Spotted Tail had aspired3 to leadership of the family after Old Blind Rabbit’s death. In fact, he had been acting4 in that capacity for some time before Bumper appeared, but always taking his orders from their old blind leader. The sudden elevation5 of the white rabbit to the position he coveted6 had not improved his temper.
There were several others who sympathized with Spotted Tail, and the division in the sentiment of the burrow7 made Bumper feel uncomfortable. He was no exception to the rule that “uneasy rests the head that wears a crown”, although in his case it was a crown in name only, that he wore.
But his first triumph in leading the pack gave 17him new courage, and perhaps a little bumptiousness8. “All I’ve got to do,” he reflected, “is to use my wits. That’s what saved me from Mr. Crow and Mr. Fox.”
So Bumper began to study the ways of his country people more carefully. He made friends with Fuzzy Wuzz, and she taught him many things. For one, that it was much easier to lead the young people into new ways than the old ones.
But on the other hand Bumper found that the young rabbits were inclined to be careless and reckless, which often got them in trouble. Indeed, Fuzzy Wuzz herself was apt to make mistakes by doing things an older and more experienced rabbit would not.
But it was Bumper who made the greatest mistake of all the young ones, and through his ignorance nearly lost all the glory he had gained in leading his followers9 away from the hunters. It happened on the third trip from the burrow.
Goggle10 Eyes, a fat, lazy rabbit, who was forever stuffing himself, and thinking of his stomach, reported a wonderful feeding ground in a clearing where a woodsman had put up a cabin and planted fields of turnips12, cabbages, lettuce13 and other luscious14 vegetables.
“He’s away all day,” said Goggle Eyes, “and 18we don’t have to wait until dark to raid his patch. I crossed it to-day, and ate some of the most delicious turnips I ever tasted. I’ll lead you to it.”
This was good news to the rabbits, for it was a long time since any of them had tasted turnips or cabbages. They don’t grow in the wild woods, and even Bumper hadn’t had a smell of one since he left the red-headed girl’s garden.
They were all eager to visit the field, and bright and early, under Goggle Eyes’s leadership, they sallied forth15. The way was through the heart of the big woods, and then along a beautiful stream of water until they came to the clearing.
The field of vegetables was some distance from the cabin, and after Goggle Eyes announced that the coast was clear, they hopped16 through the rail fence, and began greedily filling their little stomachs. What a feast it was! Nothing had ever tasted better to Bumper and he munched17 the succulent leaves of the cabbages and lettuce and the thick, fleshy turnips until it seemed as if he couldn’t eat another mouthful.
Then out of sheer happiness he rolled around in the field. The younger rabbits, taking this as a signal for play, began rolling and frolicking around, too, chasing each other’s tails in and out among the vegetables. Bumper forgot all the 19dignity of a king and played the hardest of any.
Goggle Eyes picked off a big cabbage leaf and tried to hide from the others under it. Spotted Tail jerked up a small turnip11 by the roots, and threw it over his head at him. Fuzzy Wuzz kicked up her hind18 legs and sent a shower of dirt all over Goggle Eyes hiding under the leaf.
Not to be outdone by the others, Bumper looked around for something to throw. Near him, hanging from a low branch of a bush, was a big gray ball that wasn’t either a vegetable or a stone. He bumped against it with his nose, and found it so light that he could lift it with his front paws easily.
“Look out!” he shouted gleefully. “I’m going to throw this ball at you, Goggle Eyes!”
All the players turned, and when they saw what it was they looked a little horrified19, and then taking Bumper’s threat as a joke they laughed.
“I dare you to do it!” exclaimed Spotted Tail.
This dare was accepted at once.
“Stand back, all of you, then!” Bumper added. “I want to aim straight. No,” he continued, changing his mind, “I won’t throw it at Goggle Eyes. I’ll toss it up in the air, and
‘What goes up must come down,
Either on heads or on the ground.’”
20“You can’t do it, Bumper!” exclaimed one of the older rabbits.
“Can’t do it!” retorted Bumper, puffing20 up his cheeks at what he considered a challenge to his strength. The ball was twice the size of his head, and at a distance looked big and heavy. But Bumper had tested its weight, and found it light and easy to handle. Here was a good chance to make them think he was strong and muscular.
He laughed good-naturedly, and added: “I’ll show you if I can’t! I’ve thrown bigger balls than this one.”
He turned to grab it in his two front paws, but Fuzzy Wuzz turned suddenly pale, and cried:
“Oh, Bumper, don’t—please don’t!”
Proud of the attention he was attracting, and pleased at the thought that Fuzzy Wuzz didn’t want to see him strain himself, he smiled, and put all the strength he had in the pull that loosened the big ball from the twig21. After that it was easy to lift it in his two paws. It was almost as light as a toy balloon.
All the rabbits set up an exclamation22 of surprise and horror. “Oh! Oh! Run!” they shouted.
Of course, Bumper thought this was from fear that the ball might be thrown at them, and he 21smiled. But when they all scampered23 away to a great distance, and a queer humming sound came out of the ball he held in his paws, he began to wonder if he had made a mistake through ignorance.
It did not take him long to find out. The humming and buzzing inside the ball increased, and then out of one end appeared Mr. Yellow Jacket and his wife and all their children. The ball was a hornet’s nest, and the irate24 family were pouring out of their home pell-mell.
Bumper felt a sharp sting on the end of his ear, a sting like the pricking25 of a thousand needles, and another on the tip of his nose. With that he gave a squeal26 of pain, and threw the ball far from him. The next he scampered away after the others, pursued by a dozen angry Yellow Jackets.
It was not until they were at a safe distance that they stopped. Then Spotted Tail turned to Bumper, and said:
“What an idiot you were! Or didn’t you know it was Mr. Yellow Jacket’s home?”
Bumper was on the point of confessing his ignorance when he thought of the consequence. A king should know everything, and to admit he didn’t know a hornet’s nest from a ball would be a terrible blow to his pride. So he suppressed 22the groan27 that the pain on his ear and nose caused, and said indignantly:
“Know it was Mr. Yellow Jacket’s home! Why, what an idea! But somebody had to pull it down, or Fuzzy Wuzz and the children might get stung. It was better that I should suffer than they, wasn’t it?”
Which speech they all applauded, and said that Bumper was as brave as he was wise.
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1
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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2
bumper
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| n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的 | |
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3
aspired
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| v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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4
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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5
elevation
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| n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高 | |
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6
coveted
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| adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图 | |
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7
burrow
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| vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞 | |
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bumptiousness
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9
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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10
goggle
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| n.瞪眼，转动眼珠，护目镜；v.瞪眼看，转眼珠 | |
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11
turnip
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| n.萝卜，芜菁 | |
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12
turnips
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| 芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表 | |
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13
lettuce
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| n.莴苣；生菜 | |
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14
luscious
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| adj.美味的；芬芳的；肉感的，引与性欲的 | |
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15
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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16
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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17
munched
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| v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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19
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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20
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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21
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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22
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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23
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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24
irate
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| adj.发怒的，生气 | |
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25
pricking
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| 刺，刺痕，刺痛感 | |
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26
squeal
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| v.发出长而尖的声音；n.长而尖的声音 | |
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27
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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