Honeyball was a good-humoured, easy kind of creature. Very ready to do a kindness if it cost her little trouble, but lazy as any drone in the hive. Honeyball would have liked to live all day in the bell of a foxglove, with nothing to disturb her in her idle feast. It was said in the hive that[37] more than, once she had been known to sip3 so much, that at last she had been unable to rise, and for hours had lain helpless on the ground. Sipsyrup, who, like other vain, silly creatures, was very fond of talking about other people’s concerns, had even whispered that Honeyball had been seen busy at one of the provision-cells stored for the winter’s use, which it is treason in a bee to touch; but as those who talk much generally talk a little nonsense, we may hope that there was no real ground for the story.
Waxywill was one of whom such a report would never have been believed; there was not a more honourable4 or temperate5 worker in the hive. Yet Stickasting herself was scarcely less liked, so peevish6 and perverse7 was the temper of this bee. If desired to do anything, it was sure to be the very thing which she did not fancy. Were cells to be built—she could not bear moping indoors; if asked to bring honey—she always found out that her wings were tired. She could[38] not bear submission8 to the laws of the hive, and once actually shook her wings at the queen! When she flew to help Silverwing, it was less out of kindness to her than the love of opposing Stickasting. And yet Waxywill was not an ungenerous bee; she had more sense too than insects generally possess; she would have been respected and even loved in the hive, had not her stubborn, wilful9 temper spoilt all.
We will now follow Sipsyrup in her hasty flight, as, leaving both her friend and her charges behind, she made her retreat from Stickasting. How delightful10 she found the fine fresh air, after the heated hive! Now up, now down, she pursued her varying course, sometimes humming for a moment around some fragrant11 flower, then, even before she had tasted its contents, deserting it for one yet more tempting12. Deeply she plunged13 her long tongue into its cup; her curious pliable14 tongue, so carefully guarded by Nature in a nicely fitting sheath.[39] “Sheathe your tongue!” was an expression which the gossipping little bee had heard more often than she liked, especially from the mouth of Waxywill. It might be an expressive15 proverb in other places than Bee-land, for there are tongues whose words are more cutting than swords, that much need the sheath of discretion16.
The movements of the lively insect were watched with much interest by Spinaway the spider, from her quiet home in a rosebush. Sipsyrup, disdaining17 the narrow garden of the school, had winged her way over the wall, and turning into a narrow green lane that was near, was now sporting with the blossoms by Mrs. Wingfield’s porch. Spinaway was a clever, artful spider, somewhat ambitious too in her way. She had made her web remarkably18 firm and strong, and expected to be rewarded by nobler game than the little aphis, or bony gnat19. She had once succeeded in capturing a blue-bottle fly, and this perhaps it was that raised[40] her hopes so high, that she did not despair of having a bee in her larder20.
“Good-morning,” said Spinaway in a soft, coaxing21 tone, as Sipsyrup came fluttering near her. “You seem to have travelled some distance, my friend, and if you should like to rest yourself here, I am sure that you would be heartily22 welcome.”
Sipsyrup was a young, inexperienced bee, but she did not much fancy the looks of the spider, with her hunchback and long hairy legs. She politely, therefore, declined the invitation, and continued her feast in a flower.
“I am really glad to see a friend in a nice quiet way,” continued the persevering24 spider. “I find it very dull to sit here all day; I would give anything to have wings like a bee.”
Sipsyrup, who loved gossip, advanced a little nearer, taking care to keep clear of the web.
“I do long to hear a little news of the[41] world, to know what passes in your wonderful hive. I am curious to learn about your queen; your manner and style of dress is such, that I am sure that you must have been much about the court.”
Settling upon a leaf, still at a safe distance, Sipsyrup indulged her taste for chit-chat, glad to have so attentive25 a listener. Spinaway soon heard all the gossip of the hive,—how the present queen had killed in single combat the queen of another swarm26, whilst the bees of both nations watched the fight; and how the hostile band, when they saw their queen dead, had submitted to the conqueror27 at once. How a slug had last morning crept into the hive and frightened her out of her wits, but had been put to death by fierce Stickasting before it had crawled more than an inch. Sipsyrup then related—and really for once her conversation was very amusing—all the difficulties and perplexity of the people of the hive as to how to get rid of the body of the intruder.[42] She herself had been afraid to venture near the monster, but Silverwing and the rest had striven with all their might to remove the dead slug from their hive.
“And did they succeed?” said Spinaway, much interested.
“Oh, it was quite impossible to drag out the slug! We were in such distress—such a thing in the hive—our hive always kept so neat and clean that not a scrap28 of wax is left lying about!”
“What did you do?” said the spider; “it really was a distressing29 affair.”
“Waxywill thought of a plan for preventing annoyance30. She proposed that we should cover the slug all over with wax, so that it should rather appear like a piece of the comb than a dead creature left in the hive.”
“A capital plan!” cried Spinaway. “And was the thing done?”
“Yes, it was, and before the day was over.”
“So there Mrs. Slug remains31 in a white[43] wrapping,” laughed the spider; “a warning to those who go where they are not wanted. You were, I daresay, one of the foremost in the work.”
“Not I; I would not have touched the ugly creature with one of my feelers!”
“I beg your pardon!” said the spider; “indeed, I might have judged by your appearance that nothing but the most refined and elegant business would ever be given to you. You look as though you had never touched anything rougher than a rose.”
This speech put Sipsyrup in high good-humour; she began to think that she had judged the spider harshly, and that she really was an agreeable creature in spite of her ugly hunch23.
“If you speak of delicate work,” observed the bee very politely, “I never saw anything so fine as your web.”
“It is tolerably well finished,” said the spider with a bow; “would you honour me by a closer inspection32?”
[44]“Oh, thank you, I’m not curious in these matters,” replied Sipsyrup, still feeling a little doubtful of her new friend.
“You have doubtless remarked,” said Spinaway, “that each thread is composed of about five thousand others, all joined together.”
“No, really, I had no idea of that—how wonderfully fine they must be!”
“I am surprised that you did not see it; at least if the powers of your eyes equal their beauty. I never beheld33 anything like them before—their violet colour, their beautiful shape, cut, as it were, into hundreds of divisions, like fine honey-comb cells, and studded all over with most delicate hair. I would give my eight eyes for your two!”
“I would give anything to see them, if they are but equal to the faceted35 ones. No creature in the world could boast of such a[45] set! Might I beg—would you favour me?”—
Silly Sipsyrup! foolish bee! not the first, however, nor, I fear, the last, to be caught by sugary words. Blinded by vanity, forward she flew—touched the sticky, clammy web—entangled her feet—struggled to get free—in vain, in vain!—quivered her wings in terrified efforts—shook the web with all her might—but could not escape. Her artful foe36 looked eagerly on, afraid to approach until the poor bee should have exhausted37 herself by her struggles. Ah, better for Sipsyrup had she kept in her hive, had she spent all the day in making bee-bread, to feed the little larv? in their cells!
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
motives
|
|
| n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
dispositions
|
|
| 安排( disposition的名词复数 )； 倾向； （财产、金钱的）处置； 气质 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
sip
|
|
| v.小口地喝，抿，呷；n.一小口的量 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
honourable
|
|
| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
temperate
|
|
| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
peevish
|
|
| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
perverse
|
|
| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
submission
|
|
| n.服从，投降；温顺，谦虚；提出 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
wilful
|
|
| adj.任性的，故意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
delightful
|
|
| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
fragrant
|
|
| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
tempting
|
|
| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
plunged
|
|
| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
pliable
|
|
| adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
expressive
|
|
| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
discretion
|
|
| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
disdaining
|
|
| 鄙视( disdain的现在分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
18
remarkably
|
|
| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
gnat
|
|
| v.对小事斤斤计较，琐事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
larder
|
|
| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
coaxing
|
|
| v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的现在分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱；“锻炼”效应 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
heartily
|
|
| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
hunch
|
|
| n.预感，直觉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
persevering
|
|
| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
attentive
|
|
| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
swarm
|
|
| n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
conqueror
|
|
| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
scrap
|
|
| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
distressing
|
|
| a.使人痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
annoyance
|
|
| n.恼怒，生气，烦恼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
remains
|
|
| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
inspection
|
|
| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
beheld
|
|
| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
mightily
|
|
| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
faceted
|
|
| adj. 有小面的，分成块面的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
foe
|
|
| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |