“I might count,” he laughed aloud—“I might count them out.” And with that he fell into the school-boy doggerel7, nearly as old as boyhood itself: “Eeny—meeny—miny—mo. Catch—a nigger—by the—”
He came to a sudden stop. In the direction of the lumber9-camp, where the evergreens marked the beginning of the road, he had caught a glimpse of a gray squirrel. Was it a
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real squirrel this time, or was it the locked-out fairy again? There was not a minute to be lost. He must find out.
Over the unbroken snow he slid, balancing himself carefully when he came to the hummocks10 made by the wind or fallen trees, his eyes coming back constantly to the little gray figure before him. It was sitting erect11 now, under a green bough12, apparently13 busy investigating the contents of a pine cone14. But just as David had made up his mind that this time it was a real squirrel, up went the furry15 paw to an ear in unmistakable salute16, just as the locked-out fairy had done when he hopped17 from the window-ledge18 of the lodge. Then, with ears set back and tail out straight behind, the squirrel flew down the hill. Away went David after him, the tassel19 of his toboggan-cap out as straight as the squirrel’s tail.
Never was there such a race. They dodged20 trees and fallen branches; they leaped drifts; they spun21 like tops around the curves. Sometimes David was so close upon the fairy’s heels that he could almost have touched him with the end of his steering-cane, but the next moment he generally lost his balance and slipped a skee, and head over heels he would go in the crusty
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snow. When he righted himself the fairy was always yards ahead, sitting with his shoulders all hunched22 up as if he were laughing silently at David’s tumble. So exciting was the whole race that David entirely23 forgot his destination until he suddenly found himself almost bumping a corner of one of the lumber cabins, and the fairy nowhere in sight.
He stopped a minute for breath and to wonder what he would do, when he heard the soft, silvery notes of a violin. The music was coming from inside that very cabin, and a voice was humming softly as well. David moved round to one of the windows, hoping he might be tall enough to look in, but the snow had drifted away from that side and he missed the ledge by several inches. It occurred to him, however, that if the snow had drifted from this end it had probably drifted toward the other. He would try it, at any rate. Round the cabin he went, and, sure enough, there the snow had piled up half-way to the window and David found he could look in comfortably.
There was a great fire blazing inside, and by it sat an old negro with the whitest hair and beard David had ever seen. A fiddle24 was tucked under his chin and slowly and lovingly
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he was bowing the melody from it, while one foot patted the time on the floor and a plaintive25, mellow26 voice put words to the music. David listened for the words and caught them:
“Yeah come-a-No-ah—a-stumblin’ tru de dark,
Wif hammah an’ wif nails-to-a-build hisself an ark.
An’-a-yeah come de an’mals-two-a-by two,
De Yippo-ma-pot’mus—an’ de kick-kangaroo.”
The bowing suddenly stopped and David was conscious of a pair of very white eyeballs looking at him through the glass. For the space of a breath or more David was not at all sure that he wanted to get any nearer that strange, bent27 old figure. He was almost sure that he did not want to go inside. Not that he was afraid. Oh no, indeed! He was not in the least bit afraid; there was nothing to be afraid of. Even Johanna had not said anything harmful about the old cook at the lumber-camp. Nevertheless, there was something mysterious, something not altogether inviting28 about that inky-black face with the white hair and rolling eyeballs.
David was speedily withdrawing himself, having decided29 that there was great virtue30 in distance, when he heard the creak of the cabin
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door. In a trice the old negro, fiddle in hand, appeared around the corner.
“Wha you goin’, honey?” There was unmistakable regret over David’s retreating figure.
“Why—why, I’m just going back where I came from.”
“Wha you come from?”
David pointed31 upward and the old darky nodded comprehendingly.
“’Pears to me dat am a long way fer a li’l’ boy to come an’ den8 turn ’bout an’ go right home. Come in, honey, an’ Uncle Joab’ll play you somethin’ lively on de ole fiddle.”
David hesitated, but only for an instant. There was something too lonely and appealing about the man to be denied. David was still not at all sure that he wanted to go, even while he was following the lumber cook round to the door.
It was surprisingly cozy32 and cheerful inside, perhaps because of the open fire, the strips of pine cones33, husked corn, and bunches of colored berries that decorated the walls and rafters. Uncle Joab caught David’s wondering, curious gaze, and he chuckled35.
“Yas, dat’s pop-corn, honey. An’ I reckon Uncle Joab’ll have some a-poppin’ for you over dese yeah coals in a jiffy.”
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He mounted stiffly the hewn, polished stump36 that did service for a stool and pulled down two of the ears. From the corner of the fireplace he brought a corn-popper and, sitting down, he commenced to shell the corn by rubbing the ears together. David drew up a chair near by and watched him with growing interest. When the corn was shelled Uncle Joab raked away the unburned wood from the fire, leaving a bed of the red coals. Over this he held the corn, shaking the popper gently from side to side. In less time than it takes for the telling sounded the snap-snap-snap of the bursting kernels37, and in a moment more Uncle Joab had turned the snowy contents into an earthen bowl and laid it on David’s knee with a small dish of salt and the invitation to “Go ahead.” Then he took up his fiddle again and played the promised music.
It was a jig38, such a rollicking, care-free jig that before it was finished David found himself wondering how in the world he ever hesitated about coming in. Why, here was nothing but another boy like himself, a boy grown old before he had grown up.
“Like dat corn, honey? Wall, you come along yeah ’round Chris’mus an’ Uncle Joab’ll make you some m’lasses balls.”
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A sigh escaped with the promise.
“Lordy—Chris’mus—yeah! Doan’t seem like I done hab any Chris’mus sence I left ole Virginy. Seems like it done froze stiff ’fo’ ever it got to dese yeah parts.”
David laughed at the old man’s humor. It had seemed just that way to him a few days ago.
“Couldn’t we thaw39 it out?” he asked.
“’Twould take a monstrous40 lot o’ warm feelin’s, honey, an’ kind folks, I reckon. An’ you’d not find ’em a-hangin’ ’round loose yeah in de wintah. Why, dere’s no more ’n a han’ful of us, all measured an’ mixted; an’ as fur as I know dere’s not one a-speakin’ to another.”
David shook his head solemnly.
“That’s not much like Christmas, is it, Uncle Joab? Not much ‘good-will’ when you don’t know your neighbors.”
The old darky grunted41, then he chuckled.
“’Pears to me it’s de critters dat get on yeah more folksy den de real folks—an’ dat put me in mind of a story my mammy used to tell me when I was your size.”
David beamed.
“Will you tell it, Uncle Joab?”
“Co’se I’ll tell it, honey.” And putting the fiddle down beside his chair he began:
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“I reckon you think dat de jolly ole saint wif de red nose an’ de dimple somewhas ’twixt his mouf an’ his ears only ’members de chillun at Chris’mus. An’ dat’s not de trouf. Dere was one Chris’mus long time ago, after Pharoe’s daughter found Moses in de bull-grass an’ ’fo’ Christoper Columbus went a-sailin’ ’round to find dis yeah country, dat ole man Santy gib a Chris’mus to de critters. An’ dis was de way of it.
“In dose days dere warn’t de chilluns dere is now. Dey warn’t so plentiful42 an’ dey warn’t so perticular; an’ each one warn’t lookin’ fer a whole shed full o’ toys jest fer hisself. No, sir, honey! He was bustin’ wif tickle43 if he got one gif’ an’ some barley44 sugar. An’ what’s more, dey wasn’t so pernicity ’bout what dey got. De dolls didn’t have to walk an’ talk an’ act like real folks an’ de trains didn’t have to go by demselves. An’ everything bein’ so comf’able an’ easy, ole Santy could tote de pack o’ toys ’round hisself on his back an’ be home a good two hour ’fo’ daylight, wif nothin’ to do de rest o’ de day but set ’round an’ think.
“Wall, in dose days, honey, de folks doan’t pester45 de critters wif workin’ dem all de time. No, sir! Dey work dem when dey need dem,
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an’ de balance o’ de time de critters trope ’round free an’ easy-like. Folks wasn’t cotchin’ de cur’ous ones to put in de menageries an’ de circuses, nor de furry ones to trim up de ladies wif. Times was pleasant an’ comf’able fer every one.
“Now it transmigrate one day when ole Santy was a-settin’ an’ rumminatin’ dat he fotch up his thoughts on de critters, an’ he says to hisself, says he:
“‘’Pears like dey has a right to Chris’mus same as de folks. Dey minds dere bus’ness, an’ dey works an’ dey plays de same, an’ dey had dere share in dat fust Chris’mus when de li’l’ Lordie was born—same as de folks. Didn’t de donkey carry Mary to Beflehem? Didn’t de mully-cow gib her manger for de li’l’ Lordie to sleep in? Didn’t de cock crow de news to St. Stephen? An’ how do yer reckon de Wise Men could ha’ toted dere presents ’cross de sand if it hadn’t been fer dem cam’ls?’
“Yas, sir, honey! Ole Santy was right. De critters had as much right to Chris’mus as de folks, an’ ole Santy poun’ his knee an’ swear he gwine to gib dem one.
“So de ole saint he begun fer to study an’ to study what he gwine to do fer de critters.
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He can’t come down dere chimbleys ’ca’se dey ’ain’t got no houses; an’ he can’t fill dere stockin’s ’ca’se dey doan’t wear none; an’ he can’t fotch dem barley candy ’ca’se dey doan’t eat it. Wall, he set dere an’ study twell his brain ’mos’ bustin’ an’ bime-by he fotch up wif an idea.
“‘I know what I’ll do,’ says ole Santy, says he. ‘Dem critters is sure to be like folks; dere’s certain to be a lot dat ain’t satisfied wif dere pussonalities. Now I’m gwine to trim up a Chris’mus tree wif a lot o’ odd tails, an’ ears, an’ wings, an’ legs, an’ sech-like, an’ any o’ de critters dat ain’t satisfied can choose jes’ what dey want. Dat’s what I’m gwine to do,’ says ole Santy.
“Wall, thinkin’ was doin’. An’ by de time Chris’mus come along dat ole saint had de mos’ cur’os, hetromologous collection o’ an’mal parts you ever done hear tell about. He sent word by de birds all over de world fer de critters to come to a Chris’mus celebration at de fust fir-tree dis side o’ de North Pole. ’Fo’ dey git dere ole Santy had it all trimmed up wif his presents; an’ when de critters trope up dey sure was bustin’ wif s’prize when dey see all de tails an’ wings an’ legs hangin’ dere.
“An’ de an’mals! Bless your heart, honey,
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you never see such a camp-meetin’! Dere was elephants an’ tigers an’ lions an’ yippopot’musses an’ rabbits an’ ’possums an’ mouses—every livin’ kind. An’ all de birds dat clip de air an’ all de fish dat swum de sea. Dey all come lopin’ up wif dere purtiest manners on; an’ dey scrape an’ dey bow an’ ax after ole Missus Santy an’ de chilluns. When dey’d axed an’ scraped all ’round, ole Santy says, says he:
“‘Now any o’ you-all critters dat want fer to change yer pussonalities can jes’ step right up an’ choose somethin’ new,’ says he.
“Everybody was mighty46 bashful at fust. Dey all tried to hide behind dere neighbors an’ look like dey was puffectly satisfied wif dere looks an’ dere habits. But bime-by a squeaky li’l’ voice calls out:
“‘If you please, Ole Man Santy, I’d like a pair o’ dem li’l’ brown wings, an’ thank you mighty much.’
“Santy look down an’ see it was one o’ de li’l’ mouses speakin’; an’ he reach up an’ take from de tree a cunnin’ pair o’ li’l’ wings an’ fastened dem on tight. An’ de next minute dat sassy li’l’ mouse went flippin’ an’ floppin’ into de air same as if he’d been born wif wings.
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An’ ever since, honey, he an’ his chilluns have been flyin’ ’stead o’ creepin’.”
“Did he turn into a bat, Uncle Joab?” David asked.
“Sure. What else you ’spec’ he could turn into? Wall, de nex’ to walk up was Bre’r Rabbit. He had a lot to say ’bout his ears bein’ so short he couldn’t hear ’nough, an’ his tail bein’ so long he couldn’t fetch up on it com’fably in de brier patch. He’d be powerful pleased if Santy’d gib him bigger ears an’ take away his tail. Dis made de ole saint chuckle34; an’ he fotch down de biggest pair he can find an’ put dem on, an’ den he twist off de rabbit’s long, bushy tail. When de other critters see what transmigrate dey like to bu’st dere sides wif laughin’; an’ dis scare Bre’r Rabbit so dat he lay back his ears so he can’t hear so well, an’ he lope off to hide his confusi’n in de brier patch. An’ dere you’ll find him hidin’ to dis yeah day, honey.”
David laughed.
“And were there any more who weren’t satisfied?”
“Didn’t I tell you de critters were like folks? Bre’r Rabbit hadn’t more ’n cleared de Chris’mus tree when de squirrel sings out:
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“‘If you please, Mr. Santy, I’d like Brudder Rabbit’s tail. I’d like Brudder Rabbit’s tail.’
“‘’Twon’t fit you,’ says de beaver47. ‘It’s three sizes too big.’
“‘No, it ain’t! No, it ain’t! No, it ain’t!’ An’ de squirrel carry on so scan’lously dat ole Santy ’bliged to gib him de tail to keep him quiet. But, bless your heart, honey, you know as well as I do dat dat tail am no fit for dat squirrel!
“By dis time de critters was nigh over dere bashfulness, an’ dey was clamorin’ for what dey wanted. De leopard48 say his coat too yaller, an’ he’d like some nice, stylish49 black spots to tone it down. Den de zebra say stripes was more stylish dis year den spots, an’ he’d ’low he’d like stripes. De elephant say his feet too big to pick up things handy, an’ he’d like somethin’ extra to pick up things wif.
“Dis set de rest o’ de critters to ’sputin’ whar de elephant have room on his pussonality fer anythin’ extra; an’ while dey ’sputin’ ole Santy sit still an’ study. Bime-by he says, says he:
“‘De only spare room am on de end o’ your nose. If you want to have it dere, say so!’
“De elephant he say so. So Santy take one o’ dese yeah suckers, left over from a debilfish,
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an’ he stick it squar’ in de middle o’ de elephant’s nose. He stick it so hard, an’ he stick it so fast, dat it hasn’t come loose dese thousand o’ years.
“Wall, dat certainly was a busy Chris’mus fer de ole saint. He was fixin’ tails an’ legs an’ ears an’ wings ’most all day. De beaver he gets de sulks ’ca’se de squirrel’s got Bre’r Rabbit’s tail an’ he want it. De rest o’ de critters try to coax50 him to take somethin’ else, but ’pears like he crazy fer somethin’ behind. He took to moanin’ an’ wailin’ ’ca’se he can’t get what he wants twell bime-by he nat’rally gets ole Santy plumb51 wore out.
“‘Look yeah,’ says ole Santy, says he. ‘You’s so sot on havin’ somethin’ behind, ’pears like I’d hab to gib you somethin’ diff’rent an’ distinguishin’.’ An’ wif dat de ole saint claps on him one o’ dem flappers dat he’d made fer de li’l’ seals to walk on. An’ it’s been hangin’ to de back o’ de beaver ever since.
“At las’ all de critters were satisfied ’ceptin’ de dog an’ de horse an’ de reindeer52.
“‘What you want?’ says ole Santy to de dog.
“‘I want faithfulness,’ says de dog; an’ Santy gib it to him.
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“‘What you want?’ he says to de horse.
“‘I want wisdom,’ says de horse; an’ Santy whisper it into his ear.
“‘Now what you want?’ he says last of all to de reindeer.
“‘I want to be your servant an’ lib always wif you,’ says de reindeer. An’ from dat minute to dis de reindeer an’ his chilluns have been totin’ fer ole Santy.
“An’ you listen yeah, honey. If you borrow Bre’r Rabbit’s ears to hear wif dis Chris’mus p’raps you’ll cotch de tromp o’ de reindeer’s hoofs53 an’ de jingle54 o’ his bells as he totes ole Santy through de night.”
David laughed happily.
“That’s a bully55 story, Uncle Joab, just a bully one!”
The old man chuckled appreciatively.
“Mebbe it’s good enough to fotch a li’l’ boy back some other day to see dis ole nigger.”
Johanna and Barney had to hear the story over twice before David went to bed that night. They seemed to like it as much as David had liked it.
“It must get pretty lonesome for the poor man, stormy days and long winter nights with
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no company but that old fiddle,” mused56 Johanna at last.
“Faith, I wouldn’t be minding a bit o’ that same company, myself, some night,” laughed Barney. “’Tis a sorry time since I’ve heard any good fiddling57.”
But David did not say anything. He was looking deep into the fire and thinking very hard.
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1
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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2
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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3
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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5
evergreens
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| n.常青树，常绿植物，万年青( evergreen的名词复数 ) | |
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6
pinnacle
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| n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰 | |
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7
doggerel
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| n.拙劣的诗，打油诗 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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9
lumber
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| n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动 | |
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10
hummocks
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| n.小丘，岗( hummock的名词复数 ) | |
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11
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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12
bough
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| n.大树枝，主枝 | |
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13
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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14
cone
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| n.圆锥体，圆锥形东西，球果 | |
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15
furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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16
salute
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| vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮 | |
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17
hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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ledge
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| n.壁架，架状突出物；岩架，岩礁 | |
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19
tassel
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| n.流苏，穗；v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须 | |
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dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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hunched
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| （常指因寒冷、生病或愁苦）耸肩弓身的，伏首前倾的 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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25
plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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cozy
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| adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的 | |
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33
cones
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| n.（人眼）圆锥细胞；圆锥体( cone的名词复数 )；球果；圆锥形东西；（盛冰淇淋的）锥形蛋卷筒 | |
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34
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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36
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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37
kernels
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| 谷粒( kernel的名词复数 )； 仁； 核； 要点 | |
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38
jig
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| n.快步舞（曲）；v.上下晃动；用夹具辅助加工；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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39
thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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40
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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41
grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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42
plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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43
tickle
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| v.搔痒，胳肢；使高兴；发痒；n.搔痒，发痒 | |
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44
barley
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| n.大麦，大麦粒 | |
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45
pester
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| v.纠缠，强求 | |
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46
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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leopard
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| n.豹 | |
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49
stylish
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| adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的 | |
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50
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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51
plumb
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| adv.精确地，完全地；v.了解意义，测水深 | |
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52
reindeer
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| n.驯鹿 | |
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53
hoofs
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| n.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的名词复数 )v.（兽的）蹄，马蹄( hoof的第三人称单数 ) | |
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54
jingle
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| n.叮当声，韵律简单的诗句；v.使叮当作响，叮当响，押韵 | |
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55
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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57
fiddling
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| 微小的 | |
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