隽永英文小故事 (43)
Don’t desire to walk when you have wings to fly
Once upon a time, there lived a generous and kind-hearted king. He was fond of birds and animals, and had a huge bird sanctuary in his kingdom. He disliked harming the animals and birds. He did not kill them even for meat.
In appreciation of his generosity and kindness towards birds, the king was gifted two beautiful falcons by a businessman. Those two falcons were used to different climatic conditions. The king thanked the businessman and ordered the Head bird trainer to provide all the facilities to those beautiful falcons and make them feel comfortable in their country. The Head trainer took care of the birds.
G radually, the birds got adapted to the country’s climate.
One day, the king wanted to see the falcons fly as he had heard that one of those falcons could fly to great heights at very high speed. The bird trainer let the falcon out of the enclosure. It flew very high, very quickly, and came down to the enclosure within minutes.
The king was quite surprised, and rewarded the bird trainer with a handful of gold coins. He enquired about the other falcon. The bird trainer stated with regret that the other falcon had not moved even a step from day one and had just sat on the branch. The trainer also added that he had tried everything he could but still failed to make the bird move.
The king consoled him and told him that he would bring someone more experienced than him to try to train the other falcon.
Soon, the king announced that he needed someone to make the falcon move and fly.
Hearing this announcement, an old man reached the King’s palace and assured him that he would make the bird fly like the other one.
The king asked the head trainer to take the old man to the sanctuary to train the falcon. He said that he would visit them the next day to see if there was any change.
The next day, the king was very surprised to see the other falcon fly like the first one to great heights in rapid speed. The king was very happy and gifted the old man a handful of gold coins.
Then the king asked the old man what he had done to make the bird fly in a day. The old man simply replied, “I just cut down the branch of the tree where the falcon used to sit.”
Many of us are like this. We have wings to fly; we know how to fly, and where to fly. Still we sit doing nothing or doing something that makes us inferior to others.
Don’t sit still when you have wings to fly!。
隽永英文小故事 (145)
The Crafty Crane and the Craftier CrabA heron lived near a big lake, which was full of fishes and other water creatures.The heron had grown so old, that he could not catch fishes from the lake anymore.He became lean and weak with every passing day due to lack of food. Unable to bear the hunger anymore, he hit upon a plan.As planned, he sat at the edge of the lake for everybody to see, and began crying.On seeing this, a crab took pity on him and went near, "Uncle, What is the matter? Why are you crying instead to catching fishes?"Continuing to pretend, the heron replied, "My child, I would not touch any fish anymore. I have decided to renounce all worldly matters, and vowed to undertake a fast unto death".The crab asked, "If you have indeed renounced worldly matters, why is it thatyou cry?"The heron explained, "My child, I have been in this lake from my birth. I have grown here. And it now that I have grown so old that I hear that this lake will dry up as there will be no rains for the next twelve years".The crab was surprised to hear this, "Uncle, please tell me if it is true. Please tell me where you have heard such thing."The heron replied, "I have heard the news from a wise astrologer that there will be no rains for the next twelve years. You see, there is already not much water in the lake. And very soon, due to lack of rains, the lake will dry up completely very soon."The crab was taken aback by the news of what is to befall on them, and went to tell this to the other water creatures. On hearing this piece of news, everybody started to panic.They believed the heron, as he was not trying to catch any fish at all. So, they met the heron to seek advice, "Please guide us to save us from this disaster"The heron said, "There is indeed a lake not far from here. It is full of water, and beautifully covered with lotus flowers. There is so much water in the lake, that it would not dry even if it did not rain for twenty four years. I can take you there, if you can ride on my back."He had already gained their confidence. So, they gathered around him and requested to carry them one at a time to the other lake and save them.The wicked heron had succeeded in his plan. Every day, he would carry one of them on his back pretending to take them to the other lake.After flying a little away from the lake, he would smash them against a rock and eat them up. He would then return after some time to the lake and relate false messages how they are happy in the other lake.This happened for many days, when the crab said to the heron, "Uncle, you take others to the lake but it is me who is your first friend. Please take me to the other lake to save my life."The heron was happy to hear this. He thought to himself, "Having a fish everyday has become monotonous. It is good that I will get to eat a crab today, for a change."Having thus decided, the heron started carrying the crab to the same rock. The crab looked down from above and saw the heap of bones and skeletons. At once, the crab understood what the heron was up to.He remained calm, and said to the heron, "Uncle, the lake seems far and I am quite heavy. You must be getting tired, let us stop for some rest".The heron was confident that there was no way the crab can escape from him inthe sky. The heron replied, "There is no lake for real. This trip is for my own meal. As I do every day, I will smash you against a rock and make a meal out of you."When the heron confessed the truth, the crab got hold of the heron's neck with its strong claws, and strangled him to death.The crab laughed at himself that he had saved himself and the other water creatures from the trick played by the heron. He dragged the heron back to the lake.The other water creatures in the lake were surprised to see him back. They became curious, and asked all sort of questions.The crab laughed and replied, "We were being made fools! The heron was an imposter and what he told about the lake drying up was all false. He was taking one of us every day for his meal in a rock not far from here."He proudly said, "I understood what he was up to, and have killed the trickster. There is no need to worry, for we are safe in this lake. It is not going to dry up at all."The wise indeed say:When things go wrong, use your wit to overcome the situation.。
隽永英文小故事 (45)
The Old Man, His Young Wife and The ThiefOnce, a rich merchant lived in a town. Even though he owned a big house, he lived alone. His wife died a few years ago due to an accident. He was a widower and had become an old man. He would feel lonely every day and even during the night. He, therefore, decided to get married again. He persuaded a poor old man and convinced him to give his daughter’s hand in marriage.He finally got married to a young and beautiful girl. However, the young girl did not like the old merchant at all. She would not even look at him. She hated that he was very old. The old merchant would bring gifts, crack jokes and provide all the luxuries just to please his young wife. In spite of his best efforts, he was unable to make his wife like him. Finally, one day he realized that his young wife did not understand his love and affection towards him.One night the couple was sleeping in their room. They both were sleeping on the sides of the bed, separately from each other. That night, when both husband and wife were fast asleep, a thief entered the room. Suddenly the wife woke up to the sound of a thief entering through the window. On concentrating on the noise, she realized that someone else has come inside the room. She steadily moved and hugged her husband tightly. The husband was elated, delighted at this action of his wife. However, he was also very surprised by his wife’s action.“This may not be true affection. There must be some other reason also,” he thought. Suddenly, he saw a shadow emerging from behind the curtains. A big thief with a huge mustache with a terrifying smile emerged in front of the couple. The wife hid behind her husband and clasped on to her husband tightly. The thief had a big sharp knife in his hand and he showed it to the couple. The merchant, however, was unfazed. He rhetorically said “Oh dear thief!! Take whatever you want from the house. You don’t know what a mighty favor you have done to me.” The thief was very surprised by the offer and thought something was fishy and ran away. Meanwhile, his wife understood how much his husband loved her. She embraced his husband and displayed her never-ending love and affection thereon.The next morning, the merchant was surprised to see the same thief. He came to the merchant and said, “Please let me know if you seek love and affection for your wife again. I will come to your house with a more terrifying look in the night.” The merchant laughed uncontrollably and gave him a bunch of gold coins as a reward for something he could n’t have accomplished without the horrifying thief’s help. The thief happily went on his way and the couple lived on happily ever after.MORAL: Sometimes your enemy can do some good to you.。
隽永英文小故事 (53)
Grandmother's KnittingHow still the house seemed on our return, and we felt that all was now done that could be done at present for grandmother! The great arm-chair in the cozy place between the center-table and fire-place, how solemn it looked; and the head-rest, one could not help touching it gently her silvery head would never rest against it any more ! How lonely it all was !" Who was there now for the noisy boys to rush to with their wonderful statements of what had been done by themselves ? Where should wee Dollie go now for comfort and that comprehension of all her little troubles that came by an intuition, almost inspiration, in grandma? Who would now kindly inter- pose between the offender and justice with the authoritative assurance that ' they didn't mean anything wrong, it was all an accident ' ? Whose kindly interventions passed unresented by parental powers like grandma's? Whose 'bless you!' was so implicitly valued as hers ? and whose kisses so comforting ? No one else could draw out a splinter or tie up a cut finger like her, and what an inexhaustible store of things needful she always had convenient enough, when nobody else could find anything in the hurry ! Who was it divided up their share of the nuts and hard candies with the members who had sound teeth ? How she always praised those teeth and the red lips of the littie ones, without the slightest particle of envy ! Who ever knew a grandma to envy her dear ones anything in this wide world, even when she was deprived of those same blessings herself? Who ever forgave faults, even when repeated, like grandma? And as to story-telling, anyone knows that she could tell better ones than anyone else, and you always felt as though they were all true. And her singing ! what if her voice wavered and she would stop and say, 'Children, I can't sing ! ' what an utter rejection the very idea received. Grandma not sing, indeed ! You couldn't find anyone else who suited so well. It was lots better than that high-flight, scientific singing you had to keep so awful still about. Ask Tom and Bob and Dollie which they liked best. That settled it. But oh, dear, this silence, this stiff order, this lonesome, lost feeling that was just like a cramp about the breathing and the voice ! If grandma was here these blinds would go up, and the sun would shine in, and the bird would quit that dumpishness, and the cat would be playing bo-peep around the chair with Tip, the dog, and there would have to be a fire crackling in that stove instead of these dead ashes. What ails everybody else? It took grandma to keep things going. A boy might go off down street without anything around his throat and nobody else'd notice it. Grandma looked after a feller. Nothing looks natural all changed in these few days that seem like forever.""What's that? It's grandma's knitting. How heavy it seems ! I wonder how herpoor old fingers ever did such work; it would tire mine right away. And, oh, to think of the- hours and days and evenings that she knitted and knitted and knitted, and it didn't look like work, but it was! I can realize now for the first time how all our feet stepped lightly, and we never thought that knitting could tire anyone, it all looked so natural, and grandma would smile at the cat rolling and tangling the ball, and would seem so satisfied when another pair was done; how were we to know? "" Yo,u'd have found out if you had tried it; that's the way. with girls."" Dick, if grandma was here she would not like to have us disagreeing.""Ah ! perhaps these slender, shining needles and this soft yarn that breaks so easily who knows they may have wrought the difference between her hands and those of younger ones. Of course grand- ma's fingers were once dainty and slender ; did that incessant knitting which grandmothers are always doing produce those enlarged joints and cramped fingers that for years were never straight, until she was at rest? Is it possible that we are to blame for the loss of their grace and beauty ? What a sacrifice ! Which of us would consent to become bent and crooked and isolated, immolating self for others ? Oh, we are horrid ! When wee Dollie sobbed, ' I don't think grandmas ought ever to die ! ' dear little heart, she thought only of our loss and not of the dear one's rest. Was there none to bring her fest but death ? And we who thought we loved her were letting burdens rest heavily upon her that we would not have borne, that we would have thrown aside. O life and youth and health, how careless thou art, how blind ! O wisdom, how lacking! Time, how vain thy teachings when her seventy years could not touch our careless hearts until too late! Put it away; that knitting will never be finished; the only hands that would have done it cannot, they are folded and at rest forever."。
隽永英文小故事 (41)
Hurricane DeanHurricane Dean looked like a monster. It developed into a category 5, the highest and most dangerous level. Category 1 is called "minimal," with wind speeds up to 95 mph. Category 5 is called "catastrophic," with wind speeds of at least 156 mph. It blows over trees and destroys small buildings. Hurricane Dean hit Jamaica, just south of Cuba. It destroyed hundreds of homes in Jamaica, and then continued west toward Belize and Yucatan, part of Mexico. Cancun, a Mexican resort town on the Gulf of Mexico, was also in danger.Thousands of tourists caught early flights out of Cancun. But some stayed. "Hurricanes are usually more bark than bite," said one tourist from Mississippi. "Of course, sometimes they're all bite, like Katrina a couple of years ago, and Andrew and Camille before that.""Don't forget Hugo, and Charley, and Agnes, and Rita," his wife chimed in. "Oh, yeah, and Gilbert! And what about Wilma?""Yeah, you're right. They can be dangerous. But usually, they just bring lots of rain and wind without much destruction. My wife and I are having a great time here in Cancun, and we're not going to pick up and leave, especially considering how much this vacation is costing us. We'll take our chances."This tourist and his wife were lucky. Dean traveled south of Cancun, causing little damage to the resort. In fact, two days later, Cancun was almost completely cleaned up and bustling again. It was as if Dean had never been there. The hurricane brought heavy rain to parts of Mexico, but died out two days after hitting land. Two weeks later, Hurricane Felix, also a category 5 at one point, passed south of Jamaica and headed straight toward Nicaragua.。
隽永英文小故事 (98)
Lottery —A Chance at Millions In the United States, 43 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all have their own lottery. A lottery is used for states to raise money. Licensed stores sell numbered tickets, or people can pay to choose their own numbers. When you let a machine pick your numbers, it is usually called a Quick Pick. Many people play lucky numbers, numbers associated with birthdates or other important numbers to them. The money earned from selling lottery tickets goes to pay for schools, roads, bridges, and other public services. Once a week or more, a drawing is held where the numbers are randomly picked. If your ticket has those numbers, you could win a cash prize.There are different types of lotteries, such as Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lotto. Powerball and Mega Millions are known for their large payouts. There are also instant lottery tickets that are scratch-off cards. The winnings tend to be less money, but they are extremely popular.In the United States, you can play the lottery, or buy a ticket if you are 18 years or older. If you win, usually you have the option of being paid the entire amount in one lump sum or of being paid smaller amounts over a number of years. Lottery winnings are taxable, meaning the amount you actually get is smaller than the jackpot number. People can buy lottery tickets or play the lottery at many convenience stores. Lotteries are also very popular since they advertise. There are many television commercials, radio commercials, and billboards urging people to play.Lotteries have been controversial since they are essentially a form of legalized gambling. There is concern that it can lead to people becoming addicted to gambling. There are also illegal lottery games, usually run by some forms of organized crime.。
隽永英文小故事 (40)
Don't Drink and DriveOne of the most important lessons you should learn is when you drink, you shouldn't drive. I learned this the hard way. Last year, I got a DUI, which means Driving Under the Influence. If you get pulled over and you smell like alcohol, the police will ask you to take a breathalyzer test. When you do the test, you have to blow really hard into a machine, which will then tell you if you are over the limit to drive a vehicle. The limit is usually .08 blood alcohol volume. So, if you pass that, you are going to jail.Even though you won't go to jail for a long time, you will be suffering the consequences of your mistake for a long time. Here is a list of the things you will have to do if you get a DUI: go to court, go to alcohol education classes, go to Alcoholics Anonymous, pay a lot of money in fines. If you don't want to pay, you will have to do community service. I got my DUI almost two year ago, and I am still suffering the consequences. I still have 56 hours for community service.I have to update my insurance policy, and deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles. You waste a lot of time and money. It gets difficult to get a job, because you have to let your future employer know that you have been arrested. It's not worth it. If you are thinking about going out to celebrate and party with friends and family, do one of the following: get a designated driver, take the bus or train, or call a cab. It may cost you a little bit of money, but compared to how much money you will lose if you get a DUI, it's nothing. Don't drink and drive.。
隽永英文小故事 (38)
Don't Get Mad—Get Even "Look out!" Kane heard the shout and turned around to see who was shouting.A second later, a mountain biker whooshed past him. The biker turned his head and shouted "Bikes only, asshole!" and disappeared from view. Kane was walking on a mountain bike trail. He had already seen a sign saying Bikers Only, but he had figured that the trail in the woods was wide enough for him and for the bikers.This was public land. Who were bikers to hog this trail for themselves, he thought. Where was he supposed to take his nature walks—through the spider webs and the underbrush? And who did that biker think he was, to call Kane a name? The more he thought, the angrier he got. He'd fix them.The next Saturday, he visited the trail again, but this time with a shovel. It was an old GI shovel that he still had from his Army days. It was small but efficient. He found a slight curve in the trail and, just after sunrise, he started digging. He dug a ditch all the way across the bike trail. The ditch was four inches deep and twelve inches wide. He would have liked to hang around and watch the action, but there was no place to conceal himself. Maybe later he could set up one of those spy cameras people use for home security, he thought as he walked back to his car. Then he could upload the really good crashes to the Internet.An hour later, a 15-year-old girl hit the ditch. She flew through the air and landed among some small trees. Because she was wearing a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads, all she suffered were bruises, scratches, and a sprained wrist. Her $700 bike was moderately damaged. She used her cell phone to call her dad. Despite her soreness, she stood guard on the trail to warn others.Police investigated the scene of the "accident." An officer said if they caught who dug the ditch, the culprit would be charged with felony vandalism, which might result in a year in prison.。
隽永英文小故事 (39)
The DecisionThe Dickensons lived on the eastern coast of the United States and the three boys, Simon, Jud, and little Ben loved the water. The two oldest boys were usually busy helping their dad on his farm or taking care of their spoiled little brother. That was their least favorite thing to do. Just because their Mom died giving birth to Ben, their Dad thought he was the most special and treated him that way. It made them both mad. They would do little mean things to Ben just to get revenge on his being treated special and then threaten Ben with torture if he told on them. That was kind of fun.Finally one Saturday the two oldest got the whole day off to go adventure. They both had one thing in mind. There was an island off shore in the distance and they had wondered what was on it.Just when they were about to leave, their father said, “Boys, I have to go to town and I need you to take care of Ben for me. You can take him with you exploring but just be careful!” He said those last words slowly so the older boys wouldn’t miss it.“What a bummer!” they pouted when their dad was gone. They were going to have some fun and now had to take the spoiled brat with them. Oh well, they didn’t have any choice so off they went with Ben tagging along behind.When the three arrived at the shore, they couldn’t believe their stroke ofluck! An old abandoned rowboat was hidden in the grass and it had one and a half oars. OK, the half oar wouldn’t do them any good since it was the top half, but the other one would get them out to the island to explore.Being the oldest, Jud paddled with the oar, first on one side, then on the other so they would go in kind of a straight line. When he got tired, then Simon took a turn. Of course, Ben was too young to take a turn, plus he’d probably complain that they asked him to help.As they paddled, they started to notice their feet getting wet. “This thing leaks,” Simon said, pointing to a trickle of water coming in the front.“Don’t worry about it,” Jud answered. “It’s not that much, and when we get there, we can empty it to get back.”As the boys neared the shore of the island they suddenly struck a rock hidden just under the water. It enlarged the hole, sending twice as much water pouring in. They were glad to be safely on shore!“How are we going to get back?” Simon wondered. “That boat will fill up and sink with the weight of all three of us.”“I got that all figured out,” Jud answered tapping his head with his finger. “You row Ben across, then come back for me. That way we only have two of us inthe boat at a time. If you move fast, it won’t sink with only two in the boat.” Simon thought Jud was a genius with that idea.The boys started to explore the island. It was very flat with a few scrawny trees. They had a lot of moss or seaweed stuck in the branches. That seemed strange. Then Simon said, “Look at this. It’s the skeleton of a fish in the tree. It must have been a pretty good jumper!”Jud laughed. “I guess so. Or maybe someone hid it there to eat later and then forgot.” They both liked his idea better.In a couple of hours they had gone all around the island and then through the middle. But when they headed for their boat, they got the shock of their life! The shore was gone and their boat was bumping against some trees. The tide was coming in! The island was disappearing! Suddenly the two oldest realized why the fish was in the tree! It swam there! Since their boat was crippled, they had to quickly decide what to do and get at it!If you were Jud or Simon, what would you do?1) Leave Ben there because the two of you could paddle fastest to get help.2) Get some sticks and try to rub them together to make a fire to signal for help.3) Leave Ben there as a revenge toward your dad for spoiling him.4) Volunteer to stay even though you know you could drown before help arrived.5) Draw straws to see which of you would have to stay.6) All try to get back in the broken boat even though all three of you would probably drown.7) Try to build a raft with the scrawny trees and branches on the island.8) Let the others go in the boat and you try to swim back, even though it was a long way and you were a lousy swimmer.9) Dial 9-1-1 even though you don’t have a phone.10) All climb the scrawny trees in hopes of staying alive until the tide went down again.11) Start screaming!12) Your own plan:ConclusionThe boys took a rock and tried to wedge it into the hole in the boat but they immediately saw they could make the hole worse because of the old, rotting wood. Jud thought a minute. “OK.Here’s what we’re going to do. Simon, you take Benand paddle as fast as you can for home. Then run for the house, and, if Dad isn’t home, call Mr. Crowder and see if he can come to rescue me.”“Are you sure-”“Just go,” Jud interrupted. “I know how much Dad loves Ben. If something happened to him, he’d die of grief. I can climb a tree or something which will give me maybe another hour. But. . . if I don’t make it . . .” His words trailed off and the brothers hugged. Then they turned the boat around, helped Ben get in and Jud pushed them as hard as he could toward home.A half hour passed and only the top of a hill was above water now. The sun was setting; darkness was overtaking Jud. He selected the strongest and tallest tree to climb and was about to ascend to the first branch when he heard a motor noise. He gazed toward home and could see a lantern flashing in the distance, then voices calling. In a few minutes, their dad jumped out of his motorboat and, standing in the shallow water, hugged his son. “Oh, wonderful. We’re in time.”“Wonderful is right!” Jud said. “You’re the most wonderful sight in the whole world!”On the way back, his dad explained, “When I got home from town, I wasn’t surprised you weren’t nearby. But after a while I become concerned and started looking for you. I tracked you through the grass to this shore. I had a feeling you might need help so I went back for the motorboat. I had just returned when Simon and Ben pulled up. The rest is history.”“I guess we were stupid but we just wanted to find out what was on that island. We found out all right. Half the day it’s water!”“But Son, what you did in risking your life for your brother was wonderful. You demonstrated what it means to truly love someone.”“To tell the truth, Dad, it wasn’t so much a love for Ben, but a love for you. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I broke your heart by losing Ben through something stupid I did.”Things changed in their home after that. The older boys were kinder to Ben, and their Dad tried harder not to spoil him. It was a day they never forgot.。
隽永英文小故事 (50)
Laundry DaySaturday morning meant one thing for Susan—doing the laundry. She hated doing the laundry. Unenthusiastically, she took the pillow cases off all the pillows. Then she removed the fitted sheet from the mattress. She took the towel off the towel bar in the bathroom.She grabbed a couple of dirty dish towels out of the kitchen, and looked all around her apartment for anything else that needed washing.In the corner of her living room, a can of coins sat on top of the file cabinet. She fished out seven quarters. She opened the cabinet under her kitchen sink and grabbed a plastic bottle of liquid detergent.Finally, she set her electronic timer for 35 minutes. The timer would remind her that the washing was done, and that it was time to go back downstairs and put the clothes into the dryer for 40 minutes. Without the timer, Susan would completely forget to check her clothes.Susan carried the laundry basket downstairs. How happy she would be when her laundry was done for this week. As she approached the laundry room, she heard a familiar sound. The sound was the washer washing and the dryer drying. One of her neighbors had got there before her. Muttering, Susan took her basket back upstairs.。
隽永英文小故事 (48)
Elementary Schools in the U.S.Most children in the U.S. begin school at age 5, when they go to kindergarten. This is the beginning of elementary or primary school. Most children stay in elementary school still they are about 11 years old. Elementary schools are divided by grades. The youngest children begin in kindergarten at 5, and then go to first grade, second grade and so on. Most elementary schools go up to fifth or sixth grade.The focus of an elementary school is basic academic and socialization skills. Mostly children learn how to read, write, count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide. Students also learn the rules of English grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Children also learn basic social studies or history, science, art, and music skills, and participate in gym or physical education. In elementary schools children also learn how to follow directions, share, and work in groups. Students usually stay in one classroom all day with one teacher who stays with them throughout the year. Students may leave the classroom to visit the school library, the school gym, and attend special science, art, and music classes. Students also usually leave the classroom for lunch and recess. For lunch students sit at tables, separated by grade, in a large cafeteria. Recess is usually a half hour when children go out into a yard to play. The typical school day starts at about 8:00 in the morning and ends at about 3:00 p.m. Students go to school from Monday to Friday and have the weekends off.Elementary school teachers are licensed by the state where they work. They have to graduate from college, or even graduate school taking special classes in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. Before teachers can be in a classroom with students, they have to pass a background check and take an exam.。