When we tried to look out the spot for our house, we had to get a surveyor to go before us and cut a path through the dense5 underbrush that was laced together in a general network of boughs6 and leaves, and grew so high as to overtop our heads. Where the house stands, four or five great old oaks and chestnuts7 had to be cut away to let it in; and now it stands on the bank of the river, the edges of which are still overhung with old forest-trees, chestnuts and oaks, which look at themselves in the glassy stream.
A little knoll8 near the house was chosen for a garden-spot; a dense, dark mass of trees above, of bushes in mid-air, and of all sorts of ferns and wild-flowers and creeping vines on the ground. All these had to be cleared out, and a dozen great trees cut down and dragged off to a neighbouring saw-mill, there to be transformed into boards to finish off our house. Then, fetching a great machine, such as might be used to pull a giant’s teeth, with ropes, pulleys, oxen, and men, and might and main, we pulled out the stumps9, with their great prongs and their network of roots and fibres; and then, alas10! we had to begin with all the pretty wild, lovely bushes, and the checkerberries and ferns and wild blackberries and huckleberry-bushes, and dig them up remorselessly, that we might plant our corn and squashes. And so we got a house and a garden right out of the heart of our piece of wild wood, about a mile from the city of H-.
Well, then, people said it was a lonely place, and far from neighbours,—by which they meant that it was a good way for them to come to see us. But we soon found that whoever goes into the woods to live finds neighbours of a new kind, and some to whom it is rather hard to become accustomed.
For instance, on a fine day early in April, as we were crossing over to superintend the building of our house, we were startled by a striped snake, with his little bright eyes, raising himself to look at us, and putting out his red, forked tongue. Now there is no more harm in these little garden-snakes than there is in a robin11 or a squirrel—they are poor little, peaceable, timid creatures, which could not do any harm if they would; but the prejudices of society are so strong against them that one does not like to cultivate too much intimacy12 with them. So we tried to turn out of our path into a tangle13 of bushes; and there, instead of one, we found four snakes. We turned on the other side, and there were two more. In short, everywhere we looked, the dry leaves were rustling14 and coiling with them; and we were in despair. In vain we said that they were harmless as kittens, and tried to persuade ourselves that their little bright eyes were pretty, and that their serpentine15 movements were in the exact line of beauty: for the life of us, we could not help remembering their family name and connections; we thought of those disagreeable gentlemen the anacondas, the rattlesnakes, and the copper-heads, and all of that bad line, immediate16 family friends of the old serpent to whom we are indebted for all the mischief17 that is done in this world. So we were quite apprehensive18 when we saw how our new neighbourhood was infested19 by them, until a neighbour calmed our fears by telling us that snakes always crawled out of their holes to sun themselves in the spring, and that in a day or two they would all be gone.
So it proved. It was evident they were all out merely to do their spring shopping, or something that serves with them the same purpose that spring shopping does with us; and where they went afterwards we do not know. People speak of snakes’ holes, and we have seen them disappearing into such subterranean21 chambers22; but we never opened one to see what sort of underground housekeeping went on there. After the first few days of spring, a snake was a rare visitor, though now and then one appeared.
One was discovered taking his noontide repast one day in a manner which excited much prejudice. He was, in fact, regaling himself by sucking down into his maw a small frog, which he had begun to swallow at the toes, and had drawn23 about half down. The frog, it must be confessed, seemed to view this arrangement with great indifference24, making no struggle, and sitting solemnly, with his great unwinking eyes, to be sucked in at the leisure of his captor. There was immense sympathy, however, excited for him in the family circle; and it was voted that a snake which indulged in such very disagreeable modes of eating his dinner was not to be tolerated in our vicinity. So I have reason to believe that that was his last meal.
Another of our wild woodland neighbours made us some trouble. It was no other than a veritable woodchuck, whose hole we had often wondered at when we were scrambling25 through the underbrush after spring flowers. The hole was about the size of a peck-measure, and had two openings about six feet apart. The occupant was a gentleman we never had had the pleasure of seeing, but we soon learned his existence from his ravages26 in our garden. He had a taste, it appears, for the very kind of things we wanted to eat ourselves, and helped himself without asking. We had a row of fine, crisp heads of lettuce27, which were the pride of our gardening, and out of which he would from day to day select for his table just the plants we had marked for ours. He also nibbled28 our young beans; and so at last we were reluctantly obliged to let John Gardiner set a trap for him. Poor old simple-minded hermit29, he was too artless for this world! He was caught at the very first snap, and found dead in the trap,—the agitation30 and distress31 having broken his poor woodland heart, and killed him. We were grieved to the very soul when the poor fat old fellow was dragged out, with his useless paws standing32 up stiff and imploring33. As it was, he was given to Denis, our pig, which, without a single scruple34 of delicacy35, ate him up as thoroughly36 as he ate up the lettuce.
This business of eating, it appears, must go on all through creation. We eat ducks, turkeys, and chickens, though we don’t swallow them whole, feathers and all. Our four-footed friends, less civilized37, take things with more directness and simplicity38, and chew each other up without ceremony, or swallow each other alive. Of these unceremonious habits we had other instances.
Our house had a central court on the southern side, into which looked the library, dining-room, and front hall, as well as several of the upper chambers. It was designed to be closed in with glass, to serve as a conservatory39 in winter; and meanwhile we had filled it with splendid plumy ferns, taken up out of the neighbouring wood. In the centre was a fountain surrounded by stones, shells, mosses40, and various water-plants. We had bought three little goldfish to swim in our basin; and the spray of it, as it rose in the air and rippled41 back into the water, was the pleasantest possible sound of a hot day. We used to lie on the sofa in the hall, and look into the court, and fancy we saw some scene of fairy-land, and water-sprites coming up from the fountain. Suddenly a new-comer presented himself,—no other than an immense bull-frog, that had hopped42 up from the neighbouring river, apparently43 with a view to making a permanent settlement in and about our fountain. He was to be seen, often for hours, sitting reflectively on the edge of it, beneath the broad shadow of the calla-leaves. When sometimes missed thence, he would be found under the ample shield of a great bignonia, whose striped leaves grew hard by.
The family were prejudiced against him. What did he want there? It was surely some sinister44 motive45 impelled46 him. He was probably watching for an opportunity to gobble up the goldfish. We took his part, however, and strenuously47 defended his moral character, and patronized him in all ways. We gave him the name of Unke, and maintained that he was a well-conducted, philosophical48 old water-sprite, who showed his good taste in wanting to take up his abode49 in our conservatory. We even defended his personal appearance, praised the invisible-green coat which he wore on his back, and his gray vest, and solemn gold spectacles; and though he always felt remarkably50 slimy when we touched him, yet, as he would sit still and allow us to stroke his head and pat his back, we concluded his social feelings might be warm, notwithstanding a cold exterior51. Who knew, after all, but he might be a beautiful young prince, enchanted52 there till the princess should come to drop the golden ball into the fountain, and so give him a chance to marry her and turn into a man again? Such things, we are credibly53 informed, are matters of frequent occurrence in Germany. Why not here?
By-and-by there came to our fountain another visitor,—a frisky54, green young frog of the identical kind spoken of by the poet:—
“There was a frog lived in a well,
Rig dum pully metakimo.”
This thoughtless, dapper individual, with his bright green coat, his faultless white vest, and sea-green tights, became rather the popular favourite. He seemed just rakish and gallant55 enough to fulfil the conditions of the song:—
“The frog he would a-courting ride,
With sword and pistol by his side.”
This lively young fellow, whom we shall call Cri-Cri, like other frisky and gay young people, carried the day quite over the head of the solemn old philosopher under the calla-leaves. At night, when all was still, he would trill a joyous56 little note in his throat, while old Unke would answer only with a cracked guttural more singular than agreeable; and to all outward appearance the two were as good friends as their different natures would allow.
One day, however, the conservatory became the scene of a tragedy of the deepest dye. We were summoned below by shrieks57 and howls of horror. “Do pray come down and see what this vile59, nasty, horrid60 old frog has been doing!” Down we came; and there sat our virtuous61 old philosopher, with his poor little brother’s hind62 legs still sticking out of the corner of his mouth, as if he were smoking them for a cigar, all helplessly palpitating as they were. In fact, our solemn old friend had done what many a solemn hypocrite before has done,—swallowed his poor brother, neck and crop,—and sat there with the most brazen63 indifference, looking as if he had done the most proper and virtuous thing in the world.
Immediately he was marched out of the conservatory at the point of a walking-stick, and made to hop20 down to the river, into whose waters he splashed, and we saw him no more. We regret to say that the popular indignation was so precipitate64 in its results; otherwise the special artist who sketched66 Hum, the son of Buz, intended to have made a sketch65 of the old villain67, as he sat with his luckless victim’s hind legs projecting from his solemn mouth. With all his moral faults, he was a good sitter, and would probably have sat immovable any length of time that could be desired.
Of other woodland neighbours there were some which we saw occasionally. The shores of the river were lined here and there with the holes of the muskrats68; and in rowing by their settlements, we were sometimes strongly reminded of them by the overpowering odour of the perfume from which they get their name. There were also owls58, whose nests were high up in some of the old chestnut-trees. Often in the lonely hours of the night we could hear them gibbering with a sort of wild, hollow laugh among the distant trees. But one tenant69 of the woods made us some trouble in the autumn. It was a little flying-squirrel, who took to making excursions into our house in the night season, coming down the chimney into the chambers, rustling about among the clothes, cracking nuts or nibbling70 at any morsels71 of anything that suited his fancy. For a long time the inmates72 of the rooms were awakened73 in the night by mysterious noises, thumps74, and rappings, and so lighted candles, and searched in vain to find whence they came; for the moment any movement was made, the rogue75 whipped up the chimney, and left us a prey76 to the most mysterious alarms. What could it be?
But one night our fine gentleman bounced in at the window of another room, which had no fireplace; and the fair occupant, rising in the night, shut the window, without suspecting that she had cut off the retreat of any of her woodland neighbours. The next morning she was startled by what she thought a gray rat running past her bed. She rose to pursue him, when he ran up the wall, and clung against the plastering, showing himself very plainly a gray flying-squirrel, with large, soft eyes, and wings which consisted of a membrane77 uniting the fore1 paws to the hind ones, like those of a bat. He was chased into the conservatory, and a window being opened, out he flew upon the ground, and made away for his native woods, and thus put an end to many fears as to the nature of our nocturnal rappings.
So you see how many neighbours we found by living in the woods, and, after all, no worse ones than are found in the great world.
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1
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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glossy
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| adj.平滑的；有光泽的 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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chestnuts
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| n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马 | |
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knoll
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| n.小山，小丘 | |
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stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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serpentine
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| adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的 | |
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16
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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apprehensive
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| adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的 | |
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infested
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| adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于 | |
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hop
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| n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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chambers
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| n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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lettuce
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| n.莴苣；生菜 | |
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nibbled
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的过去式和过去分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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imploring
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| 恳求的，哀求的 | |
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scruple
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| n./v.顾忌，迟疑 | |
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delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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conservatory
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| n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的 | |
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mosses
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| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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41
rippled
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| 使泛起涟漪（ripple的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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42
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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43
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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impelled
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| v.推动、推进或敦促某人做某事( impel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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strenuously
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| adv.奋发地，费力地 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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49
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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50
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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51
exterior
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| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
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52
enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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53
credibly
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| ad.可信地；可靠地 | |
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54
frisky
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| adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地 | |
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55
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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56
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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57
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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owls
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| n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 ) | |
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vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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61
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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62
hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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63
brazen
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| adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的 | |
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64
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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65
sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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66
sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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67
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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68
muskrats
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| n.麝鼠（产于北美，毛皮珍贵）( muskrat的名词复数 ) | |
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69
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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70
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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71
morsels
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| n.一口( morsel的名词复数 )；（尤指食物）小块，碎屑 | |
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72
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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73
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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74
thumps
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| n.猪肺病；砰的重击声( thump的名词复数 )v.重击， （指心脏）急速跳动( thump的第三人称单数 ) | |
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75
rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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76
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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membrane
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| n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸 | |
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