CHAPTER XVI HAPPY JACK MISSES FARMER BROWN'S BOY

 One and one are always two,

And two and two are four.

And just as true it is you'll find

That love and love make more.

 

Happy Jack¹.

 

 

Go ask Happy Jack Squirrel². He knows. He knows because he has proved it. It began when Farmer Brown's boy saved him from Shadow the Weasel. Perhaps I should say when Farmer Brown's boy and Tommy Tit saved him, for if it hadn't been for Tommy, it never would have entered Happy Jack's head to run to Farmer Brown's boy. After that, of course, Happy Jack and Farmer Brown's boy became great friends. Farmer Brown's boy came over to the Green Forest every day to see Happy Jack, and always he had the most delicious nuts in his pockets. At first Happy Jack had been a wee bit shy. He couldn't quite get over that old fear he had had so long. Then he would remember how Farmer Brown's boy had saved him, and that would make him ashamed, and he would walk right up and take the nuts.

 

Farmer Brown's boy would talk to him in the nicest way and tell him that he loved him, and that there wasn't the least thing in the world to be afraid of. Pretty soon Happy Jack began to love Farmer Brown's boy a little. He couldn't help it. He just had to love any one who was so kind and gentle to him. Now as soon as he began to love a little, and felt sure in his own heart that Farmer Brown's boy loved him a little, he found that love and love make more love, and it wasn't any time at all before he had become very fond of Farmer Brown's boy, so fond of him that he was almost jealous³ of Tommy Tit, who had been a friend of Farmer Brown's boy for a long time. It got so that Happy Jack looked forward each day to the visit of Farmer Brown's boy, and as soon as he heard his whistle, he would hasten⁴ to meet him. Some folks were unkind⁵ enough to say that it was just because of the nuts and corn he was sure to find in Farmer Brown's boy's pockets, but that wasn't so at all.

 

At last there came a day when he missed that cheery whistle. He waited and waited. At last he went clear to the edge of the Green Forest, but there was no whistle and no sign of Farmer Brown's boy. It was the same way the next day and the next. Happy Jack forgot to frisk about the way he usually does. He lost his appetite. He just sat around and moped.

 

When Tommy Tit the Chickadee came to call, as he did every day, Happy Jack found that Tommy was anxious too. Tommy had been up to Farmer Brown's dooryard several times, and he hadn't seen anything of Farmer Brown's boy.

 

"I think he must have gone away," said Tommy.

 

"He would have come down here first and said good-by," replied Happy Jack.

 

"You—you don't suppose something has happened to him, do you?" asked Tommy.

 

"I don't know. I don't know what to think," replied Happy Jack, soberly⁶. "Do you know, Tommy, I've grown very fond of Farmer Brown's boy."

 

"Of course. Dee, dee, dee, of course. Everybody who really knows him is fond of him. I've said all along that he is the best friend we've got, but no one seemed to believe me. I'm glad you've found it out for yourself. I tell you what, I'll go up to his house and have another look around." And without waiting for a reply, Tommy was off as fast as his little wings could take him.

 

"I hope, I do hope, that nothing has happened to him," mumbled⁷ Happy Jack, as he pretended to hunt for buried nuts while he waited for Tommy Tit to come back, and by "him" he meant Farmer Brown's boy.

 

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 squirrel   

n.松鼠，松鼠的毛皮；vt.贮藏以备用

参考例句：

• The squirrel makes a store of nuts for the winter.松鼠贮藏坚果以备过冬。
• A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。

3 jealous   

adj.妒忌的，猜忌的；精心守护的

参考例句：

• He was jealous when he discovered that she loved someone else.当他发现她爱别人的时候，他吃醋了。
• An honorable Chinese citizen should be jealous of his own rights.一名光荣的中国公民应当珍惜自己的公民权利。

4 hasten   

v.(使)赶紧，催促；急忙(说)

参考例句：

• You must hasten and publish your results.你必须赶快公布你的结果。
• That mistake will hasten his downfall.那个错误将加速他的垮台。

5 unkind   

adj.不仁慈的，不和善的

参考例句：

• He was never unkind to her.他从未亏待过她。
• Unkindness often reacts on the unkind person.恶人有恶报。

6 soberly   

adv. 清醒地，严肃地，素净地

参考例句：

• We must be soberly aware that there is still a long way ahead of us. 我们一定要清醒地认识到我们的前面还有一段漫长的道路。
• She walked on more soberly now, and she was lonely. 她一个劲往前走去，这时头脑更加清醒了，感到自己格外孤单。

7 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。