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从前，有一个少年名字叫杰克，他和妈妈相依为命。家里一贫如洗，但杰克却一年到头无所事事，好吃懒做。有个星期一，妈妈告诉杰克，如果他还不去工作的话，就把他赶出家门，让他自寻出路。 妈妈的话警醒了杰克，第二天他就离家去了一家农场打零工，干了一天挣了一便士。回家的路上他要经过一条小溪，结果他在过小溪的时候把钱弄丢了。"你应当把钱放在衣兜里。”妈妈对他说。 星期三，杰克为一位养牛的人打工，报酬是一罐牛奶。杰克接过牛奶罐，塞进衣兜里，结果杰克到家时牛奶早就洒了个精光。"你应当把牛奶罐顶在头上。”妈妈对他说。 星期四，杰克又为一位农场主工作，报酬是一块奶酪。到了傍晚，他就把奶酪顶在头上往回走。到家一看，奶酪被搞得一团糟，没法再吃了。“你应当把奶酪捧在手里。”妈妈说。 星期五，杰克为一位面包师工作，报酬是一只大公猫。 回家的时候他就把大猫捧在手上。大猫在他手中不停地蹬抓踢挠，很快他就疼痛难忍，只好把猫放走了。“你这个笨家伙，你应该给猫系上一根绳儿，把它拉回家。”妈妈说。 星期六，杰克给一位屠夫打工，报酬是一块羊的前腿肉。他就把羊肉系在一根绳子上，放在地上一直拉回了家， 结果到家的时候，羊肉上沾满了泥土灰尘，不能吃了。“你这个大笨蛋！"妈妈呵斥道，“你应当把羊肉扛在肩上丨” 又是星期一，懒杰克去一位牧场主那儿工作。为了答谢倒霉蛋杰克所付出的劳动，牧场主送给杰克一头驴。要把驴子扛上肩膀太困难了，但最后杰克还是做到了。他扛着丰厚的奖赏——驴子，慢慢地往家走。说来也巧，杰克在回家的路上经过一户富裕的人家，富人和他的独生女生活在一起。女儿很漂亮，却又聋又哑。她从出生到现在从来没有笑过，医生说只有哪一天有人能够使她发笑，她才能开口说话。 这一天，杰克扛着驴子从窗下经过，驴子四脚朝天，那样子奇怪又滑稽。这一幕碰巧被透过窗子往外看的姑娘看到了，姑娘迸发出一阵咯咯的笑声，顿时恢复了说话和听觉能力。她的父亲大喜过望。他曾经承诺，谁把女儿治好了就把她嫁给谁。现在，他马上履行诺言，把女儿嫁给了懒杰克。杰克一下成了当地富有的绅士。他们住进了宽敞的房子，一家人快快乐乐地生活着。杰克的母亲在那里度过了幸福的晚年。 Lazy Jack Once upon a time there was a boy Jack, living with his mother. They were very poor, but Jack was so lazy that he would do nothing all the year round. His mother told him, one Monday, that if he did not begin to work she would turn him out to get his living as he could. This roused Jack, and he went out and hired himself for the next day to a farmer for a penny； but as he was coming home, he lost it when passing over a brook. “You should have put it in your pocket，” said his mother. On Wednesday, Jack hired himself to a cow-keeper, who gave him a jar of milk for his work. Jack took the jar and put it into his pocket, spilling it all, long before he got home. “You should have carried it on your head,” said his mother. So on Thursday, Jack hired himself again to a farmer. In the evening Jack took a cream cheese for his services, and went home with it on his head. By the time he got home the cheese was all spoilt. “You should have carried it in your hands,” said his mother. On Friday, Jack hired himself to a baker. Jack took a large tom-cat for his work, and began carrying it in his hands, but in a short time pussy scratched him so much that he was compelled to let it go. “You silly fellow, you should have tied it with a string，and dragged it along after you," said his mother. So on Saturday, Jack hired himself to a butcher and took a shoulder of mutton for his services. He tied it to a string, and trailed it along after him in the dirt, so when he had got home the meat was completely spoilt. “You ninney-hammer,’’ said the mother to the son, “you should have carried it on your shoulder.” On the next Monday, Lazy Jack hired himself to a cattle-keeper, who gave him a donkey for his trouble. Jack found it hard to hoist the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he did it, and began walking slowly home with his prize. Now it happened that in the course of his journey there lived a rich man with his only daughter, a beautiful girl, but deaf and dumb. Now she had never laughed in her life, and the doctors said she would never speak till somebody made her laugh. This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey on his shoulders, with the legs sticking up in the air, and the sight was so comical and strange that she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and immediately recovered her speech and hearing. Her father was overjoyed, and fulfilled his promise by marrying her to Lazy Jack, who was thus made a rich gentleman. They lived in a large house, and Jack’s mother lived with them in great happiness until she died. |
