忠实的朋友｜The Devoted Friend

每天五分钟听经典英文故事，读绘本，磨耳朵。这是一个关于忠诚与虚伪的友谊的故事，善良的小汉斯被所谓的朋友利用，最终酿成悲剧。By the pond, the old water rat said: there is nothing in the world nobler than devoted friendshipThe linnet asked him what a devoted friend should doThe water rat answered without hesitation: be devoted to me, of courseHearing this, the linnet began to tell the story of little HansLittle Hans lived in a tiny cottage at the edge of the village, with a beautiful garden in frontIn spring, summer, and autumn, flowers bloomed one patch after anotherHe took his flowers and fruit to the market to sell, trading them for bread and a little pocket moneyAmong all his friends, the one who talked most about being "devoted" was the miller, HughHugh was very richHis mill was stacked with sacks of flourHe kept cows and sheep at home, and he burned a warm stove in winterBut every time he passed little Hans's garden, he picked a big bunch of flowers and pulled up handfuls of sweet herbsWhen the fruit ripened, he stuffed his pockets full of plums and cherriesHe always said: true friends ought to share everythingWhen little Hans heard this, he felt very proud to have such a friendWinter came, and the garden lay emptyLittle Hans had no flowers to sellHe shivered with cold and often went to bed on an empty stomachOne by one, he sold his silver buttons, his silver chain, his big pipe, and finally even his wheelbarrow, just to buy foodBut the whole winter long, Hugh never once came to see himHugh sat by his own warm fire and said: a person in trouble ought to be left aloneA friend should not disturb him at such a timeWhen spring came and Hans had flowers to give again, then he would truly make Hans happySpring arrived, and the primroses bloomedHugh came down the hill carrying a large basket and finally visited little Hans's gardenLittle Hans was overjoyedHe said he was planning to sell the primroses so he could buy back his wheelbarrowAs soon as Hugh heard this, he jumped in: Hans, I'll give you my wheelbarrowThe wheelbarrow was broken on one side, and the spokes had cracks tooBut little Hans's face still lit upHe said he had a plank of wood in his cottage that could fix itHugh said at once: oh, that plank would be just the thing to patch my barn roofI have already promised you the wheelbarrow, so giving me the plank would be a fair exchange between friendsHans did not hesitateHe ran inside and dragged the plank outAfter the plank was taken away, Hugh handed over his basket again and told Hans to fill it with flowersHans knew that if all his flowers were gone, he would never get his silver buttons backBut Hugh reminded him that a true friend should not be so selfishLittle Hans was afraid Hugh would think less of himSo he picked every last primrose and stuffed the big basket fullHugh carried the plank and the flowers and walked back up the hillHans stayed alone in the garden, thinking about the wheelbarrow he had not yet received, and felt happy againThe next day, Hugh arrived carrying a sack of flour and told Hans to take it to the market for himHans had been planning to nail up the vines, water the flowers, and tidy the grassBut Hugh said: look, I am about to give you my wheelbarrowIf you refuse me now, that would be very unfriendly of youWithout a second word, Hans hoisted the flour onto his shoulder and set offThe road was hot and dustyHe was so tired that when he reached the sixth milestone, he had to stop and catch his breathBut he sold the flour anyway and brought all the money backThe next day, Hugh came to collect the moneySeeing Hans still in bed, he accused him of being lazyHans tried to explain that he was simply exhaustedBut Hugh said: a true friend tells you hard truthsIf I do not say it, who willThen he sent Hans off to mend the barn roofHans's flowers had gone two days without waterHow he longed to go back to his gardenBut the wheelbarrow weighed on his mindSo he climbed onto the roof and worked all day longWhen the sun went down, Hugh only said: working for others is the most pleasant work of allAfter that, Hugh sent him to drive the sheep up the mountain, then on a long errand, then to help at the millLittle Hans's garden slowly fell into ruinThe flower stems drooped, the weeds grew tallSometimes he felt so sad, as if the flowers themselves thought they had been forgottenBut every time, he told himself: the miller is my best friendBesides, he promised me a wheelbarrowOne stormy night, a knock came at the doorLittle Hans opened it and saw Hugh standing outside, holding a lantern in one hand and a walking stick in the otherHugh said his little son had fallen from a ladder and was badly hurtThe doctor lived far away, and the night was so dreadfulSo it would be best if Hans went to fetch the doctorAfter all, Hugh was about to give him the wheelbarrow, so it was only fair that Hans did something for him in returnHans agreed at onceHe asked only one thing: the night was so dark he was afraid of falling into a ditchCould Hugh lend him the lanternHugh said: noThis is a new lantern, and if anything happened to it, I would suffer a great lossLittle Hans said nothing moreHe put on his thick coat, his red cap, and wrapped his scarf around his neck, then stepped out into the wind and rainThe night was so dark he could barely see the road, and the wind nearly knocked him overAfter walking for three hours, he finally knocked on the doctor's doorThe doctor lit his own lantern, mounted his horse, and rode toward the millLittle Hans ran behind the horseBut the rain grew heavier and the wind grew fiercerHe could not see where he was stepping, and he could not keep up with the horseThen he lost his way and stumbled into the wildernessThe place was full of deep pitsThe next day, some shepherds found himHe was floating in a deep pool of water, with no breath left in himAt the funeral, many people from the village cameEveryone had loved little HansHugh came tooHe said he was Hans's best friend, so naturally he deserved to stand at the front of the processionAfter the funeral, everyone gathered at the innThe blacksmith sighed: little Hans's death is a great loss to all of usHugh replied: especially to meI had practically given him my wheelbarrowNow that he is dead, I really do not know what to do with that broken thingIt just sits in the way at home, and it is so battered I could not sell it for more than a few coinsThen he added: from now on, I will never give anything away so easily againPeople always suffer for their generosity前往小宇宙评论区与主播互动