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最开始的时候，世界上是没有峡谷的,只有广阔的大草原。一天，草原之王巡视自己的大草坪时，发现只有草，于是就问草原：“你的花呢？"草原回答说：“主人,我没有花种子。” 于是草原之王就跟鸟儿们说了这件事情。鸟儿们衔来了每一种花的种子并将它们四处播撒。不久，草原上就盛开了各种各样的鲜花，有番红花、玫瑰花、黄色的向日葵和红色的百 合花。整个夏天都在盛开。 草原之王又来巡视，对眼前的景象感到很满意，但是他没有看到自己最喜欢的几种花。 于是，他又问草原：“铁线莲、耧斗菜、可爱的紫罗兰和蒲公英呢?” 草原再次回答说：“主人，我没有种子。" 于是草原之王又跟鸟儿说了这件事情。鸟儿又衔来了所有的花种子并将它们播撒开来。 但草原之王再次来的时候，他还是没有找到自己最喜欢的那几种花。 他问道：“我最喜欢的那些花呢？" 草原伤心地哭着说：“噢，主人，我没办法留住那些花。风刮得太厉害了，太阳猛烈地照射着我的胸膛，花儿很快就凋谢，被风吹跑了。” 于是草原之王跟雷电说了这件事情。雷电迅速一击就把草原从中间劈开。草原颤动着，痛苦地呻吟着。因为身上那个参差不齐的黑色大口子，它痛苦地呻吟了很多天。 小溪将水注入到裂缝中去，鸟儿们又把种子衔来并且播撒在峡谷中。过了很长一段时间，粗糙的岩石长满了柔软的青苔和长长的青藤。每个角落里都挂满了铁线莲和耧斗菜， 高大的榆树将枝头耸立在灿烂的天空下，它们的脚下簇拥着低矮的雪松和凤仙花。到处都盛 开着紫罗兰和蒲公英。峡谷成了草原之王休憩的好去处。 The Canyon Flowers At first there were no canyons, but only the broad, open prairie. One day the Master of the Prairie, walking out over his great lawns, where were only grasses, asked the Prairie, “Where are your flowers?” And the Prairie said, "Master, I have no seeds.” Then he spoke to the birds, and they carried seeds of every kind of flower and strewed them far and wide, and soon the Prairie bloomed with crocuses and roses and the yellow sunflowers and the red lilies, all the summer long. Then the Master came and was well pleased， but he missed the flowers he loved best of all, and he said to the Prairie, 11 Where are the clematis and the columbine, the sweet violets and wind-flowers?” And again the Prairie answered, " Master, I have no seeds.” And again he spoke to the birds and again they carried all the seeds and strewed them far and wide. But when next the Master came, he could not find the flowers he loved best of all, and he said, "Where are those, my sweetest flowers?” And the Prairie cried sorrowfully, “〇 Master, I cannot keep the flowers, for the winds sweep fiercely, and the sun beats upon my breast, and they wither up and fly Then the Master spoke to the Lightning，and with one swift blow the Lightning cleft the Prairie to the heart. And the Prairie rocked and groaned in agony, and for many a day moaned bitterly over its black, jagged, gaping wound. But a little river poured its waters through the cleft, and once more the birds carried seeds and strewed them in the canyon. And after a long time the rough rocks were decked out with soft mosses and trailing vines, and all the nooks were hung with clematis and columbine, and great elms lifted their huge tops high up into the sunlight, and down about their feet clustered the low cedars and balsams, and everywhere the violets and wind-flowers and maiden-hair grew and bloomed till the canyon became the Master's place for rest and peace and joy. |
