XXII. Ol' Mistah Buzzard's Keen Sight

Old Granny Fox had thought that when she fooled Bowser the Hound up in the old pasture on the edge of the mountain she could take her time going home. She was tired and hot, and she had planned to pick out the shadiest paths going back. She had thought that Farmer Brown's boy would soon join Bowser the Hound, when Bowser made such a fuss about having found the old house into which Granny Fox had run.

 

But Farmer Brown's boy had not yet appeared, and Granny Fox was getting worried. Could it be that he had not followed Bowser the Hound, after all? Granny Fox went out on a high point and looked, but she could see nothing of Farmer Brown's boy and his gun. Just then Ol' Mistah Buzzard came sailing down out of the blue, blue sky and settled himself on a tall, dead tree. Now Granny Fox hadn't forgotten how Ol' Mistah Buzzard had warned Peter Rabbit just as she was about to pounce¹ on him, but she suddenly thought that Ol' Mistah Buzzard might be of use to her.

 

So old Granny Fox smoothed out her skirts and walked over to the foot of the tree where Ol' Mistah Buzzard sat.

 

“How do you do today, neighbor Buzzard?” inquired Granny Fox, smiling up at Ol' Mistah Buzzard.

 

“Ah'm so as to be up and about, thank yo',” replied Ol' Mistah Buzzard, spreading his wings out so that air could blow under them.

 

“My!” exclaimed old Granny Fox, “what splendid great wings you have, Mistah Buzzard! It must be grand to be able to fly. I suppose you can see a great deal from way up there in the blue, blue sky, Mistah Buzzard.”

 

Ol' Mistah Buzzard felt flattered. “Yes,” said he, “Ah can see all that's going on on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest.”

 

“Oh, Mistah Buzzard, you don't really mean that!” exclaimed old Granny Fox, just as if she wanted to believe it, but couldn't.

 

“Yes, Ah can!” replied Ol' Mistah Buzzard.

 

“Really, Mistah Buzzard? Really? Oh, I can't believe that your eyes are so sharp as all that! Now I know where Bowser the Hound is and where Farmer Brown's boy is, but I don't believe you can see them,” said Granny Fox.

 

Ol' Mistah Buzzard never said a word but spread his broad wings and in a few minutes he had sailed up, up, up until he looked like just a tiny speck² to old Granny Fox. Now old Granny Fox had not told the truth when she said she knew where Farmer Brown's boy was. She thought she would trick Ol' Mistah Buzzard into telling her.

 

In a few minutes down came Ol' Mistah Buzzard. “Bowser the Hound is up in the old back pasture,” said he.

 

“Right!” cried old Granny Fox, clapping her hands. “And where is Farmer Brown's boy?”

 

“Farmer Brown's boy is...” Ol' Mistah Buzzard paused.

 

“Where? Where?” asked Granny Fox, so eagerly that Ol' Mistah Buzzard looked at her sharply.

 

“Yo' said you knew, so what's the use of telling yo'?” said Ol' Mistah Buzzard. Then he added: “But if Ah was yo', Ah cert'nly would get home right smart soon.”

 

“Why? Do, do tell me what you saw, Mistah Buzzard!” begged Granny Fox.

 

But Ol' Mistah Buzzard wouldn't say another word, so old Granny Fox started for home as fast as she could run.

 

“Oh dear, I do hope Reddy Fox minded me and stayed in the house,” she muttered.

 

1 pounce   

n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意

参考例句：

• Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？
• We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。

2 speck   

n.微粒，小污点，小斑点

参考例句：

• I have not a speck of interest in it.我对它没有任何兴趣。
• The sky is clear and bright without a speck of cloud.天空晴朗，一星星云彩也没有。