猫    头    鹰   

 两    三    百    年    前   ， 人    们    还    远    没    有    今    天    这    般    聪    明    狡    猾    时   ， 在    一    个    小    镇    里    发    生    了    一    件    希    奇    的    事   。 有    一    只    猫    头    鹰   ， 人    们    叫    它   " 叔    胡   " 的   ， 黑    夜    中    不    幸    误    入    了    林    间    的    一    户    人    家    的    谷    仓    里   。 天    亮    时   ， 因    为    害    怕    别    的    鸟    儿    瞧    见   ， 会    发    出    可    怕    的    叫    声   ， 它    不    敢    冒    险    出    来   。 早    上   ， 家    中    的    一    个    仆    人    到    谷    仓    来    取    干    草   ， 看    见    了    坐    在    墙    角    的    猫    头    鹰   ， 他    大    吃    一    惊   ， 撒    腿    就    跑   ， 并    报    告    主    人    说    他    看    见    了    一    个    平    生    从    未    见    过    的    怪    物    正    坐    在    谷    仓    里   ， 眼    睛    溜    溜    直    转   ， 毫    不    费    力    就    能    吞    下    一    个    活    人   。" 我    可    知    道    你    这    种    人   ，" 主    人    说   ，" 你    敢    满    地    里    追    赶    一    只    山    鸟   ， 却    不    敢    靠    近    一    只    躺    在    地    上    的    死    鸡   。 我    倒    要    亲    自    去    看    看    它    是    何    方    怪    物   。" 主    人    说    着   ， 大    胆    地    走    进    了    谷    仓   ， 四    下    寻    望   。 当    他    一    眼    瞧    见    了    这    古    怪    可    怕    的    动    物    时   ， 吓    得    决    不    亚    于    那    仆    人   ，" 嗖   " 地    一    下    就    跳    出    了    谷    仓   ， 跑    到    邻    居    家   ， 求    他    们    帮    忙    对    付    这    不    认    识    的    危    险    野    兽   ， 说    一    旦    它    冲    出    来   ， 全    城    人    都    会    有    危    险   。 大    街    小    巷    一    下    沸    腾    起    来    了   ， 只    见    人    们    拿    着    镰    刀   、 斧    头   、 草    叉    和    矛   ， 如    大    敌    将    至    一    般   。 最    后   ， 连    以    市    长    为    首    的    议    会    都    出    动    了   。 在    广    场    上    整    队    集    合    后   ， 他    们    便    浩    浩    荡    荡    地    向    谷    仓    进    发   ， 把    它    围    得    水    泄    不    通   。 这    时    其    中    最    勇    敢    的    一    人    走    上    前   ， 漫    不    经    心    地    拿    着    矛    进    去    了   。 接    着    只    听    一    声    尖    叫   ， 他    没    命    地    跑    了    出    来   ， 变    得    面    无    血    色   ， 语    无    伦    次   。 另    两    个    人    又    冒    险    进    去    了   ， 但    也    好    不    到    哪    里    去   。 最    后    有    一    个    人    站    了    出    来   ， 他    可    是    一    位    骁    勇    善    战    的    壮    汉   。" 只    看    看    它    是    赶    不    走    怪    物    的   ， 我    们    必    须    坚    决    果    断   ， 但    我    看    你    们    都    成    了    娘    儿    们   ， 没    有    一    个    敢    面    对    这    畜    生   。" 他    命    人    拿    过    盔    甲   、 剑    和    矛   ， 全    身    披    挂   。 人    人    都    称    赞    他    勇    敢   ， 不    过    很    多    人    也    为    他    的    生    命    担    心   。 谷    仓    的    两    扇    大    门    大    开    了   ， 他    看    见    了    正    蹲    在    一    根    大    梁    中    部    的    那    只    猫    头    鹰   。 勇    士    命    人    拿    来    梯    子   ， 当    他    立    起    梯    子    准    备    爬    上    去    时   ， 人    们    都    对    他    大    叫   ， 要    他    更    勇    敢    些   ， 并    把    那    个    曾    杀    死    蛟    龙    的    圣    乔    治    介    绍    给    他   。 他    到    达    了    顶    部   ， 猫    头    鹰    看    出    他    要    去    打    它   ， 加    之    这    人    群    和    喧    叫   ， 又    不    知    如    何    逃    生   ， 不    由    眼    珠    乱    转   ， 羽    毛    竖    立   ， 双    翅    乱    拍   ， 张    开    嘴    巴   ， 粗    着    嗓    子    大    叫    起    来   ：" 嘟    咿   ！ 嘟    呜   ！"" 戳    呀   ！ 戳    呀   ！" 外    面    的    人    群    冲    着    这    勇    士    高    声    喊    叫   。" 任    何    一    个    处    在    我    这    位    置    的    人    都    不    会    叫   ' 戳    呀   '。 的   " 他    答    道   。 他    虽    然    又    往    上    爬    高    了    一    级   ， 可    双    腿    不    由    自    主    地    发    起    抖    来   ， 几    乎    吓    得    要    晕    过    去    了   ， 最    后    终    于    败    下    阵    来   。

 这    下    再    也    没    有    人    敢    去    冒    这    个    险    了   。 人    们    说   ：" 那    个    怪    物    只    要    一    张    口    发    声    和    呼    气   ， 连    我    们    最    勇    敢    的    人    都    中    了    毒   ， 几    乎    要    掉    了    他    们    的    命   ， 难    到    我    们    其    余    的    人    还    要    拿    自    己    的    生    命    去    冒    险    吗   ？" 为    了    保    住    城    市    使    它    不    至    于    毁    灭   ， 他    们    开    始    商    量    该    怎    么    办   。 商    量    来    商    量    去   ， 始    终    想    不    出    个    万    全    之    策   ， 最    后    市    长    找    到    了    一    个    权    宜    之    策   。 他    说   ：" 我    的    看    法    是   ， 我    们    应    当    掏    腰    包   ， 赔    偿    仓    库    及    其    中    的    一    切    给    主    人   ， 然    后    放    火    烧    掉    整    个    仓    库   ， 连    同    这    可    怕    的    野    兽    一    起    烧    死   ， 这    样    大    家    再    也    不    会    有    生    命    危    险    了   。 现    在    已    没    有    过    多    的    时    间    考    虑    了   ， 我    们    也    决    不    能    吝    啬   。" 大    家    一    致    同    意    了    这    个    办    法   ， 于    是   ， 他    们    在    四    角    点    上    火   ， 那    只    猫    头    鹰    连    同    谷    仓    一    起    在    火    中    化    成    了    灰    烬   。 要    是    有    人    不    相    信   ， 就    请    他    自    己    去    问    问    吧   ！

Concept and Helping Material