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Germany
guide
several
kindly
shepherd
trust
affection
servant
robber
earn
faithfully
praise
village
serve
honsty
prince
Ⅰ
1. A long time ago there lived in Germany a little shepherd boy named Hans. One day he was watching his sheep in a meadow near a great wood, when a hunter came up to him from the forest.
2. “How far is it to the nearest village, my boy?” asked the hunter.
“It is six miles, sir,” Hans answered. “But the road is only a sheep track, and it is very easy to miss it.”
3. The hunter looked grave, and said: “My boy, I have been lost in this wood. I am tired and hungry. Leave your sheep here and show me the way, and I will pay you well.”
4. Many boys would have gone at once; but Hans said: “I cannot leave the sheep, sir, They would stray into the wood and be eaten by wolves or taken by robbers.”
5. “Well, what of that?” replied the hunter. “They are not your sheep. The loss of one or two would not be much to your master, and I will give you more than you could earn in a whole year.”
6. “Sir, I cannot go,” said Hans. “My master pays me to take care of his sheep, and I cannot leave them until my day’s work is done. Besides, if any of the sheep were lost, I should be as much to blame as if I had taken them.”
Hans and the prince
7. “Well, then,” said the hunter, “will you trust your sheep with me, while you go to the village and get me some food and aguide? I will take care of them for you.”
8. The boy shook his head. “The sheep do not know your voice, and——” Then he stopped speaking.
“And what?” asked the hunter. “Can’t you trust me? Do I look like a thief?”
9. “No,” said Hans; “but you have tried to make me break myword to my master, and how do I know that you would keep your word?”
10. The hunter laughed. “You are right, my boy,” said he. “I wish I could trust my servants as your master can trust you. Well, show me the sheep path of which you spoke, and I will try to follow it without a guide.”
11. As the man was speaking, several hunters rode up. They gave a cry of joy when they saw their master.
“Oh, sir!” cried one of them, “we feared you were lost or killed.”
12. Then, to his great surprise, Hans learned that the hunter was the prince who owned all the country round about. The poor boy was afraid that the great man would be angry with him; but the prince smiled kindly, and spoke in praise of his honesty.
13. A few days after, one of the prince’s servants came to take Hans to the palace.
“My good boy,” said the prince to him, “I think you are a boy whom I can trust, and I want you to serve me.”
14. So Hans became a servant of the prince. He worked faithfully; and though he never became rich or great or famous, he lived a contented life, happy in the trust and affection of his kind master.
master
servant
coral
guide
monster
giant
several
guess
sister
distant
animal
guard