The Christmas Caravan
Crossing the desert to follow a star
Sandy and Sunny were excited.
The happy camels were going on their first big adventure.
"Master said we could join the caravan someday," Sunny beamed,
"and finally he's carrying through on his promise."
"Better drink up," Sandy reminded him.
"Crossing the desert isn't easy.
We can't carry it off if we don't drink plenty."
The two camels took a big drink from the stream.
"So where are we going?" Sunny slurped.
"I heard we're going to follow a star..." answered Sandy,
"and search for a king."
"Ooh," sighed Sunny. "What a fine idea!"
"Hmph! What a foolish idea" said Humphrey, another young camel who was nearby.
"Following some star... searching for some king ... ridiculous!
Masters want their camels to do everything under the sun.
But this time they're carrying things too far."
"Shh," whispered Sandy. "Let's carry on this conversation another time."
"Here come our masters."
The masters came with packs for the camels.
Each camel had to pull his own weight.
Sandy's master smiled and said,
"Your pack has sweet-smelling perfume - a gift fit for a king."
Sunny's master patted him. "And your pack is full of gold!" he said.
"A royal gift indeed."
"As for you," said Humphrey's master,
"here is a pack full of myrrh. A sign of death."
Humphrey was so angry that he could spit.
"Why, no king wants that,' he complained.
"I won't carry it. I'll show them who carries weight around here."
Then he lay down and refused to get up.
"What are you carrying on about?" asked Sandy.
But Humphrey wasn't talking. "Share your troubles," said Sunny.
"We can help carry your burdens.
Lying down on the job isn't going to get you anwhere."
slurp v. 吃或喝的時候發出聲音
eg: You make funny sounds when you slurp your soup.
eg: The boy slurped his soup and caused everyone to look at him.
=> 這個男孩喝湯的時候發出咋咋的聲音，因此每個人都看著他。
eg: Mom told my little brother to stop slurping his juice.
carry on 繼續做某件事
=> continue
eg: Everyone carried on with their work after the electricity came back on.
carry on about something 吵吵鬧鬧/抱怨
eg: Please stop carrying on about your job assignment!
pull one's own weight 盡自己的本分
=> do one's own part of work
eg: Pull your own weight when we go hiking. Don't expect me to carry your supplies.
eg: Pamela hasn't been pulling her own weight lately, and it has affected other people in the department.
carry through on something 履行承諾
=> say what you would do, you do what you will say
caravan n. (來往於沙漠的)商隊/香客隊伍/移民隊伍
carry it off
=> pull it off
=> complete the journey successfully
beam v. 堆滿笑容/眉開眼笑
myrrh n. 沒藥(用作香料或藥品的一種樹脂)
//== Chat Room ==//
everything under the sun 世界上的一切
=> under the sun means in the world
eg: talk everything under the sun 天南地北的閒聊
He is knowledgable in every subject under the sun.
=> 他對所有的科目都很了解
There is nothing new under the sun
=> 太陽底下沒有新鮮事
a place in the sun 有利的處境
//== Did you know ==//
The word Caravan comes from the Persian word KARVAN meaning "a group of desert travelers." The English adopted it to describe a vehicle - something like a covered cart. Today the British use CARAVAN to describe something like a mobile home. Incidentally, the English word VAN - a shortened form of CARAVAN - means covered truck or wagon - something you might want to be in when you travel through a hot desert!
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