On this particular morning Peter happened to be sitting under some ferns on the edge of a little open space among the trees when again he heard that strange voice. It seemed to come from somewhere back in the woods in the very direction from which he had just come. "Gobble-obble-obble!" said the voice, and again a moment later "Gobble-obble-obble!"
Peter was just preparing to go back to see if he could find the owner of that voice when the noise of great wings caused him to look up just in time to see a bigger bird than he ever had even dreamed of coming swiftly over the tree-tops. With his eyes popping out and his mouth wide open with astonishment2, Peter saw the great bird set its wings and sail down into the little opening on the edge of which Peter was sitting. The instant this great bird was on the ground, he stood as still as if he were made of stone, his long neck stretched up. Only the shine of a pair of the sharpest eyes Peter ever had seen showed that he was alive.
Peter held his breath, and it was so still that you could have heard a leaf drop had you been there. When at last the stranger moved, it was his head only. He turned it suddenly to the right and a moment later to the left. It was plain that he was listening for suspicious sounds. All the time his bright eyes searched the edge of the opening until Peter, although he was well hidden, felt that he must be seen. At last, satisfied that all was safe, the stranger drew in his neck and began to walk about, pecking at the ground here and there and swallowing what he picked up, though what it was Peter couldn't tell.
A sound seemed to catch the stranger's quick ears, for he stopped and stared very hard at a little clump3 of brush. Peter stared at it too. At first he saw nothing, but presently he saw a head poked4 out, and this also was a stranger. Peter glanced at the big stranger in the opening, and for a minute he wondered if it could be that something was wrong with his eyes. Never had he seen such a change in anybody. This stranger didn't look like the same bird at all. He was swelled5 up until Peter was afraid he would burst. His tail was spread out like a great fan. His head was laid back on his humped shoulders. His wings were dropped until the stiffly spread feathers brushed the ground. His head and neck were as red as blood, and there were no feathers on either. All the feathers of his body were ruffed out so that the sun shone on them and made them shimmer6 and shine in colors that seemed to constantly change.
Back and forth7 in front of the brush from which the other stranger was peeping very shyly this great bird strutted9. He would stand still so that the sun would fall full on his shining coat and show it off to the best advantage, and at the same time he would draw in a great deal of air and then puff10 it out all at once. Then he would walk a few steps, turn, drag his wings on the ground to make them rustle11, wheel, and run a few steps. Never had Peter seen such vanity, such conceit12, such imposing13, puffed14-up pride. He watched until he grew tired, and then he stole away and hurried over to the Smiling Pool to tell Grandfather Frog all about it and ask who these strangers were.
"Chug-a-rum!" exclaimed Grandfather Frog, opening his big mouth very wide to laugh at Peter and his excitement. "That was Big Tom Gobbler, and he was doing all that for the benefit of Mrs. Gobbler, who was hiding in that brush. It was her head you saw. Big Tom is the most conceited15 fellow in the Green Forest. He dearly loves to strut8. He is just like his father and his grandfather and his great-grandfather. The Gobblers never have gotten over strutting16 since Old Mr. Gobbler, the first of the family, got the habit."
"Tell me about it. Please, Grandfather Frog, tell me about it," begged Peter. "How did Old Mr. Gobbler get the habit?"
Grandfather Frog chuckled17. "He got it from admiring his own reflection in a pool of water," said he. "You see, in those days way back when the world was young, people had more time to form habits than they do now. With plenty to eat and little to do, they had more time to think about themselves than they do now. Old Mr. Gobbler soon discovered that he was the biggest of all the birds in that part of the Great World where he lived, and this discovery was, I suspect, the beginning of his vanity. Then one day as he was walking along, he came to a little pool of water. It was very clear, and there wasn't a ripple18 on the surface. There for the first time Mr. Gobbler saw his reflection. The more he looked, the better he liked his own appearance. He spread his tail just to see how it would look in the water. Then he puffed himself out and strutted.
"'There is nobody to compare with me,' thought he, and strutted more than ever.
"After that he used to steal away every day to admire himself in that little pool of water. He tried new ways of strutting and of puffing19 himself out. After a while he was no longer content to admire himself. He wanted others to admire him. So the first chance he got he began to strut and show off all his grand airs before Mrs. Gobbler. At first she paid no attention to him. At least that is the way she appeared. She would turn her back on him and walk off into the bushes. This made Old Mr. Gobbler very angry until he discovered that she would tiptoe back and watch him admiringly when she thought he didn't know it. That made him strut all the more.
"At first all the neighbors used to gather around and admire him and tell him how handsome he was until his head was quite turned, as the saying is, and he spent most of his time strutting and showing off. Then he took to bragging20 and boasting that there was no bird to compare with him. Thus he became quite unbearable21, and all his neighbors would turn their backs on him when they saw him coming. Only Mrs. Gobbler continued to watch in secret and to admire him.
"Now in those days Mr. Gobbler didn't have a red head and neck. One day Old Mother Nature happened along when Mr. Gobbler was strutting and boasting how big and brave he was. He didn't see her, and she watched him quietly for a few minutes. Then she slipped away and hunted up Mr. Wolf.
"'I want you to steal over where Mr. Gobbler is strutting,' said she, 'and suddenly spring out at him as if you intended to catch him.'
"Mr. Wolf grinned and trotted22 off to do her bidding. He found Mr. Gobbler swelled up until he looked as if he must burst, and bragging to Mrs. Gobbler.
"'I'm the biggest of all the birds,' bragged23 Mr. Gobbler. 'I'm afraid of no one. While you have me with you, my dear, you have nothing in all the Great World to fear.'
"Just then out sprang Mr. Wolf with all his long, sharp teeth showing. Mr. Gobbler gave a yelp24 of fright. He lost his swelled-up appearance as suddenly as a bubble flattens25 out when it is pricked26. With a frantic27 beating of his wings he took to the air. Being in such a fright, he didn't see where he was going, and struck his head against a sharp twig28, which tore the skin, for there were no feathers to protect it, and made it bleed. The blood ran all over his head and down his neck, though he really was hardly hurt at all. From the top of a tall tree he looked down. There stood Old Mother Nature, looking up at him.
"'Mr. Gobbler,' said she, 'you have acquired a bad habit, a very bad habit. Hereafter, whenever you become vain and strut, your head and neck shall become as red as they now are, as a reminder29 to you and all who see you of how silly it is to be vain and boastful.'
"And so it was. And so it is with Big Tom Gobbler to this day. There is nothing in the world more foolish than vanity," concluded Grandfather Frog.
Gopher! said he.
"Don't call me Striped Chipmunk, and don't call me Gopher!" said he.
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1
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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2
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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3
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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4
poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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5
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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6
shimmer
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| v./n.发微光，发闪光；微光 | |
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7
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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8
strut
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| v.肿胀，鼓起；大摇大摆地走；炫耀；支撑；撑开；n.高视阔步；支柱，撑杆 | |
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9
strutted
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| 趾高气扬地走，高视阔步( strut的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
puff
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| n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气 | |
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11
rustle
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| v.沙沙作响；偷盗(牛、马等)；n.沙沙声声 | |
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12
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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13
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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14
puffed
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| adj.疏松的v.使喷出( puff的过去式和过去分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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15
conceited
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| adj.自负的，骄傲自满的 | |
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16
strutting
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| 加固，支撑物 | |
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17
chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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19
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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20
bragging
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话 | |
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21
unbearable
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| adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的 | |
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22
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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23
bragged
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24
yelp
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| vi.狗吠 | |
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25
flattens
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| 变平，使（某物）变平( flatten的第三人称单数 )； 彻底打败某人，使丢脸； 停止增长（或上升）； （把身体或身体部位）紧贴… | |
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26
pricked
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| 刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛 | |
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27
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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28
twig
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| n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解 | |
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29
reminder
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| n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示 | |
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30
chipmunk
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| n.花栗鼠 | |
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