19-6-17 【英语美文】美国中小学课外阅读选《国王的到来》对你身处的环境贡献你的爱

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TheComing of the King

by Laura E.Richards

1.      Somechildren were at play in their playground one day, when a herald rode through the town, blowing a trumpet, and crying aloud,“The King! the King passes by thisroad today. Make ready for theKing!”  

2.      Everyafternoon, as they were coming from school, the children used to go and play inthe Giant's garden. The children stopped their play, and looked at one another.  “Did you hear that?” they said. “The King iscoming. He may look over the walland see our playground; who knows? We must put it in order.”

3.      Theplayground was sadly dirty, and in the corners were scraps of paper and broken toys, for these were careless children. But now, one broughta hoe, and another a rake, and a third ran to fetch the wheelbarrow from behind the garden gate. They laboured hard, till atlength all was clean and tidy.

4.      “Nowit is clean!” they said; “but we must make it pretty, too, for kings are usedto fine things; maybe he would notnotice mere cleanness, for he may have it all the time.” Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed them on the ground; and others made garlands of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on the walls; and the littlest one pulled marigold buds and threw them all about the playground, “to look like gold,”he said.

5.      Whenall was done the playground was so beautiful that the children stood and lookedat it, and clapped their hands with pleasure. “Let us keep it always likethis!” said the littlest one; and the others cried, “Yes! yes! that is what wewill do.” They waited all day for the coming of the King, but he never came;only, towards sunset, a man with travel-worn clothes, and a kind, tired facepassed along the road, and stopped to look over the wall.

6.      “Whata pleasant place!” said the man. “May I come in and rest, dear children?” Thechildren brought him in gladly, and sat him on the seat that they had made outof an old cask. They had covered itwith the old red cloak to make itlook like a throne, and it made avery good one.

7.      “Itis our playground!” they said. “We made it pretty for the King, but he did notcome, and now we mean to keep it so for ourselves.” “That is good!” said theman.  “Because we think pretty and cleanis nicer than ugly and dirty!” said another. “That is better!” said the man. “Andfor tired people to rest in!” said the littlest one. “That is best of all!”said the man.

8.      Hesat and rested, and looked at the children with such kind eyes that they cameabout him, and told him all they knew; about the five puppies in the barn, andthe thrush’s nest with four blueeggs, and the shore where the gold shells grew; and the man nodded andunderstood all about it.

9.      By and by he asked for a cup of water, and they brought it to him in the best cup, withthe gold sprigs on it: then he thankedthe children, and rose and went on his way; but before he went he laid his handon their heads for a moment, and the touch went warm to their hearts.

10.  Thechildren stood by the wall and watched the man as he went slowly along. The sunwas setting, and the light fell in long slanting rays across the road. “He looks sotired!” said one of the children. “But he was so kind!” said another. “See!”said the littlest one. “How the sun shines on his hair! it looks like a crownof gold.”