer

He could not see where he was stepping, and he could not keep up with the horse

Then he lost his way and stumbled into the wilderness

The place was full of deep pits

The next day, some shepherds found him

He was floating in a deep pool of water, with no breath left in him

At the funeral, many people from the village came

Everyone had loved little Hans

Hugh came too

He said he was Hans's best friend, so naturally he deserved to stand at the front of the procession

After the funeral, everyone gathered at the inn

The blacksmith sighed: little Hans's death is a great loss to all of us

Hugh replied: especially to me

I had practically given him my wheelbarrow

Now that he is dead, I really do not know what to do with that broken thing

It just sits in the way at home, and it is so battered I could not sell it for more than a few coins

Then he added: from now on, I will never give anything away so easily again

People always suffer for their generosity

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只胆小的小猪星星在妈妈和朋友的鼓励下，一步步克服内心的恐惧，最后勇敢站上舞台表演功夫的温暖成长故事。

Forest School was going to celebrate Children's Day

The teacher asked, "Who wants to perform on stage"

Little Bird raised her wing, "I will sing"Little Rabbit perked up her ears, "I will dance"Little Monkey swung his tail, "I will do somersaults"

Only Little Pig Xingxing hung his head, hiding his two little hooves under the desk

Actually, Xingxing had a talent tooEvery evening, he would secretly practice kung fu by the muddy pondBut he only dared to practice alone

The moment he thought someone was watching him, his short legs would start to tremble, and his round belly would wobble along with them

After school, Mama Pig asked, "Xingxing, don't you want to perform"

Xingxing said quietly, "I doBut everyone will be watching me"

Mama said, "Then show me firstJust do the one you know best"

Xingxing stood in the yardHe lowered his headGet steady firstPunchKickTurn

"Ha"

That sound was very soft, as soft as wind brushing past a blade of grassAfter he finished, Xingxing quickly hid behind his mother

Mama did not say he was timidShe just clapped softly, "You did it"

The next day, Xingxing went to practice kung fu by the muddy pond againHe had just gotten steady when three little ducklings came waddling over

"Xingxing, what are you doing"the ducklings asked

Xingxing was so startled he wanted to turn and runBut he remembered what Mama said, just do the one you know best

So he stoppedGet steady firstPunchKickTurn

"Ha"

This time, it was a little louder than yesterday

The three little ducklings watched with their eyes wide openThey did not laugh at XingxingInstead, they stood just like him

PunchKickTurn

PlopPlopPlop

All three little ducklings sat down in the mudXingxing was stunned for a moment, then he laughed too

The ducklings flapped their wings and said, "Xingxing, you should perform this"

On the third day, the teacher asked again, "Does anyone else want to sign up"

Xingxing's heart was beating very fastHe remembered the first time in the yard, and the second time by the muddy pondSo, slowly, he raised his little hoof

"Teacher, I want to perform kung fu"

On Children's Day, Forest School was full of little animalsLittle Bird finished singing, and everyone clappedLittle Rabbit finished dancing, and everyone clappedLittle Monkey finished his somersaults, and everyone clapped even louder

Finally, the teacher said, "Next, Xingxing will perform kung fu"

Xingxing stood at the edge of the stageHe saw so many eyes down belowHis short legs started trembling again, and his round belly wobbled

But this time, he did not run

He saw Mama sitting in the last row, and he also saw the three little ducklings sitting in the very frontThey quietly stood up and struck the first pose Xingxing had taught them

Xingxing walked onto the stageGet steady firstPunchKickTurn

"Ha"

This cry was bright and clear, flying across the whole playground

The audience was quiet for a little while

Then the three little ducklings flapped their wings first, "XingxingOne more time"

Little Bird flapped her wings tooLittle Rabbit clapped tooLittle Monkey jumped onto his chair and shouted loudly, "One more time"

Xingxing stood on the stageHis face was still red, and his legs were still trembling a littleBut he did not hide behind the curtain

He looked at Mama, then at his little friends down below, and gently nodded

He got steady againPunchKickTurn

"Ha"

This time, many little animals in the audience shouted along with him, "Ha"

After school that day, Xingxing went to the muddy pond againThe three little ducklings came tooLittle Bird came, Little Rabbit came, and Little Monkey came too

They lined up behind Xingxing and stood just like him

Xingxing said, "Get steady first"

Everyone said, "Get steady first"

Xingxing punched, and everyone punchedXingxing kicked, and everyone kickedXingxing turned, and everyone turned

PlopPlopPlop

The three little ducklings sat down in the mud again

Xingxing laughed

This time, his laughter was very, very loudEven the water in the muddy pond gently rippled

Mama Pig stood not far away, watching himShe did not say, "You are so brave"

Because Xingxing was already doing brave things

The sunset fell upon the edge of the muddy pondLittle Pig Xingxing stood at the very front, his round belly sticking out, his curly little tail pointing up

He took a deep breath and said to everyone

"One more time"

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个木匠之子在贵族社会中挣扎向上，用野心追逐世界，却在失去一切后才看清真爱。

In the sawmill noise of Verrieres, Julien Sorel never seemed to fit in

His father and two brothers lived by strength, thick arms, loud voices

Julien was thin, quiet, often hiding in a corner to read

He did not read books meant for a carpenter's son

He kept Napoleon in his heart, treating battlefields, medals, promotions, and glory as another way to live

But his time had already changed

The sword no longer lifted the poor to high places, the church and nobility had closed their doors again

So he learned to recite the Latin Bible, learned to bow his head, learned to hide his true thoughts beneath his face

Father Chelan saw his intelligence, and also saw his danger, yet still recommended him to Mayor de Renal

The mayor needed a tutor who knew Latin, it would make his household seem respectable

Julien needed a chance to leave the sawmill

He wanted to stand straight before those who looked down on him, no longer covered in sawdust

When he walked into the de Renal home, Madame de Renal had expected a rough, coarse man who would frighten the children

But standing before her was a pale young man, shabby clothes, stubborn eyes

He was not like a servant, nor like a gentleman

He was like a blade just pulled from the shadows, not yet knowing where to point

At first, Julien treated this house as a battlefield

He had to prove he was not the beaten son of a carpenter

He locked every cold look in his heart, saw every politeness as a test

He approached Madame de Renal with a young man's pride and vengeance

As if winning her tenderness could reclaim some dignity from this noble house

But things did not go according to his plan

Madame de Renal was not skilled at calculation

She lived within her husband's power and the town's rules, gentle, devout, and lonely

Her pity for the young teacher slowly turned into a love she could not admit

Julien thought he was conquering

Only later did he realize that in her eyes, for the first time, he was not just a tool, not just ambition

Summer nights, gardens, window shadows, the quiet of sleeping children, pushed them into a relationship that could not see the light

Julien found softness from her, and also found fear

The more Madame de Renal loved him, the more guilt tormented her

She feared her husband, feared God, feared that her children would be punished because of her

Julien was afraid too

He feared scandal would ruin his future, and even more, he feared that his own cold heart would be held back by this genuine feeling

After the anonymous letter appeared, the town's air turned sharp

Mayor de Renal suspected, raged, yet cared about his reputation

Everyone calculated face, everyone covered the cracks

To calm things down, Julien left Verrieres and was sent to the Besancon Seminary

There were no gardens there, and no gentle eyes

The seminary corridors were cold, the young men watched each other, informed on each other

Piety was often just a posture, silence was like a weapon

Julien was smart, but he could not naturally belong there

He was too proud, too clear-headed, knowing he had not come for faith

He wanted to climb up, only the ladder left for the poor in this age happened to be draped in a black robe

Father Pirard saw his talent, and also saw that he would be swallowed up among these men

So Julien was taken to Paris again, entering the Marquis de La Mole's mansion as a secretary

Paris had higher doors, brighter lights, sharper cold stares

The nobles laughed and talked as if everything had always been theirs

Julien stood carefully among them, remembering every letter, every order, every chance to rise

His talent earned the Marquis's approval, his silence made people uneasy

The closer he got to power, the clearer he saw that he was only allowed near, not truly accepted

Mathilde saw him in this mansion

She was tired of the safe noble youths, tired of arranged love and marriage

Julien's humble birth, his pride, his danger, fascinated her instead

She imagined him as a rebel from old stories, turning her own love into a proud adventure

Julien loved her, but was also wounded by her changeability

They attracted each other, tested each other, like two people who would not admit they had already fallen into each other's hands

After Mathilde became pregnant, everything suddenly became real

The Marquis was furious, but could not ignore his daughter's honor

He began to arrange a title, property, and a military commission for Julien

The carpenter's son was almost going to wear a uniform, hold a title, walk into the highest place he had ever dreamed of

Just then, a letter reached the Marquis's hand

The letter was from Madame de Renal

Driven by the priest's pressure and her own pain, she wrote that Julien was a man who seduced women to advance his career

Those words were like a knife, cutting off everything Julien had just gained

The Marquis called off the wedding, the future collapsed

Julien did not argue, did not investigate slowly

He carried a cold despair back to Verrieres

In the church, Madame de Renal was praying

When the gunshot rang out, the woman who once held him close fell

She did not die

But Julien seemed to have already sentenced himself

He was arrested, thrown into prison, and the power, the engagement, the title, the commission, all slipped away from him

In prison, Mathilde rushed about trying to save him, as if guarding a grand legend

Madame de Renal also came to his side

Her wound was not yet healed, but she did not hate him

Facing her, Julien finally let go of all his tense postures

He understood that he had once treated love as a ladder and dignity as a battle honor

But at this moment, what truly calmed him was not the name given by the Marquis, nor the shine of the uniform

It was this woman he had hurt, who still loved him

When the trial came, Julien did not pretend to be a repentant pitiful man

He knew that people were not only punishing him for shooting

But also because a poor man dared to cross his station, dared to love a noble lady

Dared to approach their world with talent and ambition

He stood in the courtroom, spoke this truth, and sealed his own way out

The death sentence fell

The days before execution became unusually clear

Madame de Renal's visits, the light on the prison wall, the blood quietly cooling inside his body

All of it pushed Julien further from the boy who once looked up to Napoleon

He no longer dreamed of being recognized by the world, no longer begged the world for forgiveness

He simply walked to the end that his choices and the world's forces had pushed him to together

After Julien was executed, Mathilde took his head and buried him in the ancient, proud way she believed in

She wanted this love to take the shape of a legend

Madame de Renal did not do this

She returned to her children, guarding a quieter, deeper love

Three days later, she too died

The sawmill noise of Verrieres would continue

The lights of Paris would still shine

But the young man who once wanted to climb from the bottom to the top ended at the most contradictory place of his life

He chased the world with ambition, only to see what he truly loved after losing everything

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。被卖往南方的黑奴汤姆，在苦难中始终坚守善良与尊严，他的故事曾唤醒一个时代对奴隶制度的反思。

The night in Kentucky was quiet, but the lights were still on at the Shelby house.

Inside, the debt collector sat at the table, talking prices while his eyes looked over people like livestock. He had his eye on Tom, and on little Harry too. One was a man who had managed his master's affairs for years, never running, never stealing, never talking back; the other was a child still clinging to his mother Eliza's arms.

Mrs. Shelby could not believe it was happening. Tom had been with this family for so many years — his wife Chloe worked in the kitchen, his children grew up beside the little cabin. But when debt comes pressing down and a man is written into a contract, even crying cannot stop it.

Eliza heard her son's name from outside the door, and her blood went cold. She had no time to beg anyone, no time to wait for daylight. In the dark, she took Harry in her arms, grabbed what she could carry, and left the home she knew — the home she could never trust again.

The river was crusted with broken ice, and someone was chasing behind her. The child in her arms was shivering, and so was she, but she could not stop. Ice cracked beneath her feet as she jumped from one floe to the next, her shoes soaked, her hands bleeding, but as long as the child was in her arms, she dared not look back.

Tom knew he had been sold too.

He could have run. Some told him to run. But he thought of Chloe, thought of the children, thought of the Shelbys' debt, thought of how someone else might be taken in his place if he fled. He sat in the little cabin like a piece of wood sinking into water, pressing his fear deep into his chest, and only said he would go.

The next day, Tom was taken away. Chloe packed his things, her hands so busy they could not stop, because the moment they stopped, she would fall apart. She stuffed in everything she could think of, as if an extra shirt or a little more food could shorten the long road south.

The boat moved downstream, the river growing wider, taking Tom farther and farther from home.

On the boat, he met little Eva. The white girl had a thin body but bright, clear eyes, and she did not look at skin color and price the way grown-ups did. She talked to Tom, listened to him sing, and treated him like a living person who could feel cold, feel tired, feel homesick.

One day, Eva fell from the boat into the water. Tom hardly thought — he jumped in and pulled her out. Eva's father, St. Clare, bought Tom for saving her and brought him to New Orleans.

The St. Clare house was grand — fine furniture in the rooms, a garden trimmed just so, servants coming and going — yet something felt hollow in it. St. Clare was tired of slavery but still enjoyed the comfort it gave him; his wife Marie cared only for her own aches and her own temper; and his cousin Ophelia stood by her principles while carrying the prejudices of the North.

For a while, no whip chased Tom here. He drove the carriage for St. Clare, kept Eva company, and watched the little girl grow weaker day by day. Eva was like the softest light in that house — but the brighter the light, the sharper the shadows became.

When Topsy was brought before Ophelia, nobody knew what to do with her. She had been beaten, scolded, and treated like trouble ever since she was small, and so she had learned to lie, to steal, to hide herself behind a grinning face. Ophelia tried to change her with rules, but Eva simply looked at her with care, as if Topsy was not something broken.

Eva grew sicker and sicker.

She cut off her curly hair and gave it to the people around her. She spoke to Tom, spoke to her father, and spoke to those who were usually ordered about and overlooked. She did not know how to change this house, but before she died, she still wanted them to remember — that they had been loved, and that they deserved to be loved as human beings.

After Eva was gone, it was as if St. Clare had woken up halfway. He promised Tom he would give him his freedom. In that moment, Tom finally saw a road home — he might see Chloe again, might return to the little cabin in Kentucky, might walk through his own door on his own two feet.

But before the papers could be signed, St. Clare was caught in a fight and died from his wounds.

That sheet of freedom, never finished, could not save Tom. Marie had no heart to trouble herself over him, and soon the slaves of the house were sent to auction. Tom stood among the crowd, turned back into a price, measured by strangers' eyes, handled by strangers' hands.

The man who bought him was named Simon Legree.

Legree's plantation lay deeper in the South, where there was no Eva, no brief kindness like the St. Clares', only cotton fields, the smell of whiskey, the overseer, and the crack of the whip. People were worked down to their last breath, then sent to the fields again the next day. Sick, you worked; broken, you worked; crying was worth nothing here.

Legree saw that Tom was different. He wanted to turn this quiet, hardworking, trusted man into his own tool. If only Tom would manage the others for him, would swing the whip, would learn to be cruel — then his days could be easier.

Tom would not.

He could bear being beaten, but he would not pass the pain on to anyone else. The more Legree tried to break him, the more he hated that thing in Tom's eyes that would not go out. It was not a shout of defiance — just a man, in the worst of places, still holding on to the line that said he would not hurt another.

On the plantation were also Cassy and young Emmeline. Cassy had had her children taken from her, had been hardened by torment, and she had long seen through Legree's fear and weakness. She took Emmeline and escaped, hiding in the attic that was whispered to be haunted, using Legree's own superstition to frighten him away.

When Legree could not find them, he came for Tom.

Tom knew what kind of darkness awaited them if they were caught. He was dragged out, threatened, beaten — and still he said nothing. Blood ran down from his body, but his voice did not give away the path to another's life.

By the time George Shelby finally found the plantation and came with money to buy Tom back, it was too late.

Tom lay there, his body ruined, but his eyes recognized the child of his old home. He did not return to Kentucky, did not see Chloe again, did not walk into that little cabin. He only heard someone calling him home, like hearing the sound of a river from far away.

George knelt beside him and finally understood — some debts can never be repaid with money.

Later, George went back to Kentucky and set free every enslaved person in his household. Eliza, George, and Harry crossed the border at last and found their footing in Canada, and the scattered family slowly found their way back to one another.

And Tom's cabin still lives in memory. A fire once burned in the hearth there, a wife once cooked by the stove, children once ran in and out the door. A man was sold from that place, carried through rivers and steamboats and mansions and cotton fields, and in the end he did not bring back freedom — but he left the living unable to pretend any longer that those who were priced had no names, no homes, no souls.

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个关于真伪与敏感的经典童话，一颗小小的豌豆揭开真正的公主身份。

The prince had always wanted to find a real princess

It was not that he had never seen princesses beyond the castle walls the world was vast palace after palace crown after crown and many young ladies claimed to be of noble birth welcomed as princesses wherever they went

The prince traveled from place to place and saw splendid gowns sparkling jewels and grand halls filled with perfect manners Yet every time a small doubt lingered in his heart

Perhaps they were princesses and perhaps they were not

Something about them was hard to put into words something simply did not feel right What exactly was wrong he could not quite say What a real princess should look like it seemed as though everyone knew yet no one could offer any proof

And so the prince returned to his own castle

He was very sad What he wanted was not someone who merely looked like a princess but a real one Yet after traveling so far and meeting so many young ladies of distinguished families he had come home empty-handed

That night the weather suddenly turned terrible

The wind howled outside the castle walls and the rain poured down as if the sky were emptying whole buckets at once Thunder rolled across the rooftop and with every flash of lightning the windows and stone walls seemed to split open for an instant Everyone inside the castle stayed warm and dry while beyond the great gate the wind and rain still raged in the darkness

On just such a night someone knocked at the castle gate

The old king himself went to open it

Outside stood a young lady

She was drenched from head to toe Rainwater ran down her hair streaming from her cheeks to her neck and dripping from her clothes and shoes She stood there looking so bedraggled that she did not seem like anyone who could have come from any palace at all

But she spoke up and said that she was a princess

Those words sounded very strange amid the noise of the wind and rain How could a real princess arrive alone at a castle door on such a night How could a real princess be caught in the rain like this

The old king welcomed her inside Inside the castle there were lights a fire and warm dry rooms But the identity she claimed did not become believable just because she had been brought through the door

The old queen said nothing at all

She did not question her on the spot nor did she send anyone to verify her story She simply turned and walked into the bedchamber to prepare a bed for the young lady

The bed was going to look very soft indeed

But at the very bottom right on the bedboard the old queen first placed a tiny little pea

Just a single pea Round and hard it lay there quietly with almost no weight at all Once it was in place the old queen piled twenty mattresses on top of it

Layer upon layer

The mattresses rose higher and the pea was pressed beneath them all completely out of sight But the old queen was not finished yet She had twenty eiderdown quilts laid on top as well

The bed grew taller and taller coming to resemble a soft little mountain Anyone who saw it would think that a night spent there would be a wonderful sleep With such thick mattresses and such light fluffy eiderdown someone who had been battered by wind and rain all night would surely sink right in and sleep warmly until dawn

The young lady was shown to the very top of it all

The night deepened and the castle grew quiet The rain outside was still falling and the lights inside the rooms slowly went out one by one That tiny pea lay at the very bottom hidden beneath twenty mattresses and then twenty eiderdown quilts

No one could see it

But the next morning everyone asked the young lady how she had slept

Her answer made everyone stop in their tracks

She said she had barely slept at all

She said it felt as though there was something terribly hard in the bed She lay there tossing and turning unable to get comfortable no matter what she did The thing pressed into her and tormented her keeping her from resting all night long By morning she felt black and blue all over

Only then did the people in the castle understand

The young lady who had been soaked by the rain whose clothes had dripped with water who had stood so wretchedly at the gate she truly was a princess

For only a real princess could feel a tiny little pea at the very bottom through twenty mattresses and twenty eiderdown quilts

The prince had finally found the one he had been looking for

And he married her

The pea was not simply thrown away It was sent to a museum and preserved like a precious piece of evidence

Unless someone has taken it it may still be there to this day

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一部关于苦难与光的童年回忆，讲述阿廖沙在黑暗中寻找希望的成长故事。

The first thing Alyosha remembered was not toys, not the courtyard, not his mother's smile

It was his father lying in the room

The grownups spoke in low voices, his mother Varvara seemed drained of all strength, little Alyosha did not yet understand why a person would suddenly stop opening his eyes, why every sound in the room had grown so heavy

After his father died, his mother took him back to his grandfather's house

It was a lively house

It was also like a boiling pot

His grandfather Kashrin used to run a dye shop, he was small, shrewd, and his temper was as hard as iron, his two sons, Mikhail and Yakov, quarreled all day over the family property

Who should get more, who had been shortchanged, who had gotten the better deal, they argued until nothing was left between kin but red-eyed enmity

Alyosha had barely arrived when that atmosphere closed around him

They quarreled at the dinner table

They quarreled in the courtyard

Even at night, the cursing could not be stifled

At first he thought that when family gathered together, that was home, later he learned that some homes were just places where many suffering people were locked in the same room, left to hurt one another

His grandfather's rules were strict, and his anger came fast

Once, when Alyosha made a mistake, his grandfather beat him severely, the child's body was pinned down, the whip fell, and he hurt so much he nearly lost consciousness

People in the room watched, some tried to intervene, some were afraid, but no one could truly pull him out of that fury

When the pain passed, his grandmother came to his side

Grandmother Akulina was not like this house

She was poor too, she suffered too, she was worn full of scars by fate, but she did not carry that hardness that dragged others down into misery with her, she cleaned his wounds, talked with him, told him stories

She spoke of God, of saints, of suffering people, of distant places that seemed like dreams

Alyosha lay in pain and listened

He was still under his grandfather's roof, but slowly another door opened in his heart

This house was not without light

There was a young man called "Little Gypsy"

He was lively, he could dance, he loved to laugh, like a wind that did not belong to this house, the grownups were rough, but he often looked out for Alyosha

Sometimes when his grandfather beat the child, he would quietly slip his own arm in the way to take a few blows for him

He was not preaching any great truth

He simply could not bear to see a child in pain

But people like that were not kept by life either

One day while moving heavy objects, "Little Gypsy" had an accident and died

His death came very suddenly, one moment a man who could laugh and dance, the next crushed under something heavy

The house soon returned to its noise, life pushed on, as if a kind person vanishing was just a wind that had stopped

But Alyosha remembered him

He remembered those hands that had blocked the whip

He remembered that even in a wretched place, a person could choose to protect others first

Later, Alyosha saw the old worker Grigory

Grigory had spent his whole life in the dye shop, his eyes were ruined by the work, his body drained empty, when he could no longer work, he was pushed aside

There was nothing beautiful in this old man's fate, he simply fell apart slowly, and was slowly forgotten

Watching him, Alyosha vaguely understood for the first time that people did not only suffer for their mistakes

Sometimes people were just poor, just old, just no longer useful, and so they were cast aside

His grandfather's house grew less and less like a home

His uncles' fighting never stopped, family feeling was worn thin by money, and faces grew twisted in the struggle

His grandfather guarded his own petty schemes, the more he feared loss, the tighter he held on, the tighter he held on, the more he suffocated those around him

He was not a man who had never known hardship

But what he learned from hardship was not pity, it was harder methods

Alyosha saw in him a terrible transformation, after life had beaten a person, that person might turn around and beat others with the same pain

In those days, there was a lodger people called "Good Deeds"

He was quiet, odd, liked to do his own things, and did not fit with the crude voices around him, Alyosha drew close to him and felt this man carried a rare clarity

But in his grandfather's house, not belonging was itself a crime

People did not understand him, and did not want to understand him

In the end, he was driven away

Alyosha watched another decent person disappear from his life

His mother Varvara was also slowly disappearing

It was not that she did not love Alyosha, but she too was pushed around by fate, she left his grandfather's house, then returned, she tried to start over, married again, but the new life never truly caught her

Alyosha watched his mother's face grow dimmer by the day

She had once been the person closest to him, brightest in his heart, but poverty, marriage, illness bent her little by little, when she returned to Alyosha, she no longer had the strength she once did

What a child found hardest to bear was not just losing his mother

It was seeing her still alive, yet slowly drifting away from him

Later, Varvara grew gravely ill

The breath of death filled the room again

Alyosha had already seen his father die, seen "Little Gypsy" die, seen Grigory slowly worn away by life, but when it was his mother's turn, the pain was new

After his mother died, the last soft anchor Alyosha had in this world was severed

His grandfather had fallen into decline

The man who once ruled the family, shrewd and strong, was now cornered by poverty, he no longer had the means to raise this child, so he told Alyosha he could no longer hang around his neck, it was time to go out into the world

Go out into the world

When those words fell, Alyosha's childhood ended

But he had in fact long been in the world

His first lesson in the world was his father's coffin

His second lesson was his grandfather's whip

Later came his uncles' faces torn by money, "Little Gypsy's" crushed body, Grigory's dim eyes, "Good Deeds'" retreating back, his mother's ever-weakening breath on her sickbed

Only his grandmother was there too

Her stories, her rough hands, her heart that had not turned bad even in suffering, all these stayed with Alyosha

So when he walked out of his grandfather's house, he carried more than just wounds

He also carried that little bit of light he had seen

That light was not loud, not pure, often pressed very low by darkness

But it had not gone out

With this childhood, Alyosha walked toward a larger world

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只小小的鳄鱼爱上了高高的长颈鹿，想尽各种办法引起她的注意，却总是阴差阳错，最终命运让他们撞到了一起。

The crocodile was very, very short

The giraffe was very, very tall

The crocodile fell in love with the giraffe

He started to shake, like being outside in winter with no clothes on

He started to sweat, like running ten miles in the summer

He cried one moment, then laughed the next

He had caught the love bug

The crocodile thought of a plan

He climbed onto a big rock and waited

He waited for the giraffe to walk past

The giraffe kept her head down and walked right by

She did not see the crocodile on the rock at all

The crocodile thought of another plan

He climbed onto a bridge and jumped up and down

He jumped high, again and again

The giraffe was walking under the bridge with her friends, chatting

She did not look up at all

The crocodile climbed up a tree

He picked the softest, greenest leaves

He shaped them into a heart and put them on a branch

He waited for the giraffe to walk by

But the giraffe had a cold

Her neck was all tangled up in a knot

She did not look up at all

The crocodile went back home

He sat by the window and made a love call

The call floated out the window and down the street

The giraffe walked past the crocodile's house, eating leaves

She was eating leaves and walking slowly

She did not hear the call at all

The crocodile took out a vine

He tied the vine into a loop

He put the loop around the giraffe's neck

He wanted her to look down and see him

The giraffe got a big scare and shook her head hard

The crocodile flew up into the sky, fell back down, and landed in the hospital

The crocodile came out of the hospital

He hung his head and dragged his tail down the street

He did not want to chase the giraffe anymore

Suddenly, the giraffe came rushing around the corner

Bam They crashed into each other and fell to the ground

The crocodile looked up, and the giraffe looked down at him

Little stars popped up above both their heads

And just like that, they were together

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个淘气小女孩闯入三只熊的家，发现小熊的东西总是"刚刚好"，最后吓得跳窗逃跑的经典童话故事。

Once upon a time, there was a little girl whom everyone called Goldilocks

What a good child! praised the newcomers to the town

You would think so, the neighbors said with a sneer

One morning, Mother asked Goldilocks to go to the neighboring village to buy muffins

You must promise not to take the shortcut through the forest. I heard there are big brown bears living there

I promise, I promise, Goldilocks replied

But really, she was just the kind of naughty girl who did whatever she wanted

Deep in the forest, there was a beautiful house where the bear family was sitting around the table having breakfast

Ouch! roared the big Papa Bear, This porridge is too hot! It burned my tongue!

I can't eat it either! cried Baby Bear

Indeed... said Mama Bear, It's too hot

Let me think... said Papa Bear, Why don't we go for a ride while the porridge cools down?

Good idea, said Mama Bear happily

So the three bears got on their rusty, rickety bicycle and set off

Not long after, Goldilocks arrived at the bears' house

She didn't even knock before barging right in

On the table were three bowls filled with delicious-smelling porridge

Don't blame me, don't blame me! Goldilocks muttered to herself as she picked up the biggest bowl

But this porridge was too hot!

Ouch! she spat out the porridge in her mouth

She tried the medium-sized bowl, but it was too cold

Then she licked the porridge in the smallest bowl—it was neither too hot nor too cold, just right

Goldilocks liked it so much that she poured the whole bowl into her tummy

Full and satisfied, Goldilocks thought it would be fun to look around the house

Within three seconds, she found coarse brown fur everywhere

They must have a cat, she said smugly

In the living room, there were three chairs

Don't blame me, don't blame me, Goldilocks muttered as she climbed onto the biggest chair, but it was so hard that she couldn't get comfortable

She sat in the medium-sized chair, but it was too soft

Goldilocks thought she might sink in and never get out

Then she sat in the smallest chair—it was neither too hard nor too soft, just right

She liked it so much that she rocked and swayed until—crack!—the chair fell apart

Now Goldilocks was exhausted

I'll take a little nap, she said, finding three beds upstairs

Don't blame me, don't blame me, she mumbled as she climbed onto the biggest bed, but the headboard was frighteningly high

She tried the medium-sized bed, but the headboard was too low

Then she ran to the smallest bed—it was just right, comfortable and warm

Soon Goldilocks was fast asleep, and she didn't hear the bear family come home at all

When the three hungry bears walked into the dining room, they couldn't believe their eyes!

Someone has been eating my porridge! Papa Bear shouted

Someone has been eating mine too! Mama Bear cried

Someone has been eating my porridge too! Baby Bear said sadly, And it's all gone!

In the living room, the bear family got another surprise

Someone has been sitting in my chair! Papa Bear shouted

Someone has been sitting in mine too! Mama Bear cried

Someone has been sitting in my chair too! Baby Bear said sadly, And it's broken to pieces!

The three bears crept quietly upstairs, not knowing what they would find

Look! Baby Bear said sadly, Someone has been sleeping in my bed, and she's still lying there!

Look here! Papa Bear roared

Goldilocks woke up in fright, her eyes nearly popping out of her head

Before the bears could ask her to explain, she slipped out of bed, jumped out the window, and ran all the way home

Who was that girl? Baby Bear asked

I can't imagine, Mama Bear said, I hope we never see her again

And indeed, they never did see her again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。香港首位女航天员黎家盈的真实成长故事，从家门口的紫荆花小路到酒泉卫星发射中心的梦想之旅。

On the morning of May 23, 2026, at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

A press conference pushed three names into the public eye

Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai Ka Ying

The crew for the Shenzhou-23 manned mission was officially announced

The next evening, at 23:08 on May 24, the spacecraft would target this time for launch

Many people's eyes stopped on the third name

Lai Ka Ying

She came from Hong Kong and was the payload specialist for this mission

This story cannot begin with the rocket ignition

Because before the rocket, there was an ordinary path

Public reports stated that Lai Ka Ying was born, studied, and worked without ever leaving Hong Kong

There was a small path lined with bauhinia flowers outside her home

As a child, she walked out from there to go to school, to grow up, and to understand the order and changes of a city

On the night of June 30, 1997, fifteen-year-old Lai Ka Ying walked onto the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui with her family

That night, Hong Kong was waiting for a historic midnight

She saw police officers changing their badges on duty and saw her parents, originally from Shunde in Guangdong, shed tears

We don't need to over-explain this scene

A fifteen-year-old girl stood in the crowd, seeing streets, uniforms, badges, her family's tears, and watching a city enter a new time

That moment didn't automatically decide her future life, but it became a deep nail in her memory

Later, she was admitted to the University of Hong Kong to study computer science, all the way to a doctoral degree

It was an era of rapid internet development, and a computer science PhD had many choices

She eventually joined the Hong Kong Police Force, working in technical services

This is not a story of a sudden turn toward space

For a long time, her identity was clear: a professional who grew up in Hong Kong, a technical backbone in the police force, someone who put her knowledge into the public service system

The real turning point came in October 2022

China's fourth batch of astronaut selection began

This time, the selection was open to Hong Kong and Macao

Lai Ka Ying signed up

In public reports, she said she got carsick and seasick, but strangely didn't feel dizzy in the rotating chair test

During the centrifuge assessment, her vision had already blurred, but by persisting a little longer, she got through it

These small details are closer to reality than saying "she was born for space"

Astronaut selection doesn't believe in legends

It believes in physical indicators, psychological stability, professional background, and the results of test after test

Initial selection, re-selection, and final selection

Going through each stage, in June 2024, Lai Ka Ying was selected as a payload specialist in China's fourth batch of astronauts

In August 2024, she entered the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps

From that moment, her life truly changed

She was no longer just a police superintendent in the Hong Kong Police Force, no longer just a computer science PhD, and no longer just someone who passed the selection

She had to relearn an enormous system

Aerodynamics, spacecraft principles, space station assembly management, space science experiments, robotic arm operations, and manned spacecraft procedures

These topics sound distant, but in training, they became daily classes, assessments, simulations, and reviews

Official information stated that after joining the corps, she completed over 200 training subjects across 8 categories, totaling more than 1,700 hours, and passed the flight qualification assessment with excellent results

A little over one year is a short time

But the standards weren't lowered because she came from Hong Kong, because she was a payload specialist, or because it was her first mission

During the 72-hour sleep deprivation training, when extremely exhausted, she found Cantonese would slip out

In wilderness survival training, she and her teammates passed through jungles with snakes and insects, entered dark narrow caves, and experienced the heat and cold of the desert

These places were far from Hong Kong

Far from that small path lined with bauhinia flowers outside her home

But sometimes people are reshaped this way

Not by a slogan, but by completing tasks when too sleepy to keep eyes open, by listening clearly to instructions when the body already feels terrible, by learning to trust the team in completely unfamiliar environments and letting the team trust you

The Shenzhou-23 crew is not one person's spotlight

Zhu Yangzhu serves as the commander, having previously flown on the Shenzhou-16 mission

Zhang Zhiyuan is the space pilot, from China's third batch of astronauts

Lai Ka Ying is the payload specialist, from China's fourth batch of astronauts

The three people represent the three types of astronauts currently serving in China

Flight engineer, space pilot, and payload specialist

This is also a clear signal that China's space station has entered the application and development phase: space missions don't only need people who can pilot spacecraft, but also need engineering technicians, science experiment executors, and more professional backgrounds to enter the same system

So Lai Ka Ying's significance is not just "the first from Hong Kong"

If we only write her as a symbol, it would actually narrow her story

Her more specific significance lies in this: a person who studied and worked in Hong Kong for a long time, someone who came from a technical position, entered the national manned space mission through strict selection and training

She is not someone put into the story to serve as a symbol

She is someone who will carry out tasks in the space station

According to public introductions, the Shenzhou-23 mission will complete in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-21 crew, continue space science and application work, conduct extravehicular activities and cargo transfers, install and recover external payloads and equipment, and also carry out science education, public welfare activities, and space-based experiments

These words sound grand

But for a payload specialist, they become specific actions

The start and end of an experiment, recording a set of data, confirming an equipment status, executing a procedure that cannot go wrong

Space doesn't become gentle just because someone is visiting for the first time

It only accepts those who are fully prepared

On May 23, Lai Ka Ying had already entered the public eye

But the story hadn't reached its ending

Because Shenzhou-23 hadn't launched yet

23:08 Beijing time on May 24 was an approaching moment

The Long March 2F Y23 rocket was about to be fueled with propellant, the space station was orbiting about 400 kilometers away, and the ground systems, spacecraft, rocket, and crew were all waiting for the final window

Looking back at that small path lined with bauhinia flowers now, it seems very quiet

A girl once walked from there to school, to university, to the police force, and later to the Astronaut Corps

Her path wasn't suddenly rewritten

It extended bit by bit

From the streets of Hong Kong to the launch site at Jiuquan

From computer science to payload specialist

From a police badge to a spacecraft

When the hatch closes and the countdown begins, many people will see the rocket rise on their screens

At that moment, viewers see flames, thunder, and the night sky being lit up

But behind the flames, there is a longer time

There is the street from when she was fifteen, the classrooms at the University of Hong Kong, the technical position in the police force, selection test after selection test, 72 hours without sleep in training, and the tacit understanding formed among a crew before departure

The most moving part of space stories may not be how far they are from us

But that they finally tell us: the path to space often begins from the most familiar place under a person's feet

出自｜安徒生童话

Once there were twenty-five tin soldiers, all brothers, all cast from the same old tin spoon

They carried muskets on their shoulders and stared straight ahead

The last soldier had only one leg, because they ran out of tin

But he stood just as steady on his one leg as the others did on two

On the table stood a beautiful paper castle

At the castle gate stood a paper lady, wearing a cloth skirt with a blue ribbon over her shoulder and a sparkling ornament at her chest

She stretched out both arms and lifted one leg so high that the tin soldier could barely see it, so he thought she had only one leg, just like him

"She'd make a fine wife for me," he thought

When night fell, the toys came alive, they paid each other visits, started pretend wars, and held dances

Only two never moved, the tin soldier and the little dancer

She stood on the tips of her toes, arms outstretched

The tin soldier stood steady on his one leg, his eyes fixed on her

Suddenly the clock struck twelve, and the lid of the snuff box flew open

Out hopped a little black goblin

"Tin soldier," said the goblin "Keep your eyes to yourself"

The tin soldier pretended not to hear

"All right, just you wait until tomorrow," said the goblin

The next morning, the children moved the tin soldier to the windowsill

The window blew open, and the soldier fell headfirst from the third floor to the ground

His bayonet lodged in the crack between the paving stones

The nursemaid and the child came down to look for him

They almost stepped on him but never saw him

The tin soldier felt it wouldn't be proper to shout while in uniform, so he stayed silent

It began to pour

When the rain stopped, two street boys came by

"Look," said one "A tin soldier Let's send him sailing"

They folded a boat from newspaper and placed the tin soldier inside

The paper boat drifted down the gutter

The soldier stood rock-steady, his face unchanged, musket on his shoulder, eyes straight ahead

Suddenly the boat swept into a pitch-black drain

"I wonder where this will take me," he thought

"Ah, if only that young lady were here with me, I wouldn't care if it were twice as dark"

A huge rat appeared

"Your passport Show me your passport"

The tin soldier said nothing

He only gripped his musket tighter

The boat burst out of the drain into a wide canal

Water poured over the sides

The boat began to sink

The soldier stood upright, the water up to his neck

He thought of the beautiful dancer

Then a voice rang in his ears

"Onward, onward, soldier of tin, death alone awaits you"

The tin soldier sank to the bottom

Just then, a great fish swallowed him whole

Oh, the darkness inside

Worse than the drain, and so narrow

But the tin soldier was steadfast, he held tight to his musket, even as he lay still

Then a flash of light pierced the darkness

Someone shouted, "The tin soldier"

The fish had been caught, sold at the market, and brought into a kitchen

The maid sliced the fish open with a big knife and carried the soldier into the sitting room

The tin soldier found himself back in the very same room

He saw the same children, the same beautiful castle, and the lovely dancer

She was still standing on one leg

Her courage stirred something inside him, he almost wept tin tears, but he couldn't

He looked at her, and she looked at him, and neither said a word

A child grabbed the tin soldier and flung him into the fire

That goblin's work, no doubt

The tin soldier stood there, glowing red

He felt his body slowly melting, but he still held his gun and stood firm

The door blew open, and a gust of wind swept the dancer up

She flew into the fire, landed beside the tin soldier, burst into flame, and vanished

The tin soldier melted into a lump of tin

The next morning, the maid emptied the ashes

She found a small tin heart

All that was left of the dancer was her sparkling ornament, but it had burned as black as charcoal

原著作者｜E. Nesbit

The story of the Railway Children, begins in a cozy home in London

Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, were the three children in the family

Their father was gentle, their mother wrote stories, and their home had a warm fire, dinner on the table, and everything the children knew and loved

But one day, two strange men came to the house, and talked with their father in the study for a long time

After that day, Father left home, and never returned as he always had before

Mother did not tell the children the truth, She only said that Father had gone away on a long journey

Soon, life at home changed

Mother took the three children away from London, and moved to a small house in the countryside called "Three Chimneys"

Life was not as convenient as before, and there was not enough money, Mother had to earn a living by writing

The children did not fully understand what had happened to their family, They only knew that Mother was busier, and life had become harder

Next to their new home, there was a railway

Gradually, the children became fascinated by the railway

Every day, they went to watch the trains pass by, looking at the carriages, the smoke, and the people coming and going on the platform

They met Perks, the railway porter, and the station master

There was also an old gentleman who often took the same train, The children would wave to him

The railway became the most important place in their lives

One day, Mother fell ill

There was not enough money in the house, The children did not know what to do, so they thought of the old gentleman on the train

They wrote him a letter asking for help

The old gentleman did not blame them, nor did he make the help embarrassing, Instead, he sent a doctor, and brought the things Mother needed

When Mother later learned about this, she was a little sad, because she did not want the children to ask others for help so easily

But this also made the children understand, that the family's difficulties were real, Mother had just been trying her best to hide them

Later, something even more dangerous happened by the railway

After the rain, the hillside collapsed, and mud and rocks fell onto the tracks

When the children discovered this, the next train was already approaching

If the train continued as usual, there would be a terrible accident

They did not have proper signal flags, so they tore off their red clothes, and stood by the railway, waving them desperately

Finally, the train stopped before the danger, and the people on board were saved

After this, the children became little heroes by the railway

But the story does not only write about their bravery, It also continues to write about the people they met in life

They helped a Russian exile

This man had left his homeland for political reasons, and came to Britain searching for his family

Mother took him in, and the children learned that they were not the only family in the world suffering separation and injustice

They also rescued a boy who was injured in a tunnel

This boy was later sent to their home to recover, Only then did the children learn that he was related to the old gentleman on the train

The old gentleman thus became more deeply involved in their lives

There was also Perks's birthday

The children wanted to prepare gifts for Perks, so they collected things from the villagers

At first, Perks was very angry, thinking that others were treating him like a poor person and giving him charity

After the children explained, he understood that these things were not pity, but genuine gratitude from everyone for his usual help

All these things happened by the railway, They looked like small adventures, but they were slowly changing the three children

They began to understand that in the adult world, there is poverty, misunderstanding, pride, and difficulties that cannot be easily spoken

In the second half of the story, Roberta accidentally saw her father's name in an old newspaper

Only then did she learn that Father had not gone away on a journey, He had been wrongly accused of leaking state secrets, and was imprisoned

Mother had never told them, because she did not want the children to bear this burden

Roberta did not immediately tell her younger siblings

She kept this secret in her heart, and then wrote to the old gentleman, asking him to help investigate Father's case

The old gentleman truly helped them

After investigation, Father was finally cleared of the charges

At the end of the story, the children came to the station

The train stopped, the door opened, and Father stepped off

The one who had been absent for so long, finally returned

The Railway Children is not about a distant adventure, but about three children living through a difficult time by the railway

The train brought strangers, brought news, and brought hope

It passed by their new home again and again, and finally brought Father home too

原著作者｜李欧·李奥尼

Food fills the belly, but poetry and beauty fill the soul

An old stone wall stood by the meadow A family of field mice lived inside the wall They loved to chatter and chirp all day long

The farmers moved away The barn stood empty

Winter was near The mice got busy

They gathered corn and nuts and wheat and straw They worked from dawn till dusk No one stopped No one except Frederick

Frederick, why don't you work

I do work, Frederick said

I'm gathering sun rays

Winter is cold and dark Sun rays are precious

Frederick sat in the meadow He stared into the distance

And now, Frederick

I'm gathering colors

Winter is grey and dull Colors are precious

Frederick's eyes were half-closed He looked half asleep

Are you dreaming, Frederick

I'm gathering words

Winter days are long We'll run out of things to say

Winter came The first snow fell

Five little field mice hid inside the wall

At first there was plenty to eat

They told stories about silly foxes and lazy cats They were a happy little family

But little by little the nuts ran out

The berries were gone The straw was all eaten The corn was just a memory

The wall was cold No one felt like talking

They remembered what Frederick had said

Sun rays and colors and words

Frederick, what about your supplies

Frederick climbed up on a big stone

Close your eyes, he said

Now I send you the sun's rays

Can you feel their golden glow

The four little mice really felt warmer

Was it Frederick's voice Was it magic

What about colors, Frederick

Close your eyes again

Frederick spoke of blue periwinkles Red poppies in the yellow wheat field And the green leaves of the berry bush

The mice saw those colors clearly Like a painting inside their minds

And the words, Frederick

Frederick cleared his throat He waited a moment

Like standing on a stage He recited a poem

Who scatters the snow Who melts the ice

Who lights up the moon Who dims the daylight

Four little field mice live in the sky Four little mice, just like you and I

One is the Spring mouse who turns on the showers

One is the Summer mouse who colors the flowers

One is the Fall mouse who brings nuts and wheat

One is the Winter mouse with cold little feet

Four seasons a year aren't we glad

What if we had one less, or one more than that

The poem ended They all clapped

Frederick, you're a poet

Frederick blushed He took a bow

He whispered Yes, I know

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个关于梦想与执着的经典故事，神秘富翁盖茨比用尽一切只为找回失去的爱情。

When the story began, Gatsby was nothing more than a distant light to Nick

On summer nights, by the sea in West Egg, Long Island, Nick stood outside his little house and saw a grand mansion glowing with light in the distance

Cars arrived one after another Women's skirts slipped out from the car doors Men held their glasses, drifting between the lawn and the swimming pool Music spilled from the house like warm air, wrapping around the whole garden

Many people did not even know the host They had simply heard that there was a party here every weekend

They drank his wine Gossiped about where he came from Said he had killed someone Said he was a German spy Said he had come back from Oxford

Yet in this house, Gatsby himself seemed like a mystery that kept delaying its appearance

One evening, Nick met him at a party The man was young, and his smile was carefully measured, as if he had practiced it a thousand times He called people "old sport," so politely that it sounded almost careful

He owned an entire house that glittered But in the crowd, he did not look like the host He looked more like someone waiting for a certain person to appear

Later, the first time Nick truly remembered Gatsby was not during the liveliest part of a party

But on a quiet night

Gatsby stood on his own lawn, reaching out across the bay On the other side, there was a tiny green light, shining at the end of Daisy's dock

At that moment, Nick did not yet know what that light meant He only saw a man standing in the dark, reaching for something forever beyond his grasp

Daisy had once loved Gatsby

Back then, he was not yet the Gatsby he is now He did not have this house, or the parties, or the expensive clothes He was just James Gatz, a young man from an ordinary background, desperately trying to escape where he came from

Daisy was different

She lived in a bright house Her life had been surrounded by money, decency, and soft laughter from the very beginning She did not need to chase that world She belonged there already

Then the war came Gatsby left Daisy waited for him, but she did not wait forever

She married Tom

Tom was rough and arrogant, carrying a kind of superiority that needed no explanation He was not necessarily smarter than Gatsby, nor did he necessarily understand love better But he had one thing that Gatsby, no matter how hard he tried, could barely make up for

He was born on the inside of that door

After Gatsby came back, he did something that took a very long time

He rebuilt himself completely

He changed his name He changed his identity He got money He bought a house across the bay from Daisy He threw party after party

Those lights, that wine, that laughter, they seemed to be for everyone But really, they were just sending a signal across the bay

He hoped that one day, Daisy would walk in

Finally, they met again

That day, it began in Nick's little cottage Gatsby was so nervous he did not seem like the host of those grand parties He knocked the clock askew, unable to stand still or sit still Outside, it was raining, and inside the room there was a heavy, awkward silence

But when Daisy truly appeared at the door, all those years seemed to suddenly crowd back into this small room

Later, the rain stopped

Gatsby took Daisy to see his grand mansion He opened the rooms one by one The stairs, the garden, the piano, the windows, each one was proof of the years he had spent preparing

What struck the deepest was when he threw out his shirts, one by one

Soft, expensive, beautifully colored shirts, piled on the table Daisy suddenly began to cry

She said the shirts were so beautiful

But what truly hurt in that moment was not the shirts

It was that Gatsby had laid all his years of effort before Daisy As if to say: Look, I am no longer that poor boy from long ago Look, I have finally reached your world

But Daisy's reason for crying may not have been so simple

What she saw might have been something lost and found again It might also have been all those years that could never come back Or it might have been a dream she wanted to get close to but did not dare to truly embrace

Daisy was not simply a bad person She was light and fragile, used to being protected, and used to retreating to safe places She could be moved by Gatsby But to truly walk away from her own world, she could not do it

Gatsby was not willing to accept this

What he wanted was not to start over now He wanted to bring the past back, whole and unbroken

In that sweltering room in New York, Tom, Daisy, Gatsby, and Nick were all there The heat made everyone irritable The words grew uglier and uglier

Gatsby pressed toward the core

He wanted Daisy to admit that she had never loved Tom

This was not an ordinary romantic notion If this statement were true, then those past few years could be erased Gatsby could believe that he had not arrived too late He had simply taken a long journey and returned to where he started

But Daisy could not say it

She had loved Gatsby She had also loved Tom Or, more precisely, she could not leave the world that Tom represented

At that moment, Gatsby's dream had already cracked Only he still stood there, refusing to look down

After that, the car accident happened

Myrtle rushed onto the road and was hit and killed The one driving was Daisy But Gatsby stayed behind, ready to take the blame for her

He was still waiting outside Daisy's house Inside, Daisy and Tom sat at the table They did not look like people who had just been through a disaster They looked more like two people who had caused trouble, whispering about how to shut it all away

Gatsby kept watch outside the house He thought he was still protecting love

But the people inside had already begun to retreat into their own world

The next day, the call Gatsby was waiting for from Daisy never came

He was by the swimming pool It was near the end of that summer The water was still, and the house was still The guests who had come were all gone The music had stopped The garden was like a space that had finally shown its true emptiness

Wilson found him

After the gunshot rang out, Gatsby died in his own house

After he died, Nick called everyone he could But the people who had once crowded his garden vanished one by one They could come to his parties, but they did not want to come to his funeral

Very few people showed up in the end

That mansion, once so full of noise, finally fell completely silent

The truly cold part of The Great Gatsby is right here

It did not paint Gatsby as a purely devoted lover There was fantasy in his love, and possessiveness, and a longing for a world above his own The Daisy he loved was not just Daisy herself It was also the future that Daisy had once lit up

But it did not mock him, either

Because he had truly believed Believed that a person could rename himself Believed that money could make up for where he came from Believed that a grand party could bring an old love back from across the bay

It was just that the world had never truly caught him

Tom and Daisy shattered things, then retreated into the house built by money and status Gatsby stayed where he was, paying the final price for that dream

At the end of the story, Nick thought of that green light

It was small Across the dark water Shining on the other side

Gatsby had kept looking at it, as if looking at the future

But it was actually the past

It was the past that, no matter how hard he stretched out his hand, he could never touch again

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一封跨越十八年的侨批，两个女人用一生守住的沉默情义，关于等待、责任与不被看见的爱。

This is a quiet film, it does not portray love as grand, sweeping vows, nor does it render fate as a dramatic legend

It tells of a few letters sent from Nanyang back to Chaoshan, of a man who never made it home, and of two women who each, in their own way, held onto him

They held onto the simplest, heaviest bonds of loyalty that defined their era

The story begins with a thought that is pragmatic, even somewhat desperate

Xiaowei, the grandson, had failed in business and accumulated debt

He attended his grandmother Ye Shurou's birthday banquet, the family gathered, the food was abundant, but his mind was on money

He had heard that his grandfather, Zheng Musheng, whom he had never met, had made a fortune in Thailand, donated schools, and become a person of standing among the overseas Chinese

So an idea formed in his mind: go to Thailand and find his grandfather

Perhaps this elder, far across the sea, could help him fill the hole he now faced

But this "Grandpa" had never been a clear figure in the family

He was like an old photograph pressed beneath the years in the bottom of a trunk, he had existed, yet was seldom brought out to discuss

Grandma Shurou had married Zheng Musheng when she was young, and the two had loved each other passionately

In those days, Chaoshan was poor, the world was chaotic, and to escape wartime conscription, Musheng left his homeland to "go to Nanyang", to what is today Thailand and Malaya, to make a living

The qiaopi, letters and remittances sent by overseas Chinese, were the lifeline: the money was the material support, the letters were the spiritual nourishment

After Musheng left home, Shurou lived on these qiaopi

The letters contained money, and they contained his ordinary words from afar: he was well, business was fair, and when he saw the moon on the river during his night voyages, he felt as if he were back home

He felt as if he were still standing beside his wife, watching the same moon

The words were not flowery, yet they were enough to let a woman left behind in her homeland sustain herself through the endless days, one by one

But then, a photograph shattered the waiting of her entire life

In the photograph, Zheng Musheng stood with an unfamiliar woman, children beside them, looking for all the world like a complete family portrait

When Shurou saw it, she hardly needed anyone to explain

In her heart, she had already pronounced him guilty: so he hadn't been unable to return, he had simply made another family out there

And so this man slowly became, in the family's memory, a man who had abandoned his family

As the children grew and the grandchildren were born, when anyone mentioned him, only a vague resentment remained

Xiaowei went to Thailand with the purpose of a debt collector, yet there he slowly cracked open the truth that had been sealed by misunderstanding

He learned that this grandfather, legendary for his prosperity abroad, had actually died in nineteen sixty

Yet the last letter the family received was in nineteen seventy-eight

That meant that for eighteen years after Zheng Musheng's death, someone had continued writing to Shurou, continued sending money, continued reporting his well-being in his voice

Someone was maintaining for this dead man the responsibilities of husband and father

That person was Xie Nanzhi

After Musheng fled to Thailand, he had stayed at the inn run by Nanzhi

She was a woman who could bear great burdens, her father drank constantly, and the entire inn depended on her to keep it running

She was not willing to give her life away easily to anyone, so for the men who came proposing marriage, she set only one condition: if they wished to wed, they must marry into her family

Many men heard this and left

At first, she did not like Musheng

This man from China owed rent, and carried the desperation of someone far from home

But gradually, she saw another side of him: he was hardworking, loyal, and even in his own difficult circumstances, he worried about letting local Chinese children learn their language

He was always writing letters, sending money to his distant wife, with only one wish, to save enough and go home

Later, when the inn was set on fire, Musheng risked his life to save Nanzhi and her father

In the conflict, he injured someone and was sentenced to prison

It was during his imprisonment that Nanzhi sent money back to Chaoshan for him, wrote letters to Shurou for him

Perhaps it was from that time that Nanzhi fell in love with Musheng

But her love contained no seizing, no confession, not even any expectation of return

She knew that Musheng had a wife in his heart, had children, had a home that no matter how far away, he must return to

So the way she loved him was to complete the things he cared about most

She hid her love in the letters, in the money sent back to the homeland, in those seemingly ordinary greetings

After Musheng was released from prison, he went back to working on ships

When they parted, Nanzhi went to see him off

That farewell, at the time, seemed only temporary, but fate never tells people in advance which wave of the hand will be the last

Two years of sailing later, Musheng had finally saved enough money to go home

He was one step away from returning to Chaoshan, to Shurou's side, to the home he had imagined in his letters again and again

But on the eve of his return, he heard robbers breaking in next door and went to help

In the chaos, he was killed

After handling Musheng's funeral, Nanzhi had originally intended to tell Shurou the news of his death

She had even walked to the post office with the letter in hand

But in the end, she stopped

She must have thought of that woman far away in her homeland

That woman who had waited so many years, raising children, living on the letters sent by a man from across the sea

If this news of death reached her hands, would her world collapse

Musheng had failed to return, that was already fate's debt to her, if even the letters stopped, if even the thread of hope was severed, what would she have left to keep going

So Nanzhi made a decision: she would not send the news of his death

She would continue writing in Musheng's name, continue sending money, continue fulfilling the responsibilities of a husband for a man who was already dead

She wrote for nearly twenty years

What moves us here is not how great Nanzhi was, but that she never placed herself in the position of being "great"

She did not step forward demanding anyone's understanding, nor did she tell Shurou: look, it was I who held up this family for you

She simply did it quietly

She wrote of daily life, of the distant moon, of a man's longing for his wife

The more she wrote, the more she became like Musheng, and the more clearly she understood that she could only ever stand on the back side of Musheng's life

By nineteen seventy-eight, Nanzhi finally decided to tell Shurou the truth

She wrote a letter explaining that Musheng had long since died, and explaining where all the letters and money over the years had come from

But this letter encountered a storm on the way, the mail carrier fell into the water, the letter was destroyed, and in the end only a photograph reached Shurou's hands

It was that photograph

A belated truth, in the end, left only the evidence most easily misunderstood

Shurou did not read Nanzhi's explanation, she only saw her husband standing with another woman

And so eighteen years of devoted guardianship, in her eyes, became eighteen years of deception

Nanzhi's lifelong act of devotion, in fate's hands, was folded into the shape of betrayal

By this point in the story, what hurts most is not that anyone did anything wrong, but that everyone was loving in their most sincere way, yet were separated by time, distance, and a rainstorm

Musheng did not betray, he simply failed to come home

Shurou did not judge him lightly, she had simply waited too long, feared too much that her waiting would become a joke

And Nanzhi did not take possession, she simply took a man's unfinished responsibilities and quietly carried them on her own shoulders

Many years later, Xiaowei finally brought this layer of truth home

Shurou also came to Thailand and met the elderly Nanzhi

By then, Nanzhi's hair had turned white, her memory had grown hazy

She held kapok flowers in her hand, the same flowers she had once sent to Shurou in her letters

The two women finally stood on the same piece of land

One had waited a lifetime, one had guarded a lifetime, one had thought herself abandoned, one had hidden herself away to complete another's happiness

They did not weep loudly, nor did they question each other

True suffering, in the end, is seldom cried out

Shurou stayed with Nanzhi for several days

Until before their parting, Nanzhi seemed to suddenly recognize her from the long fog, and asked softly: "The cured pork I sent you, was it good"

Shurou said, "It was good"

Nanzhi said, "If it was good, I'll send more"

In these words, nothing was explained, yet everything was explained

What Nanzhi remembered was not her own grievances, not who she had loved, not who had misunderstood her

What she remembered was that she had once sent cured pork to that woman far away, she remembered that she had cared for her

She was still thinking that if you found it good, I could send more

And so the two old women embraced

There was, of course, the same man between them

But in the end, they were no longer rivals, no longer standing on opposite sides of obligation

They were family bound by the same fate

Shurou finally knew that what she had received in her life was not the perfunctory gestures of a husband who had changed his heart, but the bonds of loyalty that another woman had spent a lifetime continuing for him

And Nanzhi finally reached a moment when she could be seen, even if she did not truly demand this moment

Xiaowei had originally gone to Thailand for money

But what he brought back was not wealth, it was something almost forgotten: what it means for a person to honor their word, to keep faith across a lifetime

Perhaps this is where the film truly captivates

It does not say that "to love someone means you must possess them"

Instead, it says that love can become waiting, can become sending money, can become writing letters, can become the words "if it's good, I'll send more"

It speaks not only of love between men and women, but of homeland, family, fellow countrymen, promises and responsibilities

And how, in a turbulent era, they survived through letters that slowly made their way across the distance

So the "love letters" in Love Letters to Grandma are written not only to Ye Shurou, but also to Xie Nanzhi, to Zheng Musheng

They are written to those who left home, guarded home, and waited for home in that great era

It lets us believe that some love, even when unseen, does not mean it did not exist

That some people, even when they did not return, does not mean they forgot the way home

That some truths, even when delayed by many years, when finally spoken, can still let two white-haired people, in a quiet embrace, gently lay down a lifetime of misunderstanding

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个男孩从洗瓶工厂的苦工成长为作家的感人故事，狄更斯最温暖的自传体小说。

Where should I begin, telling the story of my life

The day I was born, there was a birthmark on the left side of my head

Some said it was a sign of good luck, others said it meant nothing at all

But as the years went by, I came to feel that my life was truly worth telling

I was born in a quiet little town in England

My mother Clara was gentle, and she loved to laugh

Our nurse Peggotty had rough hands, but she held me so carefully

In those days, life was like the fire in the hearth, warm and comforting

But the good days did not last long

Mr Murdstone walked into our home

His eyes were cold as ice

My mother married him, and the laughter in our house faded away

He disciplined me with a stick, and would send me to stand in the corner for the smallest thing

My mother did not dare to speak, she could only cry quietly in the dark of night

Later, he sent me to work in a bottle-washing factory in London

I was only ten years old, washing bottles all day, my hands soaked in lye water, red and aching

I was surrounded by grown-ups, but no one talked to me

I felt like a stone, left by the side of the road, forgotten by everyone

But I did not want to live like this forever

I saved up a little money, and ran away in secret

I walked alone across the open fields of England, for days on end

The soles of my shoes wore through, and my feet were covered in blisters

I was heading to Dover, to find my father's aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood

When I finally found my aunt, I was covered in dirt from head to toe

She stood at the garden gate, and stared at me for a long time

Then she said, "Come along, child, let's get you washed up first"

My aunt spoke in a gruff voice, but her heart was softer than anyone's

She took me in, and sent me to school

At school, I met a boy named Steerforth

He was handsome, he spoke well, and I thought of him as my best friend

But I was wrong about him

He ran away with Peggotty's niece Little Em'ly, and shattered a perfectly good family

That was when I learned, the better someone smiles, the less you can trust their heart

I also met Mr Micawber

He was a poor gentleman, always in debt, always waiting for money that was "coming any day now"

But he never once wore a gloomy face, he laughed every single day

Later, Mr Micawber exposed the scheme of a true villain

That villain was Uriah Heep, always bowing his head, calling himself "humble"

But all along, he had been scheming behind people's backs, cheating Mr Wickfield out of his fortune

Mr Micawber presented the evidence, and exposed him before everyone

Mr Wickfield's daughter Agnes, was the kindest person I have ever known

She was always quiet and gentle, and every word she said put your heart at ease

In my most confused moments, she said to me, "David, you're going to be someone remarkable"

I did not understand it then, but later I realized, she had been by my side all along

When I grew older, I fell in love with Dora

She was beautiful beyond words, her smile like a flower in spring

We got married, and our days were as sweet as honey

But Dora's health was never good, she grew thinner and thinner, like a flower slowly wilting away

In the end, she left me

That night, I sat alone in the empty room, and the whole world went silent

After Dora was gone, I poured all my grief into writing

Page by page, I turned all the happy and painful days into stories

And as I wrote, I suddenly realized, the one who had always been there for me, was Agnes

She was not as dazzling as Dora, but she was like a lamp, burning quietly, never going out

I finally gathered the courage, and told Agnes what was in my heart

She cried, and said she had waited for those words for so very long

We got married, and our life was peaceful and warm

I sat at my desk writing stories, while she sat beside me, reading quietly

The fire in the hearth crackled, and rain fell softly outside the window

I looked up at her, and she smiled back at me

In this life of mine, I have taken many wrong turns, endured much hardship, and lost the ones I loved most

But I never once gave up

I went from a little boy washing bottles, to a man who tells stories

If you ask me, was this life worth living

I would say, yes, it was worth it

Every single step was worth it

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个淘气男孩的冒险成长故事, 刷墙的智慧, 墓地惊魂

On the banks of the Mississippi River, in the little town of St Petersburg, summer sun baked the white wooden houses

A boy with messy hair ran barefoot down the muddy road, his pockets full of marbles and dead bugs, his knees caked in mud

His name was Tom Sawyer, the biggest troublemaker in town

Aunt Polly stood at the door, waving a wooden spoon, Tom slipped out the back, hopped over the fence, and ran faster than a rabbit

He didn't want to whitewash that long fence, it was his punishment for the day

He crouched under a tree watching ants carry their loads, his mind spinning with a clever trick

Suddenly he jumped up, grabbed the brush, and made one stroke on the wall

His friend Billy walked by, and Tom pretended that painting the fence was the most fun thing in the world

He hummed a tune, painted a stroke, stepped back, and tilted his head to admire his work

Billy was mesmerized, and begged Tom to let him try

Tom shook his head and said, "This isn't just for anyone, you know"

Billy pulled out an apple, and only then did Tom hand over the brush

One by one, the other kids lined up to paint the fence

Tom sat under the tree eating apples, watching them work

The fence got painted three times, and his pockets were stuffed with marbles, spools of thread, and little pinwheels

The sun went down, and the town grew quiet, Tom climbed out the window with a dead cat and sneaked off to the graveyard

He wanted to try an old trick, using a dead cat to cure warts

Huck Finn was waiting for him under the old tree

Huck had no mother and no home, he wore ragged clothes, and the grown-ups in town wouldn't let him near their children

The two boys crouched behind a tombstone, the moonlight stretching their shadows long

Three dark figures walked up, it was Dr Robinson, old Muff Potter, and Injun Joe

They were digging up a grave, and a quarrel broke out

Injun Joe knocked Potter to the ground with one punch, grabbed Potter's knife, and stabbed the doctor

Tom and Huck trembled all over, clutching each other in terror

Injun Joe shoved the knife into Potter's hand, and when Potter woke up, he thought he'd killed the man

The two boys ran home as fast as they could, swearing they'd never breathe a word about that night

A few days later, Potter was locked up in jail, Everyone in town said he was the murderer

Tom couldn't eat, couldn't sleep

He went to visit Potter, and Potter actually thanked the townsfolk for being kind to him

Tom's heart felt like a stone was pressing down on it

On the day of the trial, Tom sat in the courtroom, his palms dripping with sweat

Potter hung his head, and his lawyer didn't even try to defend him

Tom stood up and walked to the judge

He raised his hand and told the truth about that night

Injun Joe lunged forward, knocked over his chair, smashed through the courtroom door, and disappeared without a trace

Potter was set free, and he hugged Tom and cried

Tom became the hero of the town, but he wasn't happy at all

Injun Joe was still out there somewhere, and Tom had nightmares every night

He got his best friends Joe Harper and Huck together, and the three of them decided to become pirates

They stole some bread and salted meat, paddled a raft down the river, and landed on Jackson's Island

No grown-ups on the island, and no rules either

They swam in their bare skin, caught fish in the river, and kept the campfire burning till midnight

Tom lay on the grass, thinking it was the greatest place in the world

The townsfolk searched every inch of the riverbank, but couldn't find the three boys

Everyone thought they'd drowned

A funeral was held at the church, and Aunt Polly cried so hard she could barely stand

Just as the preacher was saying the last words, the church door creaked open

Tom, Huck, and Joe Harper stood in the doorway, alive and full of energy

The whole church went silent for a second, then erupted into deafening cheers

Aunt Polly grabbed Tom and held him tight, laughing and crying at the same time

Near the end of summer, Becky invited everyone to explore McDougal's Cave

The cave was huge, its tunnels winding like a maze

Tom and Becky ran ahead of the others, holding up candles, going deeper and deeper

They saw bats, an underground lake, and stalactites hanging like icicles

When the candles were almost gone, they realized they were lost

Tom scratched marks on the walls, but every tunnel looked the same

Becky was terrified, tears rolling down her cheeks one by one

Tom held her hand and promised he'd find the way out

They shared the last piece of cake, and when the candles died, the cave was pitch black

Tom felt his way forward, his fingers trailing along the wet stone walls

Then he spotted a faint glimmer of light in the distance

It was sunlight, He pulled Becky through a small hole and out into the open

They collapsed on the grass, gulping down big breaths of fresh air

The whole town was overjoyed, but then Tom heard something terrible

The judge had put a heavy iron door on the cave entrance and locked it

Tom's face went white in an instant

Injun Joe was still inside the cave

People rushed to the cave, pried open the door, and found Injun Joe dead inside, his knife still beside him

Tom stayed silent for a long time

Some time later, Tom went to find Huck

He led Huck back into the cave, and from the corner where Injun Joe had hidden, they dug out a chest full of gold coins

Twelve thousand dollars in gold, gleaming in the candlelight

The two boys stared wide-eyed, looking at each other, and then they burst out laughing together

Everyone in town said Tom Sawyer had grown up, that he'd become a real hero

But Tom was still the same old Tom, with his messy hair, his muddy knees, and his pockets full of marbles and stones

每天五分钟听经典英文故事,读绘本,磨耳朵.一只小兔子的菜园大冒险,顽皮与成长的故事温暖了一百多年的小读者

Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter

They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree

"Now my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden your Father had an accident there he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor"

"Now run along, and don't get into mischief I am going out"

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, and went through the wood to the baker's She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries

But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate

First he ate some lettuces and some French beans and then he ate some radishes

And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley

But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor

Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief"

Peter was most dreadfully frightened he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate

He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages, and the other shoe amongst the potatoes

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new

Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself

Mr. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Peter but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him

He rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it

Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each

Presently Peter sneezed "Kertyschoo" Mr. McGregor was after him in no time

He tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter He went back to his work

Peter sat down to rest he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go Also he was very damp with sitting in that can

After a time he began to wander about, going lippity — lippity — not very fast, and looking all round

He found a door in a wall but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath

An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer She only shook her head at him Peter began to cry

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled

Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans A white cat was staring at some gold-fish, she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny

He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch Peter scuttered underneath the bushes

But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow and peeped over The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor hoeing onions His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate

Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes

Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden

Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds

Peter never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree

He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole and shut his eyes His mother was busy cooking she wondered what he had done with his clothes It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening

His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea and she gave a dose of it to Peter

"One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time"

But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries for supper

原著作者｜Phoebe Gilman

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一条蓝星星毯子，在爷爷的巧手下变成外套、背心、领带、手帕、纽扣，直到什么都没有了，爱却变成了一个永远的故事。

There's something in this world that gets better the older it gets

It's not gold, not jewels

It's the love Grandpa sews into every stitch, every thread

Joseph knew this secret from the time he was little

The day Joseph was born, Grandpa brought an old chair, sat down by the window

He took out a piece of blue fabric, covered in little golden stars

Grandpa's needle went up and down, stitching all afternoon long

A beautiful blue starry blanket was done

Mom wrapped the blanket around Joseph, and he slept so soundly

Joseph grew bigger every day, and the blanket grew older

It got fuzzy, and the edges started to fray

Mom said, "Joseph, this blanket is old and worn, it's time to throw it out"

Joseph ran to find Grandpa

Grandpa picked up the blanket, looked it over, rubbed his chin, and smiled

"Grandpa can fix anything"

He picked up his scissors, snip snip, and turned the blanket into a blue jacket

Joseph put on the jacket, and ran outside happily

Joseph wore his jacket to school, to play, and to buy candy in town

The jacket got smaller and smaller, and the cuffs started to tear

Mom said, "Joseph, this jacket is old and worn, it's time to throw it out"

Joseph ran to Grandpa again

Grandpa picked up the jacket, turned it inside out, and smiled

"Grandpa can fix anything"

He picked up his scissors, snip snip, and turned the jacket into a blue vest

Joseph put on the vest, and felt so proud

As the days went by, the vest got worn out too

Mom said it was time to throw it away

Grandpa picked up his scissors, and turned the vest into a blue tie

Joseph wore the tie to his school play, and all his friends said it looked great

Later the tie got old too, and Grandpa turned it into a blue handkerchief

Joseph folded the handkerchief neatly every day, and kept it in his pocket

The handkerchief got worn through, so Grandpa took the last piece of blue cloth

He stitched it carefully, sew and sew, into a little button

Joseph sewed the button onto his shirt, and told everyone he met

"This was made by my Grandpa"

One day, Joseph looked down, and the button was gone

He searched every pocket, looked all over his room, but the button was nowhere to be found

Joseph ran to Grandpa, and said sadly

"Grandpa, the button is lost, there's nothing left"

Grandpa held Joseph close, didn't say a word, just patted his back gently

That night, Joseph sat at the table, picked up a pen

He drew a blue starry blanket on the paper, drew the jacket, drew the vest

He drew the tie, drew the handkerchief, drew that little button

And he wrote down this story, word by word

The material was gone, but the story would last forever

Joseph handed the paper to Mom, and said with a smile

"Look Mom, Grandpa's way, it can even make a book"

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个孩子眼里无所不能的妈妈，温暖幽默，充满爱与想象力。

She's nice, my mum

My mum's a fantastic cook, and a brilliant juggler

She's a great painter, and the strongest woman in the world

She's really nice, my mum

My mum's a magic gardener, and she can make anything grow

And she's a good fairy, when I'm sad she can make me happy

She can sing like an angel, and roar like a lion

She's really, really nice, my mum

My mum's as beautiful as a butterfly, and as comfy as an armchair

She's as soft as a kitten, and as tough as a rhino

She's really, really, REALLY nice, my mum

My mum could be a dancer, or an astronaut

She could be a film star, or the big boss

But she's my mum

She's a supermum

And she makes me laugh, a lot

I love my mum

And you know what

She loves me

and she always will

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个虚荣的皇帝被骗子愚弄，全城人都假装看见不存在的华服，直到一个天真的小孩喊出真相。

Many years ago, there was an emperor who loved beautiful new clothes, he spent all his money on clothes, never cared about his army, never watched plays, never went to the park, only thought about showing off his new clothes

People always said about him, "The emperor is in the dressing room"

One day, two tricksters came to the city, they said they were weavers who could weave the most beautiful cloth anyone could imagine

This cloth had a strange quality, anyone who was foolish or incompetent would not be able to see it

The emperor thought, if I wear such clothes, I can find out who in my kingdom is incompetent, who is wise and who is foolish

So he paid a lot of money to the two tricksters and asked them to weave the cloth right away

Actually there was nothing on the looms, the tricksters put all the silk and gold into their own pockets, only pretending to work on the empty looms until late at night

First, the emperor sent his honest old minister to look, the minister opened his eyes very wide, but saw nothing

But he thought, could I be foolish?, I must never let anyone know!

So he praised it saying, "It's beautiful! It's wonderful!"

The emperor then sent another official to look, similarly he saw nothing and dared not say anything, only kept praising how beautiful the cloth was

Finally, the emperor went to look himself, he saw nothing and was very scared inside, am I a foolish person?, don't I deserve to be emperor?

But he still said, "Oh, it's beautiful! I'm very satisfied!"

The emperor granted the two tricksters titles of nobility and medals, he called them "Royal Weavers"

The night before the parade, the tricksters worked through the night, they lit candles, pretended to cut fabric with scissors, sewed with needles that had no thread

The next morning, the emperor arrived with his knights, the two tricksters raised their hands as if holding something, they said, "Here are the pants, here's the robe, here's the outer garment, light as spider webs, you feel like you're wearing nothing"

The emperor took off all his clothes, the tricksters pretended to dress him in the new garments, they fastened something around his waist as a train

The emperor turned before the mirror, everyone said, "How perfectly it fits! How beautiful!"

The emperor paraded through the streets beneath a magnificent canopy, people on the streets and in windows all exclaimed, "Wow! The emperor's new clothes are so beautiful! The train is so gorgeous!"

Nobody wanted to admit they couldn't see anything

Suddenly, a child shouted out, "But he's not wearing any clothes!"

The father said, "Listen to that innocent voice!", everyone quietly spread the word

"He isn't wearing any clothes! A child said he isn't wearing any clothes!"

"He really isn't wearing any clothes!", finally all the people said

The emperor trembled slightly, but he thought, I must complete the parade

So he walked with even prouder spirits, his officials followed behind, holding a train that didn't actually exist

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个穷困潦倒的美国水手意外获得一张百万英镑钞票，在伦敦上演了一段关于信任、友谊与命运的奇妙冒险。

London, fog drifted over the Thames

A young man in a worn coat stood before a grand house, clutching a letter

The envelope had no name, just one line: please come at three o'clock

He didn't know that pushing open that door would change his fate forever

The young man's name was Henry, an American sailor

A month ago his ship had gone down at sea, and he'd drifted to England with only one dollar in his pocket

He was starving, walking the streets of London, too ashamed to even step into a bakery

Just as he was about to faint from hunger, a letter was pressed into his hand

The door opened

Two elderly men with white hair sat by the fireplace, their eyes gleaming

The older brother said, "Young man, I'd like to make a bet with you"

He pulled a banknote from a drawer, and slapped it on the table

Henry looked down, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head

It was a million-pound banknote, more money than he'd ever seen in his entire life

The older brother said, "I bet that if you give this note to a poor man, he'll starve in a month, because no one in London can change it"

The younger brother shook his head, "I bet he won't just survive, he'll thrive"

Before Henry could figure out what was happening, the banknote was stuffed into his pocket

The two old men pushed him out the door

Henry clutched the million-pound note, walking down a London street

His stomach growling, he stepped into a small restaurant, and ordered a steak

After he finished, he pulled out the note and handed it over

The owner took one look, his eyes went wide, and his hands started to shake

He searched every drawer, searched every shelf, but couldn't make change for a single penny

Henry said, "No worries, I'll come back and settle up another day"

The owner grabbed his arm, "Sir, come anytime you like, this meal is on the house"

Henry stood there in shock

He walked into a tailor's shop, hoping to get a proper suit made

The tailor took his measurements, and Henry handed over the banknote

One glance at it, and the tailor's legs nearly buckled

He said with deepest respect, "Sir, this suit is free, please come back in a few days to pick it up"

Just as Henry turned to leave, the tailor called after him

"Sir, could you possibly change this into smaller bills, so I can give you your change"

Henry said, "I don't have any other money on me"

The tailor gritted his teeth, dug into his own pocket, and pressed a handful of coins into Henry's hand

"Sir, here's your change, please keep it safe"

Word spread fast

All of London was talking about the young American with the million-pound note

Restaurants competed to invite him for meals, shops competed to send him gifts, and newspapers put him on the front page

No one dared take his money, and no one could change that banknote

Henry didn't spend a single penny, yet he ate the finest food, wore the finest clothes, and stayed in the best hotels

One day, Henry met a girl in the park

Her name was Portia, and her eyes shone like moonlight on the Thames

Portia didn't care whether Henry had money or not

She just thought this American young man was funny, and his laugh was bright and warm

For the first time, Henry felt that the banknote had brought him something more than free lunches, it had brought him a real friend

The days went by

Henry discovered a secret, as long as people believe you're rich, you really are rich

He started helping friends sell stocks, and connecting businessmen with each other

What people saw wasn't his ability, but that million-pound note in his pocket, the likes of which no one had ever seen

After a month, Henry had earned twenty thousand pounds of his own, all through the power of trust

He carefully folded the million-pound note, and tucked it into his coat pocket

The thirty days were up

Henry walked into the grand house in a sharp suit

The two old men sat by the fireplace, exactly as they had a month before

Henry pulled out the banknote, set it on the table, and said with a smile

"I'm returning this note to you, without a single scratch on it

But I've made twenty thousand pounds, and I've made the best friend in the world"

The older brother's jaw dropped, he couldn't say a word

The younger brother slapped the table and laughed, "I won"

Portia walked in from outside, and took Henry's arm

She looked at the two old men with a bright smile, and said

"And soon, he'll have one more family member"

Henry looked at Portia, then at the banknote on the table, the one that had rewritten his destiny

He smiled, brighter than the London sunshine

原著作者｜安东尼·布朗（Anthony Browne）｜每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个孩子眼中的超级爸爸，像大猩猩一样强壮，像泰迪熊一样柔软，他什么都不怕，因为他爱我。

He's all right, my dad

My dad isn't afraid of ANYTHING, even the Big Bad Wolf

He can jump right over the moon, and walk on a tightrope, without falling off

He can wrestle with giants, or win the fathers' race on sports day easily

He's all right, my dad

My dad can eat like a horse, and he can swim like a fish

He's as strong as a gorilla, and as happy as a hippopotamus

He's all right, my dad

My dad's as big as a house, and as soft as my teddy

He's as wise as an owl, except when he tries to help

He's all right, my dad

My dad's a great dancer, and a brilliant singer

He's fantastic at soccer, and he makes me laugh, a lot

I love my dad, and you know what

HE LOVES ME, and he always will

原著作者｜五味太郎（Gomi Taro）｜每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。鳄鱼怕看牙医，牙医怕看鳄鱼，当两个"怕怕鬼"相遇，一场爆笑又温馨的看牙之旅开始了

The crocodile's tooth really hurts

He holds his cheek, pacing back and forth in the room

But he can't avoid seeing the dentist

The crocodile looks at himself in the mirror, and slowly says, "Do I really have to go"

The dentist sits in the clinic, flipping through the appointment book

A crocodile is coming to see him today

The dentist puts down the book, sighs and says, "Do I really have to go"

The crocodile puts on his coat, opens the door, and walks forward step by step

He keeps his head down, staring at his toes

"I really have to go"

The dentist puts on his white coat, turns on the exam room light

He picks up the mirror and the little hook, and takes a deep breath

"I really have to go"

The crocodile walks through the clinic door

The hallway smells like disinfectant

He looks up and sees the dental room sign, his legs feel a bit weak

"Ah", the crocodile lets out a small cry

The dentist hears footsteps outside the door

He turns around, and sees a huge shadow at the door

"Ah", the dentist also lets out a small cry

The crocodile sits in the treatment chair

The dentist pulls the lamp closer, leaning toward the crocodile's mouth

Both of them open their eyes wide

The crocodile thinks to himself, "I really have to go"

The dentist also thinks to himself, "I really have to go"

The dentist picks up the little mirror, and looks inside the crocodile's mouth

A big cavity, dark and deep

The crocodile opens his mouth wide, showing his sharp teeth

The dentist's hands are shaking a little

The crocodile's mouth is also shaking a little

The dentist picks up the drill, aiming at the bad tooth

"Ouch", the crocodile cries out

He swings his hand, almost hitting the dentist

"Ouch", the dentist also cries out

He steps back, almost falling down

The dentist steadies himself, and leans in again

"Don't be afraid", the dentist says softly

He pats the crocodile's shoulder

"Don't be afraid", the crocodile also says softly

He pats the dentist's arm

The dentist keeps drilling the bad tooth

The grinding sound fills the room

The crocodile grips the armrests of the chair tightly

The dentist grips his tools tightly too

Both of them are trying to hold on

Finally, the drilling is done

The dentist puts down his tools, and wipes the sweat

The crocodile lets go of the armrests, and lets out a long breath

Both of them are exhausted

The dentist starts to fill the tooth

Little by little, he fills the material into the cavity

The crocodile keeps his mouth open, not moving at all

The dentist works carefully, filling it bit by bit

The filling is done

The dentist turns off the lamp, and stands up

The crocodile sits up in the chair, moving his jaw around

They look at each other

The dentist says seriously, "You must brush your teeth every day"

The crocodile nods hard, and says seriously, "I will brush my teeth every day"

The crocodile stands up, and walks toward the door

He takes two steps, then turns around

"So I will never forget to brush my teeth"

The dentist also nods, watching the crocodile leave

"So you will never forget to brush your teeth"

The crocodile reaches the door, and pushes it open

"See you next year"

The dentist stands in the exam room, waving his hand

"See you next year"

The crocodile walks on his way home, holding his mouth

He thinks to himself, "I never want to see him again"

The dentist sits in the clinic, putting away his tools

He also thinks to himself, "I never want to see him again"

原著作者｜Leo Lionni

This is little blue

Here he is at home with papa and mama blue

Little blue has many friends, but his best friend is little yellow

who lives across the street

How they love to play at hide-and-seek

and ring-a-ring-o'-roses

In school they sit still in neat rows

After school they run and jump and chase each other all the way home

One day mama blue went shopping

"You stay home," she said to little blue

But little blue went out to look for little yellow

Alas, the house across the street was empty

He looked here

and there

and everywhere

until suddenly, around a corner, there was little yellow

Happily they hugged each other

and hugged each other

and hugged each other

until they were green

Then they went to play in the park

They ran through a long dark tunnel

They chased little orange up and down the hills

They climbed a great big mountain

When they were tired, they went home

But papa and mama blue said, "You are not our little blue, you are green"

And papa and mama yellow said, "You are not our little yellow, you are green"

Little blue and little yellow were very sad

They cried big blue and yellow tears

They cried and cried until they were all tears

When they finally pulled themselves apart, there was little blue

and there was little yellow

They said, "Will they believe us now"

Mama blue and papa blue were very happy to see their little blue

They hugged him and kissed him

And they hugged little yellow too

but look, they became green

Now they knew what had happened

and so they went across the street to bring the good news

They all hugged each other with joy

and the children played until suppertime

原著作者｜W. Somerset Maugham（萨默塞特·毛姆）

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting slender shadows on the floor

Kitty lay in Charlie's arms, savoring this stolen moment

The whistle of the Victoria Harbour sounded outside, as if accompanying this love that should never have begun

Suddenly, the white corridor handle turned silently

Kitty jerked upright, heart pounding

No one stood outside the door, yet her heart would never know peace again

Kitty was born into an English middle-class family

She was naturally beautiful, raised by her mother to be pleasing and charming

Her mother's greatest ambition was for her to marry into wealth and status

But the years slipped away, and at twenty-five, Kitty remained unmarried

Her younger sister's wedding announcement came, she was about to marry into a baronet's household

Kitty felt her pride wounded

Just as her mother's face grew increasingly grim, the bacteriologist Walter appeared

He was quiet and unromantic, Kitty did not love him

But she was exhausted from her mother's sighs

So she accepted his proposal, and hastily became a wife

After their wedding, Walter brought Kitty to Hong Kong

Here the city blazed with lights and noise, its social calendar perpetually full

At a dinner party, Kitty met Charlie Townsend

He was tall and handsome, articulate and magnetic, the center of everyone's attention

Kitty felt he was her destined soul

She did not know that fate had already marked the price in darkness

That afternoon, Kitty met again at Charlie's apartment

She lay in his arms, thinking she held the entire world

The white corridor handle turned silently once more

Kitty sat up in alarm

This time, Walter stood outside the door

He looked at her silently, without rage, without accusation

That stillness suffocated Kitty

"I know," Walter's voice was soft

Walter gave Kitty a choice

Either go with him to cholera-affected Meitan, or Charlie divorce his wife and marry her

Kitty refused to believe it, she went to Charlie

She thought he would give up everything for her

But Charlie frowned, saying he could not leave his wife

He said he loved Kitty, but would not divorce

He even said, "What we said in the heat of passion doesn't count"

In that moment, Kitty's world shattered completely

Kitty was forced to board the boat to Meitan with Walter

This city was engulfed by cholera, the air thick with disinfectant

Coffins were carried through the streets, death's shadow loomed everywhere

Kitty was terrified, yet had nowhere to escape

She hated Walter for punishing her this way

But she hated herself more, hated herself for her original choice

In Meitan, Kitty encountered the nuns at the convent

They were simple yet noble, quietly tending to the sick and orphaned

They never complained, never asked for anything in return

Kitty had never witnessed such a way of living, such faith

She began asking herself, what had she truly been pursuing all her life

Meanwhile, Kitty discovered a different side of Walter

He was highly skilled medically, working tirelessly day and night to save patients

He was compassionate at heart, caring for every patient with devotion

The people of the afflicted area respected him, needed him

Kitty realized she had never truly understood her husband before

Kitty decided she could no longer simply wait

She went to the convent and requested to help care for the orphans

The nuns accepted her

Here, Kitty felt needed for the first time through giving

Not for her beauty, not for being pleasing

But for having done something meaningful

Days passed, Kitty felt herself changing

She began understanding Walter, his silence, his love

But just then, she discovered she was pregnant

After two years of marriage with no child, it came at this moment

That night, Walter asked her, "Is the child mine"

Kitty opened her mouth, but could not speak a single word

Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating both their faces

The story ends here

When the veil is lifted, can we truly see our authentic selves

原著作者｜维克多·雨果

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个发生在1482年巴黎的动人故事，关于善良与丑陋、爱与牺牲，叩问心灵的永恒答案。

原著作者｜威廉·莎士比亚

In Denmark, the winter was colder than any winter before

The old king's death was like a dull knife, slowly cutting into everyone's ears

The funeral bell rang three times

Queen Gertrude didn't cry, her eyes like a frozen lake, showing no emotion at all

Less than a month later, she married the new king Claudius

The air in the whole court felt blocked

Servants walked with heads bowed

Ministers' boots made no sound on the carpet

Only Hamlet knew

His eyes were colder than the winter wind

He stood at the end of the palace corridor, his fingers digging crescents into his palms

No moon

A figure rose from the shadow of the city wall

Pale armor, ashen face, a deep wound on the neck visible to the bone

Hamlet's breath stopped

"I am your brother" the ghost's voice like squeezed from stone cracks "He poured poison in my ear"

The prince didn't retreat

His fist clenched until veins popped, nails digging into his palms

"Remember me"

The ghost faded into the cold wind

Hamlet stood alone in the darkness, like a statue

The players entered the palace

The old player's eyes were like stones polished by years

"What shall we perform, Your Highness"

Hamlet handed the script

His fingertips trembled, but there was a smile at the corner of his mouth

"Just the simplest one"

The performance began at dusk

On stage, actors vividly portrayed the king and queen

Claudius sat on the throne, fingers drumming the armrest unconsciously

The third act began

"The king fell asleep in the garden" the actor's voice was clear "His brother quietly approached and poured poison in his ear"

Claudius's face changed

Not pale, but gray-white, like drained of blood

He stood up abruptly, his chair fell back, the sound echoing through the silent hall

"Light the lamps" his voice cracked

Hamlet stood in the shadow, eyes had cold gleam, no tears

He confirmed it

The time for revenge, was ripe

The Queen's chamber

Candlelight cast shaking shadows on the walls

Gertrude sat at the vanity, her lips moved, but no sound came

"You shouldn't have married him"

"He's the king" "He killed Father"

The Queen's face turned ashen

She opened her mouth, wanted to speak

Behind the curtain, someone was trembling

Hamlet's gaze swept over

His arm was faster than his thinking

The sword left the scabbard like a sigh

Then the dull sound of a body falling, like a puppet with cut strings

He pulled the curtain aside

Polonius lay in a pool of blood, blood stains forming dark brown cracks across that aged face

Hamlet didn't cry

His eyes held only cold gleam

"Send him to England"

Claudius's voice came from outside the door, cold as a blade

In the sealed ship cabin, only the sounds of rats

Hamlet crouched in the corner, fingers searching the floor cracks

A letter

He pried open the seal with trembling fingers

The King of England would behead two envoys upon arrival

His fingers trembled

But his eyes lit up

He had a plan

The pen tip moved under candlelight, ink slowly soaked the paper

A new name was written

A new seal pressed

The shipwreck happened

The ship broke into pieces in the storm

Hamlet grabbed a piece of wood, drifted in the dark sea

He woke lying on the beach

A pirate island

But they let him go

"This man is interesting" the pirate chief said "There's fire in his eyes"

Hamlet stepped onto Danish land

Claudius's spies were everywhere

But he didn't care

"A duel" Claudius smiled "My dear nephew has returned, we should celebrate"

Horatio burst into the room, his face white as paper

"The letter, I intercepted it, they'll kill you in the duel"

Hamlet looked at the sky outside the window

His gaze fell on the sword

"I know"

He smiled, the smile contained icy things

The dueling hall was bright with candles

Claudius sat on the high platform, his wine cup gleamed in the candlelight, with faint luster inside

Laertes walked to Hamlet's side, whispered "Let me be your second"

The prince shook his head

His fingers picked up the sword, the pommel pressed into his palm

The first thrust

A feint

The second thrust

Hamlet's sword tip cut Rozencrantz's arm

The third thrust

Claudius's sword tip stabbed toward the prince's chest

The Queen stood up, her lips moved, wanted to speak

The wine cup was empty

Gertrude's body began to convulse

"The wine" her voice caught

Her fingers grabbed the tablecloth, knuckles white

She fell, her eyes still looking at Hamlet

Claudius's sword pierced the prince's shoulder

But Hamlet's sword also pierced him

Claudius fell into the pool of blood, eyes wide open, like seeing something he shouldn't have seen

Rozencrantz rushed over, but Laertes's sword had already pierced his chest

He fell beside his father

Hamlet fell on the stage

His blood flowed on the wooden planks, like a thin dark red river

Horatio rushed over, held his head

"Live" the prince's voice like from far away "Denmark needs someone to remember"

His hand fell

The hall was silent

The Prince of Denmark, the Queen of Denmark, Claudius, Rozencrantz

All had fallen

Only Horatio still stood

He stood and walked to the window

Dawn was breaking outside

But Denmark's sun, would never rise again

苏轼（字子瞻，号东坡居士）

Why is life so unhappy, just because you've never read Su Dongpo

Nine centuries have passed, yet Su Dongpo remains the soul ferryman for countless Chinese people

When life presses down on you till you can't breathe, open this biography of Su Dongpo, you'll find there's no predicament you can't escape, only a heart that refuses to heal

In the year 1037, Su Shi was born in Meishan, Sichuan

His father Su Xun didn't start serious studying until the age of twenty seven

His mother Cheng Shi taught him the Book of Later Han herself

At ten years old, he read the story of Fan Pang's death for righteousness

He looked up and asked his mother, if I became like Pang, would you consent to that

The seed of serving the world was planted at age ten

At twenty one, he and his brother Su Che passed the imperial examination together

The chief examiner Ouyang Xiu read his paper and exclaimed, this old man must step aside, to give this person room to rise above others

The idiom to rise above others originated from this very moment

But fate never follows a script

When Su Shi first entered official service, he encountered Wang Anshi's reform

He cared deeply for the common people, he couldn't help speaking out directly

This angered the new party, several times he barely survived

At forty five, the Crow Terrace Poetry Case exploded

He was imprisoned for one hundred and three days

Once friends covered the empire, yet with one fall, few came to inquire

Barely surviving, what awaited him was an imperial edict, exiled to Huangzhou

Huangzhou was an isolated small town, his post there was merely a title in name only

Su Shi's heart was at a loss, full of confusion

Until one rainy day, he heard distant temples playing peaceful zen sounds

Suddenly he seemed to understand something, no contending, no grasping, self contentment

From then on, he shed his scholar's robe, wore coarse cloth clothes, and worked the fields like a farmer

With no side dishes, he slaughtered his sick ox, ate beef while drinking fine wine

Drunk with joy, he even placed a large watermelon on his head, walking and singing along the furrows

Imagine that scene, a once world famous literary giant, wobbling with a watermelon on his head, humming a tune

When the sun shone bright, he rowed at Red Cliff, in misty rain he smiled at wind and rain, and wrote: "No more rain, no more wind, no more blinding sun"

It was here that Su Zizhan became Su Dongpo

This Dongpo was not granted by the court, but grew from the earth by his own hands

Speaking of talent, before Su Shi, ci poetry was popular songs sung by banquet entertainers, scholars thought it beneath them

Yet Su Shi waved his brush and unleashed the great river flowing east, making ci grand like rivers and seas

When will the moon arise, making ci philosophical as the bright moon

Ten years apart, the living barely know the dead, making ci profound as the ocean

He alone elevated ci poetry to equal standing with poetry

He could also turn the most ordinary days into verse, mugwort filling the fields, short reed shoots, it is the season for river pufferfish

Daily I eat three hundred lychees, willingly forever a person of Lingnan

In Su Shi's writing, life became poetry everywhere

Yet fate did not spare him

At fifty nine he was again exiled to Huizhou, at sixty two he was sent to distant Hainan Danzhou by a solitary boat, the farther the exile the more tragic

He himself sighed, worldly affairs are but a great dream, life has only several autumns of chill

If it were anyone else, they would likely have lost heart long ago, complaining against heaven and blaming fate

But Su Dongpo did not

His openness was not about seeing through things, but about never taking himself seriously

In Huizhou, plagued by tropical diseases, he admired the vast scenery, invented roast lamb spine, developed a love for lychees, even brewed his own wine, the jade colored Zhenyi wine

In Danzhou, scarce population, no meat for food, no room for shelter, he built houses himself, named them Betel Nut Residence

In boredom he told ghost stories with villagers under trees, laughing with sheer joy

What the world called suffering, in his hands became seasoning for life

He chewed hardship, swallowed it, then dusted his hands saying, not bad, quite flavorful

And he was not merely a man of letters, but also a practical administrator

West Lake was more than half silted, he mobilized two hundred thousand laborers to build a long causeway, this is the origin of today's Su Causeway Spring Morning scene

When floods threatened the city, wealthy families fled, he said if the wealthy leave, the people will panic, who will stand with me to protect them

He led from the front and saved the city

In Danzhou he established an academy, nurturing the first provincial graduate in Hainan's history

A thousand years later, as we struggle between rat race and lying flat, we can find a third way from Su Shi

Work hard with diligence, lie flat with elegance

His greatest achievement lay not in writing how many excellent poems and ci, but in the attitude he lived

In prosperity he accomplished things, in adversity he wrote poetry, in any circumstance he never lost love and creativity for life

Open this biography of Su Dongpo, you're not reading another's story, but finding that fire within you

Su Shi has passed away, his name merely a memory

A thousand years have passed, yet Su Dongpo remains a light in the hearts of countless Chinese people

出自｜艾瑞·卡尔（Eric Carle）经典儿童绘本

Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see

I see a red bird looking at me

The bird says, the bird is looking at me

Frog hops over, eyes sparkling

Cat says, cat is looking at what

Cat sees a yellow duck

Duck waddles, following behind cat

Duck says, what are you looking at

I see a green frog

Frog jumps into water, splashing

Horse neighs in the distance

Horse eyes are big, horse is looking at me

Bee flies, circling around horse

Fish swims in water

What does fish see

Fish sees a black dog

Dog drinks water by the river

Does dog see the fox

Fox hides in the grass

Bear teacher walks in

Teacher glasses sparkle

Students in the back row, sitting one by one

Mom sits by the window

What is mom looking at

Mom looks out the window, smiles softly

Brown bear also laughs

I see it, you are looking

Everyone, is looking at someone

Every pair of eyes, is discovering new friends

出自｜玛格丽特·怀兹·布朗（Margaret Wise Brown）经典睡前绘本

每天五分钟听经典英文睡前故事，读绘本，伴孩子温馨入眠。这本经典睡前绘本以柔和的笔触、重复的韵律，描绘了小兔子道晚安的温馨场景，传递出睡前仪式感与满满的安全感，是无数孩子的睡前必读。

出自｜伊索寓言

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一只贪图享乐的蚱蜢，在寒冬将至时陷入无食可吃的困境，而勤恳劳作的蚂蚁早已备足过冬口粮，这则故事道出了勤劳与未雨绸缪的珍贵意义。

出自｜安徒生童话

Mother duck sits on her nest hatching eggs,

The eggs crack one by one,

Little ducks pop out one after another,

Only the biggest egg hasn't moved yet,

Finally the shell cracks,

Out comes a dusty gray little duck,

The brothers and sisters gather around,

"So ugly," they click their tongues,

"So ugly," they shake their heads,

The ugly duckling lowers its head,

Afraid to look at anyone,

In the daytime the little ducks go learn to swim,

The other ducks say,

"Don't let the ugly duckling swim with us,"

The ugly duckling stands on the shore,

Watching everyone have fun playing,

At night the little ducks huddle together to sleep,

They say,

"Don't let the ugly duckling sleep over here,"

The ugly duckling shrinks into the corner,

Shivering all alone,

Days pass by one after another,

The mockery keeps growing,

Friends become fewer and fewer,

The ugly duckling thinks,

"Here nobody likes me,"

It flaps its wings,

Quietly leaves the pond,

The forest is dark,

The trees are so tall,

The ugly duckling walks and walks,

Can't find any food,

The wind blows,

It buries its head in its wings,

The rain comes,

It hides beneath the fallen leaves,

So cold and so hungry,

It curls up into a ball,

But it doesn't cry,

Walking forward step by step,

One day it comes to a big lake,

Several white birds are swimming on the lake,

Their feathers are so white,

Their necks are so long,

The ugly duckling is completely amazed,

"They are so beautiful,"

It stands on the shore,

Admiring these birds so much,

It looks down at its own gray feathers,

"I could never be this beautiful,"

Winter comes,

The lake surface freezes over,

The white birds fly away,

Flying to warm places far away,

The ugly duckling stands alone on the ice,

Breathing out white fog,

The wind blows hard,

It wraps its wings tight,

The snow falls down,

It lowers its head,

So cold and so cold,

But it still keeps waiting,

Spring finally comes,

The ice on the lake slowly melts,

The white birds are back again,

A white bird swims over,

Gently touches it with its beak,

"Come play with us,"

The ugly duckling raises its head,

Frozen in shock,

It looks down into the water,

A white bird is reflected in the water,

With a long neck,

And white feathers,

"So I am also......,"

The ugly duckling spreads its wings wide,

The water reflects a beautiful shadow,

It finally smiles,

Swimming toward the white birds,

The ugly duckling has become a beautiful swan,

出自｜伊索寓言

Morning sunlight poured into the forest

Under a big tree, a lion lay curled up, its mane rising and falling with each breath

Not far away, a tiny mouse crept along, sniffing the air

It tripped, stumbling right onto the lion's whiskers

The lion opened one eye

The little mouse froze, too scared to breathe

The lion opened his huge mouth, showing sharp teeth

The mouse curled into a ball, voice trembling

"Please don't eat me, maybe someday I can help you"

The lion paused, then laughed, and let the mouse go

The little mouse tumbled and scrambled into the grass

Three days later, the lion was walking through the valley

Suddenly, a big net fell from the trees, tangling the lion tightly

The lion roared and struggled, but the net only tightened

Hunters were coming

The little mouse heard the roar and poked its head out of the grass

It recognized the lion immediately

Without hesitation, the mouse rushed over

It bit and chewed with its teeth

Chomp, chomp, chomp

For a long, long time

The net finally snapped

The lion was free

The lion lowered his head, looking at this mouse a hundred times smaller than himself

He gently cupped the mouse in his paw

"Thank you," said the lion, "tiny you, saved big me"

The mouse smiled, "because we are good friends"

From that day on, the animals in the forest all said

Never look down on anyone

You never know when, you might need someone else

You never know when, someone might need you

出自｜伊索寓言

The North Wind, a strongman, loved to blow

The Sun, a magician, loved to shine

One day, they met by the roadside

The North Wind puffed out his chest and said, "I am stronger than you"

The Sun shook his head and said, "Not at all"

They argued back and forth endlessly

From a distance, a traveler came walking

He was wrapped in a thick cotton coat, walking quickly with his head low

The North Wind's eyes lit up and said, "The contest begins"

The North Wind took a deep breath and puffed his cheeks

WHOO, the wind raged, sand and stones flew

The North Wind blew and blew, sending leaves flying everywhere

The traveler pulled his collar tighter, wrapped his coat tighter

The North Wind blew harder and harder, yet the traveler wrapped his coat even tighter

The North Wind was exhausted and breathless, yet the traveler would not stop

The Sun smiled gently and stepped forward slightly

Sunshine spread down, warming the earth

The North Wind was not willing, blew even harder

Unexpectedly, the traveler instead unfastened his coat buttons

The Sun kept shining, warming people all over

The traveler wiped his sweat and took off his coat, draping it over his shoulder

The North Wind stared with wide eyes, frozen in place

The Sun withdrew its light, gazing gently at the North Wind

The North Wind drooped his head and said quietly, "I lost"

The Sun patted the North Wind's shoulder

"It is not that you are weaker than me, warmth has more power than cold"

The North Wind nodded, and together with the Sun, they watched the traveler leave

原著作者｜Johanna Spyri

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。一个关于亲情、友情与归属感的温馨故事，发生在阿尔卑斯山的美丽风光中，触动无数读者心灵的经典儿童文学。