Chapter 19

Kathy doesn't like you. She doesn't know you, but she still doesn't like you. She thinks you are stupid! In fact, she thinks you are the stupidest person she doesn't know. What do you think of that?

She also thinks you're ugly! As a matter of fact, she thinks you are the ugliest person she doesn't know. And she doesn't know a lot of people.

She doesn't like the people she knows, either. She hates everybody in Mrs. Jewls's class. She did like one member of the class. She liked Sammy. She thought he was funny. Sammy was a dead rat.
76But Kathy has good reasons for not liking¹ any of the children she knows. She doesn't like D.J. because he smiles too much, and she doesn't like John because he can't stand on his head.
Kathy once had a cat named Skunks². She liked Skunks. But she was afraid that Skunks would run away.

"You have nothing to worry about, Kathy," said Mrs. Jewls. "Skunks won't run away. Just be nice to him and feed him and pet him, and he won't run away. He may go out and play, but he'll always come back."

"No, you're wrong, Mrs. Jewls," said Kathy. "What do you know! He'll run away."

So Kathy kept Skunks locked up in her closet³ at home. She never let him out and sometimes even forgot to feed him.

One day, while Kathy was looking for her other shoe, Skunks ran out of the closet and never came back.

"You said he would come back, Mrs. Jewls," said Kathy. "He never came back. You were wrong. I was right."

That was why Kathy didn't like Mrs. Jewls.

"The next time I get a cat, I'll kill him. Then he'll never run away," said Kathy.

Then there was the time that Dameon tried to teach Kathy how to play catch.

Dameon said, "When I throw you the ball, Kathy, try to catch it."

"I can't catch it," said Kathy. "I'll just get hurt."

"You won't get hurt," Dameon insisted. "Just watch the ball."

He tossed⁴ it to her.
77But Kathy knew she'd get hurt. So she closed her eyes. The ball hit her on the cheek. It hurt.
Kathy began to cry. "You were wrong," she sobbed⁵. "I was right!"

That was why Kathy didn't like Dameon.

Allison believed that if you are nice to someone, then they'll be nice to you. So one day she brought Kathy a cookie.

"I don't want your ugly cookie," said Kathy. "It probably tastes terrible!"

Allison said, "No, it is very good. I made it myself."

Kathy said, "If you made it, then it must stink⁶! You can't cook. You're too stupid!" She just put the cookie in her desk along with her pencils, crayons, and books.

Three weeks later, Kathy was hungry. "All right, Allison," she said. "I'll try your stupid cookie." She took it out of her desk. It was covered with dust. She bit it. It was hard and tasted terrible.

"See," said Kathy. "I was right!"

That was why Kathy didn't like Allison.

Yes, Kathy had very good reasons for not liking anybody she knew.

But she also has a good reason for not liking you. And she doesn't even know you. Her reason is this. She knows that if you ever met her, you wouldn't like her. You don't like Kathy, do you?

See, she was right!

It's funny how a person can be right all the time and still be wrong.

1 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

2 skunks   

n.臭鼬( skunk的名词复数 )；臭鼬毛皮；卑鄙的人；可恶的人

参考例句：

• Slim swans and slender skunks swim in the slippery slime. 苗条的天鹅和纤细的臭鼬在滑滑的黏泥上游泳。 来自互联网
• But not all baby skunks are so lucky. -We're coming down. 但不是所有的臭鼬宝宝都会如此幸运。-我们正在下来。 来自互联网

3 closet   

n.壁橱；储藏室

参考例句：

• I'll clear out that closet for you.我要替你把那个小衣橱清理出来。
• Hang your overcoat in the closet.把你的大衣挂在衣橱里。

4 tossed   

v.（轻轻或漫不经心地）扔( toss的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）摇荡；摇匀；（为…）掷硬币决定

参考例句：

• I tossed the book aside and got up. 我把书丢在一边，站了起来。
• He angrily tossed his tools and would work no longer. 他怒气冲冲地扔下工具不肯再干了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

6 stink   

vi.发出恶臭；糟透，招人厌恶；n.恶臭

参考例句：

• The stink of the rotten fish turned my stomach.腐烂的鱼臭味使我恶心。
• The room has awful stink.那个房间散发着难闻的臭气。