The Travellers and the Bear

 Two Men, about to journey through a forest, agreed to stand by each other in any dangers that might befall. They had not gone far before a savage¹ Bear rushed out from a thicket² and stood in their path.

 

One of the Travellers, a light, nimble fellow, climbed up into a tree.

The other fell flat on his face and held his breath.

 

The Bear came up and smelled at him, and, taking him for dead, went off again into the wood. The man in the tree then came down, and, rejoining his companion, asked him, with a mischievous³ smile, what was the wonderful secret that the Bear had whispered into his ear,

 

"Why," replied the other sulkily, "he told me to take care for the future and not to put any confidence in such cowardly rascals⁴ as you are!"

 

1 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

2 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

3 mischievous   

adj.调皮的，恶作剧的，有害的，伤人的

参考例句：

• He is a mischievous but lovable boy.他是一个淘气但可爱的小孩。
• A mischievous cur must be tied short.恶狗必须拴得短。

4 rascals   

流氓( rascal的名词复数 )； 无赖； （开玩笑说法）淘气的人（尤指小孩）； 恶作剧的人

参考例句：

• "Oh, but I like rascals. "唔，不过我喜欢流氓。
• "They're all second-raters, black sheep, rascals. "他们都是二流人物，是流氓，是恶棍。