IX. ANOTHER STRANGE CHUCK

 Johnny Chuck awoke just as jolly, round, red Mr. Sun pulled his own nightcap off. At first Johnny couldn't think where he was. He blinked and blinked. Then he rolled over. “Ouch!” cried Johnny Chuck. You see he was so stiff and sore from his great fight the day before, that it hurt to roll over. But when he felt the smart of those wounds, he remembered where he was. He was in the old hollow log that he had found on the edge of the Green Meadows just before dark. It was the first time that Johnny had ever slept anywhere, excepting underground, and as he lay blinking his eyes, it seemed very strange and rather nice, too.

 

“Well, well, well! What are you doing here?” cried a sharp voice.

 

Johnny Chuck looked towards the open end of the old log. There, peeping in, was a little face as sharp as the voice.

 

“Hello, Chatterer!” cried Johnny.

 

“I say, what are you doing here?” persisted Chatterer the Red Squirrel, for it was he.

 

“Just waking up,” replied Johnny, with a grin.

 

“It's time,” replied Chatterer. “But that isn't telling me what you are doing so far from home.”

 

“I haven't any home,” said Johnny, his face growing just a wee bit wistful.

 

“You haven't any home!” Chatterer's voice sounded as if he didn't think he had heard aright. “What have you done with it?”

 

“Given it to Jimmy Skunk¹,” replied Johnny Chuck.

 

Now Chatterer never gives anything to anybody, and how any one could give away his home was more than he could understand. He stared at Johnny as if he thought Johnny had gone crazy. Finally he found his tongue. “I don't believe it!” he snapped. “If Jimmy Skunk has got your old home, it's because he put you out of it.”

 

“No such thing! I'd like to see Jimmy Skunk or anybody else put me out of my home!” Johnny Chuck spoke² scornfully. “I gave it to him because I didn't want it any longer. I'm going to see the world, and then I'm going to build me a new home. Everybody else seems to be building new homes this spring; why shouldn't I?”

 

“I'm not!” retorted Chatterer. “I know enough to know when I am well off.

 

    “Who has a discontented heart

     Is sure to play a sorry part.”

 

 

Johnny Chuck crawled out of the old log and stretched himself somewhat painfully. “That may be, but there are different kinds of discontent.

 

     Who never looks for better things

     Will live his life in little rings.

 

Well, I must be moving along, if I am to see the world.” So Johnny Chuck bade Chatterer good-by and started on. It was very delightful³ to wander over the Green Meadows on such a beautiful spring morning. The violets and the wind-flowers nodded to him, and the dandelions smiled up at him. Johnny almost forgot his torn clothes and the bites and scratches of his great fight with the gray old Chuck the day before. It was fun to just go where he pleased and not have a care in the world.

 

He was thinking of this, as he sat up to look over the Green Meadows. His heart gave a great throb⁴. What was that over near the lone⁵ elm-tree? It was—yes, it certainly was another Chuck! Could it be the old gray Chuck come back for another fight? A great anger filled the heart of Johnny Chuck, and he whistled sharply. The strange Chuck didn't answer. Johnny ground his teeth and started for the lone elm-tree. He would show this other Chuck who was master of the Green Meadows!

 

1 skunk   

n.臭鼬，黄鼠狼；v.使惨败，使得零分；烂醉如泥

参考例句：

• That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了，你这卑鄙的家伙！
• The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。

2 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。

4 throb   

v.震颤，颤动；(急速强烈地)跳动，搏动

参考例句：

• She felt her heart give a great throb.她感到自己的心怦地跳了一下。
• The drums seemed to throb in his ears.阵阵鼓声彷佛在他耳边震响。

5 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。