Colin’s Grumpy Christmas

It was getting round to that time of year, and all the little tadpoles who live in the pond were very, very, very excited. “Yippeee ! they were saying “We’re going to have lots and lots and lots of green slime for lunch - and presents, and games, and wrapping paper.”
“Oh hark the little tadpoles,’ said Colin from beneath a stone. “No they’re going to have wrapping paper in a pond ! That’s really intelligent. It’s not as if paper is going to get at all soggy in the water.”
Prince Bertie the Frog was sitting on a stone watching all the tadpoles swimming in somersaults and circles, and he was starting to feel quite christmassy. At this time of year, he always remembers the lovely princess Beatrice, how, when he was still a prince, they used to walk hand in hand over the frosty lawns and round the palace ponds , and she would ask him,
“Bertie darling, dearest, do you think that fish get cold in winter? I”m quite sure that I saw that big ugly carp shiver. Poor thing. No wonder his face looks so grumpy. Can’t we get the water heated for the pondlife?”
And Bertie would say,
“My precious petal. You are truly the sweetest princess in the whole wide world. But don’t worry yourself on account of the frogs and fishes. They aren’t like humans. They don’t mind the cold at all.”
But now that poor Prince Bertie has been turned into a frog, he knows differently. “Brrr.” he said. “If only I could have a nice hot bath.’
Colin overheard Bertie saying this and said: “Ah ! At long last a voice of reason ! Bertie, you and I are the only sensible creatures in this pond. Doesn’t all this merry christmas stuff drive you crazy? It’s the coldest, darkest, most boring time of the year, and everyone keeps telling you be happy. ! UUUUGH ! “
“Well actually, I’m afraid I can’t agree with you there,” said Bertie. “Christmas is cold in this part of the world, but it is merry! “
“No it’s not,’ said Colin. “It’s a pain.’
“Yes it is Merry.” said Bertie. “It’s a time of a good will to all creatures on earth.”
“Rubbish! “ said Colin.
Just then, Tim, who is a tiny Tadpole, swam up to Colin’s left nostril and said
“Oh Mr. Carp. What do want for Christmas?”
“That’s easy.” said Colin glumly. “I want to be alone.”
Now, as Bertie always says, you should never wish for something unless you truly want it in your heart - for you never know, your wish might come true, and they you will be sorry. And it so happened that the Christmas fairy was swimming past when Colin asked to be alone, and she heard this wish, and reported it back to Santa. And on Christmas night, when santa came down to the pond with a sack full of fresh green slime for all the pondlife, he scooped up the sleeping Colin into a bucket of water, and took him over to another pond at the other end of the garden. A pond where nobody lived except a gold statue of a cherub. And the cherub didn’t really live at all. He just spouted water out of his mouth.
“Yo ho-ho” said Santa. “There you are carp. Santa always delivers. This Christmas you shall be all alone !”
And in the morning, Colin opened his sleepy eyes and said to himself. “Oh no. It’s the worst day of the year. Those tadpoles will soon be singing christmas carols. I think I’ll just hide under a stone until it’s all over.”
But after a while, he couldn’t help noticing that the pond was strangely quiet. He swam around a bit, and found that it was wonderfully free of stilly tadpoles, quacking ducks, stuck-up swans, and deluded frogs who think that they are princes.
“This is fabulous! “ said Colin. “Just listen to that peace and quiet. Santa must have heard my wish and given me my own pond for christmas ! That’s because I’ve been such a good carp all year round. Thank you Santa ! I’m truly grateful. The only problem is….it’s just perfect. What am going to grump about ? Oh never mind that. I’m…. I’m…. I”m happy!”
And he even did a little dance in the water, because nobody was looking, and he really was happy to be alone for once.
In the Royal Palace, all the children who live there were very excited about all the presents waiting to be opened under the Christmas tree. But the wicked queen was in a furious mood, because she simply hates christmas, even more than Colin does.
She went into the kitchen where the cook and her helpers were all working hard making lunch. And the Queen screeched.
“Not Turkey ! I hate Turkey ! It’s the stupidest bird that was ever eaten!”
“Oh madam, “ said the cook. “I ordered the Turkey weeks ago. There’s nothing else for lunch.”
“Well let everyone else stuff themselves silly with Turkey and roast potatoes. A queen has to mind her figure. I want something healthy. I want, I want….. er fish. In fact, I want poached carp with a little sprig of parsley.”
And with those words, the Wicked Queen swept out of the kitchen and went up stares to shout at the children.
Princess Beatrice loved Christmas day more than any other day in the whole year. She was just coming back from Church when she decided to take a little walk around the ponds and remember her long lost Prince Bertie. Her happiness was tinged with a sadness as she thought about her handsome prince whom she hadn’t seen for quite a while, but she was sure that he would return one day from a brave quest and they would be married and live happily ever after.
At the edge of the garden, she stopped at the pond where Colin was enjoying his solitude. Even though he was happy, his face still looked grumpy. It was just made that way.
“Poor fish.,” said Beatrice. “He’s all on his own on Christmas Day. I”m sure he’s the same one I’ve seen many times before on the other side of the garden, in that slimy pond where they funny looking frog lives. I know. I’ll go and get a net and a bucket, and I’ll take him back to the other pond so he can have some company. That will be a lovely christmas present for him.”
Colin heard this and he said, “Oh no. Your Royal Highness. That’s not what I want at all….” But Beatrice couldn’t understand what Colin was saying, because he’s just a fish, and besides, he was speaking under water.
Instead, she turned around and hurried back to the palace to look for a bucket and a net.
At the same time, the cook was wondering where she was going to find a carp to poach for the Wicked Queen’s lunch. As it was christmas day, all the shops were shut - even the special shops that work by Royal Appointment. Then she remembered that she had seen a fat carp swimming around one of the ponds in the garden, and she went out to look for him.
In his pond, Colin was feeling his usual grumpy self again. “Oh well,” he said to himself. “Soon that air-headed princess will be fishing me out of here and taking me back Bertie’s pond. That’s what I hate about christmas. If people laid off doing good deeds and minded their own business, we would all be a lot happier.”
Then he heard a voice - but it wasn’t princess Beatrice’s - it was the cook, and she was saying”
“There he is. He’s an ugly brute, but he’ll look a lot better when he’s on a plate with a spring of parsley in his mouth. I’ll tell the kitchen boy to come down here with a net and fish him out.”
“What’s this? Said Colin. “On a plate with a spring of parsley in my mouth? Oh No ! Christmas truly is the worst day of the year - and it looks like it’s going to be my last day ever ! “
He started to swim around in a panic, looking for somewhere to hide, but the pond was not like the one where Bertie lived. There was no slime, no muddy bottom, not big rocks. It was just full of pure, clean water. In fact, it was the worst place in the entire world for a fish to hide in.
Soon colin felt himself being lifted up through the air. He was wriggling and fighting and gasping for breath, but he just got his fins tangled in the net. And then Plop ! he was dropped, not even into a bucket, but a plastic shopping bag full of water.
“The indignity of it,” said Colin. “Carried to my own funeral in a shopping bag. Merry Christmas !”
It was very dark inside the bag, and he couldn’t see where he was going. Then the motion stopped. They had arrived. He got ready to whack the cook around the face with his tale.
“At least they will say that Colin The Carp went down fighting,” he said himself.
The bag turned upside down, and all the water and Colin with it went slopping out
“That’s it !” Thought Colin. “Straight into the cooking pot !”
Splash !
And all his scales tingled with lovely cold water.
“Ooh Look,” said a squeaky little voice. “There’s Colin. He’s come out of hiding.”
And all the little tadpoles were swimming around him singing,
“We wish you a merry christmas We Wish you a merry Christmas.
And Princess Beatrice said
“Merry Christmas Pond Life”
The cook didn’t make poached carp for the Wicked Queen’s lunch, because when she went back to the pond, colin had mysteriously disappeared. But it didn’t matter, because the Queen decided to skip christmas all together, and she went up to her room to read up on wicked spells.
And as for Colin, for the first time in his long, grumpy life, he has a very, very, very, merry Christmas because he was so glad to be alive and with his friends.

http://storynory.com/2007/12/09/colins-grumpy-christmas/

Words

1.tadpoles/オタマジャクシ
2.hark/聞く
3.beneath/…の下に(below)
4.pond/池
5.soggy/ずぶぬれ
6.frosty/凍りつくような、氷のような
7.pond life/池生活
8.prtal/花びら
9.truly/本当に、真実に
10.sensible/分別のある、思慮のある
11.creatures/生き物、家畜
12.cherub/ケリビム（天使）
13.fabulous/伝説上の、ものすごい
14.persley/パセリ
15.solitude/一人ぼっち
16.muddy/ぬかるみ、泥だらけ
17.tangled/もつれた、からまる
18.indignity/軽蔑、侮辱
19.splash/（泥、水を）はねる、かける
20.wicked/不道徳な、意地悪な
21.disappeared/姿をけす


This story is difficult for me.
But it was interesting.

The Girl Who Missed Christmas

Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Natalie.
Natalie was six. She lived on a nice house, in a nice street. She had a little brother called Joe, and dog called Marmalade.
And most of the time Natalie was happy.
She played with her friends.
She played with her dog.
Sometimes she even played with Joe - when he wasn’t being annoying.
But there was one thing Natalie didn’t like.
Getting up.
Every morning her Dad would come into her room and say: “C’mon Natalie, time to get up.”
And Natalie would say: “Just one more minute.”
“Now, now, you’ll be late for school,” said Dad.
“Just one tiny minute,” Natalie would say. “Pleeeeeeease…..”
“Now, Natalie.”
“It’s so warm in bed,” Natalie would moan.
And so it went on every morning.
Dad would shout at Natalie to get up.
Mum would shout at her.
And Marmalade the dog would bark.
And Joe would already be up.
And then Mum would shout at her again.
And the dog would bark even louder.
But Natalie just pulled the cover over her ears.
Because Natalie just really, really, really hated getting out of bed in the morning.
“You know, Natalie, one day you’re going to miss something really important because you stay in bed to long,” said Dad.
As it happened, something very important was about to happen. The nights were getting longer, and the leaves were falling from the trees, and soon Natalie was getting very excited because it was getting close to Christmas.
And she had so many different things she had asked for.
She wanted a new game for her Nintendo DS.
And a doll that cried real tears.
And a new DVD.
And lots and lots and lots of things.
Of course, she had to rehearse for the school play - except she nearly missed it because she was sleeping in.
And she had to go and see Santa in the grotto - but she nearly missed that as well because she didn’t want to get out of bed.
“I just don’t what to do about all this sleeping,” said Mum.
But Natalie didn’t care.
If I want to stay in bed, why shouldn’t I? she decided to herself.
So finally Christmas Eve arrived. And Natalie was so excited she found it really hard to get to sleep. She wanted to stay and see if she could really see Santa. She tried ever so hard to stay awake as long as she could.
But eventually, she went off to sleep.
And she slept.
And slept.
And slept.
At one point she heard Dad coming into the room to wake her - but she just rolled over, put the pillow over her head, and went back to sleep again.
Finally she decided she she had been so long in bed that it was starting to get boring.
She pulled away the pillow and looked towards the window.
It was morning.
“Wow, it’s Christmas day,” said Natalie. “I’m so excited.”
She looked towards the end of her bed.
But where was the stocking? she wondered.
Where had Santa left all his toys?
Natalie jumped out of bed, and ran downstairs.
She was quite out of breath - because she’d never jumped out of bed before.
“Mum, Dad, its Christmas,” she shouted.
She glanced around the room.
Joe was playing with a new toy car.
Mum was folding away some used wrapping paper.
Dad was reading a boring looking book with no pictures — in fact, the sort of book Mum gave him every year.
And Marmalade the dog was eating something that looked suspiciously like turkey leftovers.
“Mum, Dad, it’s Christmas,” shouted Natalie, even louder this time.
There was a silence.
Everyone looked at her - everyone that is except Marmalade who was busy eating turkey.
“It’s Christmas…isn’t it?” said Natalie, more quietly now.
“You mean, it was Christmas,” said Dad.
“You slept right through,” said Mum.
“We tried to wake you,” said Dad.
“But, but, but….” Said Natalie.
“I told you you’d miss something important one day,” said Dad.
“It was really good,” said Joe. “We had loads of food, and loads of presents.”
“And I missed it,” wailed Natalie.
And she started to cry.
And cry.
And cry.
“Sorry,” said Dad. “It also means you didn’t get any presents from Santa. But don’t worry, there will be another Christmas next year.”
“It’s not faaaaair,” wailed Natalie.
“But I always told you you’d miss something important if you didn’t get out of bed in time,” said Dad. “Now, help me clear away all this wrapping paper….”
But Natalie just walked out of the house.
She walked through the garden.
And across the park.
When she got there, she cried and cried.
She was so upset about missing Christmas.
And she didn’t know how she could wait for a whole year.
Now, it so happened that it was still very early in the morning.
And the sun was only just coming up, so it was still quite dark.
And at that very moment, Santa was just trudging his way across the sky in his sleigh on his way back to Lapland.
He was very tired.
And so were the reindeer, because they’d been all around the world delivering presents to all the children.
But, even though he was tired, he couldn’t help noticing one little girl sitting on a park bench all by herself.
And crying and crying.
“Whoa there Rudolf,” said Santa. “I wonder what’s wrong with that girl.”
“Maybe she didn’t like her presents,” said Rudolf, who was hungry and tired, and wanted to get back to his grotto to get some food. “Kids today! No gratitude….”
“We better see,” said Santa.
And so he pulled the sleigh down into the park.
“What’s the matter?” asked Santa.
But Natalie was so upset, she just kept crying, and her eyes were so full of water she couldn’t see anything.
“Huh, she’s probably upset because she only got one Nintendo, ten Polly Pockets, and a dozen Barbie dolls,” said Rudolph. “Kids today! When I started this job they were happy with a small piece of wood and an orange. The stuff you have to carry noawadays. It’s hardly surprising my back hurts.”
“Didn’t you like your presents?” said Santa.
Natalie rubbed her eyes, and then looked up.
And she gasped.
Santa was sitting right next to her.
“Oh-my-gosh,” she said. “Is it….you?”
“Shhhhh,” said Santa. “You see I’m not really supposed to show myself to children.”
“We’ll be in trouble for this,” moaned Rudolph. “I told you we should have gone straight home.”
But Natalie gave Santa a hug.
“You see Santa, I slept right through Christmas….and now I’ve missed it.”
“Oh dear, oh dear,” said Santa.
Then he looked towards the house.
“We’ve still got a few things left in the sack,” he said. “So go inside, and check the fireplace in your bedroom in a few minutes.”
“But, but….”
“Just go,” said Santa.
So Natalie stated to walk home.
And Santa went back to his sleigh.
“We’re not doing another delivery are we,” said Rudolph. “Because, that’s overtime, that what that is…I’ll need an extra carrot for that.”
“Oh, c’mon you lazy animal,” said Santa.
And then Natalie came back into the house.
She couldn’t believe her eyes.
Jingle bells was playing on the hi-fi.
Everyone was wearing hats.
And her mum had re-heated some turkey and made some fresh roast potatoes.
“We thought we’d re-start Christmas,” said Dad. “Just for you.”
And Natalie jumped up and down, then ran upstairs.
Because in the fireplace in her bedroom there was stocking bursting with presents - there was a doll with real tears, a princess on a white pony, game for her nintendo, and, finally, after she had opened all the other presents from Santa there was one special one from Dad - An Alarm Clock !
So for the rest of the day, Natalie had the best Christmas ever.
And do you know what?
A couple of weeks later it was the first day of a new term.
Dad came into the bedroom. “Wake up, Natalie. Time to go back to school,” he said.
The he looked around.
“Natalie,” he said, sounding worried. “Natalie..”
But he couldn’t see her anywhere.
Then he heard a voice from downstairs.
So he rushed down to kitchen.
And Natalie was out of bed, had put on her school uniform and brushed her hair, and had made breakfast for everyone.
“I’m never going to be late for anything again, Dad,” she said.

http://storynory.com/2007/12/02/the-girl-who-missed-christmas/


Words

1.annoying/うるさい
2.moan/
3.shout/叫ぶ、大声を出す
4.bark/ほえる、犬の鳴き声
5.louder/騒々しい
6.rehearse/リハーサル
7.except/除く
8.grotto/岩屋
9.awake/目覚める
10.eventually/結局
11.towards/～に向かって
12.downstairs/解下
13.glanced/ちらっと見る
14.suspiciously/けげんそうに
15.loads/
16.wailed/声をあげて泣く
17.trudging/重そうに歩く
18.Lapland/ラップランド
19.raindeer/トナカイ
20.gratitude/感謝、感謝する
21.delivering/配達
22.upset/ひっくり返る、混乱する
23.dozen/ダース
24.rubbed/こする、磨く
25.gosh/おや
26.lazy/ダラダラした、のろまな

The Three Little Pigs

There was once a family of pigs. The mother pig was very poor, and so she sent her three little pigs out to seek their fortunes. The first that went off met a man with a bundle of straw, and said to him:
“Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house.”
Which the man did, and the little pig built a house with it. Presently came along a wolf, and knocked at the door, and said:
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in.”
To which the pig answered:
“No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin.”
The wolf then answered to that:
“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.”
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and ate up the little pig.
The second little pig met a man with a bundle of furze, and said:
“Please, man, give me that furze to build a house.”
Which the man did, and the pig built his house. Then along came the wolf, and said:
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in.”
“No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin.”
“Then I’ll puff, and I’ll huff, and I’ll blow your house in.”
So he huffed, and he puffed, and he puffed, and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and he ate up the little pig.
The third little pig met a man with a load of bricks, and said:
“Please, man, give me those bricks to build a house with.”
So the man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them. So the wolf came, as he did to the other little pigs, and said:
“Little pig, little pig, let me come in.”
“No, no, by the hair of my chiny chin chin.”
“Then I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.”
Well, he huffed, and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and huffed; but he could not get the house down. When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said:
“Little pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips.”
“Where?” said the little pig.
“Oh, in Mr. Smith’s Home-field, and if you will be ready tomorrow morning I will call for you, and we will go together, and get some for dinner.”
“Very well,” said the little pig, “I will be ready. What time do you mean to go?”
“Oh, at six o’clock.”
Well, the little pig got up at five, and got the turnips before the wolf came (which he did about six) and who said:
“Little Pig, are you ready?”
The little pig said: “Ready! I have been and come back again, and got a nice potful for dinner.”
The wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to the little pig somehow or other, so he said:
“Little pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree.”
“Where?” said the pig.
“Down at Merry-garden,” replied the wolf, “and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o’clock tomorrow and get some apples.”
Well, the little pig bustled up the next morning at four o’clock, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the wolf came; but he had further to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he saw the wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much. When the wolf came up he said:
“Little pig, what! are you here before me? Are they nice apples?”
“Yes, very,” said the little pig. “I will throw you down one.”
And he threw it so far, that, while the wolf was gone to pick it up, the little pig jumped down and ran home. The next day the wolf came again, and said to the little pig:
“Little pig, there is a fair at Shanklin this afternoon, will you go?”
“Oh yes,” said the pig, “I will go; what time shall you be ready?”
“At three,” said the wolf. So the little pig went off before the time as usual, and got to the fair, and bought a butter-churn, which he was going home with, when he saw the wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do. So he got into the churn to hide, and by so doing turned it round, and it rolled down the hill with the pig in it, which frightened the wolf so much, that he ran home without going to the fair. He went to the little pig’s house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him. Then the little pig said:
“Hah, I frightened you, then. I had been to the fair and bought a butter-churn, and when I saw you, I got into it, and rolled down the hill.”
Then the wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the little pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him. When the little pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the wolf was coming down, took off the cover, and in fell the wolf; so the little pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and lived happy ever afterwards.
Once upon a time when pigs spoke rhymeAnd monkeys chewed tobacco,And hens took snuff to make them tough,And ducks went quack, quack, quack, O!





http://storynory.com/2008/02/25/the-three-little-pigs-2/





Words



1.seek/探す

2.fortune/運、幸運

3.bundle/束

4.straw/わら、麦わら

5.presently/まもなく、やがて

6.wolf/オオカミ

7.chiny/(chin)けんすい、おしゃべり、あご

8.huff/怒らせる、ムッとする

9.puff/ぷっと吹く、息

10.furze/ハリエシニダ

11.bricks/レンガ、積み木

12.turnips/カブ

13.potful/ポット１杯の量

14.replied/答えた(reply)

15.further/さらに遠くに

16.shaklin/

17.churn/かくにゅうき、ミルク缶

18.indeed/実に、全く、本当に

19.chimney/煙突

20.hung on/

21.snuff/嗅ぐ、くんくんする

22quack/ガーガー鳴く

遅くなったんですけど、今からたくさんしていきます!!

それと、

(shanklin)と(hung on)の意味が分かりませんでした。

Snow White Part3

And as she was so beautiful the huntsman had pity on her and said, “Run away, then, you poor child.” While to himself he thought, “The wild beasts will soon have devoured you,” and yet it seemed as if a stone had been rolled from his heart since he know longer had to to kill her.
Then as a young wild boar came rushing by, he killed it, took out its heart, and carried it home to the Queen. The cook was ordered to prepare this, and the wicked Queen ate it, and thought she had eaten the heart of Snow-white.
Poor little Snow-White was now all alone in the wild wood, and so frightened was she that she trembled at every leaf that rustled. Then she began to run, and ran over sharp stones and through thorns, and the wild beasts ran past her, but did her no harm. And she kept on runningn until she came to a little house, where she went in to rest.
Inside the cottage, everything she saw was tiny, but more dainty and clean than words can tell.
Upon a white-covered table stood seven little plates and upon each plate lay a little spoon, besides which there were seven knives and forks and seven little goblets. Against the wall, and side by side, stood seven little beds covered with perfectly white sheets.

Snow-White was so hungry and thirsty that she took a little food from each of the seven plates, and drank a few drops of wine from each goblet, for she did not wish to take everything away from one. Then, because she was so tired, she crept into one of the beds, but it did not suit her, and then she tried the others, but one was too long, another too short, and so on, until she came to the seventh, which suited her exactly; so she said her prayers and soon fell fast asleep.


Words

1.pity/哀れと思う、～をかわいそうに思う
2.boar/イノシシ
3.prepare/覚悟させる、準備する
4.frightened/驚いた
5.trembled/(体が)震える、身震いする、心配する
6.rustled/衣擦れの音をさせる、サラサラ、カサカサ
7.thorns/ハリ、棘、
8.no harm/悪いことはない、悪意はない
9.dainty/きゃしゃな、優美な、上品な
10.goblets/ゴブレット
11.thirsty/のどがかわいた
12.crept/(creepの過去、過去分詞)
13.suit/～に好都合である、～に似合う(fit the style)











http://storynory.com/2006/07/31/snow-white/

Snow White Part2

But as time passed on, Little Snow-White grew more and more beautiful, until when she was seven years old, she was as lovely as the bright day, and still more lovely than the Queen herself, so that when the lady one day asked her mirror-
"Mirror, mirror upon the wall, Who is the fairest fair of us all?"
it answered-
"Lady Queen, though fair ye be, Snow-White is fairer far to see."
The Queen was shocked, and grew yellow and green with envy, and from that moment envy and pride grew in her heart like rank weeds, so that she had no peace day or night, until one day she called a huntsman and said "Take the child away into the woods and kill her, for I can no longer bear the sight of her. And when you return, bring with you her heart, that I may know you have obeyed my will."
The huntsman dared not disobey, and he led Snow-White out into the woods and placed an arrow in his bow to pierce her innocent heart, but the little girl cried and begged him saying, "Ah dear huntsman, leave me my life! I will run away into the wild forest, and never come home again."


Words

1.bright/輝かしい、明るい
2.fair/きれいな、公正な
3.ye/なんじらは、そなたたちは
4.shocked/～に衝撃を与える、憤慨させる
5.pride/プライド、自尊心
6.rank/地位、
7.peace/平和、平穏
8.huntsman/猟師
9.sight of/見解
10.obeyed/従う、服従する　　(disobey=背く、従わない)
11.dared/挑む、立ち向かう
12.bow/弓
13.innocent/無垢な、あどけない
14.envy/うらやむ、ねたむ
15.weeds/マリファナ、雑草、タバコ
16.pierce/～に穴をあける、～を貫く

Snow White Part1

A very long time ago, in mid winter, when the snowflakes were falling like feathers from heaven, a beautiful queen sat sewing at her window, which had a frame of black ebony. As she worked, she looked sometimes at the falling snow, and it happened that she pricked her finger with her needle, so that three drops of blood fell upon the snow. How pretty the red blood looked upon the dazzling white! The Queen said to herself as she looked it, “Ah me! If only I had a dear little child who had skin as white as the snow, lips as rosy as the blood, and hair as black as the ebony window-frame.”
Soon afterwards she had a little daughter, with skin white as snow, lips rosy as blood, and hair as black as ebony– and she was therefore called “Little Snow-White.”
But alas! When the little one was born, the good queen died.
A year passed away, and the King took another wife. She was a beautiful woman, but proud and haughty, and she could not bear that anyone else should surpass her in beauty. She had a mirror and when she stood in front of it and asked,
"Mirror, mirror upon the wall, Who is the fairest of us all?"
the mirror answered-
"Thou, Queen, art the fairest of all,"
and the Queen was contented, because she knew the mirror could speak nothing but the truth.


Words

1.mid/中間の、中央の
2.snowflakes/雪片
3.sewing/縫う、裁縫
4.ebony/漆黒の、真っ黒の
5.pricked/(prick)刺し傷、突き傷、ちくちく痛む
6.needle/～をからかう、ちくちくといじめる
7.drops/点滴薬
8.upon/onと同じ
9.dazzling/目も眩むばかりの、まぶしい、眩惑的な
10.dear/敬愛する、いとしい、かわいい
11.rosy/バラのような、薔薇色の、有望な
12.afterwards/後で
13.therefore/従って、それ故に、その結果
14.alas/まあ！
15.haughty/おうへいな、傲慢な、偉そうな
16.bear/運ぶ、耐える、我慢する
17.surpass/優る、凌ぐ、超える
18.fairest/最も公平な
19.contented/満足した、満足している

Question
I can't understand [the mirror could speak nothing but the truth.]'s meaning.


Snow Whitehttp://storynory.com/2006/07/31/snow-white/

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership Part6

Yes, indeed,’ answered the Cat; ‘ it will taste as good to you as if you stretched your thin tongue out of the window.’
They started off, and when they reached it they found the pot in its place, but quite empty!
Ah,’ said the Mouse,’ ‘now I know what has happened! It has all come out! You are a true friend to me! You have eaten it all when you stood godmother; first the top off, then half of it gone, then—-’
Will you be quiet!’ screamed the Cat. ‘Another word and I will eat you up.’
Cleangone’ was already on the poor Mouse’s tongue, and scarcely was it out than the Cat made a spring at her, seized and swallowed her.
You see that is the way of the world.


Words

1.tongue/演奏する、なめる、舌
2.reached/(reach)到着する、連絡する
3.screamed/(scream)叫び声をあげる、悲鳴をあげる
4.scarcely/～がない、ほとんど～ない、辛うじて
5.seized/(seize)捕まえる、～を理解する
6.swallowed/(swallow)飲み込む、納得して受け入れる

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership Part5

Topoff! Halfgone!’ repeated the Mouse, ‘they are such curious names; they make me very thoughtful.’
Oh, you sit at home in your dark grey coat and your long tail,’ said the Cat, ‘and you get fanciful. That comes of not going out in the day.’
The Mouse had a good cleaning out while the Cat was gone, and made the house tidy; but the greedy Cat ate the fat every bit up.

When it is all gone one can be at rest,’ she said to herself, and at night she came home sleek and satisfied. The Mouse asked at once after the third child’s name.

It won’t please you any better,’ said the Cat, ‘he was called Clean Gone.’

Cleangone!’ repeated the Mouse. ‘I do not believe that name has been printed any more than the others. Cleangone! What can it mean?’ She shook her head, curled herself up, and went to sleep.

From this time on no one asked the Cat to stand godmother; but when the winter came and there was nothing to be got outside, the Mouse remembered their provision and said, ‘Come,Cat, we will go to our pot of fat which we have stored away; it will taste very good.’


Words
1.thoughtful/考え込んでいる、考え深い
2.fanciful/想像力に富む、気まぐれな
3.tidy/こぎれいな、整然とした
4.greedy/貪欲な、欲深い
5.every bit/(口語)全部、みんな
6.sleek/艶のある、めかした
7.satisfied/満足させた
8.printed/～に印象を与える、印刷する
9.curled/(curl)カール、縮らす
10.provision/準備、用意、但し書き

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership Part4

Not long after this another great longing came over the Cat. She said to the Mouse, ‘You must again be kind enough to look after the house alone, for I have been asked a second time to stand godmother, and as this kitten has a white ring round its neck, I cannot refuse.’
The kind Mouse agreed, but the Cat slunk under the town wall to the church, and ate up half of the pot of fat. ‘Nothing tastes better,’ said she, ‘than what one eats by oneself,’ and she was very much pleased with her day’s work. When she came home the Mouse asked, ‘What was this child called?’
‘Half Gone,’ answered the Cat.
‘Halfgone! what a name! I have never heard it in my life. I don’t believe it is in any book!’

Soon the Cat’s mouth began to water once more after her licking business. ‘All good things in threes,’ she said to the Mouse; ‘I have again to stand godmother. The child is quite black, and has very white paws, but not a single white hair on its body. This only happens once in two years, so you will let me go out?’

Words
1.refse/断る、拒否する
2.paws/手、足

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership Part3

But it was all untrue. The Cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight to the church, slunk to the little pot of fat, began to lick it, and licked the top off. Then she took a walk on the roofs of the town, looked at the view, stretched herself out in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the little pot of fat. As soon as it was evening she went home again.
‘Ah, here you are again!’ said the Mouse; ‘you must certainly have had an enjoyable day.’
‘It went off very well,’ answered the Cat.
‘What was the child’s name?’ asked the Mouse.
‘Top Off,’ said the Cat drily.
‘Topoff!’ echoed the Mouse, ‘it is indeed a wonderful and curious name. Are there others called Topoff in your family?’
‘What is there odd about it?’ said the Cat. ‘It is not worse than Breadthief, as your godchild is called.’





Words

1.untrue/真実でない、虚偽の
2.slunk/(slinkの過去、過去分詞)こそこそと歩く
3.lick/なめる
4.stretch/背伸びする、のびをする
5.enjoyable/愉快な、楽しめる
6.echoed/(echoの過去)こだまする、反響する
7.indeed/実に、本当に、本当かい
8.curious/気になる、好奇心の強い、奇妙な
9.odd/奇数の、残りの、半端な
10.worse/より悪い、いっそう悪い


Thank you for your answer my question.

Question
I can't understand ‘you must certainly have had an enjoyable day.’
[have] [had] is the same meaning?

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership Part 2

So the little pot was placed in safety; but it was not long before the Cat had a great longing for it, and said to the Mouse, ‘I wanted to tell you, little Mouse, that my cousin has a little son, white with brown spots, and she wants me to be godmother to that little kitten.
Let me go out to-day, and do you take care of the house alone.’
‘Yes, go certainly,’ replied the Mouse, ‘and when you eat anything good, think of me; I should very much like a drop of the red christening wine.’


words

1.placed / 置く
2.longing / 切望、熱望する
3.spots / スポット、地点
4.godmother / 代母
5.kitten / 子猫、おてんば娘
6.certainly / もちろん、確かに
7.replid / ＝reply　返事、返答
8.christening / 洗礼を施す


Question
I can't understand ‘and when you eat anything good, think of me; I should very much like a drop of the red christening wine.’

The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership

A cat got to know a mouse, and spoke so much of the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at last the Mouse agreed to live in the same house with her, and to go shares in the housekeeping.
‘But we must store up food for the winter or else we shall be hungry,’ said the Cat. ‘And You, little Mouse, cannot venture everywhere in case you run into a trap.’
This good advice was followed, and a little pot of fat was bought. But they did not know where to put it.
At length, after long discussion, the Cat said, ‘I know of no place where it could be better put than in the church.No one will trouble to take it away from there. We will hide it in a corner, and we won’t touch it till we really need it.’



words

1.friendship / 友情、友好関係
2.agreed / 決められている
3.shares in / 分け合う
4.housekeeping / 家事
5.venture / 冒険、危険
6.length / 長さ

http://storynory.com/2006/04/17/the-cat-and-the-mouse-in-partnership/