标题：阅（一）L2—20

1. Lisabetta’s brothers kill her lover; he appears to her in a dream and tells her where he is buried; she secretly digs up his head and places it in a pot of basil, over which she weeps every day for a long time; her brothers take it away from her, and shortly afterward she dies of grief.

2. When Elissa’s story was finished and had been praised in some respects by the King. Filomena was called upon to speak, who full of compassion for the wretched Gerbino and his lady, after a piteous sigh, began:

3. My story, gracious ladies, will not concern people of so high a station as those about whom Elissa has spoken, but perhaps it will be no less moving; I was reminded of it by the mention a moment ago of Messina, where the misfortune occurred.

4. In Messina there were three young brothers, all of them merchants, who became very rich after the death of their father (who was from San Gimignano), and they had a sister called Lisabetta, a very beautiful and accomplished young girl, who for some reason had not yet married. Besides the three brothers there was a young Pisan named Lorenzo who worked in their shop and saw to all of their business. He being so handsome and charming, Lisabetta, having gazed at him more than once, found him unusually attractive; and Lorenzo, too, after seeing her a few times, put aside all his other loves and set his heart on loving her; and since each found the other equally pleasing, not much time passed before they took courage, and did what each of them desired to do the most.

5. And continuing this way, spending a great deal of time together in their pleasure, they were no longer able to conceal their love affair, for one night as Lisabetta was quietly making her way to where Lorenzo slept, the oldest of the brothers noticed her, though she did not see him. Since he was a wise young man, in spite of the fact that his discovery bothered him a great deal, he restrained himself from making a move or uttering a word until the next morning, after he had considered and weighed the various solutions to the matter in his mind. Then when day came, he told his brothers what he had seen happen between Lisabetta and Lorenzo the previous night, and after long deliberation, so that neither they nor their sister might suffer any loss of reputation, they all decided to pass over the matter quietly and to pretend to have seen or heard nothing until a more suitable time should arise in which they, without damage or dishonor to themselves, might be able to wipe away this shame before it went any further.

6. Having adopted this proposal, they continued to joke and laugh with Lorenzo as they always had, and one day, pretending to take a trip outside the city, they took Lorenzo with them. Having come to a very remote and deserted spot, they realized their chance had come：catching Lorenzo off guard, they killed him and buried him in such a way that no one would take notice. Then they returned to Messina and let it be known that they had sent Lorenzo somewhere on business——something which was easily believed, since they were in the habit of sending him here and there very often. When Lorenzo did not return, often Lisabetta would anxiously ask her brothers where he was, for his absence deeply grieved her. One day, when she had asked about him in a very insistent way, one of the brothers replied:

7. “What is the meaning of this? What do you have to do with Lorenzo that you keep asking about him? If you ask about him again, we shall have to give the answer you deserve!”

8. And so the young woman, sad and grieving, full of fear and forebodings, stopped asking questions, and sometimes at night she would piteously call out to him begging him to return; sometimes she would burst into tears over his absence, and in this painful state of waiting she remained without ever cheering up. One night after she had wept so much over Lorenzo’s absence that she finally cried herself to sleep, Lorenzo appeared to her in a dream, pale and all unkempt, with his clothes torn and rotting on his body, and it seemed to her that he spoke:

9. “Oh, Lisabetta, you do nothing but cry out to me and lament my long absence and bitterly accuse me with your tears; therefore I want you to know that I can never return to you, for on the last day you saw me I was killed by your brothers.”

10. He told her the spot where they buried him and asked her not to call him any longer or to wait for him; then he disappeared. The young woman, having awakened, believed the vision and wept bitterly; after rising the next morning, not daring to say anything about this to her brothers, she decided to go to the place he had mentioned to see if what had appeared to her in her sleep was the truth. Having received permission from her brothers to leave the city for a while to amuse herself in the company of a woman who had on other occasions been with her and Lorenzo, and who knew all about her, she set out for that place as quickly as possible. She removed some dry leaves covering a portion of the ground that appeared to be soft and began to dig; she had hardly started when she discovered the body of her poor lover, which had not yet decomposed or decayed, and now she understood clearly the truth of her vision. More sorrowful than any woman alive, but realizing that this was no time for tears and that it would be impossible for her to carry away his entire body in order to give him a more proper burial (though had she been able, she would have willingly done so), with a knife she cut his head from the shoulders as best she could and wrapped it in a cloth; then, after covering the rest of the body with earth, she gave the head to her servant to carry, and without being seen by anyone, she left that place and returned to her home.

11. There, with this head, she shut herself in her bedroom, and she cried bitterly and long over it, bathing it with all her tears, giving it a thousand kisses on every side. Then she took a large and handsome vase, the kind in which marjoram or basil is grown, and inside it she placed the head wrapped in a beautiful cloth; then covering it with earth, she planted above it several sprigs of the finest basil from Salerno, and she watered it only with rose or orange water or with her own tears. She spent her time sitting close to the pot, turning all of her desire upon it, for it contained her beloved Lorenzo hidden within; and after gazing at it for a long time, she would bend over it and begin to weep and weep until all of the basil was bathed in her tears.

12. From the long and continuous care she gave it and because of the richness of the soil which came from the decomposing head within, the basil became most beautiful and very fragrant. And because the young woman incessantly followed this practice, she was often observed by her neighbors; they told her brothers (who were also amazed at the fact that her beauty was fading and her eyes seemed to be sinking into her head) what they had seen:

13. “And we have noticed that she does the same thing every day.”

14. When the brothers have heard this and then discovered it for themselves, after reproaching the girl for this several times, but without success, they secretly had that pot removed from her room. When she found it was missing, over and over again she would ask for it, and because it was not returned to her, after incessant weeping, she fell ill, and in her sickness she asked for nothing but her pot of basil. The young men were amazed at her insistence and so they decided to see what was inside it; when they poured the earth out, they saw the cloth and in it the head that was not yet so decomposed that they did not recognize it as Lorenzo’s from his curly hair. This amazed them even more, and they feared that the murder might be discovered; so they buried the head, and without a word to anyone, they cautiously concluded their business in Messina and left for Naples.

15. The young girl wept and wept, continuing to demand that her pot of basil be returned to her; and she died crying; thus her unfortunate love came to an end, but after a time the whole affair became known to many people.

1. basil 罗勒；罗勒属植物

2. grief 悲伤、痛苦

3. wretched 不幸的、悲惨的

4. piteous 可怜的

5. merchant 经商的

6. accomplished 有才能的

7. restrain 压抑，抑制

8. deliberation 深思熟虑

9. remote 偏僻的、遥远的

Decameron 《十日谈》意大利14世纪

Lisabetta 丽莎贝塔

Elissa 爱丽莎

Filomena 菲洛梅娜

Gerbino 热比诺

Messina 墨西拿

San Gimignano 圣吉米尼亚诺

Pasin 比萨人

Lorenzo 劳伦佐

1. insistent 坚持的

2. deserve 值得、应受

3. foreboding 预兆

4. unkempt 邋遢的、乱七八糟

5. rot 腐烂、朽坏

6. lament 恸哭

7. bitterly 苦的、悲惨的

8. accuse 非难、谴责

9. rising 起床

10. amuse 使…高兴

11. portion 部分

12. decompose 腐烂、分解

13. decay 腐烂、朽

14. burial 葬礼

15. wrap 包裹

16. vase (花)瓶、水瓮、希腊瓶

17. marjoram 茉乔栾那属、牛至属

18. sprig 小树枝、幼枝

19. beloved 心爱的

Salerno ?

cry out 喊着要求

in the company of sb.=in sb.’s company 在某人的陪伴下

on other occasions 平时

1. fragrant 芬芳的、香的

2. incessantly 持续的

3. fade 退色

4. reproach 责备

5. insistence 坚持

6. conclude 结束、达成协议

7. thus 如此

Naples 那不勒斯（意大利港市）

The Wife of Bath’s Tale——What Do Women Want Most?

There were only a few women among the pilgrims who were riding to Canterbury. One of them was the Wife of Bath. She was a large woman with a red face. She wore a big hat, and she rode on a very fat horse. She was rich, and she had traveled far and wide in the world. She had had five husbands, but they had all died. She liked to talk and be happy.

She, too, told a story about a knight. He had done a very bad thing: he had broken the laws which all knights must keep. The Wife of Bath’s tale was about the time of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur heard about what the young knight had done. “That is very bad!” he said. “He must die.”

The Queen and her ladies were sad because they liked the young knight very much. “He is not really bad,” they said to each other.

“Please, please,” they prayed to the King, “please do not end this young man’s life. He knows that he has done a bad thing; he will never make such a mistake again.

The King said to the Queen, “Well, do whatever you like with him. But he must pay for breaking the law.”

The Queen thought for a little time; then she said to the knight, “You shall live, if you can tell me the answer to this question: What does a woman want most of all? I will give you a year and a day to find out the answer. If you cannot find it, you must die.”

The knight thanked her, but he rode away very sadly.

He asked many people, “What does a woman want most of all?” He got very many answers.

A man said, “Women like jewels and money more than anything else.”

One woman said, “What do women want most of all? They want to be happy. That is what they want.”

“What do women want most of all?” said another woman.“Fine clothes, of course. That’s what they want.”

He asked some children.

A little girl said, “My mother is most happy when she is cooking food for us.”

A little boy said, “My mother likes best to have a new baby in our family.”

“Our mother is the happiest of all when she sees our father come home at night,” said two or three children all together.

Many of the answers seemed very good answers, but none of them seemed to be right. There was no answer that everybody would call right.

At last a year had passed. The knight had to go back and take the answer to the Queen.

The poor knight thought, “What shall I say? What can I say? I have tried so hard! Must I really die?”

Just then he came to great wood. Twenty-four beautiful ladies were dancing there on the green grass. He said, “Here are twenty-four more people whom I can ask. I have just enough time to ask them.”

He turned his horse towards them——Where were they? They had all gone, suddenly, into the air! Only one very old, very ugly woman sat there now. When he came near, she stood up and went to him.

“Sir Knight,” she said, “are you looking for something? Tell me what it is, and perhaps I can help you. We old people are wise; we know many things.”

He said, “You may be just the person who can help me. I shall lose my life if I cannot fine the answer to a question: What does a woman want most of all? If you can tell me, I will pay you well.”

“Give me your hand,” she answered. “You must do the first thing which I ask you. Promise! Then I will tell you the right answer.” The knight said, “I promise to do the first thing that you ask me to do.”

“Then your life is safe,” said the old woman. “Not one people——not even the Queen ——will say that your answer is not the true one.” She spoke very quietly into his ear. “That,” she said, “ is the answer to your question.”

Then they went along together to meet the Queen and all the lords and ladies.

The people heard that the young knight was coming. Everyone went to tell everyone else and they ran to the meeting-place. The Queen was there, ready to hear his answer. Many men and women were afraid. “The young knight will die,” they said.

“It was a very hard question,” they said to each other. “It will be bad if he cannot tell the Queen the answer.”

Every one became quiet as they stood around. They heard the Queen say in a clear voice, “Now can you tell us, Sir Knight, what a woman want most of all?

The knight came forward. He fell on his knees in front of her. Everyone heard his answer.

“My Lady and my Queen, the thing which every woman wants most of all is to be head of her house. She wants to make her husband do as she wishes.”

When they heard this, all the people said that it was the right answer! “Let him live!” they cried.

The Queen was very pleased with this answer. She said, “You shall be free, and live!”

Suddenly, the old woman came forward. “Be good to me too, my Lady,” she said to the Queen. “I said to the knight, ‘I will tell you the answer, but you must promise to do what I ask you to do,’” She turned to the knight. “Did you not promise this?”

“Yes,” said the knight. “That is what I promised.”

She said, “Before all these people I ask you to take me as your wife.” Her face was very ugly. It was uglier than ever!

The knight said unhappily, “What you said is true. I did promise this. But please——please let me go free! Do not make me marry you!”

“No!” she said. “No！I am old and ugly and very poor, but I want most of all to be your wife. I want to win your love.”

“My love!” he answered. “You cannot really hope for that!”

The Queen had her ladies and the people were laughing. They knew that the knight wanted to die now. He did not want to marry this ugly old woman. Then the Queen spoke: “you must do as you promised.”

“Yes,” said the knight, “I must do as I promised.

There was no dancing and singing; there were no fine clothes and fine food, no jewels and flowers at their marriage. It was done very quietly.

Then the knight went away and hid for the rest of the day. He did not want to look at his ugly old wife.

That night, his ugly wife turned to him and said, “Come, dear husband. Is this how a Knight of King Arthur keeps his promise? What have I done wrong? Tell me, and I will try to do better and please you.”

“Do better?” said the knight. “You cannot make your age less and you cannot make your face better.”

“Is that all that is wrong?” she asked, laughing at him.

“Is it not enough?” he answered.

“Beauty is only on the outside,” she said, “The face becomes old but the heart is always young. What a person does is the great thing. The man who does the best and kindest things is far better a great lord who does bad and unkind things.”

For a lone time, she talked quietly to him. He was surprised. “You know a great deal, and you are very good,” he said. “You have taught me a lot about men and women and goodness and badness.”

At the end she said, “Is it good to have a wife with a beautiful face who gives you great unhappiness? Or a wife who is old and ugly but is very kind to you and makes you very happy?”

The knight’s heart was softened by all that he had heard from her.

“My lady, my love, and my dear wife,” he said. “You are wise and good. I will do what seems best to you.”

She laughed, “Remember the answer which you gave to the Queen? Will you let me rule over you?”

“Yes, truly,” he said. “I know it will be best.”

She kissed him and said, “Don't be angry. I will be both to you——both beautiful and good. If I am not as beautiful as any queen tomorrow, do as you wish with me!”

And the knight drew her to him and kissed her. And he found that he was kissing a very beautiful girl——the most beautiful girl in the world. For his wife was really a fairy. She had wanted to try out his goodness as a knight.

They lived happily together all their lives.（瞎编）

That is the end of my story. May God send us husbands who are young and loving, and may we be able to make them do whatever we wish. Men should do what their wives tell them to do. And they should not be too careful with their money

Long, long ago there lived a king who was crude and very much like a savage. He had learned some manners from his Latin neighbors, but mostly he was barbaric, loud, and gruff. He had none of the grace and polish of his neighbors. He was a man of great fancies and even greater enthusiasm. Because he had so much authority as a king, he was able to force some of these fancies into reality. Or at least he tried to.

His personality was normally calm when everything was in order. When there was a little hitch, however, he was exultant and happy. He loved it when things went wrong because that meant that he could then correct them. He loved to make the crooked straight, to crush down the uneven places in life.

He decided that there should be a way to add culture to the lives of his subjects. His method was the public arena. There, human s and beasts performed before audiences. But his fancies asserted themselves here. The arena that he built was not for the honor and glory of gladiators. It was not for beasts to fight each other to the finish. It was not even for throwing religious heretics to the lions. It was, he believed, for the purpose of widening and developing the mental energies of his people. It was a vast amphitheater with encircling galleries, mysterious vaults, and unseen passages. It was to be a means for poetic justice. It was to be a place where crime was punished or virtue rewarded——all by chance.

When the king was interested in people and their crimes, he would dictate that their fate should be decided in the arena. This king knew no traditions from other kingdoms. His only allegiance was to himself and to his own fancies. This fancy, the chance-fate decision in the arena, came about because of his romantic, yet barbaric, idealism.

When all the people had gathered in the galleries and the king was seated on his throne high up on one side of the arena, he would give a signal. A door beneath him would open, and the accused person would step out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite the accused there were two doors, exactly alike and side by side. The person on trial had to walk over to these doors and open one of them. He could open whichever door he wanted; he was subject to no pressure from the king or his court. The only influence was that of fate or luck.

If the accused opened one door, a hungry tiger came out. It was the fiercest and most cruel that could be found, and it immediately jumped on him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt. When the fate of the criminal was thus decided, sad iron bells were rung, and great wails went up from the hired mourners who were posted outside the arena. The audience went home with bowed heads and doleful hearts, sad that one so young and fair (or so old and respected) should have merited such fate.

If he opened the other door, a lady came out. The king always chose the ladies himself. He made sure that each was the same age and station as the accused and that she was beautiful. The rule was that the accused was to marry her immediately. It didn’t matter if he were already married and had a family. The lady was a sign of his innocence, so if the accused already loved another, that other was to be forgotten. It was the king’s way. He allowed nothing to interfere with his design. Indeed, immediately after the lady appeared, another door beneath the king opened and out came a priest, musicians, singer, and a troupe of dancers. In a procession, they all cheerfully marched and sang for the couple standing in the middle of the arena. The bells rang, the audience shouted its approval, and the innocent man, preceded by children strewing flowers in the couple’s path, led his new bride to his home.

This was the king’s semibarbaric method of administering justice, and its fairness is obvious. The criminal could not know which door the lady was behind. He opened whichever door he wanted to without knowing whether in the next instant he was to be eaten or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on other occasions it came out of the other. In this system, there was instant punishment for guilt and instant reward for innocence ——whether the accused wanted the reward or not. There was no escape from the judgment of the king’s arena.

The institution was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the trial days, they never knew whether they were to witness a bloody slaughter or a festive wedding. This element of uncertainty usually made the occasion more interesting than it would have been otherwise. The people were entertained, and no one doubted that justice was being served. All believed that the accused had his fate in his own hands.

The semibarbaric king had a daughter whom he loved deeply. She was passionate, fanciful, and strong as her father and was devoted to him. As is the case in many fairy tales, this daughter, the apple of her father’s eye, was in love with a young man who was below her in station. He was a commoner. He was also brave, handsome, and daring, and he loved the royal daughter with all his being. The princess had enough barbarism in her that their love affair was dramatic… too dramatic. It was a secret for months, but then the king found out about it.

They king didn’t hesitate for a minute. He sent the young man to prison and set a date for his trial in the arena. When the date arrived, everyone in the kingdom wanted to attend. They all knew of the king’s interest in the case, and there was excitement in the air.

The king’s men searched for the fiercest tiger in realm. They also searched for the fairest mainden in the land so that he could have a fitting bride in case he were found innocent. Of course, everyone knew that he had committed the “crime” of loving the princess, but the king did not allow the facts of the case to alter his decision. The trail would go on as planned. The youth would be gone no matter what happened; he would either be dead or married. The king could enjoy the proceedings for the sport of it.

The day arrived. The people were standing in every corner of the arena. All was ready when the moment came. A signal was given and the door opened, allowing the princess’ lover to enter. The crowd gasped. He was handsome. Half the audience did not know that same one so attractive had lived among them; no wonder the princess loved him! How terrible for him to be there!

The princess had thought about this trial day and night for a long time. She knew she could not bear to miss the spectacle, but there was another reason for her being there. She had such power, influence, and force of character (as well as plenty of gold) that she did what no one had ever done before; she found out the secret of the doors for that day. She knew in which room stood the hungry tiger and in which waited the lady. She knew, too, that the doors were so thick that there was no way anyone could ever hear some hint from behind them. If she were going to warn her lover, she would have to do it by signal.

She also knew something which made the whole process more complicated. She knew that the lady was one of the most beautiful maidens in the whole country, and the thought of her young man living with this woman enraged her. She hated the lady and hated what might happen.

When the accused bowed to the royal box, as was the custom, he looked only at the princess, and immediately he knew. He had expected her to find out the secret of the doors, and now he knew that she had the answer. It was only left for her to tell him.

His quick glance at her asked, “Which?” it was as plain as if he had shouted it. There was no time to lose; the quick question had to be answered just quickly so that the king would not suspect.

Her right hand was resting on a pillow in front of her. She raised it slightly and made a small, fast movement to the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye in the arena was fixed on him.

He turned, and with a firm and rapid step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was upon him. Without hesitation, he went to the door on the right and opened it.

Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady?

The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of human heart which leads to mazes of passion, love, hate, and excitement. Do not answer this for yourself, but put yourself in the place of the princess.

She was hot-blooded and semibarbaric, and her soul burned with the twin desires of longing and jealousy. She knew that she had already lost him. But to whom?

How often she had lain awake at night imagining the horror of her lover being killed by a tiger! Even in her dreams, she had covered her face with her hands to hide form the cruelty.

But how much more often had she seen him at the other door! In her mind she had screamed and torn her hair when she saw his happy face at opening the door to the lady. Her soul burned in agony as she saw him rush to that woman and then be wedded in the next moment, when all about her were joyous. She lived through the misery of the procession, the happy couple, the singing and dancing, the shouts of the crowd, the laughter of the wandering children. Her tears, of course, were lost in all the joy.

Would it be better for him to die at once? Then he could go to the place after death and wait for her.

And yet, that awful tiger, those shrieks, that blood!

Her instinct had known that he would ask, but she had put off her decision until the last moment. She finally decided, and without hesitation, she indicated the right-hand door.

This is not a question to be taken lightly. Her decision was serious for her, so I don not presume to answer for her. I leave it to all of you. Which came out of the opened door——the lady, or the tiger?

There was once upon a time a Fisherman who lived with his wife in a pig-sty close by the sea, and every day he went out fishing; and he fished, and he fished. And once he was sitting with his rod, looking at the clear water, and he sat and he sat. Then his line suddenly went down, far down below, and when he drew it up again, he brought out a large Flounder. Then the Flounder said to him: “Hark, you Fisherman, I pray you, let me live, I am no Flounder really, but an enchanted prince. What good will it do you to kill me? I should not be good to eat, put me in the water again, and let me go.” “Come,” said the Fisherman, “there is no need for so many words about it——a fish that can talk I should certainly let go, anyhow.” And with that he put him back again into the clear water, and the Flounder went to the bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the Fisherman got up and went home to his wife in the pig-sty.

“Husband,” said the woman, “have you caught nothing today?” “No,” said the man, “I did catch a Flounder, who said he was an enchanted prince, so I let him go again.” “Did you not wish for anything first?” said the woman, “it is surely hard to have to live always in this pig-sty which stinks and is so disgusting; you might have wished for a little hut for us. Go back and call him. Tell him we want to have a little hut, he will certainly give us that.” “Ah,” said the man, “why should I go there again?” “Why,” said the woman, “you did catch him, and you let him go again; he is sure to do it. Go at once.” The man still did not quite like to go, but did not like to oppose his wife either, and went to the sea.

When he got there the sea was all green and yellow, and no longer so smooth; so he stood and said:

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

Then the Flounder came swimming to him and said: “Well, what does she want, then?” “Ah,” said the man, “I did catch you, and my wife says I really ought to have wished for something. She does not like to live in a pig-sty any longer; she would like to have a hut.” “Go, then,” said the Flounder, “she has it already.”

When the man went home, his wife was no longer in the sty, but instead of it there stood a hut, and she was sitting on a bench before the door. Then she took him by the hand and said to him: “Just come inside. Look, now isn’t this a great deal better?” So they went in, and there was a small porch, and a pretty little parlor and bedroom, and a kitchen and pantry, with the best of furniture, and fitted up with most beautiful things made of tin and brass, whatsoever was wanted. And behind the hut there was a small yard, with hens and ducks, and a little garden with flowers and fruit. “Look,” said the wife, “is not that nice!” “Yes,” said the husband, “and so it shall remain——now we will live quite contented.” “We will think about that,” said the wife. With that they ate something and went to bad.

Everything went well for a week or a fortnight, and then the woman said: “Hark you, husband, this hut is far too small for us, and the garden and yard are little; the Flounder might just as well have given us a larger house. I should live in a great stone castle; go to the Flounder, and tell him to give us a castle.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “the hut is quite good enough; why should we live in a castle?” “What!” said the woman, “just go there, the Flounder can always do that.” “No, wife,” said the man, “the Flounder has just given us the hut, I don not like to go back so soon, it might make him angry.” “Go,” said the woman, “he can do it quite easily, and will be glad to do it; just you go to him.”

The man’s heart grew heavy, and he would not go. He said to himself: “It is not right,” and yet he went. And when he came to the sea the water was quite purple and dark-blue, and grey and thick, and no longer so green and yellow, but it was still quiet. And he stood there and said:

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, now?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, half scared, “she wants to live in a great stone castle.” “Go to it, then, she is standing before the door,” said the Flounder.

Then the man went away, intending to go home, but when he got there, he found a great stone palace, and his wife was just standing on the steps going in, and she took him by the hand and said: “Come in.” So he went in with her, and in the castle was a great hall paved with marble, and many servants, who flung wide the doors; and the walls were all bright with beautiful hangings , and in the rooms were chairs and tables of pure gold, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and all the rooms and bedrooms had carpets, and food and wine of the very best were standing on all the table, so that they nearly broke down beneath it. Behind the house, too, there was great court-yard, with stables for horses and cows, and the very best of carriages; there was a magnificent large garden, too, with the most beautiful flowers and fruit-trees, and a park quite half a mile long, in which were stags, deer, and hares, and everything that could be desired. “Come,” said the woman, “isn’t that beautiful?” “Yes, indeed,” said the man, “now let it be; and we will live in this beautiful castle and be content.” “We will consider about that,” said the woman, “and sleep upon it”; thereupon they went to bed.

Next morning the wife awoke first, and it was just day break, and from her bed she saw the beautiful country lying before her. Her husband was still stretching himself, so she poked him in the side with her elbow, and said: “Get up, husband, and just peep out of the window. Look you, couldn’t we be the King over all that land? Go to the Flounder, we will be the King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why should we be King? I do not want to be King.” “Well,” said the wife, “if you won’t be King, I will; go to the Flounder, for I will be King.” “Ah, wife,” said the man, “why do you want to be King? I do not like to say to him.” “Why not?” said the woman, “go to him this instant; I must be King.” So the man went, and was quite unhappy because his wife wished to be King. “It is not right; it is not right,” thought he. He did not wish to go, but yet he went.

And when he came to the sea, it was quite dark-grey, and the water heaved up from below, and smelt putrid. Then he went and stood by it, and said:

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, now?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said the man, “she wants to be King.” “Go to her; she is King already.”

So the man went, and when he came to the palace, the castle had become much larger, and had a great tower and magnificent ornaments, and the sentinel was standing before the door, and there were numbers of soldiers with kettle-drums and trumpets. And when he went inside the house, everything was of real marble and gold, with velvet covers and great golden tassels. Then the doors of the hall were opened, and there was the court in all its splendor, and his wife was sitting on a high throne of gold and diamonds, with a great crown of gold on her head, and a scepter of pure gold and jewels in her hand, and on both sides of her stood her maids-in-waiting in a row, each of them always one head shorter than the last.

Then he went and stood before her, and said: “Ah, wife, and now you are King.” “Yes,” said the woman. “now I am King.” So he stood and looked at her, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said: “And now that you are King, let all else be, now we will wish for nothing more.” “No, husband,”said the woman, quite anxiously, “I find time passes very heavily, I can bear it no longer; go the Flounder——I am King, but I must be Emperor, too.” “Oh, wife, why do you wish to be Emperor?” “Husband,” said she, “go to the Flounder. I will be Emperor.” “Alas, wife,” said the man, “he cannot make you Emperor; I may not say that to the fish. There is only one Emperor in the land. An Emperor the Flounder cannot make you! I assure you he can not.”

“What!” said the woman, “I am the King, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go this moment? Go at once! If he can make a king he can make an emperor. I will be Emperor; go instantly.” So he was forced to go. As the man went, however, he was troubled in mind, and thought to himself：“It will not end well; It will not end well! Emperor is too shameless! The Flounder will at last be tired out.”

With that he reached the sea, and the sea was quite black and thick, and began to boil up from below, so that it threw up bubbles, and such a sharp wind blew over it that it curdled, and the man was afraid. Then he went and stood by it, and said:

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, now?” said the Flounder. “Alas, Flounder,” said he, “my wife wants to be Emperor.” “Go to her,” said the Flounder, “she is Emperor already.”

So the man went, and when he got there the whole palace was made of polished marble with alabaster figures and golden ornaments, and soldiers were marching before the door blowing trumpets, and beating cymbals and drums; and in the house, barons, and counts, and dukes were going about as servants. Then they opened the doors to him, which were of pure gold. And when he entered there sat his wife on a throne, which was made of one piece of gold, and was quite two miles high; and she wore a great golden crown that was three yards high, and set with diamonds and carbuncles, and in one hand she had the scepter, and in the other the imperial orb; and on both sides of her stood the yeomen of the guard in two rows, each being smaller than the one before him, from the biggest giant, who was two miles high, to the very smallest dwarf, just as big as my little finger. And before it stood a number of princes and dukes.

Then the man went and stood among them, and said: “Wife, are you Emperor now?” “Yes,” said she, “now I am Emperor.” Then he stood and looked at her well, and when he had looked at her thus for some time, he said: “Ah, wife, be content, now that you are Emperor.” “Husband,” said she, “why are you standing there? Now, I am Emperor, but I will be Pope too; go to the Flounder.” “Oh, wife,” said the man, “what will you not wish for? You cannot be Pope; there is but one in Christendom; he cannot make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “I will be Pope; go immediately, I must be Pope this very day.” “No, wife,” said the man, “I do not like to say that to him; that would not do, it is too much; the Flounder can’t make you Pope.” “Husband,” said she, “what nonsense! If he can make an emperor he can make a pope. Go to him directly. I am Emperor, and you are nothing but my husband; will you go at once?”

Then he was afraid and went; but he was quite faint, and shivered and shook, and his knees and legs trembled. And a high wind blew over the land, and clouds flew, and towards evening all grew dark, and the leaves fell from the trees, and the water rose and roared as if it were boiling, and splashed upon the shore; and in the distance he saw ships which were firing guns in their sore need, pitching and tossing on the waves. And yet in the midst of the sky there was still a small patch of blue, though on every side it was as red as in heavy storm. So, full of despair, he went and stood in much fear and said:

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, now?” said the Flounder. “Alas,”said the man, “she wants to be Pope.” “Go to her then,” said the Flounder, “she is Pope already.”

So he went, and when he got there, he saw what seemed to be a large church surrounded by palaces. He pushed his way through the crowd. Inside, however, everything was lighted up with thousands and thousands of candles, and his wife was clad in gold, and she was sitting on a much higher throne, and had three great golden crowns on, and round about her there was much ecclesiastical splendor; and on both sides of her was a row of candles the largest of which was as tall as the very tallest tower, down to the very smallest kitchen candle, and all the emperors and kings were on their knees before her, kissing her shoe. “Wife,” said the man, and looked attentively at her, “are you now Pope?” “Yes,” said she, “I am pope.” So he stood and looked at her, and it was just as if he was looking at the bright sun. When he had stood looking at her thus for a short time, he said: “Ah, if you are Pope, do let well alone!” But she looked as stiff as a post, and did not move or show any signs of life. Then said he: “Wife, now that you are Pope, be satisfied, you cannot become anything greater now.” “I will consider about that,” said the woman. Thereupon they both went to bed, but she was not satisfied, and greediness let her have no sleep, for she was continually thinking what there was left for her to be.

The man slept well and soundly, for he had run about a great deal during the day; but the woman could not fall asleep at all, and flung herself from one side to the other the whole night through, thinking always what more was left for her to be, but unable to call to mind anything else. At length the sun began to rise, and when the woman saw the red of dawn, she sat up in bed and looked at it. And when, through the window, she saw the sun thus rising, she said: “Cannot I, too, order the sun and moon to rise?” “Husband,” she said, poking him in the ribs with her elbows, “wake up! Go to the Flounder, for I wish to be even as God is.” The man was still half asleep, but he was so horrified that he fell out of bed. He thought he must have heard amiss, and rubbed his eyes, and said: “Wife, what are you saying?” “Husband,” said she, “if I can’t order the sun and the moon to rise, and have to look on and see the sun and moon rising, I can’t bear it. I shall not know what it is to have another happy hour, unless I can make them rise myself.” Then she looked at him so terribly that a shudder ran over him, and said: “Go at once; I wish to be like unto God.” “Alas, wife” said the man, falling on his knees before her, “the Flounder cannot do that; he can make an emperor and a pope; I beseech you, go on as you are, and be Pope.” Then she fell into a rage, and her hair flew wildly about her head, she tore open her bodice, kicked him with her foot, and screamed: “I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it any longer! Will you go this instant?” Then he put on his trousers and ran away like a madman. But outside a great storm was raging, and blowing so hard that he could scarcely keep his feet; house and trees toppled over, the mountains trembled, rocks rolled into the sea, the sky was pitch black, and it thundered and lighted, and the sea came in with black waves as high as church-towers and mountains, and all with crests of white foam at the top. Then he cried, but could not hear his own words.

“Flounder, flounder in the sea,

Come, I pray thee, here to me;

For my wife, good Ilsabil,

Wills not as I’d have her will.”

“Well, what does she want, now?” said the Flounder. “Alas,” said he, “she wants to be like unto God.” “Go to her, and you will find her back again in the pig-sty.” And there they are still living to this day.

1. Aesop was a Greek writer who lived more than 2,500 years ago. The stories that he wrote are called fables. Each of Aesop’s fable has a moral, or a lesson which we can learn from. Fables are never about true events, but they can tell us things about ourselves. Aesop wrote many fables about animals that talked and acted like humans. Most people like reading stories about animal, and when they can see themselves in them, they enjoy the stories even more.

2. In one of Aesop’s fables, an old man owned a monkey. The man was very found of the monkey, who was very clever. The old man loved to sit in the garden and sleep in the afternoon. When birds came into the garden and made noises, the monkey chased them away. He also chased away flies which landed on the man’s face while he was sleeping. One hot summer afternoon, the old man was asleep in his chair. A fly came and sat on the end of his nose. The monkey was sitting at the man’s side. He saw the fly and chased it away from his owner’s nose. Soon the fly returned. The monkey chased it away again. The fly came back and the monkey chased it away, and this happened five or six times.

3. Now the monkey was angry. He stood up and said, “You won’t do that again!” He jumped up, ran into the garden, and saw the fly once again landing on his nose. This time, the monkey did not chase the fly away; he hit it with the stone. He killed the fly. He also broke the man’s nose!

4. Aesop wanted to tell a simple story which people would enjoy. He also wanted to tell us that many of us act like the monkey. We do things quickly, without thinking. We act because we’re angry, and instead of doing good, we hurt people. Sometimes friends do more harm than enemies.

5. Another monkey in an Aesop fable was sitting in a palm tree by the river. Two fishermen came to the river with a net. They stretched the net from one side of the river to the other so that it hung down into the water. They hoped to catch the fish that swan along the river.

6. The monkey decided that the net was a good idea. He knew where there was an old net, but until now, he hadn’t known what it was for. As soon as the fishermen left to eat their dinner, the monkey went to the old net and brought it to the river.

7. “If those fishermen can use a net to catch fish, then I can too,” the monkey said to himself. “I might even use some of their net.” He put his old net in the water next to the net of the fishermen, and soon the nets and the monkey were tangled together. It took the monkey a long time and a lot of luck to get out of the water. He almost drowned.

8. “I guess I don’t know how to fish,” he said after he got safely to the shore. “In the future, I’ll just continue to pick coconuts!”

9. He found out that he shouldn’t fool around with things he doesn’t understand.

10. The fox is another favorite animal in Aesop’s fables. In one story, a fox was hungry and wanted to eat. She saw a crow sitting on the branch of a tree with a piece of cheese in his beak. The fox thought, “I would love to have that cheese. How can I get the crow to give it to me?”

11. “Hello, Crow,” said the fox. “How are you today?” But the crow said nothing. He only continued to hold the cheese in his beak.

12. “You know,” the fox continued, “I’ve never truly realized what a beautiful bird you are.” The crow bent his head closer to the fox so that he could hear better.

13. “Your feathers are so handsome, and your coat is so smooth and black and dignified. I think you’re more beautiful than the peacock! The crow still said nothing, but he moved closer to the fox to hear even better.

14. “Your neck is stronger and prouder than the eagle’s. And you have the best eye in the forest, that’s certain! It’s better than the eye of the hawk. Except for one thing only, I might call you the king of all the birds.” The crow was filled with pride. No one had ever said such wonderful things about him in all his life. He moved his head even closer to the fox so that he could hear about that one thing which kept him from the title of “king.”

15. “It’s a pity,” sighed the fox, “that you don’t have a beautiful voice to go with all your other beauty. If only you know how to sing!”

16. The crow was overcome. He knew that he did not know how to sing like a nightingale, but he could try. He opened his mouth, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sang, “Caw, caw!”

17. Of course, the cheese fell out of his beak onto the ground. The fox ate it and walked away.

18. There is a good moral to this story: It is not good to listen to too much flattery.

19. Another time, the fox was hungry again. She hadn’t eaten for several days. She began to get weak and was unable to hunt rabbits or steal chickens from farms. She walked into a lovely garden and immediately smelled some fresh, sweet grapes.

20. She looked up and there they were. There were many large bunches of the delicious, ripe, purple fruit. She wouldn’t have to chase them. All she would have to do is to reach up and pick them in order to have a wonderful meal.

21. She stood up on her hind legs and stretched, but the grapes were out reach. This time, she pulled herself to the full limit of her body, but she almost fell over backwards. She crouched down and jumped as high as she could. It wasn’t high enough. Several times she tried jumping to reach the grapes, but she never touched the lowest bunch. Finally, she went to one end of the garden and ran as fast as she could and jumped as high as she could with all her strength. It was no use. She couldn’t touch a single grape.

22. “Let the grapes rot!” she said angrily, and she turned slowly and left the garden. “Anyone can see that they’re sour. They aren’t worth anything!”

23. Aesop knew that people often speak ill of what they cannot get. When a person says, “I didn’t want that anyway,” it is often a case of “sour grapes”.

24. Aesop used insects as well as animals in his stories. In a fable about an ant, he tells how the small creature carried grain from the fields to store it for the winter in a hole it had dug. The ant worked very hard all summer long. The work was difficult and he had little time to play.

25. In the meantime, a grasshopper was playing and singing in the same field as the ant. The grasshopper never worked. Instead he hopped, sat in the warm sun, and was very happy.

26. When the winter came, the grasshopper went to the ant and said, “I’m so cold, and I can’t find any food. I’ve looked all over the farm for some, but there isn’t any. Please give me some of your corn.”

27. “You sang all summer to keep yourself cheerful.” said the ant, “so you can dance all winter to keep yourself warm. And I won’t give you any food. You did nothing to help yourself when you could.” The ant was safe and warm and well fed, but the grasshopper was left cold and hungry.

28. This is a harsh story, but tells us to use the good times to prepare for the bad.

1. Because a friend of mine asked me, I called on good-natured, talkative old Simon Wheeler and asked him about my friend’s friend, Leonidas W. Smiley. This story is the result of that visit. I have a deep suspicion that Leonidas W. Smiley doesn’t exist: that my friend from the East never knew such a person; and that he made the request of me as a joke. I think he imagined that if I went to Wheeler and asked him about smiley, then Wheeler would make up a story and bore me to death with some terribly long, exasperating, useless tale. If that was my friend’s plane, it succeeded.

2. I found Simon Wheeler dozing comfortably by the barroom stove of the dilapidated tavern in the decayed mining camp of Angel’s and I noticed that he was fat and baldheaded. He looked gentle, and his face showed him to be a happy, peaceful man. He awakened and greeted me enthusiastically. I told him that a friend of mine had asked me to ask around about an old friend of his from childhood. My friend’s old friend was named Leonidas W. Smiley. I further explained that my friend thought that Smiley was a young minister of the Gospel and that he lived in Angel’s Camp——or at least he used to. I told Wheeler that I would be very grateful if he could tell me anything about Smiley, since I wanted to honor my friend’s request.

3. Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair. He then sat down and proceeded to tell me the most boring, monotonous story I had ever heard. He never smiled, he never frowned, he never changed his voice from the gentle-flowing key which he started with, he never showed the slightest amount of enthusiasm. His story was flat and dull. But interesting to note，throughout the entire tale he showed himself to be earnest and sincere. It was a wild tale (as you will soon see, since I am going to repeat it word for word), but he never showed me that he thought it wasn’t true. It never occurred to him that it was a story either. He regarded it as a truly important matter, and he clearly admired its two heroes as men of taste, wit, and intelligence. I let him tell it in his own way and never interrupted him once. Here is his story:

4. “Reverend Leonidas W… Hmm, Reverend… Well, there was a fellow here once by the name of Jim Smiley, but no Leonidas… That was back in the winter of 1849——or maybe it was the spring of the’50s—— I don’t remember exactly, but what makes me think it was one or the other of those times is that the big flume wasn’t finished when he first came to Angel’s Camp. But anyway, he was the most curious man you ever saw about betting. He would bet on anything and everything he could, and if he couldn’t get anyone to bet on the other side, then he’d change sides. It didn’t matter which side he was on, as long as he could bet. If he had a bet on with a person, he was happy; if he didn’t, he wasn’t satisfied until he did. And the interesting thing is that he was pretty lucky. He almost always won his bets, even when he had changed sides on a bet. He was always waiting and ready for someone to come along so he could offer him some sort of bet. If there was a horse race, he’d bet all he had, and at the end of it he’d either be broke or he’d either have a lot of money. If there was a dog fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a cat fight, he’d bet on it; if there was a chicken fight; he’d bet on it; why, if there were two birds sitting on a fence, he’d bet you which one would fly first. Even if he saw a little bug on the ground walking along somewhere, he’d bet you how long it would take the bug to get there (wherever it was the bug was going), and then he’d follow that bug all day to see if he won. Lots of people are still here who remember Jim. They’ll tell you what he was like. It never made a bit of difference to him——he’d bet on anything. One time the preacher’s wife was sick and we all thought she was going to die. A few days later, the preacher came out and told us how the Lord had smiled on his good wife and that she was going to live. Smiley offered to be bet him a dollar that she wouldn’t.

5. “Smiley owned a horse while he was here. We used to kid Jim and call her the fifteen-minute nag because she was so slow, but actually she wasn’t too slow, we just liked to kid Jim. He used to win money betting on her. She was sick a lot, so in races the others used to give her a few hundred yards’ head start. The other horses would always catch up and pass her, but then near the end of the race, she’d get all excited and desperate and start running faster. She looked as if she were going to fall down with her crazy legs going in all directions and with her coughing and sneezing and almost falling over, but somehow she would pull all of her strength together at the very end and she almost always won by a nose.

6. “Jim also had a fighting dog which he named after the President, Andrew Jackson. That was the ugliest dog on earth, and he looked as if he were about to die any minute, and when he didn’t look that way, he looked as if he wanted to steal something like a common thief. But when the time came to fight another dog, Jim’s pup was another dog. At first, Jim’s dog appeared ready to lose the other dog. The other dog would run him around and tackle him, bite him, and throw him all over the ring. People would start to increase their bets against Andrew Jackson. Then, all of a sudden, Jim’s pup would come alive. He’d grab the other dog by the hind legs and freeze to them. He wouldn’t chew, you understand, he would just hold on until the other dog had to give up.

7. “Smiley always won money on that dog. Always except once, that is. The dog had to fight another dog, as usual, but this time the other dog had no hind legs. Well, old Andrew Jackson didn’t know what to make of it and he lost that fight. Afterwards, he just shook his head, slinked off past Smiley as though he were ashamed of what had happened, and then lay down and died.

8. “Smiley had all kinds of other animals which he used to bet on, too. He had other dogs, chickens, cats, and several others which I can’t even remember. One time he caught a frog and decided he would teach it to jump. He worked with that grog for about three months, and you can bet that at the end of that time the frog was a pretty good jumper. Jim would give the little beast a punch and the frog would leap higher than any frog you’ve ever seen. That frog would whirl around in the air and on its feet just like a cat. He was also good at catching flies.

9. “Smiley named his frog Daniel Webster and claimed that all any frog ever wanted was a good education. He trained that frog so well that all he had to say was ‘Flies, Daniel, flies!’ and quick as a wink that frog would leap off the floor to wherever the fly was, catch it with his tongue, and land back where he started. When he landed, the frog would act as if nothing had happened. He’d just scratch his head with his hind foot as if he did that sort of thing all the time. Daniel Webster’s best trick was jumping from a seated position; that is, with no running head start. Whenever there was an opportunity for Daniel to test his jumping, Smiley would try to find someone to bet with. He was proud of that frog and wanted to show him off to people.

10. “One day a stranger came into town and saw Smiley carrying the box which served as the frog’s house. ‘What might it be that you’ve got in the box?’ he asked Smiley.

11. “Smiley sensed a possible bet, so he acted indifferently. ‘Oh, it’s nothing much,’ He answered, ‘just a frog.’

12. “‘Well, what’s he good for?’ asked the fellow as he looking at the box and observed the ordinary-looking animal.

13. “Carelessly and easily, Smiley said, ‘He’s only good for one thing in this world; he can outjump any frog in Calaveras county.’

14. “The fellow took the box and looked hard and long into it again, then he shook his head. ‘He doesn’t look any different from any other frog I’ve ever seen. I don’t believe he’s any better either.’

15. “‘Maybe that’s because you don’t understand frogs the way I do,’ Smiley said, smiling. ‘Maybe you have had any experience. Maybe you’re just an amateur when it comes to frogs. Anyway, it’s my opinion that this frog can beat any frog in the county and I’ve got forty dollars here that I’ll bet against any frog you can put up against mine.’

16. “‘Well, I’m just a stranger here,’ the man said sadly, ‘and I don’t have a frog, but if I had one, I’d bet you.’

17. “Smiley smiled slowly. ‘That’s all right. If you just hold my box here for a minute, I’ll go and get you a frog.’ And that’s what happened. The fellow took the box with Daniel Webster in it while Smiley went off to find a suitable opponent for a jumping contest. They both put up forty dollars, winner take all.

18. “While he was waiting for Smiley to return, the fellow took the frog out of the box and fed him a few teaspoons of whiskey. Of course he didn’t tell Smiley that he had done this, and when Smiley returned from the swamp with a good-looking frog to serve as Daniel’s opponent, the fellow had put quite a bit of liquor into the little beast.

19. “Smiley was excited, as he always was when there was a bet. ‘Put the two of them next to each other on this line on the floor, and I’ll give the word to begin.’ Smiley shouted and the two men touched their frogs, but Daniel Webster didn’t move. The other frog leaped straight up and then hopped off in a lively manner all the way across the room. Smiley’s frog straightened its legs and reached up as though to jump, but then settled back down as though his feet were glued to the floor, Smiley was sad and disgusted, but he had no idea what the matter was.

20. “The fellow took the money and started to leave, but as he was going out the door, he turned, jerked his thumb at Daniel and said, ‘He’s not so good. Any old swamp frog can outjump him!’

21. “Smiley just stood there a long time looking down at his frog and wondering what was wrong with him. ‘He looks fat and saggy,’ he finally said as he reached down to pick Daniel up. ‘Good Lord, he weighs five pounds!’ Smiley shouted, and at that moment the frog belched up a couple of ounces of whiskey. When Smiley realized what had happened, he was so mad he could hardly see straight, and he started chasing after the fellow who had won his money, but he never caught him. One other time…”

22. At this moment someone called to Simon from across the street, so he went over to see what the person wanted. “Don’t move, stranger,” he said to me as he got up from his chair, “I’ll only be gone a minute. I want to tell you about another time when Smiley had a yellow, one-eyed cow with no tail, just a short stump that looked like banana…”

23. I had neither time nor inclination to hear about the afflicted cow, so I waited until Wheeler was halfway across the street, and then ran out of Angel’s Camp as fast as I could.

1. It is generally accepted that the experiences of the child in his first years largely determine his character and later personality. Every experience teaches the child something and the effects are cumulative. ‘Upbringing’ is normally used to refer to the treatment and training of the child within the home. This is closely related to the treatment and training of the child in school, which is usually distinguished by the term ‘education’. In a society such as ours, both parents and teachers are responsible for the opportunities provided for the development of the child, so that upbringing and education are interdependent.

2. The ideals and practices of child rearing vary from culture to culture. In general, the more rural the community, the more uniform are the customs of child upbringing. In more technologically developed societies, the period of childhood and adolescence tends to be extended over a long time, resulting in more opportunity for education and greater variety in character development.

3. Early upbringing in the home is naturally affected both by the cultural pattern of the community and by the parents’ capabilities and their aims and depends not only on upbringing and education but also on the innate abilities of the child. Wild differences of innate intelligence and temperament exist even in children of the same family.

4. Parents can ascertain what is normal in physical, mental and social development, by referring to some of the many books based on scientific knowledge in these areas, or less reliably, since the sample is smaller, by comparing notes with friends and relatives who have children.

5. Intelligent parents, however, realize that the particular setting of each family is unique, and there can be no rigid general rules.

6. They use general information only as a guide in making decisions and solving problems. For example, they will need specific suggestions for problems such as speech defects or backwardness in learning to walk or control of bodily functions. In the more general sense, though, problems of upbringing are recognized to be problems of relationships within the individual family, the first necessity being a secure emotional background with parents who are united in their attitude to their children.

7. All parents have to solve the problems of freedom and discipline. The younger the child, the more readily the mother gives in to his demands to avoid disappointing him. She knew that if his energies are not given an outlet, her child’s continuing development may be warped. An example of this is the young child’s need to play with the mud and sand and water. A child must be allowed to enjoy the ‘Messy’ but tactile stage of discovery before he is ready to go on to the less physical pleasures of toys and books. Similarly, throughout life, each stage depends on the satisfactory completion of the one before.

8. Where one stage of child development has been left out, or not sufficiently experienced, the child may have to go back and capture the experience of it. A good home makes this possible——for example by providing the opportunity for the child to play with a clockwork car or toy railway train up to any age if he still needs to do so. This principle, in fact, underlies all psychological treatment of children in difficulties with their development, and is the basis of work in child clinics.

9. The beginnings of discipline are in the nursery. Even the youngest baby is taught by gradual stages to wait for food, to sleep and wake at regular intervals and so on. If the child feels the world around him is a warm and friendly one, he slowly accepts its rhythm and accustoms himself to conforming to its demands. Learning to wait for things, particularly for food, is a very important element in upbringing, and is achieved successfully only if too great demands are not made before the child can understand them.

10. Every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition of each new skill——the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It’s often tempting to hurry the children beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of anxiety in the child. This might happen at any state. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural zest for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

11. Learning together is a fruitful source of relationship between children and parents. By playing together, parents learn more about their children and children learn more from their parents. Toys and games which both parents and children can share are an important means of achieving this co-operation. Building-block toys and jigsaw puzzles and crosswords are good examples.

12. Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness and indulgence towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters, others are severe over times of coming home at night, punctuality for meals or personal cleanliness. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of parents and the values of the community as much as the child’s own happiness and well-being.

13. As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality. Also, parents should realize that ‘example is better than precept’. If they are hypocritical and do not practice what they preach, their children may grow confused and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent deceived. A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ ethics and their morals can be a dangerous disillusion.