HIGH up in the clear， pure air flew an angel， with a flower plucked from the garden of heaven. As he was kissing the flower a very little leaf fell from it and sunk down into the soft earth in the middle of a wood. It immediately took root， sprouted， and sent out shoots among the other plants.

　　“What a ridiculous little shoot！” said one. “No one will recognize it； not even the thistle nor the stinging-nettle.”

　　“It must be a kind of garden plant，” said another； and so they sneered and despised the plant as a thing from a garden.

　　“Where are you coming？” said the tall thistles whose leaves were all armed with thorns. “It is stupid nonsense to allow yourself to shoot out in this way； we are not here to support you.”

　　Winter came， and the plant was covered with snow， but the snow glittered over it as if it had sunshine beneath as well as above.

　　When spring came， the plant appeared in full bloom： a more beautiful object than any other plant in the forest. And now the professor of botany presented himself， one who could explain his knowledge in black and white. He examined and tested the plant， but it did not belong to his system of botany， nor could he possibly find out to what class it did belong. “It must be some degenerate species，” said he； “I do not know it， and it is not mentioned in any system.”

　　“Not known in any system！” repeated the thistles and the nettles.

　　The large trees which grew round it saw the plant and heard the remarks， but they said not a word either good or bad， which is the wisest plan for those who are ignorant.

　　There passed through the forest a poor innocent girl； her heart was pure， and her understanding increased by her faith. Her chief inheritance had been an old Bible， which she read and valued. From its pages she heard the voice of God speaking to her， and telling her to remember what was said of Joseph's brethren when persons wished to injure her. “They imagined evil in their hearts， but God turned it to good.” If we suffer wrongfully， if we are misunderstood or despised， we must think of Him who was pure and holy， and who prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross， “Father forgive them， for they know not what they do.”

　　The girl stood still before the wonderful plant， for the green leaves exhaled a sweet and refreshing fragrance， and the flowers glittered and sparkled in the sunshine like colored flames， and the harmony of sweet sounds lingered round them as if each concealed within itself a deep fount of melody， which thousands of years could not exhaust. With pious gratitude the girl looked upon this glorious work of God， and bent down over one of the branches， that she might examine the flower and inhale the sweet perfume. Then a light broke in on her mind， and her heart expanded. Gladly would she have plucked a flower， but she could not overcome her reluctance to break one off. She knew it would so soon fade； so she took only a single green leaf， carried it home， and laid it in her Bible， where it remained ever green， fresh， and unfading. Between the pages of the Bible it still lay when， a few weeks afterwards， that Bible was laid under the young girl's head in her coffin. A holy calm rested on her face， as if the earthly remains bore the impress of the truth that she now stood in the presence of God.

　　In the forest the wonderful plant still continued to bloom till it grew and became almost a tree， and all the birds of passage bowed themselves before it.

　　“That plant is a foreigner， no doubt，” said the thistles and the burdocks. “We can never conduct ourselves like that in this country.” And the black forest snails actually spat at the flower.

　　Then came the swineherd； he was collecting thistles and shrubs to burn them for the ashes. He pulled up the wonderful plant， roots and all， and placed it in his bundle. “This will be as useful as any，” he said； so the plant was carried away.

　　Not long after， the king of the country suffered from the deepest melancholy. He was diligent and industrious， but employment did him no good. They read deep and learned books to him， and then the lightest and most trifling that could be found， but all to no purpose. Then they applied for advice to one of the wise men of the world， and he sent them a message to say that there was one remedy which would relieve and cure him， and that it was a plant of heavenly origin which grew in the forest in the king's own dominions. The messenger described the flower so that is appearance could not be mistaken.

　　Then said the swineherd， “I am afraid I carried this plant away from the forest in my bundle， and it has been burnt to ashes long ago. But I did not know any better.”

　　“You did not know， any better！ Ignorance upon ignorance indeed！”

　　The poor swineherd took these words to heart， for they were addressed to him； he knew not that there were others who were equally ignorant. Not even a leaf of the plant could be found. There was one， but it lay in the coffin of the dead； no one knew anything about it.

　　Then the king， in his melancholy， wandered out to the spot in the wood. “Here is where the plant stood，” he said； “it is a sacred place.” Then he ordered that the place should be surrounded with a golden railing， and a  stationed near it.

　　The botanical professor wrote a long treatise about the heavenly plant， and for this he was loaded with gold， which improved the position of himself and his family.

　　And this part is really the most pleasant part of the story. For the plant had disappeared， and the king remained as melancholy and sad as ever， but the sentry said he had always been so.

　　Reference Version （參考譯文）

　　在稀薄的、清爽的空氣中，有一個安琪兒拿著天上花園中的一朵花在高高地飛。當她在吻著這朵花的時候，有一小片花瓣落到樹林中潮濕的地上。這花瓣馬上就生了根，并且在許多別的植物中間冒出芽來。“這真是一根很滑稽的插枝。”別的植物說。薊和蕁麻都不認識它。

　　“這一定是花園里長的一種植物！”它們說，并且還發出一聲冷笑。它們認為它是花園里的一種植物而開它的玩笑。但是它跟別的植物不同；它在不停地生長；它把長枝子向四面伸開來。“你要伸到什么地方去呢？”高大的薊說。它的每片葉子都長滿了刺。“你占的地方太多！這真是豈有此理！我們可不能扶持你呀！”

　　冬天來了；雪把植物蓋住了。不過雪層上發出光，好像有太陽從底下照上來似的。在春天的時候，這棵植物開出花來；它比樹林里的任何植物都要美麗。

　　這時來了一位植物學教授。他有許多學位來說明他的身份。他對這棵植物望了一眼，檢驗了一番；但是他發現他的植物體系內沒有這種東西。他簡直沒有辦法把它分類。“它是一種變種！”他說。“我不認識它，它不屬于任何一科！”“不屬于任何一科！”薊和蕁麻說。周圍的許多大樹都聽到了這些話。它們也看出來了，這種植物不屬于它們的系統。但是它們什么話也不說――不說壞話，也不說好話。對于傻子說來，這是一種最聰明的辦法。

　　這時有一個貧苦的天真女孩子走過樹林。她的心很純潔；因為她有信心，所以她的理解力很強。她全部的財產只是一部很舊的《圣經》，不過她在每頁書上都聽見上帝的聲音：如果有人想對你做壞事，你要記住約瑟的故事――“他們在心里想著壞事情，但是上帝把它變成最好的東西。”如果你受到委屈，被人誤解或者被人侮辱，你只須記住上帝：他是一個最純潔、最善良的人。他為那些譏笑他和把他釘上十字架的人祈禱：“天父，請原諒他們吧，他們不知道他們自己在做什么事情！”

　　女孩子站在這棵稀奇的植物面前――它的綠葉發出甜蜜和清新的香氣，它的花朵在太陽光中射出五光十色的焰火般的光彩。每朵花發出一種音樂，好像它里面有一股音樂的泉水，幾千年也流不盡。女孩子懷著虔誠的心情，望著造物主的這些美麗的創造。她順手把一根枝條拉過來，細看它上面的花朵，聞一聞這些花朵的香氣。她心里輕松起來，感到一種愉快。她很想摘下一朵花，但是她不忍把它折斷，因為這樣花就會凋謝了。她只是摘下一片綠葉。她把它帶回家來，夾在《圣經》里。葉子在這本書里永遠保持新鮮，從來沒有凋謝。葉子就這樣藏在《圣經》里。幾個星期以后，當這女孩子躺在棺材里的時候，《圣經》 就放在她的頭底下。她安靜的臉上露出了一種莊嚴的、死后的虔誠的表情，好像她的這個塵世的軀殼，就說明她現在已經是在上帝面前。

　　但是那棵奇異的植物仍然在樹林里開著花。它很快就要長成一棵樹了。許多候鳥，特別是鸛鳥和燕子，都飛到這兒來，在它面前低頭致敬。“這東西已經有點洋派頭了！”薊和牛蒡說。“我們這些本鄉生長的植物從來沒有這副樣子！” 黑蝸牛實際上已經在這植物身上吐粘液了。

　　這時有一個豬倌來了。他正在采集蕁麻和蔓藤，目的是要把它們燒出一點灰來。這棵奇異的植物也被連根拔起來了，扎在一個柴捆里。“也叫它能夠有點用處！”他說，同時他也就這樣做了。

　　但是這個國家的君主多少年以來一直害著很重的憂郁病。他是非常忙碌和勤儉，但是這對他的病卻沒有什么幫助。人們念些深奧的書給他聽，或念些世上最輕松的讀物給他聽，但這對他的病也沒有什么好處。人們請教世界上一個最聰明的人，這人派來一個信使。信使對大家說，要減輕和治好國王的病，現在只有一種藥方。“在國王的領土里，有一個樹林里長著一棵來自天上的植物。它的形狀是如此這般，人們決不會弄錯。”這兒還附帶有一張關于這棵植物的圖解，誰一看就可以認得出來。 “它不論在冬天或夏天都是綠的。人們只須每天晚上摘下一片新鮮的葉子，把它放在國王的額上，那么國王的頭腦就會變得清新，他夜間就會做一個美麗的夢，他第二天也就會有精神了。”這個說明已經是夠清楚了。所有的醫生和那位植物學教授都到樹林里去――是的，不過這棵植物在什么地方呢？

　　“我想我已經把它扎進柴捆里去了！”豬倌說，“它早就已經燒成灰了。別的事情我不知道！” “你不知道！”大家齊聲說。“啊，愚蠢啊！愚蠢啊！你是多么偉大啊！”豬倌聽到這話可能感到非常難過，因為這是專講給他一個人聽的。他們連一片葉子也沒有找到。那唯一的一片葉子是藏在那個死女孩的棺材里，而這事情誰也不知道。

　　于是國王在極度的憂郁中親自走到樹林中的那塊地方去。“那棵植物曾經在這兒生長過！”他說。“這是一塊神圣的地方！”于是這塊地的周圍就豎起了一道金欄桿。有一個哨兵日夜在這兒站崗。

　　植物學教授寫了一篇關于這棵天上植物的論文。他憑這篇論文得到了勛章。這對他說來是一件很愉快的事情，而且對于他和他的家庭也非常相稱。

　　事實上這是這整個故事最有趣的一段，因為這棵植物不見了。國王仍然是憂郁和沮喪的。“不過他一直是這樣。”哨兵說。

更多 英語小故事、英文故事、英語故事、英語童話故事、少兒英語故事、兒童英語故事，

請繼續關注 英語作文大全