(原版)澳大利亚语文第三册 LESSON 20
LESSON 20 THE SPIDER
THE SPIDER
1. A spider sat in a gooseberry bush
Spinning his web so fine;
And he carefully gummed to the little twigs
The end of each gossamer [1] line.
2. And he smiled as he thought of the foolish flies
That would come to his silver snare [2] ;
And how round and fat he would daily grow,
Fed on such juicy fare.
3. Big bluebottles [3] and delicate gnats,
Old Daddy Longlegs thin,
Booming [4] beetles and meddlesome moths,
He'd gather them merrily in.
4. But a soldier wasp, in his coat of gold,
Tore down the cobweb gay,
And laughed in the face of the spider grim [5] ,
As he sped on his buzzing way.
—J. L. RICHARDSON
* * *
[1] gossamer: fine; like silk.
[2] silver snare: Cobweb.
[3] bluebottles: Flies with large blue bodies.
[4] booming: Making a loud humming noise as they fly.
[5] grim: Fierce-looking.
