KI-YI COYOTE CHASES DOCTOR RABBIT

Doctor Rabbit and Jack¹ Rabbit hurried along across the Wide Prairie² until they came to the first tree. Here Doctor Rabbit said they had better stop and look around a bit. So cautious³ Jack Rabbit went up on a little hill and looked all around, but he said he couldn’t see a thing.

“Did you look mighty⁴ close in the direction of the Big Green Woods?” Doctor Rabbit wanted to know. (You see this was the direction in which they were going.)

“Indeed, I did look!” replied Jack Rabbit. “I looked more closely⁵ in that direction than in any other, and there wasn’t a thing in sight.”

[Pg 22]“All right,” said Doctor Rabbit, “we’ll go for the next tree.”

They came safely to the next tree, and pretty soon they came to the last tree. Doctor Rabbit was feeling fine now. They stopped by the tree and talked for a little while.

Doctor Rabbit said, “I don’t think I should care much if Ki-yi Coyote did come after us. I could run away from him and be in the Big Green Woods in no time!”

But Jack Rabbit had run away from Ki-yi Coyote a good many times, and he knew. So he said pretty seriously, “I don’t know about that, Doctor Rabbit. Ki-yi can run something awful.”

“I know,” said Doctor Rabbit, “but the Big Green Woods look so close that I feel sure I could beat him that far.”

Then what do you suppose he said?[Pg 23] Well, he didn’t realize what he was saying, of course, but this is what he said: “Ha, ha, ha! Why, Friend Jack Rabbit, I feel so sure about it that I wish old Ki-yi would come tearing out this way right now! Yes, sir! I wish he would. Just let him come whenever he wants to. If he came, I’d run away and be in the Big Green Woods so quick he could hardly see me.”

And then something happened, something that Doctor Rabbit was not ready for at all, because he really was not expecting it. Just then Ki-yi Coyote did come tearing over the great Wide Prairie after them. And he came from the direction of the Big Green Woods! Doctor Rabbit had forgotten all about that. He certainly was very much surprised, and very badly scared. He could have darted⁶ into the hole under the tree, of[Pg 24] course, and that is just what he should have done. But sometimes when rabbits, like little boys and girls, get scared, they forget all about what is the best thing to do. What Doctor Rabbit ought to have done the very first thing when he saw Ki-yi coming was to say to himself, “Now, I mustn’t be so scared that I don’t know what I’m doing. I must be careful and get out of this, because I have no one to help me.”

But he didn’t stop to think. No, he was so frightened he just hiked⁷ out across the Wide Prairie!

Then kind Jack Rabbit was certainly scared, not for himself, but for Doctor Rabbit. So he started out after Doctor Rabbit, and when he caught up he shouted in his ear as loud as he could, “What’s the matter with you, Doctor Rabbit? You must be crazy! Now, I’ll[Pg 25] take care of Ki-yi Coyote and you dodge⁸ back for that hole under the tree.” Then Doctor Rabbit remembered. Crafty⁹ Ki-yi was right close and tried hard to seize him, but he didn’t, and Doctor Rabbit darted safely into the hole.

It was a mighty close call. Ki-yi Coyote’s sharp teeth had snapped¹⁰ twice at Doctor Rabbit, once so close that some of his tiny round tail was bitten off.

All this time clever Jack Rabbit was close beside Doctor Rabbit, shouting (just to fool Ki-yi Coyote, of course), “Oh, my! I’ve got a broken leg! I’ve got a broken leg! What shall I do if Ki-yi Coyote comes after me! Oh, good Ki-yi, please don’t come after me, ’cause I’ve got a broken leg!”

Well, if it hadn’t been for this, I think that Ki-yi would certainly have caught Doctor Rabbit, but after he had missed[Pg 26] him once, and was just going for him again, he heard Jack Rabbit’s moan¹¹. So he said, “I’ll go after Jack Rabbit. He has a broken leg, and I can catch him without half trying.” And off he started after Jack Rabbit.

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 prairie   

n.大草原，牧场

参考例句：

• A single spark can start a prairie fire.星星之火，可以燎原。
• The vast prairie stretches west to the horizon.茫茫大草原向西伸展,直至天边。

3 cautious   

adj.十分小心的，谨慎的

参考例句：

• We should not only be bold,but also be cautious.我们不仅要大胆，而且要谨慎。
• He was cautious about his work.他对工作非常谨慎。

4 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

5 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

6 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 hiked   

v.徒步旅行( hike的过去式和过去分词 )；提高（价格等）

参考例句：

• They hiked gas rates. 他们提高了煤气价格。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He hiked a child up onto his shoulders. 他把孩子举上肩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

9 crafty   

adj.狡猾的，诡诈的

参考例句：

• He admired the old man for his crafty plan.他敬佩老者的神机妙算。
• He was an accomplished politician and a crafty autocrat.他是个有造诣的政治家，也是个狡黠的独裁者。

10 snapped   

v.猛地咬住( snap的过去式和过去分词 )；（使某物）发出尖厉声音地突然断裂[打开，关闭]；厉声地说；拍照

参考例句：

• The wind had snapped the tree in two. 风把树喀嚓一声刮断了。
• He lost his temper and snapped irritably at the children. 他发火了，暴躁地斥责孩子们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 moan   

n.呻吟声，悲叹声，抱怨声；v.呻吟，抱怨

参考例句：

• From time to time there was a moan of pain from the sick man.病人不时发出一声声痛苦的呻吟。
• They moan on a lot about money.他们对钱的事情抱怨不已。