英文幽默故事：The Selfish Crows

Once upon a time, there was a very big forest. There on a huge banyan¹ tree lived many crows. They were selfish and arrogant². They always quarreled with other birds. This behavior irritated³ other birds. They had no friends, as no one liked them. 

 

When the rainy season came, dark clouds gathered in the sky. A small mynah was returning to her nest. When she was passing by the banyan tree, it started raining. “I will stay here for a while until it stops raining," thought the little mynah. And I took rest on the banyan tree for a while. 

 

The selfish crows saw her perching on the tree. One of them shouted, “Get off the tree. This tree belongs to us." The mynah humbly⁴ pleaded⁵, “The weather is bad and my nest is far off from this forest. Please let me take a rest for a while on this tree, brother. As soon as it stops raining, I will return to my nest." 

 

“Leave this banyan tree at once. Or we will peck⁶ you," said the other crows. The merciless tendency of the selfish crows scared the mynah. The mynah found no other way except to fly off. Then immediately the mynah flew off to a nearby tree, where luckily she found a hollow in a broken branch. She took her shelter there. 

 

Shortly after, the rain became heavy followed by thunderstorm. The wind was in high speed. Even the leaves and branches were not enough to give shelter to the crows. Many of the branches of many tree in which the crows had taken shelter were damaged and hurt by the hailstones. But the mynah was safe inside the hollow place in the tree. 

 

One of the crows said, “Look at the mynah! How comfortable she is. Let us go there." Another crow said, “I do not think she will let us share the hollow. We did not have sympathy for her when she was in need of this tree." Then another crow said, “We should not have been so rude. We forgot that we may need help someday." 

 

Suddenly the mynah called out, “Come! My friends! Come to this hollow. Or you will get hurt. The rain is not going to stop soon. It seems that it may rain for a long time" 

 

The crows flew down to the hollow. They thanked the mynah. “We are sorry for having unkind, dear friend! Now we will never be so selfish." 

 

Then the crows took shelter in the hollow place of the tree in which the mynah had taken her shelter. After some time, it stopped raining. All the birds flew to their respective nests happily as new friends.  

1 banyan   

n.菩提树，榕树

参考例句：

• This huge banyan tree has a history of more than 400 years.这棵大榕树已经有四百多年的历史了。
• A large banyan tree may look like a forest.大型的榕树看起来象一片树林。

2 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

3 irritated   

a.恼怒的

参考例句：

• His little affectations irritated her. 他的装腔作势令她不快。
• Her genteel accent irritated me. 她那矫揉造作的腔调使我感到难受。

4 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

5 pleaded   

恳求，请求( plead的过去式和过去分词 )； 提出…为借口[理由]； （向法庭）陈述案情； （在法庭）申辩，认罪，辩护

参考例句：

• She pleaded with him not to go. 她恳求他不要离开。
• She wept and pleaded until he agreed to do as she wished. 她哭着恳求他，一直到他答应按她的愿望去做。

6 peck   

v.啄，啄食；n.啄痕，啄食，（口）轻吻；配克，（口）大量

参考例句：

• The cock gave me a peck.那只公鸡啄了我一下。
• She gave him a light peck of farewell.她给了他一个匆匆的吻道别。