Scarcely had the four left the castle by the broken window when the monster stepped from a doorway2 below and saw them. Instantly he blew upon a golden whistle, and at the summons a band of wolf-fish appeared and dashed after the prisoners. These creatures swam so swiftly that soon they were between the fugitives3 and the dome4, and then they turned and with wicked eyes and sharp fangs5 began a fierce attack upon the mermaids6 and the earth dwellers7.
Trot8 was a little frightened at the evil looks of the sea wolves, whose heads were enormous, and whose jaws9 contained rows of curved and pointed10 teeth. But Aquareine advanced upon them with her golden sword, and every touch of the charmed weapon instantly killed an enemy, so that one by one the wolf-fish rolled over upon their backs and sank helplessly downward through the water, leaving the prisoners free to continue their way toward the opening in the dome.
Zog witnessed the destruction of his wolves and uttered a loud laugh that was terrible to hear. Then the dread11 monster determined12 to arrest the fugitives himself, and in order to do this he was forced to discover himself in all the horror of his awful form, a form he was so ashamed of and loathed13 so greatly that he always strove to keep it concealed14, even from his own view. But it was important that his prisoners should not escape. Hastily casting off the folds of the robe that enveloped15 him, Zog allowed his body to uncoil and shoot upward through the water in swift pursuit of his victims. His cloven hoofs16, upon which he usually walked, being now useless, were drawn17 up under him, while coil after coil of his eel18-like body wriggled19 away like a serpent. At his shoulders two broad, feathery wings expanded, and these enabled the monster to cleave20 his way through the water with terrific force.
Zog was part man, part beast, part fish, part fowl21, and part reptile22. His undulating body was broad and thin and like the body of an eel. It was as repulsive23 as one could well imagine, and no wonder Zog hated it and kept it covered with his robe. Now, with his horned head and its glowing eyes thrust forward, wings flapping from his shoulders and his eely24 body—ending in a fish's tail—wriggling far behind him, this strange and evil creature was a thing of terror even to the sea dwellers, who were accustomed to remarkable25 sights.
The mermaids, the sailor and the child, one after another looking back as they swam toward liberty and safety, saw the monster coming and shuddered26 with uncontrollable fear. They were drawing nearer to the dome by this time, yet it was still some distance away. The four redoubled their speed, darting27 through the water with the swiftness of skyrockets. But fast as they swam, Zog swam faster, and the good queen's heart began to throb28 as she realized she would be forced to fight her loathesome foe29.
Presently Zog's long body was circling around them like a whirlwind, lashing30 the water into foam31 and gradually drawing nearer and nearer to his victims. His eyes were no longer glowing coals, they were balls of flame, and as he circled around them, he laughed aloud that horrible laugh which was far more terrifying than any cry of rage could be. The queen struck out with her golden sword, but Zog wrapped a coil of his thin body around it and, wrestling it from her hand, crushed the weapon into a shapeless mass. Then Aquareine waved her fairy wand, but in a flash the monster sent it flying away through the water.
Cap'n Bill now decided32 that they were lost. He drew Trot closer to his side and placed one arm around her. "I can't save you, dear little mate," he said sadly, "but we've lived a long time together, an' now we'll die together. I knew, Trot, when first we sawr them mermaids, as we'd—we'd—"
"Never live to tell the tale," said the child. "But never mind, Cap'n Bill, we've done the best we could, and we've had a fine time."
"Forgive me! Oh, forgive me!" cried Aquareine despairingly. "I tried to save you, my poor friends, but—"
"What's that?" exclaimed the Princess, pointing upward. They all looked past Zog's whirling body, which was slowly enveloping33 them in its folds, toward the round opening in the dome. A dark object had appeared there, sliding downward like a huge rope and descending34 toward them with lightning rapidly. They gave a great gasp35 as they recognized the countenance36 of King Anko, the sea serpent, its gray hair and whiskers bristling37 like those of an angry cat, and the usually mild blue eyes glowing with a ferocity even more terrifying than the orbs38 of Zog.
The magician gave a shrill39 scream at sight of his dreaded40 enemy, and abandoning his intended victims, Zog made a quick dash to escape. But nothing in the sea could equal the strength and quickness of King Anko when he was roused. In a flash the sea serpent had caught Zog fast in his coils, and his mighty41 body swept round the monster and imprisoned42 him tightly. The four, so suddenly rescued, swam away to a safer distance from the struggle, and then they turned to watch the encounter between the two great opposing powers of the ocean's depths. Yet there was no desperate fight to observe, for the combatants were unequal. The end came before they were aware of it. Zog had been taken by surprise, and his great fear of Anko destroyed all of his magic power. When the sea serpent slowly released those awful coils, a mass of jelly-like pulp43 floated downward through the water with no remnant of life remaining in it, no form to show it had once been Zog, the Magician.
Then Anko shook his body that the water might cleanse44 it, and advanced his head toward the group of four whom he had so opportunely45 rescued. "It is all over, friends," said he in his gentle tones, while a mild expression once more reigned46 on his comical features. "You may go home at any time you please, for the way through the dome will be open as soon as I get my own body through it."
Indeed, so amazing was the length of the great sea serpent that only a part of him had descended47 through the hole into the dome. Without waiting for the thanks of those he had rescued, he swiftly retreated to the ocean above, and with grateful hearts they followed him, glad to leave the cavern48 where they had endured so much anxiety and danger.
点击收听单词发音
1 watchful | |
adj.注意的,警惕的 | |
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2 doorway | |
n.门口,(喻)入门;门路,途径 | |
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3 fugitives | |
n.亡命者,逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 ) | |
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4 dome | |
n.圆屋顶,拱顶 | |
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5 fangs | |
n.(尤指狗和狼的)长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 );(蛇的)毒牙;罐座 | |
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6 mermaids | |
n.(传说中的)美人鱼( mermaid的名词复数 ) | |
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7 dwellers | |
n.居民,居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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8 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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9 jaws | |
n.口部;嘴 | |
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10 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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11 dread | |
vt.担忧,忧虑;惧怕,不敢;n.担忧,畏惧 | |
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12 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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13 loathed | |
v.憎恨,厌恶( loathe的过去式和过去分词 );极不喜欢 | |
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14 concealed | |
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的 | |
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15 enveloped | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16 hoofs | |
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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17 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
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18 eel | |
n.鳗鲡 | |
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19 wriggled | |
v.扭动,蠕动,蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 );(使身体某一部位)扭动;耍滑不做,逃避(应做的事等) | |
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20 cleave | |
v.(clave;cleaved)粘着,粘住;坚持;依恋 | |
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21 fowl | |
n.家禽,鸡,禽肉 | |
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22 reptile | |
n.爬行动物;两栖动物 | |
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23 repulsive | |
adj.排斥的,使人反感的 | |
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24 eely | |
似鳗的,滑头滑脑的,易滑脱的 | |
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25 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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26 shuddered | |
v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 );发抖;(机器、车辆等)突然震动;颤动 | |
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27 darting | |
v.投掷,投射( dart的现在分词 );向前冲,飞奔 | |
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28 throb | |
v.震颤,颤动;(急速强烈地)跳动,搏动 | |
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29 foe | |
n.敌人,仇敌 | |
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30 lashing | |
n.鞭打;痛斥;大量;许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
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31 foam | |
v./n.泡沫,起泡沫 | |
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32 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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33 enveloping | |
v.包围,笼罩,包住( envelop的现在分词 ) | |
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34 descending | |
n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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35 gasp | |
n.喘息,气喘;v.喘息;气吁吁他说 | |
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36 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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37 bristling | |
a.竖立的 | |
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38 orbs | |
abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球,天体,圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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39 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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40 dreaded | |
adj.令人畏惧的;害怕的v.害怕,恐惧,担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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41 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
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42 imprisoned | |
下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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43 pulp | |
n.果肉,纸浆;v.化成纸浆,除去...果肉,制成纸浆 | |
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44 cleanse | |
vt.使清洁,使纯洁,清洗 | |
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45 opportunely | |
adv.恰好地,适时地 | |
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46 reigned | |
vi.当政,统治(reign的过去式形式) | |
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47 descended | |
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的 | |
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48 cavern | |
n.洞穴,大山洞 | |
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