THE BROWNIES' TALLY-HO.

 AS shades of evening closed around,

The Brownies, from some wooded ground,

Looked out to view with staring eye

A Tally-Ho, then passing by.

Around the park they saw it roll,

Now sweeping¹ round a wooded knoll²,

Now rumbling³ o'er an arching bridge,

Now hid behind a rocky ridge⁴,

Now wheeling out again in view

To whirl along some avenue.

They hardly could restrain a shout

When they observed the grand turnout.

The long, brass⁵ horn, that trilled so loud,

The prancing⁶ horses, and the crowd

 

Of people perched so high in air

Pleased every wondering Brownie there.

Said one: "A rig like this we see

 

Would suit the Brownies to a T!

And I'm the one, here let me say,

To put such pleasures in our way:

I know the very place to go

To-night to find a Tally-Ho.

It never yet has borne a load

Of happy hearts along the road;

But, bright and new in every part

'Tis ready for an early start.

The horses in the stable stand

With harness ready for the hand;

If all agree, we'll take a ride

For miles across the country wide."

Another said: "The plan is fine;

You well deserve to head the line;

But, on the road, the reins⁷ I'll draw;

 

I know the way to 'gee⁸' and 'haw,'

And how to turn a corner round,

And still keep wheels upon the ground."

Another answered: "No, my friend,

We'll not on one alone depend;

But three or four the reins will hold,

That horses may be well controlled.

The curves are short, the hills are steep,

The horses fast, and ditches deep,

And at some places half the band

May have to take the lines in hand."

 

That night, according to their plan,

The Brownies to the stable ran;

Through swamps they cut to reach the place,

 

And cleared the fences in their race

As lightly as the swallow flies

To catch its morning meal supplies.

Though, in the race, some clothes were soiled,

And stylish⁹ shoes completely spoiled,

 

Across the roughest hill or rock

They scampered¹⁰ like a frightened flock,

Now o'er inclosures knee and knee,

With equal speed they clambered free

And soon with faces all aglow¹¹

They crowded round the Tally-Ho;

 

But little time they stood to stare

Or smile upon the strange affair.

As many hands make labor¹² light,

And active fingers win the fight,

Each busy Brownie played his part,

And soon 't was ready for the start.

But ere they took their seats to ride

By more than one the horns were tried,

Each striving with tremendous strain

The most enlivening sound to gain,

 

And prove he had a special right

To blow the horn throughout the night.

 

Though some were crowded in a seat,

And some were forced to keep their feet

Or sit upon another's lap,

And some were hanging to a strap¹³,

With merry laugh and ringing shout,

And tooting horns, they drove about.

A dozen miles, perhaps, or more,

The lively band had traveled o'er,

Commenting on their happy lot

And keeping horses on the trot¹⁴,

 

When, as they passed a stunted¹⁵ oak

A wheel was caught, the axle broke!

Then some went out with sudden pitch,

And some were tumbled in the ditch,

And one jumped off to save his neck,

While others still hung to the wreck¹⁶.

 

Confusion reigned¹⁷, for coats were rent,

And hats were crushed, and horns were bent¹⁸,

 

And what began with fun and clatter¹⁹

Had turned to quite a serious matter.

 

Some blamed the drivers, others thought

The tooting horns the trouble brought.

More said, that they small wisdom showed,

Who left the root so near the road.

But while they talked about their plight²⁰

Upon them burst the morning light

With all the grandeur²¹ and the sheen

That June could lavish²² on the scene.

So hitching²³ horses where they could,

The Brownies scampered for the wood.

And lucky were the Brownies spry:

A dark and deep ravine was nigh

That seemed to swallow them alive

 

So quick were they to jump and dive,

To safely hide from blazing day

That fast had driven night away,

And forced them to leave all repairs

To other heads and hands than theirs.

 

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 knoll   

n.小山，小丘

参考例句：

• Silver had terrible hard work getting up the knoll.对于希尔弗来说，爬上那小山丘真不是件容易事。
• He crawled up a small knoll and surveyed the prospect.他慢腾腾地登上一个小丘，看了看周围的地形。

3 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

4 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

5 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

6 prancing   

v.（马）腾跃( prance的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The lead singer was prancing around with the microphone. 首席歌手手执麦克风，神气地走来走去。
• The King lifted Gretel on to his prancing horse and they rode to his palace. 国王把格雷特尔扶上腾跃着的马，他们骑马向天宫走去。 来自辞典例句

7 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

8 gee   

n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转

参考例句：

• Their success last week will gee the team up.上星期的胜利将激励这支队伍继续前进。
• Gee,We're going to make a lot of money.哇！我们会赚好多钱啦！

9 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

10 scampered   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

11 aglow   

adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地

参考例句：

• The garden is aglow with many flowers.园中百花盛开。
• The sky was aglow with the setting sun.天空因夕阳映照而发红光。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

13 strap   

n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎

参考例句：

• She held onto a strap to steady herself.她抓住拉手吊带以便站稳。
• The nurse will strap up your wound.护士会绑扎你的伤口。

14 trot   

n.疾走，慢跑；n.老太婆；现成译本；(复数）trots:腹泻（与the 连用）；v.小跑，快步走，赶紧

参考例句：

• They passed me at a trot.他们从我身边快步走过。
• The horse broke into a brisk trot.马突然快步小跑起来。

15 stunted   

adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

16 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

17 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

19 clatter   

v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声

参考例句：

• The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.碟子碗碰得丁丁当当的。
• Don't clatter your knives and forks.别把刀叉碰得咔哒响。

20 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

21 grandeur   

n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华

参考例句：

• The grandeur of the Great Wall is unmatched.长城的壮观是独一无二的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place.这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

22 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

23 hitching   

搭乘； （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的现在分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上

参考例句：

• The farmer yoked the oxen before hitching them to the wagon. 农夫在将牛套上大车之前先给它们套上轭。
• I saw an old man hitching along on his stick. 我看见一位老人拄着手杖蹒跚而行。