The Boy in the Grass Boat

(adapted from a Bible story) · 王子摩西的传奇开端

Long ago, in the land of Egypt, a slave girl gave birth to a baby boy. She loved this boy very much. But she was also afraid. She believed the king would come and find her baby and kill him before he had the chance to grow.

The girl decided to do something to save her child. It broke her heart to part with her new son, but there was nothing else to do.

So, the slave girl made a fine basket out of the reeds and plants that grew along the river's edge. With sadness, she put her baby safely into the little basket that was really like a small boat, and she cast it out on the water. As she stood watching the small boat disappear down the river, tears filled her eyes.

But she knew that what she had done was good. It was the only way. "If it is the will of God, my child will survive," she thought.

At the same time, a relative of the king was walking along the riverbank with her servant. Suddenly, she noticed a small basket caught in the long weeds. "Go and see what that is," she said to her servant, who did as she was commanded. She returned with the basket and the baby boy inside.

The king's relative looked inside and saw the smiling baby boy. "What a wonderful boy this is!" she exclaimed. "How did it come that he is alone and abandoned here in the river?" she asked herself.

But it did not matter. The woman had already decided to keep the boy as her own. After all, she was a good woman and could not allow the baby to die alone in the river.

The king's relative took the boy back to the palace, where she raised him as her own. She did not know it then, but this fortunate child would grow up to become the king's favoured child.

The boy in the grass boat was destined to do great things. He would, in fact, one day lead his people out of captivity. He would lead them to freedom in their promised land.

The Boy in the Grass Boat — (adapted from a Bible story)

Long ago, in the land of Egypt, a slave girl gave birth to a baby boy. She loved this boy very much. But she was also afraid. She believed the king would come and find her baby and kill him before he had the c(1)__________hance to grow.

The girl decided to do something to save her child. It broke her heart to p(2)__________art with her new son, but there was nothing else to do.

So, the slave girl made a fine basket out of the r(3)__________eeds and plants that grew along the river's edge. With sadness, she put her baby safely into the little basket that was really like a small boat, and she c(4)__________ast it out on the water. As she stood watching the small boat disappear down the river, tears filled her eyes.

But she knew that what she had done was good. It was the only way. "If it is the will of God, my child will s(5)__________urvive," she thought.

At the same time, a r(6)__________elative of the king was walking along the riverbank with her servant. Suddenly, she noticed a small basket caught in the long weeds. "Go and see what that is," she said to her servant, who did as she was c(7)__________ommanded. She returned with the basket and the baby boy inside.

The king's relative looked inside and saw the smiling baby boy. "What a wonderful boy this is!" she exclaimed. "How did it come that he is alone and a(8)__________bandoned here in the river?" she asked herself.

But it did not matter. The woman had already decided to keep the boy as her own. After all, she was a good woman and could not allow the baby to die alone in the river.

The king's relative took the boy back to the palace, where she raised him as her own. She did not know it then, but this f(9)__________ortunate child would grow up to become the king's favoured child.

The boy in the grass boat was d(10)__________estined to do great things. He would, in fact, one day lead his people out of captivity. He would lead them to freedom in their promised land.

📌 重点单词 · Key Vocabulary

🔗 重点词组 · Key Phrases

💡 语法小贴士 · Grammar Tips

🏺 文化拓展 · Moses in the Reed Basket

本文改编自《圣经·出埃及记》（Exodus）中的著名故事。故事中的婴儿就是后来的摩西（Moses）——犹太民族最伟大的领袖之一。当时埃及法老下令杀死希伯来人的男婴，摩西的母亲把他放进用芦苇（papyrus reeds）编成的箱子里，藏到尼罗河边的芦苇丛中，正应了文中 "It was the only way" 的无奈与勇气。

捞起婴儿的"国王的亲戚"在圣经原文中是法老的女儿。她给孩子取名 Moses，在古语中意为"从水里拉出来的"。就这样，一个奴隶的孩子阴差阳错地在王宫中长大，成为文中所说的 "the king's favoured child"。这种"低位出生、宫廷长大"的身世，使摩西既了解同胞的苦难，又熟悉王室的规则。

结尾 "lead his people out of captivity... to freedom in their promised land" 指的是摩西带领希伯来人逃离埃及奴役、奔赴"应许之地"（迦南）的出埃及之旅。这个故事在西方文化中影响深远：它象征着母爱的智慧、命运的奇妙，以及"被拣选者注定成就大事"的信念。许多文学作品和电影（如动画《埃及王子》）都以此为蓝本，"the promised land" 也因此成为英语中"理想之地"的常用表达。