Suddenly a bluebird flew across. It settled on a bush starry1 with wild white roses. It put its head on one side and looked at Kitty with the brightest, friendliest eyes. It was quite blue, except for a tuft of golden feathers on its head, and a line of golden feathers round its neck like a fairy necklace. Kitty had never seen anything so wonderful as this bluebird. She stopped to look at it, and the bird looked back at her with its winning eyes. Kitty advanced on tiptoe, and it fluttered a little further into the wood. As it flew off it uttered a note.
“Listen!” said the naughty sprite, lifting its paw and giving Kitty a pat.
238What a note that was! “Glug! glug! glug!” deep as the whistle of a bullfinch, then “Tri—ll—ill—ill!” it went like a lark2 caroling up in the sky; then suddenly the song changed, and now it was like a nightingale singing in the moonlight. Kitty’s heart swelled3 as she listened to the song of the beautiful creature, and as it sang it skimmed through the wood, now floating like a sea-gull on blue wings, now balancing itself on the branch of one of the forest trees.
“Come on! Do not put off any longer. It sings to keep you from following the star,” whispered the guardian5 child.
“Ah! let me listen a moment!” pleaded Kitty.
“Listen! listen!” said the naughty sprite, and down it gamboled from Kitty’s shoulder, seeming to call and to entice6 the bird, which flew out of the wood and perched on a bough7 singing; the tuft of golden feathers on its head stood up like a crown, its golden necklace rose like a ruff round its throat.
The sprite laughed, tossed back its head, 239frisked about, keeping time to the bluebird’s song. Kitty thought it was the prettiest sight.
“Watch the star! The bird is a temptation—it is idle pleasure. See, it plays with your naughty sprite. It sings to lead you astray,” whispered the guardian child, and its pink wings fluttered in a tremor8 of anxiety.
Still Kitty lingered.
“Come on, for Johnnie’s sake—to win a Christmas blessing9 for Johnnie!” urged the guardian child.
Kitty turned quickly in the direction to which the guardian child pointed10. The star was gliding11 no longer over the pleasant wood; its course lay over a path that was very steep, bordered by no flowers, shaded by no overhanging trees. She ran some steps, and her guardian child pressed its rosy12 wings against her ears to muffle13 the song of the bird.
But louder and louder it sang, and that piercing melody seemed to coil itself like a string round Kitty’s heart, pulling her back. She stopped running. The bird seemed to 240sing of frolics, and Kitty felt as if games of four-corners, blind-man’s-buff, hide-and-go-seek were all hustling14 and bustling15 about in her head, and tingling16 in her feet. She turned to look.
“Don’t!” murmured her guardian child.
But Kitty looked. The naughty sprite and the bluebird were having a merry game. The bird flew as it sang and the sprite gamboled after it; it hid in the bushes and the sprite went frisking and seeking for it; then up the bluebird would fly and wheel round and round, 241singing as if a thousand musical glasses were tinkling18 in its throat. The sprite had the drollest air; jerking his head on one side and beckoning19 to Kitty.
“Oh! let me join in the game!” cried Kitty, and back she ran toward the bird and the sprite.
The guardian child flew around her, crying, “Do not play with your naughty sprite!”
As he spoke20 he spread his wings before Kitty’s eyes. But the music was in Kitty’s heart, in her ears, it seemed to be in her hair, in her feet—it was everywhere.
“I shall play!” she cried impatiently, and she pushed away her guardian child.
She did not hear his sob21, she did not notice that she had struck his wing and that some rosy feathers lay strewn on the ground. One little rosy feather had dropped on the bosom22 of her dress, and was caught there by the folds.
She did look round to see her guardian child, with drooping23 wing, growing paler and paler—vanishing away.
242Deeper and deeper flew the bird into the wood, and sweeter grew its song. The naughty sprite gamboled after it, Kitty gamboled after the sprite. A star rose in the wood; it was like a blue diamond; it did not glide24 above the tree-tops, it danced about the ground, as if it were dancing to the song of the bluebird. The naughty sprite scampered25 up the tree and pelted26 Kitty with acorns27; it now peeped at her from behind the trunks, now swung itself down and jumped into her arms all in a pant and tremble of play. And the bluebird wheeled and circled above Kitty’s head, and still it sang.
Skipping out of the wood came a hundred little creatures. They all had pointed ears, curly tails, and sparkling black eyes. They carried tiny lanterns that were blue and dazzling as the star. They were the merriest, most frolicsome28 of elves, but the friskiest29 and most fascinating of all was Kitty’s naughty self-sprite.
Louder sang the bird and louder; its song was now a dancing measure; it echoed through 243the forest as if gayety were the single spirit of the place. The blue star bounded and danced about the ground, here, there, everywhere, as if it had gone crazy with delight. The playful creatures danced and waved their lanterns, zigzag30, up and down, crossing, circling in a merry maze31. Kitty seized the fore4 paws of her naughty sprite, and dance, dance, dance they danced together. Livelier and livelier grew the bluebird’s song, and madder and madder grew the dance.
All at once—wh-ir-r—the bird’s melody had changed to something between a screech32 and a rattle33. Kitty looked up. Twinkle, twinkle, round and round, like a flaming Catherine wheel, the bluebird’s wings quivered and shook; its tuft of golden feathers disappeared from its head; the gold collar faded from its neck; the light that shone in its blue wings was extinguished, and instead of the bird there hung on the branch where it had perched a big black slug.
Kitty started. What a transformation34 scene! All around her moved a thousand foul35 and ugly 244shapes. The pretty frisking creatures had turned to scaly36 black beetles37 as big as rats: some wriggled38 like adders39; others looked like monster earwigs, with tails like pinchers; others were little men with heads of frogs; and the ugliest of all was her naughty sprite. It had cruel eyes, and its fur was black and coarse like bristles40. Once more it sprang 245upon her shoulder, and laughed and muttered, “No Christmas! No blessing! No Johnnie!”
Kitty felt quite cold. She looked round to her right shoulder. No guardian child perched there. She looked up to the sky for her guiding star, but it was gone. She was alone in the pathless woods with her naughty sprite grinning and muttering. It seemed to her also that a mist was closing around her. Then Kitty gave a great cry. “My guardian child! my guardian child!” she called.
Her cry was repeated by a thousand shrill41, mocking voices.
“No Christmas! No blessing! No Johnnie!”
“Look!” muttered the sprite, pointing.
Kitty perceived something lying white on the ground. At first she thought it was a lily, then she saw it was a pale white face, lying very still, with closed eyes and a rim42 of golden hair around its forehead. Was it Johnnie’s face?
As she peered fearfully to see, the mist gathered and hid it. Then she found that a 246dreadful thing was happening; the bushes were closing round her. She set off at a run to find an opening, but there was none—round and round—closer and closer the bushes gathered.
“Punishment Land!” muttered the sprite.
“Punishment Land!” echoed the mocking voices.
Faintly Kitty heard a sound of tramping. Little feet were running round and round, backward and forward, zigzag; rebellious43, weary, foolish, perplexed44 little feet.
Then she knew that she had fallen back, that she was in Disobedience Maze. It was the fog of Punishment Land that was rising about her, blotting45 out the sight of everything but of one little pink feather that lay, a rosy streak46, close to her heart.
“My guardian child! my guardian child!” she cried with all her might.
“You wounded it; you drove it away,” chuckled47 the evil sprite.
Kitty put her hands up to her ears to shut out that jeering48 voice. She cried the louder.
247“My guardian child! Forgive me! forgive me! Come back to me!”
There came a flutter of wings, something bright was flying toward her, piercing its way through the fog; yes, it was her guardian child dragging one wing, but bravely beating the air with the other, fluttering toward her, pale, its rainbow dress faintly shining, its eyes bright with tears.
“Because you trusted me Love sent me back to you,” it murmured as it nestled in Kitty’s outstretched arms. She burst into a great fit of grateful tears, while the sprite cowered49 and trembled.
“Hurry!” whispered the guardian child. “The star is gone. It will be difficult to find the path, but you must follow where I lead.”
A cry rose in Kitty’s heart: “I shall follow wherever you lead;” but she remembered how she had most disobeyed after she had most protested, so she sobbed50 and was silent.
Through the mist shone the rainbow-clothed form of the guardian child, and Kitty followed. Wherever her guide told her to plant her foot 248she placed it; through marshy51 ground that quivered and shook under her, where crawling things like living roots wound themselves about her feet, as if to drag her down, through narrow places where creatures that seemed all arms sought to clasp her and hold her back, over thorns that bruised52 and scratched her as she walked. Kitty followed her guardian child without a murmur17. Tormenting53 apparitions54 waved their tiny lanterns and showed her an easier path, but Kitty did not glance aside. She kept her eyes steadfastly55 fixed56 upon the rosy-winged figure that went before her. One question only lay heavy at her heart. That lily-white face she had seen through the mist, was it Johnnie’s dead face? Ah! had she lost the Christmas blessing?
All at once, when the way seemed most perplexing, the guardian child gave a cry and pointed upward. A light was breaking over the tree-tops. It was the star!
Out of the mist stepped Kitty and her guide, upon the pathway, and there pealed57 a chime of Christmas bells. Not distant bells, but clear 249and joyous58, filling the air. The sky was yellow as with the dawn; the summer had passed; the snow lay white on the ground.
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收听单词发音
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1
starry
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| adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的 | |
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lark
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| n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏 | |
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swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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entice
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| v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿 | |
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bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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8
tremor
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| n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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muffle
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| v.围裹；抑制；发低沉的声音 | |
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14
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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tingling
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| v.有刺痛感( tingle的现在分词 ) | |
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murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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20
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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22
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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23
drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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24
glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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scampered
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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26
pelted
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| （连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮 | |
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27
acorns
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| n.橡子，栎实( acorn的名词复数 ) | |
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28
frolicsome
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| adj.嬉戏的，闹着玩的 | |
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friskiest
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| adj.活泼的，闹着玩的( frisky的最高级 ) | |
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30
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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31
maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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32
screech
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| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
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33
rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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34
transformation
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| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
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35
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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36
scaly
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| adj.鱼鳞状的；干燥粗糙的 | |
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37
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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38
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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39
adders
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| n.加法器，（欧洲产）蝰蛇（小毒蛇），（北美产无毒的）猪鼻蛇( adder的名词复数 ) | |
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40
bristles
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| 短而硬的毛发，刷子毛( bristle的名词复数 ) | |
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41
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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42
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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43
rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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44
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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45
blotting
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| 吸墨水纸 | |
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46
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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47
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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49
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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50
sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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51
marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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52
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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53
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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54
apparitions
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| n.特异景象( apparition的名词复数 )；幽灵；鬼；（特异景象等的）出现 | |
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55
steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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56
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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57
pealed
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| v.（使）（钟等）鸣响，（雷等）发出隆隆声( peal的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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