“I’ve got news,” she shouted, as the little women gathered about her. “I’ve just come from the General and the army will be home in about three days.”
“Is my husband well?” shouted Mrs. Lover.
“He’s as healthy as a dandelion and as pink as a rose bud,” answered Tilly.
“How’s the Poet and the Lady of Fashion?” asked Grandpa.
“Well and ’appy,” cried Tilly. “As I was a sayin’, the army will be ’ome in about three days. The General said to tell you that they would arrive on Friday afternoon if everthing goes well. He says for you to have a good supper ready for the boys and to have plenty, for they will be as hungry as young robins2.”
“Is the Sailor getting along nicely?” asked Miss Guff.
“Fine as a fiddle3! Fine as a fiddle!” answered the sparrow. “Wants to walk, ’e’s feelin’ so well, but the Doctor makes ’im stay in the litter and ride.”
“Well, we have got to get busy and do somethin’ for the boys,” cried Grandpa. “We’ve got to give ’em a big feed and decorate the place with flags and show ’em we’re glad to see ’em.”
“We’ll get up a grand supper for them,” cried Mrs. Lover, “and we’ll have a dance afterwards.”
“I’ll get some fat worms for the supper,” cried Tilly, and instantly she blushed a deep brown. “Oh, I forget you don’t eat worms. Well, I’ll get some sunflower seeds.”
“I’ll donate a few nuts,” said Nick, the squirrel, who had been hoping for a chance to speak.
“Oh, I forgot to say that the General said ’e would come in ahead of the army so ’e could review them as they marched into the village,” cried Tilly.
“He’s going to review the troops, did you say?” asked Grandpa, who was hard of hearing.
“Yes!” shouted Tilly, right into the old gentleman’s ear. “The General is goin’ to review the army.”
“Well, we got to get a reviewing stand ready for him,” cried Grandpa.
“I’ll help,” shouted the mouse, “and I’ll get some mice to help, too.”
“All right, get ’em!” cried Grandpa. “The sooner we get to work the better it will be.”
In a short time the Teenie Weenies were as busy as bees in a clover field. The little women set to work cooking and baking. They made cakes and cookies by the thimble full. They made ginger5 cookies, nut cookies, chocolate cake, fruit cake and half an English walnut6 full of doughnuts, besides all sorts of other good things.
Grandpa put eight mice, a chipmunk7 and half a dozen bugs8 to work getting the place ready for the returning soldiers. They cleaned up the rubbish under the rose-bush, they moved all the desks out of the schoolhouse, where the dinner and dance were to be held, and they made a reviewing stand out of the top of a candy box.
Nick, the squirrel, worked hard opening nuts. He gnawed9 so many his teeth became sore, but he never complained, for he was a very patriotic10 squirrel and most fond of the Teenie Weenies.
The little folks decorated the village with Teenie Weenie flags and bunting and when the time arrived for the army to march home the village was crowded with all sorts of visitors. Bugs, mice, squirrels, birds, chipmunks11, and even a few chickens and ducks, crowded under the rose-bush.
The General rode in ahead of the army and took his place on the reviewing stand amid the wildest shouting and waving of flags, but when the troops came marching into view there was such a squealing12 of squirrels and mice and squawking of chickens, ducks and birds, one could hardly hear oneself think. Grandpa shouted so hard that he had one of his choking fits, and a mouse had to pound him on the back until he could get his breath.
When the review was over there was much hugging and kissing and some crying, for most of the little women shed a few tears of happiness, but that’s a strange way women folks have of showing they are happy. One old hen cried so hard she had to be led away. A duck insisted on kissing the Dunce and a mouse hugged Paddy Pinn so hard it nearly broke his arm.
After the little soldiers had visited for a time they were called into the old derby hat for supper and such a supper as they had! There was roasted bird’s egg, frog ham, escalloped hickory nut, walnut au gratin, creamed hearts of sunflower seed, water cress and wild cherry salad, and cakes and cookies and sliced grape and ice cream.
When the little soldiers had eaten until they could not hold another morsel13, the General arose from his seat at the head of the big table and made a speech.
“Friends and men of the Teenie Weenie army,” he began, “I want to thank you for your loyal and hearty14 service. You have gone through hardships and you have risked your lives in battle without complaint. You have done this to aid those in trouble and nothing greater can be said of your deeds than that they were done willingly. Men, I am proud to have been your leader.”
“Three cheers for the army!” shouted a mouse who had been helping15 to wait on table, and the cheers were given with a will.
Next the Lady of Fashion made a little speech. She very prettily16 thanked the General and the army for having rescued the Poet and herself from the wild men and as she sat down there were tears in her pretty eyes. The Poet spoke17 and Grandpa made a speech about the great war in forty-two, but few heard what the old gentleman said, for they were anxious to talk to one another about the great events of the rescue of their friends.
“Friends!” shouted Paddy Pinn, when Grandpa had sat down, “I think the Dunce ought to explain to the rest of us just why that old duck was so anxious to kiss him.” Every one yelled so loudly for the Dunce that he was forced to stand up, but he was so embarrassed he couldn’t speak a word and the Teenie Weenies laughed so hard they cried.
When the tables had been cleared away the orchestra started playing and in a few minutes the little folks were swinging around to the music of “The Lady of Fashion Waltz.” They danced until nearly morning—in fact it was broad daylight when the tired little soldiers crawled into their tiny beds, every one of them mighty18 thankful that they were safely home again.
“The war is over, our duty is done;
Hang up the pistol, the sword and the gun.”
Rufus Rhyme,
Teenie Weenie Poet.
The End
The End
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
ruffled
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| adj. 有褶饰边的, 起皱的 动词ruffle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
robins
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| n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书） | |
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3
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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4
chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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5
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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6
walnut
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| n.胡桃，胡桃木，胡桃色，茶色 | |
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7
chipmunk
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| n.花栗鼠 | |
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8
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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9
gnawed
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| 咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物 | |
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10
patriotic
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| adj.爱国的，有爱国心的 | |
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11
chipmunks
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| n.金花鼠( chipmunk的名词复数 ) | |
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12
squealing
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| v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的现在分词 ) | |
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13
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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14
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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15
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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16
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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17
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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18
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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