This she did many times, employing every wile9 she knew to coax10 them after her; but all in vain. For three nights, despite all her pains, she failed to tempt11 them beyond the shallows. At last, just when she was about to put them out of their depth, the smaller cub2 overcame its hesitation12, waded13 till it lost foothold, then swam bravely across, landed with a little wriggling14 jump, and sent the spray flying from every silky hair along the fourteen inches of its length, as it shook itself before rolling on the sedge to dry its coat more thoroughly15. The male cub, who had watched her every movement, was now beside himself at being left alone, and after running for some time up and down the bank, uttering the most piteous plaints, followed the others across and dried his fur as his sister had done. Presently they all swam back to the foreland. Before returning to the hover17, they crossed and recrossed four times more; and once even, in the absence of the otter, who was away foraging18, the cubs crossed alone.
From this night their fear of the water abated19, and soon, with scarce a ripple20 to mark their smooth progress, they were able to accompany their proud mother in her circlings round and round the pool. When the smaller cub tired, the otter slackened her pace, sank very low, took it on her back, and carried it to the shallows; but the male cub always had to take care of himself. The subsequent improvement was very rapid, and at the end of a week so fond did they become of the water that when released from the hover they scurried21 to the pool in advance of their mother, stumbling and falling as they ran in their eagerness to reach it.
Being full of the young creature’s love of ‘hide-and-seek,’ they often concealed22 themselves before she came up. On hearing her approach, they drew their heads beneath the surface until only their nostrils23 showed and, though thrilling with excitement, kept as motionless as the alder24 snags about them until discovered. Then mother and cubs joined in play, disporting25 themselves at times on the surface, but more often in the depths. Presently they would rise, locked together as if in deadly struggle, and roll over and over like a water-logged ball in a current. All at once, and frequently whilst immersed, they would break up, land, and make the circuit of the banks, passing one another as though they were utter strangers, and then suddenly, as if by signal, take to the water again and resume their mimic26 warfare27. Once whilst they were thus engaged the whistle of an otter reached them from the river. In a twinkling they stayed their gambols28, and, floating side by side, listened until the call grew faint as the traveller passed up the valley; then they fell again to their romps29.
Wonderful ease and grace marked their movements in the pool, and still more in the streams and eddies30 of the river, to which the otter lost no time in taking them. They spent hours shooting the rapids below the salmon32 pool, landing at the end of the long run where the rush of water loses its force, and regaining33 the head of the current by climbing the rocky bank. So attractive did this diversion prove that but for their mother’s restraint the eager creatures would have left the nest for the river long before it was safe to be abroad. Once, indeed, overborne by their importunities, she so far yielded as to lead them out before the afterglow had paled; but this concession34 only made them more exacting35. On the morrow they would have her release them the moment the sun dipped below the crest36 and the shadow of the upland fell on the morass37. But she turned a deaf ear to their entreaties38 and, when they became insubordinate and attempted to force a way past her, punished them with many sharp nips and kept them back.
She was also much troubled at this time by their refusal to eat the fish with which she had been doing her best to tempt them. It mattered not whether she offered them samlet, trout39, or eel6, they turned from all alike, and it seemed as if they would never be brought to touch any. Nevertheless she persisted, till one night, on the bank of the deep pool below the rapids, the male cub took a trout from her mouth, and the next night, just before dawn, his sister did the same. Their aversion to solid food once overcome, they would chatter40 over the new diet as if to testify to the pleasure they found in the exercise of their newly acquired taste, or even hiss41 angrily when their savage42 passions were stirred by the wriggling or quivering of the fish in their grip. They held the prey43 between the fore-paws, slicing off delicate morsels45 with their pearly teeth, and champing them fine before swallowing. Most remarkable46 was the way they set about eating two of the fish their mother provided for them. With the trout they began at the head, but in the case of the eel they attacked the part below the vent47, leaving the upper portion untouched.
This fish diet produced a most significant change: the cubs became fierce, and at the same time fearful. No longer was any restraint needed to keep them to the nest or to the holts in the river-banks, where they occasionally lay; no longer had the mother any difficulty in getting them to obey the dawn-cry and follow whither she led. Henceforth the sense of dread48 lay on their lives like a shadow and deepened with their development. It was seen in their readiness to crouch49 or make for the water at any strange sound, in their suspicion of any strange object. A bottle left on the bank by the water-bailiff caused them to take a wide détour, and the snapping of a stick under the foot of a lumbering50 badger51 nearly frightened these noiseless movers out of their wits. Once a thunderstorm terrified them with its vivid flashes, and one day even a brilliant rainbow was a source of alarm, until their mother awoke and showed no concern.
These trifling52 scares were followed towards the close of March by an incident they never forgot—an incident which caused the otter even greater consternation53 than it caused the cubs. It happened late one afternoon. The male cub had awakened54 from his second sleep and, with head resting on his mother’s flank, sat looking at the light fade over the wind-swept morass. During a lull55 an unaccountable rustling56 in the reeds caught his ears and brought him to his feet. The startled movement aroused his mother and sister, and in a trice all three otters57 were watching from behind the grass screen for a sight of the noisy intruder. The next instant they saw a fox, bedraggled almost beyond recognition, stagger from the reeds, drop from the bank to the stream, lap, raise his head and listen, lap again, then toil58 with bog-stained body and sodden59 brush up the opposite bank and pass from view. He could not have got far beyond the river, for which he seemed to be heading, before a hound came in sight, then two more, followed almost immediately by the body of the pack, which poured over the brow of the upland and streamed down a gully towards the morass. Soon they had disappeared, but whine60 after whine reached the otters’ ears, mingled61 with the crashing of the brake as the pack approached the stream and swept by full in their view. Some minutes later two yapping, bog-stained terriers crossed, and then the morass resumed its wonted calm. All this the otters had watched, hissing62 through their bared teeth, eyes starting from their sockets63, and hair bristling64 erect65 on their thick necks: even when all was quiet again a great dread still possessed66 them. Their feral nature had been stirred to the depths, and they listened and listened, though no sound reached them save a faint toot of the horn. Setting-out time came and went, but the otters did not stir, till at length, taking heart from the owls67, who filled the wood with their wild hooting31, they stole down to the river.
The otter fished, but not a moment was given to gambolling68, and long ere the woodman’s bantam heralded69 the day the scared creatures sought harbourage in the branches of a fallen pine whose top lay half immersed in the river. Hidden amidst the flotsam caught by the boughs70, with the deep pool just below them, they felt safe, and at length slept as soundly as they had done in the morass.
They repaired to the same hover the next day and the day following. In their waking hours they would watch the eddying71 water and rising trout, and at times cast a glance at the belt of timber beyond, as if attracted by the crimson72 blossom of the elms. Not only did the flowering of forest tree tell of the passing of winter, but green shoots of flag and reed shyly whispered the same story, and wild daffodils in glade73 and dell proclaimed it. A gold-crest in the tall fir had begun laying her tiny freckled74 eggs; a throstle on the lone16 poplar by the pool sang to his mate guarding her turquoise75 treasures by the river’s bank, while the ravens76 up the face of the cliff were already busy feeding their young. Day by day, as the sun grew stronger and the west wind blew, the sycamores unfolded their fresh green leaves, and soon, the woodland over, all the buds, responsive to the quickened underworld, opened to greet the spring.
Photo F. Frith & Co., Reigate. To face p. 18.
THE RIVER BELOW THE MILL.
At the close of a hot day, when every furry77 wildling had felt its coat a burden, and longed for sundown and the drinking-place, the otter, who had been gradually extending her nocturnal rambles78, took the cubs three miles down the river to a point where a part of the water is diverted into a tranquil79 mill-stream. Along its bank she brought them to the gate leading to the mill-yard, where all three stood and listened momentarily to the croaking80 of the frogs in the meadow beyond. Then they slipped under the low bar, crossed the yard, skirted the house, and hurried towards the ditch from which the noise proceeded. The croaking ceased on their approach, and before the otter entered the water every frog had sought a hiding-place at the bottom. The otter had scarcely dived before she was out again with two frogs in her mouth. These she skinned and gave to the cubs. Finding the morsel44 toothsome, and learning that if they wanted more they must fish for themselves, they joined in the easy pursuit, and for the first time in their lives satisfied their hunger with prey of their own taking.
Finally, they quarrelled like little tigers over a frog, of which each claimed possession, and so loud a chattering81 did they make that the miller82 got out of bed and opened his window to learn the cause of the disturbance83. The creak of the sash silenced and alarmed them, and the next instant they and their mother were heading for the river at their best speed. An hour later the raiders started to return home by a route that took them wide of the mill where the danger lurked84, thus reaching the morass without mishap85; and the otter soon fell asleep, but the cubs lay awake thinking of an incident of the night. It was not the frogs that occupied their thoughts, not the bare yard or the fearsome trail across it, but the night-capped monster whom they still pictured as he appeared at the window.
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1
cubs
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| n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 ) | |
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cub
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| n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人 | |
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starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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otter
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| n.水獭 | |
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brawling
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| n.争吵，喧嚷 | |
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eel
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| n.鳗鲡 | |
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withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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wile
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| v.诡计，引诱；n.欺骗，欺诈 | |
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coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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wriggling
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的现在分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）；蠕蠕 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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hover
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| vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫 | |
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foraging
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| v.搜寻（食物），尤指动物觅（食）( forage的现在分词 )；（尤指用手）搜寻（东西） | |
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19
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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21
scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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nostrils
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| 鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 ) | |
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alder
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| n.赤杨树 | |
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disporting
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| v.嬉戏，玩乐，自娱( disport的现在分词 ) | |
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mimic
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| v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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gambols
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| v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的第三人称单数 ) | |
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romps
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| n.无忧无虑，快活( romp的名词复数 )v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的第三人称单数 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜 | |
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30
eddies
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| （水、烟等的）漩涡，涡流( eddy的名词复数 ) | |
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31
hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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32
salmon
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| n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的 | |
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regaining
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| 复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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concession
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| n.让步，妥协；特许(权) | |
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exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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trout
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| n.鳟鱼；鲑鱼(属) | |
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40
chatter
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| vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战 | |
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41
hiss
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| v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满 | |
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42
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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43
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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44
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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46
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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47
vent
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| n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄 | |
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48
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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49
crouch
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| v.蹲伏，蜷缩，低头弯腰；n.蹲伏 | |
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50
lumbering
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| n.采伐林木 | |
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51
badger
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| v.一再烦扰，一再要求，纠缠 | |
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52
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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53
consternation
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| n.大为吃惊，惊骇 | |
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54
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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55
lull
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| v.使安静，使入睡，缓和，哄骗；n.暂停，间歇 | |
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56
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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57
otters
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| n.（水）獭( otter的名词复数 )；獭皮 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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sodden
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| adj.浑身湿透的；v.使浸透；使呆头呆脑 | |
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whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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61
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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62
hissing
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| n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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sockets
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| n.套接字，使应用程序能够读写与收发通讯协定(protocol)与资料的程序( Socket的名词复数 )；孔( socket的名词复数 )；（电器上的）插口；托座；凹穴 | |
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bristling
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| a.竖立的 | |
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65
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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gambolling
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| v.蹦跳，跳跃，嬉戏( gambol的现在分词 ) | |
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heralded
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| v.预示( herald的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布（好或重要） | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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eddying
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| 涡流，涡流的形成 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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74
freckled
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| adj.雀斑；斑点；晒斑；（使）生雀斑v.雀斑，斑点( freckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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turquoise
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| n.绿宝石；adj.蓝绿色的 | |
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76
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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80
croaking
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| v.呱呱地叫( croak的现在分词 )；用粗的声音说 | |
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81
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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83
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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84
lurked
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| vi.潜伏，埋伏（lurk的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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85
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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