The Coming of the King國王駕到

勞拉·E.理查茲

Some children were at play in their play-ground one day， when a herald rode through the town， blowing a trumpet， and crying aloud， “The King！ the King passes by this road to-day. Make ready for the King！”

一天，幾個孩子正在游樂場玩耍的時候，一個傳令官騎著馬穿城而過，鳴號吶喊：“國王！國王陛下今天打此路過，準備迎駕！”

The children stopped their play， and looked at one another.

孩子們停止了游戲，你瞅瞅我，我瞅瞅你。

“Did you hear that？” they said. “The King is coming. He may look over the wall and see our playground; who knows？ We must put it in order.”

“你們聽見了吧？國王要來了。他沒準會看到墻里面，瞧見我們的游樂場；誰知道呢。反正咱們得把這里收拾整齊。”

The playground was sadly dirty， and in the corners were scraps of paper and broken toys， for these were careless children. But now， one brought a hoe， and another a rake， and a third ran to fetch the wheelbarrow1 from behind the garden gate. They labored hard， till at length all was clean and tidy.

這些孩子平時馬虎慣了，游樂場臟得要命，角落里堆滿了紙屑和破破爛爛的玩具。好在此時，一個拿來鋤頭，一個拿來耙子，另一個跑過去，推來了放在園子門后的手推車。他們起勁地干著，直到把這里打掃得干干凈凈。

“Now it is clean！” they said， “but we must make it pretty， too， for kings are used to fine things; maybe he would not notice mere cleanness， for he may have it all the time.”

“現在總算干凈啦！”他們說，“不過我們還得弄得美觀才行，做國王的，好東西見得多了；單靠干凈，大概國王是不會注意的，因為他待的地方都是干凈的。 ”

Then one brought sweet rushes and strewed them on the ground; and others made garlands2 of oak leaves and pine tassels and hung them on the walls; and the littlest one pulled marigold buds and threw them all about the playground， “to look like gold，” he said.

于是，一個孩子捧來清新怡人的燈芯草，撒在地上；另外幾個用橡樹葉和松耳草編成花環，裝點四面圍墻；那個最小的孩子扯了許多金盞花花蕾，撒滿了游樂場，“這樣看著金燦燦的”，他說。

When all was done the playground was so beautiful that the children stood and looked at it， and clapped their hands with pleasure.

做完這一切，游樂場變得美極了，孩子們站在那里，朝著它一番打量，美滋滋地拍手歡慶。

“Let us keep it always like this！” said the littlest one; and the others cried， “Yes！ yes！ that is what we will do.”

“咱們就讓它一直這樣保持下去吧！”最小的孩子說。其他孩子歡呼：“好呀！好呀！就這么干?！?/p>

They waited all day for the coming of the King， but he never came; only， towards sunset， a man with travel-worn clothes， and a kind， tired face passed along the road， and stopped to look over the wall.

整整一天，孩子們都在巴望國王駕到，可他始終沒有露面。只是在黃昏時分，這條路上才走過一個男人，風塵仆仆，面容和善。他停下腳步，從圍墻上方朝里張望。

“What a pleasant place！” said the man. “May I come in and rest， dear children？”

“多好的地方??！”男人說道?！拔夷苓M去休息一會兒嗎，可愛的孩子們？”

The children brought him in gladly， and set him on the seat that they had made out of an old cask. They had covered it with the old red cloak to make it look like a throne， and it made a very good one.

孩子們樂呵呵地把他迎進來，讓他坐在一只他們權當座椅的舊木桶上?！?br>