OLD NICK AND KITTY

Once upon a time there was an old maid-servant on a farm. She was a score or two years old, but she wanted to get married, though nobody would even touch her. She never missed a dance; she was sure to turn up at every one of them, though nobody ever asked her to dance. So at last she said:

“I’d dance with Old Nick if only he’d come.”

The clock struck eleven and a youth clothed in green entered the room. He went straight up to our Kitty and began to dance with her. All the girls couldn’t keep from laughing, but they daren’t laugh openly. So they held their aprons¹ over their faces. Kitty was very angry, but she kept on dancing like the wind. She thought: “Let the fools laugh; they’d be glad enough to dance with the lad themselves.”

It was hard upon twelve now, and Old Nick—for Old Nick it was—had to start [180]for home. But Kitty wouldn’t let him go. What was he to do with her? He was absolutely at a loss what to do, for she was clinging² on to him behind.

He went to the pond, thinking he’d be able to throw her in. He tried to do it, but she clasped³ him round the neck and he couldn’t manage it. So off he went to Hell with her. But the people of Hell made an outcry against her and wouldn’t let her stay at any price.

“Hang it all!” says Old Nick, “I can’t go all round the world with her.”

At last he met a shepherd: “I say, shepherd,” says he, “would you like this maiden⁴ here?”

“A nice maiden that is, the ugly old spinster! Keep her for yourself. You can pickle⁵ her.”

Now, when the devil saw that he was going to fail again, he promised the shepherd a heap of money, only to rid himself of the hideous⁶ old crone. But the shepherd refused.

“I’ll make it so much,” says Old Nick.

“Well, if you will, I agree.”

Now, the shepherd was a good-looking fellow, and Kitty was easily persuaded to stay [181]with him. He had lots of money now, and he had the same idea as the devil, to throw her into the pond. What else could he do with such a hideous old hag? He had a great fur coat, and he put it on so high over his head that she couldn’t catch hold of his neck, and, plump⁷! off she went into the pond. But, you know, a bad one’s a bad one, and you can’t get rid of them so easily. So it was with Kitty. She wasn’t drowned.

A short time after this, Old Nick had an appointment with a man. I don’t exactly know how the case stood, but anyhow the devil was to get him. The man asked the shepherd to save him; he was quite ready to pay him well for it.

“All right,” says the shepherd, “I can do that much for you. Old Nick and I are the best of friends.”

Now, a crowd of people had collected and they were all wondering how it was going to end. In comes Old Nick. The shepherd runs to meet him and: “Old Kitty’s here asking for you,” says he.

The devil left things as they were, and before you could say “Jack Robinson” he was off. So it all turned out all right.

1 aprons   

围裙( apron的名词复数 )； 停机坪，台口（舞台幕前的部份）

参考例句：

• Many people like to wear aprons while they are cooking. 许多人做饭时喜欢系一条围裙。
• The chambermaid in our corridor wears blue checked gingham aprons. 给我们扫走廊的清洁女工围蓝格围裙。

2 clinging   

adj.执着的；有黏性的；紧靠着的；紧贴着的v.附着于( cling的现在分词 )；抓紧或抱住；坚持；依恋，依附于

参考例句：

• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者
• I was very frightened and clinging on like mad. 我很害怕，拼命地向上爬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 clasped   

抱紧( clasp的过去式和过去分词 )； 紧紧拥抱； 握紧； 攥紧

参考例句：

• He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前，双手十字交错地紧握着。
• The child clasped the doll tightly. 小孩紧抱着洋娃娃。

4 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

5 pickle   

n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡

参考例句：

• Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
• Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。

6 hideous   

adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的

参考例句：

• The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
• They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。

7 plump   

adj.丰满的，丰富的，直接的；vi.下降，支持，变丰满；vt.突然放下，支持，使丰满；n.突然膨胀，坠落；adv.骤降，直线下降，不加限制的

参考例句：

• The baby is plump and very cute.那个婴儿白白胖胖的，十分可爱。
• The grains are quite plump.谷粒儿很饱。