小学英语英语故事童话故事The RedShoes红鞋.pdf

The Red Shoes 红鞋There was once a little girl,very nice and very pretty,but so poor that she hadto go barefooted all summer.And in winter she had to wear thick wooden shoes thatchafed her ankles until they were red,oh,as red as could be.In the middle of the village lived 01d Mother Shoemaker.She took some old scrapsof red cloth and did her best to make them into a little pair of shoes.They werea bit clumsy,but well meant,for she intended to give them to the little girl.Karenwas the little girls name.The first time Karen wore her new red shoes was on the very day when her mother wasburied.Of course,they were not right for mourning,but they were all she had,soshe put them on and walked barelegged after the plain wicker coffin.Just then a large old carriage came by,with a large old lady inside it.She lookedat the little girl and took pity upon her.And she went to the parson and said:Givethe little girl to me,and I shall take good care of her.Karen was sure that this happened because she wore red shoes,but the old lady saidthe shoes were hideous,and ordered them burned.Karen was given proper new clothes.She was taught to read,and she was taught to sew.People said she was pretty,buther mirror told her,“You are more than pretty.You are beautiful.It happened that the Queen came traveling through the country with her littledaughter,who was a Princess.Karen went with all the people who flocked to see themat the castle.The little Princess,all dressed in white,came to the window to letthem admire her.She didn，t wear a train,and she didnt wear a gold crown,but shedid wear a pair of splendid red morocco shoes.Of course,they were much nicer thanthe ones 01d Mother Shoemaker had put together for little Karen,but there，snothing in the world like a pair of red shoes!When Karen was old enough to be confirmed,new clothes were made for her,and shewas to have new shoes.They went to the house of a thriving shoemaker,to have himtake the measure of her little feet.In his shop were big glass cases,filled withthe prettiest shoes and the shiniest boots.They looked most attractive but,as theold lady did not see very well,they did not attract her.Among the shoes there wasa pair of red leather ones which were just like those the Princess had worn.Howperfect they were!The shoemaker said he had made them for the daughter of a count,but that they did not quite fit her.“They must be patent leather to shine so,said the old lady.Yes,indeed they shine,said Karen.As the shoes fitted Karen,the old lady boughtthem,but she had no idea they were red.If she had known that,she would never havelet Karen wear them to confirmation,which is just what Karen did.Every eye was turned toward her feet.When she walked up the aisle to the chancelof the church,it seemed to her as if even those portraits of bygone ministers andtheir wives,in starched ruffs and long black gowns-even they fixed their eyes uponher red shoes.She could think of nothing else,even when the pastor laid his handsupon her head and spoke of her holy baptism,and her covenant with God,and her duty1as a Christian.The solemn organ rolled,the children sang sweetly,and the old choirleader sang too,but Karen thought of nothing except her red shoes.Before the afternoon was over,the old lady had heard from everyone in the parishthat the shoes were red.She told Karen it was naughty to wear red shoes to church.Highly improper!In the future she was always to wear black shoes to church,eventhough they were her old ones.Next Sunday there was holy communion.Karen looked at her black shoes.She lookedat her red ones.She kept looking at her red ones until she put them on.It was a fair,sunny day.Karen and the old lady took the path through the cornfield,where it was rather dusty.At the church door they met an old soldier,who stoodwith a crutch and wore a long,curious beard.It was more reddish than white.Infact it was quite red.He bowed down to the ground,and asked the old lady if hemight dust her shoes.Karen put out her little foot too.0h,what beautiful shoes for dancing,the soldier said.Never come off when youdance,“he told the shoes,as he tapped the sole of each of them with his hand.The old lady gave the soldier a penny,and went on into the church with Karen.Allthe people there stared at Karen，s red shoes,and all the portraits stared too.W henKaren knelt at the altar rail,and even when the chalice came to her lips,she couldthink only of her red shoes.It was as if they kept floating around in the chalice,and she forgot to sing the psalm.She forgot to say the Lord,s Prayer.Then church was over,and the old lady got into her carriage.Karen was lifting herfoot to step in after her when the old soldier said,0h,what beautiful shoes fordancing!，zKaren couldn,t resist taking a few dancing steps,and once she began her feet kepton dancing.It was as if the shoes controlled her.She danced round the corner ofthe church-she simply could not help it.The coachman had to run after her,catchher,and lift her into the carriage.。