CHAPTER XII ABOARD A FLOATING BEARD

 Squeaky, Snythergen and Sancho Wing were very much surprised when they saw their unknown friend’s house—for it was the largest home they had even seen. They mounted the steps and Snythergen sounded the knocker on the great front door. Immediately it was opened by a flunky arrayed in shining silk clothes decorated with Teddy bears, parrots and goldfish embroidered¹ in colors.

“Who lives here?” asked Sancho Wing in his piping voice.

[114]

“Santa Claus lives here,” answered the flunky.

“Santa Claus!!” chorused the three in amazement².

“So that’s the friend Blasterjinx meant!” said Snythergen. “I should say he was our friend!” But they could hardly believe that they really were at Santa Claus’ door, and in their surprise and wonder they forgot the doorkeeper who stood attentively³ awaiting their pleasure.

“We would like to see Santa Claus,” said Squeaky at last.

“I’m sorry, but no one can see him except by appointment,” said the flunky, “but if you will call at ten o’clock to-morrow morning you may have a chance to speak with him.” And with that he closed the great door and they were left alone on the doorstep.

“There must be some way to see him. I am going to investigate,” said Sancho Wing, and he flew off. Squeaky and Snythergen threw themselves on the ground in the shade of a great elm. “What a relief to have some other tree cast your shade for a change!” remarked Snythergen, just as Sancho Wing flew up very much flustered⁴.

“I know where Santa’s room is!” he cried. “He is taking a nap now.”

“What good will that do us?” said Squeaky, ever practical like stout⁵ people generally.

[115]

“A great deal of good,” said Sancho Wing. “You and Snythergen wait near the door. I am going to make that flunky open it for you.” And he was off before they could make any reply.

Sancho Wing flew through the open window into Santa Claus’ room. Cautiously he approached the bed and hid in Santa Claus’ great white beard. Santa moved uneasily.

“There are three wise men here to see you,” whispered Sancho softly.

“Why didn’t somebody tell me?” murmured Santa Claus, half asleep.

“The doorkeeper said you wouldn’t see anybody except by appointment,” replied Sancho.

“Is that true?” mumbled⁶ Santa Claus drowsily⁷.

“Yes, he would not open the door; that is why I came in through the window.”

Santa Claus woke up with a jump. “Who am I talking to!” he shouted—“or was it only a dream? Whoever you are come out and let me see you! What are you hiding for?”

“I am just a voice, Santa Claus, and the rest of me is not very presentable. My necktie is untied⁸ and there is a hole in my stocking.”

“Where are you hiding!” cried Santa Claus, and he looked under the bed, behind the chairs,[116] and in the closets. Sancho Wing feared every moment he would be discovered, and tried to escape by flying out of the window. But his head had become caught in the long whiskers and he could go only the length of the beard in any direction. As he flew vigorously about the room trying to free his head Santa’s beard floated in the air like a living thing.

Too surprised to move or speak, Santa Claus could only gaze dumbly at his beard making serpentine⁹ movements in the air, or winding¹⁰ about his body as if to hide behind his back.

“What in the name of Popcorn¹¹ is the matter with my beard!” cried Santa Claus, finding his voice at last.

Sancho Wing concluded that it was wiser to stop flying and let the beard settle back to its accustomed place, lest Santa Claus discover him. He was too hopelessly caught to escape by flying; but he was so well concealed¹² by the whiskers that Santa Claus still failed to see him.

“Well, I give up!” said Santa Claus at last. “Wherever you are, you are well hidden. Did I understand you to say that you and your two friends had come to visit me? Where are the others?—since I can’t find you. Are they hiding too?”

“They are waiting at the door.”

[117]

 

“Squeaky, who is a voice with a pig’s body”

 

[118]

“I invite you all to dinner,” said Santa Claus.[119] “‘Three Wise Men’ I think you call yourselves?”

“Four, including our host,” said Sancho politely.

“Thanks!” said Santa Claus.

Sancho’s conscience was troubling him for he had hesitated to explain that they were not just ordinary men, lest Santa Claus might not want to see them.

“When I said we were men,” began Sancho, “I used the word ‘men’ in a broad sense, to include birds, animals and trees.”

Santa Claus yawned and stretched his arms. He liked a chat after his nap.

“I am glad to see you are democratic,” said he. “I think it is too bad that birds, animals and trees are so often left out. If they could talk they might say some unkind things of us.”

“No, indeed, we won’t, Santa Claus,” assured Sancho eagerly.

“We? Who are ‘we’?” asked Santa Claus.

“One of us is a boy-tree. He is a boy by birth, but a tree by profession.”

“Go on,” demanded Santa Claus.

“Then there is Squeaky, who is a voice with a pig’s body; and as for me, well, you know me.”

[120]

“I know your voice, but the rest of you?” asked Santa Claus.

“Is a goldfinch,” answered Sancho.

“Three wise men indeed,” muttered Santa Claus. “How interesting it will be to have dinner with a pig, a tree, and a goldfinch! But what can we have to eat that three such different guests will enjoy?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” said Sancho Wing. “You can give the others birdseed porridge.”

“And you?” asked Santa Claus, with a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh, I’ll eat some too,” said Sancho, with seeming indifference¹³, though it made his bill water to think of his favorite dish.

“What will we do for table conversation?” asked Santa Claus. “I don’t know what subjects trees, pigs and birds like to talk about.”

“You won’t need to help us talk,” said Sancho. “We are worse than magpies¹⁴ when we are together.”

“You may go back to your friends now,” said Santa Claus, “and I’ll see that you are admitted to the house.”

Sancho made an effort to walk out of the beard in a dignified¹⁵ manner, but he was too firmly caught to get away so easily. He began to pull and struggle.

[121]

“Ouch!” cried Santa Claus, “who’s pulling my beard?”

“I can’t get out,” cried Sancho Wing.

“So there’s where you are! In my beard! Well, of all the places to hide!” cried Santa Claus in the greatest amazement. With a pair of shears¹⁶ and a mirror he succeeded in freeing the little bird after the exercise of a good deal of patience.

As soon as he was released Sancho told Santa Claus he was sorry for the trouble he had caused, thanked him for the invitation to dinner, and flew back to his companions.

1 embroidered   

adj．绣花的

参考例句：

• She embroidered flowers on the cushion covers. 她在这些靠垫套上绣了花。
• She embroidered flowers on the front of the dress. 她在连衣裙的正面绣花。

2 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

3 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 flustered   

adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

6 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

7 drowsily   

adv.睡地，懒洋洋地，昏昏欲睡地

参考例句：

• She turned drowsily on her side, a slow creeping blackness enveloping her mind. 她半睡半醒地翻了个身，一片缓缓蠕动的黑暗渐渐将她的心包围起来。 来自飘（部分）
• I felt asleep drowsily before I knew it. 不知过了多久，我曚扙地睡着了。 来自互联网

8 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

9 serpentine   

adj.蜿蜒的，弯曲的

参考例句：

• One part of the Serpentine is kept for swimmers.蜿蜒河的一段划为游泳区。
• Tremolite laths and serpentine minerals are present in places.有的地方出现透闪石板条及蛇纹石。

10 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

11 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

12 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

13 indifference   

n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎

参考例句：

• I was disappointed by his indifference more than somewhat.他的漠不关心使我很失望。
• He feigned indifference to criticism of his work.他假装毫不在意别人批评他的作品。

14 magpies   

喜鹊（magpie的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They set forth chattering like magpies. 他们叽叽喳喳地出发了。
• James: besides, we can take some pied magpies home, for BBQ. 此外，我们还可以打些喜鹊回家，用来烧烤。

15 dignified   

a.可敬的，高贵的

参考例句：

• Throughout his trial he maintained a dignified silence. 在整个审讯过程中，他始终沉默以保持尊严。
• He always strikes such a dignified pose before his girlfriend. 他总是在女友面前摆出这种庄严的姿态。

16 shears   

n.大剪刀

参考例句：

• These garden shears are lightweight and easy to use.这些园丁剪刀又轻又好用。
• With a few quick snips of the shears he pruned the bush.他用大剪刀几下子就把灌木给修剪好了。