英文小说:醋溜先生和他的财富(1)

Mr. Vinegar and His Fortune

A long time ago, there lived a poor man whose real name has been forgotten. He was little and old and his face was wrinkled, and that was why his friends called him Mr. Vinegar. His wife was also little and old, and they lived in a little old cottage at the back of a little old field.

"John," said Mrs. Vinegar, "you must go to town and buy a cow. I will milk her and churn（搅拌）butter and we shall never want for anything."

"That is a good plan," said Mr. Vinegar, so he started off to town while his wife waited by the roadside.

Mr. Vinegar walked up and down the street of the town looking for a cow. After a time, a farmer came that way, leading one that was very pretty and fat.

"Oh, if I only had that cow," said Mr. Vinegar, "I would be the happiest man in the world!"

"She's a very good cow," said the farmer.

"Well," said Mr. Vinegar, "I'll give you these 50 gold pieces for her."

The farmer smiled and held out his hand for the money, "You may have her," he said, "I always like to oblige（施恩惠）, my friends!"

Mr. Vinegar took hold of the cow's halter and led her up and down the street. "I am the luckiest man in the world," he said, "for only see how all the people are looking at me and my cow!"

But at one end of the street, he met a man playing bagpipes（风笛）. He stopped and listened -- Tweedle Dee Tweedle Dee.

"Oh, that is the sweetest music I ever heard," he said, "and just see how all the children crowd around the man and give him pennies! If I only had those bagpipes, I would be the happiest man in the world!!"

"I'll sell them to you," said the piper.

"Will you? Well then, since I have no money, I will give you this cow for them."

"You may have them," answered the piper, "I always like to oblige a friend."

Mr. Vinegar took the bagpipes and the piper led the cow away.

"Now we will have some music," said Mr. Vinegar, but try as hard as he might, he could not play a tune. He could get nothing out of the bagpipes but "squeak, squeak". The children instead of giving him pennies laughed at him.

The day was chilly and in trying to play the pipes, his fingers grew very cold. He wished he had kept the cow.

He just started for home when he met a man who had warm gloves on his hands. "Oh, if I only had those pretty gloves," he said, "I would be the happiest man in the world."

"How much will you give for them?" asked the man.

"Oh, I have no money, but I will give you these bagpipes," answered Mr. Vinegar.

"Well," said the man, "you may have them for I always like to oblige a friend."很久以前，有一个穷人，他的原名叫什么已经不记得了。他个头很矮，脸上皱皱巴巴的，所以朋友们管他叫醋溜先生。他的太太也是又矮又老，他们住在一块小荒田后边的小屋里。

“约翰，”醋溜太太说道，“你到城里去买一头奶牛吧。我用挤出的牛奶做黄油，以后我们就衣食不愁了。”

“好主意，”醋溜先生说，于是他出发进城，他的太太在路边等候他。

醋溜先生在城里走啊走，四处找牛。过了一会儿，一个农夫拉着一头非常漂亮而肥壮的奶牛走了过来。

“哦，如果那头牛是我的，我就是世界上最幸福的人了！”

“这可是头很好的牛，”农夫说。

“啊，”醋溜先生说，“我出五十块金币的价买它。”

农夫微笑着伸手接钱，“你把它带走吧，”他说，“我就喜欢成人之美，朋友！”

醋溜先生抓住牛绳，拉着它在街上走啊走。“我是全世界最幸运的人了，”他说，“瞧瞧大家看着我和牛的眼神！”

可是在街的另一头，他见到一个吹风笛的人。他停下脚步聆听，笛声曼妙。

“哦，这是我听过的最动听的音乐了，”他说，“瞧瞧有这么多孩子围着那人，塞钱给他！如果我有风笛的话，就是世界上最幸福的人了！！”

“我可以卖给你呀，”风笛手说道。

“是吗？可是我没有钱了，我拿这头牛和你换吧。”

“拿去吧，”风笛手答道，“我最喜欢成人之美了。”

于是醋溜先生拿过了风笛，风笛手牵走了奶牛。

“现在我们可有音乐听了，”醋溜先生说，但是他花了老大的劲，还是吹不出什么调来。风笛只发出吱吱的怪声。孩子们非但没给他钱，还对他百般嘲笑。

天冷极了，为了吹风笛，醋溜先生的手指都冻僵了。他真希望自己没把牛给换走。

他开始往家走的时候，遇到一个人，那人戴着暖暖的手套。“哦，如果那副漂亮手套是我的，”他说，“那我就是世界上最幸福的人了。”

“你出多少钱买？”那人问道。

“噢，我没钱了，可我用风笛和你换吧，”醋溜先生答道。

“这样的话，”那人说，“你就拿去吧，我就喜欢成人之美。”