一篇英文版的童话故事，不要太长

从前，有一个叫做杰克的男孩，他和母亲生活在一起，杰克的家里十分贫穷，只有一只母牛。
但是，有一天母牛终于再也挤不出奶来了，于是，母亲就说：“杰克！你把母牛牵到镇上卖了吧！”“是的，妈妈！”
于是，杰克便出发了。
在通往镇上的途中，杰克被一位奇怪的老人叫住了：“年轻人！我用这些豆子来换你那头牛，好吗？这是一些神奇的豆子，可以一晚上，长到天空那般的高哪！”
“神奇的豆子？那太好了！”

于是杰克便将母牛换了豆子。
杰克高兴的带着豆子回家，可是，却被母亲骂了一顿：“一头大母牛，才换一些小豆子！”母亲一气之下，就把豆子抛向窗外。
第二天早上，杰克一醒来，发现窗外好像有些不对劲，就赶快与母亲来到窗外一看：e79fa5e98193e59b9ee7ad94366哇啊！昨天晚上从窗户中丢出去的豆子，已经长得好高了……
杰克心想：“那个老人所说的没错，真的长到像天空一般高，真是奇妙的豆子。好吧，到底长了多高，我倒要看看！”
杰克一跃就跳到了豆子树上去了，他顺着树干往上爬。
终于，杰克爬到了云的上面，在那里，有一条道路绵延而下，杰克顺着道路一直走了一会儿，他发现了一座巨大的城堡。
城堡的门口，站着一位胖胖的巨大的妇人。
“老婆婆，我肚子好饿，你可以给我一点东西吃吗？”杰克问。
“啊！真可怜呀！这些食物给你，你赶快吃吧！如果吃得太慢，我先生回来了，他会吃掉你的。”
妇人一面告诉杰克，一面拿了面包、起酥和牛奶来。
但是，就在这时候，传来咚、咚的巨大脚步声。
“是我先生回来了，我先生是个坏蛋，最喜欢吃像你这样的小孩！你赶快躲起来吧。”
妇人很快将杰克藏入锅里，坏蛋巨人一进入屋里便说：“好香呀，好像有很好吃的小孩味呢！”巨人还到处嗅着，希望能找到小孩那！
但是，巨人没发现杰克。
巨人吃完了两头小母牛以后，就从袋子里拿出许多金币来，放在桌子上数啊数的，就睡着了……
这个时候，杰克才赶紧的从锅中爬了出来，抱了一个巨人的金币袋，顺着豆子的树干滑下去了。
杰克与母亲二人，有了金币以后日子好过了不少。
但是，金币终于用完了。
于是，杰克再次顺着豆子树往上爬，来到了城堡，过了不久，巨人回来了。
巨人将一只母鸡放在桌子上，然后对着母鸡说：“母鸡、母鸡，快生蛋吧！”话才说完，母鸡就扑通地生下了一个金鸡蛋。
杰克像上次一样，等到巨人睡着了，才抱着母鸡逃回家。
第三次，杰克又来到巨人的城堡里，不久，巨人就带着一个漂亮的竖琴回来，坏蛋将竖琴放在桌上，竖琴就开始自动发出美妙的音乐声来，杰克看了实在太喜欢了。
杰克等到巨人睡着，便抓起竖琴想跑。但是，竖琴却“糟了！糟了！”叫了起来。巨人一醒过来，就起身要追杰克。杰克很快从豆子树上滑下来。
“别逃，你这个小混球！”巨人跟着杰克由豆子树滑下来，杰克着急的越滑越快，总算来到了地面。
“妈！快给我斧头！”
杰克从母亲手中接过斧头，就赶紧使劲地砍着豆子树干，“咔嚓、咔嚓……”“哗！”哗啦、哗啦，树终于倒了下来，巨人也从半空中摔到地面，当场就死了。
从此以后，杰克与母亲靠着生金蛋的母鸡，在自动发声的竖琴的陪伴下，过着幸福的日子。

The Hare Who Would Not Be King 不愿做国e799bee5baa6e997aee7ad94e4b893e5b19e332王的兔子

Nothing stirred on the African plains. The sun glared down and Hare crept inside the cool hollow of a baobab tree for his afternoon nap.
Suddenly he was wide awake. There was a boom, boom, booming in his ears. And it was getting closer. Hare peeped out from the tree nervously. Across the clearing the bushes snapped and parted, and out loomed a huge gray shape.
"Oh it's you!" said Hare irritably. "How can a fellow sleep with all your racket?"
The rhinoceros squinted down at him short-sightedly.
"Greetings!" he bellowed in his slow way. "Tembo the elephant has sent me to fetch you to the waterhole. He's going to tell us who our new king will be. All the animals have voted."
"Oh fiddlesticks!" cried Hare rudely. "What do I want with a new king? He'll bully us from morning till night and make our lives miserable."
"Don't you want to see who's been chosen? asked Rhino.
"I know already," snapped Hare. "It will be that sly old lion, Kali. He has bribed all the other animals and promised not to eat their children if only they will vote for him."
Rhino didn't seem to believe Hare, and in the end Hare said,
"Oh very well, I'll come. But you'll see I'm right."

The sun was setting as Hare and Rhino reached the water-hole. All the animals had gathered there - giraffes, hippos, antelope, buffalo, warthogs, zebras, aardvarks, hyenas, mongooses, storks and weaver birds. When Tembo the elephant saw that everyone was there, he threw up his trunk and trumpeted. "Animals of the plains, I am proud to tell you that Kali the lion will be our new king. It is a wise choice, my friends."
The animals cheered. But Hare only sighed. "They'll soon see what a horrible mistake they've made."
Out on a rocky ledge above the water-hole strode Kali. He stared down at all his subjects and there was a wicked glint in his eye.
"You've made me your king," he growled, "and so now you'll serve me!" And then he roared until the animals trembled.
"My first decree is that you must build a palace to shade my royal fur from the hot sun," said Kali. "I want it here beside the water-hole and I want it by sunset tomorrow.

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"My second decree is that every day you must bring me an animal for my supper. A king can't do his own hunting."
The animals nodded gloomily.
"And my third decree is, if you don't do as I say, I'll eat the lot of you!"
The animals now turned to one another in horror. They had thought a king would be wise and protect them. But Kali only wanted to bully and eat them. As darkness fell, the unhappy animals slunk away into the bush.

But at dawn they were back at the waterhole, hurrying to build Kali's palace. There was much to do and little time.
All through the heat of the day the animals lugged and labored. Elephants lifted tree trunks for the pillars, crocodiles brought mud for the walls, giraffes collected grasses that weaver birds wove for the roof. None dared stop for a moment. Only hare did nothing. He hid inside a tussock of oat grass and watched as the fine thatched house rose up beside the water-hole.
The sun was just beginning to set as the weaver birds tied off the last knots in the soaring thatched roof. No sooner had they finished than Kali appeared. He prowled up and down his new kingdom swishing his tail while his subjects watched uneasily.
"This is what I call a palace," he roared at last.
The animals gave a sigh of relief. But all too soon, for in the next breath the lion snarled, "But where's my supper? My belly's rumbling. Bring me a juicy warthog."
As soon as he heard this, Hare sneaked off home to his hollow in the baobab tree. "Didn't I tell them?" he said to himself. "Didn't I say that making Kali king would mean big trouble? And would anyone listen?"
And so it was that every day afterwards one of the animals was chosen to be Kali's supper. One day it was an impala. Another it was a zebra. Next it was a gazelle.
One day though it was Hare's turn. Tembo caught him unawares as he was grazing on the plains. The great elephant seized him in his trunk and carried him kicking and screaming to Kali's palace.
"It's not fair!" shrieked Hare. "I didn't even vote for Kali. I told you it was a bad idea to have a king."

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But Tembo wouldn't listen. He was thinking of his own children. They would be safe, but only if he could find other animals for Kali to gobble up.
Outside Kali's palace Hare stood shaking and cringing. He had to think of something fast. "Maybe I can escape by jumping in the water-hole," he said. But when he looked down and saw his own reflection shivering on the pool's surface, he stopped in his tracks. Already Kali had spotted him.

"Come inside, Hare!" roared the lion. "I can't wait to eat the only one who didn't vote for me."
But Hare didn't move. He felt braver now and he called back, "But Majesty," he wheedled. "I am very confused. I can see two kings. Please tell me, which of you is to eat me?"
"TWO KINGS!" snapped Kali angrily. "What do you mean two kings?" In one bound he was breathing down on Hare.
"Well, there's you Majesty," stammered Hare, "and there's that other one down there." Hare pointed down into the water-hole.
Kali looked and Kali saw. What - another lion?

"I'll have no rivals!" cried the cruel one, and at once he leaped on the other lion. Down into the pool sank Kali as he tried to grab his enemy. Soon the waters closed over him, and he was gone.
"You've killed our king," said Tembo the elephant in amazement.
"No I didn't," said Hare. "Anyone could see that he jumped into the water-hole all by himself. Besides, you didn't think I was going to stand here and be eaten did you? That would be as foolish as choosing a bully for a king!" And with that he ran away, before anyone else could think of eating him.
"Whew! That WAS a close shave," said Hare from the safety of his baobab tree. "But I'll bet those silly animals will send old rhino round to ask ME to be the king. Some people never learn."
And so it happened. Just as Hare was dropping off to sleep, there was a boom, boom, booming across the plains. "Oh no!" he sighed. "Why am I always right?" He flattened his ears, closed his eyes tighter and pretended to snore. "Anyone can see I'm much too busy to be king. Much, much too busy..."
The Old Cat
An old woman had a cat. The cat was very old; she could not run quickly, and she could not bite, because she was so old. One day the old cat saw a mouse; she jumped and caught the mouse. But she could not bite it; so the mouse got out of her mouth and ran away, because the cat could not bite it.
Then the old woman became very angry because the cat had not killed the mouse. She began to hit the cat. The cat said, "Do not hit your old servant. I have worked for you for many years, and I would work for you still, but I am too old. Do not be unkind to the old, but remember what good work the old did when they were young."
【译文】
老猫
一位老妇有只猫,这只猫很老,它跑不快了,也咬不了东西,因为它年纪太大了.一天,老猫发现一只老鼠,它跳过去抓这只老鼠,然而,它咬不住这只老鼠.因此,老鼠从它的嘴边溜掉了,因为老猫咬不了它.
于是,老妇很生气,因为老猫没有把老鼠咬死.她开始打这只猫,猫说：“不要打你的老仆人,我已经为你服务了很多年,而且还愿意为你效劳,但是,我实在太老了,对年纪大的不要这么无情,要记住老年人在年青e68a84e799bee5baa6e79fa5e98193336时所做过的有益的事情.”

There was a man who had seven sons, but he had no daughter, greatly though he longed for one. At last his wife told him that they could again expect a child and, sure enough, when it was born it was a baby girl. There was great rejoicing, but the child was weak and puny, so weak that it had to be christened at once. The father told one of the boys to go quickly to the spring and fetch christening water; the other six ran along with him, and because each of them wanted to be the first to dip the jug into the well, it fell in and sank. So there they stood and didn't know what to do, and none of them dared go home. When they didn't come back their father got impatient and said:" I'll wager they've been playing some game again and forgotten all about it, the godless brats." He was afraid the little girl would have to die unbaptized, and in his rage he cried out:" I wish those boys would all turn into ravens." He'd scarcely spoken the words when he heard a whirring of wings in the air overhead, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away.

The parents were unable now to take back the curse, and yet, grief-stricken as they were at the loss of their seven sons, they look some comfort from their beloved little daughter, who soon got well and strong and became more beautiful with every day that passed. For a long time the little girl didn't even know that she had had brothers, for her parents took care not to mention them, but one day by chance she heard some people talking about her. "The girl's beautiful, of course," they were saying, "but she's to blame really for her seven brothers' misfortune." This made her very sad, and she went to her father and mother and asked whether it was true then that she had had brothers and what had become of them. So now it was no longer possible for her parents to conceal from her what had happened, though they told her that it had been God's will and that her birth had only been the innocent occasion for it. But day after day she was conscience-stricken about it, and felt that it was her duty to free her brothers from the spell again. The thought gave her no peace, so in the end she left home secretly and went off into the wide world to try and trace her brothers wherever they might be, and rescue them at whatever cost. She took nothing with her but a ring belonging to her parents to remember them by, a loaf of bread for when she was hungry, a jug of water for when she was thirsty, and a little chair for when she was tired.

She went on and on, further and further, till she reached the end of the world. There she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible and it devoured little children. Quickly she ran away and went to the moon, but it was too cold and it was grisly and evil, and when it noticed the child it sail:” I smell human flesh.” So she hurried off as fast as she could and came to the stars, and they were friendly and kind to her, and each of them was sitting on its own little chair. But the morning star got up and gave her a little chicken's leg and said:” If you don't have this chicken's leg, you won't be able to unlock the glass mountain, and inside the glass mountain is where your brothers are.”

The girl took the leg, wrapped it up well in a piece of cloth, and set off again and went on and on until she came to the glass mountain. The gate was locked, and she tried to take out the chicken's leg; but when she unwrapped the cloth it was empty, and she had lost the gift of the kindly stars. What was she to do now? she wanted to rescue her brothers, but she had no key to the glass mountain. The good little sister took a knife, chopped off one of her little fingers, stuck it in the lock and successfully opened the gate. When she got inside, a little dwarf came to meet her, saying:” My child, what are you looking for?” “I'm looking for my brothers, the seven ravens,” she answered. The dwarf said:” My masters the ravens are not at home, but if you would like to wait here till they get back, then come in.” Then the dwarf brought in the ravens' supper on seven little plates and in seven little cups, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate and drank a sip from each cup; but into the last cup she dropped the ring she had brought with her.

Suddenly she heard a whirring and fluttering noise in the air, and the dwarf said:” Here come my lords the ravens flying home.” And they came, asked for food and drink and looked for their plates and cups. Then one after another of them said:” Who's been eating from my plate? Who's been drinking out of my cup? This must have been a human mouth.” And when the seventh of them had got to the bottom of his cup, the ring rolled out towards him. Then he looked at it and recognized it as a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said:” My God grant that our little sister is here; if she were, we should be freed from the spell.” The girl was standing listening behind the door, and when she heard him speak this wish she stepped out, and as she did so the ravens recovered their human shape. And they hugged and kissed each other and went happily home.

I. Translation for Reference(参考译文)
七只乌鸦

有个人，他有七个儿子，他很希望有个女儿，可是怎么盼也没有。好不容易，妻子又怀孕了。生下来一看，果然是个女孩。他们非常高兴。但是孩子太小，又非常虚弱，非得马上急救洗礼不可。父亲打发一个男孩立即到井台去打洗礼水，其余六个也跟着去了。在井台旁，他们都争着先打水，结果罐子掉进井里，沉了下去。他们不知道该怎么办才好，都真楞楞地站在那儿，谁也不敢回家了。父亲在家里等得不耐烦了，就说：“我敢说这些无法无天的孩子一定是贪玩，把打水的事给忘了。”他担心女孩子不经洗礼会死，就生气地大声喊起来：“淘气鬼，都变成乌鸦才好呢！”这话刚出口，就听到头顶有“吧哒吧哒”鸟儿拍打翅膀的声音。他抬头一看，只见空中有七只漆黑漆黑的乌鸦飞过去了。

这咒语再也不能收回了，父母失去了七个儿子，心里非常悲伤，可是有了个可爱的女儿，看到她很快地结实起来，长得一天比一天漂亮，他们心里多少还得到一些安慰。女孩子一点也不知道哥哥们的事，父母也倍加小心，不提此事。可是，有一天她偶然听到人们议论说：“那女孩子，别看长得漂亮，她七个哥哥就是因为她才倒霉的。”女孩子非常难过，就去问父母：“我有哥哥吗？要是有，他们都到哪里去了？”这样，父母再也瞒不住了，只好说：“那是老天爷的安排啊！你恰巧生在那个时候。这可不是你的罪过！”尽管如此，女孩子每天仍感到痛苦。她想，她应该设法救哥哥们，使他们摆脱咒语。她再也不能平静了，于是，她悄悄地从家里溜出来，下决心不管遇到什么困难，不管到哪里，也得找到他们。她从家里只带了一只小戒指，是父母给她作纪念的；一块面包，是肚子饿的时候吃的；一壶水，是渴的时候喝的；还有一只小凳子，是疲乏的时候坐着用的。

小女孩上路了，她走啊走，走得远远直到天边。她走到太阳这里来。太阳非常热，又太可怕了，它要把小孩子大口大口地吃掉。她急忙跑开，又来到月亮这儿。可是，月亮太冷了，还特别残忍，心肠歹毒，一发觉孩子来了就说：“有人肉味了！”于是小女孩飞快地逃跑了。她来到星星这里。星星友好亲切，一个个都坐在各自的椅子上。一颗启明星站起来，给她一个小鸡腿说：“你的七个哥哥，都住在玻璃山上。你要是没有这只小鸡腿，就打不开那玻璃山的大门。”

小女孩接过鸡腿，小心翼翼地包在小布片里，又往前走。走啊走，好不容易走到了玻璃上。山门紧琐着。她想拿出小鸡腿来，可是，打开小布包一看，空空的。她把好心的星星的礼物弄丢了。怎么办才好呢？她想救出哥哥们，可是没有玻璃山的钥匙了。好心的小妹妹，拿出小刀，割下一个手指头，插进门里去，门一下子就打开了。她走进去，有一个小矮人儿过来问：“我的孩子，你找谁？”“我找我的哥哥--变成七只乌鸦的哥哥们，”小女孩回答说。“我的主人--乌鸦都不在家，你要是等他们回家，就请进来吧！”小矮人儿或e5a48de588b67a64366。然后，他端近来七个小盘子和七个小酒杯，里面装着七只乌鸦吃的东西。小妹妹把每一个小盘子里的东西都吃一点儿，把每一个酒杯里的酒都喝一口。最后，她在最后边的小酒杯里放进了她带来的小戒指。

突然，她听到鸟儿拍打翅膀的沙沙响。小矮人儿说：“我的主人们飞回来了！”乌鸦飞来了，找到了他们的小盘子和小酒杯，又要吃的，又要喝的。乌鸦一个接一个地说：“谁吃了我盘子里的东西了？谁喝我小酒杯里的酒了？”“这一定是人嘴吃的！”第七只乌鸦喝酒喝到杯底的时候，小戒指滚到他嘴边来。一看见这只戒指，他明白了：这是爸爸和妈妈的戒指啊。他说：“上帝保佑我们，如果我们的小妹妹来了，我们可就得救了！”小妹妹站在门后，听到他的祝愿就走了出来。于是，七只乌鸦都恢复了人形，他们高兴地互相拥抱亲吻，然后回家去了.