Max冬冬

Blue MountainAll night we climbed the mountain,Excited in the dark, The flare from the small lamps up aheadLooked like a tiny spark.We reached the top just as the sunWas wiping the sleep from its eyesAnd sending out red fingersTo investigate the skies.It suddenly leapt out of bed,Wrapped the world in an orange flame,And we gasped in wonder at the sight,This was why we came.We watched the shy blush spread acrossThe face of the bashful sky,We saw the cars like tiny antsIn the roads below, crawl by.We heard the birds chirp awake,Saw them flit across to plunderThe rose-apples and the hog-plum tree.Heard a waterfall roar like thunder.We washed our faces with the dew,Breathed the perfume of the Four O'Clock,Watched a lizard climb a stone to sun itself,Then scuttle away in shock.We headed back down the mountain,The sun was wide-awake and bright,Our legs were tired and heavy,But inside, our hearts were light.

Blue MountainAll night we climbed the mountain,Excited in the dark, The flare from the small lamps up aheadLooked like a tiny spark.We reached the top just as the sunWas wiping the sleep from its eyesAnd sending out red fingersTo investigate the skies.It suddenly leapt out of bed,Wrapped the world in an orange flame,And we gasped in wonder at the sight,This was why we came.We watched the shy blush spread acrossThe face of the bashful sky,We saw the cars like tiny antsIn the roads below, crawl by.We heard the birds chirp awake,Saw them flit across to plunderThe rose-apples and the hog-plum tree.Heard a waterfall roar like thunder.We washed our faces with the dew,Breathed the perfume of the Four O’Clock,Watched a lizard climb a stone to sun itself,Then scuttle away in shock.We headed back down the mountain,The sun was wide-awake and bright,Our legs were tired and heavy,But inside, our hearts were light.

Say Please, Little BearDaddy Bear and Little Bear were on their way to playgroup.But Little Bear kept wandering off.“Keep hold of my hand, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear.“Go gently, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear at playgroup.But Little Bear didn't listen.“Little Bear, it isn't nice to snatch!”“It's better when we share, Little Bear,” said Daddy Bear.Later, Daddy Bear took Little Bear to Little Bunny's birthday party.They went shopping on the way.“Please hold my hand, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear wearily.Then something in the shop window gave Daddy Bear an idea.“Look, Little Bear,” he said. “Mouse wants to speak to us!”“Mouse wants to come to the party too, Little Bear,” said Daddy Bear. “But he hates to be late!”They reached Little Bunny's party on time. Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear's ear.“Mouse says, excuse me, please,” said Daddy Bear.Little Bear ran to play on the train. Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear's ear again.“Mouse says, can she have a ride on the train, please?”Little Bear snatched the popcorn from his friends.Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear's ear once again.“Mouse says, would you like some popcorn, Bunny and Mole?”When it was time to go, Little Bear stood silently on the doorstep.“Mouse says, thank you for having me,” said Daddy Bear.Little Bear looked at Mouse.Then he looked at Daddy Bear.Then he looked at Little Bunny's mummy and said, “And thank you for having me.”“Oh, thank you for coming, Little Bear,” smiled Little Bunny's mummy.“You and Mouse can come and play any time.”“Mouse likes the way you said thank you,” said Daddy Bear.“And so do I.”

Say Please, Little BearDaddy Bear and Little Bear were on their way to playgroup.But Little Bear kept wandering off.“Keep hold of my hand, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear.“Go gently, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear at playgroup.But Little Bear didn’t listen.“Little Bear, it isn’t nice to snatch!”“It’s better when we share, Little Bear,” said Daddy Bear.Later, Daddy Bear took Little Bear to Little Bunny’s birthday party.They went shopping on the way.“Please hold my hand, Little Bear!” said Daddy Bear wearily.Then something in the shop window gave Daddy Bear an idea.“Look, Little Bear,” he said. “Mouse wants to speak to us!”“Mouse wants to come to the party too, Little Bear,” said Daddy Bear. “But he hates to be late!”They reached Little Bunny’s party on time. Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear’s ear.“Mouse says, excuse me, please,” said Daddy Bear.Little Bear ran to play on the train. Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear’s ear again.“Mouse says, can she have a ride on the train, please?”Little Bear snatched the popcorn from his friends.Mouse whispered in Daddy Bear’s ear once again.“Mouse says, would you like some popcorn, Bunny and Mole?”When it was time to go, Little Bear stood silently on the doorstep.“Mouse says, thank you for having me,” said Daddy Bear.Little Bear looked at Mouse.Then he looked at Daddy Bear.Then he looked at Little Bunny’s mummy and said, “And thank you for having me.”“Oh, thank you for coming, Little Bear,” smiled Little Bunny’s mummy.“You and Mouse can come and play any time.”“Mouse likes the way you said thank you,” said Daddy Bear.“And so do I.”

Into the ForestOne night I was woken up by a terrible sound.The next morning all was quiet.Dad wasn't there.I asked Mum when he was coming back but she didn't seem to know.I missed Dad.The next day Mum asked me to take a cake to Grandma, who was poorly.I love Grandma. She always tells me such fantastic stories.There are two ways to get to Grandma's house: the long way round, which takes ages, or the short way through the forest.“Don't go into the forest,” said Mum. “Go the long way round.”But that day, for the first time, I chose the quick way.I wanted to be home in case Dad came back.After a short while I saw a boy.“Do you want to buy a nice milky moo-cow?” he asked.“No,” I said. (Why would I want a cow?)“I'll swap it for that sweet fruity cake in your basket,” he said.“No, it's for my poorly grandma,” I said, and walked on.“I'm poorly,” I heard him saying, “I'm poorly…”As I went further into the forest I met a girl with golden hair.“What a sweet little basket,” she said. “What's in it?”“A cake for my grandma. She's poorly.”“I'd like a lovely cake like that,” she said.I walked on and could hear her saying, “But it's a lovely little cake, I'd like one like that…”The forest was becoming darker and colder, and I saw two other children huddling by a fire.“Have you seen our dad and mum?” the boy asked.“No, have you lost them?”“They're cutting wood in the forest somewhere,” said the girl, “but I wish they'd come back.”As I walked on I could hear the dreadful sound of the girl crying, but what could I do?I was getting very cold and wished that I'd brought a coat.Suddenly I saw one. It was nice and warm, but as soon as I put it on I began to feel scared.I felt that something was following me.I remembered a story that Grandma used to tell me about a bad wolf.I started to run, but I couldn't find the path. I ran and ran, deeper into the forest, but I was lost.Where was Grandma's house?At last—there it was!I knocked on the door and a voice called out, “Who's there?”But it didn't really sound like Grandma's voice.“It's me. I've brought a cake from Mum,”I pushed the door open a little.“Come in, dear,” the strange voice called.I was terrified. I slowly crept in.There in Grandma's bed was …Grandma!“Come here, love,” she sniffed. “How are you?”“I'm all right now,” I said.Then, I heard a noise behind me and turned round …DAD!I told them everything that had happened.We all had a hot drink and I ate two pieces of Mum's delicious cake.Then we said goodbye to Grandma, who was feeling much better.When we got home I pushed open the door.“Who's there?” a voice called.“It's only us,” we said.And Mum came out, smiling.

Into the ForestOne night I was woken up by a terrible sound.The next morning all was quiet.Dad wasn’t there.I asked Mum when he was coming back but she didn’t seem to know.I missed Dad.The next day Mum asked me to take a cake to Grandma, who was poorly.I love Grandma. She always tells me such fantastic stories.There are two ways to get to Grandma’s house: the long way round, which takes ages, or the short way through the forest.“Don’t go into the forest,” said Mum. “Go the long way round.”But that day, for the first time, I chose the quick way.I wanted to be home in case Dad came back.After a short while I saw a boy.“Do you want to buy a nice milky moo-cow?” he asked.“No,” I said. (Why would I want a cow?)“I’ll swap it for that sweet fruity cake in your basket,” he said.“No, it’s for my poorly grandma,” I said, and walked on.“I’m poorly,” I heard him saying, “I’m poorly…”As I went further into the forest I met a girl with golden hair.“What a sweet little basket,” she said. “What’s in it?”“A cake for my grandma. She’s poorly.”“I’d like a lovely cake like that,” she said.I walked on and could hear her saying, “But it’s a lovely little cake, I’d like one like that…”The forest was becoming darker and colder, and I saw two other children huddling by a fire.“Have you seen our dad and mum?” the boy asked.“No, have you lost them?”“They’re cutting wood in the forest somewhere,” said the girl, “but I wish they’d come back.”As I walked on I could hear the dreadful sound of the girl crying, but what could I do?I was getting very cold and wished that I’d brought a coat.Suddenly I saw one. It was nice and warm, but as soon as I put it on I began to feel scared.I felt that something was following me.I remembered a story that Grandma used to tell me about a bad wolf.I started to run, but I couldn’t find the path. I ran and ran, deeper into the forest, but I was lost.Where was Grandma’s house?At last—there it was!I knocked on the door and a voice called out, “Who’s there?”But it didn’t really sound like Grandma’s voice.“It’s me. I’ve brought a cake from Mum,”I pushed the door open a little.“Come in, dear,” the strange voice called.I was terrified. I slowly crept in.There in Grandma’s bed was …Grandma!“Come here, love,” she sniffed. “How are you?”“I’m all right now,” I said.Then, I heard a noise behind me and turned round …DAD!I told them everything that had happened.We all had a hot drink and I ate two pieces of Mum’s delicious cake.Then we said goodbye to Grandma, who was feeling much better.When we got home I pushed open the door.“Who’s there?” a voice called.“It’s only us,” we said.And Mum came out, smiling.

Millions of CatsOnce upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was.But they couldn't be happy because they were so very lonely.“If we only had a cat!” sighed the very old woman.“A cat?” asked the very old man.“Yes, a sweet little fluffy cat,” said the very old woman.“I will get you a cat, my dear,” said the very old man.And he set out over the hills to look for one.He climbed over the sunny hills.He trudged through the cool valleys.He walked a long, long time and at last he came to a hill which was quite covered with cats.Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere.Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“Oh,” cried the old man joyfully, “Now I can choose the prettiest cat and take it home with me!”So he chose one. It was white.But as he was about to leave, he saw another one all black and white and it seemed just as pretty as the first,So he took this one also.But then he saw a fuzzy grey kitten way over here which was every bit as pretty as the others so he took it too.And now he saw one way down in a corner which he thought too lovely to leave so he took this too.And just then, over here, the very old man found a kitten which was black and very beautiful.“It would be a shame to leave that one,” said the very old man. So he took it.And now, over there, he saw a cat which had brown and yellow stripes like a baby tiger.“I simply must take it!” cried the very old man, and he did.So it happened that every time the very old man looked up, he saw another cat which was so pretty he could not bear to leave it, and before he knew it, he had chosen them all.And so he went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys, to show all his pretty kittens to the very old woman.It was very funny to see those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats following him.They came to a pond.“Mew, mew! We are thirsty!” carried the hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“Well, here is a great deal of water,” said the very old man.Each cat took a sip of water, and the pond was gone.“Mew, mew! Now we are hungry!” said the hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“There is much grass on the hills,” said the very old man.Each cat ate a mouthful of grass and not a blade was left!Pretty soon the very old woman saw them coming.“My dear!” she cried, “What are you doing?” I asked for one little cat, and what do I see?—“Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“But we can never feed them all,” said the very old woman, “they will eat us out of house and home.”“I never thought of that,” said the very old man, “what shall we do?”The very old woman thought for a while and then she said, “I know! We will let the cats decide which one we should keep.”“Oh yes,” said the very old man, and he called to the cats, “which one of you is the prettiest?”“I am!”“I am!”“No, I am!”“No, I am the prettiest!” “I am!”“No, I am! I am! I am!” cried hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of voices, for each cat thought itself the prettiest.And they began to quarrel.They bit and scratched and clawed each other and made such a great noise that the very old man and the very old woman ran into the house as fast as they could.They did not like such quarreling.But after a while the noise stopped and the very old man and the very old woman peeped out of the window to see what had happened.They could not see a single cat!“I think they must have eaten each other all up,” said the very old woman, “it's too bad!”“But look!” said the very old man, and he pointed to a bunch of high grass.In it sat one little frightened kitten.They went out and picked it up.It was thin and scraggly.“Poor little kitty,” said the very old woman.“Dear little kitty,” said the very old man, “how does it happen that you were not eaten up with all those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats?”“Oh, I'm just a very homely little cat,” said the kitten, “So when you asked who was the prettiest, I didn't say anything. So nobody bothered about me.”They took the kitten into the house, where the very old woman gave it a warm bath and brushed its fur until it was soft and shiny.Every day they gave it plenty of milk--and soon it grew nice and plump.“And it is a very pretty cat, after all!” said the very old woman.“It is the most beautiful cat in the whole world,” said the very old man.“I ought to know, for I've seen –Hundreds for cats,Thousands of cats,Millions and billions and trillions of cats –And not one was as pretty as this one.”

Millions of CatsOnce upon a time there was a very old man and a very old woman. They lived in a nice clean house which had flowers all around it, except where the door was.But they couldn’t be happy because they were so very lonely.“If we only had a cat!” sighed the very old woman.“A cat?” asked the very old man.“Yes, a sweet little fluffy cat,” said the very old woman.“I will get you a cat, my dear,” said the very old man.And he set out over the hills to look for one.He climbed over the sunny hills.He trudged through the cool valleys.He walked a long, long time and at last he came to a hill which was quite covered with cats.Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere.Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“Oh,” cried the old man joyfully, “Now I can choose the prettiest cat and take it home with me!”So he chose one. It was white.But as he was about to leave, he saw another one all black and white and it seemed just as pretty as the first,So he took this one also.But then he saw a fuzzy grey kitten way over here which was every bit as pretty as the others so he took it too.And now he saw one way down in a corner which he thought too lovely to leave so he took this too.And just then, over here, the very old man found a kitten which was black and very beautiful.“It would be a shame to leave that one,” said the very old man. So he took it.And now, over there, he saw a cat which had brown and yellow stripes like a baby tiger.“I simply must take it!” cried the very old man, and he did.So it happened that every time the very old man looked up, he saw another cat which was so pretty he could not bear to leave it, and before he knew it, he had chosen them all.And so he went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys, to show all his pretty kittens to the very old woman.It was very funny to see those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats following him.They came to a pond.“Mew, mew! We are thirsty!” carried the hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“Well, here is a great deal of water,” said the very old man.Each cat took a sip of water, and the pond was gone.“Mew, mew! Now we are hungry!” said the hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“There is much grass on the hills,” said the very old man.Each cat ate a mouthful of grass and not a blade was left!Pretty soon the very old woman saw them coming.“My dear!” she cried, “What are you doing?” I asked for one little cat, and what do I see?—“Cats here, cats there, cats and kittens everywhere, hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.“But we can never feed them all,” said the very old woman, “they will eat us out of house and home.”“I never thought of that,” said the very old man, “what shall we do?”The very old woman thought for a while and then she said, “I know! We will let the cats decide which one we should keep.”“Oh yes,” said the very old man, and he called to the cats, “which one of you is the prettiest?”“I am!”“I am!”“No, I am!”“No, I am the prettiest!” “I am!”“No, I am! I am! I am!” cried hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of voices, for each cat thought itself the prettiest.And they began to quarrel.They bit and scratched and clawed each other and made such a great noise that the very old man and the very old woman ran into the house as fast as they could.They did not like such quarreling.But after a while the noise stopped and the very old man and the very old woman peeped out of the window to see what had happened.They could not see a single cat!“I think they must have eaten each other all up,” said the very old woman, “it’s too bad!”“But look!” said the very old man, and he pointed to a bunch of high grass.In it sat one little frightened kitten.They went out and picked it up.It was thin and scraggly.“Poor little kitty,” said the very old woman.“Dear little kitty,” said the very old man, “how does it happen that you were not eaten up with all those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats?”“Oh, I’m just a very homely little cat,” said the kitten, “So when you asked who was the prettiest, I didn’t say anything. So nobody bothered about me.”They took the kitten into the house, where the very old woman gave it a warm bath and brushed its fur until it was soft and shiny.Every day they gave it plenty of milk--and soon it grew nice and plump.“And it is a very pretty cat, after all!” said the very old woman.“It is the most beautiful cat in the whole world,” said the very old man.“I ought to know, for I’ve seen –Hundreds for cats,Thousands of cats,Millions and billions and trillions of cats –And not one was as pretty as this one.”

The Story of FerdinandOnce upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together, but not Ferdinand.He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers.He had a favorite spot out in the pasture under a cork tree.It was his favorite tree and he would sit in its shade all day and smell the flowers.Sometimes his mother, who was a cow, would worry about him. She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself.“Why don't you run and play with the other little bulls and skip and butt your head?” she would say.But Ferdinand would shake his head. “I like it better here where I can sit just quietly and smell the flowers.”His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.As the years went by Ferdinand grew and grew until he was very big and strong.All the other bulls who had grown up with him in the same pasture would fight each other all day.They would butt each other and stick each other with their horns.What they wanted most of all was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid.But not Ferdinand – he still liked to sit just quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers.One day five men came in very funny hats to pick the biggest, fastest, roughest bull to fight in the bull fights in Madrid.All the other bulls ran around snorting and butting, leaping and jumping so the men would think that they were very very strong and fierce and pick them.Ferdinand knew that they wouldn't pick him and he didn't care.So he went out to his favorite cork tree to sit down.He didn't look where he was sitting and instead of sitting on the nice cool grass in the shade he sat on a bumble bee.Well, if you were a bumble bee and a bull sat on you what would you do?You would sting him. And that is just what this bee did to Ferdinand.Wow! Did it hurt! Ferdinand jumped up with a snort.He ran around puffing and snorting, butting and pawing the ground as if he were crazy.The five men saw him and they all shouted with joy.Here was the largest and fiercest bull of all.Just the one for the bull fights in Madrid!So they took him away for the bull fight day in a cart.What a day it was! Flags were flying, bands were playing…and all the lovely ladies had flowers in their hair.They had a parade into the bull ring.First came the Banderilleros with long sharp pins with ribbons on them to stick in the bull and make him mad.Next came the Picadores who rode skinny horses and they had long spears to stick in the bull and make him madder.Then came the Matador, the proudest of all – he thought he was very handsome, and bowed to the ladies. He had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to stick the bull last of all.Then came the bull, and you know who that was, don't you?-- FERDINANDThey called him Ferdinand the Fierce and all the Banderilleros were afraid of him and the Picadores were afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff.Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around.But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies' hair and he just sat down quietly and smelled.He wouldn't fight and be fierce no matter what they did.He just sat and smelled. And the Banderilleros were mad and the Picadores were madder and the Matador was so mad he cried because he wouldn't show off with his cape and sword.So they had to take Ferdinand home.And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly.He is very happy.The End

The Story of FerdinandOnce upon a time in Spain, there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand.All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together, but not Ferdinand.He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers.He had a favorite spot out in the pasture under a cork tree.It was his favorite tree and he would sit in its shade all day and smell the flowers.Sometimes his mother, who was a cow, would worry about him. She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself.“Why don’t you run and play with the other little bulls and skip and butt your head?” she would say.But Ferdinand would shake his head. “I like it better here where I can sit just quietly and smell the flowers.”His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.As the years went by Ferdinand grew and grew until he was very big and strong.All the other bulls who had grown up with him in the same pasture would fight each other all day.They would butt each other and stick each other with their horns.What they wanted most of all was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid.But not Ferdinand – he still liked to sit just quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers.One day five men came in very funny hats to pick the biggest, fastest, roughest bull to fight in the bull fights in Madrid.All the other bulls ran around snorting and butting, leaping and jumping so the men would think that they were very very strong and fierce and pick them.Ferdinand knew that they wouldn’t pick him and he didn’t care.So he went out to his favorite cork tree to sit down.He didn’t look where he was sitting and instead of sitting on the nice cool grass in the shade he sat on a bumble bee.Well, if you were a bumble bee and a bull sat on you what would you do?You would sting him. And that is just what this bee did to Ferdinand.Wow! Did it hurt! Ferdinand jumped up with a snort.He ran around puffing and snorting, butting and pawing the ground as if he were crazy.The five men saw him and they all shouted with joy.Here was the largest and fiercest bull of all.Just the one for the bull fights in Madrid!So they took him away for the bull fight day in a cart.What a day it was! Flags were flying, bands were playing…and all the lovely ladies had flowers in their hair.They had a parade into the bull ring.First came the Banderilleros with long sharp pins with ribbons on them to stick in the bull and make him mad.Next came the Picadores who rode skinny horses and they had long spears to stick in the bull and make him madder.Then came the Matador, the proudest of all – he thought he was very handsome, and bowed to the ladies. He had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to stick the bull last of all.Then came the bull, and you know who that was, don’t you?-- FERDINANDThey called him Ferdinand the Fierce and all the Banderilleros were afraid of him and the Picadores were afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff.Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around.But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies’ hair and he just sat down quietly and smelled.He wouldn’t fight and be fierce no matter what they did.He just sat and smelled. And the Banderilleros were mad and the Picadores were madder and the Matador was so mad he cried because he wouldn’t show off with his cape and sword.So they had to take Ferdinand home.And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly.He is very happy.The End

Chapter 4 A Dumb Balancing Act “Are we gonna play football?” I asked Miss Small. “No,” Miss Small said. “How about basketball?” asked Ryan. “Nope.” “Soccer?” “Not even close.”“Baseball? Hockey? Tennis?” “No. No. No.” “Curling?” I asked. “No.” “I thought you said we were gonna have fun,” Michael complained. “I did,” said Miss Small . “So what are we gonna do?” I asked. Miss Small went to a box near the bleachers and pulled out some giant feathers that were as long as her arms. “We're going to balance these peacock feathers,” she said. “What!” I asked. “Whoever can balance a feather on their finger the longest is the winner,” Miss Small said. She took a feather and balanced it on her finger. “See, it's easy!” She gave each of us a feather. I put the feather on my finger. It fell off right away. I put it back on my finger, and it fell off again. I tried moving my finger back and forth like Miss Small did to hold the feather up, but it fell off anyway.Balancing feathers was not fun. It was dumb. I looked up to see if Ryan could balance his feather. But his fell off. I turned around to see how Michael was doing. His feather fell off too. In fact, there was only one kid in the whole class who was still balancing the dumb feather. It was Andrea Young! Her dumb feather was just standing up all straight on her dumb finger like it was glued there. “Good job, Andrea!” said Miss Small. “You have excellent balance.” And she gave Andrea a certificate that said she was a feather-balancing expert. “Thanks, Miss Small,” Andrea said. “Maybe Fizz Ed won't be so bad after all!” I hate her.

Chapter 4 A Dumb Balancing Act “Are we gonna play football?” I asked Miss Small. “No,” Miss Small said. “How about basketball?” asked Ryan. “Nope.” “Soccer?” “Not even close.”“Baseball? Hockey? Tennis?” “No. No. No.” “Curling?” I asked. “No.” “I thought you said we were gonna have fun,” Michael complained. “I did,” said Miss Small . “So what are we gonna do?” I asked. Miss Small went to a box near the bleachers and pulled out some giant feathers that were as long as her arms. “We’re going to balance these peacock feathers,” she said. “What!” I asked. “Whoever can balance a feather on their finger the longest is the winner,” Miss Small said. She took a feather and balanced it on her finger. “See, it’s easy!” She gave each of us a feather. I put the feather on my finger. It fell off right away. I put it back on my finger, and it fell off again. I tried moving my finger back and forth like Miss Small did to hold the feather up, but it fell off anyway.Balancing feathers was not fun. It was dumb. I looked up to see if Ryan could balance his feather. But his fell off. I turned around to see how Michael was doing. His feather fell off too. In fact, there was only one kid in the whole class who was still balancing the dumb feather. It was Andrea Young! Her dumb feather was just standing up all straight on her dumb finger like it was glued there. “Good job, Andrea!” said Miss Small. “You have excellent balance.” And she gave Andrea a certificate that said she was a feather-balancing expert. “Thanks, Miss Small,” Andrea said. “Maybe Fizz Ed won’t be so bad after all!” I hate her.

Remember Me 创作：冬冬 翻译：冬爸T'was a cold and windy night,When I first told her the news.She wept and begged, but, nonetheless,I had to do what I had to do.I held my rifle tight,And veered my horse around.From the bottom of my heart rose a chillBetween the sobbing sounds.I couldn't let go,But yet, I had no choice.I could still remember the whipOf the commander's voice.I was off to sea,To fight the pirate rage.And I don't know if I'll returnTo turn another page.I'm half past my prime.Eventually I'll go.But when I do, promise me,You'll remember me so.勿忘我寒冷的夜晚冷风嗖嗖，我告诉她说马上要走。她哭着求着让我留下，可我心已定无法回头。我拿起步枪紧握在手，我纵身一跃拨转马头。她抽搐哽咽眼泪涟涟，我内心涌起一股寒流。难以释怀却无法放手，万般无奈却无法停留。将军的声音犹在耳畔，唯遵从命令快马加鞭。我要前往汹涌的波涛，去捍卫正义消灭海盗。不知道能否凯旋归来，不知道能否带回捷报。大好的年华业已过半，我要去沙场消灭敌顽。分别的时刻终于来临，请一定把我记在心间。

Chapter 3 Fun, Fun, Fun with Miss Small Miss Small was carrying a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a kickball, and just about every other kind of ball you could name. She ran out and climbed up on the bleachers. Then she jumped off the bleachers and jumped on one of those little trampolines on the floor. She did a flip, went flying through the air, and tried to dunk all those balls in the basketball hoop. One or two of them went in, but mostly they went flying all over the place. So did Miss Small. She landed in a heap on the floor. Miss Small is off the wall! “Are you okay?” we all asked as we gathered around her. I was afraid she might have broken something, because she was just lying there without moving. “I'm fit as a fiddle!” Miss Small replied. “I just wanted to show you how you're not supposed to behave in the gym. In Fizz Ed, safety is our biggest concern.” Miss Daisy said she had to go back to class, and she left. Miss Small stood up slowly. It was amazing! Nobody could do anything except stare at her with their mouth open. “Wow!” we all said. The amazing thing was that Miss Small was really tall! Like, she was a million inches big. Her head just about reached the basketball hoop. It was like a giant had walked into the room. She must be the tallest person in the history of the world! Miss Small was the opposite of her name. It was like a fat guy was named Mr. Thin or a dumb guy was named Mr. Smart or a really handsome guy was named Mr. Ugly or . . . well, you get the idea. Miss Small blew into the shiny silver whistle that was hanging around her neck. “Hey, kids! Are you ready to have some fun?” “Yeah!” we all hollered. “We're going to have lots of fun in Fizz Ed!” she said. “Fun fun fun, all the time! That's my motto.” “What's a motto?” asked Ryan. “I don't know,” Miss Small said. “What's a motto with you?” Then she laughed. “Do you like to play games?” Miss Small asked. “I love playing games!” “I like to play video games,” one of the boys said. “Those aren't the kind of games I'm talking about,” said Miss Small. “Real games are even more fun. I'm talking about running and jumping and chasing games. We're going to play Red Light Green Light, Red Rover, Spud, Mother May I, Duck Duck Goose. . . . ” “Those games are lame,” Ryan whispered in my ear. “Kids can get hurt when they run and jump and chase each other,” said Andrea. “My mother told me to always be careful so I don't get hurt.” “Can you possibly be any more boring?” I asked Andrea. She is gonna make a great grown-up when she grows up. She's only eight, and she's already mature, which is a fancy way to say boring. “Do we have to play games where somebody loses?” asked that crybaby Emily. “I think the team that loses should win too. My dad told me I'm a winner whether I win or lose.” “Your dad is weird,” I said, even though Emily looked like she might cry again. “If everybody wins, what's the point of playing the game? That's why you play. To beat the other team.” “Competing is icky,” said Andrea. “It doesn't matter if you win or lose, A.J. It's how you play the game that counts,” said Miss Small. “In Fizz Ed, our goal is to have fun and build strong, healthy bodies. But most of all, by the end of the term, I want you all to have cooties.” “Cooties!” everybody shrieked. “Girls have cooties!” shouted all the boys. “Boys have cooties!” shouted all the girls. I never really knew what cooties were, but I knew they were something horrible that you wouldn't want to get. “Everybody should have cooties,” said Miss Small. “Cooties stands for COOperation, TEAmwork, and Sportsmanship.” Oh. I didn't care much about that stuff. I just wanted to beat Andrea Young at something because she thinks she is so smart. Besides, words that are made from the letters of other words are dumb. Miss Small blew her whistle again. “Before we do anything, we have to stretch.” Miss Small got down on the floor again and did some push-ups. Then we had to do push-ups. She did some sit-ups. Then we had to do sit-ups. She did some windmills and arm circles. Then we had to do windmills and arm circles. “See if you can touch your toes,” Miss Small said. “Now see if you can touch the sky. You want to be loose as a goose in a caboose.” Stretching was boring, and dumb, too. Nobody can touch the sky. After we stretched, Miss Small made us do about a million hundred jumping jacks. “Isn't this fun?” Miss Small asked when we were finished. I thought I was gonna throw up. She blew her whistle again. “Okay, now that we're all as loose as a goose in a caboose, who wants to play a game?” “I do!” we all shouted. Finally!

Remember Me 创作：冬冬 翻译：冬爸T’was a cold and windy night,When I first told her the news.She wept and begged, but, nonetheless,I had to do what I had to do.I held my rifle tight,And veered my horse around.From the bottom of my heart rose a chillBetween the sobbing sounds.I couldn’t let go,But yet, I had no choice.I could still remember the whipOf the commander’s voice.I was off to sea,To fight the pirate rage.And I don’t know if I’ll returnTo turn another page.I’m half past my prime.Eventually I’ll go.But when I do, promise me,You’ll remember me so.勿忘我寒冷的夜晚冷风嗖嗖，我告诉她说马上要走。她哭着求着让我留下，可我心已定无法回头。我拿起步枪紧握在手，我纵身一跃拨转马头。她抽搐哽咽眼泪涟涟，我内心涌起一股寒流。难以释怀却无法放手，万般无奈却无法停留。将军的声音犹在耳畔，唯遵从命令快马加鞭。我要前往汹涌的波涛，去捍卫正义消灭海盗。不知道能否凯旋归来，不知道能否带回捷报。大好的年华业已过半，我要去沙场消灭敌顽。分别的时刻终于来临，请一定把我记在心间。

Chapter 3 Fun, Fun, Fun with Miss Small Miss Small was carrying a basketball, a football, a soccer ball, a kickball, and just about every other kind of ball you could name. She ran out and climbed up on the bleachers. Then she jumped off the bleachers and jumped on one of those little trampolines on the floor. She did a flip, went flying through the air, and tried to dunk all those balls in the basketball hoop. One or two of them went in, but mostly they went flying all over the place. So did Miss Small. She landed in a heap on the floor. Miss Small is off the wall! “Are you okay?” we all asked as we gathered around her. I was afraid she might have broken something, because she was just lying there without moving. “I’m fit as a fiddle!” Miss Small replied. “I just wanted to show you how you’re not supposed to behave in the gym. In Fizz Ed, safety is our biggest concern.” Miss Daisy said she had to go back to class, and she left. Miss Small stood up slowly. It was amazing! Nobody could do anything except stare at her with their mouth open. “Wow!” we all said. The amazing thing was that Miss Small was really tall! Like, she was a million inches big. Her head just about reached the basketball hoop. It was like a giant had walked into the room. She must be the tallest person in the history of the world! Miss Small was the opposite of her name. It was like a fat guy was named Mr. Thin or a dumb guy was named Mr. Smart or a really handsome guy was named Mr. Ugly or . . . well, you get the idea. Miss Small blew into the shiny silver whistle that was hanging around her neck. “Hey, kids! Are you ready to have some fun?” “Yeah!” we all hollered. “We’re going to have lots of fun in Fizz Ed!” she said. “Fun fun fun, all the time! That’s my motto.” “What’s a motto?” asked Ryan. “I don’t know,” Miss Small said. “What’s a motto with you?” Then she laughed. “Do you like to play games?” Miss Small asked. “I love playing games!” “I like to play video games,” one of the boys said. “Those aren’t the kind of games I’m talking about,” said Miss Small. “Real games are even more fun. I’m talking about running and jumping and chasing games. We’re going to play Red Light Green Light, Red Rover, Spud, Mother May I, Duck Duck Goose. . . . ” “Those games are lame,” Ryan whispered in my ear. “Kids can get hurt when they run and jump and chase each other,” said Andrea. “My mother told me to always be careful so I don’t get hurt.” “Can you possibly be any more boring?” I asked Andrea. She is gonna make a great grown-up when she grows up. She’s only eight, and she’s already mature, which is a fancy way to say boring. “Do we have to play games where somebody loses?” asked that crybaby Emily. “I think the team that loses should win too. My dad told me I’m a winner whether I win or lose.” “Your dad is weird,” I said, even though Emily looked like she might cry again. “If everybody wins, what’s the point of playing the game? That’s why you play. To beat the other team.” “Competing is icky,” said Andrea. “It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, A.J. It’s how you play the game that counts,” said Miss Small. “In Fizz Ed, our goal is to have fun and build strong, healthy bodies. But most of all, by the end of the term, I want you all to have cooties.” “Cooties!” everybody shrieked. “Girls have cooties!” shouted all the boys. “Boys have cooties!” shouted all the girls. I never really knew what cooties were, but I knew they were something horrible that you wouldn’t want to get. “Everybody should have cooties,” said Miss Small. “Cooties stands for COOperation, TEAmwork, and Sportsmanship.” Oh. I didn’t care much about that stuff. I just wanted to beat Andrea Young at something because she thinks she is so smart. Besides, words that are made from the letters of other words are dumb. Miss Small blew her whistle again. “Before we do anything, we have to stretch.” Miss Small got down on the floor again and did some push-ups. Then we had to do push-ups. She did some sit-ups. Then we had to do sit-ups. She did some windmills and arm circles. Then we had to do windmills and arm circles. “See if you can touch your toes,” Miss Small said. “Now see if you can touch the sky. You want to be loose as a goose in a caboose.” Stretching was boring, and dumb, too. Nobody can touch the sky. After we stretched, Miss Small made us do about a million hundred jumping jacks. “Isn’t this fun?” Miss Small asked when we were finished. I thought I was gonna throw up. She blew her whistle again. “Okay, now that we’re all as loose as a goose in a caboose, who wants to play a game?” “I do!” we all shouted. Finally!

New York is 3 hours ahead of California,纽约时间比加州时间早三个小时，but it does not make California slow.但加州时间并没有变慢。Someone graduated at the age of 22,有人22岁就毕业了，but waited 5 years before securing a good job!但等了五年才找到好的工作！Someone became a CEO at 25,有人25岁就当上CEO，and died at 50.却在50岁去世。While another became a CEO at 50,也有人迟到50岁才当上CEO，and lived to 90 years.然后活到90岁。Someone is still single,有人依然单身，while someone else got married.同时也有人已婚。Obama retires at 55,奥巴马55岁就退休，but Trump starts at 70.川普70岁才开始当总统。Absolutely everyone in this world works based on their Time Zone.世上每个人本来就有自己的发展时区。People around you might seem to go ahead of you,身边有些人看似走在你前面，some might seem to be behind you.也有人看似走在你后面。But everyone is running their own RACE, in their own TIME.但其实每个人在自己的时区有自己的步程。Don’t envy them or mock them.不用嫉妒或嘲笑他们。They are in their TIME ZONE, and you are in yours!他们都在自己的时区里，你也是！Life is about waiting for the right moment to act.生命就是等待正确的行动时机。So, RELAX.所以，放轻松。You’re not LATE.你没有落后。You’re not EARLY.你没有领先。You are very much ON TIME, and in your TIME ZONE Destiny set up for you.在命运为你安排的属于自己的时区里，一切都准时。

The DotArt Class was over, but Vashti sat glued to her chair.Her paper was empty.Vashti's teacher leaned over the blank paper.“Ah! A polar bear in a snow storm,” she said.“Very funny!” said Vashti. “I just CAN'T draw!”Her teacher smiled.“Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”Vashti grabbed a marker and gave the paper a good, strong jab.“There!”Her teacher picked up the paper and studied it carefully.“Hmmmmm.”She pushed the paper toward Vashti and quietly said, “Now sign it.”Vashti thought for a moment.“Well, maybe I can't draw, but I CAN sign my name.”The next week, when Vashti walked into art class, she was surprised to see what was hanging above her teacher's desk.It was the little dot she had drawn—HER DOT!All framed in swirly gold!“Hmmph! I can make a better dot that THAT!”She opened her never-before-used set of watercolors and set to work.Vashti painted and painted.A red dot.A purple dot.A yellow dot.A blue dot.The Blue mixed with the yellow.She discovered that she could make a GREEN dot.Vashti kept experimenting.Lots of little dots in many colors.“If I can make little dots, I can make BIG dots, too.”Vashti splashed her colors with a bigger brush on bigger paper to make bigger dots.Vashti even made a dot by NOT painting a dot.At the school art show a few weeks later, Vashti's many dots made quite a splash.Vashti noticed a little boy gazing up at her.“You're a really great artist. I wish I could draw,” he said.“I bet you can,” said Vashti.“ME? No, not me. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler.”Vashti smiled.She handed the boy a blank sheet of paper.“Show me.”The boy's pencil shook as he drew his line.Vashti stared at the boy's squiggle.And then she said…“Sign it.”

The DotArt Class was over, but Vashti sat glued to her chair.Her paper was empty.Vashti’s teacher leaned over the blank paper.“Ah! A polar bear in a snow storm,” she said.“Very funny!” said Vashti. “I just CAN’T draw!”Her teacher smiled.“Just make a mark and see where it takes you.”Vashti grabbed a marker and gave the paper a good, strong jab.“There!”Her teacher picked up the paper and studied it carefully.“Hmmmmm.”She pushed the paper toward Vashti and quietly said, “Now sign it.”Vashti thought for a moment.“Well, maybe I can’t draw, but I CAN sign my name.”The next week, when Vashti walked into art class, she was surprised to see what was hanging above her teacher’s desk.It was the little dot she had drawn—HER DOT!All framed in swirly gold!“Hmmph! I can make a better dot that THAT!”She opened her never-before-used set of watercolors and set to work.Vashti painted and painted.A red dot.A purple dot.A yellow dot.A blue dot.The Blue mixed with the yellow.She discovered that she could make a GREEN dot.Vashti kept experimenting.Lots of little dots in many colors.“If I can make little dots, I can make BIG dots, too.”Vashti splashed her colors with a bigger brush on bigger paper to make bigger dots.Vashti even made a dot by NOT painting a dot.At the school art show a few weeks later, Vashti’s many dots made quite a splash.Vashti noticed a little boy gazing up at her.“You’re a really great artist. I wish I could draw,” he said.“I bet you can,” said Vashti.“ME? No, not me. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler.”Vashti smiled.She handed the boy a blank sheet of paper.“Show me.”The boy’s pencil shook as he drew his line.Vashti stared at the boy’s squiggle.And then she said…“Sign it.”

Miss Nelson Is MissingThe kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again.Spitballs stuck to the ceiling.Paper planes whizzed through the air.They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.“Now settle down,” said Miss Nelson in a sweet voice.But the class would not settle down.They whispered and giggled.They squirmed and made faces.They were even rude during story hour.And they always refused to do their lessons.“Something will have to be done,” said Miss Nelson.The next morning Miss Nelson did not come to school.“Wow!” yelled the kids. “Now we can really act up!”They began to make more spitballs and paper planes.“Today let's be just terrible!” they said.“Not so fast!” hissed an unpleasant voice.A woman in an ugly black dress stood before them.“I am your new teacher, Miss Viola Swamp.”And she rapped the desk with her ruler.“Where is Miss Nelson?” asked the kids.“Never mind that!” snapped Miss Swamp. “Open those arithmetic books!”Miss Nelson's kids did as they were told.They could see that Miss Swamp was a real witch.She meant business.Right away she put them to work.And she loaded them down with homework.“We'll have no story hour today,” said miss Swamp.“Keep your mouths shut,” said Miss Swamp.“Sit perfectly still,” said Miss Swamp.“And if you misbehave, you'll be sorry,” said Miss Swamp.The kids in Room 207 had never worked so hard.Days went by and there was no sign of Miss Nelson.The kids missed Miss Nelson.“Maybe we should try to find her,” they said.Some of them went to the police.Detective McSmogg was assigned to the case.He listened to their story.He scratched his chin.“Hmmmm,” he said. “Hmmm.”“I think Miss Nelson is missing.”Detective McSmogg would not be much help.Other kids went to Miss Nelson's house.The shades were tightly drawn, and no one answered the door.In fact, the only person they did see was the wicked Miss Viola Swamp, coming up the street.“If she sees us, she'll give us more homework.”They got away just in time.Maybe something terrible happened to Miss Nelson!“Maybe she was gobbled up by a shark!” said one of the kids.But that didn't seem likely.“Maybe Miss Nelson went to Mars!” said another kid.But that didn't seem likely either.“I know!” exclaimed one know-it-all. “Maybe Miss Nelson's car was carried off by a swarm of angry butterflies!”But that was the least likely of all.The kids in Room 207 became very discouraged.It seemed that Miss Nelson was never coming back.And they would be stuck with Miss Viola Swamp forever.They heard footsteps in the hall.“Here comes the witch,” they whispered.“Hello, children,” someone said in a sweet voice.It was Miss Nelson!“Did you miss me?” she asked.“We certainly did!” cried all the kids.“Where were you?”“That's my little secret,” said Miss Nelson.“How about a story hour?”“Oh yes!” cried the kids.Miss Nelson noticed that during story hour no one was rude or silly.“What brought about this lovely change?” she asked.“That's our little secret,” said the kids.Back home Miss Nelson took off her coat and hung it in the closet (right next to an ugly black dress).When it was time for bed she sang a little song.“I'll never tell,” she said to herself with a smile.P.S. Detective McSmogg is working on a new case.He is now looking for Miss Voila Swamp.

Miss Nelson Is MissingThe kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again.Spitballs stuck to the ceiling.Paper planes whizzed through the air.They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.“Now settle down,” said Miss Nelson in a sweet voice.But the class would not settle down.They whispered and giggled.They squirmed and made faces.They were even rude during story hour.And they always refused to do their lessons.“Something will have to be done,” said Miss Nelson.The next morning Miss Nelson did not come to school.“Wow!” yelled the kids. “Now we can really act up!”They began to make more spitballs and paper planes.“Today let’s be just terrible!” they said.“Not so fast!” hissed an unpleasant voice.A woman in an ugly black dress stood before them.“I am your new teacher, Miss Viola Swamp.”And she rapped the desk with her ruler.“Where is Miss Nelson?” asked the kids.“Never mind that!” snapped Miss Swamp. “Open those arithmetic books!”Miss Nelson’s kids did as they were told.They could see that Miss Swamp was a real witch.She meant business.Right away she put them to work.And she loaded them down with homework.“We’ll have no story hour today,” said miss Swamp.“Keep your mouths shut,” said Miss Swamp.“Sit perfectly still,” said Miss Swamp.“And if you misbehave, you’ll be sorry,” said Miss Swamp.The kids in Room 207 had never worked so hard.Days went by and there was no sign of Miss Nelson.The kids missed Miss Nelson.“Maybe we should try to find her,” they said.Some of them went to the police.Detective McSmogg was assigned to the case.He listened to their story.He scratched his chin.“Hmmmm,” he said. “Hmmm.”“I think Miss Nelson is missing.”Detective McSmogg would not be much help.Other kids went to Miss Nelson’s house.The shades were tightly drawn, and no one answered the door.In fact, the only person they did see was the wicked Miss Viola Swamp, coming up the street.“If she sees us, she’ll give us more homework.”They got away just in time.Maybe something terrible happened to Miss Nelson!“Maybe she was gobbled up by a shark!” said one of the kids.But that didn’t seem likely.“Maybe Miss Nelson went to Mars!” said another kid.But that didn’t seem likely either.“I know!” exclaimed one know-it-all. “Maybe Miss Nelson’s car was carried off by a swarm of angry butterflies!”But that was the least likely of all.The kids in Room 207 became very discouraged.It seemed that Miss Nelson was never coming back.And they would be stuck with Miss Viola Swamp forever.They heard footsteps in the hall.“Here comes the witch,” they whispered.“Hello, children,” someone said in a sweet voice.It was Miss Nelson!“Did you miss me?” she asked.“We certainly did!” cried all the kids.“Where were you?”“That’s my little secret,” said Miss Nelson.“How about a story hour?”“Oh yes!” cried the kids.Miss Nelson noticed that during story hour no one was rude or silly.“What brought about this lovely change?” she asked.“That’s our little secret,” said the kids.Back home Miss Nelson took off her coat and hung it in the closet (right next to an ugly black dress).When it was time for bed she sang a little song.“I’ll never tell,” she said to herself with a smile.P.S. Detective McSmogg is working on a new case.He is now looking for Miss Voila Swamp.

It was Christmas Eve, and Harold had to have a Christmas tree before Santa Claus arrived.So, in a warm woolen cap and mittens, with his purple crayon and the moon, he set off for the north woods.Harold made sure he went north, by the big dipper. He was glad it happened to be a clear starry night.Suddenly he remembered Santa Claus came by sleigh. There would have to be snow.And there was snow. There was a blizzard.Harold shivered. It's a fine night to be out, he thought, for a snowman.The snowstorm was worse than he imagined. Even a snowman didn't look cheerful in it.Harold gave the snowman a muffler to wear.And, happily, the storm finally was showing signs of letting up.The snow stopped falling but it lay in big drifts. It covered everything.From the looks of things, Harold thought, he might very well be at the North Pole.But this couldn't be really the North Pole, he told himself, because he knew that Santa Claus's workshop is at the North Pole.And here all Harold could see was snow.Still, it did look remarkably like the North Pole, Harold reflected, as he climbed up on a snowdrift as big as a house.It was a house. He really was at the North Pole, on the roof of Santa's workshop.With smooth snow over the eaves Harold was sure Santa Claus was inside. He was snowed in. And it was the night before Christmas.Why, Harold asked excitedly, couldn't Santa come out up the chimney?Then he realized that was a silly question.Of course Santa Claus could come up a chimney.The difficulty was, Santa's sleigh full of toys couldn't come out that way. Harold thought.Then he acted fast. He told Santa to come out without the sleigh and not to worry, to leave things to him.Santa Claus appeared to be rather doubtful.But Harold confidently went to work lining up the reindeer.Soon Prancer and Dancer were pawing at the snow, eager to be off around the world.Harold wasn't quite certain of the names of the other reindeer.But he made sure there were eight of them.They were all handsome and spirited animals.And, if they weren't exactly in their right order, none of them complained.Harold harnessed them with no difficulty.And he hitched them to a splendid sleigh.It had a comfortable seat for Santa Claus.And it had room for a sizeable bag of toys.He generously filled the bag to overflowing.For a moment Harold thought of looking to see which were his parents.But there wasn't time. He told Santa Claus to get in the sleigh and deliver the toys.And, without more ado, he waved goodbye.He would have liked to ride with Santa but he still had to find a Christmas tree.And he had to get it home, and decorate it too, before Santa got there.He looked everywhere for a Christmas tree, but all he could see was the moon.He wondered how the moon would look on top of a Christmas tree, as an ornament.It looked fine over the tree. And the tree also looked fine under the moon.It was just the tree he had been looking for.Now the only problem was to get it home.It had to stand in the living room, between the fireplace and the big soft chair.Fortunately, the tree fitted in perfectly. Harold hung up one of his stockings on the fireplace mantel.And he climbed into the big soft chair to wait for Santa Claus to arrive.

It was Christmas Eve, and Harold had to have a Christmas tree before Santa Claus arrived.So, in a warm woolen cap and mittens, with his purple crayon and the moon, he set off for the north woods.Harold made sure he went north, by the big dipper. He was glad it happened to be a clear starry night.Suddenly he remembered Santa Claus came by sleigh. There would have to be snow.And there was snow. There was a blizzard.Harold shivered. It’s a fine night to be out, he thought, for a snowman.The snowstorm was worse than he imagined. Even a snowman didn’t look cheerful in it.Harold gave the snowman a muffler to wear.And, happily, the storm finally was showing signs of letting up.The snow stopped falling but it lay in big drifts. It covered everything.From the looks of things, Harold thought, he might very well be at the North Pole.But this couldn’t be really the North Pole, he told himself, because he knew that Santa Claus’s workshop is at the North Pole.And here all Harold could see was snow.Still, it did look remarkably like the North Pole, Harold reflected, as he climbed up on a snowdrift as big as a house.It was a house. He really was at the North Pole, on the roof of Santa’s workshop.With smooth snow over the eaves Harold was sure Santa Claus was inside. He was snowed in. And it was the night before Christmas.Why, Harold asked excitedly, couldn’t Santa come out up the chimney?Then he realized that was a silly question.Of course Santa Claus could come up a chimney.The difficulty was, Santa’s sleigh full of toys couldn’t come out that way. Harold thought.Then he acted fast. He told Santa to come out without the sleigh and not to worry, to leave things to him.Santa Claus appeared to be rather doubtful.But Harold confidently went to work lining up the reindeer.Soon Prancer and Dancer were pawing at the snow, eager to be off around the world.Harold wasn’t quite certain of the names of the other reindeer.But he made sure there were eight of them.They were all handsome and spirited animals.And, if they weren’t exactly in their right order, none of them complained.Harold harnessed them with no difficulty.And he hitched them to a splendid sleigh.It had a comfortable seat for Santa Claus.And it had room for a sizeable bag of toys.He generously filled the bag to overflowing.For a moment Harold thought of looking to see which were his parents.But there wasn’t time. He told Santa Claus to get in the sleigh and deliver the toys.And, without more ado, he waved goodbye.He would have liked to ride with Santa but he still had to find a Christmas tree.And he had to get it home, and decorate it too, before Santa got there.He looked everywhere for a Christmas tree, but all he could see was the moon.He wondered how the moon would look on top of a Christmas tree, as an ornament.It looked fine over the tree. And the tree also looked fine under the moon.It was just the tree he had been looking for.Now the only problem was to get it home.It had to stand in the living room, between the fireplace and the big soft chair.Fortunately, the tree fitted in perfectly. Harold hung up one of his stockings on the fireplace mantel.And he climbed into the big soft chair to wait for Santa Claus to arrive.

Harold and the Purple CrayonOne evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.There wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight.And he needed something to walk on.He made a long straight path so he wouldn't get lost.And he set off on his walk, taking his big purple crayon with him.But he didn't seem to be getting anywhere on the long straight path.So he left the path for a short cut across a field. And the moon went with him.The short cut led right to where Harold thought a forest ought to be.He didn't want to get lost in the woods. So he made a very small forest, with just one tree in it.It turned out to be an apple tree.The apples would be very tasty, Harold thought, when they got red.So he put a frightening dragon under the tree to guard the apples.It was a terribly frightening dragon.It even frightened Harold. He backed away.His hand holding the purple crayon shook.Suddenly he realized what was happening.But by then Harold was over his head in an ocean.He came up thinking fast.And in no time he was climbing aboard a trim little boat.He quickly set sail.And the moon sailed along with him.After he had sailed long enough, Harold made land without much trouble.He stepped ashore on the beach, wondering where he was.The sandy beach reminded Harold of picnics. And the thought of picnics made him hungry.So he laid out a nice simple picnic lunch.There was nothing but pie.But there were all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best.When Harold finished his picnic there was quite a lot left.He hated to see so much delicious pie go to waste.So Harold left a very hungry moose and a deserving porcupine to finish it up.And, off he went, looking for a hill to climb, to see where he was.Harold knew that the higher up he went, the farther he could see. So he decided to make the hill into a mountain.If he went high enough, he thought, he could see the window of his bedroom.He was tired and he felt he ought to be getting to bed.He hoped he could see his bedroom window from the top of the mountain.But as he looked down over the other side he slipped—And there wasn't any other side of the mountain. He was falling, in thin air.But luckily, he kept his wits and his purple crayon.He made a balloon and he grabbed on to it.And he made a basket under the balloon big enough to stand in.He had a fine view from the balloon but he couldn't see his window, He couldn't even see a house.So he made a house, with windows.And he landed the balloon on the grass in the front yard.None of the windows was his window.He tried to think where his window ought to be.He made some more windows.He made a big building full of windows.He made lots of buildings full of windows.He made a whole city full of windows.But none of the windows was his window.He couldn't think where it might be.He decided to ask a policeman.The policeman pointed the way Harold was going anyway. But Harold thanked him.And he walked along with the moon, wishing he was in his room and in bed.Then, suddenly, Harold remembered.He remembered where his bedroom window was, when there was a moon.It was always right around the moon.And then Harold made his bed.He got in it and he drew up the covers.The purple crayon dropped on the floor. And Harold dropped off to sleep.

Harold and the Purple CrayonOne evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight.There wasn’t any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight.And he needed something to walk on.He made a long straight path so he wouldn’t get lost.And he set off on his walk, taking his big purple crayon with him.But he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere on the long straight path.So he left the path for a short cut across a field. And the moon went with him.The short cut led right to where Harold thought a forest ought to be.He didn’t want to get lost in the woods. So he made a very small forest, with just one tree in it.It turned out to be an apple tree.The apples would be very tasty, Harold thought, when they got red.So he put a frightening dragon under the tree to guard the apples.It was a terribly frightening dragon.It even frightened Harold. He backed away.His hand holding the purple crayon shook.Suddenly he realized what was happening.But by then Harold was over his head in an ocean.He came up thinking fast.And in no time he was climbing aboard a trim little boat.He quickly set sail.And the moon sailed along with him.After he had sailed long enough, Harold made land without much trouble.He stepped ashore on the beach, wondering where he was.The sandy beach reminded Harold of picnics. And the thought of picnics made him hungry.So he laid out a nice simple picnic lunch.There was nothing but pie.But there were all nine kinds of pie that Harold liked best.When Harold finished his picnic there was quite a lot left.He hated to see so much delicious pie go to waste.So Harold left a very hungry moose and a deserving porcupine to finish it up.And, off he went, looking for a hill to climb, to see where he was.Harold knew that the higher up he went, the farther he could see. So he decided to make the hill into a mountain.If he went high enough, he thought, he could see the window of his bedroom.He was tired and he felt he ought to be getting to bed.He hoped he could see his bedroom window from the top of the mountain.But as he looked down over the other side he slipped—And there wasn’t any other side of the mountain. He was falling, in thin air.But luckily, he kept his wits and his purple crayon.He made a balloon and he grabbed on to it.And he made a basket under the balloon big enough to stand in.He had a fine view from the balloon but he couldn’t see his window, He couldn’t even see a house.So he made a house, with windows.And he landed the balloon on the grass in the front yard.None of the windows was his window.He tried to think where his window ought to be.He made some more windows.He made a big building full of windows.He made lots of buildings full of windows.He made a whole city full of windows.But none of the windows was his window.He couldn’t think where it might be.He decided to ask a policeman.The policeman pointed the way Harold was going anyway. But Harold thanked him.And he walked along with the moon, wishing he was in his room and in bed.Then, suddenly, Harold remembered.He remembered where his bedroom window was, when there was a moon.It was always right around the moon.And then Harold made his bed.He got in it and he drew up the covers.The purple crayon dropped on the floor. And Harold dropped off to sleep.

One afternoon Olivia was walking down the hall when she heard her mother talking to her aunt. “I'm at the end of my tether. I'd just finished cleaning the kitchen when Olivia decided to make a smoothie. A blueberry smoothie.”Olivia, hearing her name, paused to listen.“I told her, ‘Don't fill it up to the top. Don't put all the blueberries in. And not too much milk, or then it will splatter!'”“Mommy, I KNOW how to use the blender.”“Guess who had to clean that up? Then,” her mother continued, “there was the episode with the laundry…”“I asked her to put her father's white shirts in the washer.‘Olivia,' I said, ‘put them in one at a time or else they will tangle…'”“‘…and only one capful of soap.'”“Mother, I KNOW how to work the washing machine!”“Olivia, you put your red socks in with the white shirts, and now the white shirts are pink!”“I think they look pretty!”“Well, then, you wear them!”Which she did.“Oh, I wish there was somewhere I could send her until she develops some SENSE!”Some SENSE?! Thought Olivia. I'm the only one in this house with any sense!What ELSE is she saying about me? Maybe I should investigate.She decided to investigate.But she had to be sneaky.Olivia, who had always stood out, now needed to blend in.She might be anywhere.Anywhere.Seriously anywhere. “Honestly, she's exhausting. Yesterday I had to ask her five times to clean up her room. If only there were someplace where they could teach her to listen… like military school.”Olivia's mother had been planning to take Olivia to the ballet as a surprise, but now she was having second thoughts. “Do you think if I take her to the ballet, that she can sit through it without wiggling and squirming?”Olivia sneaked around the corner just in time to hear her father say, “Oh, that's the perfect place to take her! After all, it's an INSTITUTION!”The next day Olivia asked her teacher, “What's an institution?”“That's a good question, Olivia. An institution can be many things. It can be a building, like a library, or a tradition, like a marriage. Or it could be the military, or a prison…”Prison?!The next morning Olivia's mother told her to be ready and dressed by six o'clock that evening.“I'm going to take you somewhere SPECIAL!”“Where are you taking me?” Olivia asked in a very small voice.“It's a SURPRISE!”“Okay, Mommy, I'll be ready.”All that sad day Olivia tried to figure out what she would need for an institution.She packed up her few pitiful possessions, put on her best dress, and went downstairs.“Oh, you can't take your things where you're going…”“You're awfully quiet tonight, Olivia.”Olivia didn't answer.She was saying good-bye to the city she loved so well.When they got out of the taxi, Olivia cried out, “THE BALLET?! You're taking me to the BALLET?!”“Yes, darling! That's the SURPRISE!”“I thought you were taking me to an INSTITUTION!”“An institution? Olivia … have you been eavesdropping?”“What does ‘eavesdropping' mean?” asked Olivia.“It means listening to other people's conversations, sweetheart.”“Mommy, I would NEVER do that! I was SPYING!”Before they took their seats, her mother asked her if she needed to use the you-know-what.“No,” said Olivia, “I'm fine.”Of course ten minutes into the first act, Olivia needed to use the you-know-what.Badly.“Excuse me, my little one needs to use the you-know-what.”“Of course. It's the door on the left.”“Do you need me to come with you, Olivia?” her mother asked.“I KNOW how to go to the bathroom, Mommy.”“I have one just that age. They can be a handful.”“They certainly can. You can't turn your back for one second.”“Not one single second!”“There you are!” said Olivia's mother.“You took such a long time, I was getting worried.”“It was a lot farther away than the lady said.”“Thank you, Mommy. That was beautiful.”“Darling, I'm so glad you liked it.”“Although,” Olivia added, “the girls in the pas de quatre could have worked on their entrechats.“Well, Olivia, what have you learned by eavesdropping?”“Partial truths and misinformation——”“And how did that make you feel?”“Insecure and suspicious——”“I'm sorry, Mommy. I'll cook dinner all next week.”“Oh no you won't!” said her mother.“MOMMY, I KNOW how to COOK!”The End (at least until tomorrow)

One afternoon Olivia was walking down the hall when she heard her mother talking to her aunt. “I’m at the end of my tether. I’d just finished cleaning the kitchen when Olivia decided to make a smoothie. A blueberry smoothie.”Olivia, hearing her name, paused to listen.“I told her, ‘Don’t fill it up to the top. Don’t put all the blueberries in. And not too much milk, or then it will splatter!’”“Mommy, I KNOW how to use the blender.”“Guess who had to clean that up? Then,” her mother continued, “there was the episode with the laundry…”“I asked her to put her father’s white shirts in the washer.‘Olivia,’ I said, ‘put them in one at a time or else they will tangle…’”“‘…and only one capful of soap.’”“Mother, I KNOW how to work the washing machine!”“Olivia, you put your red socks in with the white shirts, and now the white shirts are pink!”“I think they look pretty!”“Well, then, you wear them!”Which she did.“Oh, I wish there was somewhere I could send her until she develops some SENSE!”Some SENSE?! Thought Olivia. I’m the only one in this house with any sense!What ELSE is she saying about me? Maybe I should investigate.She decided to investigate.But she had to be sneaky.Olivia, who had always stood out, now needed to blend in.She might be anywhere.Anywhere.Seriously anywhere. “Honestly, she’s exhausting. Yesterday I had to ask her five times to clean up her room. If only there were someplace where they could teach her to listen… like military school.”Olivia’s mother had been planning to take Olivia to the ballet as a surprise, but now she was having second thoughts. “Do you think if I take her to the ballet, that she can sit through it without wiggling and squirming?”Olivia sneaked around the corner just in time to hear her father say, “Oh, that’s the perfect place to take her! After all, it’s an INSTITUTION!”The next day Olivia asked her teacher, “What’s an institution?”“That’s a good question, Olivia. An institution can be many things. It can be a building, like a library, or a tradition, like a marriage. Or it could be the military, or a prison…”Prison?!The next morning Olivia’s mother told her to be ready and dressed by six o’clock that evening.“I’m going to take you somewhere SPECIAL!”“Where are you taking me?” Olivia asked in a very small voice.“It’s a SURPRISE!”“Okay, Mommy, I’ll be ready.”All that sad day Olivia tried to figure out what she would need for an institution.She packed up her few pitiful possessions, put on her best dress, and went downstairs.“Oh, you can’t take your things where you’re going…”“You’re awfully quiet tonight, Olivia.”Olivia didn’t answer.She was saying good-bye to the city she loved so well.When they got out of the taxi, Olivia cried out, “THE BALLET?! You’re taking me to the BALLET?!”“Yes, darling! That’s the SURPRISE!”“I thought you were taking me to an INSTITUTION!”“An institution? Olivia … have you been eavesdropping?”“What does ‘eavesdropping’ mean?” asked Olivia.“It means listening to other people’s conversations, sweetheart.”“Mommy, I would NEVER do that! I was SPYING!”Before they took their seats, her mother asked her if she needed to use the you-know-what.“No,” said Olivia, “I’m fine.”Of course ten minutes into the first act, Olivia needed to use the you-know-what.Badly.“Excuse me, my little one needs to use the you-know-what.”“Of course. It’s the door on the left.”“Do you need me to come with you, Olivia?” her mother asked.“I KNOW how to go to the bathroom, Mommy.”“I have one just that age. They can be a handful.”“They certainly can. You can’t turn your back for one second.”“Not one single second!”“There you are!” said Olivia’s mother.“You took such a long time, I was getting worried.”“It was a lot farther away than the lady said.”“Thank you, Mommy. That was beautiful.”“Darling, I’m so glad you liked it.”“Although,” Olivia added, “the girls in the pas de quatre could have worked on their entrechats.“Well, Olivia, what have you learned by eavesdropping?”“Partial truths and misinformation——”“And how did that make you feel?”“Insecure and suspicious——”“I’m sorry, Mommy. I’ll cook dinner all next week.”“Oh no you won’t!” said her mother.“MOMMY, I KNOW how to COOK!”The End (at least until tomorrow)

The Cow Tripped over the MoonA Nursery Rhyme EmergencyHere comes the ambulance! It's on its way.Who's had an accident in Storyland today?Driver, put your foot down. Don't waste time.This is an Emergency Nursery Rhyme!Who have we here? It's the farmer's cow!She fell from a great, big height somehow.“I saw it happen,” laughs a little hound.“She tripped on the moon and fell to the ground.”She chipped a hoof and grazed her knees!“Pass me the cow-sized plasters, please,”says the ambulance man to the ambulance crew.They patch her up and the cow goes “Moo!”Here comes the ambulance! Off we go!It's a Nursery Rhyme Emergency –anyone we know?Who's had an accident?What's wrong now?Rock-a-bye Baby fell from a bough.The wind broke the branchas she rocked to sleepand Baby landed in the compost heap.“Let's check the patient. Is she hurt?”No, but covered in weeds and dirt,with an old banana stuck to her head.She just needs a bath then straight to bed.Here comes the ambulance down the lane.It's a Nursery Rhyme Emergency yet again!Has little Polly Flinders burnt her thumb?Has Little Jack Horner choked on a plum?Who could it be, do you suppose?It's a poor little maid with a very sore nose.She was pegging out the washing when a bird flew by.Its four and twenty brothers had been baked in a pie.It pecked off her nose very hard, hard, hard,so they fix it with pastry and lard, lard, lard.Here comes the ambulance! It's on another call.It's a Nursery Rhyme Emergency! Someone had a fall.He fell off the wall. Did he break his leg?Who is the patient covered in egg?All the King's Men, let the ambulance through!All the King's Horses, shoo! Shoo! Shoo!Humpty Dumpty has smashed his shell,but the ambulance crew soon makes him well –they put him together with jam and bread.“Crumbs!” says Humpty. “They fixed my head!”Here comes the ambulance down the hill.It's a Nursery Rhyme Emergency – is someone ill?Someone blew a horn but we don't know who.Look beneath the haystack…It's Little Boy Blue!He was meant to look after a herd of sheep,but the poor little lamb fell fast asleep.The cows in the corn came and nibbled the hay,then sat on the stack where the little lad lay.The crew checks him over: “He isn't in pain,but he may never play on the horn again –it's been sat on, flattened and bent out of shape.”So they fix it with hammers and trumpet tape.Here comes the ambulance into town.It's a Nursery Rhyme Emergency – hurry down!The ambulance arrives and screeches to a stop.They run to save the weasel …but the weasel goesPOP!

The Cow Tripped over the MoonA Nursery Rhyme EmergencyHere comes the ambulance! It’s on its way.Who’s had an accident in Storyland today?Driver, put your foot down. Don’t waste time.This is an Emergency Nursery Rhyme!Who have we here? It’s the farmer’s cow!She fell from a great, big height somehow.“I saw it happen,” laughs a little hound.“She tripped on the moon and fell to the ground.”She chipped a hoof and grazed her knees!“Pass me the cow-sized plasters, please,”says the ambulance man to the ambulance crew.They patch her up and the cow goes “Moo!”Here comes the ambulance! Off we go!It’s a Nursery Rhyme Emergency –anyone we know?Who’s had an accident?What’s wrong now?Rock-a-bye Baby fell from a bough.The wind broke the branchas she rocked to sleepand Baby landed in the compost heap.“Let’s check the patient. Is she hurt?”No, but covered in weeds and dirt,with an old banana stuck to her head.She just needs a bath then straight to bed.Here comes the ambulance down the lane.It’s a Nursery Rhyme Emergency yet again!Has little Polly Flinders burnt her thumb?Has Little Jack Horner choked on a plum?Who could it be, do you suppose?It’s a poor little maid with a very sore nose.She was pegging out the washing when a bird flew by.Its four and twenty brothers had been baked in a pie.It pecked off her nose very hard, hard, hard,so they fix it with pastry and lard, lard, lard.Here comes the ambulance! It’s on another call.It’s a Nursery Rhyme Emergency! Someone had a fall.He fell off the wall. Did he break his leg?Who is the patient covered in egg?All the King’s Men, let the ambulance through!All the King’s Horses, shoo! Shoo! Shoo!Humpty Dumpty has smashed his shell,but the ambulance crew soon makes him well –they put him together with jam and bread.“Crumbs!” says Humpty. “They fixed my head!”Here comes the ambulance down the hill.It’s a Nursery Rhyme Emergency – is someone ill?Someone blew a horn but we don’t know who.Look beneath the haystack…It’s Little Boy Blue!He was meant to look after a herd of sheep,but the poor little lamb fell fast asleep.The cows in the corn came and nibbled the hay,then sat on the stack where the little lad lay.The crew checks him over: “He isn’t in pain,but he may never play on the horn again –it’s been sat on, flattened and bent out of shape.”So they fix it with hammers and trumpet tape.Here comes the ambulance into town.It’s a Nursery Rhyme Emergency – hurry down!The ambulance arrives and screeches to a stop.They run to save the weasel …but the weasel goesPOP!

We were all sitting around the big kitchen table. It was Saturday morning. Pancake morning. Mom was squeezing oranges for juice. Henry and I were betting on how many pancakes we each could eat. And Grandpa was doing the flipping.Seconds later, something flew through the air headed toward the kitchen ceiling……and landed right on Henry.After we realized that the flying object was only a pancake, we all laughed, even Grandpa. Breakfast continued quite uneventfully. All the other pancakes landed in the pan. And all of them were eaten, even the one that landed on Henry.That night, touched off by the pancake incident at breakfast, Grandpa told us the best tall-tale bedtime story he'd ever told.“Across an ocean, over lots of huge, bumpy mountains, across three hot deserts, and one smaller ocean… … there lay the tiny town of Chewandswallow.In most ways, it was very much like any other tiny town. It had a Main Street lined with stores, houses with trees and gardens around them, a schoolhouse, about three hundred people, and some assorted cats and dogs.But there were no food stores in the town of Chewandswallow. They didn't need any. The sky supplied all the food they could possibly want. The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was its weather. It came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everything that everyone ate came from the sky.Whatever the weather served, that was what they ate. But it never rained rain. It never snowed snow. And it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed mashed potatoes and green peas. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers. The people could watch the weather report on television in the morning and they would even heat a prediction for the next day's food. When the townspeople went outside, they carried their plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives and napkins with them. That way they would always be prepared for any kind of weather.If there were leftovers, and there usually were, the people took them home and put them in their refrigerators in case they got hungry between meals.The menu varied.By the time they woke up in the morning, breakfast was coming down. After a brief shower of orange juice, low clouds of sunny-side up eggs moved in followed by pieces of toast. Butter and jelly sprinkled down for the toast. And most of the time it rained milk afterwards.For lunch one day, frankfurters, already in their rolls, blew in from the northwest at about five miles an hour. There were mustard clouds nearby. Then the wind shifted to the east and brought in baked beans. A drizzle of soda finished off the meal.Dinner one night consisted of lamb chops, becoming heavy at times, with occasional ketchup. Periods of peas were followed by gradual clearing, with a wonderful Jell-O setting in the west. The Sanitation Department of Chewandswallow had a rather unusual job for a sanitation department. It had to remove the food that fell on the houses and sidewalks and lawns. The workers cleaned things up after every meal and fed all the dogs and cats. Then they emptied some of it into the surrounding oceans for the fish and turtles and whales to eat. The rest of the food was put back into the earth so that the soil would be richer for the people's flower gardens. Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse.One day there was nothing but Gorgonzola cheese all day long. The next day there was only broccoli, all overcooked.And the next day there were brussel sprouts and peanut butter with mayonnaise. Another day there was a pea soup fog. No one could see where they were going and they could barely find the rest of the meal that got stuck in the fog.The food was getting larger and larger, and so were the portions. The people were getting frightened. Violent storms blew up frequently. Awful things were happening. One Tuesday there was a hurricane of bread and rolls all day long and into the night. There were soft rolls and hard rolls, some with seeds and some without. There was white bread and rye and whole wheat toast. Most of it was larger than they had ever seen bread and rolls before.It was a terrible day.Everyone had to stay indoors. Roofs were damaged, and the Sanitation Department was beside itself. The mess took the workers four days to clean up, and the sea was full of floating rolls.To help out, the people piled up as much bread as they could in their backyards. The birds picked at it a bit, but it just stayed there and got staler and staler. There was a storm of pancakes one morning and a downpour of maple syrup that nearly flooded the town. A huge pancake covered the school. No one could get it off because of its weight, so they had to close the school.Lunch one day brought fifteen-inch drifts of cream cheese and jelly sandwiches. Everyone ate themselves sick and the day ended with a stomachache. There was an awful salt and pepper wind accompanied by an even worse tomato tornado. People were sneezing themselves silly and running to avoid the tomatoes. The town was a mess. There were seeds and pulp everywhere. The Sanitation Department gave up. The job was too big.Everyone feared for their lives. They couldn't go outside most of the time. Many houses had been badly damaged by giant meatballs, stores were boarded up and there was no more school for the children.So a decision was made to abandon the town of Chewandswallow. It was a matter of survival.The people glued together the giant pieces of stale bread sandwich-style with peanut butter……took the absolute necessities with them, and set sail on their rafts for a new land.After being afloat for a week, they finally reached a small coastal town, which welcomed them. The bread had held up surprisingly well, well enough for them to build temporary houses for themselves out of it.The children began school again, and the adults all tried to find places for themselves in the new land. The biggest change they had to make was getting used to buying food at a supermarket. They found it odd that the food was kept on shelves, packaged in boxes, cans and bottles. Meat that had to be cooked was kept in large refrigerators. Nothing came down from the sky except rain and snow. The clouds above their heads were not made of fried eggs. No one ever got hit by a hamburger again. And nobody dared to go back to Chewandswallow to find out what had happened to it. They were too afraid.”Henry and I were awake until the very end of Grandpa's story. I remember his goodnight kiss.The next morning we woke up to see snow falling outside our window. We ran downstairs for breakfast and ate it a little faster than usual so we could go sledding with Grandpa.It's funny, but even as we were sliding down the hill we thought we saw a giant pat of butter at the top, and we could almost smell mashed potatoes.

We were all sitting around the big kitchen table. It was Saturday morning. Pancake morning. Mom was squeezing oranges for juice. Henry and I were betting on how many pancakes we each could eat. And Grandpa was doing the flipping.Seconds later, something flew through the air headed toward the kitchen ceiling……and landed right on Henry.After we realized that the flying object was only a pancake, we all laughed, even Grandpa. Breakfast continued quite uneventfully. All the other pancakes landed in the pan. And all of them were eaten, even the one that landed on Henry.That night, touched off by the pancake incident at breakfast, Grandpa told us the best tall-tale bedtime story he’d ever told.“Across an ocean, over lots of huge, bumpy mountains, across three hot deserts, and one smaller ocean… … there lay the tiny town of Chewandswallow.In most ways, it was very much like any other tiny town. It had a Main Street lined with stores, houses with trees and gardens around them, a schoolhouse, about three hundred people, and some assorted cats and dogs.But there were no food stores in the town of Chewandswallow. They didn’t need any. The sky supplied all the food they could possibly want. The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was its weather. It came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Everything that everyone ate came from the sky.Whatever the weather served, that was what they ate. But it never rained rain. It never snowed snow. And it never blew just wind. It rained things like soup and juice. It snowed mashed potatoes and green peas. And sometimes the wind blew in storms of hamburgers. The people could watch the weather report on television in the morning and they would even heat a prediction for the next day’s food. When the townspeople went outside, they carried their plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives and napkins with them. That way they would always be prepared for any kind of weather.If there were leftovers, and there usually were, the people took them home and put them in their refrigerators in case they got hungry between meals.The menu varied.By the time they woke up in the morning, breakfast was coming down. After a brief shower of orange juice, low clouds of sunny-side up eggs moved in followed by pieces of toast. Butter and jelly sprinkled down for the toast. And most of the time it rained milk afterwards.For lunch one day, frankfurters, already in their rolls, blew in from the northwest at about five miles an hour. There were mustard clouds nearby. Then the wind shifted to the east and brought in baked beans. A drizzle of soda finished off the meal.Dinner one night consisted of lamb chops, becoming heavy at times, with occasional ketchup. Periods of peas were followed by gradual clearing, with a wonderful Jell-O setting in the west. The Sanitation Department of Chewandswallow had a rather unusual job for a sanitation department. It had to remove the food that fell on the houses and sidewalks and lawns. The workers cleaned things up after every meal and fed all the dogs and cats. Then they emptied some of it into the surrounding oceans for the fish and turtles and whales to eat. The rest of the food was put back into the earth so that the soil would be richer for the people’s flower gardens. Life for the townspeople was delicious until the weather took a turn for the worse.One day there was nothing but Gorgonzola cheese all day long. The next day there was only broccoli, all overcooked.And the next day there were brussel sprouts and peanut butter with mayonnaise. Another day there was a pea soup fog. No one could see where they were going and they could barely find the rest of the meal that got stuck in the fog.The food was getting larger and larger, and so were the portions. The people were getting frightened. Violent storms blew up frequently. Awful things were happening. One Tuesday there was a hurricane of bread and rolls all day long and into the night. There were soft rolls and hard rolls, some with seeds and some without. There was white bread and rye and whole wheat toast. Most of it was larger than they had ever seen bread and rolls before.It was a terrible day.Everyone had to stay indoors. Roofs were damaged, and the Sanitation Department was beside itself. The mess took the workers four days to clean up, and the sea was full of floating rolls.To help out, the people piled up as much bread as they could in their backyards. The birds picked at it a bit, but it just stayed there and got staler and staler. There was a storm of pancakes one morning and a downpour of maple syrup that nearly flooded the town. A huge pancake covered the school. No one could get it off because of its weight, so they had to close the school.Lunch one day brought fifteen-inch drifts of cream cheese and jelly sandwiches. Everyone ate themselves sick and the day ended with a stomachache. There was an awful salt and pepper wind accompanied by an even worse tomato tornado. People were sneezing themselves silly and running to avoid the tomatoes. The town was a mess. There were seeds and pulp everywhere. The Sanitation Department gave up. The job was too big.Everyone feared for their lives. They couldn’t go outside most of the time. Many houses had been badly damaged by giant meatballs, stores were boarded up and there was no more school for the children.So a decision was made to abandon the town of Chewandswallow. It was a matter of survival.The people glued together the giant pieces of stale bread sandwich-style with peanut butter……took the absolute necessities with them, and set sail on their rafts for a new land.After being afloat for a week, they finally reached a small coastal town, which welcomed them. The bread had held up surprisingly well, well enough for them to build temporary houses for themselves out of it.The children began school again, and the adults all tried to find places for themselves in the new land. The biggest change they had to make was getting used to buying food at a supermarket. They found it odd that the food was kept on shelves, packaged in boxes, cans and bottles. Meat that had to be cooked was kept in large refrigerators. Nothing came down from the sky except rain and snow. The clouds above their heads were not made of fried eggs. No one ever got hit by a hamburger again. And nobody dared to go back to Chewandswallow to find out what had happened to it. They were too afraid.”Henry and I were awake until the very end of Grandpa’s story. I remember his goodnight kiss.The next morning we woke up to see snow falling outside our window. We ran downstairs for breakfast and ate it a little faster than usual so we could go sledding with Grandpa.It’s funny, but even as we were sliding down the hill we thought we saw a giant pat of butter at the top, and we could almost smell mashed potatoes.

The True Story of the 3 Little PigsEverybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.I'm the wolf. Alexander T. Wolf.You can call me Al.I don't know how this whole Big Bad Wolf thing got started, but it's all wrong.Maybe it's because of our diet.Hey, it's not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs. That's just the way we are. If cheeseburgers were cute, folks would probably think you're Big and Bad, too.But like I was saying, the whole Big Bad Wolf thing is all wrong.The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar.This is the real story.Way back in Once Upon a Time time, I was making a birthday cake for my dear old granny.I had a terrible sneezing cold.I ran out of sugar.So I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar.Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn't too bright, either. He had built his whole house out of straw.Can you believe it? I mean who in his right mind would build a house of straw?So of course the minute I knocked on the door, it fell right in. I didn't want to just walk into someone else's house. So I called, “Little Pig, Little Pig, are you in?” No answer.I was just about to go home without the cup of sugar for my dear old granny's birthday cake.That's when my nose started to itch. I felt a sneeze coming on.Well I huffed.And I snuffed.And I sneezed a great sneeze.And you know what? That whole darn straw house fell down. And right in the middle of the pile was the First Little Pig—dead as a doornail.He had been home the whole time.It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up.Think of it as a big cheeseburger just lying there.I was feeling a little better. But I still didn't have my cup of sugar. So I went to the next neighbor's house.This neighbor was the First Little Pig's brother.He was a little smarter, but not much.He had built his house of sticks.I rang the bell on the stick house.Nobody answered. I called,” Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”He yelled back, “Go away wolf. You can't come in. I'm shaving the hairs on my chinny chin chin.”I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on.I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed a great sneeze.And you're not going to believe it, but this guy's house fell down just like his brother's.When the dust cleared, there was the Second Little Pig – dead as a doornail. Wolf's honor.Now you know food will spoil if you just leave it out in the open.So I did the only thing there was to do. I had dinner again. Think of it as a second helping. I was getting awfully full. But my cold was feeling a little better. And I still didn't have that cup of sugar for my dear old granny's birthday cake. So I went to the next house. This guy was the First and Second Little Pigs' brother. He must have been the brains of the family. He had built his house of bricks.I knocked on the brick house. No answer.I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”And do you know what that rude little porker answered?“Get out of here, Wolf. Don't bother me again.”Talk about impolite!He probably had a whole sackful of sugar.And he wouldn't give me even one little cup for my dear sweet old granny's birthday cake.What a pig!I was just about to go home and maybe make a nice birthday card instead of a cake, when I felt my cold coming on.I huffed.And I snuffed.And I sneezed once again.Then the Third Little Pig yelled, “And your old granny can sit on a pin!”Now I'm usually a pretty calm fellow. But when somebody talks about my granny like that, I go a little crazy.When the cops drove up, of course I was trying to break down this Pig's door. And the whole time I was huffing and puffing and sneezing and making a real scene.The rest, as they say, is history.The news reporters found out about the two pigs I had for dinner. They figured a sick guy going to borrow a cup of sugar didn't sound very exciting.So they jazzed up the story with all of that “Huff and puff and blow your house down.” And they made me the Big Bad Wolf.That's it.The real story. I was framed.But maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar.

The True Story of the 3 Little PigsEverybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.I’m the wolf. Alexander T. Wolf.You can call me Al.I don’t know how this whole Big Bad Wolf thing got started, but it’s all wrong.Maybe it’s because of our diet.Hey, it’s not my fault wolves eat cute little animals like bunnies and sheep and pigs. That’s just the way we are. If cheeseburgers were cute, folks would probably think you’re Big and Bad, too.But like I was saying, the whole Big Bad Wolf thing is all wrong.The real story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar.This is the real story.Way back in Once Upon a Time time, I was making a birthday cake for my dear old granny.I had a terrible sneezing cold.I ran out of sugar.So I walked down the street to ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar.Now this neighbor was a pig. And he wasn’t too bright, either. He had built his whole house out of straw.Can you believe it? I mean who in his right mind would build a house of straw?So of course the minute I knocked on the door, it fell right in. I didn’t want to just walk into someone else’s house. So I called, “Little Pig, Little Pig, are you in?” No answer.I was just about to go home without the cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s birthday cake.That’s when my nose started to itch. I felt a sneeze coming on.Well I huffed.And I snuffed.And I sneezed a great sneeze.And you know what? That whole darn straw house fell down. And right in the middle of the pile was the First Little Pig—dead as a doornail.He had been home the whole time.It seemed like a shame to leave a perfectly good ham dinner lying there in the straw. So I ate it up.Think of it as a big cheeseburger just lying there.I was feeling a little better. But I still didn’t have my cup of sugar. So I went to the next neighbor’s house.This neighbor was the First Little Pig’s brother.He was a little smarter, but not much.He had built his house of sticks.I rang the bell on the stick house.Nobody answered. I called,” Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”He yelled back, “Go away wolf. You can’t come in. I’m shaving the hairs on my chinny chin chin.”I had just grabbed the doorknob when I felt another sneeze coming on.I huffed. And I snuffed. And I tried to cover my mouth, but I sneezed a great sneeze.And you’re not going to believe it, but this guy’s house fell down just like his brother’s.When the dust cleared, there was the Second Little Pig – dead as a doornail. Wolf’s honor.Now you know food will spoil if you just leave it out in the open.So I did the only thing there was to do. I had dinner again. Think of it as a second helping. I was getting awfully full. But my cold was feeling a little better. And I still didn’t have that cup of sugar for my dear old granny’s birthday cake. So I went to the next house. This guy was the First and Second Little Pigs’ brother. He must have been the brains of the family. He had built his house of bricks.I knocked on the brick house. No answer.I called, “Mr. Pig, Mr. Pig, are you in?”And do you know what that rude little porker answered?“Get out of here, Wolf. Don’t bother me again.”Talk about impolite!He probably had a whole sackful of sugar.And he wouldn’t give me even one little cup for my dear sweet old granny’s birthday cake.What a pig!I was just about to go home and maybe make a nice birthday card instead of a cake, when I felt my cold coming on.I huffed.And I snuffed.And I sneezed once again.Then the Third Little Pig yelled, “And your old granny can sit on a pin!”Now I’m usually a pretty calm fellow. But when somebody talks about my granny like that, I go a little crazy.When the cops drove up, of course I was trying to break down this Pig’s door. And the whole time I was huffing and puffing and sneezing and making a real scene.The rest, as they say, is history.The news reporters found out about the two pigs I had for dinner. They figured a sick guy going to borrow a cup of sugar didn’t sound very exciting.So they jazzed up the story with all of that “Huff and puff and blow your house down.” And they made me the Big Bad Wolf.That’s it.The real story. I was framed.But maybe you could loan me a cup of sugar.

The Gruffalo’s ChildThe Gruffalo said that no gruffalo shouldEver set foot in the deep dark wood.“Why not? Why not?” “Because if you doThe Big Bad Mouse will be after you.I met him once,” said the Gruffalo.“I met him a long long time ago.”“What does he look like? Tell us, Dad.Is he terribly big and terribly bad?”“I can’t quite remember,” the Gruffalo said.Then he thought for a minute and scratched his head.“The Big Bad Mouse is terribly strongAnd his scaly tail is terribly long.His eyes are like pools of terrible fireAnd his terrible whiskers are tougher than wire.”One snowy night when the Gruffalo snoredThe Gruffalo’s Child was feeling bored.The Gruffalo’s child was feeling braveSo she tiptoed out of the gruffalo cave.The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild.Into the wood went the Gruffalo’s Child.Aha! Oho! A trail in the snow!Whose is this trail and where does it go?A tail poked out of a logpile house.Could this be the tail of the Big Bad Mouse?Out slid the creature. His eyes were smallAnd he didn’t have whiskers – no, none at all.“You’re not the Mouse.” “Not I,” said the snake.“He’s down by the lake – eating gruffalo cake.”The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild.“I’m not scared,” said the Gruffalo’s Child.Aha! Oho! Marks in the snow!Whose are these claw marks? Where do they go?Two eyes gleamed out of a treetop house.Could these be the eyes of the Big Bad Mouse?Down flew the creature. His tail was shortAnd he didn’t have whiskers of any sort.“You’re not the Mouse.” “Toowhoo, not I,But he’s somewhere nearby, eating gruffalo pie.”The snow fell fast and the wind blew wild.“I’m not scared,” said the Gruffalo’s Child.Aha! Oho! A track in the snow!Whose is this track and where does it go?Whiskers at last! And an underground house!Could this be the home of the Big Bad Mouse?Out slunk the creature. His eyes weren’t fiery.His tail wasn’t scaly. His whiskers weren’t wiry.“You’re not the Mouse.” “Oh no, not me.He’s under a tree – drinking gruffalo tea.”“It’s all a trick!” said the Gruffalo’s ChildAs she sat on a stump where the snow lay piled.“I don’t believe in the Big Bad Mouse …“but here comes a little one, out of his house!Not big, not bad, but a mouse at least –You’ll taste good as a midnight feast.”“Wait!” said the mouse. “Before you eat,There’s a friend of mine that you ought to meet.If you’ll let me hop onto a hazel twigI’ll beckon my friend so bad and big.”The Gruffalo’s Child unclenched her fist.“The Big Bad Mouse – so he does exist!”The mouse hopped into the hazel tree.He beckoned, then said, “Just wait and see.”Out came the moon. It was bright and round.A terrible shadow fell onto the ground.Who is this creature so big, bad and strong?His tail and his whiskers are terribly long.His ears are enormous, and over his shoulderHe carries a nut as big as a boulder!“The Big Bad Mouse!” yelled the Gruffalo’s Child.The mouse jumped down from the twig and smiled.Aha! Oho! Prints in the snow.Whose are these footprints? Where do they go?The footprints led to the gruffalo caveWhere the Gruffalo’s Child was a bit less brave.The Gruffalo’s Child was a bit less bored …And the Gruffalo snored and snored and snored.

The Gruffalo咕噜牛A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.一只小老鼠，叽布叽布，在密林深处溜达。一只狐狸看到它，馋得口水直滴答。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my underground house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪啊？ 进来吃午饭吧，树底下就是我的家。“It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no-- I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo.”“哦，狐狸，你太客气啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来吃饭，一会就见面。”“A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”狐狸问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws,And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”“他有可怕的獠牙，可怕的爪子，可怕的嘴里长满了可怕的牙齿！”“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by these rocks, And his favorite food is roasted fox.”“你们要在哪见面？““就在这块岩石旁边， 烤狐狸这个菜他最喜欢！”“Roasted fox! Oh my !” Fox said.“Goodbye, little mouse,” and away he sped.“烤狐狸？天哪！小老鼠，我还有事要先走！” 狐狸说着，飞也似的就开溜。“Silly old Fox! Doesn't he know？There's no such thing as a gruffalo！”“这只狐狸真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！ 难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就没有？”On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.An owl saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.这只小老鼠，叽布叽布，继续在林中溜达。一只猫头鹰看到他，馋得口水直嘀嗒。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?Come and have tea in my treetop house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪儿啊？ 上来喝杯茶吧，树洞那儿就是我的家。“It's frightfully nice of you, Owl, but no-- I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo.”“哦，猫头鹰，你太好心啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来喝茶，一会儿就见面。”“A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”狐狸问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.”“他的膝盖特别鼓，脚趾叉得特别大，鼻头上的毒瘤特可怕！“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by this stream,And his favorite food is owl ice cream.”“你们要在哪见面？”“就在这条小河边， 他最喜欢猫头鹰冰淇淋！”“Owl ice cream? Toowhit！ Toowhoo!Goodbye, little mouse,” and away Owl flew.“猫头鹰冰淇淋?对不起，小老鼠，我还有事要先走！” 猫头鹰说着，拍拍翅膀就开溜。“Silly old Owl! Doesn't he know？ There's no such thing as a gruffalo！”“这只猫头鹰真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就没有？”On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.A snake saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.这只小老鼠，叽布叽布，继续在林中溜达。一条蛇看到他，馋得口水直嘀嗒。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come for a feast in my log-pile house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪儿啊？ 进来喝杯酒吧，木头堆里就是我的家。“It's wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no-- I'm having a feast with a gruffalo.”“哦，蛇，你太热情啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来喝酒，一会儿就见面。”“A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn't you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”蛇问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“His eyes are orange, his tongue is black;He has purple prickles all over his back.”“他有黄澄澄的眼睛，黑舌头， 紫色的倒刺长满在他背后。”“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by this lake, And his favorite food is scrambled snake.”“你们要在哪见面?”“就在这个湖旁边, 炒蛇肉这个菜他最喜欢!”“Scrambled snake？ It's time I hid!Goodbye, little mouse,” and away Snake slid.“炒蛇肉？对不起，小老鼠，我还有事要先走！ 这蛇说着扭着身子就开溜。“Silly old Snake! Doesn't he know？ There's no such thing as a gruffal...“这条蛇真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！ 难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就......”“Oh！”噢！But who is this creature with terrible claws，And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?He has knobbly knees and turn-out toes，And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.His eyes are orange, his tongue is black;He has purple prickles all over his back.哪来这么个大怪物---他有可怕的獠牙，可怕的爪子，可怕的嘴里长满了可怕的牙齿！他的膝盖特别鼓，脚趾叉得特别大，鼻头上的毒瘤特可怕！他有黄澄澄的眼睛，黑舌头，紫色的倒刺长满在他背后。“Oh help! Oh no! It's a gruffalo!”“哦，不，不，不！救命啊！怎么真有...... 怎么真有......咕噜牛？”“My favorite food!” the Gruffalo said.“You'll taste good on a slice of bread!”“我最爱吃小老鼠！”咕噜牛说道，“弄个老鼠汉堡，味道肯定非常好！“Good?” said the mouse. “Dont't call me good!I'm the scariest creature in this world.Just walk behind me and soon you'll see,Everyone is afraid of me.”“味道好？你先别说我味道好！有件事情，恐怕你还不知道，在这林子里，大家怕我怕得不得了，只要跟我走一圈，马上就让你看到，他们个个见了我，吓得全都赶紧逃。”“Oh, sure!” said the Gruffalo, bursting with laughter.“You lead the way and I'll follow after.”“那我倒要开开眼！”咕噜牛哈哈大笑，“你在前面走，我跟在你后面瞧。”They walked and walked till the Gruffalo said,“I hear a hiss in the grass ahead.”一大一小往前走，咕噜牛忽然停下，草丛里面嘶嘶响，你可知道那是啥？“It's Snake,” said the mouse. “Why, Snake, hello!”Snake took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那条蛇在爬。”小老鼠说，“蛇啊蛇，你好！”蛇抬起头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Oh, dear!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And slid right into his log-pile house.“哦，我的天啊！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”哧溜溜他就不见了。“You see?” said the mouse. “I told you so.”“Amazing!” said the Gruffalo.They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,“I hear a hoot in the trees ahead.”“看见没有？”小老鼠说，“大家见我都逃跑！”“这事还真是有点怪！”咕噜牛说道。 一大一小继续走，咕噜牛忽然又停下。“树梢顶那咕咕响，你可知道那是啥？”“It's Owl,” said the mouse, “Why, Owl, hello!”Owl took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那只猫头鹰在叫。”小老鼠说，“猫头鹰，你好！”猫头鹰低下头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Boo-whoo!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And flew right up to his treetop house.“哦，我的妈呀！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”呼啦啦他也不见了。“You see?” said the mouse. “I told you so.”“Astounding!” said the Gruffalo.They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,“I hear some paws on the path ahead.”“看见没有？”小老鼠说，“大家见我都逃跑！”“你还真是不得了！”咕噜牛说道。一大一小继续走，咕噜牛忽然又停下。“前面路上啪啦响，你可知道那是啥？”“It's Fox,” said the mouse. “Why, Fox, hello!”Fox took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那只狐狸。”小老鼠说，“狐狸，你好！”狐狸抬起头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Oh help!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And ran right into his underground house.“哦，救命啊！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”转眼间他也不见了。The mouse said,“Gruffalo, now you see,Everyone is afraid of me!But now my tummy is beginning to rumble,and my favorite food is -- gruffalo crumble!”“看见没有，咕噜牛。”小老鼠说道。“他们个个见了我，全都吓得赶紧逃！溜溜达达走半天，我的肚子早饿啦！听说咕噜牛肉很不错，我倒真想尝尝它！“Gruffalo crumble!” the Gruffalo said,And quick as the wind he turned and fled.“咕噜牛肉！”咕噜牛一声叫，快得像风，他转身就逃！All was quiet in the deep dark wood.The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.密林深处静悄悄，小老鼠捧着榛果美美地嚼，这榛果的味道真是好！

The Gruffalo咕噜牛A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.一只小老鼠，叽布叽布，在密林深处溜达。一只狐狸看到它，馋得口水直滴答。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my underground house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪啊？ 进来吃午饭吧，树底下就是我的家。“It’s terribly kind of you, Fox, but no-- I’m going to have lunch with a gruffalo.”“哦，狐狸，你太客气啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来吃饭，一会就见面。”“A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”狐狸问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws,And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”“他有可怕的獠牙，可怕的爪子，可怕的嘴里长满了可怕的牙齿！”“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by these rocks, And his favorite food is roasted fox.”“你们要在哪见面？““就在这块岩石旁边， 烤狐狸这个菜他最喜欢！”“Roasted fox! Oh my !” Fox said.“Goodbye, little mouse,” and away he sped.“烤狐狸？天哪！小老鼠，我还有事要先走！” 狐狸说着，飞也似的就开溜。“Silly old Fox! Doesn’t he know？There’s no such thing as a gruffalo！”“这只狐狸真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！ 难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就没有？”On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.An owl saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.这只小老鼠，叽布叽布，继续在林中溜达。一只猫头鹰看到他，馋得口水直嘀嗒。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?Come and have tea in my treetop house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪儿啊？ 上来喝杯茶吧，树洞那儿就是我的家。“It’s frightfully nice of you, Owl, but no-- I’m going to have tea with a gruffalo.”“哦，猫头鹰，你太好心啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来喝茶，一会儿就见面。”“A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”狐狸问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.”“他的膝盖特别鼓，脚趾叉得特别大，鼻头上的毒瘤特可怕！“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by this stream,And his favorite food is owl ice cream.”“你们要在哪见面？”“就在这条小河边， 他最喜欢猫头鹰冰淇淋！”“Owl ice cream? Toowhit！ Toowhoo!Goodbye, little mouse,” and away Owl flew.“猫头鹰冰淇淋?对不起，小老鼠，我还有事要先走！” 猫头鹰说着，拍拍翅膀就开溜。“Silly old Owl! Doesn’t he know？ There’s no such thing as a gruffalo！”“这只猫头鹰真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就没有？”On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.A snake saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.这只小老鼠，叽布叽布，继续在林中溜达。一条蛇看到他，馋得口水直嘀嗒。“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come for a feast in my log-pile house.”“亲爱的小老鼠，你要上哪儿啊？ 进来喝杯酒吧，木头堆里就是我的家。“It’s wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no-- I’m having a feast with a gruffalo.”“哦，蛇，你太热情啦！可是很抱歉-- 咕噜牛约我来喝酒，一会儿就见面。”“A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?”“咕噜牛？咕噜牛是谁啊？”蛇问道。“咕噜牛就是咕噜牛。怎么，你连这也不知道？”“His eyes are orange, his tongue is black;He has purple prickles all over his back.”“他有黄澄澄的眼睛，黑舌头， 紫色的倒刺长满在他背后。”“Where are you meeting him?”“Here, by this lake, And his favorite food is scrambled snake.”“你们要在哪见面?”“就在这个湖旁边, 炒蛇肉这个菜他最喜欢!”“Scrambled snake？ It’s time I hid!Goodbye, little mouse,” and away Snake slid.“炒蛇肉？对不起，小老鼠，我还有事要先走！ 这蛇说着扭着身子就开溜。“Silly old Snake! Doesn’t he know？ There’s no such thing as a gruffal...“这条蛇真是蠢！什么咕噜牛！ 难道他不知道，咕噜牛根本就......”“Oh！”噢！But who is this creature with terrible claws，And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?He has knobbly knees and turn-out toes，And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.His eyes are orange, his tongue is black;He has purple prickles all over his back.哪来这么个大怪物---他有可怕的獠牙，可怕的爪子，可怕的嘴里长满了可怕的牙齿！他的膝盖特别鼓，脚趾叉得特别大，鼻头上的毒瘤特可怕！他有黄澄澄的眼睛，黑舌头，紫色的倒刺长满在他背后。“Oh help! Oh no! It’s a gruffalo!”“哦，不，不，不！救命啊！怎么真有...... 怎么真有......咕噜牛？”“My favorite food!” the Gruffalo said.“You’ll taste good on a slice of bread!”“我最爱吃小老鼠！”咕噜牛说道，“弄个老鼠汉堡，味道肯定非常好！“Good?” said the mouse. “Dont’t call me good!I’m the scariest creature in this world.Just walk behind me and soon you’ll see,Everyone is afraid of me.”“味道好？你先别说我味道好！有件事情，恐怕你还不知道，在这林子里，大家怕我怕得不得了，只要跟我走一圈，马上就让你看到，他们个个见了我，吓得全都赶紧逃。”“Oh, sure!” said the Gruffalo, bursting with laughter.“You lead the way and I’ll follow after.”“那我倒要开开眼！”咕噜牛哈哈大笑，“你在前面走，我跟在你后面瞧。”They walked and walked till the Gruffalo said,“I hear a hiss in the grass ahead.”一大一小往前走，咕噜牛忽然停下，草丛里面嘶嘶响，你可知道那是啥？“It’s Snake,” said the mouse. “Why, Snake, hello!”Snake took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那条蛇在爬。”小老鼠说，“蛇啊蛇，你好！”蛇抬起头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Oh, dear!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And slid right into his log-pile house.“哦，我的天啊！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”哧溜溜他就不见了。“You see?” said the mouse. “I told you so.”“Amazing!” said the Gruffalo.They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,“I hear a hoot in the trees ahead.”“看见没有？”小老鼠说，“大家见我都逃跑！”“这事还真是有点怪！”咕噜牛说道。 一大一小继续走，咕噜牛忽然又停下。“树梢顶那咕咕响，你可知道那是啥？”“It’s Owl,” said the mouse, “Why, Owl, hello!”Owl took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那只猫头鹰在叫。”小老鼠说，“猫头鹰，你好！”猫头鹰低下头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Boo-whoo!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And flew right up to his treetop house.“哦，我的妈呀！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”呼啦啦他也不见了。“You see?” said the mouse. “I told you so.”“Astounding!” said the Gruffalo.They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,“I hear some paws on the path ahead.”“看见没有？”小老鼠说，“大家见我都逃跑！”“你还真是不得了！”咕噜牛说道。一大一小继续走，咕噜牛忽然又停下。“前面路上啪啦响，你可知道那是啥？”“It’s Fox,” said the mouse. “Why, Fox, hello!”Fox took one look at the Gruffalo.“一定是那只狐狸。”小老鼠说，“狐狸，你好！”狐狸抬起头，把咕噜牛瞧了瞧。“Oh help!” he said, “Goodbye, little mouse,”And ran right into his underground house.“哦，救命啊！”他说，“我得赶紧把命逃！”转眼间他也不见了。The mouse said,“Gruffalo, now you see,Everyone is afraid of me!But now my tummy is beginning to rumble,and my favorite food is -- gruffalo crumble!”“看见没有，咕噜牛。”小老鼠说道。“他们个个见了我，全都吓得赶紧逃！溜溜达达走半天，我的肚子早饿啦！听说咕噜牛肉很不错，我倒真想尝尝它！“Gruffalo crumble!” the Gruffalo said,And quick as the wind he turned and fled.“咕噜牛肉！”咕噜牛一声叫，快得像风，他转身就逃！All was quiet in the deep dark wood.The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.密林深处静悄悄，小老鼠捧着榛果美美地嚼，这榛果的味道真是好！

The Lotus LanternRed lanterns hung from strings above Liang's head. “What a beauty!” Liang exclaimed as he walked in the streets of the Chinatown.Suddenly, Liang saw it. It was hung above the grand stage. A beautiful lantern shaped like a lotus. It bloomed in front of Liang's eyes. Liang saw a tag beside the Lotus Lantern: $300. Liang sadly shook his head. “By the time I've earned that much money, Chinatown will be closed!” he thought.Liang went to the stage. He took a seat on one of the folding chairs.“Welcome! I'm your host!” the host announced. “We have great acts for you! But first, I'll have to choose a volunteer! How about you there, young man?” He pointed a long crooked finger at Liang. Liang basically got pushed onto the stage by the crowd. He had to do many weird stunts and acts. Finally the show was over. Liang sighed in relief, “Finally!” He was still dizzy from the hypnotizing show. Liang heard the host say, “Thank you, young man! Now, you can take this lantern home with you!” He grinned as he handed Liang the Lotus Lantern. Liang could not believe it. He took the lantern home immediately.“Mom! Dad! Look what I've got!” Liang cried.He told his parents all the things that had happened.“Great! It could replace that old lantern in your room!” Mom said.“I'm not going to replace that lantern! I'm going to hang this one beside the old one!”He got right to work. And soon he was finished.“Okay, you've got to put the lantern out now, darling!” Dad called into Liang's room.Liang tried to put out the lantern. But there was an invisible force holding him back.“Dad, come help me! I can't put it out!” Liang's father ran to the lantern and put it out easily.“Those tricks of yours are not going to fool me!” He cried angrily as he stormed out.Liang heard a sound, “Come! Put me on! You will get great rewards! If you don't, I will bring doom to your whole family!”Liang thought it was a bad dream. So he fell into deep sleep.The next day, Liang went to school, and bad luck came upon him. He spilled his milk on his clothes and broke his pen. He tore his books and lost his coat. He was scolded badly by his parents.Later that night Liang heard the voice again, “Put me on! Or the bad luck will continue, and I will bring doom to your family!”Liang thought it was a nightmare. So again he fell asleep.Even worse luck the next day.He bumped his head in the gym class. He flunked the math test. And he acted poorly in the Chinese class. The teachers shouted at Liang. And his parents gave him a dressing down again. “Put me on! Put me on!” The ghostly voice echoed beside Liang's ears.Liang grabbed the lantern and tossed it out the window.The next day, Mom scolded Liang again. For the lantern had somehow got itself lit again and was hung on the kitchen ceiling. Liang grabbed the lantern and ran to the Chinatown. “I want to return this!” Liang gasped as he finally reached the stage. A worker took the lantern and Liang ran off.That night, the lantern appeared again in Liang's room.Liang lit the old lantern. He thought that it would make him safer.The next morning, both lanterns were gone. Liang saw a note: I sacrificed myself to save you. I am your old lantern. I had a battle with the Lotus Lantern while you were asleep. He was an evil magician. Just remember, Liang, all that glitters is not gold. Truly yours, The Old LanternSo Liang and his parents lived happily ever after, and no one knows what had happened to those two lanterns. 莲花灯红色的灯笼挂在阿良的头顶上。“太漂亮了！”阿良走在唐人街的街道上，一边走，一边赞叹道。突然，阿良看到了它，它就挂在大舞台的上方。那是一盏漂亮的灯笼，形状和莲花一样。莲花在阿良的眼前绽放着。阿良看到莲花灯旁有一个价格标签：300美元。阿良伤心地摇了摇头。“等我挣够了钱，唐人街就关门了。”他想到。阿良来到舞台旁，他在折叠椅上坐了下来。 “欢迎光临。我是今晚的主持人。”主持人说道。“今晚有精彩的表演。不过，首先，我们要挑选一名志愿者。你怎么样，年轻人？”他用又长又弯的指头指着阿良。阿良几乎是让人推上舞台的。他表演了几个很奇怪的节目。表演结束了。阿良如释重负，叹了口气说道：“终于结束了！” 不过，刚刚参加完催眠节目，他还觉得晕乎乎的。阿良听到主持人说道：“谢谢，年轻人。现在，你可以把灯笼拿回家了。”他一边笑着，一边把莲花灯递给阿良。阿良简直不敢相信。他马上拿着灯回家了。“妈，爸！ 看我拿回什么了！”阿良说道。他把事情的经过一五一十地告诉了父母。 “太好了！你可以把你屋里那个旧灯笼换下来了！”妈妈说道。“我不会把那个换下来！我要把这个挂在那个边上！”说干就干。很快，灯笼挂好了。“好了，亲爱的，把灯吹灭吧。”爸爸对着阿良的房间喊道。阿良想把灯吹灭。可是，有一种无形的力量在阻遏着他。“爸，快来帮帮我！我吹不灭！”阿良的爸爸快步来到灯前，轻而易举地把灯吹灭了。 “你那些个小把戏，甭想蒙我！”他说着，气咻咻地走了出去。阿良听到一个声音说道：“快，把我点亮，你会得到奖赏！否则，你全家都会遭殃！”阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，便睡去了。第二天，阿良上学去了。厄运真的来了。牛奶洒到衣服上了，钢笔坏了，书撕破了，外套也丢了。回家后，让爸妈臭骂了一顿。那天晚上，阿良又听到那个声音。“把我点亮。否则，厄运会继续缠着你。而且，你全家都会遭殃！”阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，又睡下了。第二天，更加倒霉的事发生了。体育课上，撞了头；数学测验，挂了；中文课上，也表现得不如人意。老师批评了他，父母又是一顿臭骂。 “把我点亮！把我点亮！”幽灵般的声音在阿良耳畔回响。阿良猛地抓起灯笼，把它扔出窗外。第二天，妈妈又凶了阿良一顿。不知怎么回事，灯笼又亮了，而且，挂在了厨房的天花板上。阿良抓起灯笼，跑到唐人街上。 “我要退货！”阿良终于来到了大舞台上，上气不接下气地说道。一名工作人员接过了灯笼。阿良跑开了。那天晚上，灯笼再次出现在阿良的房间里。阿良把旧灯笼点亮了。他觉得，这样他会安全一些。 第二天早上，两盏灯都不见了。阿良看到一张纸条： 为了你，我牺牲了自己。我是你原来的灯笼。你睡觉的时候，我和莲花灯进行了一场搏斗。他是一个邪恶的魔术师。记住，阿良，闪闪发光物，未必尽黄金。 你忠实的 旧灯笼阿良和他的父母从此幸福地生活在一起。至于那两盏灯后来怎么样了，没人知道。

The Lotus LanternRed lanterns hung from strings above Liang’s head. “What a beauty!” Liang exclaimed as he walked in the streets of the Chinatown.Suddenly, Liang saw it. It was hung above the grand stage. A beautiful lantern shaped like a lotus. It bloomed in front of Liang’s eyes. Liang saw a tag beside the Lotus Lantern: $300. Liang sadly shook his head. “By the time I’ve earned that much money, Chinatown will be closed!” he thought.Liang went to the stage. He took a seat on one of the folding chairs.“Welcome! I’m your host!” the host announced. “We have great acts for you! But first, I’ll have to choose a volunteer! How about you there, young man?” He pointed a long crooked finger at Liang. Liang basically got pushed onto the stage by the crowd. He had to do many weird stunts and acts. Finally the show was over. Liang sighed in relief, “Finally!” He was still dizzy from the hypnotizing show. Liang heard the host say, “Thank you, young man! Now, you can take this lantern home with you!” He grinned as he handed Liang the Lotus Lantern. Liang could not believe it. He took the lantern home immediately.“Mom! Dad! Look what I’ve got!” Liang cried.He told his parents all the things that had happened.“Great! It could replace that old lantern in your room!” Mom said.“I’m not going to replace that lantern! I’m going to hang this one beside the old one!”He got right to work. And soon he was finished.“Okay, you’ve got to put the lantern out now, darling!” Dad called into Liang’s room.Liang tried to put out the lantern. But there was an invisible force holding him back.“Dad, come help me! I can’t put it out!” Liang’s father ran to the lantern and put it out easily.“Those tricks of yours are not going to fool me!” He cried angrily as he stormed out.Liang heard a sound, “Come! Put me on! You will get great rewards! If you don’t, I will bring doom to your whole family!”Liang thought it was a bad dream. So he fell into deep sleep.The next day, Liang went to school, and bad luck came upon him. He spilled his milk on his clothes and broke his pen. He tore his books and lost his coat. He was scolded badly by his parents.Later that night Liang heard the voice again, “Put me on! Or the bad luck will continue, and I will bring doom to your family!”Liang thought it was a nightmare. So again he fell asleep.Even worse luck the next day.He bumped his head in the gym class. He flunked the math test. And he acted poorly in the Chinese class. The teachers shouted at Liang. And his parents gave him a dressing down again. “Put me on! Put me on!” The ghostly voice echoed beside Liang’s ears.Liang grabbed the lantern and tossed it out the window.The next day, Mom scolded Liang again. For the lantern had somehow got itself lit again and was hung on the kitchen ceiling. Liang grabbed the lantern and ran to the Chinatown. “I want to return this!” Liang gasped as he finally reached the stage. A worker took the lantern and Liang ran off.That night, the lantern appeared again in Liang’s room.Liang lit the old lantern. He thought that it would make him safer.The next morning, both lanterns were gone. Liang saw a note: I sacrificed myself to save you. I am your old lantern. I had a battle with the Lotus Lantern while you were asleep. He was an evil magician. Just remember, Liang, all that glitters is not gold. Truly yours, The Old LanternSo Liang and his parents lived happily ever after, and no one knows what had happened to those two lanterns. 莲花灯红色的灯笼挂在阿良的头顶上。“太漂亮了！”阿良走在唐人街的街道上，一边走，一边赞叹道。突然，阿良看到了它，它就挂在大舞台的上方。那是一盏漂亮的灯笼，形状和莲花一样。莲花在阿良的眼前绽放着。阿良看到莲花灯旁有一个价格标签：300美元。阿良伤心地摇了摇头。“等我挣够了钱，唐人街就关门了。”他想到。阿良来到舞台旁，他在折叠椅上坐了下来。 “欢迎光临。我是今晚的主持人。”主持人说道。“今晚有精彩的表演。不过，首先，我们要挑选一名志愿者。你怎么样，年轻人？”他用又长又弯的指头指着阿良。阿良几乎是让人推上舞台的。他表演了几个很奇怪的节目。表演结束了。阿良如释重负，叹了口气说道：“终于结束了！” 不过，刚刚参加完催眠节目，他还觉得晕乎乎的。阿良听到主持人说道：“谢谢，年轻人。现在，你可以把灯笼拿回家了。”他一边笑着，一边把莲花灯递给阿良。阿良简直不敢相信。他马上拿着灯回家了。“妈，爸！ 看我拿回什么了！”阿良说道。他把事情的经过一五一十地告诉了父母。 “太好了！你可以把你屋里那个旧灯笼换下来了！”妈妈说道。“我不会把那个换下来！我要把这个挂在那个边上！”说干就干。很快，灯笼挂好了。“好了，亲爱的，把灯吹灭吧。”爸爸对着阿良的房间喊道。阿良想把灯吹灭。可是，有一种无形的力量在阻遏着他。“爸，快来帮帮我！我吹不灭！”阿良的爸爸快步来到灯前，轻而易举地把灯吹灭了。 “你那些个小把戏，甭想蒙我！”他说着，气咻咻地走了出去。阿良听到一个声音说道：“快，把我点亮，你会得到奖赏！否则，你全家都会遭殃！”阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，便睡去了。第二天，阿良上学去了。厄运真的来了。牛奶洒到衣服上了，钢笔坏了，书撕破了，外套也丢了。回家后，让爸妈臭骂了一顿。那天晚上，阿良又听到那个声音。“把我点亮。否则，厄运会继续缠着你。而且，你全家都会遭殃！”阿良以为是个噩梦，于是，又睡下了。第二天，更加倒霉的事发生了。体育课上，撞了头；数学测验，挂了；中文课上，也表现得不如人意。老师批评了他，父母又是一顿臭骂。 “把我点亮！把我点亮！”幽灵般的声音在阿良耳畔回响。阿良猛地抓起灯笼，把它扔出窗外。第二天，妈妈又凶了阿良一顿。不知怎么回事，灯笼又亮了，而且，挂在了厨房的天花板上。阿良抓起灯笼，跑到唐人街上。 “我要退货！”阿良终于来到了大舞台上，上气不接下气地说道。一名工作人员接过了灯笼。阿良跑开了。那天晚上，灯笼再次出现在阿良的房间里。阿良把旧灯笼点亮了。他觉得，这样他会安全一些。 第二天早上，两盏灯都不见了。阿良看到一张纸条： 为了你，我牺牲了自己。我是你原来的灯笼。你睡觉的时候，我和莲花灯进行了一场搏斗。他是一个邪恶的魔术师。记住，阿良，闪闪发光物，未必尽黄金。 你忠实的 旧灯笼阿良和他的父母从此幸福地生活在一起。至于那两盏灯后来怎么样了，没人知道。

Mother GoosebumpsThere was a dark dark town,Which had a dark dark house.In the house there was a dark dark lady,Who was wearing a dark dark blouse.She had a dark dark curse,And went by a dark dark name.Under the dark dark moon,She had a dark dark fame.She's the dark dark were-woman,A dark dark werewolf, to be precise.Her dark dark habit was eating childrenIn the dark dark cape of night.One dark dark evening, With many a dark dark star,The giant dark dark creatureDid dark dark things near and far. A man in a dark dark suit,Holding a dark dark gun,He had a dark dark decision,Her dark dark reign was done.He tracked the dark dark beast,By finding dark dark hair.He hunted the dark dark creature,In her dark dark lair.The dark dark man did take the bodyTo the dark dark town.He was awarded a dark dark prize For hunting the dark dark killer down.The dark dark creature was buriedIn a dark dark graveyard like the rest.The dark dark man did buildThe monster's new dark dark nest.The werewolf was once bitten by a dark dark other,So she turned into a dark dark beast in pain.The dark dark Mother GoosebumpsLay in her dark dark home again.鸡皮疙瘩妈妈从前，有一个黑暗、黑暗的小镇，镇上有一栋黑暗、黑暗的房子。房子里有一名黑暗、黑暗的女子，穿着黑暗、黑暗的上衣。她有一个黑暗、黑暗的魔咒，和一个黑暗、黑暗的名字。在黑暗、黑暗的月下，她有着黑暗、黑暗的名声。她是一名黑暗、黑暗的狼女——一名黑暗、黑暗的狼人。她有一个黑暗、黑暗的习惯，吃小孩在黑黯、黑黯的夜晚。在一个黑暗、黑暗的夜晚，天上满是黑暗、黑暗的星星，这个黑暗、黑暗的庞然大物，在远近做着黑暗、黑暗的事情。一个穿着黑暗、黑暗西服的男人，拿着一支黑暗、黑暗的枪，他做出了一个黑暗、黑暗的决定，要把她黑暗、黑暗的王国推翻。他跟踪黑暗、黑暗的野兽，寻找黑暗、黑暗的毛发，他捕猎黑暗、黑暗的野兽，在她黑暗、黑暗的洞里。黑暗、黑暗的男人，把尸体拖回黑暗、黑暗的镇上。他获得了一枚黑暗、黑暗的奖章，因为猎杀了黑暗、黑暗的杀手。黑暗、黑暗的野兽，被埋葬在黑暗、黑暗的坟地。黑暗、黑暗的男人，为黑暗、黑暗的野兽找到了新的洞穴。狼人曾让黑暗、黑暗的同类咬伤，于是，她痛苦地变成了黑暗、黑暗的野兽。黑暗、黑暗的鸡皮疙瘩妈妈，重又躺在了黑暗、黑暗的家里。

Mother GoosebumpsThere was a dark dark town,Which had a dark dark house.In the house there was a dark dark lady,Who was wearing a dark dark blouse.She had a dark dark curse,And went by a dark dark name.Under the dark dark moon,She had a dark dark fame.She’s the dark dark were-woman,A dark dark werewolf, to be precise.Her dark dark habit was eating childrenIn the dark dark cape of night.One dark dark evening, With many a dark dark star,The giant dark dark creatureDid dark dark things near and far. A man in a dark dark suit,Holding a dark dark gun,He had a dark dark decision,Her dark dark reign was done.He tracked the dark dark beast,By finding dark dark hair.He hunted the dark dark creature,In her dark dark lair.The dark dark man did take the bodyTo the dark dark town.He was awarded a dark dark prize For hunting the dark dark killer down.The dark dark creature was buriedIn a dark dark graveyard like the rest.The dark dark man did buildThe monster’s new dark dark nest.The werewolf was once bitten by a dark dark other,So she turned into a dark dark beast in pain.The dark dark Mother GoosebumpsLay in her dark dark home again.鸡皮疙瘩妈妈从前，有一个黑暗、黑暗的小镇，镇上有一栋黑暗、黑暗的房子。房子里有一名黑暗、黑暗的女子，穿着黑暗、黑暗的上衣。她有一个黑暗、黑暗的魔咒，和一个黑暗、黑暗的名字。在黑暗、黑暗的月下，她有着黑暗、黑暗的名声。她是一名黑暗、黑暗的狼女——一名黑暗、黑暗的狼人。她有一个黑暗、黑暗的习惯，吃小孩在黑黯、黑黯的夜晚。在一个黑暗、黑暗的夜晚，天上满是黑暗、黑暗的星星，这个黑暗、黑暗的庞然大物，在远近做着黑暗、黑暗的事情。一个穿着黑暗、黑暗西服的男人，拿着一支黑暗、黑暗的枪，他做出了一个黑暗、黑暗的决定，要把她黑暗、黑暗的王国推翻。他跟踪黑暗、黑暗的野兽，寻找黑暗、黑暗的毛发，他捕猎黑暗、黑暗的野兽，在她黑暗、黑暗的洞里。黑暗、黑暗的男人，把尸体拖回黑暗、黑暗的镇上。他获得了一枚黑暗、黑暗的奖章，因为猎杀了黑暗、黑暗的杀手。黑暗、黑暗的野兽，被埋葬在黑暗、黑暗的坟地。黑暗、黑暗的男人，为黑暗、黑暗的野兽找到了新的洞穴。狼人曾让黑暗、黑暗的同类咬伤，于是，她痛苦地变成了黑暗、黑暗的野兽。黑暗、黑暗的鸡皮疙瘩妈妈，重又躺在了黑暗、黑暗的家里。

“Ring! Ring!” The bell rang. Tim knew it was time to go home again. He pulled on his blue and white mittens, newly knitted by his mother, and walked out the kindergarten gate with his best friend John. They held hands, but no one talked. They were too cold to talk. The coldness invaded them even through their thick winter coats.They walked through Arkansas Lane. Just as they were turning into Main Street, John spoke, “You know, Tim, this winter just goes on and on. It started like five months ago!” Indeed, this winter had been the longest in years. It was January. And the harsh winter started in September last year. After John said that, all was silent except for the howling winds.John lay in the hospital. He was in a deep sleep. The doctor in charge shook his head, “I'm sorry, Mrs. Parkinson. There's no hope.” Silent sobs filled the emergency room. The sobs of the Parkinsons. And those of the reckless driver. Suddenly, John opened his eyes. “Mom, Dad,” he said, “I'm sorry. I wasn't careful enough.” His voice was a whisper. “I need you to do one more thing for me. Take the mitten, and give it to Tim. Thank you. Bye.” He closed his eyes again. The doctor put his hand on John's chest. “He's gone,” he said. “I'm very sorry.”The Parkinsons left the hospital. “The mitten! Get it, Bill!” Mrs. Parkinson shouted to her husband. But even Mr. Parkinson could not catch the mitten in the winter winds. The only thing he could do was watch it fly away.Years went by since the accident. Tim was now in the third grade. A day did not go by that he did not miss John. “Ring! Ring!” The bell rang. Tim walked home. It was another long winter, longer than the one when the accident happened. Tim walked home alone. When he arrived, he threw his backpack on the couch before slumping onto it himself. He was extremely sad, for this was the day that John passed away. He had a quiet dinner of pasta. Then he climbed up the stairs to his room. He loved his room.He was tucking in when he heard a long howl. He looked out the window. A dog was there. He was looking wistfully up at Tim. Tim shut the windows. He was a dog person, but somehow that dog gave him the creeps. He got into bed when he heard the howl again.That night, he had a dream. He dreamt that John was standing in front of him. Beside him was a dog. He whispered to Tim, “Take him. He's me!” Then all was quiet. Another dream popped up, but this one was about Tim riding a dragon in Camelot. Tim was bothered by the dream. So when the next night arrived, he sneaked down the stairs and opened the door. He went into his mother's bedroom. “Mom? I need you! Wear your winter clothes and your mittens!” So, with a little complaining of Tim's mom, the two stepped out of the house. And sure enough, the dog was waiting for Tim. Tim looked at the dog closely for the first time. It had a black tail, big black ears and brown spots all over his white fur. It ran into the woods, and the two chased after it. Tim spotted something in the snow. It poked out at a weird angle. Tim reached out and grabbed it. He cried, “Oh!” It was a blue and white mitten. The exact one the Parkinsons had lost. Tim watched as the dog ran past him towards his house. Tim ran after him, tears filling his eyes. He told his mom about the dream. His mom woke his dad. They all agreed to keep the dog.The next day, Tim told the Parkinsons. They agreed, too. Tim stayed at the Parkinsons for hot chocolate (It was Sunday). “I'm sorry about John” was the only thing Tim could say before he left.When he got home, his eyes filled with tears once more, for the dog was greeting him at the door. He was wagging his tail and barking loudly. Tim patted the dog's head, “Thanks, John.” Then he walked inside with the dog following close behind. 情暖冬日 “叮铃！叮铃！”铃声响了。 蒂姆知道，又到回家的时候了。他带上妈妈新织的蓝白相间的连指手套，和最好的朋友约翰一起走出幼儿园的大门。两人手拉着手，谁也没有说话。天太冷了，冷得让人不愿意说话。身上的棉衣很厚，却仍旧无法抵挡凛冽的寒气。 他们穿过阿肯萨斯小巷，正要拐上主街时，约翰开口了：“你看，蒂姆，这个冬天太长了，五个多月了。”的确，这个冬天是近几年来最长的。现在是一月份，而寒冷的冬天从去年九月份就开始了。约翰说完，一切归于沉寂，只有寒风在耳畔怒吼着。 约翰躺在医院里，睡得很沉。主治医生摇了摇头，说道：“对不起，帕金森太太，希望不大了。”一时间，急诊室里传出了阵阵哽咽声——帕金森夫妇的哽咽声，夹杂着那个开英雄车的司机的哽咽声。 突然，约翰睁开了眼睛。 “妈妈，爸爸，”他说道，“对不起，都怪我，太不小心了。”他的声音低得像是耳语。“麻烦你们再为我办一件事情。拿着这只手套，把它交给蒂姆。谢谢。再见。”他再次闭上了眼睛。 主治医生把手放到约翰的胸口上。“他走了。”他说道。“实在对不起。” 帕金森夫妇离开了医院。 “手套！比尔，快抓住！”帕金森太太冲他的丈夫喊道。 可是，即便是帕金森先生也无法抓住风中的手套，只能眼睁睁地看着它随风而去。 事故已经过去好几年了。蒂姆现在上小学三年级了，可是，他的心里没有一天不想着约翰。 “叮铃！叮铃！”铃声响了。 蒂姆走回家去。这又是一个漫长的冬天，比事故发生的那个冬天还要长。蒂姆一个人走着。到家后，把背包扔到沙发上，接着，一屁股坐了下去。他很伤心，因为那天正是约翰离去的日子。他静静地吃着晚餐，晚餐吃的是意大利面。饭后，他爬上楼梯，来到自己的房间。他很喜欢自己的房间。 蒂姆正要就寝，突然听到一声嚎叫，叫声很长。他望望窗外，窗下有一只狗，正眼巴巴地看着他。蒂姆把窗户都关上了。他是一个非常喜欢狗的人，可是，不知道为什么，眼前这只狗让他浑身起鸡皮疙瘩。他上了床，突然，又传来一声嚎叫。 那天晚上，他做了个梦，梦见约翰站在他的面前，旁边站着一只狗。他小声对蒂姆说：“收下他。他就是我！”接着，是一片寂静。不一会儿，又做了一个梦。这一次，他梦见自己在卡米洛王国骑龙呢。 梦一直困扰着蒂姆。所以，等第二天夜晚来临时，他悄悄溜下楼梯，把房门打开。他走进了母亲的卧室。 “妈妈，我需要你的帮助！快穿上衣服，带上手套！” 妈妈嘟囔了几声，和蒂姆一起走了出去。果不其然，狗在外面等着蒂姆。蒂姆第一次好好看了看他。他长着黑色的尾巴，黑黑的长耳，雪白的皮毛上满是褐色的斑点。狗跑进了小树林，蒂姆和妈妈在后紧跟着。蒂姆看见雪地里有一样东西。那个东西从雪地里伸了出来，角度很奇怪。蒂姆伸出手去，把它拽了出来。突然，他惊叫一声：“天哪！”那是一只蓝白相间的连指手套，正是帕金森夫妇丢失的那只！蒂姆看着狗从他身边经过，朝房子的方向跑去。蒂姆跟在后面，眼里充满了泪水。他把梦一五一十告诉了妈妈。妈妈把爸爸摇醒。他们都同意把狗留下。 第二天，蒂姆把事情的来龙去脉告诉了帕金森夫妇，他们也双双同意了。蒂姆在帕金森夫妇家里喝着热巧克力（那天是个星期天）。“约翰的事情，我很难过”——这是蒂姆离开前所能说的唯一的一句话。 回到家里，他的眼睛再次湿润了。狗就站在门口，迎接他的归来。他摇晃着尾巴，大声叫着。蒂姆轻轻拍拍狗的脑袋：“谢谢，约翰。”说着，他走了进去，狗紧紧跟在后面。

“Ring! Ring!” The bell rang. Tim knew it was time to go home again. He pulled on his blue and white mittens, newly knitted by his mother, and walked out the kindergarten gate with his best friend John. They held hands, but no one talked. They were too cold to talk. The coldness invaded them even through their thick winter coats.They walked through Arkansas Lane. Just as they were turning into Main Street, John spoke, “You know, Tim, this winter just goes on and on. It started like five months ago!” Indeed, this winter had been the longest in years. It was January. And the harsh winter started in September last year. After John said that, all was silent except for the howling winds.John lay in the hospital. He was in a deep sleep. The doctor in charge shook his head, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Parkinson. There’s no hope.” Silent sobs filled the emergency room. The sobs of the Parkinsons. And those of the reckless driver. Suddenly, John opened his eyes. “Mom, Dad,” he said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t careful enough.” His voice was a whisper. “I need you to do one more thing for me. Take the mitten, and give it to Tim. Thank you. Bye.” He closed his eyes again. The doctor put his hand on John’s chest. “He’s gone,” he said. “I’m very sorry.”The Parkinsons left the hospital. “The mitten! Get it, Bill!” Mrs. Parkinson shouted to her husband. But even Mr. Parkinson could not catch the mitten in the winter winds. The only thing he could do was watch it fly away.Years went by since the accident. Tim was now in the third grade. A day did not go by that he did not miss John. “Ring! Ring!” The bell rang. Tim walked home. It was another long winter, longer than the one when the accident happened. Tim walked home alone. When he arrived, he threw his backpack on the couch before slumping onto it himself. He was extremely sad, for this was the day that John passed away. He had a quiet dinner of pasta. Then he climbed up the stairs to his room. He loved his room.He was tucking in when he heard a long howl. He looked out the window. A dog was there. He was looking wistfully up at Tim. Tim shut the windows. He was a dog person, but somehow that dog gave him the creeps. He got into bed when he heard the howl again.That night, he had a dream. He dreamt that John was standing in front of him. Beside him was a dog. He whispered to Tim, “Take him. He’s me!” Then all was quiet. Another dream popped up, but this one was about Tim riding a dragon in Camelot. Tim was bothered by the dream. So when the next night arrived, he sneaked down the stairs and opened the door. He went into his mother’s bedroom. “Mom? I need you! Wear your winter clothes and your mittens!” So, with a little complaining of Tim’s mom, the two stepped out of the house. And sure enough, the dog was waiting for Tim. Tim looked at the dog closely for the first time. It had a black tail, big black ears and brown spots all over his white fur. It ran into the woods, and the two chased after it. Tim spotted something in the snow. It poked out at a weird angle. Tim reached out and grabbed it. He cried, “Oh!” It was a blue and white mitten. The exact one the Parkinsons had lost. Tim watched as the dog ran past him towards his house. Tim ran after him, tears filling his eyes. He told his mom about the dream. His mom woke his dad. They all agreed to keep the dog.The next day, Tim told the Parkinsons. They agreed, too. Tim stayed at the Parkinsons for hot chocolate (It was Sunday). “I’m sorry about John” was the only thing Tim could say before he left.When he got home, his eyes filled with tears once more, for the dog was greeting him at the door. He was wagging his tail and barking loudly. Tim patted the dog’s head, “Thanks, John.” Then he walked inside with the dog following close behind. 情暖冬日 “叮铃！叮铃！”铃声响了。 蒂姆知道，又到回家的时候了。他带上妈妈新织的蓝白相间的连指手套，和最好的朋友约翰一起走出幼儿园的大门。两人手拉着手，谁也没有说话。天太冷了，冷得让人不愿意说话。身上的棉衣很厚，却仍旧无法抵挡凛冽的寒气。 他们穿过阿肯萨斯小巷，正要拐上主街时，约翰开口了：“你看，蒂姆，这个冬天太长了，五个多月了。”的确，这个冬天是近几年来最长的。现在是一月份，而寒冷的冬天从去年九月份就开始了。约翰说完，一切归于沉寂，只有寒风在耳畔怒吼着。 约翰躺在医院里，睡得很沉。主治医生摇了摇头，说道：“对不起，帕金森太太，希望不大了。”一时间，急诊室里传出了阵阵哽咽声——帕金森夫妇的哽咽声，夹杂着那个开英雄车的司机的哽咽声。 突然，约翰睁开了眼睛。 “妈妈，爸爸，”他说道，“对不起，都怪我，太不小心了。”他的声音低得像是耳语。“麻烦你们再为我办一件事情。拿着这只手套，把它交给蒂姆。谢谢。再见。”他再次闭上了眼睛。 主治医生把手放到约翰的胸口上。“他走了。”他说道。“实在对不起。” 帕金森夫妇离开了医院。 “手套！比尔，快抓住！”帕金森太太冲他的丈夫喊道。 可是，即便是帕金森先生也无法抓住风中的手套，只能眼睁睁地看着它随风而去。 事故已经过去好几年了。蒂姆现在上小学三年级了，可是，他的心里没有一天不想着约翰。 “叮铃！叮铃！”铃声响了。 蒂姆走回家去。这又是一个漫长的冬天，比事故发生的那个冬天还要长。蒂姆一个人走着。到家后，把背包扔到沙发上，接着，一屁股坐了下去。他很伤心，因为那天正是约翰离去的日子。他静静地吃着晚餐，晚餐吃的是意大利面。饭后，他爬上楼梯，来到自己的房间。他很喜欢自己的房间。 蒂姆正要就寝，突然听到一声嚎叫，叫声很长。他望望窗外，窗下有一只狗，正眼巴巴地看着他。蒂姆把窗户都关上了。他是一个非常喜欢狗的人，可是，不知道为什么，眼前这只狗让他浑身起鸡皮疙瘩。他上了床，突然，又传来一声嚎叫。 那天晚上，他做了个梦，梦见约翰站在他的面前，旁边站着一只狗。他小声对蒂姆说：“收下他。他就是我！”接着，是一片寂静。不一会儿，又做了一个梦。这一次，他梦见自己在卡米洛王国骑龙呢。 梦一直困扰着蒂姆。所以，等第二天夜晚来临时，他悄悄溜下楼梯，把房门打开。他走进了母亲的卧室。 “妈妈，我需要你的帮助！快穿上衣服，带上手套！” 妈妈嘟囔了几声，和蒂姆一起走了出去。果不其然，狗在外面等着蒂姆。蒂姆第一次好好看了看他。他长着黑色的尾巴，黑黑的长耳，雪白的皮毛上满是褐色的斑点。狗跑进了小树林，蒂姆和妈妈在后紧跟着。蒂姆看见雪地里有一样东西。那个东西从雪地里伸了出来，角度很奇怪。蒂姆伸出手去，把它拽了出来。突然，他惊叫一声：“天哪！”那是一只蓝白相间的连指手套，正是帕金森夫妇丢失的那只！蒂姆看着狗从他身边经过，朝房子的方向跑去。蒂姆跟在后面，眼里充满了泪水。他把梦一五一十告诉了妈妈。妈妈把爸爸摇醒。他们都同意把狗留下。 第二天，蒂姆把事情的来龙去脉告诉了帕金森夫妇，他们也双双同意了。蒂姆在帕金森夫妇家里喝着热巧克力（那天是个星期天）。“约翰的事情，我很难过”——这是蒂姆离开前所能说的唯一的一句话。 回到家里，他的眼睛再次湿润了。狗就站在门口，迎接他的归来。他摇晃着尾巴，大声叫着。蒂姆轻轻拍拍狗的脑袋：“谢谢，约翰。”说着，他走了进去，狗紧紧跟在后面。

A flash of light dashed through the skies of the North Pole, something other than the northern lights that constantly glow. There was a red dot just in the front of the flash of light. It was the nose of a reindeer, which goes by the name of Rudolph. Even today, Rudolph is a proud reindeer that works for Father Christmas. Nothing ever went wrong. However, for one reason or another, Rudolph let down his guard just for one little second, and that caused a disaster. It all began in Santa Claus's workshop. Elves were busily making toys for those on the Nice List of Santa Claus. They were pounding the toys with their little hammers, tinkering with them with their nimble hands, and wrapping each one with the prettiest wrappers in the world. “DONG! DONG!” Santa Claus's holiday bell rang. It was time for the Great Delivery. The reindeer were all ready, with red-nosed Rudolph leading the way. Rudolph's red nose shone like a star. He thought while Santa Claus reminded the reindeer of their safety: What could possibly go wrong? It's my 500th delivery! I'm going to manage well.Elves scurried off the runway as the reindeer prepared for flight. Santa Claus sat down on the leather seat of the great sleigh. He took one last look at Mrs. Claus, who was waving merrily out of the window of the kitchen, where she was cooking Christmas-themed apple pie for herself and the elves. The delivery team took flight. They flew over mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, and the creatures that dwelled in these places. Finally they reached the town of Givemegifts. Givemegifts was a fabulous place. It had a main street that was big and wide. On the street was Gift's Gift Shop and Gift's Canteen. The street beside the main street was just as fabulous. It was the famous Gift Avenue. On it was Gift's Hair Salon and Gift's Gym, beside which was Gift's Memorial Hospital. Rudolph was fond of this town. He was dazzled by the new decorations the mayor had added this year: A reindeer statue, a great big gift box in Central Gift's Park, and a giant figure of Santa Claus that was waving its hand and hollering “ho ho ho”. Rudolph was so dazed by these things that he forgot their mission. He flew towards the great big gift box. “Crash!” He plunged into the big styrofoam gift box, followed by his reindeer brothers and Santa Claus's sleigh. The loud sound startled the citizens of Givemegifts. They all came out of their houses to see what was going on. They were amazed when they saw what had happened. For a minute, no one spoke. Then a loud “Boo” came from the crowd. Rudolph was filled with frustration. He wanted to disappear into the ground. He was filled with anger. He wanted to smash the gift box up. He was filled with shame. He wanted to resign and be a normal reindeer in a petting zoo. But he couldn't. He tried to wiggle his way out of the styrofoam. But he couldn't. Santa Claus used his magic to free the delivery team out. Now they were not only exposed, but humiliated in public! Santa Claus stared at Rudolph, who, then, lowered his head in guilt.“Citizens of Givemegifts! I am sorry. Due to our head reindeer's mistake, we have destroyed your gift box. We will sing you a Christmas carol. That will act as a repayment to your loss.” Santa Claus called. Then he whispered, “Get in carol formation! Pronto!”“Silent night,Holy night.All is calm,All is bright!Round you Virgin,Mother and child.Holy infantSo tender and mild.Sleep in Heavenly peace,Sleep in Heavenly peace.Silent night,Holy night...” Suddenly, all of Givemegifts was singing with Santa Claus and the reindeer. A burst of applause rang in Santa Claus's ears. Santa Claus repacked his luggage. He looked at the sky. It was nearly midnight. He hooked up his reindeer and left the little town of Givemegifts. Rudolph flew over the night sky. As he did, he thought of what had happened this night. It's my fault. It's all my fault. I was too proud. I loved being head reindeer so much that I grew way too fond of myself. When they finally got back to the North Pole, it was dawn. Mrs. Claus gave the hungry delivery team some apple pie she had saved for them. They sang Christmas carols all day long.But what had happened during Rudolph's 500th delivery service will always be a secret between the reindeer, Rudolph, and Santa Claus, and it will also be a secret between you and me!鲁道夫的平安夜 一道光线划过北极的夜空，那绝对不是平时闪闪发亮的北极光。光线的前方有一个红点，那是一只驯鹿的鼻子。驯鹿的名字叫做鲁道夫。即使是在今天，鲁道夫依然是一只为圣诞老人服务的驯鹿，他也因此感到十分骄傲。鲁道夫在服务中从未出现过任何纰漏。然而，不知什么原因，他一时掉以轻心，结果便酿成大错。 一切都得从圣诞老人的车间说起。小精灵们正忙着按照圣诞老人礼单上的名字为他们赶制玩具。他们用小锤子敲敲打打，用灵巧的小手修修补补。最终，每一个玩具都用世界上最漂亮的盒子包装起来。“咚咚！”圣诞老人的铃声响了，到了礼物大派送的时间了。驯鹿们个个严阵以待，红鼻子鲁道夫作为小组长一马当先。 鲁道夫的红鼻子像星光一样闪烁着。就在圣诞老人提醒大家注意安全时，鲁道夫心想：能出什么差错呢？这是我第500次礼物大派送了，我一定会做到尽善尽美，万无一失。 驯鹿们准备出发了，小精灵们都沿路跑开了。圣诞老人坐在大雪橇的皮革座位上，看了圣诞奶奶最后一眼。此时，圣诞奶奶正透过厨房的窗户愉快地挥了挥手，她在那里为自己、也为小精灵们准备圣诞节主题苹果派呢。 礼物派送小组出发了。他们飞过高山、丛林、河流、湖泊，他们越过沿途生物的巢穴，最终来到了索礼城。 索礼城是一个令人难以置信的好地方。主街十分宽广，街上有理品礼品店和理品小吃店。主街旁边有一条大道，同样令人难以置信，那是著名的理品大道。大道上有理品理发馆和理品健身房，理品纪念医院就在旁边。 鲁道夫很喜欢眼前这座城市。今年的城市在市长的授意下增添了一些新的装饰，令人眼花缭乱。理品中央公园里新添了一座驯鹿雕塑、一个硕大无比的礼品盒，还有一尊圣诞老人巨幅塑像。圣诞老人一边挥着手，一边呵呵地笑着。鲁道夫完全沉浸其中，竟忘记了自己的使命。他一时兴起，朝巨大的礼品盒飞去。 砰！他栽到了泡沫塑料礼品盒里面。接着，掉进去的是驯鹿小组的弟兄们，还有圣诞老人的雪橇。巨大的声响惊动了城里的人们，大家纷纷从家里走了出来，一探究竟。 等人们明白过来发生了什么事情时，都惊呆了，一时间，竟哑口无言。突然，人群中爆发出一阵很大的嘘声。鲁道夫十分沮丧，恨不得马上钻到地缝里去；他十分气愤，恨不得把礼品盒捣个粉碎；同时，他又满怀愧疚，恨不得马上辞去礼物派送小组组长的职务，回到宠物动物园里，做一只普普通通的驯鹿。可是，他不能。他扭动着身体，试图从泡沫塑料爬出来，可是，他办不到。 圣诞老人用魔法把礼物派送小组救了出来。现在，他们不但完全暴露在大家面前，而且，还受尽了侮辱。圣诞老人两眼盯着鲁道夫，鲁道夫羞愧地低下了头。 “索礼城的市民们，我很抱歉。”圣诞老人提高嗓门说道。“由于驯鹿队长的失误，我们弄坏了你们的礼品盒。作为补偿，我们给大家唱一个圣诞颂歌吧。”接着，他小声说道：“颂歌队形！马上！”平安夜，圣善夜。真宁静，真光明。圣光环绕圣母圣婴，圣洁婴孩纯真可爱。尽享天赐安眠，尽享天赐安眠。平安夜，圣善夜…… 突然，整个索礼城加入了圣诞老人和驯鹿的大合唱。圣诞老人的耳畔响起了一阵雷鸣般的掌声。 圣诞老人重整行囊。他看了看天空，此时，已接近夜半时分。他把驯鹿套到雪橇上，离开了索礼城。 鲁道夫在夜空中飞行着，一边飞，一边想着当晚发生的一切。“是我的错！都是我的错！我太骄傲了！我太看中驯鹿队长这个职务了！我自恋至狂，唯我独尊！” 当他们终于回到北极时，已经是黎明时分。圣诞奶奶把自己专门留着的苹果派拿了出来，分给饥肠辘辘的驯鹿。大家一整天都在唱着圣诞颂歌。 然而，鲁道夫第500次派送期间发生的事情永远是圣诞老人、鲁道夫和其他驯鹿之间的一个秘密，也是你我之间的一个秘密。

A flash of light dashed through the skies of the North Pole, something other than the northern lights that constantly glow. There was a red dot just in the front of the flash of light. It was the nose of a reindeer, which goes by the name of Rudolph. Even today, Rudolph is a proud reindeer that works for Father Christmas. Nothing ever went wrong. However, for one reason or another, Rudolph let down his guard just for one little second, and that caused a disaster. It all began in Santa Claus’s workshop. Elves were busily making toys for those on the Nice List of Santa Claus. They were pounding the toys with their little hammers, tinkering with them with their nimble hands, and wrapping each one with the prettiest wrappers in the world. “DONG! DONG!” Santa Claus’s holiday bell rang. It was time for the Great Delivery. The reindeer were all ready, with red-nosed Rudolph leading the way. Rudolph’s red nose shone like a star. He thought while Santa Claus reminded the reindeer of their safety: What could possibly go wrong? It’s my 500th delivery! I’m going to manage well.Elves scurried off the runway as the reindeer prepared for flight. Santa Claus sat down on the leather seat of the great sleigh. He took one last look at Mrs. Claus, who was waving merrily out of the window of the kitchen, where she was cooking Christmas-themed apple pie for herself and the elves. The delivery team took flight. They flew over mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, and the creatures that dwelled in these places. Finally they reached the town of Givemegifts. Givemegifts was a fabulous place. It had a main street that was big and wide. On the street was Gift’s Gift Shop and Gift’s Canteen. The street beside the main street was just as fabulous. It was the famous Gift Avenue. On it was Gift’s Hair Salon and Gift’s Gym, beside which was Gift’s Memorial Hospital. Rudolph was fond of this town. He was dazzled by the new decorations the mayor had added this year: A reindeer statue, a great big gift box in Central Gift’s Park, and a giant figure of Santa Claus that was waving its hand and hollering “ho ho ho”. Rudolph was so dazed by these things that he forgot their mission. He flew towards the great big gift box. “Crash!” He plunged into the big styrofoam gift box, followed by his reindeer brothers and Santa Claus’s sleigh. The loud sound startled the citizens of Givemegifts. They all came out of their houses to see what was going on. They were amazed when they saw what had happened. For a minute, no one spoke. Then a loud “Boo” came from the crowd. Rudolph was filled with frustration. He wanted to disappear into the ground. He was filled with anger. He wanted to smash the gift box up. He was filled with shame. He wanted to resign and be a normal reindeer in a petting zoo. But he couldn’t. He tried to wiggle his way out of the styrofoam. But he couldn’t. Santa Claus used his magic to free the delivery team out. Now they were not only exposed, but humiliated in public! Santa Claus stared at Rudolph, who, then, lowered his head in guilt.“Citizens of Givemegifts! I am sorry. Due to our head reindeer’s mistake, we have destroyed your gift box. We will sing you a Christmas carol. That will act as a repayment to your loss.” Santa Claus called. Then he whispered, “Get in carol formation! Pronto!”“Silent night,Holy night.All is calm,All is bright!Round you Virgin,Mother and child.Holy infantSo tender and mild.Sleep in Heavenly peace,Sleep in Heavenly peace.Silent night,Holy night...” Suddenly, all of Givemegifts was singing with Santa Claus and the reindeer. A burst of applause rang in Santa Claus’s ears. Santa Claus repacked his luggage. He looked at the sky. It was nearly midnight. He hooked up his reindeer and left the little town of Givemegifts. Rudolph flew over the night sky. As he did, he thought of what had happened this night. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. I was too proud. I loved being head reindeer so much that I grew way too fond of myself. When they finally got back to the North Pole, it was dawn. Mrs. Claus gave the hungry delivery team some apple pie she had saved for them. They sang Christmas carols all day long.But what had happened during Rudolph’s 500th delivery service will always be a secret between the reindeer, Rudolph, and Santa Claus, and it will also be a secret between you and me!鲁道夫的平安夜 一道光线划过北极的夜空，那绝对不是平时闪闪发亮的北极光。光线的前方有一个红点，那是一只驯鹿的鼻子。驯鹿的名字叫做鲁道夫。即使是在今天，鲁道夫依然是一只为圣诞老人服务的驯鹿，他也因此感到十分骄傲。鲁道夫在服务中从未出现过任何纰漏。然而，不知什么原因，他一时掉以轻心，结果便酿成大错。 一切都得从圣诞老人的车间说起。小精灵们正忙着按照圣诞老人礼单上的名字为他们赶制玩具。他们用小锤子敲敲打打，用灵巧的小手修修补补。最终，每一个玩具都用世界上最漂亮的盒子包装起来。“咚咚！”圣诞老人的铃声响了，到了礼物大派送的时间了。驯鹿们个个严阵以待，红鼻子鲁道夫作为小组长一马当先。 鲁道夫的红鼻子像星光一样闪烁着。就在圣诞老人提醒大家注意安全时，鲁道夫心想：能出什么差错呢？这是我第500次礼物大派送了，我一定会做到尽善尽美，万无一失。 驯鹿们准备出发了，小精灵们都沿路跑开了。圣诞老人坐在大雪橇的皮革座位上，看了圣诞奶奶最后一眼。此时，圣诞奶奶正透过厨房的窗户愉快地挥了挥手，她在那里为自己、也为小精灵们准备圣诞节主题苹果派呢。 礼物派送小组出发了。他们飞过高山、丛林、河流、湖泊，他们越过沿途生物的巢穴，最终来到了索礼城。 索礼城是一个令人难以置信的好地方。主街十分宽广，街上有理品礼品店和理品小吃店。主街旁边有一条大道，同样令人难以置信，那是著名的理品大道。大道上有理品理发馆和理品健身房，理品纪念医院就在旁边。 鲁道夫很喜欢眼前这座城市。今年的城市在市长的授意下增添了一些新的装饰，令人眼花缭乱。理品中央公园里新添了一座驯鹿雕塑、一个硕大无比的礼品盒，还有一尊圣诞老人巨幅塑像。圣诞老人一边挥着手，一边呵呵地笑着。鲁道夫完全沉浸其中，竟忘记了自己的使命。他一时兴起，朝巨大的礼品盒飞去。 砰！他栽到了泡沫塑料礼品盒里面。接着，掉进去的是驯鹿小组的弟兄们，还有圣诞老人的雪橇。巨大的声响惊动了城里的人们，大家纷纷从家里走了出来，一探究竟。 等人们明白过来发生了什么事情时，都惊呆了，一时间，竟哑口无言。突然，人群中爆发出一阵很大的嘘声。鲁道夫十分沮丧，恨不得马上钻到地缝里去；他十分气愤，恨不得把礼品盒捣个粉碎；同时，他又满怀愧疚，恨不得马上辞去礼物派送小组组长的职务，回到宠物动物园里，做一只普普通通的驯鹿。可是，他不能。他扭动着身体，试图从泡沫塑料爬出来，可是，他办不到。 圣诞老人用魔法把礼物派送小组救了出来。现在，他们不但完全暴露在大家面前，而且，还受尽了侮辱。圣诞老人两眼盯着鲁道夫，鲁道夫羞愧地低下了头。 “索礼城的市民们，我很抱歉。”圣诞老人提高嗓门说道。“由于驯鹿队长的失误，我们弄坏了你们的礼品盒。作为补偿，我们给大家唱一个圣诞颂歌吧。”接着，他小声说道：“颂歌队形！马上！”平安夜，圣善夜。真宁静，真光明。圣光环绕圣母圣婴，圣洁婴孩纯真可爱。尽享天赐安眠，尽享天赐安眠。平安夜，圣善夜…… 突然，整个索礼城加入了圣诞老人和驯鹿的大合唱。圣诞老人的耳畔响起了一阵雷鸣般的掌声。 圣诞老人重整行囊。他看了看天空，此时，已接近夜半时分。他把驯鹿套到雪橇上，离开了索礼城。 鲁道夫在夜空中飞行着，一边飞，一边想着当晚发生的一切。“是我的错！都是我的错！我太骄傲了！我太看中驯鹿队长这个职务了！我自恋至狂，唯我独尊！” 当他们终于回到北极时，已经是黎明时分。圣诞奶奶把自己专门留着的苹果派拿了出来，分给饥肠辘辘的驯鹿。大家一整天都在唱着圣诞颂歌。 然而，鲁道夫第500次派送期间发生的事情永远是圣诞老人、鲁道夫和其他驯鹿之间的一个秘密，也是你我之间的一个秘密。

The Most Grateful TurkeyThere once was a turkey, His name was Victor Ray.He had a bad reputation,As he lived on day by day.Why did everyone hate him?Believe me, they should.He was the most ungrateful thingThat lived in Grateful Wood.One day, this Victor RayHad a thorn stuck to his wing.But when Doctor Camel plucked it out,He left without saying a thing.The turkey strolled on.He walked like the wind.He was going to watch a movieAt the cinema on Rooster End.He found that there were no tickets leftWhen he saw a long legged goat.The goat said, “The tickets have sold out.We're all in the same boat!But luckily, I ordered a few,Twenty-nine, at least!And I've got a spare one.I'll give it as a gift, to you, from me!”The turkey just nodded.He strode into the movie hall.But when he sat down, he found that he was surrounded By goats that were big and tall.He saw the long legged goatIn the middle of the others.The long legged goat told the others to sit down.No one even looked at the turkey (No one even bothered).For the long legged goat knew The turkey was a bad one.He was hired by several othersTo get the killing job done. The goats were just pretendingTo ignore the turkey that was now fast asleep.When Victor Ray watches movies, he takes a nap,It's a habit of his, thought the long legged goat, and it's gonna make him weep!In the twinkling of an eye,The goats got to work.They made a little rustling noiseThat really startled the clerk.The clerk leapt out of his seat.He pulled out something red.It was sleeping droughtAnd it put the goats to bed.Victor was wide awake.He had seen the whole thing.He found a sword close to his neckThat fell to the ground with a cling.He suddenly realized his sins.He was ungrateful all the time!He went to find the clerk, but all that was left in the clerk's placeWas a shiny silver dime.He picked the dime up. Then he read the words on it.“Go and apologize to everyone who's helped you.I'll give you a sign when you are done!”So Victor set off.He was going to say sorryTo everyone that ever helped him,And those people could fill a lorry!He went to Doctor Camel's first, And Mrs. Badger on Apple Lane.Then he went to Mr. Elephant,Who had helped him find drugs that would rid him of pain.Then to young Tommy Kangaroo's houseThe turkey did go.Then around old Professor Toad's burrow and Jim Cat's shelterHe hovered to and fro.Old Mr. Snake's log pile,Ms. Rabbit's hole.Soon, he had visited everyone,Excepting Harry Mole.He charged to the Mole's house,And thanked him as quick as a flash.But he suddenly remembered the clerk,So back to the cinema he did dash.He called in the cinema,“Oh! Savior! Thank you!I've thanked everyone,Grumpy Old Mr. Eagle, too!So please show me a sign,Oh, please!”He suddenly stopped calling,For he saw someone in the trees.He saw a turkey crestAnd a turkey beak,And two bright turkey eyes,Above his turkey cheek.Victor recognized him at once.It was his father that had disappeared!He hugged his father, who had hopped into the window.“Oh father! It's been so many years!”They got reunited,The happy couple.They really loved each other.They loved each other on the double!And Victor's dad was a warrior,As you've probably guessed.So he taught his son martial arts,In both ways, Victor was best.最懂得感恩的火鸡从前，有一只火鸡，他的名字叫维克多•雷。他的名声非常不好，游手好闲，一天到黑。人们为什么如此恨他？这种感觉不是没有道理。因为他是感恩林里最不知道感恩的东西。话说有那么一天，维克多•雷的翅膀上扎了一根刺，骆驼医生帮他拔了出来，他扭头便走，也没说个谢字。火鸡继续前行，渐渐地，他脚下生风，他要到公鸡巷影城去看一场电影。到了影院，票已售光，这时，他看到一只长腿山羊。山羊说道：“票已售罄！咱们是同一条船上的，我的老兄。好在我提前订了几张，二十九张，不多不少。”这里还有多余的一张，送给你吧，谁叫你命好！”火鸡只是点了点头，接过票就往影院里走。他刚一落座，就发现一种现象，四周站立的全是山羊。他看到了那只长腿山羊，不偏不倚站在了中央。长腿山羊让大家坐下，没人正眼看一下火鸡。长腿山羊肚明心知，这只火鸡不是个东西。有人雇山羊把火鸡做掉。山羊故意装作不理不睬，此时的火鸡却已经睡着。火鸡看电影前有个习惯，他要先小憩一会儿，养养精神。山羊想着，心中窃喜，待会让你欲哭无门。说时迟来那时快，山羊一齐动起来。他们的动静可不轻，惊动了旁边的服务生。服务生他一跃而起，怀里掏出了一样红东西。那是一包蒙汗药，山羊一下全睡着。维克多他很清醒，整个过程看得仔细。脖子边上的杀人剑咣铛一声落了地。他认识到自己很犯浑，从来不知道什么是感恩。他要去找服务生，只见一毛硬币，不见了人影。他弯腰把硬币捡起来，上面的文字跃入眼里：“向你的恩人一一道歉，道歉完了，我示意你。”维克多把身离，他要去说“对不起”。帮过他的人可真多，绝对不止一卡车。第一站是骆驼大夫家，接着去苹果巷把獾太太找。然后便是象先生，他帮他弄到了止痛药。火鸡来到小袋鼠汤米的家门。在蛤蟆教授的洞前，在吉姆猫的窝边，犹犹豫豫，徘徊不前。老蛇先生的柴垛前，兔子太太的洞穴里，只剩下鼹鼠哈利的窝，他没有前去躬身赔礼。于是，他飞身前去，对哈利感谢万般。忽然想起服务生，又箭一般地返回影院。他在影院大声呼喊，“谢谢，恩人。谢谢，恩人。我已经挨个把门登，包括脾气坏的老鹰先生。请示意我吧，快示意我吧。”他突然变得很安静，林子里晃动着人影。他看到了火鸡的羽冠，和两只放光的眼，他看到了火鸡的嘴，还有火鸡的脸。维克多一眼就认了出来，那是他失散多年的老父亲。父亲跳到窗口，和维克多相互拥抱。“噢，父亲，真的是好久好久不见！”至此，父子二人，终于团圆。昔日彼此关爱， 如今倍加关心。维克多的父亲是名武士，这个你可能早已耳闻。他教给维克多搏击技巧，维克多成了彬彬有礼的武术达人。

The Most Grateful TurkeyThere once was a turkey, His name was Victor Ray.He had a bad reputation,As he lived on day by day.Why did everyone hate him?Believe me, they should.He was the most ungrateful thingThat lived in Grateful Wood.One day, this Victor RayHad a thorn stuck to his wing.But when Doctor Camel plucked it out,He left without saying a thing.The turkey strolled on.He walked like the wind.He was going to watch a movieAt the cinema on Rooster End.He found that there were no tickets leftWhen he saw a long legged goat.The goat said, “The tickets have sold out.We’re all in the same boat!But luckily, I ordered a few,Twenty-nine, at least!And I’ve got a spare one.I’ll give it as a gift, to you, from me!”The turkey just nodded.He strode into the movie hall.But when he sat down, he found that he was surrounded By goats that were big and tall.He saw the long legged goatIn the middle of the others.The long legged goat told the others to sit down.No one even looked at the turkey (No one even bothered).For the long legged goat knew The turkey was a bad one.He was hired by several othersTo get the killing job done. The goats were just pretendingTo ignore the turkey that was now fast asleep.When Victor Ray watches movies, he takes a nap,It’s a habit of his, thought the long legged goat, and it’s gonna make him weep!In the twinkling of an eye,The goats got to work.They made a little rustling noiseThat really startled the clerk.The clerk leapt out of his seat.He pulled out something red.It was sleeping droughtAnd it put the goats to bed.Victor was wide awake.He had seen the whole thing.He found a sword close to his neckThat fell to the ground with a cling.He suddenly realized his sins.He was ungrateful all the time!He went to find the clerk, but all that was left in the clerk’s placeWas a shiny silver dime.He picked the dime up. Then he read the words on it.“Go and apologize to everyone who’s helped you.I’ll give you a sign when you are done!”So Victor set off.He was going to say sorryTo everyone that ever helped him,And those people could fill a lorry!He went to Doctor Camel’s first, And Mrs. Badger on Apple Lane.Then he went to Mr. Elephant,Who had helped him find drugs that would rid him of pain.Then to young Tommy Kangaroo’s houseThe turkey did go.Then around old Professor Toad’s burrow and Jim Cat’s shelterHe hovered to and fro.Old Mr. Snake’s log pile,Ms. Rabbit’s hole.Soon, he had visited everyone,Excepting Harry Mole.He charged to the Mole’s house,And thanked him as quick as a flash.But he suddenly remembered the clerk,So back to the cinema he did dash.He called in the cinema,“Oh! Savior! Thank you!I’ve thanked everyone,Grumpy Old Mr. Eagle, too!So please show me a sign,Oh, please!”He suddenly stopped calling,For he saw someone in the trees.He saw a turkey crestAnd a turkey beak,And two bright turkey eyes,Above his turkey cheek.Victor recognized him at once.It was his father that had disappeared!He hugged his father, who had hopped into the window.“Oh father! It’s been so many years!”They got reunited,The happy couple.They really loved each other.They loved each other on the double!And Victor’s dad was a warrior,As you’ve probably guessed.So he taught his son martial arts,In both ways, Victor was best.最懂得感恩的火鸡从前，有一只火鸡，他的名字叫维克多•雷。他的名声非常不好，游手好闲，一天到黑。人们为什么如此恨他？这种感觉不是没有道理。因为他是感恩林里最不知道感恩的东西。话说有那么一天，维克多•雷的翅膀上扎了一根刺，骆驼医生帮他拔了出来，他扭头便走，也没说个谢字。火鸡继续前行，渐渐地，他脚下生风，他要到公鸡巷影城去看一场电影。到了影院，票已售光，这时，他看到一只长腿山羊。山羊说道：“票已售罄！咱们是同一条船上的，我的老兄。好在我提前订了几张，二十九张，不多不少。”这里还有多余的一张，送给你吧，谁叫你命好！”火鸡只是点了点头，接过票就往影院里走。他刚一落座，就发现一种现象，四周站立的全是山羊。他看到了那只长腿山羊，不偏不倚站在了中央。长腿山羊让大家坐下，没人正眼看一下火鸡。长腿山羊肚明心知，这只火鸡不是个东西。有人雇山羊把火鸡做掉。山羊故意装作不理不睬，此时的火鸡却已经睡着。火鸡看电影前有个习惯，他要先小憩一会儿，养养精神。山羊想着，心中窃喜，待会让你欲哭无门。说时迟来那时快，山羊一齐动起来。他们的动静可不轻，惊动了旁边的服务生。服务生他一跃而起，怀里掏出了一样红东西。那是一包蒙汗药，山羊一下全睡着。维克多他很清醒，整个过程看得仔细。脖子边上的杀人剑咣铛一声落了地。他认识到自己很犯浑，从来不知道什么是感恩。他要去找服务生，只见一毛硬币，不见了人影。他弯腰把硬币捡起来，上面的文字跃入眼里：“向你的恩人一一道歉，道歉完了，我示意你。”维克多把身离，他要去说“对不起”。帮过他的人可真多，绝对不止一卡车。第一站是骆驼大夫家，接着去苹果巷把獾太太找。然后便是象先生，他帮他弄到了止痛药。火鸡来到小袋鼠汤米的家门。在蛤蟆教授的洞前，在吉姆猫的窝边，犹犹豫豫，徘徊不前。老蛇先生的柴垛前，兔子太太的洞穴里，只剩下鼹鼠哈利的窝，他没有前去躬身赔礼。于是，他飞身前去，对哈利感谢万般。忽然想起服务生，又箭一般地返回影院。他在影院大声呼喊，“谢谢，恩人。谢谢，恩人。我已经挨个把门登，包括脾气坏的老鹰先生。请示意我吧，快示意我吧。”他突然变得很安静，林子里晃动着人影。他看到了火鸡的羽冠，和两只放光的眼，他看到了火鸡的嘴，还有火鸡的脸。维克多一眼就认了出来，那是他失散多年的老父亲。父亲跳到窗口，和维克多相互拥抱。“噢，父亲，真的是好久好久不见！”至此，父子二人，终于团圆。昔日彼此关爱， 如今倍加关心。维克多的父亲是名武士，这个你可能早已耳闻。他教给维克多搏击技巧，维克多成了彬彬有礼的武术达人。

The last day of October,My favorite day of the year,It's approaching, it's closer,It's finally here!I got into my costume,A monster with tangerine ears.Then I grabbed my fake club.I was a monster that everybody fears.I went down Maple Avenue,And then turned into Starlight Street.A bunch of teenagers were singing.I was getting into the Halloween beat!For thirty minutes I paced.At the haunted house I did arrive, The brand new haunted houseThat was standing on Cherry Drive.I promptly bought a ticket.2.99 dollars, if you ask me, pretty cheap.I just stepped inWhen I heard something slither and creep.I cried, "Awesome sound effects!”“How much effort did it take!”But I saw a fat mouse running,And behind it was a spotted snake.I tip-toed past the creatures.The snake was really scary.I was thinking: Was the snake real?When I saw something tall and hairy.It turned its werewolf head.How it looked, I can't tell you, not now.I was backing away slowly,For the werewolf let out a howl!I saw a door in the corner. So toward it I quickly ran.I went through the door.When I gasped "Oh, Man!”An actual sized vampireWas standing on a big ship's deck.Before I knew anything,It swooped down on my neck!I quickly dodged my head.I didn't want a bite!I saw a trapdoor on the ground.So I sprinted with all my might.I went down the ladder,And I saw a spider hanging from the roof.It was gigantic, and it knocked me to the ground,I cried out, "Oof!”I held my club with my eyes closed,And smacked the spider's head.It cracked apart, but there was no blood.Sweets came out instead!I grabbed as many as I could hold,And those sweets were able to last a week!I stood up and looked around.The exit I did seek.I saw an opening,And I saw the exit sign.I hopped out of the building.And when I got home I did dine!I finished my meal,Which was cooked by my mother dear.“The last day of October,” I wrote,“My favorite day of the year......”麦克斯度过的最可怕、最诡异、最美好的万圣节十月的最后一天，这是我一年中最喜欢的一天，越来越近，越来越近，这一天终于来临。我穿上自己的鬼装，那是一个长着橘子耳朵的魔怪。我拎起仿真棍棒，变成了一个人人害怕的魔怪。我沿着枫叶大街，拐进星光大道，一群少年在高唱，我也加入了万圣节的欢叫。走了30分钟，来到一个鬼宅，它坐落在樱花车道，一个新崭崭的鬼宅。我迅速买了门票，2.99美元，你可别说，票价真的不高。我径直走了进去，听到什么东西在蠕动，在滑跑。“音效真的逼真！”我随口说道。“那得费多少功夫才能弄好？”可是，我看到的是一只硕鼠在跑，后面追着斑点蛇一条。我踮起脚尖从它们身边经过，那蛇的样子十分凶恶。难道是真蛇不成？想着想着，我看到了一个毛茸茸的大家伙。它转动着狼人的头颅，它的具体模样？我现在也说不清楚。它仰头嚎叫一声，我赶紧退后几步。角落上有一道门，我朝着它拼命狂奔。穿过那道角门，我大喊一声；“噢，我的天！”一个实际大小的吸血鬼站在一艘船的甲板上。说时迟那时快，它猛地跃起，落到我的脖子上。我赶快把头闪到一旁，我可不想让它咬伤。此时，我看到了一个地板门，便使出浑身解数，迅速逃遁。我很麻利地趴下梯子，却看到一个蜘蛛挂在天花板中央。巨大的蜘蛛猛地一下把我撞到了地板上。我大喊一声：“这下够呛！”我双目紧闭，拿出棍棒，雨点一般打在蜘蛛头上。蜘蛛的头裂成两半，却不见血液往外流淌。头颅里流出来的是糖，是糖，是糖！我抓起糖块，不遗余力，这些糖块足够我吃一个星期。我站起身来，四下一瞧，急急忙忙把出口寻找。我看到了出口，我看到了指示牌，我蹦蹦跳跳从大楼里出来。回到家里，胃口大开。很快吃完妈妈亲手烹制的饭菜。于是，我随手写道：“十月的最后一天，这是我一年中最喜欢的一天……”

The last day of October,My favorite day of the year,It’s approaching, it’s closer,It’s finally here!I got into my costume,A monster with tangerine ears.Then I grabbed my fake club.I was a monster that everybody fears.I went down Maple Avenue,And then turned into Starlight Street.A bunch of teenagers were singing.I was getting into the Halloween beat!For thirty minutes I paced.At the haunted house I did arrive, The brand new haunted houseThat was standing on Cherry Drive.I promptly bought a ticket.2.99 dollars, if you ask me, pretty cheap.I just stepped inWhen I heard something slither and creep.I cried, "Awesome sound effects!”“How much effort did it take!”But I saw a fat mouse running,And behind it was a spotted snake.I tip-toed past the creatures.The snake was really scary.I was thinking: Was the snake real?When I saw something tall and hairy.It turned its werewolf head.How it looked, I can’t tell you, not now.I was backing away slowly,For the werewolf let out a howl!I saw a door in the corner. So toward it I quickly ran.I went through the door.When I gasped "Oh, Man!”An actual sized vampireWas standing on a big ship’s deck.Before I knew anything,It swooped down on my neck!I quickly dodged my head.I didn't want a bite!I saw a trapdoor on the ground.So I sprinted with all my might.I went down the ladder,And I saw a spider hanging from the roof.It was gigantic, and it knocked me to the ground,I cried out, "Oof!”I held my club with my eyes closed,And smacked the spider’s head.It cracked apart, but there was no blood.Sweets came out instead!I grabbed as many as I could hold,And those sweets were able to last a week!I stood up and looked around.The exit I did seek.I saw an opening,And I saw the exit sign.I hopped out of the building.And when I got home I did dine!I finished my meal,Which was cooked by my mother dear.“The last day of October,” I wrote,“My favorite day of the year......”麦克斯度过的最可怕、最诡异、最美好的万圣节十月的最后一天，这是我一年中最喜欢的一天，越来越近，越来越近，这一天终于来临。我穿上自己的鬼装，那是一个长着橘子耳朵的魔怪。我拎起仿真棍棒，变成了一个人人害怕的魔怪。我沿着枫叶大街，拐进星光大道，一群少年在高唱，我也加入了万圣节的欢叫。走了30分钟，来到一个鬼宅，它坐落在樱花车道，一个新崭崭的鬼宅。我迅速买了门票，2.99美元，你可别说，票价真的不高。我径直走了进去，听到什么东西在蠕动，在滑跑。“音效真的逼真！”我随口说道。“那得费多少功夫才能弄好？”可是，我看到的是一只硕鼠在跑，后面追着斑点蛇一条。我踮起脚尖从它们身边经过，那蛇的样子十分凶恶。难道是真蛇不成？想着想着，我看到了一个毛茸茸的大家伙。它转动着狼人的头颅，它的具体模样？我现在也说不清楚。它仰头嚎叫一声，我赶紧退后几步。角落上有一道门，我朝着它拼命狂奔。穿过那道角门，我大喊一声；“噢，我的天！”一个实际大小的吸血鬼站在一艘船的甲板上。说时迟那时快，它猛地跃起，落到我的脖子上。我赶快把头闪到一旁，我可不想让它咬伤。此时，我看到了一个地板门，便使出浑身解数，迅速逃遁。我很麻利地趴下梯子，却看到一个蜘蛛挂在天花板中央。巨大的蜘蛛猛地一下把我撞到了地板上。我大喊一声：“这下够呛！”我双目紧闭，拿出棍棒，雨点一般打在蜘蛛头上。蜘蛛的头裂成两半，却不见血液往外流淌。头颅里流出来的是糖，是糖，是糖！我抓起糖块，不遗余力，这些糖块足够我吃一个星期。我站起身来，四下一瞧，急急忙忙把出口寻找。我看到了出口，我看到了指示牌，我蹦蹦跳跳从大楼里出来。回到家里，胃口大开。很快吃完妈妈亲手烹制的饭菜。于是，我随手写道：“十月的最后一天，这是我一年中最喜欢的一天……”

As Crazy as Crazy Can Be A normal Monday morning,As boring as any old Monday,I got on the floor,Then walked to the door,Not expecting a fun-day.I was holding the door-knob,When I suddenly sawThe knob was shaped likeA golden shiny bike,Just like the one I always wanted, which was big and tall.I shook my head, “I must be daydreaming!”I've experienced many a similar case!But when I looked on the shelf,I cried,” It's an elf!”It was sitting on my books and was smashing a vase!I yelled, “Shoo! Shoo!I just cannot standAn elf in my room!”This day was filling with gloomAnd the situation's getting out of hand!I quickly ran out of my room,Down to the kitchen I went.Inside I did peer,And I trembled with fear.In the kitchen, all the bent things were straight and all the straight things bent!This day was starting to get wackier every second,And I was pretty sure something's not right.“I'll fix all the things,No matter what trouble it brings,Even if I have to put up a fight!”So I got right to work,I acted before I talked.At the school I arrived,With my mighty stride,I found that the gate of the school was locked！I went away slowly,And when I reached the traffic signal, I was shocked.All the roads were closed for a day,Each and every way.Every road in the city was blocked!I roared in frustration,It was the craziest day there was!So quick as a flash,In my mind a plan did dash.I did what every wise guy does.I pinched myself hard,And, friend, you'd doubt it!I didn't feel a thing,Not the slight sting of pain,It was a dream and I knew not to worry about it.Soon I was wide awake.I thought: I can relax. It's Sunday!But I was wrong,Sunday was gone,“You're late!” said Mom. “Did you forget that today is Monday?” 那是一个普通的星期一的早上，和别的星期一没什么两样。我下了床，来到地上，接着朝卧室的门口走去，心想，这个星期一一定还会十分无趣。手抓着门把手，猛地一瞅，那门把手的形状活像一辆金灿灿的自行车，那是我心仪已久的自行车，又高又大的模样。我摇了摇头：“我一定是在做梦！”我又不是第一次经历这样的情形。我看了一眼书架，不禁喊道：“我看到一个小精灵！”它正坐在我的书上，用力击打一个花瓶。“去！去！”我再次喊道。“卧室里有个小精灵，我可真的受不了！”这一天开始蒙上了阴影。而且，情形也完全超出想象。我快速离开卧室，匆匆来到厨房。我往里面一瞅，浑身开始发抖。原来直溜的东西变得弯弯的，弯弯的东西变得很直溜。这一天开始变得越来越离奇，一定是出了什么岔子，这个我一点也不怀疑。“我要着手解决这一个个麻烦，哪怕有重重困难！哪怕是非要‘决一死战'！”说干就干，毫不迟疑。我大步流星地赶往学校。不料，学校的大门也是紧闭！我慢慢地离开校门，来到红绿灯前，顿时又惊讶不已。所有的道路当天都已封闭。所有的道路，没有例外，对，城里的道路全都封闭。我非常失望，大吼一声，这是最疯狂的一天，真真正正！于是，一个念头像闪电般在我脑海里闪过。我要像贤人那样，对，马上就做！我猛掐自己一下。朋友，你可能有点不信，我一点感觉没有，疼痛的感觉？那你得去问别人。这不过是一个梦，大可不必牢记心头。很快，我真的完全醒来。这下可以好好放松了，心想，今天是星期天。可是我大错特错。星期天昨天刚过。“你迟到了。忘了今天是星期一？”妈妈这样对我说。

As Crazy as Crazy Can Be A normal Monday morning,As boring as any old Monday,I got on the floor,Then walked to the door,Not expecting a fun-day.I was holding the door-knob,When I suddenly sawThe knob was shaped likeA golden shiny bike,Just like the one I always wanted, which was big and tall.I shook my head, “I must be daydreaming!”I’ve experienced many a similar case!But when I looked on the shelf,I cried,” It’s an elf!”It was sitting on my books and was smashing a vase!I yelled, “Shoo! Shoo!I just cannot standAn elf in my room!”This day was filling with gloomAnd the situation’s getting out of hand!I quickly ran out of my room,Down to the kitchen I went.Inside I did peer,And I trembled with fear.In the kitchen, all the bent things were straight and all the straight things bent!This day was starting to get wackier every second,And I was pretty sure something’s not right.“I’ll fix all the things,No matter what trouble it brings,Even if I have to put up a fight!”So I got right to work,I acted before I talked.At the school I arrived,With my mighty stride,I found that the gate of the school was locked！I went away slowly,And when I reached the traffic signal, I was shocked.All the roads were closed for a day,Each and every way.Every road in the city was blocked!I roared in frustration,It was the craziest day there was!So quick as a flash,In my mind a plan did dash.I did what every wise guy does.I pinched myself hard,And, friend, you’d doubt it!I didn’t feel a thing,Not the slight sting of pain,It was a dream and I knew not to worry about it.Soon I was wide awake.I thought: I can relax. It’s Sunday!But I was wrong,Sunday was gone,“You’re late!” said Mom. “Did you forget that today is Monday?” 那是一个普通的星期一的早上，和别的星期一没什么两样。我下了床，来到地上，接着朝卧室的门口走去，心想，这个星期一一定还会十分无趣。手抓着门把手，猛地一瞅，那门把手的形状活像一辆金灿灿的自行车，那是我心仪已久的自行车，又高又大的模样。我摇了摇头：“我一定是在做梦！”我又不是第一次经历这样的情形。我看了一眼书架，不禁喊道：“我看到一个小精灵！”它正坐在我的书上，用力击打一个花瓶。“去！去！”我再次喊道。“卧室里有个小精灵，我可真的受不了！”这一天开始蒙上了阴影。而且，情形也完全超出想象。我快速离开卧室，匆匆来到厨房。我往里面一瞅，浑身开始发抖。原来直溜的东西变得弯弯的，弯弯的东西变得很直溜。这一天开始变得越来越离奇，一定是出了什么岔子，这个我一点也不怀疑。“我要着手解决这一个个麻烦，哪怕有重重困难！哪怕是非要‘决一死战’！”说干就干，毫不迟疑。我大步流星地赶往学校。不料，学校的大门也是紧闭！我慢慢地离开校门，来到红绿灯前，顿时又惊讶不已。所有的道路当天都已封闭。所有的道路，没有例外，对，城里的道路全都封闭。我非常失望，大吼一声，这是最疯狂的一天，真真正正！于是，一个念头像闪电般在我脑海里闪过。我要像贤人那样，对，马上就做！我猛掐自己一下。朋友，你可能有点不信，我一点感觉没有，疼痛的感觉？那你得去问别人。这不过是一个梦，大可不必牢记心头。很快，我真的完全醒来。这下可以好好放松了，心想，今天是星期天。可是我大错特错。星期天昨天刚过。“你迟到了。忘了今天是星期一？”妈妈这样对我说。

High above the town, where no animals roam, There stands a house shaped like a dome.And legend says that a witch lives there,And every day she takes a bath with some child-flavored foam.One day, out of her mind was bored the witch,When suddenly did an idea in her mind twitch.She put on her black cape, and said to herself,"I'll go into town for a little snatch-snitch!"She found a big sack when she started to worry,She said in her head, “I must hurry!The people in that town, they are very dangerous!Their knives are sharp and their guns are fiery!But again, no one has hurt me ever before!”When she thought of that, she cackled until her back was sore!She snickered and giggled and chuckled and tooted,She could not wait any more!So, quick as a flash, she ran to the town. She ran forward and backward, and, with magic, upside down!But when she finally got there,Her grin turned into a frown.She saw the villagers waiting for her. They were holding torches lit with fire!They fought with the witch, and burned her to the ground, And, instantly, her body floated higher and higher!A few seconds later, her remains were nowhere to be found.The whole town was quiet for a moment, not a single sound!Then they celebrated, everybody did.Even little kittens and many a hound!小镇高高的山上，望不到动物的影踪。山上有一幢房子，活脱脱的一个穹窿。话说，那幢房子是一个女巫的寝宫。她每天都要把澡洗，婴孩味儿的泡泡浴是其情之所钟。一天，她正独自闲得无聊，突然，一个念头闪过大脑。我要到小镇上去瞧上一瞧。她手里拿着一个大麻袋，心中却掠过一丝丝烦恼。“我得赶紧的！一个声音在心里说道。那个镇上的人啊，个个脾气暴躁！不光有夺命的枪支，还有催魂的砍刀！不过，从来没有人真的把我怎么着！她一边想着，一边格格地笑，直到笑疼了肚子，笑弯了腰。她一会儿捂着嘴偷笑，一会儿吃吃地傻笑，一会儿压低声音暗笑，一会儿喇叭一样嘟嘟嘟地笑。她不能，不能再等了！便像一道闪电，向小镇进军。她忽前忽后，忽左忽右，像魔术师般，上下翻滚。终于，来到镇上，心头不觉一凉。一双紧锁的眉头，代替了露齿而笑的模样。原来，村民早已聚集，一个个火炬拿在手上。他们一拥而上，把女巫烧倒在地上。说时迟，那时快，女巫的身体向空中飞翔。一眨眼的功夫，就消失在上方。一时间，小镇鸦雀无声。大家一起庆祝，一起尽情欢腾。就连猎犬、小猫，也沉静在欢跃之中。