英文故事_Into the Presence of the King(附理解练习).doc

Into the Presence of the King by Max Lucado A long time ago in a land much like your own, there was a village. And in this village lived five orphans. A lonely family of fatherless children, they had banded together against the cold. One day a king learned of their misfortune and decided to adopt them. He decreed that he would be their father and planned to come for them. All the people in the land thought it odd that the king should adopt these children. He already had many people to care for. “Why does the king want them?” the people would ask. But the king had his reasons. When the children learned that they had a new father, and their father was the king (no less!), and the king was coming to visit, they went wild with excitement. When the people of the village learned that the children had a father, and their father was the king, and that the king was coming to village, they were terribly excited as well. They went out to see the children and told them what to do. “You need to impress the king,” they explained. “Only those with great gifts to give will be allowed to live in the castle.” The people didn’t know the king. They just assumed that all kings want to be impressed. So the children worked long and hard preparing their offerings. One boy, who knew how to carve, determined to give the king a wonderful work of wooden art. He set his knife against the soft skin of the elm and whittled. The small blocks of wood came alive with the eyes of a sparrow or the nose of a unicorn. His sister decided to present the king with a painting that captured the beauty of the heavens – a painting worthy to hang in his castle. Another sister chose music as her way to impress the king. For long hours se practiced with her voice and mandolin. Village people would stop at her window and listen as her music took wings and soared. Yet another child set out to turn the king’s head with his wisdom. Late hours would find his candle lit and his boo