The Little Red Hen

A Little Red Hen lived in a barnyard. She spent almost all of her time walking about the barnyard in her picketty-pecketty fashion, scratching everywhere for worms.

从前有一只小红母鸡，住在一个农家院子里。她几乎整天都迈着 她那踢踢踏踏的小碎步，在院子里到处走来走去，四处刨土找虫子 吃。

She dearly loved fat, delicious worms and felt they were absolutely necessary to the health of her children. As often as she found a worm she would call "Chuck-chuck-chuck!" to her chickies.

她非常喜欢又肥又美味的虫子，觉得这些虫子对孩子们的健康绝对 是不可或缺的。每次找到一条虫子，她就会朝孩子们喊：“咯咯 咯——咯咯咯！”

When they were gathered about her, she would distribute choice morsels of her tid-bit. A busy little body was she!

等孩子们都围到她身边，她便把这些精挑细选的美味分给它们。 她可真是个忙忙碌碌的小家伙！

A cat usually napped lazily in the barn door, not even bothering herself to scare the rat who ran here and there as he pleased. And as for the pig who lived in the sty—he did not care what happened so long as he could eat and grow fat.

一只猫通常懒洋洋地在谷仓门口打盹，连费心去吓一吓那只到处乱 窜的老鼠都懒得做。至于住在猪圈里的那头猪呢——他什么都不 在乎，只要能吃能长膘就行。

One day the Little Red Hen found a Seed. It was a Wheat Seed, but the Little Red Hen was so accustomed to bugs and worms that she supposed this to be some new and perhaps very delicious kind of meat. She bit it gently and found that it resembled a worm in no way whatsoever as to taste although because it was long and slender, a Little Red Hen might easily be fooled by its appearance.

有一天，小红母鸡发现了一粒种子。那其实是一粒麦种，可小红 母鸡平日里吃惯了虫子和小虫，便以为这是某种新奇、说不定还 特别美味的肉食。她轻轻咬了一口，发现这味道跟虫子一点也不 像，虽然因为它又长又细，小红母鸡一时被它的外表给蒙骗了， 倒也情有可原。

Carrying it about, she made many inquiries as to what it might be. She found it was a Wheat Seed and that, if planted, it would grow up and when ripe it could be made into flour and then into bread.

她叼着这粒种子四处打听，想弄清楚它究竟是什么东西。她这才 知道，这是一粒麦种，要是把它种下去，它就会长大，等成熟以后 就能磨成面粉，再做成面包。

When she discovered that, she knew it ought to be planted. She was so busy hunting food for herself and her family that, naturally, she thought she ought not to take time to plant it.

发现这一点之后，她便知道这粒种子该种下去才是。可她一天到晚 都忙着替自己和一家老小找吃的，自然而然地，她觉得自己实在抽 不出时间来种它。

So she thought of the Pig—upon whom time must hang heavily and of the Cat who had nothing to do, and of the great fat Rat with his idle hours, and she called loudly:

于是她想到了那头猪——他闲着没事干，日子想必过得挺无聊； 又想到了那只猫——她也是无所事事；还有那只肥硕的老鼠——他 也整天游手好闲，于是她便扬声喊道：

"Who will plant the Seed?"

“谁来种这粒种子呀？”

But the Pig said, "Not I," and the Cat said, "Not I," and the Rat said, "Not I."

可猪说：“我可不干，”猫说：“我可不干，”老鼠也说：“我可 不干。”

"Well, then," said the Little Red Hen, "I will."

“那好吧，”小红母鸡说道，“我自己来种。”

And she did.

于是她便自己动手种下了。

Then she went on with her daily duties through the long summer days, scratching for worms and feeding her chicks, while the Pig grew fat, and the Cat grew fat, and the Rat grew fat, and the Wheat grew tall and ready for harvest.

接着，在漫长的夏日里，她依旧继续着自己每天的活计，刨土找 虫子，喂养孩子们，而猪长胖了，猫长胖了，老鼠也长胖了，麦子 也一天天长高，眼看就要成熟收割了。

So one day the Little Red Hen chanced to notice how large the Wheat was and that the grain was ripe, so she ran about calling briskly: "Who will cut the Wheat?"

有一天，小红母鸡碰巧注意到麦子长得多高了，谷粒也熟透了， 于是她便四处奔走，急切地喊道：“谁来收割这些麦子呀？”

The Pig said, "Not I," the Cat said, "Not I," and the Rat said, "Not I."

猪说：“我可不干，”猫说：“我可不干，”老鼠也说：“我可 不干。”

"Well, then," said the Little Red Hen, "I will."

“那好吧，”小红母鸡说道，“我自己来割。”

And she did.

于是她便自己动手割了。

She got the sickle from among the farmer's tools in the barn and proceeded to cut off all of the big plant of Wheat.

她从谷仓里农夫的工具堆中找来一把镰刀，便开始动手，把那一大 片麦子全都割了下来。

On the ground lay the nicely cut Wheat, ready to be gathered and threshed, but the newest and yellowest and downiest of Mrs. Hen's chicks set up a "peep-peep-peeping" in their most vigorous fashion, proclaiming to the world at large, but most particularly to their mother, that she was neglecting them.

割得整整齐齐的麦子铺在地上，正等着被收拢起来打谷，可鸡妈妈 那几只最新孵出的、毛色最黄、绒毛最软的小鸡崽们，却扯着嗓子 “唧唧唧唧”地叫个不停，声势十足地向全世界宣告——尤其是 向自己的妈妈宣告——她实在是冷落了它们。

Poor Little Red Hen! She felt quite bewildered and hardly knew where to turn.

可怜的小红母鸡！她感到十分为难，几乎不知该如何是好。

Her attention was sorely divided between her duty to her children and her duty to the Wheat, for which she felt responsible.

她的心思被两头拉扯着，一边是照顾孩子们的责任，一边是那片 麦子——毕竟她也觉得自己对麦子负有责任。

So, again, in a very hopeful tone, she called out, "Who will thresh the Wheat?"

于是，她又满怀希望地扬声喊道：“谁来打这些麦子呀？”

But the Pig, with a grunt, said, "Not I," and the Cat, with a meow, said, "Not I," and the Rat, with a squeak, said, "Not I."

可猪哼哼一声，说：“我可不干，”猫喵地一声，说：“我可不 干，”老鼠吱地一声，说：“我可不干。”

So the Little Red Hen, looking, it must be admitted, rather discouraged, said, "Well, I will, then."

于是小红母鸡——说实话，她这时看起来颇有几分灰心丧气—— 说道：“那好吧，我自己来打。”

And she did.

于是她便自己动手打了。

Of course, she had to feed her babies first, though, and when she had gotten them all to sleep for their afternoon nap, she went out and threshed the Wheat. Then she called out: "Who will carry the Wheat to the mill to be ground?"

不过她当然得先喂饱孩子们才行，等她把它们都哄睡着了午觉， 她才出去把麦子打了。打完之后，她又喊道：“谁来把这些麦子 送到磨坊去磨呢？”

Turning their backs with snippy glee, that Pig said, "Not I,"

那猪得意洋洋地转过身去，说：“我可不干，”

and that Cat said, "Not I," and that Rat said, "Not I."

那猫也说：“我可不干，”老鼠也说：“我可不干。”

So the good Little Red Hen could do nothing but say, "I will then." And she did.

于是善良的小红母鸡也没别的办法，只好说：“那好吧，我自己 来送。”于是她便自己动手送了。

Carrying the sack of Wheat, she trudged off to the distant mill. There she ordered the Wheat ground into beautiful white flour. When the miller brought her the flour she walked slowly back all the way to her own barnyard in her own picketty-pecketty fashion.

她扛着那袋麦子，一路跋涉，走到了远处的磨坊。她请磨坊主把 麦子磨成了雪白细腻的面粉。等磨坊主把面粉交给她之后，她便 迈着自己那踢踢踏踏的小碎步，一路慢慢地走回了自己的农家院子。

She even managed, in spite of her load, to catch a nice juicy worm now and then and had one left for the babies when she reached them. Those cunning little fluff-balls were _so_ glad to see their mother. For the first time, they really appreciated her.

尽管扛着这么重的东西，她还是设法逮到了一条美味多汁的虫子， 留给孩子们吃，等她回到它们身边时，还剩下一条。那些可爱的 小绒球们见到妈妈回来，别提有多高兴了。这还是它们头一回， 真正体会到妈妈的辛苦。

After this really strenuous day Mrs. Hen retired to her slumbers earlier than usual—indeed, before the colors came into the sky to herald the setting of the sun, her usual bedtime hour.

经过这么忙碌的一天，鸡妈妈比平常提早上床休息了——事实上， 天边还没有染上那预示日落的彩霞，也就是她平常就寝的时候， 她就已经睡下了。

She would have liked to sleep late in the morning, but her chicks, joining in the morning chorus of the hen yard, drove away all hopes of such a luxury.

她本想第二天早上多睡一会儿，可她的孩子们跟着院子里其他小鸡 一起加入了清晨的大合唱，让她这点小小的奢望彻底泡了汤。

Even as she sleepily half opened one eye, the thought came to her that to-day that Wheat must, somehow, be made into bread.

她睡眼惺忪地半睁开一只眼，心里便浮现出一个念头：今天无论 如何得把那些麦子做成面包才行。

She was not in the habit of making bread, although, of course, anyone can make it if he or she follows the recipe with care, and she knew perfectly well that she could do it if necessary.

她平日里并不常做面包，不过当然啦，只要按照方子小心照做， 谁都能做得出来，她自己心里也很清楚，真要动手的话，她一定 能做好。

So after her children were fed and made sweet and fresh for the day, she hunted up the Pig, the Cat and the Rat.

于是等孩子们都喂饱了，收拾得干干净净、清清爽爽准备好迎接 新的一天之后，她便去找猪、猫和老鼠。

Still confident that they would surely help her some day she sang out, "Who will make the bread?"

她仍旧满怀信心地相信，总有一天它们会来帮她，于是她扬声喊 道：“谁来做面包呀？”

Alas for the Little Red Hen! Once more her hopes were dashed! For the Pig said, "Not I,"

可怜的小红母鸡！她的希望又一次落空了！猪说：“我可不干，”

the Cat said, "Not I," and the Rat said, "Not I."

猫说：“我可不干，”老鼠也说：“我可不干。”

So the Little Red Hen said once more, "I will then," and she did.

于是小红母鸡又一次说道：“那好吧，我自己来做。”于是她便 自己动手做了。

Feeling that she might have known all the time that she would have to do it all herself, she went and put on a fresh apron and spotless cook's cap. First of all she set the dough, as was proper. When it was time she brought out the moulding board and the baking tins, moulded the bread, divided it into loaves, and put them into the oven to bake. All the while the Cat sat lazily by, giggling and chuckling.

她心想，自己其实早该知道，这一切到头来都得靠自己一个人来 做，于是她穿上一条干净的围裙，戴上一顶洁白无瑕的厨师帽。 她先按规矩把面团和好。等到了时候，她便拿出揉面板和烤盘， 把面团揉好，分成一个个面包胚，放进烤炉里去烤。这一切进行 的时候，那猫一直懒洋洋地坐在旁边，咯咯地笑着，暗自窃喜。

And close at hand the vain Rat powdered his nose and admired himself in a mirror.

在她身边不远处，那只爱慕虚荣的老鼠正对着镜子扑粉，顾影 自怜。

In the distance could be heard the long-drawn snores of the dozing Pig.

远处传来那头打盹的猪拖长了调子的鼾声。

At last the great moment arrived. A delicious odor was wafted upon the autumn breeze. Everywhere the barnyard citizens sniffed the air with delight.

终于，那激动人心的时刻到了。一阵诱人的香气随着秋日的微风 飘散开来。院子里的居民们个个都欣喜地嗅着这股香味。

The Red Hen ambled in her picketty-pecketty way toward the source of all this excitement.

小红母鸡迈着她那踢踢踏踏的小碎步，朝这阵骚动的源头晃悠了 过去。

Although she appeared to be perfectly calm, in reality she could only with difficulty restrain an impulse to dance and sing, for had she not done all the work on this wonderful bread?

尽管她看起来十分镇定，实际上她却好不容易才按捺住想要又唱 又跳的冲动，毕竟这美味的面包，从头到尾可都是她一个人做出 来的呀！

Small wonder that she was the most excited person in the barnyard!

难怪她是这院子里最激动的一个了！

She did not know whether the bread would be fit to eat, but—joy of joys!—when the lovely brown loaves came out of the oven, they were done to perfection.

她本来还不知道这面包做得能不能吃，可是——真是天大的喜事 啊！——等那几个漂亮的棕色面包出炉的时候，做得简直恰到好处。

Then, probably because she had acquired the habit, the Red Hen called: "Who will eat the Bread?"

于是，大概是习惯使然，小红母鸡又喊了起来：“谁来吃这面 包呀？”

All the animals in the barnyard were watching hungrily and smacking their lips in anticipation, and the Pig said, "I will," the Cat said, "I will," the Rat said, "I will."

院子里所有的动物都馋巴巴地望着，咂着嘴等着，猪说：“我要 吃，”猫说：“我要吃，”老鼠说：“我要吃。”

But the Little Red Hen said,

可小红母鸡说道，

"No, you won't. I will."

“不行，你们谁也别想吃。我自己吃。”

And she did.

于是她便自己吃了。