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The Selfish Giant 自私的巨人

  A giant lives in a big house with a nice garden. Children like to play in the giant's garden. They go there every afternoon.

    The garden is lovely. There are nice, beautiful flowers in the garden. The flowers look like stars. There are peach trees in the garden, too. Their blossoms smell very sweet.

    The children are happy in the garden. They can climb the trees. They can listen to the birds sing. They run around and laugh.

One day, the giant comes home. He went away seven years ago. He went to see his friend. The giant sees the children in his garden, so he is very angry.

    "Why are you here?" he asks them. "This is my garden!"

    The children are frightened. They run away. The giant makes a big sign. It says, "Do Not Enter." He puts it on the gate outside his house. He is very selfish.

    Now the children have no place to play. The road is too dusty. The woods are too dark. The fields are too windy. They are not happy now.

    Soon, winter arrives. He makes the weather very cold. Everything is gray and quiet. Then, spring comes again. Everyone is happy to see her return. Fields become green. Flowers grow under every window. Birds fly around singing.

    In the giant's garden, the weather is still cold. Spring doesn't want to go there because the giant is too selfish. There are no birds there. A flower comes up from the ground. It sees the "Do Not Enter" sign on the gate.

  "The giant is very selfish," it thinks. "I will go back to sleep."

    The snow and the frost are happy. They don't like spring. They want to live in the giant's garden all year.

  "Spring has forgotten this garden," they cry. "We can stay here forever."

    The snow puts a white blanket on the ground. He doesn't want to see any flowers growing there. The frost paints all of the trees silver. She doesn't want any blossoms on the trees.

    The snow and the frost invite the North Wind. He comes into the garden. He is wearing a fur coat and hat. He blows all day in the giant's garden.

  "This is fun," roars the North Wind. "I'm so happy. I don't need to go to sleep this year!"

    The snow, the frost, and the North Wind invite the hail. For three hours, the hail rattles on the roof. He breaks some of the giant's windows. Then, he runs around and around in the garden. He likes being noisy.

    The giant is sitting at a window. He is looking at his cold, white garden. He feels confused.

  "Why is spring coming so late?" he thinks. "I hope the weather changes soon."

    But spring never comes. Summer never arrives, either. Fall stays away, too. They don't want to share their sweet fruit, warm weather and happy feelings with the selfish giant.

    One morning, the giant is lying in bed. He suddenly hears something. It sounds like a bird singing.

  "That is strange," he thinks. "I don't hear the wind blowing or the hail falling outside."

    The giant looks out his window. He sees some children sitting in the trees. The trees have blossoms growing on them. There are birds flying around and singing. Flowers and green grass cover the ground.

    In one corner, spring hasn't returned. A little boy is crying under a frozen tree there. He wants to climb the tree, but he is too short. The North Wind is blowing around him.

  "Climb up," says the tree to the boy.

  "I can't," cries the little boy. "I'm too short."

  The giant feels very sad for the boy.

  "Spring has not come to my garden. Now, I know why," he thinks. "I have been very selfish. I will put the poor little boy in the tree."

    Now the giant wants the children to play in his garden every day. He wants them to climb up into the trees. He wants them to run around and laugh. He wants them to be happy.

    The giant opens his door and goes out into the garden. When the children see the giant, they are scared and run away. They are not in the garden now. The snow, frost, and hail return.

    The little boy is still crying. The giant walks to the little boy. He picks him up, and puts him in the tree. Tree blossoms come out at once. Birds fly to the tree and begin singing.

    The little boy is very happy. He hugs the giant. The other children are watching. They are surprised. The giant has changed. They come back inside the garden.

    The giant talks to the children.

  "The garden is yours now," he tells them. "I will knock down the wall, so you can come here every day to play."

    The giant knocks down the wall. People are surprised to see the children playing in the garden. The children play there all day. The next day they come back, but the little boy is not with them. The giant feels sad.

  "Where is your little friend?" asks the giant. "Please ask him to come with you next time."

    The little children return to the garden every afternoon, but the little boy is never with them. The giant really wants to see his little friend. He misses him.

    Many years pass by. The giant gets old and weak. He can't play with children now. He sits in his big chair and watches the children play.

    The giant is happy because the children make him happy. "My garden has many pretty things in it," he thinks. "But the most beautiful flowers are the children."

    Winter comes again. The giant looks out his window. He sees the little boy standing under a tree. The tree has many blossoms on it.

    The giant is very excited. He runs downstairs and into the garden. He runs to his little friend and hugs him.

    The little boy speaks to the giant.

  "You are a good giant," he says. "Before, you helped me climb into the tree. Now you can come with me. We will live together in paradise forever."

     That afternoon, the children come to the garden. They find the giant. He is lying on the ground. Many white blossoms are on top of him. He is dead. There is a smile on his face.

    有一個巨人住在一棟大房子,那裡有一座美麗的花園。小朋友都喜歡到這個巨人的花園裡玩耍。他們每天下午都去。

    這座花園非常漂亮。園裡開著芬芳、美麗的花朵。這些花朵看起來就好像天上的星星。園中也有幾株桃樹。桃花的味道聞起來很香。

    小朋友在花園裡玩得很開心。他們可以爬樹,也可以聽小鳥唱歌。他們到處跑來跑去,充滿著歡笑聲。

    有一天,巨人回來了。七年前他離家去看他朋友。這個巨人看到他的花園有小朋友時非常生氣。

    你們怎麼來這裡?他向他們問道。這是我的花園!

    小朋友們都嚇壞了,他們趕緊跑開。於是巨人就做了一個大牌子,上面寫著禁止進入。他把這個牌子立在住家外面的大門上。這個巨人很自私。

    現在小朋友們沒有地方可以玩了。馬路有很多灰塵,森林裡太暗,原野上風又太大。他們現在都快樂不起來了。

    冬天很快就來了。冬天把天氣變得非常寒冷。所有東西都變成了灰色,一片死寂。接著,春天又到了。大家都很高興春回大地。原野又綠了起來,每扇窗戶下面的花兒也都長了出來。小鳥飛來飛去哼著歌兒。

  可是在巨人的花園裡,天氣還是很寒冷。春天不想光臨,因為巨人太自私了。那兒一隻鳥也看不見。有一朵小花鑽出泥土便看到立在門口那個禁止進入的牌子。

  小花心想:“這個巨人太自私了。我要回去睡覺。”

  白雪和寒霜最高興了。他們都討厭春天。他們希望一整年都待在巨人的花園裡。

  他們大叫著說:春天已經忘了這個花園。我們可以永遠待在這個地方了。

    白雪在地上鋪了一張白色的毯子。他不想看到花朵生長出來。寒霜把所有的樹木都漆成銀白色。她也不希望這些樹開出花來。

  白雪、寒霜邀請北風來作客,他便來到這座花園。北風穿著一件毛皮外套並戴著一頂帽子,他整天在巨人的花園中刮著寒風。

  北風吼叫著說:真好玩。我太高興了,今年我不必睡覺了!

    白雪、寒霜和北風又邀請了冰雹來玩。一連三個小時,冰雹在屋頂上嘩啦嘩啦地下著。他把巨人的幾扇窗戶都打破了,然後在花園中跑來跑去。他就是愛吵鬧。

  巨人坐在窗邊,一直看著他這座既冷清又一片白茫茫的花園。他覺得很困惑。

  為什麼春天來得那麼晚呢?他心想。真希望天氣趕快好轉。

    可是春天還是沒來。夏天也不來報到。秋天更是離得遠遠的。他們都不願意把他們香甜的水果、溫暖的天氣與快樂的情緒和這個自私的巨人分享。

    有一天早上,巨人還躺在床上。他忽然聽到一陣聲音,好像是小鳥在唱歌的聲音。

  真奇怪,他心想。怎麼聽不到外頭北風怒吼或冰雹降落的聲音了?

  巨人朝著窗外看出去。他看到幾個小朋友坐在樹上。這些樹都已經開出花來。小鳥飛來飛去哼著歌兒。地上鋪滿了芬芳的花朵和綠草。

    在花園某個角落裡,春天還是沒到。有一個小男孩正在一棵結凍的樹下哭泣。他想爬到樹上,但是他太矮了。北風正在他四周吹著呢。

  樹朝著這個男孩說:爬上來啊。

  小男孩哭著說:我太矮了,爬不上去。

  巨人為這個男孩感到難過。

  春天到現在都還沒來到我的花園。現在我明白原因了,他心想。我太自私了。我來把這個可憐的小男孩抱到樹上好了。

    現在巨人希望小朋友們天天來他的花園玩耍。他希望他們爬樹,希望他們跑來跑去,開懷大笑。他希望他們開開心心。

  巨人打開房門走進了花園。小朋友看到巨人時,全都嚇壞了,便趕緊跑掉。現在,他們都離開了花園。白雪、寒霜和冰雹又回來了。

    那個小男孩還在哭泣,巨人便走向那小男孩,把他抱起來放到樹上。這時樹上的花兒立刻開了。小鳥也飛到這棵樹上唱起歌來。

  小男孩好高興喔。他擁抱著巨人。其他的小朋友都在看。他們覺得很驚訝。巨人跟以前不一樣了,於是他們都回到花園裡來。

    巨人跟小朋友們說話。

  從今以後這座花園是你們的了,他向他們說。我要把圍牆拆掉,這樣你們天天都可以來這裡玩。

    巨人把圍牆拆掉。大家看到小朋友們在花園中玩耍都感到很驚奇。小朋友們在那裡玩了一整天。隔天他們又回來,可是那個小男孩卻沒來。巨人覺得很難過。

  你們那位小朋友到哪去了?巨人問道。下次要請他一起來喔。

    小朋友們每天下午都會回到這座花園來玩,可是那個小男孩一直沒有出現。巨人真的很想再見見這個小朋友。他很想念他。

    很多年過去了。巨人年紀大了,身體也差多了。他現在無法跟小朋友們一起遊戲了。他坐在他那一張大椅子上看著小朋友玩耍。

  巨人現在很快樂,因為小朋友們讓他非常開心。他心想:“我的花園裡有很多很多漂亮的東西,但是最美麗的花朵卻是這些小朋友。”

    冬天又來了。巨人朝著窗外望去,看到了那個小男孩站在一棵樹底下。那棵樹上開了很多花。

巨人感到非常興奮。他跑下樓去,進入了花園。他跑過去擁抱那個小朋友。

  小男孩跟巨人說話了。

  你是一個好巨人,他說。以前你曾經幫助我爬到樹上。現在你可以跟我來了,我們將永遠一起住在幸福的天國。

    當天下午,小朋友們來到了花園。他們發現巨人躺在地上。在他的身上蓋著很多白色的花朵。他死了,臉上卻掛著笑容。



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