CHAPTER XXXII: The Surprise

    Surprises sometimes are so great

   You're tempted¹ to believe in fate.

    —Whitefoot.

One never-to-be forgotten evening Whitefoot met Mrs. Whitefoot and she invited him to come back to their home. Of course Whitefoot was delighted.

 

“Sh-h-h,” said little Mrs. Whitefoot, as Whitefoot entered the snug² little room of the house they had built in the old nest of Melody³ the Wood Thrush. Whitefoot hesitated. In the first place, it was dark in there. In the second place, he had the feeling that somehow that little bedroom seemed crowded. It hadn't been that way the last time he was there. Mrs. Whitefoot was right in front of him, and she seemed very much excited about something.

 

Presently she crowded to one side. “Come here and look,” said she.

 

Whitefoot looked. In the middle of a soft bed of moss⁴ was a squirming mass of legs and funny little heads. At first that was all Whitefoot could make out.

 

“Don't you think this is the most wonderful surprise that ever was?” whispered little Mrs. Whitefoot. “Aren't they darlings? Aren't you proud of them?”

 

By this time Whitefoot had made out that that squirming mass of legs and heads was composed of baby Mice. He counted them. There were four. “Whose are they, and what are they doing here?” Whitefoot asked in a queer⁵ voice.

 

“Why, you old stupid, they are yours,—yours and mine,” declared little Mrs. Whitefoot. “Did you ever, ever see such beautiful babies? Now I guess you understand why I kept you away from here.”

 

Whitefoot shook his head. “No,” said he, “I don't understand at all. I don't see yet what you drove me away for.”

 

“Why, you blessed old dear, there wasn't room for you when those babies came; I had to have all the room there was. It wouldn't have done to have had you running in and out and disturbing them when they were so tiny. I had to be alone with them, and that is why I made you go off and live by yourself. I am so proud of them, I don't know what to do. Aren't you proud, Whitefoot? Aren't you the proudest Wood Mouse in all the Green Forest?”

 

Of course Whitefoot should have promptly⁶ said that he was, but the truth is, Whitefoot wasn't proud at all. You see, he was so surprised that he hadn't yet had time to feel that they were really his. In fact, just then he felt a wee bit jealous of them. It came over him that they would take all the time and attention of little Mrs. Whitefoot. So Whitefoot didn't answer that question. He simply sat and stared at those four squirming babies.

 

Finally little Mrs. Whitefoot gently pushed him out and followed him. “Of course,” said she, “there isn't room for you to stay here now. You will have to sleep in your old home because there isn't room in here for both of us and the babies too.”

 

Whitefoot's heart sank. He had thought that he was to stay and that everything would be just as it had been before. “Can't I come over here any more?” he asked rather timidly⁷.

 

“What a foolish question!” cried little Mrs. Whitefoot. “Of course you can. You will have to help take care of these babies. Just as soon as they are big enough, you will have to help teach them how to hunt for food and how to watch out for danger, and all the things that a wise Wood Mouse knows. Why, they couldn't get along without you. Neither could I,” she added softly.

 

At that Whitefoot felt better. And suddenly there was a queer swelling⁸ in his heart. It was the beginning of pride, pride in those wonderful babies.

 

“You have given me the best surprise that ever was, my dear,” said Whitefoot softly. “Now I think I will go and look for some supper.”

 

So now we will leave Whitefoot and his family. You see there are two very lively little people of the Green Forest who demand attention and insist on having it. They are Buster Bear's Twins, and this is to be the title of the next book.

The End

1 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

2 snug   

adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房

参考例句：

• He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
• She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。

3 melody   

n.旋律，曲调，悦耳的音乐

参考例句：

• She struck up a folk melody on the piano.她开始用钢琴演奏那首民歌。
• After she wrote the melody,she asked us for criticisms.她做好曲之后，请我们提意见。

4 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

5 queer   

adj.奇怪的，异常的，不舒服的，眩晕的

参考例句：

• I heard some queer footsteps.我听到某种可疑的脚步声。
• She has been queer lately.她最近身体不舒服。

6 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

7 timidly   

adv.胆小地，羞怯地

参考例句：

• She knocked timidly on the study door and entered. 她小心翼翼地敲了敲书房门然后进去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The child glanced at his angry father timidly. 孩子怯生生地瞟了一眼怒气冲冲的父亲。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。