Kitabı oku: «Graded Literature Readers: Fourth Book», sayfa 6
Hiawatha's Sailing
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882): One of the most popular of American poets. "Evangeline" and "Hiawatha" are the best known of his longer poems. Among his shorter poems are many household favorites, such as "The Village Blacksmith," "Excelsior," and "The Psalm of Life." Longfellow was also the author of two prose volumes, "Outre Mer" and "Hyperion," descriptive of his European travels.
"Give me of your bark, O Birch Tree!
Of your yellow bark, O Birch Tree!
Growing by the rushing river,
Tall and stately in the valley!
I a light canoe will build me,
Build a swift Cheemaun for sailing,
That shall float upon the river,
Like a yellow leaf in autumn,
Like a yellow water lily!"
"Lay aside your cloak, O Birch Tree!
Lay aside your white skin wrapper,
For the summer time is coming,
And the sun is warm in heaven,
And you need no white skin wrapper!"
Thus aloud cried Hiawatha
In the solitary forest,
By the rushing Taquamenaw,
When the birds were singing gaily,
In the Moon of Leaves were singing,
And the Sun, from sleep awaking,
Started up and said, "Behold me!
Geezis, the great Sun, behold me!"
And the tree with all its branches
Rustled in the breeze of morning,
Saying, with a sigh of patience,
"Take my cloak, O Hiawatha!"
With his knife the tree he girdled;
Just beneath its lowest branches,
Just above the roots, he cut it,
Till the sap came oozing outward;
Down the trunk, from top to bottom,
Sheer he cleft the bark asunder,
With a wooden wedge he raised it,
Stripped it from the trunk unbroken.
"Give me of your boughs, O Cedar!
Of your strong and pliant branches,
My canoe to make more steady,
Make more strong and firm beneath me!"
Through the summit of the Cedar
Went a sound, a cry of horror,
Went a murmur of resistance;
But it whimpered, bending downward,
"Take my boughs, O Hiawatha!"
Down he hewed boughs of cedar,
Shaped them straightway to a framework,
Like two bows he formed and shaped them,
Like two bended bows together.
"Give me of your roots, O Tamarack!
Of your fibrous roots, O Larch Tree!
My canoe to bind together,
So to bind the ends together
That the water may not enter,
That the river may not wet me!"
And the Larch with all its fibers,
Shivered in the air of morning,
Touched his forehead with its tassels,
Said, with one long sigh of sorrow,
"Take them all, O Hiawatha!"
From the earth he tore the fibers,
Tore the tough roots of the Larch Tree,
Closely sewed the bark together,
Bound it closely to the framework.
"Give me of your balm, O Fir Tree!
Of your balsam and your resin,
So to close the seams together
That the water may not enter,
That the river may not wet me!"
And the Fir Tree, tall and somber,
Sobbed through all its robes of darkness,
Battled like a shore with pebbles,
Answered wailing, answered weeping,
"Take my balm, O Hiawatha!"
And he took the tears of balsam,
Took the resin of the Fir Tree,
Smeared therewith each seam and fissure,
Made each crevice safe from water.
"Give me of your quills, O Hedgehog!
All your quills, O Kagh, the Hedgehog!
I will make a necklace of them,
Make a girdle for my beauty,
And two stars to deck her bosom!"
From a hollow tree the Hedgehog
With his sleepy eyes looked at him,
Shot his shining quills, like arrows,
Saying, with a drowsy murmur,
Through the tangle of his whiskers,
"Take my quills, O Hiawatha!"
From the ground the quills he gathered,
All the little shining arrows,
Stained them red and blue and yellow,
With the juice of roots and berries;
Into his canoe he wrought them,
Round its waist a shining girdle,
Round its bows a gleaming necklace,
On its breast two stars resplendent.
Thus the Birch Canoe was builded,
In the valley, by the river,
In the bosom of the forest;
And the forest's life was in it,
All its mystery and its magic,
All the lightness of the birch tree,
All the toughness of the cedar,
All the larch's supple sinews;
And it floated on the river
Like a yellow leaf in autumn,
Like a yellow water lily.
Paddles none had Hiawatha,
Paddles none he had or needed,
For his thoughts as paddles served him,
And his wishes served to guide him;
Swift or slow at will he glided,
Veered to right or left at pleasure.
Chēema̤un´: a birch canoe. Sŏl´ĭ tā̍ ry̆: lonely. Tȧ qua mē´na̤w: a river of northern Michigan which flows into Lake Superior. Moon of Leaves: May. Gēe´zĭs: the sun. Shēer: straight up and down. Ȧ sŭn´dẽr: apart; in two. Plī´ant: bending easily without breaking. Strāight´ wāy: at once. Tăm´ȧ răck: the American larch. Fī´broŭs: composed of fibers or threads; tough. Bälm, ba̤l´sam, rĕs̝´ĭn: gummy substances which flow from the fir tree. Sŏm´bẽr: dark; gloomy. Fis´sure: a narrow opening. Kägh: the hedgehog. Drow´s̝y̆: sleepy. Rē̍ splĕn´dent: very bright; shining. My̆s´tẽr y̆: something kept secret. Sŭp´ple: easily bent. Vēered: turned; changed direction.
Shun Delay
I
1. One day an old farmer went into the nearest market town with some of the produce of his farm. When he had attended to all his business, he stabled his horse at the inn and went to see the great lawyer who lived in one of the grandest houses in the town.
2. He rang the bell and sent in word that he wished to see the lawyer on important business.
On being shown into the room, he said: "Now, sir, I have come to get your advice."
"Yes," answered the lawyer; "what is the matter?"
"That is for you to find out," said the old man. "I have come to you to get advice, not to give it."
3. The lawyer had never before met so queer a client. No one was in the habit of speaking so bluntly to him. He was rather amused than angry, and made up his mind to find out what the old man really wanted with him.
So he asked: "Have you a complaint to make against any one?"
"No," said the farmer; "I live at peace with all my neighbors."
4. "Perhaps you wish to recover a debt?"
"No!" shouted the old man; "I owe no man; and, if any one owes me anything, he gets time to pay it. There are honest people in the part I come from."
5. The lawyer asked several other questions, but without being able to discover why his strange client had called upon him. At length he said that he was unable to give him any advice, as he did not seem to be in any difficulty or trouble.
6. "Difficulty or trouble!" said the old man; "that's exactly what I am in. I come to ask you for advice – you, the greatest lawyer in the country – and you can do nothing to help me. That's difficulty and trouble enough, I think.
7. "Many of my friends and neighbors have been to see lawyers from time to time, and taken their advice about the conduct of their affairs. They say they have done well ever since. So when I came to market to-day, I made up my mind to come to you and get advice; but, as you have none to give me, I must go to some other man who understands my case."
8. "You need not do that," said the lawyer. "Now that you have explained, I understand your case thoroughly. Your neighbors have been receiving legal advice, and you do not wish to be considered less important than they."
9. "That's it," shouted the man, delighted that he was understood at last.
The lawyer gravely took a sheet of paper and a pen. Then he asked the man his name.
10. "John Brown," was the answer.
"Occupation?"
"What's that?" he asked, in amazement.
"What do you do for a living?"
"Oh! is that what occupation means?" he said. "I'm a farmer."
11. The great lawyer wrote it all down, and added something which the farmer could not make out. Then, folding the paper, he gave it to the old man, who paid his fee, and went out delighted that he was now every bit as clever as his neighbors.
II
12. When he arrived home, he found a number of his work people at his door, talking to his wife.
"Ah, here comes John," she cried; "he will tell us what to do."
13. Then she explained to her husband that the hay was all cut and ready for carrying in, and the men wanted to know whether they should stop for the night, or work till the fields were clear. The weather had been fine for many days, and the sky had a settled appearance, so that there seemed no need of haste for fear of rain.
14. The farmer thought a moment without coming to any decision. Suddenly he remembered the lawyer's advice which he had in his pocket.
"This will decide it in a minute," he cried, as he unfolded the paper. "I have here an opinion from one of our famous lawyers, and we will follow whatever advice he gives. Read it," he said to his wife. "You are a better scholar than I."
15. His wife took the paper and read aloud: "John Brown, farmer. Do not put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day."
"A famous opinion," cried the farmer with delight. "Away to the fields, lads, and get the hay in."
16. The men went back and worked with a will. In the moonlight they kept busy loading the carts, till, at length, all the fields were cleared. As the last load was driven in, a few drops of rain began to fall, but there was no sign of a storm.
17. During the night, however, a tempest of wind and rain burst over the valley, and when the farmer got up in the morning, several of his fields were flooded. We can well imagine how thankful he was that he had not put off his work till to-morrow. Had he done so, he would have found, as so many have found, that to-morrow is too late.
18. "A famous piece of advice that was," he remarked, as he walked back to the house. "'Do not put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.' If everybody acted on that plan, what a world of misery and disappointment would be saved. I will always do so for the future."
19. The farmer kept his word, and he found, as you wall also find if you try it, that his work was lighter, and that the world went more smoothly than it had ever done before.
I. Prŏd´ūçe: that which is brought forth from the ground. Clī´ent: One who asks advice of a lawyer. Lē´gal: relating to law; governed by the rules of law. Ȧ māze´ment: surprise. Fēe: charge.
II. De cis´ion: fixed purpose.
Select from this story five words which express action.
Write all the forms of these words: as see, saw, seen.
One of the illusions is that the present hour is not the decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.
EMERSON
The Walrus and the Carpenter
By Lewis Carroll
1. The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might;
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright —
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
2. The moon was shining sulkily,
Because she thought the sun
Had got no business to be there
After the day was done:
"It's very rude of him," she said,
"To come and spoil the fun!"
3. The sea was wet as wet could be,
The sands were dry as dry.
You could not see a cloud, because
No cloud was in the sky:
No birds were flying overhead —
There were no birds to fly.
4. The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand:
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "it would be grand!"
5. "If seven maids with seven mops
Swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
6. "O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach:
We can not do with more than four,
To give a hand to each."
7. The eldest Oyster looked at him,
But never a word he said:
The eldest Oyster winked his eye,
And shook his heavy head, —
Meaning to say he did not choose
To leave the Oyster-bed.
8. But four young Oysters hurried up,
All eager for the treat:
Their coats were brushed, their faces washed,
Their shoes were clean and neat —
And this was odd, because, you know,
They hadn't any feet.
9. Four other Oysters followed them,
And yet another four;
And thick and fast they came at last,
And more, and more, and more, —
All hopping through the frothy waves,
And scrambling to the shore.
10. The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently low:
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
11. "The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax —
Of cabbages – and kings —
And why the sea is boiling hot —
And whether pigs have wings."
12. "But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath,
And all of us are fat!"
"No hurry!" said the Carpenter.
They thanked him much for that.
13. "A loaf of bread," the Walrus said,
"Is what we chiefly need:
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed:
Now if you're ready, Oysters dear,
We can begin to feed."
14. "But not on us!" the Oysters cried,
Turning a little blue.
"After such kindness that would be
A dismal thing to do!"
"The night is fine," the Walrus said;
"Do you admire the view?
15. "It was so kind of you to come!
And you are very nice!"
The Carpenter said nothing but,
"Cut us another slice:
I wish you were not quite so deaf —
I've had to ask you twice!"
16. "It seems a shame," the Walrus said,
"To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!"
The Carpenter said nothing but,
"The butter's spread too thick!"
17. "I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
18. "O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
But answer came there none —
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.
Bĭl´lō̍ws̝: great waves of the sea. Sŭlk´ĭ ly̆: peevishly; angrily. Bē̍ sēech´: beg; ask earnestly. Brīn´y̆: salty. Frŏth´y̆: full of bubbles. Dĭs̝´mal: sad. Sy̆m´pȧ thīze: pity.
The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Peribanou
From "The Arabian Nights"
The exact origin of these famous Eastern tales is uncertain. They were first made known to English readers about two hundred years ago, and they have ever since maintained a foremost place in the affections of children.
I
1. There was a sultan who had three sons and a niece. The eldest of the princes was called Houssain; and the second, Ali; and the youngest, Ahmed; and the princess, his niece, Nouronnihar.
2. The Princess Nouronnihar was the orphan daughter of the sultan's younger brother. The sultan brought his niece up in his palace with the three princes, proposing to marry her, when she arrived at a proper age, to some neighboring prince. But when he perceived that the three princes, his sons, all loved her, he was very much concerned. As he was not able to decide among them, he sent all three to travel in distant countries, promising his niece in marriage to the one who should bring him as a gift the greatest curiosity.
3. The princes accordingly set out disguised as merchants. They went the first day's journey together, and, as they parted, they agreed to travel for a year and to meet again at a certain inn. The first that came should wait for the rest; so that, as they had all three taken leave together of the sultan, they might all return together. By break of day they mounted their horses and set forth.
4. Prince Houssain, the eldest brother, went to the kingdom of Bisnagar. Here, by good fortune, he found a wonderful carpet. It was ordinary in appearance, but had this singular property: whoever seated himself on it was at once transported to any place he might wish.
5. Prince Ali, the second brother, joined a caravan and journeyed to the capital of the kingdom of Persia. There he procured from a merchant an ivory tube which would reveal to any one looking through it whatever he wished to see.
6. Prince Ahmed took the road to Samarkand. He also bought what he considered the greatest possible curiosity. This was an artificial apple, the smell of which would cure a person of the most deadly disease.
7. At the appointed time the princes met at the inn. They showed one another their treasures, and immediately saw through the tube that the princess was dying. They then sat down on the carpet, wished themselves with her, and were there in a moment.
8. As soon as Prince Ahmed was in Nouronnihar's chamber, he rose from the carpet, and going to the bedside put the apple under her nose. The princess immediately opened her eyes, and turned her head from one side to another, looking at the persons who stood about her; then she rose up in bed and asked to be dressed, just as if she had waked out of a sound sleep.
9. The princes then went to throw themselves at the feet of the sultan, their father, and to pay their respects to him. But when they came before him, they found he had been informed of their arrival and by what means the princess had been cured. The sultan received them with the greatest joy.
10. After the usual ceremonies and compliments, the princes presented their curiosities: Prince Houssain his carpet, Prince Ali his ivory tube, and Prince Ahmed his artificial apple; and after each had commended his present, they begged the sultan to declare to which of them he would give the Princess Nouronnihar for a wife, according to his promise.
11. The sultan, having heard all that the princes could say about their gifts, remained some time silent. At last he said: "I would declare for one of you, my children, with a great deal of pleasure if I could do it with justice. But the gift of no one of you alone would have been sufficient to cure the princess; Ahmed's apple would have been of no use if Ali's tube had not first revealed her illness, and Houssain's carpet transported you to her side. Therefore, as neither carpet, tube, nor apple can be preferred one before the other, I cannot grant the princess to any one of you.
12. "I must use other means to make my choice. Get each of you a bow and arrow, and go to the great plain where they exercise the horses. I will give the princess to him who shoots the farthest."
13. The three princes had nothing to say against the decision of the sultan. Each provided himself with a bow and arrow, and went to the plain, followed by a great crowd of people.
14. Prince Houssain, as the eldest, took his bow and arrow, and shot first; Prince Ali shot next, and much beyond him; and Prince Ahmed last of all, but nobody could see where his arrow fell; and, in spite of all the care that was used by himself and everybody else in searching, it was not to be found far or near.
15. Though it was believed that Prince Ahmed shot the farthest, and that he, therefore, deserved the Princess Nouronnihar, it was necessary that his arrow should be found, to make the matter certain. So the sultan judged in favor of Prince Ali, and the wedding took place soon after.
II
16. Prince Houssain would not honor the feast with his presence. In short, such was his grief that he left the court and became a hermit.
17. Prince Ahmed, too, did not go to the wedding; but he did not renounce the world, as Houssain had done. As he could not imagine what had become of his arrow, he stole away from his attendants to search for it. He went to the place where the other arrows had been found, going straight forward from there and looking carefully on both sides of him.
18. He went on till he came to some steep, craggy rocks, which were situated in a barren country about four leagues distant from where he set out. When Prince Ahmed came near these rocks, he perceived an arrow, which he picked up, and was much astonished to find that it was his.
19. "Certainly," said he to himself, "neither I nor any man living could shoot an arrow so far!" and finding it laid flat, not sticking into the ground, he judged that it had rebounded against the rock.
20. As these rocks were full of caves, the prince entered one, and, looking about, saw an iron door which seemed to have no lock. Thrusting against it, it opened, and revealed an easy descent, down which he walked. At first he thought he was going into a dark, gloomy place, but presently light succeeded; and, entering into a large, open place, he perceived a magnificent palace about fifty or sixty paces distant.
21. At the same time a lady of majestic port and air advanced as far as the porch, attended by a large troop of finely dressed and beautiful ladies.
The lady addressed him and said: "Come nearer, Prince Ahmed; you are welcome."
22. It was no small surprise to the prince to hear himself named in a place of which he had never heard, though it was so near his father's capital; and he could not understand how he should be known to a lady who was a stranger to him.
23. He returned the lady's compliment by throwing himself at her feet, saying: "Madam, I return you a thousand thanks for your welcome. But may I dare ask how you know me? And how you, who live so near me, should be so great a stranger to me?"
"Prince," said the lady, "let us go into the hall; there I will gratify your request."
24. The lady led Prince Ahmed into the hall, and, when they were seated on a sofa, she said: "You are surprised, you say, that I should know you and not be known to you; but you will be no longer surprised when I inform you who I am. I am the daughter of one of the most powerful genies, and my name is Peribanou. I was present when you drew your arrow, and it was I who made it strike against the rocks near which you found it. It lies in your power to make use of the favorable opportunity which presents itself to make you happy."
25. As the fairy Peribanou looked tenderly upon Prince Ahmed, with a modest blush on her cheeks, it was no hard matter for the prince to understand what happiness she meant. He considered that the Princess Nouronnihar could never be his, and that the fairy Peribanou excelled her infinitely in beauty, agreeableness, wit, and, as much as he could conjecture by the magnificence of the palace, in immense riches.
26. He blessed the moment that he thought of seeking after his arrow a second time, and replied: "Madam, should I all my life have the happiness of being your slave, I should think myself the most fortunate of men. Don't refuse to admit into your court a prince who is entirely devoted to you."
27. "Prince," answered the fairy, "will you not pledge your faith to me, as I give mine to you?"
"Yes, madam," replied the prince, in great joy; "I give you my heart without the least reserve."
"Then," answered the fairy, "you are my husband and I am your wife. Come, now, and I will show you my palace."
28. The fairy Peribanou then carried him through all the apartments, where he saw diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and all sorts of fine jewels. The prince owned that he could not have imagined that there was in the world anything that could equal it.
The wedding feast was held the next day; or, rather, the days following were a continual feast.
