Phœbe’s flock consisted at first mostly of Brown Mallards, but a friend gave her a sitting of eggs warranted to produce a most beautiful variety of white ducks. They were hatched in due time, but proved hard to raise, till at length there was only one survivor1, of such uncommon2 grace and beauty that we called her the Lady Blanche. Presently a neighbour sold Phœbe his favourite Muscovy drake, and these two splendid creatures by “natural selection” disdained3 to notice the rest of the flock, but forming a close friendship, wandered in the pleasant paths of duckdom together, swimming and eating quite apart from the others.
In the brown flock there was one unfortunate, misshapen from the egg, quite lame4, and with no smoothness of plumage; but on that very account, apparently5, or because she was too weak to resist them, the others treated her cruelly, biting her and pushing her away from the food.
One day it happened that the two ducks—Sir Muscovy and Lady Blanche—had come up from the water before the others, and having taken their repast were sitting together under the shade of a flowering currant-bush, when they chanced to see poor Miss Crippletoes very badly used and crowded away from the dish. Sir Muscovy rose to his feet; a few rapid words seemed to pass between him and his mate, and then he fell upon the other drake and the heartless minions6 who had persecuted7 the helpless one, drove them far away out of sight, and, returning, went to the corner where the victim was cowering8, her face to the wall. He seemed to whisper to her, or in some way to convey to her a sense of protection; for after a few moments she tremblingly went with him to the dish, and hurriedly ate her dinner while he stood by, repulsing9 the advances of the few brown ducks who remained near and seemed inclined to attack her.
When she had eaten enough Lady Blanche joined them, and they went down the hill together to their favourite swimming-place. After that Miss Crippletoes always followed a little behind her protectors, and thus shielded and fed she grew stronger and well-feathered, though she was always smaller than she should have been and had a lowly manner, keeping a few steps in the rear of her superiors and sitting at some distance from their noon resting-place.
Phœbe noticed after a while that Lady Blanche was seldom to be seen, and Sir Muscovy and Miss Crippletoes often came to their meals without her. The would-be mother refused to inhabit the house Phœbe had given her, and for a long time the place she had chosen for her sitting could not be found. At length the Square Baby discovered her in a most ideal spot. A large boulder10 had dropped years ago into the brook11 that fills our duck-pond; dropped and split in halves with the two smooth walls leaning away from each other. A grassy12 bank towered behind, and on either side of the opening, tall bushes made a miniature forest where the romantic mother could brood her treasures while her two guardians13 enjoyed the water close by her retreat.
All this happened before my coming to Thornycroft Farm, but it was I who named the hero and heroines of the romance when Phœbe had told me all the particulars. Yesterday morning I was sitting by my open window. It was warm, sunny, and still, but in the country sounds travel far, and I could hear fowl14 conversation in various parts of the poultry-yard as well as in all the outlying bits of territory occupied by our feathered friends. Hens have only three words and a scream in their language, but ducks, having more thoughts to express, converse15 quite fluently, so fluently, in fact, that it reminds me of dinner at the Hydropathic Hotel. I fancy I have learned to distinguish seven separate sounds, each varied16 by degrees of intensity17, and with upward or downward inflections like the Chinese tongue.
In the distance, then, I heard the faint voice of a duck calling as if breathless and excited. While I wondered what was happening, I saw Miss Crippletoes struggling up the steep bank above the duck-pond. It was the quickest way from the water to the house, but difficult for the little lame webbed feet. When she reached the level grass sward she sank down a moment, exhausted18; but when she could speak again she cried out, a sharp staccato call, and ran forward.
Instantly she was answered from a distant knoll19, where for some reason Sir Muscovy loved to retire for meditation20. The cries grew lower and softer as the birds approached each other, and they met at the corner just under my window. Instantly they put their two bills together and the loud cries changed to confiding21 murmurs22. Evidently some hurried questions and answers passed between them, and then Sir Muscovy waddled23 rapidly by the quickest path, Miss Crippletoes following him at a slower pace, and both passed out of sight, using their wings to help their feet down the steep declivity24. The next morning, when I wakened early, my first thought was to look out, and there on the sunny greensward where they were accustomed to be fed, Sir Muscovy, Lady Blanche, and their humble25 maid, Malardina Crippletoes, were scattering26 their own breakfast before the bills of twelve beautiful golden balls of ducklings. The little creatures could never have climbed the bank, but must have started from their nest at dawn, coming round by the brook to the level at the foot of the garden, and so by slow degrees up to the house.
Judging from what I heard and knew of their habits, I am sure the excitement of the previous morning was occasioned by the hatching of the eggs, and that Lady Blanche had hastily sent her friend to call Sir Muscovy, the family remaining together until they could bring the babies with them and display their beauty to Phœbe and me.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
survivor
|
|
| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
uncommon
|
|
| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
disdained
|
|
| 鄙视( disdain的过去式和过去分词 )； 不屑于做，不愿意做 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
lame
|
|
| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
minions
|
|
| n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
persecuted
|
|
| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
cowering
|
|
| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
repulsing
|
|
| v.击退( repulse的现在分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
|
10
boulder
|
|
| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
brook
|
|
| n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
grassy
|
|
| adj.盖满草的；长满草的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
guardians
|
|
| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
fowl
|
|
| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
converse
|
|
| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
varied
|
|
| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
intensity
|
|
| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
exhausted
|
|
| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
knoll
|
|
| n.小山，小丘 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
meditation
|
|
| n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
confiding
|
|
| adj.相信人的，易于相信的v.吐露（秘密，心事等）( confide的现在分词 )；（向某人）吐露（隐私、秘密等） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
murmurs
|
|
| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
waddled
|
|
| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
declivity
|
|
| n.下坡，倾斜面 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
humble
|
|
| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
scattering
|
|
| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |