The Selfish Giant｜巨人的花园

原著作者｜Keiko Kasza

• Once upon a time
• there was a Giant
• who had a large and lovely garden
• The grass was soft and green,
• and beautiful flowers shone like stars
• Every afternoon after school
• the children used to go and play in the Giant's garden
• They were so happy there
• listening to the birds sing
• But one day
• the Giant came back from a long trip
• When he saw the children playing
• he became very angry
• “What are you doing here?” he shouted in a gruff voice.
• “My garden is my own garden—
• no one can play here but me!”
• The children ran away in fear
• So the Giant built a high wall around the garden
• and put up a sign that said:
• “KEEP OUT”
• He was a very selfish Giant
• Then the Spring came to the whole country
• There were little blossoms and little birds everywhere
• But in the garden of the Selfish Giant
• it was still Winter
• The birds did not care to sing in it
• as there were no children
• and the trees forgot to blossom
• The Snow covered the grass with her great white cloak
• and the Frost painted all the trees silver
• “I cannot understand why the Spring is so late,”
• said the Selfish Giant
• as he sat at the window and looked at his cold white garden
• “I hope there will be a change in the weather.”
• One morning
• the Giant heard some lovely music
• It was a little linnet bird singing outside his window
• The Giant looked out
• and saw a most wonderful sight
• The children had crept in through a little hole in the wall
• And sitting in the branches of every tree
• was a little child
• The trees were so glad to have the children back
• that they had covered themselves with blossoms
• But in one corner
• it was still Winter
• A little boy was standing there
• He was too small to reach up to the branches of the tree
• and he was crying
• The Giant's heart melted
• “How selfish I have been!” he said.
• “Now I know why the Spring would not come here.”
• He opened the door
• and went out into the garden
• The children were frightened and ran away
• and the garden became Winter again
• Only the little boy did not run
• for his eyes were full of tears
• The Giant came up behind him
• took him gently in his hand
• and put him up into the tree
• And the tree broke at once into blossom
• and the birds came and sang on it
• The little boy stretched out his two arms
• and flung them round the Giant's neck
• and kissed him
• When the other children saw that the Giant was not wicked any longer
• they came running back
• and with them came the Spring
• “It is your garden now, little children,”
• said the Giant
• He took a great axe
• and knocked down the wall
• Years went by
• The Giant grew old and weak
• But he was happy
• watching the children play
• He always said
• “I have many beautiful flowers,
• but the children are the most beautiful flowers of all.”