CHAPTER II: Blacky Makes Sure

    “As true as ever I've cawed a caw

    That was a new-laid egg I saw.”

 

“What are you talking about?” demanded Sammy Jay, coming up just in time to hear the last part of what Blacky the Crow was mumbling¹ to himself.

 

“Oh nothing, Cousin, nothing at all,” replied Blacky. “I was just talking foolishness to myself.” Sammy looked at him sharply². “You aren't feeling sick, are you, Cousin Blacky?” he asked. “Must be something the matter with you when you begin talking about new-laid eggs, when everything's covered with snow and ice. Foolishness is no name for it. Whoever³ heard of such a thing as a new-laid egg this time of year.”

 

“Nobody, I guess,” replied Blacky. “I told you I was just talking foolishness. You see, I'm so hungry that I just got to thinking what I'd have if I could have anything I wanted. That made me think of eggs, and I tried to think just how I would feel if I should suddenly see a great big egg right in front of me. I guess I must have said something about it.”

 

“I guess you must have. It isn't egg time yet, and it won't be for a long time. Take my advice and just forget about impossible things. I'm going over to Farmer Brown's corncrib. Corn may not be as good as eggs, but it is very good and very filling. Better come along,” said Sammy.

 

“Not this morning, thank you. Some other time, perhaps,” replied Blacky.

 

He watched Sammy disappear through the trees. Then he flew to the top of the tallest pine-tree to make sure that no one was about. When he was quite sure that no one was watching him, he spread his wings and headed for the most lonesome corner of the Green Forest.

 

“I'm foolish. I know I'm foolish,” he muttered⁴. “But I've just got to have another look in that old nest of Redtail the Hawk⁵. I just can't get it out of my head that that was an egg, a great, big, white egg, that I saw there yesterday. It won't do any harm to have another look, anyway.”

 

Straight toward⁶ the tree in which was the great tumble-down nest of Redtail the Hawk he flew, and as he drew near, he flew high, for Blacky is too shrewd⁷ and smart to take any chances. Not that he thought that there could be any danger there; but you never can tell, and it is always the part of wisdom⁸ to be on the safe side. As he passed over the top of the tree, he looked down eagerly. Just imagine how he felt when instead of one, he saw two white things in the old nest—two white things that looked for all the world like eggs! The day before there had been but one; now there were two. That settled⁹ it in Blacky's mind; they were eggs! They couldn't be anything else.

 

Blacky kept right on flying. Somehow he didn't dare¹⁰ stop just then. He was too much excited by what he had discovered to think clearly. He had got to have time to get his wits¹¹ together. Whoever had laid those eggs was big and strong. He felt sure of that. It must be some one a great deal bigger than himself, and he was of no mind to get into trouble, even for a dinner of fresh eggs. He must first find out whose they were; then he would know better what to do. He felt sure that no one else knew about them, and he knew that they couldn't run away. So he kept right on flying until he reached a certain tall pine-tree where he could sit and think without being disturbed.

 

“Eggs!” he muttered. “Real eggs! Now who under the sun can have moved into Redtail's old house? And what can they mean by laying eggs before Mistress¹² Spring has even sent word that she has started? It's too much for me. It certainly is too much for me.”

 

1 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 whoever   

pron.无论谁，不管谁；任何人

参考例句：

• I'll find the person who did this,whoever he is.我要找出干这件事的人，不管他是谁。
• Whoever does best will get the prize.谁做得最出色谁就得奖。

4 muttered   

轻声低语，咕哝地抱怨( mutter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He muttered a curse at the other driver. 他低声咒骂另一位开车的人。
• She turned away and muttered something unintelligible. 她转向一旁，嘴里不知咕哝些什么。

5 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

6 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

7 shrewd   

adj.机灵的，敏锐的，精明的

参考例句：

• His answer to the journalist is a shrewd one.他回答记者的问题是很机敏的。
• He's too shrewd to be trusted in business matters.他太狡猾，生意上不宜信任。

8 wisdom   

n.智慧，明智的行为，学识，名言，贤人

参考例句：

• Experience is the mother of wisdom.经验为智慧之母。
• Ancient Greece was a fountain of wisdom and philosophy.古希腊是智慧和哲学的发源地。

9 settled   

a.固定的；稳定的

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled without acrimony. 没有唇枪舌剑，这场纠纷就解决了。
• a settled way of life 安定的生活方式

10 dare   

n.敢，挑战；aux.敢；vi.敢；vt.敢于，勇于面对

参考例句：

• He didn't dare to look at her in the face.他不敢正眼看她。
• How dare you?Take your hand off me at once.放肆！马上把你的手挪开。

11 wits   

n.风趣( wit的名词复数 )；善于说俏皮话的能力；心智；才智v.风趣( wit的第三人称单数 )；善于说俏皮话的能力；心智；才智

参考例句：

• The authorities are at their wits' end about juvenile delinquency. 当局对青少年犯罪束手无策。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You have to have your wits about you in a dangerous situation. 在危急的情况下，你得随机应变。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 mistress   

n.（文学用语）使男子为之倾倒的女人，女主人

参考例句：

• Does his wife know he has a mistress?他的妻子知道他有一个情妇吗？
• Is your mistress at home?你家女主人在家吗？