小学英语安徒生童话系列二TheTopandBall阅读素材.docxVIP

the?Top?and?Ball

by?Hans?Christian?Andersen（1838）

WHIPPING?TOP?and?a?little?ball?lay?together?in?abox，?among?other?toys，?and?the?top?said?to?theball，“Shall?we?be?married，?as?we?live?in?the?samebox？”

But?the?ball，?which?wore?a?dress?of?moroccoleather，?and?thought?as?much?of?herself?as?anyother?young?lady，?would?not?even?condescend?toreply.

the?next?day?came?the?little?boy?to?whom?the?playthings?belonged，?and?he?painted?the?topred?and?yellow，?and?drove?a?brass-headed?nail?into?the?middle，?so?that?while?the?top?wasspinning?round?it?looked?splendid.

“Look?at?me，”?said?the?top?to?the?ball.“What?do?you?say?now？?Shall?we?be?engaged?toeach?other？?We?should?suit?so?well；?you?spring，?and?I?dance.?No?one?could?be?happier?thanwe?should?be.”

“Indeed！?do?you?think?so？?Perhaps?you?do?not?know?that?my?father?and?mother?weremorocco?slippers，?and?that?I?have?a?Spanish?cork?in?my?body.”

“Yes；?but?I?am?made?of?mahogany，”?said?the?top.“The?major?himself?turned?me.?He?has?aturning?lathe?of?his?own，?and?it?is?a?GREat?amusement?to?him.”

“Can?I?believe?it？”?asked?the?ball.

“May?I?never?be?whipped?again，”?said?the?top，“if?I?am?not?telling?you?the?truth.”

“You?certainly?know?how?to?speak?for?yourself?very?well，”?said?the?ball；“but?I?cannotaccept?your?proposal.?I?am?almost?engaged?to?a?swallow.?Every?time?I?fly?up?in?the?air，?heputs?his?head?out?of?the?nest，?and?says，?Will?you？?and?I?have?said，?Yes，?to?myselfsilently，?and?that?is?as?good?as?being?half?engaged；?but?I?will?promise?never?to?forget?you.”

“Much?good?that?will?be?to?me，”?said?the?top；?and?they?spoke?to?each?other?no?more.

Next?day?the?ball?was?taken?out?by?the?boy.?The?top?saw?it?flying?high?in?the?air，?like?abird，?till?it?would?go?quite?out?of?sight.?Each?time?it?came?back，?as?it?touched?the?earth，?itgave?a?higher?leap?than?before，?either?because?it?longed?to?fly?upwards，?or?from?having?aSpanish?cork?in?its?body.?But?the?ninth?time?it?rose?in?the?air，?it?remained?away，?and?did?notreturn.?The?boy?searched