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　　There was once a woman. She wished very much to have a little child, but she could not obtain her wish. At last she went to a fairy, and said,“I want to have a little child. Can you tell me where I can find one?”

　　once adv. 从前

　　obtain v. 获得

　　fairy n. 仙女

　　“Oh, that is easy,” said the fairy. “Here is a barleycorn. It is different to those in the farmer’s fields. Put it into a flower-pot, and see what will happen.”

　　barleycorn n. 大麦粒

　　flower-pot n. 花盆

　　“Thank you,” said the woman. She gave the fairy twelve shillings. It was the price of the barleycorn. Then she went home and planted it. Immediately a large beautiful flower grew up in the pot. It looked like a tulip, but it was still a bud.

　　shilling n. 先令(货币单位)

　　immediately adv. 立刻

　　tulip n. 郁金香

　　bud n. 蓓蕾

　　“It is really beautiful,” said the woman. She kissed the flower and it suddenly opened. She could see that it was a real tulip. Within the flower, a very delicate little girl was sitting on the green stamens. She was as small as a thumb, so the woman gave her the name of “Thumbelina”.

　　delicate adj. 精巧的

　　stamens n.花蕊

　　thumb n. 拇指

　　Her cradle was a walnut-shell. Her bed was made of blue violet-leaves, with a rose-leaf for a counterpane. Here she slept at night, but during the daytime she played on a table. She had sweet and soft voice. Everyone loved listening to her singing.

　　cradle n. 摇篮

　　walnut-shell n. 胡桃壳

　　violet-leaf n. 紫罗兰叶

　　counterpane n. 床罩

　　One night, an ugly toad crept into the room through a window. She took up the walnut-shell, and jumped out into the garden. She wanted the pretty little girl to be her son’s wife.

　　toad n. 癞蛤蟆

　　creep v. 爬

　　The tiny little girl woke up early in the morning. She found that she was sitting on a large green leaf. There was nothing but water around it. She cried when she knew that she had to live with an old toad and her ugly son.

　　tiny adj. 很小的

　　(更多内容请参看北京教育出版社出版的《安徒生童话精选》系列）