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CHAPTER XI THE LAST ADVENTURE
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 “I wish it wasn’t such a wet day,” said Peggy, lying full length in the loft1 amongst the hay, and looking through the cobwebby little window at the driving rain.
“Why, what does the rain matter?” asked the Giant, coming through the roof, and lying down in the hay, too, with both legs dangling2 out of the trap-door. And the sunshine poured through the hole he had made, and a big patch of blue sky gleamed above it.
“Oh dear!” said Peggy, “I never noticed I had the Ring on! What waste of a wish! The garden boy said it was going to clear in half an hour anyway. Nannie thinks I’m in the garden,” she went on, “but I ran up[55] here out of the rain. Hadn’t we better go out again now it’s stopped?”
“Oh, do let’s stop here for a bit,” said the Giant. “I’m so stiff from yesterday’s digging. I stayed on and did a lot after you’d gone. Look here,” and he pulled handfuls of glittering red and green stones out of his pocket.
“I didn’t mean to go off suddenly like that,” said Peggy rather shamefacedly. “I hope you thanked the Pixies for us both?”
“Oh yes, that was all right,” said the Giant, scooping3 together all the hay within reach and making it into a pillow for his head. “By the way,” he went on lazily, staring up at the dusty beams, “do you realise this is our last adventure?”
“Why, so it is!” said Peggy with a gasp4. “Oh, how awful! I can’t bear to think I shan’t see you again,” and she caught hold of the Giant’s little finger and hugged it hard. “What shall I do without you?”
“Well, you must think of something very exciting indeed for our last day,” said the Giant. “And don’t go wasting wishes like you’ve been doing lately. It spoils all the fun.”
“The thing that puzzles me,” said Peggy, looking at her Ring as it gleamed and sparkled in that dark place, “is how much the Ring does, and how much you do? And why sometimes it doesn’t work till it’s turned, and why you can’t always bring me back without my having to use up a wish, and where you live when you’re not here, and——”
“Well, of all the inquisitive5 children you absolutely take the cake!” said the Giant. “I don’t think I’ve been asked so many questions for the last five hundred years at least.[56] I haven’t the slightest intention of answering one of them. Instead of being grateful for having so many wishes at a time, you begin grumbling——”
“O Giant, darling, I didn’t mean to grumble6!” cried Peggy. “I was only wondering. But I won’t ask any more questions, I promise you, if you’ll only think of some lovely exciting adventure for to-day. You think of such beautiful things always,” she added.
“Oh, that’s all very well!” said the Giant, but his voice sounded rather pleased. “Well now, let me see. This takes some thinking. What was it that that child and I did in 1350 or thereabouts? Oh yes, I remember. She wished all her toys to come alive. How would you like that?”
“Perhaps it would be rather fun,” said Peggy—and she wished it, but in rather a doubtful voice. “You’re sure it will be really exciting?” she asked....
“Listen to all that trampling,” said the Giant in reply, nibbling7 at a straw and blinking at the rafters.
Peggy raced to the loft door and looked down into the yard below, where an extraordinary sight met her eyes. For the whole place had suddenly become packed from end to end with every kind of animal, bird and insect, all rushing to and fro in the greatest state of excitement.
“Oh, do look down!” Peggy implored8 the Giant. “Where can they all have come from? There’s a camel, I’m sure. Oh, and there’s a lion going right off into the rose bed! What will John say? And there’s a funny old man in a long coat running about amongst them all! Who can he be?”
“Noah,” answered the Giant, “and it’s all the animals from your Noah’s Ark, of course. My word, you’ll have a lively time getting ’em in again! You’d better go down, I think.”
[57]Peggy ran down the steps, and Noah at once bustled9 up to her in a great state of mind.
“This coat of mine hampers10 me dreadfully,” he panted. “Do you think you could restore any kind of order? The tigers have got into the kitchen garden, and a dromedary and one, if not both, the leopards11, have gone down the high road towards the village!”
“Giant, Giant, come and help!” shouted Peggy, and the next moment the Giant was standing12 by her side, shaking pieces of hay off himself, which the few remaining animals immediately ate.
“He wants us to drive them up into the nursery again,” said Peggy. “You go that way,” and she pointed13 through the open gate into the kitchen garden, “and I’ll go round the house and get them out of the flower beds. And you,” to Noah, “run down the road after them!”
“Chuck, chuck, chuck,” she went on to a pair of red storks14 strutting15 to and fro in the perennial16 border, but they simply flew on to the top of the house and stared down at her; whilst an elephant, standing in the asparagus bed on the other side of the garden wall, chose at that moment to trumpet17 loudly, and nearly startled Peggy out of her wits.
“I don’t know how we’re to manage it!” she said at last to Noah, who reappeared driving a bright blue pig and a dromedary up the road. “It’s no fun, is it? I only wish we could all go for a ride or something exciting! How about that animal there?” and she pointed at a Giraffe engaged at the moment in licking a red creeper off one side of the house....
“Hold me tight!” said Noah very nervously18, as they all three found themselves on the Giraffe’s back and going at a brisk trot19 down the back drive. “Do hold me tight! I haven’t ridden for years.”
[58]“How lovely this is!” said Peggy, taking a firmer grip of Noah, who sat in front, and looking back at the Giant. “Are you all right?” she asked.
“At present I am,” he answered carefully, “though I really ought to have been in front for the weight, I suppose. Hulloa! What’s he doing now?”
For the Giraffe had no sooner turned into the high road than he began to proceed in a series of jumps, all four feet pressed close together, and rising a good deal higher than the hedges at each effort.
“Tell him to stop, Noah!” gasped20 Peggy. “You’re in front. Hurry up! I’m shaken to bits.”
“It’s no good,” moaned Noah. “I have, and he won’t listen. Oh, if we only had some reins21!”
“You must wish him to go slower,” said the Giant to Peggy in a faint voice. “I shall die if this goes on! It’s all your fault for saying ‘or something exciting’ after your wish. I forgot to tell you how very risky22 that was. Ah, thank you! That’s better,” for Peggy had wished, and the Giraffe at once quieted down into a walk—in fact into such a slow walk that it almost might have been called standing still.
“Get on!” said Peggy, digging her heels into the Giraffe’s back—but he went slower and slower still.
“Oh dear, you’ll have to get off and push, I’m afraid,” she said to the Giant. “We shall never get anywhere at all if you don’t. I’m not going to waste another wish on the horrid23 old thing!”
“All right,” said the Giant, getting off—but the more he pushed the slower the Giraffe went.
“Why, here we are at the village!” cried Peggy, as after half an hour’s steady pushing they turned a corner and saw a row of cottages stretching down the road on either side.[59] “Now get on again,” she said to the hot and tired Giant, “and we’ll ride grandly down to the shop and buy a pennyworth of sweets!”
“Who’s to buy them?” asked the Giant, wearily settling himself on the Giraffe’s back again (it was quite easy to get on and off because the creature really went so very slowly). “I can’t. I only frighten people.”
“Noah will—won’t you, Noah?” asked Peggy coaxingly24. “I can’t, because I’ve no pennies left at all!”
“But I haven’t a farthing on me either,” said Noah uncomfortably.
“Oh, never mind, have it entered!” said Peggy, pushing him off the Giraffe’s back. “Run along; we shan’t move far from here before you come back—and get acid drops if you can,” she added.
Noah obediently crossed the road and walked into the shop; and about one minute afterwards he reappeared, bearing two enormous bottles of pear-drops under each arm.
“Gracious me!” cried Peggy, jumping off the Giraffe, and followed by the Giant. “How quick you’ve been! And that’s not a pennyworth!”
“I know it isn’t,” said Noah. “But the woman made me take them. I asked her quite politely for a pennyworth, but instead of weighing them out like anyone else would, she fell down behind the counter and screamed, ‘Take anything you like, only go away!’ So I did. I chose all pear-drops because they’re my favourite sweets,” he added simply, putting two into his mouth at once.
“Oh you greedy!” cried Peggy. “Give us some at once! I’m very glad nobody sees us,” she added, looking anxiously up and down the village street; “they’d never believe the woman really gave them to you.”
And at that moment a perfect shout of delight rose up[60] in the road behind them, and Peggy, turning hastily round, saw a troup of Toys rushing towards them!
There were all the dolls she had ever had, all the people in every Fairybook she had ever looked at, and all her wooden carts and horses. There were all her Golliwogs and Teddy-bears, all the Ark animals again, all the rest of Noah’s family (who had been lost for years), all the dolls’ tea-sets, and even the big dolls’ house, and the rocking-horse, and all the balls and tops, and ninepins, and whips, and whistles, in fact every single thing that had ever lived in the Toy Cupboard in the Nursery.
“Found at last!” they screamed, dancing and leaping round Peggy. “Now let’s play a game. You choose!”

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 loft VkhyQ     
n.阁楼,顶楼
参考例句:
  • We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
  • By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下,他们就可以多出两间卧室。
2 dangling 4930128e58930768b1c1c75026ebc649     
悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 ); 摆动不定; 用某事物诱惑…; 吊胃口
参考例句:
  • The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now. 结果,那颗牙就晃来晃去吊在床柱上了。
  • The children sat on the high wall,their legs dangling. 孩子们坐在一堵高墙上,摇晃着他们的双腿。
3 scooping 5efbad5bbb4dce343848e992b81eb83d     
n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
参考例句:
  • Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
  • The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中,铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网
4 gasp UfxzL     
n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说
参考例句:
  • She gave a gasp of surprise.她吃惊得大口喘气。
  • The enemy are at their last gasp.敌人在做垂死的挣扎。
5 inquisitive s64xi     
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的
参考例句:
  • Children are usually inquisitive.小孩通常很好问。
  • A pat answer is not going to satisfy an inquisitive audience.陈腔烂调的答案不能满足好奇的听众。
6 grumble 6emzH     
vi.抱怨;咕哝;n.抱怨,牢骚;咕哝,隆隆声
参考例句:
  • I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
  • He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。
7 nibbling 610754a55335f7412ddcddaf447d7d54     
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
参考例句:
  • We sat drinking wine and nibbling olives. 我们坐在那儿,喝着葡萄酒嚼着橄榄。
  • He was nibbling on the apple. 他在啃苹果。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
8 implored 0b089ebf3591e554caa381773b194ff1     
恳求或乞求(某人)( implore的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She implored him to stay. 她恳求他留下。
  • She implored him with tears in her eyes to forgive her. 她含泪哀求他原谅她。
9 bustled 9467abd9ace0cff070d56f0196327c70     
闹哄哄地忙乱,奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 ); 催促
参考例句:
  • She bustled around in the kitchen. 她在厨房里忙得团团转。
  • The hostress bustled about with an assumption of authority. 女主人摆出一副权威的样子忙来忙去。
10 hampers aedee0b9211933f51c82c37a6b8cd413     
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • Prejudice sometimes hampers a person from doing the right thing. 有时候,偏见会妨碍人正确行事。
  • This behavior is the opposite of modeless feedback, and it hampers flow. 这个行为有悖于非模态的反馈,它阻碍了流。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
11 leopards 5b82300b95cf3e47ad28dae49f1824d1     
n.豹( leopard的名词复数 );本性难移
参考例句:
  • Lions, tigers and leopards are all cats. 狮、虎和豹都是猫科动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • For example, airlines never ship leopards and canaries on the same flight. 例如,飞机上从来不会同时运送豹和金丝雀。 来自英语晨读30分(初三)
12 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
13 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
14 storks fd6b10fa14413b1c399913253982de9b     
n.鹳( stork的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Meg and Jo fed their mother like dutiful young storks. 麦格和裘像一对忠实的小鹳似地喂她们的母亲。 来自辞典例句
  • They believe that storks bring new babies to the parents' home. 他们相信白鹤会给父母带来婴儿。 来自互联网
15 strutting 2a28bf7fb89b582054410bf3c6bbde1a     
加固,支撑物
参考例句:
  • He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle. 他也是非常自大,在城堡里大摇大摆地走。
  • The pompous lecturer is strutting and forth across the stage. 这个演讲者在台上趾高气扬地来回走着。
16 perennial i3bz7     
adj.终年的;长久的
参考例句:
  • I wonder at her perennial youthfulness.我对她青春常驻感到惊讶。
  • There's a perennial shortage of teachers with science qualifications.有理科教学资格的老师一直都很短缺。
17 trumpet AUczL     
n.喇叭,喇叭声;v.吹喇叭,吹嘘
参考例句:
  • He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴,我吹喇叭。
  • The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。
18 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
19 trot aKBzt     
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。
20 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
21 reins 370afc7786679703b82ccfca58610c98     
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。
22 risky IXVxe     
adj.有风险的,冒险的
参考例句:
  • It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险,但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
  • He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。
23 horrid arozZj     
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的
参考例句:
  • I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
  • The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃,她咽不下去。
24 coaxingly 2424e5a5134f6694a518ab5be2fcb7d5     
adv. 以巧言诱哄,以甘言哄骗
参考例句:


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