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| 《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本2(林肯、罗斯福等多位美国总统倍加推崇，发行量直逼圣经，美国有史以来影响力最大的语文教材。中英对照典藏本，不得不收藏的经典读物》 |
| 作者:[美]威廉·H·麦加菲 主编,苍松 ,依妮 译 |
| 出版社：新世界出版社 |
出版日期：2012/10/1 |
| ISBN：9787510431678 |
定价： 39.90元 |
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编辑推荐
“最纯粹的美德、最纯正的美语和最原汁原味的美式教育”是《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本》的三大特点，而这正是与国际逐渐接轨的中国父母们所迫切需要为孩子们准备的。对于孩子来说，还有什么是比用故事打动孩子柔软的心灵，用美德陪伴他成长更好的礼物呢？
给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本》是美国民族教育家麦加菲用了二十多年的时间为美国的学生们编写的一套语文教材，本书是这系列读本的第二本。这套教材为当时美国的大多数学校所采用，自1836年出版之初到1960年，累计销量高达1.22亿册，并持续销售了一百多年。美国《出版商周刊》将其评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”，认为《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本》对美国青年的心灵塑造与道德培养产生了史无前例的影响。
通过阅读《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本2》，不仅有助于孩子美德的养成，书中那些精选的文章和纯正的英语更是为孩子从小创造了一个学习英语的最好环境。与中国的教材不同，《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本2》中的故事都是选自孩子身边发生的事情，使孩子感同身受，接受起来自然更快更好。
“给孩子最好的教育”或许是每一个中国父母最大的愿望。可是，什么样的教育是最好的呢？可能就如《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本》的译者所说：“什么是最好的教育？每个人的答案可能都不相同。我只想让我的孩子接受最美的教育，让她自己去判别什么是好，什么是坏。我相信，这本书可以帮助我做到这一点。”
推荐：给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本
内容推荐
《给孩子最美的教育——麦加菲美德读本2》是该系列读本的第二本，全书300多页，精选了对孩子美德培养和英语学习均有助益的众多故事，让孩子在阅读中潜移默化地学习。用故事打动孩子柔软的心灵，用美德陪伴孩子一生的成长。
《麦加菲美德读本》是美国民族教育家麦加菲用了二十多年的时间为美国的学生们编写的一套语文教材。这套教材为当时美国的大多数学校所采用，自1836年出版之初到1960年，累计销量高达1.22亿册。至今，《麦加菲美德读本》仍被很多美国学校选为最佳课外读物。因此，书中的英文地道纯正，非常适合3-16岁的孩子们阅读。
全书共分七个章节：温暖的家庭、美丽的世界、可爱的大自然、幸福的童年、美好的品德、五味的人生、良好的习惯。每章按照由浅到深的程度精选了包括童谣、诗歌、散文、议论文等各种体裁的文章，十分符合孩子们的阅读习惯，也有助于孩子们加深对英语写作的了解。
每个故事前的点评温婉美丽，不含说教意味，可以帮助孩子更好地理解故事的主旨。书中还收录了许多有关于英语、美德和美国的知识点，这将进一步激发孩子的阅读兴趣，扩大孩子的知识面。
作者简介
威廉·霍尔姆斯·麦加菲(William HolmesMcGuffey，1800年9月23日—1873年5月4日)美国著名教育家，曾出任美国多所著名大学的校长，被誉为美国的“民族教育家”。他出生于宾夕法尼亚州的克莱斯维尔，1826年毕业于华盛顿大学。
麦加菲一生钟爱教育，十四岁时，就曾担任俄亥俄州的“巡回教师”，之后担任过迈阿密大学语言学教授等教职。他曾出任过辛辛那提大学、俄亥俄大学等大学的校长，但一直没有离开过心爱的讲台。
麦加菲最卓越的贡献就是用了二十多年的时间倾心编写了系列教材——《麦加菲美德读本》。这一系列教材自1836年第一次出版之后，就被众多学校所采用，成为19世纪美国学生最为通用的课本，对美国青年的心灵塑造与道德培养，乃至整个“美国精神”的建构，都产生了史无前例的影响。
《麦加菲美德读本》自1836年出版之初到1960年，累计销量高达1.22亿册，被美国《出版商周刊》评为“人类出版史上第三大畅销书”。当时，几乎每一个美国家庭都曾拥有一套《麦加菲美德读本》，而且直至今日，它仍被美国的许多学校选为最佳课外读本。
正因为此，麦加菲被誉为美国的“国家的校长”，《麦加菲美德读本》也被美国人奉为可以代代相传的经典作品。
目录
哈利和安妮
Harry and Annie
苏茜和罗弗
Susie and Rover
竞争
Emulation
粗鲁的男孩
The Insolent Boy
一个故事，两种说法
Two Ways of Telling a Story
懒汉休和托利先生
Hugh Idle and Mr. Toil
人生的写照
A Picture of Human Life
CHAPTER 7 培养良好的习惯
闹钟
The Alarm Clock
学会说“不”
When to Say No
物归原处
A Place for Everything
拉尔夫?维克
Ralph Wick
坚持的价值
Perseverance
误时
Behind Time
控制你的脾气
Control Your Temper
不浪费，就不会缺乏
Waste Not, Want Not
请别多管闲事
Do Not Meddle
媒体评论
它至少影响了美国五代人，如果你能找到一个五世同堂的大家庭，你会惊奇地发现，从高祖到重孙，他们能异口同声地背诵《麦加菲美德读本》中的优秀篇章。
——美国媒体
I received them when I was 10 years old and I'm now in my 30'sand I still read through them. I have a 5 years old that haslearned to read from them and we both love to take turns readingaloud from the books. The books are classic and timeless and thereis nothing wrong with learning some simple wholesome values fromthe past!
——Amazon’s Reader A. G. Buschman
翻开书，你会发现，一篇篇小故事充满趣味且浸透着美德。每一个小故事都非常贴近生活，这也是本书的最大优点。我们常常忽视关于孩子的生活习惯、处世做人等问题的教育，但这些问题恰恰普遍存在于当今的独生子女当中。
——当当网读者 月光琥珀
什么是最好的教育？每个人的答案可能都不相同。我只想让我的孩子接受最美的教育，让她自己去判别什么是好，什么是坏。我相信，这本书可以帮助我做到这一点。 它至少影响了美国五代人，如果你能找到一个五世同堂的大家庭，你会惊奇地发现，从高祖到重孙，他们能异口同声地背诵《麦加菲美德读本》中的优秀篇章。
——美国媒体
I received them when I was 10 years old and I'm now in my 30'sand I still read through them. I have a 5 years old that haslearned to read from them and we both love to take turns readingaloud from the books. The books are classic and timeless and thereis nothing wrong with learning some simple wholesome values fromthe past!
——Amazon’s Reader A. G. Buschman
翻开书，你会发现，一篇篇小故事充满趣味且浸透着美德。每一个小故事都非常贴近生活，这也是本书的最大优点。我们常常忽视关于孩子的生活习惯、处世做人等问题的教育，但这些问题恰恰普遍存在于当今的独生子女当中。
——当当网读者 月光琥珀
什么是最好的教育？每个人的答案可能都不相同。我只想让我的孩子接受最美的教育，让她自己去判别什么是好，什么是坏。我相信，这本书可以帮助我做到这一点。
——本书译者 苍松
教育是人们灵魂的教育，而非理智、知识和认识的堆积。教育的本质意味着：一棵树摇动另一棵树，一朵云摇动另一朵云，一个灵魂唤醒另一个灵魂。
——[德]雅斯贝尔斯
在线试读部分章节
艾丽丝的晚餐
一顿简单的晚餐，却需要经过那样多的程序和那么多双勤劳的双手。歌声中唱出的，除了浓浓的爱，还有一丝“粒粒皆辛苦”的味道。无论是爱，还是粮食，都是需要我们珍惜的。
远方的山谷下小麦长得正好，收割者忙着挥舞着镰刀。
我听到他们放声歌唱，这歌声欢快而高亢。
“小麦从未长得这么好，这是为艾丽丝的晚餐准备的，嗬，嗬。”
远方的河边有一处老磨坊，磨坊主正在搓着沾满粉尘的双手，当磨盘缓缓转动，他激动不已地喊道：
“这是用钱能买到的最好的面粉，这是为艾丽丝的晚餐准备的，嗨，嗨。”
楼下的厨房里炉火熊熊，厨师正在揉着雪白而柔软的面团。
今天她一边不停地忙碌着，一边唱着快乐的歌：
“这是我揉的最好的面团，这是为艾丽丝的晚餐准备的，哈，哈。”
最后，妈妈来到了婴儿室，她手中稳稳地端着什么？
是满满一盘的金色和白色，她边走边唱，带着满脸的微笑，“这是我见过的最好的面包和奶油，这就是为艾丽丝的晚餐准备的，呵，呵。”
Alice's Supper
Far down in the valley the wheat grows deep,And the reapers are making the cradles sweep;
And this is the song that I hear them sing,While cheery and loud their voices ring:
"'Tis the finest wheat that ever did grow!
And it is for Alice's supper —ho! ho!"
Far down by the river the old mill stands,And the miller is rubbing his dusty hands;
And these are the words of the miller's lay,As he watches the millstones grinding away:
"'Tis the finest flour that money can buy,And it is for Alice's supper —hi! hi!"
Downstairs in the kitchen the fire doth glow,And cook is a-kneading the soft, white dough;
And this is the song she is singing to-day,As merry and busy she's working away:
"'Tis the finest dough, whether near or afar,And it is for Alice's supper —ha! ha!"
To the nursery now comes mother, at last,And what in her hand is she bringing so fast?
'Tis a plateful of something, all yellow and white,And she sings as she comes, with her smile so bright:
"'Tis the best bread and butter I ever did see,And it is for Alice's supper —he! he!"
“可怕”的黑暗
任何的黑暗都无法笼罩一颗强大的心灵。黑暗并不可怕，可怕的是你内心的软弱。心若是怯了，勇气便也跟着丧失了，做什么事情便先自乱了阵脚。请拥有一颗勇敢的心，不要让一片小小的阴影阻挡你人生的脚步。
“威利，你能到楼上，从柜子里把我的插针垫拿来吗？”妈妈大声说。
但是威利一点动静也没有。可能是威利没有听见吧。妈妈这样想着又喊了一声。
这次威利怯怯地说： “我怕!”
“怕什么？”妈妈问。
“那里很黑。”
“呵呵，我来告诉你黑暗是什么？”妈妈把手伸向灯与桌子上的针线篮之间。妈妈说。“现在篮子里是黑的，但只要我的手一移开，它马上就会变亮了。”
“来呀，威利，站在灯和墙之间。看，威利!妈妈说。墙上只是你的影子。你觉得你的影子可以伤害你吗？”妈妈微笑着问。
“当然不，妈妈!我确信它伤害不了我。”威利兴奋地回答。
“对啊，黑暗只是笼罩世界的大影子。”
“那是什么弄出的大影子，妈妈？”威利好奇地问。
“我会告诉你的，威利，不过要等你再长大一些。现在，我想你是一个不再害怕影子的勇敢男孩了。你敢到楼上把我的插针垫拿来了吧。”
“当然，妈妈，我这就去拿给你。”很快，威利就把插针垫拿给了妈妈。
“谢谢，我勇敢的小男子汉。你看，黑暗并没有伤害你!”妈妈说。
Afraid in the Dark
"Willie, will you run upstairs, and get my needle book from thebureau?"
But Willie did not stir. "Willie!" said mamma. She thought he hadnot heard.
"I'm afraid," said Willie.
"Afraid of what?"
"It's dark up there."
"What is the dark?" asked mamma. "See! It is nothing but ashadow."
And she held her hand between the lamp and the workbasket on thetable.
"Now it is dark in the basket; but as soon as I take my handaway, it is light."
"Come and stand between the lamp and the wall, Willie. See! Thereis your shadow on the wall. Can your shadow hurt you?"
"Oh no, mamma! I am sure it can not hurt me."
"Well, the dark is only a big shadow over everything."
"What makes the big shadow, mamma?"
"I will tell you all about that, Willie, when you are a littleolder. But now, I wish you would find me a brave boy who is notafraid of shadows, to run upstairs and get my needlebook."
"I am brave, mamma. I will go. — Here it is."
"Thank you, my brave little man. You see the dark didn't hurtyou."
积木城堡
人生的道路上，总会遇到很多困难和打击。你可以选择退缩，留下满地的狼藉独自落跑，承认自己是个失败者，也可以选择迎难而上，重整旗鼓，为自己营建更为美丽的城堡。如果你选择迎难而上，你会发现失败没什么了不起，只要再来一次就好了。
“臭猫!”赫伯特生气地嚷道，声音中带着些沮丧。顽皮的小猫碰到了他的积木城堡，塔楼和城墙“呼啦”一声全倒在了地上。
赫伯特捡起一块木块，狠狠地朝小猫砸过去。幸运的是，木块只是从小猫的头顶飞过，没有伤害到它。赫伯特又去拿另一块木块，妹妹赫蒂急忙跳过来一把将小猫抱在了自己怀里。
“不，不要这样。”她说，“你不该伤害它，它不是有意的。”
赫伯特的愤怒一下消失了，却变得伤心起来。他一屁股坐在地上，用手掩住脸抽泣起来。
“你是个男孩!”正在沙发上看书的哥哥乔说，“不要为打翻的牛奶哭泣，重新建一个吧。”
“不，我不要。”赫伯特哭着说。
“这里发生了什么事？”爸爸一边推门，一边大声问。
“小猫刚刚碰到了赫伯特的城堡，城堡一下子塌了。”赫蒂说，“可是小猫也不是故意的呀，它也不想让城堡塌掉的，是吗，爸爸？”
“哦，不，我还以为出了什么大麻烦呢!”
“赫伯特!”爸爸向赫伯特伸出手来，“起来吧!”小男孩慢慢地从地板上爬了起来，眼睛里还含着泪水，慢慢地走过来，站在了爸爸旁边。
“有比哭泣更好的法子，我的孩子。”爸爸说，“如果你那样做的话，你的心情就会好起来。我会听到你对着积木欢呼，而不是一直在这里哭泣。想让我做给你看吗？”
赫伯特点点头。爸爸坐在地板上的一堆积木块里，开始搭建新的城堡，赫伯特则在一边帮着递这递那。
很快，赫伯特对重建城堡就和刚才一样兴致勃勃了。他开始边唱边工作，所有的烦恼一下子全没了。
“这不是比哭好多了吗？”爸爸说。
“为什么要哭？”赫伯特问，看来他已经忘掉了几分钟前的伤心事了。
“因为小猫把你的城堡碰塌了呀!”
“哦!”赫伯特的脸上掠过一丝不快，不过很快便消失了。他又像先前一样高兴地建他的城堡去了。
“我告诉过他不要哭的。”坐在沙发上的乔说。
“如果你的风筝被刮跑了，你难道也不哭吗？”赫伯特反驳说。
“风筝和你的城堡是不一样的。”乔略显伤感地说，“风筝失去了就永远不会回来了，可你的积木还在那里，你只要重建一个就可以了。”
“我不这么看。”爸爸说道，“哭泣对你来说，比赫伯特更不应该。竹棍和纸都很容易找到，你只需动动手就可以得到新的风筝。”乔无话可说，低下头继续看他的书。这时，赫伯特的新城堡也建成了。
“比刚才小猫弄坏的那个漂亮多了!”赫蒂说。赫伯特显然也这么认为，他十分自豪地欣赏着城堡的每一个部分。
“小猫再把它弄坏，我非……”
“再建一个。”爸爸替他补充了下半句话。
“可是，爸爸，不能再让小猫弄坏了，那样我可受不了。”赫伯特大声说。
“那你就得看着它点，孩子。你要学着和成年人一样，时刻保持警惕。就像你要过马路，你就必须当心车辆。如果你不想和别人撞在一起，就必须留意别人行进的方向。”
“在房间里，如果你随意地到处走动，就很容易和别人撞在一起。我就看到过一个冒失的小女孩突然冲进房间里，和一个手里端着托盘刚要出门的仆人撞在一起了，托盘里的盘子自然碎得满地都是。”
“你是在说我吗？”赫蒂说。
“是的，就是你呀，不过我希望以后不会再发生这样的事情了。”爸爸接着说：“就像乔说的一样，不要为打翻的牛奶哭泣。如果你的城堡塌掉了的话，再建一个就是了!”
说完，爸爸离开了房间。
Castle-Building
"O pussy!" cried Herbert, in a voice of anger and dismay, as theblockhouse he was building fell in sudden ruin. The playful cat hadrubbed against his mimic castle, and tower and wall went rattlingdown upon the floor.
Herbert took up one of the blocks and threw it fiercely at pussy.Happily, it passed over her and did no harm. His hand was reachingfor another block, when his little sister Hetty sprang toward thecat, and caught her up.
"No, no, no!" said she, "you sha'n't hurt pussy! She didn't meanto do it!"
Herbert's passion was over quickly, and, sitting down upon thefloor, he covered his face with his hands, and began to cry.
"What a baby!" said Joe, his elder brother, who was reading onthe sofa. "Crying over spilled milk does no good. Build it upagain."
"No, I won't," said Herbert, and he went on crying.
"What's all the trouble here?" exclaimed papa, as he opened thedoor and came in.
"Pussy just rubbed against Herbert's castle, and it fell down,"answered Hetty. "But she didn't mean to do it; she did n't know itwould fall, did she, papa?"
"Why, no! And is that all the trouble?"
"Herbert!" his papa called, and held out his hands. "Come." Thelittle boy got up from the floor, and came slowly, his eyes full oftears, and stood by his father.
"There is a better way than this, my boy," said papa. "If you hadtaken that way, your heart would have been light already. I shouldhave heard you singing over your blocks instead of crying. Shall Ishow you that way?"
Herbert nodded his head, and papa sat down on the floor by thepile of blocks, with his little son by his side, and began to laythe foundation for a new castle.
Soon, Herbert was as much interested in castle-building as he hadbeen a little while before. He began to sing over his work. All histrouble was gone. "This is a great deal better than crying,isn't it?" said papa.
"Crying for what?" asked Herbert, forgetting his grief of a fewminutes before.
"Because pussy knocked your castle over."
"Oh!" A shadow flitted across his face, but was gone in a moment,and he went on building as eagerly as ever.
"I told him not to cry over spilled milk," said Joe, looking downfrom his place on the sofa.
"I wonder if you didn't cry when your kite string broke,"retorted Herbert.
"Losing a kite is quite another thing," answered Joe, a littledashed. "The kite was gone forever; but your blocks were as good asbefore, and you had only to build again."
"I don't see," said papa, "that crying was of any more use inyour case then in Herbert's. Sticks and paper are easily found, andyou had only to go to work and make another kite." Joe looked downat his book, and went on reading. By this time the castle wasfinished.
"It is ever so much nicer than the one pussy knocked down," saidHetty. And so thought Herbert, as he looked at it proudly from allsides.
"If pussy knocks that down, I'll—"
"Build it up again," said papa, finishing the sentence for hislittle boy.
"But, papa, pussy must not knock my castles down. I can't haveit," spoke out Herbert, knitting his forehead.
"You must watch her, then. Little boys, as well as grown uppeople, have to be often on their guard. If you go into the street,you have to look out for the carriages, so as not to be run over,and you have to keep out of people's way.
"In the house, if you go about heedlessly, you will be very aptto run against some one. I have seen a careless child dash suddenlyinto a room just as a servant was leaving it with a tray of dishesin her hands. A crash followed."
"It was I, wasn't it?" said Hetty.
"Yes, I believe it was, and I hope it will never happenagain."
Papa now left the room, saying, "I don't want any more of thiscrying over spilled milk, as Joe says. If your castles get knockeddown, build them up again."
好奇的玛杰丽
你可曾读过《苏菲的世界》？面对镜子中的自己，认真地问：“我从哪里来？”很多事情，我们习以为常却不求甚解。你可知道，真理藏在这个世界的每一个角落。你每多一分求索的精神，你便对这个世界多了一分了解。
三月末一个明媚的早晨，小玛杰丽戴好帽子，围上她的苏格兰彩格披肩，朝海滩走去。这可是她第一次一个人出来溜达呀，玛杰丽还只是一个小姑娘，除了那圆溜溜的、仅仅打量过六个春夏的灰色眼睛，她什么都是小小的。
远处的海和天空蒙着一层薄雾，太阳周围的白色云朵镶着粉色、紫色的光边。阳光和湿润的空气让玛杰丽心里觉得暖洋洋的，轻柔的风吹拂着她的披肩，当她望着阳光下粼粼的水面时，眼前的景象让她感到惊奇。因为太阳似乎从来没有像今天这样，如同一朵巨大的金色的花，盛开在珍珠般的花萼中——像一朵没有柄的花。也许那巨大的花柄隐藏在天空，直插到海底，没有人知道它的根扎在哪里。
玛杰丽没有继续为这个问题而困惑，因为她看到潮水涨起来了。浪花起初极小但每刻都在长大，它们涌上沙滩，洗刷卵石，欢笑着，眨着眼，低声轻语着，挤成一团，像成千上万急着回家的小孩子，每一个都有许多小秘密要述说。
浪花是从哪里来的呢？在蔚蓝色的地平线下面，是谁用低沉、空旷的声音，催促着他们涌上自己脚下的沙滩的呢？他们那悦耳的声音又在互相嘀咕着什么秘密呢？噢，海面下是什么，上面又是什么？它是如此深邃，如此宽广，又如此朦胧。那些看起来比海鸟都小的白色轮船是从哪里来的，又要去哪里呢？
当玛杰丽静静地坐在一块岩石上，想着这些问题的答案的时候，从崖上一棵香柏树上传来一声低沉的鸟鸣。漫长的冬天过后，玛杰丽几乎忘了还有小鸟，忘了小鸟还会歌唱，她甚至开始奇怪这样的音乐是怎么发出来的。
当她看到一只鸟落在黄褐色的枝干上时，她更加好奇了。这是一只蓝色的鸟，玛杰丽第一次见到这种颜色的鸟。它在那多刺的枝头上跳来跳去，仿佛成了树的一部分，因为香柏的果实是暗蓝色的，和鸟的羽毛的颜色差不多。但是音符是怎么进到它的嗓子里去的呢？进到它的嗓子后，又是怎么自如地抒发出来的呢？这只蓝鸟是从哪里来的？它是怎样飞过雪白的云堆来到蔚蓝大海的沙滩上的？
浪花对小鸟唱着欢迎的歌，小鸟也欢唱着应和浪花，它们就好像是老朋友一样。浪花的节拍和小鸟的啾啾声是如此和谐，就像是从同一个老师那儿一起学来的乐曲。在小鸟的歌声和大海涛声的相伴下，玛杰丽边想边走，爬上了一个在春日阳光映照下显出淡淡绿色的陡坡。
小草真的开始生长了!新鲜的嫩芽从去年的枯草叶子中挺出，似乎重新获得了生命。玛杰丽弯下腰来，看到新生的草尖从叶梢中挺出。到处散落着小小的由暗绿色叶子包裹的花蕾。它们包得紧紧的，只有那些观察过它们好几个春秋的人，大概才能知道不久之后那其中会绽放出什么样的花朵。没有人会责怪玛杰丽不知道这些显得很普通的东西，也不可能去责怪她这样俯身去观看小小的花骨朵，还对此发出惊叹声。
是什么使得黑色土地上长出这么碧绿的小草？花骨朵又是怎么知道该是脱掉那小小绿色帽子看看周围世界的时候了？它们是怎么长成花蕾的？在来到这个世界之前，它们是不是就在另一个世界盛开呢？它们知不知道自己会开什么样的花？花有灵魂吗，就像小女孩一样，当它们凋谢之后也会去往另一个世界吗？
玛杰丽想坐在岸边，等着花骨朵张开。如果花儿第一眼看到的就是玛杰丽凝望着它们的眼睛，它也许会把自己的小秘密告诉她的。一个花蕾正在绽放，上面点缀着黄色条纹，她想像着这些条纹将随着时间一点点变大。但是她不愿意去碰花骨朵，因为它看上去和自己一样鲜活。她只是在边上想着为什么，惊叹着。
玛杰丽听到妈妈的呼唤，踏着贝壳、卵石朝家走去，她愉悦地笑着，脸上露出了甜甜的酒窝。她觉得生活在这个大大的、奇妙的世界里真是自在，尽管她还不能给出它们为什么会是这样的答案，但她仍觉得活着真是幸福。当母亲给她摘下披肩，脱掉帽子时，小姑娘说：“妈妈，就让我待在门口好吗？我不喜欢在屋里待着。是什么让所有的东西都这么美丽快乐的呢？你不想知道吗？”
玛杰丽的妈妈是一个很善良的人。但是她因为有那么多的家务在等着她去做，即使自己有嗜好，也不会经常任由这些想法溜出厨房的门的。刚才她正在烤姜汁面包，现在怕是要烤糊了，所以她又把披肩围在小姑娘的脖子上，让她留在了门廊上。回去干活的时候，她自言自语地说：“古怪的孩子，长大后会变成什么样呢？”
玛杰丽坐在门槛上遐想，海浪阵阵，阳光照在身上越来越暖和。这一切都是如此奇妙、伟大而美丽!她的心随着音乐高兴地舞动起来。这音乐回响在天地间，回响在滋长的小草与金色的太阳间。
那天夜里，当这双圆溜溜的灰色眼睛合上的时候，当星星刚刚开始闪烁，天使们从空中望着玛杰丽，为那英明的造物主所创造的奇迹惊叹着。因为在地球上，没有什么比小孩子那花蕾般的灵魂更奇妙的东西了。
How Margery Wondered
One bright morning late in March, little Margery put on her hoodand her Highland plaid shawl, and went trudging across the beach.It was the first time she had been trusted out alone, for Margerywas a little girl; nothing about her was large, except her roundgray eyes, which had yet scarcely opened upon half a dozen springsand summers.
There was a pale mist on the far-off sea and sky, and up aroundthe sun were white clouds edged with the hues of pinks and violets.The sunshine and the mild air made Margery's very heart feel warm,and she let the soft wind blow aside her Highland shawl, as shelooked across the waters at the sun, and wondered! For, somehow,the sun had never looked before as it did today — it seemed like agreat golden flower bursting out of its pearl-lined calyx — aflower without a stem. Or was there a strong stem away behind it inthe sky, that reached down below the sea, to a root, nobody couldguess where?
Margery did not stop to puzzle herself about the answer to herquestion, for now the tide, was coming in, and the waves, little atfirst, but growing larger every moment, were crowding up along thesand and pebbles, laughing, winking, and whispering, as theytumbled over each other, like thousands of children hurrying homefrom somewhere, each with its own precious little secret totell.
Where did the waves come from? Who was down there under the bluewall of the horizon, with the hoarse, hollow voice, urging andpushing them across the beach at her feet? And what secret was itthey were lisping to each other with their pleasant voices? Oh,what was there beneath the sea, and beyond the sea, so deep, sobroad, and so dim, too, away off where the white ships, that lookedsmaller than sea birds, were gliding out and in?
But while Margery stood still for a moment on a dry rock, andwondered, there came a low, rippling warble to her ear from a cedartree on the cliff above her. It had been a long winter, and Margeryhad forgotten that there were birds, and that birds could sing. Soshe wondered again what the music was.
And when she saw the bird perched on a yellow-brown bough, shewondered yet more. It was only a bluebird, but then it was thefirst bluebird Margery had ever seen. He fluttered among theprickly twigs, and looked as if he had grown out of them, as thecedar berries had, which were dusty blue, the color of his coat.But how did the music get in his throat? And after it was in histhroat, how could it untangle itself, and wind itself off soevenly? And where had the bluebird flown from, across the snowbanks down to the shore of the blue sea?
The waves sang a welcome to him, and he sang a welcome to thewaves; they seemed to know each other well; and the ripple and thewarble sounded so much alike, the bird and the wave must have bothlearned their music of the same teacher. And Margery kept onwondering as she stepped between the song of the bluebird and theecho of the sea, and climbed a sloping bank, just turning faintlygreen in the spring sunshine.
The grass was surely beginning to grow! There were fresh, juicyshoots running up among the withered blades of last year, as if inhopes of bringing them back to life; and closer down she saw thesharp points of new spears peeping from their sheaths. Andscattered here and there were small, dark green leaves foldedaround buds shut up so tightly that only those who had watched themmany seasons could tell what flowers were to be let out of theirsafe prisons by and by. So no one could blame Margery for notknowing that they were only common things, nor for stooping overthe tiny buds, and wondering.
What made the grass come up so green out of the black earth? Andhow did the buds know when it was time to take off their littlegreen hoods, and see what there was in the world around them? Andhow came they to be buds at all? Did they bloom in another worldbefore they sprung up here? — and did they know, themselves, whatkind of flowers they should blossom into? Had flowers souls, likelittle girls, that would live in another world when their forms hadfaded away in this?
Margery thought she would like to sit down on the bank, and waitbeside the buds until they opened; perhaps they would tell hertheir secret if the very first thing they saw was her eyes watchingthem. One bud was beginning to unfold; it was streaked with yellowin little stripes that she could imagine became wider every minute.But she would not touch it, for it seemed almost as much alive asherself. She only wondered, and wondered!
Margery heard her mother calling her, and she trudged home acrossthe shells and pebbles with a pleasant smile dimpling her cheeks;for she felt very much at home in this large, wonderful world, andwas happy to be alive, although she neither could have told, norcared to know, the reason why. But when her mother unpinned thelittle girl's Highland shawl, and took off her hood, she said, "Omother, do let me live on the doorstep! I don't like houses to stayin. What makes everything so pretty and so glad? Don't you like towonder?"
Margery's mother was a good woman. But then there was all thehousework to do, and, if she had thoughts, she did not often letthem wander outside of the kitchen door. And just now she wasbaking some gingerbread, which was in danger of getting burned inthe oven. So she pinned the shawl around the child's neck again,and left her on the doorstep, saying to herself, as she returned toher work, "Queer child! I wonder what kind of a woman she willbe!"
But Margery sat on the doorstep, and wondered, as the sea soundedlouder, and the sunshine grew warmer around her. It was all sostrange, and grand, and beautiful! Her heart danced with joy to themusic that went echoing through the wide world from the roots ofthe sprouting grass to the great golden blossom of the sun.
And when the round, gray eyes closed that night, at the firstpeep of the stars, the angels looked down and wondered overMargery. For the wisdom of the wisest being God has made, ends inwonder; and there is nothing on earth so wonderful as the buddingsoul of a little child
书摘与插画
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