The Bishop’s Story

A Bishop¹ was coming to see the Pack—a very, very agèd Bishop, very holy and very wise. The Cubs² felt rather nervous. But, of course, it was a great honour. They scrubbed out their headquarters, and decorated it with evergreens³. And they arranged a Council Rock for the Bishop to sit on—a big wooden armchair.

“When you have given the Bishop a Grand Howl,” said the Cubmaster, “he will sit on the Council Rock and speak a few words to you.”

“Will it be a sermon?” asked the Cubs, pulling long faces. They didn’t like sermons, you see.

“Yes,” said the Cubmaster.
128

When the Bishop arrived he had such merry, little twinkling eyes and such a kind smile that the Cubs were not a bit afraid of him. He talked in such a jolly way that they quite forgot how very respectful they ought to be; and they crowded round him and all told him things at the same time. And when it came to the Grand Howl, they shouted louder than they had ever shouted before, because they thought the greater and older and holier the Old Wolf on the Council Rock was, the louder they ought to shout!

Then the Bishop sat down.

“Now, I suppose, I’m expected to preach you a sermon?” he said. “But I know you all hate sermons.”

The boys looked abashed⁴, and wondered how he had read their thoughts.

“Well,” said the Bishop, “it shall only be a very short sermon. But first I’ll tell you a story. I know you all love stories.”

“Oh, yes!” said the Cubs all together, their eyes sparkling.
129

“Then all squat⁵ down, like the young wolves in the jungle, and prick⁶ up your ears, and listen to this old, old Wolf. It is a story someone told to me when I was a little boy.”

1 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

2 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 evergreens   

n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The leaves of evergreens are often shaped like needles. 常绿植物的叶常是针形的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pine, cedar and spruce are evergreens. 松树、雪松、云杉都是常绿的树。 来自辞典例句

4 abashed   

adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked suitably abashed. 他怪罪的一瞥，朱丽叶自然显得很窘。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The girl was abashed by the laughter of her classmates. 那小姑娘因同学的哄笑而局促不安。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 squat   

v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的

参考例句：

• For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
• He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。

6 prick   

v.刺伤，刺痛，刺孔；n.刺伤，刺痛

参考例句：

• He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时，他感到剧烈的疼痛。
• He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳，气球就爆了。