作者：Joseph Martin Kronheim。

The Little Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe

Part One

Then the Old Lady 老太太 thought 想 that they had better 他们最好 take shelter 安家 in the shoe 在这只鞋子里 until they could 直到他们可以 build a new house 建造一栋新房子. So Peter and Strong-arm 所以彼得和阿壮 put a roof to it 给鞋子加了一个屋顶, and cut a door 并且（在鞋子上）切割了一张门, and turned it 把它改造 into a dwelling 成了一个住所. Here they all lived happily 在这里他们一家人幸福地居住了 for many years 很多年, but the Little Old Lady 但是小个子老太太 never forgot 从来没有忘记 her husband 她的丈夫 and his sad fate 还有他那悲惨的命运. Strong-arm （大儿子）阿壮, who saw how wretched 看到了多么伤心难过 his mother often was 他的母亲经常显示出 about it 对于这件事, proposed 建议 to the next eleven brothers 对他的十一个弟弟 that they should 他们应该 go with him 和他这个大哥一起去 and set their father free 解救他们的父亲 from the Giant 从巨人那里.

Their mother 他们的母亲 knew 知道 the Giant’s strength 巨人的力量, and would not 不愿意 hear of the attempt 这样的冒险计划, as she feared 因为她很害怕 they would be killed 他们会被杀死. But 但是 Strong-arm 阿壮 was not afraid 不害怕. He bought 他买了 a dozen sharp swords 12把锋利的剑, and Peter 彼得 made as many strong shields 做了同样数量的坚固盾牌 and helmets 还有头盔, as well as cross-bows 还有十字弓 and iron-headed arrows 以及铁头箭. 造句练习：【a dozen swords】

这个故事里有两个小角色其实挺有深意，虽然不一定是原作者的意思。就是那个笑嘻嘻的大头男孩，还有那个年轻的门童。他们两个虽然住在巨人的城堡里，帮他看家，但是明显并不情愿，反倒帮着阿壮去解救自己的父亲。这两个内应是阿壮成功地杀死巨龙的关键。
如果一个这个城堡就是我们一个腐烂黑暗的社会，那么阿壮就是起义军，而这两个年轻内应就是统治阶级里被奴役的仆人或者士兵，只要看准机会，他们就会倒戈相向，推翻统治阶级。

Part Two

They were now 他们现在 quite ready 准备充分; Strong-arm 阿壮 gave the order 下令 to march 出发, and they started for the forest 然后他们就朝着森林走. The next day 第二天 they came in sight of the Giant’s Castle 他们看到了巨人的城堡. Strong-arm 阿壮, leaving his brothers 让弟弟们 in a wood 呆在森林里 close by 附近的, strode boldly up to the entrance 大大咧咧地朝着入口走, and seized the knocker 抓住门环. The door was opened 门开了 by a funny little boy 一个相貌可笑的小男孩打开的 with a large head 他有一个硕大的头, who kept grinning and laughing 这小男孩不停地时而咧着嘴笑，时而大笑. 造句练习：【keep laughing】

Part Three

Strong-arm 阿壮 then walked boldly across 大胆地穿过 the court-yard 庭院, and presently met a page 一会儿碰到一个门童, who took off his hat 摘下帽子 and asked him 问他 what he wanted 有何来意. Strong-arm said 阿壮说 he had come 他来是 to liberate his father 解救他的父亲的, who was kept a prisoner 他被当成了一个囚犯 by the Giant 被巨人; on this 听到这个 the little man 小个子年轻人 said he was sorry for him 他为他感到抱歉, because 因为 the part of the castle 那部分城堡 in which his father was kept 他父亲被关着的 was guarded 被守卫着 by a large dragon 被一条巨龙.

Strong-arm 阿壮, nothing daunted 毫不犹豫地, soon found the monster 很快就找到了巨兽, who was fast asleep 睡得很沉, so he made short work of him 所以他毫不费力地 by sending his sword right 将剑刺入 through his heart 他的心; at which he jumped up 龙跳了起来, uttering a loud scream 狂吼一声, and made as if he would spring forward 好像要往前扑过来 and seize Strong-arm 要抓住阿壮的样子; but the good sword 但是那把好剑 had done its work 已经解决了问题, and the monster 巨兽 fell heavily 重重地倒下 on the ground 到了地上, dead 死了.

造句练习：【so large】造句练习：【milk a cow】