strawberry believed（believe） acquainted（acquaint）
草莓 相信（过去式） 熟悉（过去式）
modest warning（warn） glisten
谦逊 警告（现在分词） 闪亮
traveler advice noticed（notice）
旅行者 建议 注意（过去式）
cousin foxglove crimson
表亲 毛地黄 深红色的
1. In a damp, green spot in the midst of a wood, hidden away from the light by a number of ferns, there grew a little white strawberryblossom.
2. Its many broad leaves only made it look smaller and paler. The tall foxgloves and ferns growing around it hardly ever noticed the pale little thing. “It seems scarcely worth while,” they would say, “to have so many leaves for so small a flower.”
3. When she heard remarks of this kind, the little blossom felt sad. “I wonder why I grow at all,” she thought, “It is very dark and lonely, and nobody loves me.”
4. One day a child came and gathered an armful of fresh, green ferns, and then, at last, a bright sunbeam found its way in. It lighted on the head of the tiny white flower, making it glisten like a dewdrop.
5. “I love you, little Strawberryblossom, I love you,” whispered the sunbeam; but the little flower had lived so long without being noticed, that she scarcely believed this.
6. “Not me, kind sunbeam,” she said，“surely not me; it must be the foxglove, the queen of the woods, with its crimson bells, or the lovely wild rose climbing by.”
7. “No, little Strawberryblossom,” said the sunbeam; “it is you that I love. You are so gentle and modest that I had hard work to find you; but now I shall come often, and stay with you part of every day.”
8. When the other plants saw the sunbeam talking to little Strawberryblossom, they laughed at her. But she was too happy to care for that.
9. So all through the long, hot summer day, the sunbeam stayed with her, and when he said “Good night,” he promised to come again the next morning.
10. That night a glowworm passing by stopped to speak to her. “Oh, glowworm，”said she, “I am so happy! A sunbeam has come, and he says he loves me, though I am such a tiny flower; and he is coming again tomorrow!”
11. “Hum！” said the glowworm, who had seen a good deal of life; “dont be too sure of that. The sunbeam is a great traveler, and is not always to be depended upon.”
12. “But he told me he would come soon,” said Strawberryblossom; “and he is so good, I am sure he will keep his word.”
13. “Well,” said the glowworm, “I do not know much about him; I am better acquainted with his cousins, the moonbeams. I only give you a word of friendly warning. My advice is to go to sleep and forget all about him. Goodnight.”
