The Peasant and the Devil
Once upon a time there was a clever, wily peasant, whose tricks could be much talked about. The best story,
however, is how he once got the best of the devil and made a fool of him. One day the peasant had been working in
his field, and just as it was getting dark he was getting ready to go home when in the middle of his field he saw a
pile of burning coals. Filled with amazement he walked toward it, and sitting on the top of the glowing coals there
was a little black devil.
"You must be sitting on a treasure," said the peasant.
"Yes indeed," replied the devil, "on a treasure that contains more gold and silver than you have ever seen in your life."
"the treasure is in my field and belongs to me," said the peasant.
"It is yours," answered the devil, "if for two years you will give me one half of everything your field produces.
I have enough money, but I have a desire for the fruits of the earth."
the peasant entered into the bargain, saying, "To prevent any dispute from arising about the division, everything
above the ground shall belong to you, and everything beneath the ground to me."
the devil was quite satisfied with that, but the cunning peasant had planted turnips.
Now when harvest time came the devil appeared and wanted to take away his crop, but he found nothing except the
yellow withered leaves, and the happy peasant dug up his turnips.
"You got the best of me this time," said the devil, "but it won’t happen again. Next time what grows above ground shall be yours, and what is under it shall be mine." [page]分页标题[/page]
"That is all right with me," answered the peasant. When planting time came the peasant did not plant turnips again,
but wheat. The crop ripened, and the peasant went into the field and cut the full stalks off at ground level. When
the devil came he found nothing but the stubble, and he angrily disappeared into a chasm in a cliff.
"That’s the way one has to deal with foxes," said the peasant, then carried away the treasure.
农夫与魔鬼
从前有位远见卓识、机智聪明的农夫，有关他足智多谋的故事至今人们仍广为传颂。其中最精彩的要首推他曾经怎样捉弄魔鬼的故事。
[1] 牛津小学英语教案5B Unit9 下一篇：小学英语语法综合练习
