"it's a dreadful story!" said a hen, and she said it in a part of town, too, where it had not taken place. "it's a dreadful story to happen in a henhouse. i'm afraid to sleep alone tonight; it's a good thing there are many of us on the perch!" and then she told a story that made the feathers of the other hens stand on end and the rooster's comb fall. it's quite true!

but we will begin at the beginning and tell what had happened in a henhouse at the other end of town.

the sun went down, and the hens flew up. one of them was a white-feathered and short-limbed hen who laid her eggs according to the regulations and who was a respectable hen in every way. as she settled herself on the perch, she plucked herself with her beak, and a tiny feather came out.

"there it goes," she said. "no doubt the more i pluck, the more beautiful i will get." but she said it only in fun, for she was considered the jolliest among the hens, although, as we've said before, most respectable. then she fell asleep.

there was darkness all around, and the hens sat closely together. but the hen that sat closest to the white hen was not asleep; she had heard and had not heard, as one should do in this world, if one wishes to live in peace. but still she couldn't resist telling it to her nearest neighbor.

"did you hear what was said? well, i don't want to mention any names, but there is a hen here who intends to pluck out all her feathers just to make herself look well. if i were a rooster, i would despise her."

编辑:Liuxuepaper.Com

作文地带知识拓展:

• 英语（English）属于印欧语系日耳曼语族西日耳曼语支，最早被中世纪的英国使用，并因其广阔的殖民地而成为世界使用面积最广的语言。英国人的祖先盎格鲁部落是后来迁移到大不列颠岛地区的日耳曼部落之一，称为英格兰。这两个名字都来自波罗地海半岛的Anglia。该语言与弗里斯兰语和下撒克森语密切相关，其词汇受到其他日耳曼语族语言的影响，尤其是北欧语（北日耳曼语），并在很大程度上由拉丁文和法文撰写。

  英语的英文释义：

  English 名词 uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  the language that is spoken in the UK, the US, and in many other countries

  英语

  American/British English

  美式／英式英语

  Do you speak English?

  你会说英语吗？

  English   形容词 adjective   uk  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/ us  /ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

  in or relating to the English language

  英语的

  an English teacher

  英语老师

  relating to or from England

  英格兰的;英国的

  English films/food/people

  英国电影／食品／人

  English law

  英格兰法律