GINGER AND PICKLES

 Once upon a time there was a village shop. The name over the window was "Ginger¹ and Pickles²."

 

It was a little small shop just the right size for Dolls— Lucinda and Jane Doll-cook always bought their groceries at Ginger and Pickles.

 

The counter inside was a convenient height for rabbits. Ginger and Pickles sold red spotty pocket handkerchiefs at a penny three farthings.

 

They also sold sugar, and snuff and galoshes.

 

In fact, although it was such a small shop it sold nearly everything—except a few things that you want in a hurry—like bootlaces, hair- pins and mutton chops.

 

Ginger and Pickles were the people who kept the shop. Ginger was a yellow tomcat, and Pickles was a terrier.

 

The rabbits were always a little bit afraid of Pickles.

 

The shop was also patronized by mice—only the mice were rather afraid of Ginger.

 

Ginger usually requested Pickles to serve them, because he said it made his mouth water.

 

"I cannot bear," said he, "to see them going out at the door carrying their little parcels."

 

"I have the same feeling about rats," replied Pickles, "but it would never do to eat our customers; they would leave us and go to Tabitha Twitchit's."

 

"On the contrary, they would go nowhere," replied Ginger gloomily.

 

(Tabitha Twitchit kept the only other shop in the village. She did not give credit.)

 

But there is no money in what is called the "till."

 

Ginger and Pickles gave unlimited³ credit.

 

Now the meaning of "credit" is this—when a customer buys a bar of soap, instead of the customer pulling out a purse and paying for it —she says she will pay another time.

 

And Pickles makes a low bow and says, "With pleasure, madam," and it is written down in a book.

 

The customers come again and again, and buy quantities, in spite of being afraid of Ginger and Pickles.

 

The customers came in crowds every day and bought quantities, especially the toffee customers. But there was always no money; they never paid for as much as a penny- worth of peppermints⁴.

 

But the sales were enormous, ten times as large as Tabitha Twitchit's.

 

As there was always no money, Ginger and Pickles were obliged to eat their own goods.

 

Pickles ate biscuits and Ginger ate a dried haddock.

 

They ate them by candle- light after the shop was closed.

 

"It is very uncomfortable, I am afraid I shall be summoned. I have tried in vain to get a license⁵ upon credit at the Post Office;" said Pickles. "The place is full of policemen. I met one as I was coming home.

 

"Let us send in the bill again to Samuel Whiskers, Ginger, he owes 22/9 for bacon."

 

"I do not believe that he intends to pay at all," replied Ginger.

 

When it came to Jan. 1st there was still no money, and Pickles was unable to buy a dog license.

 

"It is very unpleasant, I am afraid of the police," said Pickles.

 

"It is your own fault for being a terrier; I do not require a license, and neither does Kep, the Collie dog."

 

"And I feel sure that Anna

Maria pockets things—

"Where are all the cream crackers⁶?"

 

"You have eaten them yourself." replied Ginger.

 

Ginger and Pickles retired⁷ into the back parlor⁸.

 

They did accounts. They added up sums and sums, and sums.

 

"Samuel Whiskers has run up a bill as long as his tail; he has had an ounce and three- quarters of snuff since October.

 

"What is seven pounds of butter at 1/3, and a stick of sealing wax and four matches?"

 

"Send in all the bills again to everybody `with compliments,'" replied Ginger.

 

Pickles nearly had a fit, he barked and he barked and made little rushes.

 

"Bite him, Pickles! bite him!" spluttered Ginger behind a sugar barrel, "he's only a German doll!"

 

The policeman went on writing in his notebook; twice he put his pencil in his mouth, and once he dipped it in the treacle⁹.

 

Pickles barked till he was hoarse¹⁰. But still the policeman took no notice. He had bead¹¹ eyes, and his helmet was sewed on with stitches.

 

After a time they heard a noise in the shop, as if something had been pushed in at the door. They came out of the back parlor. There was an envelope lying on the counter, and a policeman writing in a notebook!

 

At length on his last little rush—Pickles found that the shop was empty. The policeman had disappeared.

 

But the envelope remained.

 

"Do you think that he has gone to fetch a real live policeman? I am afraid it is a summons," said Pickles.

 

"No," replied Ginger, who had opened the envelope, "it is the rates and taxes, 3 pounds 19 11 3/4." [pounds are British money, the 19 is schillings, and then pence]

 

"This is the last straw," said

Pickles, "let us close the shop."

They put up the shutters¹², and left. But they have not removed from the neighborhood. In fact some people wish they had gone further.

 

Ginger is living in the warren [game preserve for rabbits]. I do not know what occupation he pursues; he looks stout¹³ and comfortable.

 

Pickles is at present a game- keeper.

 

After a time Mr. John Dormouse and his daughter began to sell peppermints and candles.

 

But they did not keep "self- fitting sixes"; and it takes five mice to carry one seven inch candle.

 

The closing of the shop caused great inconvenience. Tabitha Twitchit immediately raised the price of everything a halfpenny; and she continued to refuse to give credit.

 

Of course there are the tradesmen's carts—the butcher, the fishman and Timothy Baker¹⁴.

 

But a person cannot live on "seed wigs¹⁵" and sponge cake and butter buns—not even when the sponge cake is as good as Timothy's!

 

And Miss Dormouse refused to take back the ends when they were brought back to her with complaints.

 

And when Mr. John Dormouse was complained to, he stayed in bed, and would say nothing but "very snug¹⁶;" which is not the way to carry on a retail¹⁷ business.

 

Besides—the candles which they sell behave very strangely in warm weather.

 

So everybody was pleased when Sally Henny Penny sent out a printed poster to say that she was going to reopen the shop—"Henny's Opening Sale! Grand cooperative Jumble¹⁸! Penny's penny prices! Come buy, come try, come buy!"

 

The poster really was most 'ticing.

 

There was a rush upon the opening day. The shop was crammed¹⁹ with customers, and there were crowds of mice upon the biscuit cannisters.

 

Sally Henny Penny gets rather flustered²⁰ when she tries to count out change, and she insists on being paid cash; but she is quite harmless.

 

And she has laid in a remarkable²¹ assortment²² of bargains.

 

There is something to please everybody.

1 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

2 pickles   

n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱

参考例句：

• Most people eat pickles at breakfast. 大多数人早餐吃腌菜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I want their pickles and wines, and that.' 我要他们的泡菜、美酒和所有其他东西。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

3 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

4 peppermints   

n.薄荷( peppermint的名词复数 )；薄荷糖

参考例句：

• She just curls up and sucks peppermints. 她老是蜷着腿躺着，吮着薄荷糖。 来自辞典例句
• Enough, already with this mellow incense and peppermints vibe. 够了，我受够这些薰香以及薄荷的感觉了。 来自电影对白

5 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

6 crackers   

adj.精神错乱的，癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 )；薄脆饼干；（认为）十分愉快的事；迷人的姑娘

参考例句：

• That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

9 treacle   

n.糖蜜

参考例句：

• Blend a little milk with two tablespoons of treacle.将少许牛奶和两大汤匙糖浆混合。
• The fly that sips treacle is lost in the sweet.啜饮蜜糖的苍蝇在甜蜜中丧生。

10 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

11 bead   

n.念珠；(pl.)珠子项链；水珠

参考例句：

• She accidentally swallowed a glass bead.她不小心吞下了一颗玻璃珠。
• She has a beautiful glass bead and a bracelet in the box.盒子里有一颗美丽的玻璃珠和手镯。

12 shutters   

百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门

参考例句：

• The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
• The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

14 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

15 wigs   

n.假发，法官帽( wig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They say that wigs will be coming in again this year. 据说今年又要流行戴假发了。 来自辞典例句
• Frank, we needed more wigs than we thought, and we have to do some advertising. 弗兰克，因为我们需要更多的假发，而且我们还要做点广告。 来自电影对白

16 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。

17 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

18 jumble   

vt.使混乱，混杂；n.混乱；杂乱的一堆

参考例句：

• Even the furniture remained the same jumble that it had always been.甚至家具还是象过去一样杂乱无章。
• The things in the drawer were all in a jumble.抽屉里的东西很杂乱。

19 crammed   

adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式)

参考例句：

• He crammed eight people into his car. 他往他的车里硬塞进八个人。
• All the shelves were crammed with books. 所有的架子上都堆满了书。

20 flustered   

adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The honking of horns flustered the boy. 汽车喇叭的叫声使男孩感到慌乱。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She was so flustered that she forgot her reply. 她太紧张了，都忘记了该如何作答。 来自辞典例句

21 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

22 assortment   

n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集

参考例句：

• This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全，任君选择。
• She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。