书虫之《小公主》

Chapterone：SchoolinEnglandOnecoldwinterday，alittlegirlandherfatherarrivedinLondon.SaraCrewelwassevenyearsold，andshehadlongblackhairandgreeneyes.Shesatinthecabnexttoherfatherandlookedoutofthewindowatthetallhousesandthedarksky.“Whatareyouthinkingabout,Sara?”Mr.Creweasked.“Youareveryquiet.”Heputhisarmroundhisdaughter.“IamthinkingaboutourhousesinIndia，”saidSara.“Andthehotsunandthebluesky.Idon’tthinkIlikeEnglandverymuch,father.”“Yes，it’sverydifferentfromIndia,”herfathersaid.“ButyoumustgotoschoolinLondon，andImustgobacktoIndiaandwork.”“Yes，father，Iknow，”saidSara.“ButIwanttobewithyou.Pleasecometoschoolwithme！Icanhelpyouwithyourlessons.”Mr.Crewesmiled，buthewasnothappy.HelovedhislittleSaraverymuch，andhedidnotwanttobewithouther.Sara’smotherwasdead，andSarawashisonlychild.Fatheranddaughterwereverygoodfriends.SoontheyarrivedatMissMinchin’sSchoolforgirlsandwentintothebighouse.MissMinchinwasatallwomaninablackdress.ShelookedatSara，andthengaveaverybigsmile.“Whatabeautifulchild！”ShesaidtoMr.Crewel.SarastoodquietlyandwatchedMissMinchin.“Whatdoesshesaythat？”shethought.“Iamnotbeautiful，sowhydoesshesayit？”Sarawasnotbeautiful，butherfatherwasrich.AndMissMinchinlikedgirlswithrichfathers，becauseitwasgoodfortheschool（andgoodforMissMinchin，too）.“Saraisagoodgirl，”Mr.CrewesaidtoMissMinchin.“HermotherwasFrench，soshespeaksFrenchwell.Shelovesbooks，andshereadsallthetime.Butshemustplaywiththeothergirlsandmakenewfriends，too.“ofcourse，”saidMissMinchin.Shesmiledagain.“SaraisgoingtoBeveryhappyhere，Mr.Crewe.”Mr.CrewestayedinLondonforaweek.HeandSarawenttotheshops，andboughtmanybeautiful，expensivedressesforhisdaughter.Heboughtbooks，andflowersforherroom，andbigdollwithbeautifuldresser，too.MissMinchinsmiled，butshesaidtohersisterAmelia.“Allthatmoneyondressesforachildofseven！Shelookslikealittleprincess，notaschoolgirl！”WhenMr.CreweleftLondon，hewasverysad.Sarawasverysad，too.Butshedidnotcry.ShesatinherroomandthoughtaboutherfatherontheshipbacktoIndia.“Fatherwantsmetobehappy，”shesaidtohernewdoll.“IlovehimverymuchandIwanttobeagooddaughter，soImustbehappy.Itwasabig，andverybeautifuldoll，butofcourseitcouldnotanswer.Sarasoonmadenewfriendsintheschool.Somelittlerichgirlsarenotverynicechildren.Theythinktheyareimportantbecausetheyhavemoneyandlotsofexpensivethings.ButSarawasdifferent.Shelikedbeautifuldressesanddolls，butshewasmoreinterestedinpeople，andbooks，andtellingstories.Shewasverygoodattellingstories.Shewasacleverchild，andtheothergirlslovedtolistentoher.Thestorieswereallaboutkingsandqueensandprincessesandwonderfulcountriesacrossthesea.“Howdoyouthinkofallthosethings？”askedherbestfriend，Ermengarde.“Ihaveallthesepicturesinmyhead，”saidSara.“Soitiseasytotellstoriesaboutthem.”PoorEemengardewasnotclever.Shecouldneverrememberanyofherschoollessons，andMissMinchinwasalwaysangrywithher.SaraoftenhelpedErrnengardewithherlessons.“Listen，Ermie.”shesaid.“YourememberthatFrenchking，Louisthesixteenth.Well，thisisastoryabouthim.Onedayin1972…”AndsoErmengardelearntherlessonsthroughSara’sstories，andshelovedherfriendsverymuch.ButnoteverybodywasSara’friend.Laviniawasanoldergirl.BeforeSaracome，Laviniawastherichestandthemostimportantgirlintheschool.ButSara’sfatherwasricherthanLavinia’sfather.SonowSarawasmoreimportantthanLavinia，andLaviniadidnotlikethat.“On，Saraissoclever！”Laviniaoftensaid.“SaraissogoodatFrench！Herdressesaresobeautiful，andshecansingsowell！Andsheissorich！OfcourseMissMinchinlikesherbest！”SaradidnotanswerwhenLaviniasaidthesethings.Sometimes，itwasnoteasy，butSarawasakind，friendlygirl，andshedidnotliketobeangrywithanyone.ChapterTow：ThediamondminesAndsothreeyearswentby.Sara’sfatherwrotetoheroften，andSarawrotelovinglittlelettersbacktohim.Onedayaveryexcitingletterarrived.Everybodyintheschooltalkedaboutitfordays.“Myfriend，”wroteMr.Crewe，“hassomeminesinnorthernIndia，andamonthago，hisworkersfounddiamondsthere.Therearethousandsofdiamondsinthesemines，butitisexpensiveworktogetthemout.Myfriendneedsmyhelp.So，littleMissus（thiswasMr.Crewe’sspecialnameforSara），Iamputtingallmymoneyintomyfriend’sdiamondmines，andonedayyouandIaregoingtobeveryrich.”Sarawasnotinterestedinmoney，butastoryaboutdiamondminesinIndiawasexciting.NearlyeverybodywasverypleasedforSara，butnotLavinia，ofcourse.“Huh！”shesaid.“Mymotherhasadiamond.Lotsofpeoplehavediamonds.Whatissointerestingaboutdiamondmines？”“Buttherearethousandsofdiamondsinthesemines.”saidErmengarde.“Perhapsmillionofthem!”Lavinialaughed，“IsSaragoingtoweardiamondinherhairatbreakfast，then？Orisit‘PrincessSara’now？”Sara’sfacewentred.ShelookedatLaviniaangrily，butsaidquietly，“Somepeoplecallme‘princess’.Iknowthat.Butprincessdonotgetangryorsayunkindthings，soI’mnotgoingtosayanythingtoyou，Lavinia.”“Tome，youareaprincess，”ErmengardesaidtoSaralater.“Andyoualwayslooklikeaprincess，inyourbeautifuldresses.”Sarawasaprincesstoanothergirl，too.ThiswasBecky.ShewasaservantinMissMinchin’sschool，andshewasonlyfourteenyearsold，butsheworkedalldayandsometimeshalfthenight.Shecarriedthingsupstairsanddownstairs，shecleanedthefloors，shemadethefires，andshewasalwaystiredandhungryanddirty.SheandSarahadverydi