Mr. Pippel’s shop was but a short distance from the Wondersmith’s house. A few moments, therefore, brought the gypsy party to the door, when, by aid of a key which Herr Hippe produced, they silently slipped into the entry. Here the Wondersmith took a dark-lantern from under his cloak, removed the cap that shrouded7 the light, and led the way into the shop, which was separated from the entry only by a glass door, that yielded, like the outer one, to a key which Hippe took from his pocket. The four gypsies now entered the shop and closed the door behind them.
It was a little world of birds. On every side, whether in large or small cages, one beheld8 balls of various-colored feathers standing9 on one leg and breathing peacefully. Love-birds, nestling shoulder to shoulder, with their heads tucked under their wings and all their feathers puffed10 out, so that they looked like globes of malachite; English bullfinches, with ashen-colored backs, in which their black heads were buried, and corselets of a rosy11 down; Java sparrows, fat and sleek12 and cleanly; troupials, so glossy13 and splendid in plumage that they looked as if they were dressed in the celebrated14 armor of the Black Prince, which was jet, richly damascened with gold; a cock of the rock, gleaming, a ball of tawny15 fire, like a setting sun; the Campanero of Brazil, white as snow, with his dilatable16 tolling-tube hanging from his head, placid17 and silent; — these, with a humbler crowd of linnets, canaries, robins18, mocking-birds, and phoebes, slumbered19 calmly in their little cages, that were hung so thickly on the wall as not to leave an inch of it visible.
“Splendid little morsels21, all of them!” exclaimed Monsieur Kerplonne. “Ah we are going to have a rare beating!”
“So Pippel does not sleep in his shop,” said the English gypsy, Oaksmith.
“No. The fellow lives somewhere up one of the avenues,” answered Madame Filomel. “He came, the other evening, to consult me about his fortune. I did not tell him,” she added, with a laugh, “that he was going to have so distinguished22 a sporting party on his premises23.”
“Come,” said the Wondersmith, producing the box of manikins, “get ready with souls, Madame Filomel. I am impatient to see my little men letting out lives for the first time.”
Just at the moment that the Wondersmith uttered this sentence, the four gypsies were startled by a hoarse24 voice issuing from a corner of the room, and propounding25 in the most guttural tones the intemperate26 query27 of “What’ll you take?” This sottish invitation had scarce been given, when a second extremely thick voice replied from an opposite corner, in accents so rough that they seemed to issue from a throat torn and furrowed28 by the liquid lava29 of many barrooms, “Brandy and water.”
“Hollo! who’s here?” muttered Herr Hippe, flashing the light of his lantern round the shop.
Oaksmith turned up his coat-cuffs, as if to be ready for a fight; Madame Filomel glided30, or rather rolled, towards the door; while Kerplonne put his hand into his pocket, as if to assure himself that his supernumerary optic was all right.
“What’ll you take?” croaked31 the voice in the corner, once more.
“Brandy and water,” rapidly replied the second voice in the other corner. And then, as if by a concerted movement, a series of bibular invitations and acceptances were rolled backwards32 and forwards with a volubility of utterance33 that threw Patter versus34 Clatter35 into the shade.
“What the Devil can it be?” muttered the Wondersmith, flashing his lantern here and there. “Ah! it is those Minos.”
So saying, he stopped under one of the wicker cages that hung high up on the wall, and raised the lantern above his head, so as to throw the light upon that particular cage. The hospitable36 individual who had been extending all these hoarse invitations to partake of intoxicating37 beverages38 was an inhabitant of the cage. It was a large Mino-bird, who now stood perched on his cross-bar, with his yellowish orange bill sloped slightly over his shoulder, and his white eye cocked knowingly upon the Wondersmith. The respondent voice in the other corner came from another Mino-bird, who sat in the dusk in a similar cage, also attentively39 watching the Wondersmith. These Mino-birds, I may remark, in passing, have a singular aptitude40 for acquiring phrases.
“What’ll you take?” repeated the Mino, cocking his other eye upon Herr Hippe.
“Mon Dieu! what a bird!” exclaimed the little Frenchman. “He is, in truth, polite.”
“I don’t know what I’ll take,” said Hippe, as if replying to the Mino~bird; “but I know what you’ll get, old fellow! Filomel, open the cage~doors, and give me the bottle.”
Filomel opened, one after another, the doors of the numberless little cages, thereby41 arousing from slumber20 their feathered occupants, who opened their beaks42, and stretched their claws, and stared with great surprise at the lantern and the midnight visitors.
By this time the Wondersmith had performed the mysterious manipulations with the bottle, and the manikins were once more in full motion, swarming44 out of their box, sword and dagger45 in hand, with their little black eyes glittering fiercely, and their white teeth shining. The little creatures seemed to scent46 their prey47. The gypsies stood in the centre of the shop, watching the proceedings48 eagerly, while the Liliputians made in a body towards the wall and commenced climbing from cage to cage. Then was heard a tremendous flittering of wings, and faint, despairing “quirks” echoed on all sides. In almost every cage there was a fierce manikin thrusting his sword or dagger vigorously into the body of some unhappy bird. It recalled the antique legend of the battles of the Pygmies and the Cranes. The poor love~birds lay with their emerald feathers dabbled49 in their hearts’ blood, shoulder to shoulder in death as in life. Canaries gasped50 at the bottom of their cages, while the water in their little glass fountains ran red. The bullfinches wore an unnatural51 crimson52 on their breasts. The mocking-bird lay on his back, kicking spasmodically, in the last agonies, with a tiny sword-thrust cleaving53 his melodious54 throat in twain, so that from the instrument which used to gush55 with wondrous56 music only scarlet57 drops of blood now trickled58. The manikins were ruthless. Their faces were ten times wickeder than ever, as they roamed from cage to cage, slaughtering59 with a fury that seemed entirely60 unappeasable. Presently the feathery rustlings became fewer and fainter, and the little pipings of despair died away; and in every cage lay a poor murdered minstrel, with the song that abode61 within him forever quenched62; — in every cage but two, and those two were high up on the wall; and in each glared a pair of wild, white eyes; and an orange beak43, touch as steel, pointed63 threateningly down. With the needles which they grasped as swords all wet and warm with blood, and their beadlike eyes flashing in the light of the lantern, the Liliputian assassins swarmed64 up the cages in two separate bodies, until they reached the wickets of the habitations in which the Minos abode. Mino saw them coming — had listened attentively to the many death-struggles of his comrades, and had, in fact, smelt65 a rat. Accordingly he was ready for the manikins. There he stood at the barbican of his castle, with formidable beak couched like a lance. The manikins made a gallant66 charge. “What’ll you take?” was rattled67 out by the Mino, in a deep bass68, as with one plunge69 of his sharp bill he scattered70 the ranks of the enemy, and sent three of them flying to the floor, where they lay with broken limbs. But the manikins were brave automata, and again they closed and charged the gallant Mino. Again the wicked white eyes of the bird gleamed, and again the orange bill dealt destruction. Everything seemed to be going on swimmingly for Mino, when he found himself attacked in the rear by two treacherous71 manikins, who had stolen upon him from behind, through the lattice~work of the cage. Quick as lightning the Mino turned to repel72 this assault, but all too late; two slender quivering threads of steel crossed in his poor body, and he staggered into a corner of the cage. His white eyes closed, then opened; a shiver passed over his body, beginning at his shoulder-tips and dying off in the extreme tips of the wings; he gasped as if for air, and then, with a convulsive shudder73, which ruffled74 all his feathers, croaked out feebly his little speech, “What’ll you take?” Instantly from the opposite corner came the old response, still feebler than the question — a mere75 gurgle, as it were, of “Brandy and water.” Then all was silent. The Mino-birds were dead.
“They spill blood like Christians,” said the Wondersmith, gazing fondly on the manikins. “They will be famous assassins.”
点击收听单词发音
1 savagely | |
adv. 野蛮地,残酷地 | |
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2 gnawed | |
咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 ); (长时间) 折磨某人; (使)苦恼; (长时间)危害某事物 | |
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3 tantalizing | |
adj.逗人的;惹弄人的;撩人的;煽情的v.逗弄,引诱,折磨( tantalize的现在分词 ) | |
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4 sinister | |
adj.不吉利的,凶恶的,左边的 | |
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5 worthy | |
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的 | |
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6 impromptu | |
adj.即席的,即兴的;adv.即兴的(地),无准备的(地) | |
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7 shrouded | |
v.隐瞒( shroud的过去式和过去分词 );保密 | |
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8 beheld | |
v.看,注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 );瞧;看呀;(叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现)哎哟 | |
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9 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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10 puffed | |
adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 );喷着汽(或烟)移动;吹嘘;吹捧 | |
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11 rosy | |
adj.美好的,乐观的,玫瑰色的 | |
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12 sleek | |
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢 | |
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13 glossy | |
adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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14 celebrated | |
adj.有名的,声誉卓著的 | |
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15 tawny | |
adj.茶色的,黄褐色的;n.黄褐色 | |
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16 dilatable | |
adj.会膨胀的 | |
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17 placid | |
adj.安静的,平和的 | |
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18 robins | |
n.知更鸟,鸫( robin的名词复数 );(签名者不分先后,以避免受责的)圆形签名抗议书(或请愿书) | |
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19 slumbered | |
微睡,睡眠(slumber的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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20 slumber | |
n.睡眠,沉睡状态 | |
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21 morsels | |
n.一口( morsel的名词复数 );(尤指食物)小块,碎屑 | |
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22 distinguished | |
adj.卓越的,杰出的,著名的 | |
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23 premises | |
n.建筑物,房屋 | |
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24 hoarse | |
adj.嘶哑的,沙哑的 | |
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25 propounding | |
v.提出(问题、计划等)供考虑[讨论],提议( propound的现在分词 ) | |
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26 intemperate | |
adj.无节制的,放纵的 | |
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27 query | |
n.疑问,问号,质问;vt.询问,表示怀疑 | |
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28 furrowed | |
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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29 lava | |
n.熔岩,火山岩 | |
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30 glided | |
v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 );掠过;(鸟或飞机 ) 滑翔 | |
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31 croaked | |
v.呱呱地叫( croak的过去式和过去分词 );用粗的声音说 | |
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32 backwards | |
adv.往回地,向原处,倒,相反,前后倒置地 | |
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33 utterance | |
n.用言语表达,话语,言语 | |
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34 versus | |
prep.以…为对手,对;与…相比之下 | |
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35 clatter | |
v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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36 hospitable | |
adj.好客的;宽容的;有利的,适宜的 | |
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37 intoxicating | |
a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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38 beverages | |
n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 ) | |
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39 attentively | |
adv.聚精会神地;周到地;谛;凝神 | |
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40 aptitude | |
n.(学习方面的)才能,资质,天资 | |
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41 thereby | |
adv.因此,从而 | |
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42 beaks | |
n.鸟嘴( beak的名词复数 );鹰钩嘴;尖鼻子;掌权者 | |
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43 beak | |
n.鸟嘴,茶壶嘴,钩形鼻 | |
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44 swarming | |
密集( swarm的现在分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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45 dagger | |
n.匕首,短剑,剑号 | |
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46 scent | |
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉 | |
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47 prey | |
n.被掠食者,牺牲者,掠食;v.捕食,掠夺,折磨 | |
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48 proceedings | |
n.进程,过程,议程;诉讼(程序);公报 | |
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49 dabbled | |
v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 );涉足;浅尝;少量投资 | |
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50 gasped | |
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要 | |
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51 unnatural | |
adj.不自然的;反常的 | |
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52 crimson | |
n./adj.深(绯)红色(的);vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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53 cleaving | |
v.劈开,剁开,割开( cleave的现在分词 ) | |
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54 melodious | |
adj.旋律美妙的,调子优美的,音乐性的 | |
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55 gush | |
v.喷,涌;滔滔不绝(说话);n.喷,涌流;迸发 | |
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56 wondrous | |
adj.令人惊奇的,奇妙的;adv.惊人地;异乎寻常地;令人惊叹地 | |
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57 scarlet | |
n.深红色,绯红色,红衣;adj.绯红色的 | |
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58 trickled | |
v.滴( trickle的过去式和过去分词 );淌;使)慢慢走;缓慢移动 | |
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59 slaughtering | |
v.屠杀,杀戮,屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 ) | |
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60 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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61 abode | |
n.住处,住所 | |
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62 quenched | |
解(渴)( quench的过去式和过去分词 ); 终止(某事物); (用水)扑灭(火焰等); 将(热物体)放入水中急速冷却 | |
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63 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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64 swarmed | |
密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 ); 云集; 成群地移动; 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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65 smelt | |
v.熔解,熔炼;n.银白鱼,胡瓜鱼 | |
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66 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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67 rattled | |
慌乱的,恼火的 | |
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68 bass | |
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴 | |
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69 plunge | |
v.跳入,(使)投入,(使)陷入;猛冲 | |
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70 scattered | |
adj.分散的,稀疏的;散步的;疏疏落落的 | |
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71 treacherous | |
adj.不可靠的,有暗藏的危险的;adj.背叛的,背信弃义的 | |
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72 repel | |
v.击退,抵制,拒绝,排斥 | |
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73 shudder | |
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
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74 ruffled | |
adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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75 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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