One hot summer day long ago, a farmer was hard at work tending his crops. His muscles ached and his back was sore. But he had to keep working because he had to support his family.

Perhaps a short break wouldn’t hurt, he thought. He drank some water from the stream running by the side of the field. Much better! He thought as he sat down to catch his breath.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a streak of white. He heard a loud thud. He turned quickly to see what had happened. There, by the tree stump across the stream, was a brown and white rabbit lying on its side.

The farmer waded through the stream to the tree stump. He saw that the rabbit had run into the tree stump and died.

The farmer was excited—here was a free meal for his family!

He wrapped the rabbit in his shirt and headed home.

That night, his wife cleaned and cooked the rabbit. It was a delicious dinner! Everyone went to bed happy and full.

The farmer woke up the next morning before dawn, as he always did.

But this time, as he was putting on his clothes, he realized something.

He did not actually have to work so hard! Instead of farming all day, he could just sit by the tree stump and wait for rabbits. What a wonderful plan! Free food!

That day, he did not tend his crops. He did not sweat and strain under the hot sun. Instead, he sat by the tree stump. He whistled for rabbits, but none came. He yawned. He napped. He wondered what kind of tree the stump had been. Had chickens ever bumped into it? He liked to eat

chicken. He waited some more. Nothing happened. But he wasn’t worried. He knew a rabbit had to run into the tree stump very soon. It was overdue!

When he returned home, his wife asked when he would return to his work on the farm. “I’m done with all that,” he told her. “The stump is where I belong.”

“I might agree with you there,” said his wife, frowning. “Perhaps you ought to sleep at the stump too.” Then she stomped off.

The farmer was happy his wife was so agreeable. She thought he belonged at the stump too!

He returned to the stump that night. He fell asleep and dreamed of rabbits hurling themselves at the stump. If only the rabbits would make themselves into rabbit stew or barbecue. That would be the best!

However, when he awakened there were no rabbits to be found. This continued for weeks. He tried different methods to get rabbits to run into the stump. He made a sign that said, “This way!” It had a big arrow on it.

Nothing. He pretended to be a rabbit and hopped over to the stump. He threw himself against the stump and bumped his knee. Still, no rabbits hopped into the stump.

“Stupid rabbits!” he complained to himself. “Why don’t they run into the stump like they used to do?” He almost lost hope. Then he remembered 

how tiring it was to tend the crops. He didn’t like working that hard. He got so sweaty! The memory helped convince him that rabbits would run into the stump and give him a free dinner. He wasn’t about to give up his dream!

The farmer’s fields became overgrown with weeds because he stopped caring for them. He wouldn’t even go home and see his family because he was afraid to leave the stump. He worried that a rabbit would bump into it while he was gone.

In the end, no more rabbits bumped into the stump. The farmer’s crops died, so he had no produce to sell at the market. He had no money, just one very fine stump. He became the laughingstock of the village because he relied on luck instead of hard work to feed his family.

His wife sold the farm, so she could follow her dream. She and the children opened a small restaurant. Rabbit was never on the menu.

The EndQuestion:?At the start of the story, why did the farmer not want to take abreak?A. He wanted to see what had run into the stump.B. He wanted to support his family by taking good care of his crops.C. He wasn’t tired, and he had a lot of work to do.D. He did not want to eat breakfast, he wanted to farm his crops.
核心詞匯

sweat n.&v. 汗水，出汗

muscle n. 肌肉

catch one’s breath 上氣不接下氣

streak n. 些許，光帶，光線

thud n. 砰的一聲

stump n. 樹墩

wade v.（通過水、雪、泥沙等妨礙物）艱難地行進

wrap v. 包裹

strain v. 盡力、努力

hurl at 猛投，力擲

overgrow v. 長滿

weeds n. 野草

bump v. 碰，撞

laughingstock n. 笑柄

以下翻譯來自百度翻譯：很久以前的一個炎熱的夏天，一個農民正在辛勤地照料他的莊稼。他的肌肉酸痛，背部酸痛。但他必須繼續工作，因為他必須養家糊口。也許短暫的休息不會有什么壞處，他想。他喝了一些田邊小溪里的水。好多了！他一邊坐下來喘口氣一邊想。突然，從他的眼角，他看到了一條白色的條紋。他聽到一聲巨響。他很快轉過身去看看發生了什么事。在小溪對面的樹樁旁，有一只棕色和白色的兔子躺在它的旁邊。農夫涉水穿過小溪來到樹樁前。他看到兔子跑到樹樁上死了。農夫很興奮，這里有一頓免費的晚餐給他的家人！他把兔子裹在襯衫里，朝家走去。那天晚上，他的妻子清洗并煮了兔子。這是一頓美味的晚餐！每個人都快樂而充實地上床睡覺。農夫像往常一樣，第二天黎明前醒來。但這一次，當他穿上衣服時，他意識到了一些事情。他其實不必那么努力工作！他可以坐在樹樁旁等兔子，而不是整天種地。多好的計劃?。∶赓M食物！那天，他沒有照料莊稼。他在烈日下沒有出汗和勞累。相反，他坐在樹樁旁。他吹口哨叫兔子，但沒人來。他打了個哈欠。他打盹兒了。他想知道樹樁是什么樣的樹。雞有沒有撞到過它？他喜歡吃東西雞肉。他又等了一會兒。什么也沒發生。但他并不擔心。他知道一只兔子很快就會跑到樹樁上。已經過期了！當他回家時，他的妻子問他什么時候回到農場工作?！薄拔沂軌蛄耍彼嬖V她樹樁是我的歸宿。”“我可能同意你的看法，”他的妻子皺著眉頭說也許你也應該睡在樹樁上。”然后她跺著腳走了。農夫很高興他的妻子如此和藹可親。她認為他也屬于樹樁！那天晚上他回到了樹樁旁。他睡著了，夢見兔子撲向樹樁。要是兔子們能把自己做成燉兔子或烤肉就好了。那太好了！然而，當他醒來時，沒有發現兔子。這種情況持續了數周。他嘗試了不同的方法讓兔子跑進樹樁。他做了一個牌子，上面寫著：“這邊走！”上面有一支大箭。沒有什么。他假裝是一只兔子，跳到樹樁上。他撲倒在樹樁上，撞傷了膝蓋。然而，沒有兔子跳進樹樁?！坝薮赖耐米?！”他自怨自艾。”他們為什么不像以前那樣撞到樹樁上？”他幾乎失去了希望。然后他想起來了照料莊稼真累人。他不喜歡那么辛苦地工作。他出汗了！這段記憶使他相信兔子會跑到樹樁上給他一頓免費的晚餐。他不打算放棄他的夢想！農夫的田地長滿了雜草，因為他不再照料它們。他甚至不愿回家看望家人，因為他害怕離開樹樁。他擔心他不在的時候會被兔子撞到。最后，再也沒有兔子撞到樹樁上了。農民的莊稼死了，所以他沒有農產品在市場上出售。他沒有錢，只有一個非常好的樹樁。他成了村里的笑柄，因為他靠運氣而不是辛苦工作養活家人。他的妻子賣掉了農場，這樣她就可以實現她的夢想。她和孩子們開了一家小餐館。菜單上從來沒有兔子。