THE BROWNIES AT NIAGARA FALLS.

 THE Brownies' Band, while passing through

The country with some scheme in view,

Paused in their race, and well they might,

When broad Niagara came in sight.

Said one: "Give ear to what I say,

I've been a traveler in my day;

I've waded¹ through Canadian mud

To Montmorenci's tumbling flood.

But ah! Niagara is the fall

That truly overtops them all—

The children prattle² of its tide,

And age repeats its name with pride

The school-boy draws it on his slate³,

The preacher owns its moral weight;

The tourist views it dumb with awe⁴,

The Indian paints it for his squaw,

And tells how many a warrior⁵ true

Went o'er it in his bark canoe,

And never after friend or foe⁶

Got sight of man or boat below."

Another said: "The Brownie Band

Upon the trembling brink⁷ may stand,

 

Where kings and queens have sighed to be,

But dare not risk themselves at sea."

Some played along the shelving ledge⁸

That beetled⁹ o'er the river's edge;

Some gazed in meditation¹⁰ deep

Upon the water's fearful leap;

Some went below, to crawl about

Behind the fall, that shooting out

Left space where they might safely stand

And view the scene so wild and grand.

Some climbed the trees of cedar¹¹ kind,

That o'er the rushing stream inclined,

 

To find a seat, to swing and frisk

 

And bend the boughs¹² at fearful risk;

Until the rogues¹³ could dip and lave

Their toes at times beneath the wave.

Still more and more would venture out

In spite of every warning shout.

At last the weight that dangled¹⁴ there

Was greater than the tree could bear.

 

And then the snapping roots let go

Their hold upon the rocks below,

And leaping out away it rode

Upon the stream with all its load!

 

Then shouts that rose above the roar

Went up from tree-top, and from shore,

When it was thought that half the band

Was now forever leaving land.

It chanced, for reasons of their own,

 

Some men around that tree had thrown

A lengthy¹⁵ rope that still was strong

And stretching fifty feet along.

Before it disappeared from sight,

The Brownies seized it in their might,

And then a strain for half an hour

Went on between the mystic power

Of Brownie hands united all,

And water rushing o'er the fall.

But true to friends the

Brownies strained,

And inch by inch the tree was gained.

Across the awful bend it passed

With those in danger clinging fast,

 

And soon it reached the rocky shore

With all the Brownies safe once more.

And then, as morning showed her face,

The Brownies hastened from the place.

 

1 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

2 prattle   

n.闲谈；v.（小孩般）天真无邪地说话；发出连续而无意义的声音

参考例句：

• Amy's happy prattle became intolerable.艾美兴高采烈地叽叽喳喳说个不停，汤姆感到无法忍受。
• Flowing water and green grass witness your lover's endless prattle.流水缠绕，小草依依，都是你诉不尽的情话。

3 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

4 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

5 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

6 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

7 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

8 ledge   

n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁

参考例句：

• They paid out the line to lower him to the ledge.他们放出绳子使他降到那块岩石的突出部分。
• Suddenly he struck his toe on a rocky ledge and fell.突然他的脚趾绊在一块突出的岩石上，摔倒了。

9 beetled   

v.快速移动( beetle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The prospect of bankruptcy beetled over him. 破产的前景威胁着他。 来自辞典例句
• The asker beetled off without waiting for an answer. 询问者不等回答就匆匆离去了。 来自互联网

10 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

11 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

12 boughs   

大树枝( bough的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The green boughs glittered with all their pearls of dew. 绿枝上闪烁着露珠的光彩。
• A breeze sighed in the higher boughs. 微风在高高的树枝上叹息着。

13 rogues   

n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽

参考例句：

• 'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

14 dangled   

悬吊着( dangle的过去式和过去分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口

参考例句：

• Gold charms dangled from her bracelet. 她的手镯上挂着许多金饰物。
• It's the biggest financial incentive ever dangled before British footballers. 这是历来对英国足球运动员的最大经济诱惑。

15 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。