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那次，一个人正在树林里的小道上走，听到了他附近的一棵大树那儿传来一个奇怪的声音。他一抬头，看到那里是森林精灵的住所。 他停下来，凝视了会儿这些可怕的东西:和人一般大，手握树枝，像蝙蝠一样身子倒挂着。他们有翅膀会飞，他们的脚趾头长在脚后跟。而他们长长的手指，向后长着，紧紧地缠住了手腕。 "很显然，"这个人想，"那些恐怖的家伙一发现我就会把我吃掉的。趁着他们在睡觉，我还是赶快跑吧。"他试图逃跑，但由于过度恐惧，跑了几步就脸朝下跌在了地上。 听到声音，精灵开始大声嚎叫。他们看到这人跌倒，以为他死了，便从树上下来,把金子和珠宝摆在他面前。 过了一会，这个人恢复勇气，跳起来大声给自己鼓劲："跑啊！” 精灵们没有动，他们看着他说：“给我们那颗最特别的珠子，其他的就可以归你了。”这个人的拒绝让精灵们愤怒了。他们回去了，大声说：“那么我们要烧你家的房子,你是个坏人。”这个人拼了命往家赶，但是还没到家,房子已经被烧掉了，因为精灵们总是信守他们的诺言。 Man and the Alan A man was once walking along a trail in the wood when he heard a strange sound in a large tree near him, and looking up he was startled to see that it was the home of the Alan-spirits who live in the wood. He stopped and gazed for a moment at ihe horrible creatures, large as people, hanging from the limbs of the tree with their heads down like bats. They had wings to fly, and their toes were at the back of their feet, while their long fingers, which pointed back¬ward, were fastened at the wrist. “Surely,” thought the man, “these terrible beings will eat me if they can catch me. I will run away as fast as I can while they are asleep. ” He tried to run but he was too frightened, and after a few steps he fell face down on the ground. At this the Alan began to wail loudly, for they saw him fall and believed him dead. And they came down out of the tree with gold and beads which they laid on him. After a while the man gathered courage and, jumping up, he cried as loudly as he could, “Go away!” The Alan did not move, but they looked at him and said, “Give us the one bead nagaba [ a peculiar bead of double effect]，and you may have the rest. ” When the man refused to do this, they were angry and turned away, crying, “ Then we are going to burn your house, for you are a bad man. ’， There upon the man went home as fast as he could go, but very soon after that his house burned, for the Alan kept their word. |
