III TIMOTHY'S GRUDGE

 Sometimes Fatty Coon liked a taste of fresh fish, just by way of a change from Farmer Green's corn, and blackberries, wild grapes, bugs—and all the other dainties on which he dined.

 

So it happened that one day he visited Black Creek¹, where he crouched² near the water with the hope that some silly fish would swim within reach of his sharp claws.

 

For a long time he waited patiently. And at last, to his great joy, a young pickerel nosed his way through the shallow water in front of him.p. 12

 

The newcomer was hunting flies. And he did not notice the eager fisherman.

 

Fatty Coon waited until just the right moment. And then one of his paws darted³ suddenly into the water.

 

But instead of Fatty Coon catching⁴ the pickerel, someone else caught Fatty Coon.

 

His captor was no less a person than Timothy Turtle himself, who had been buried all this time in the mud almost under Fatty Coon's nose. That is, his body was buried. His head and neck he had left free, so that he might strike at a fish when one came his way. But he had seen something else that took his fancy. When Fatty's paw scooped⁵ into the water Timothy Turtle just had to grab it.

 

"Let me go!" Fatty Coon shrieked⁶, for Mr. Turtle's cruel jaws⁷ hurt him terribly.

 

"Why, this is fun!" Timothy Turtle muttered thickly, as he took a firmer holdp. 13 on Fatty's paw. "Besides, I've been wanting to talk with you for a long time."

 

"Then you'd better let me go," Fatty groaned⁸, "because you can't talk well with your mouth full."

 

"I can say all I need to," Timothy Turtle grunted⁹. "And I know that if I dropped your paw you'd run off."

 

"Hurry, then!" Fatty Coon begged him piteously. "Hurry and tell me what you have to say. And please talk fast!"

 

Timothy Turtle almost smiled.

 

"Am I hurting you?" he inquired.

 

"Yes, you are!" cried Fatty Coon.

 

"Good!" Mr. Turtle snorted. "I meant to, because I've a grudge¹⁰ against you."

 

Fatty Coon couldn't think what he meant.

 

"I've never done a thing to you," he declared.

 

"Perhaps not!" Timothy Turtle admitted.p. 14

 

"But you stole Mrs. Turtle's eggs—twenty-seven of them—and you can't deny it."

 

Now, it was true—what Timothy Turtle said. Hidden among the reeds one day, Fatty Coon had watched Mrs. Turtle bury her eggs in the sand, to hatch. And when she had gone he had crept out from his hiding-place, dug up her precious, round, white treasures, and eaten them, every one.

 

Well, Fatty Coon dropped his head in front of Mr. Turtle. He was somewhat ashamed, and frightened, too. And he did not like to look into Timothy Turtle's blinking eyes. "How did you know?" he asked Mr. Turtle.

 

"Mrs. Turtle told me," said Timothy, shifting his hold slightly, for a better one.

 

"How did the old lady know who took her eggs?" Fatty persisted.p. 15

 

"Mr. Crow saw everything that happened—and don't you call my wife an old lady!" Timothy Turtle spluttered.

 

"Very well! She's a young one, of course," Fatty said hastily. "But I don't know how I've harmed you."

 

"You don't, eh?" Timothy Turtle snarled¹¹. "Then I'll explain. I meant to have those eggs myself, young man!"

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 crouched   

v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He crouched down beside her. 他在她的旁边蹲了下来。
• The lion crouched ready to pounce. 狮子蹲下身，准备猛扑。

3 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

5 scooped   

v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等）

参考例句：

• They scooped the other newspapers by revealing the matter. 他们抢先报道了这件事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wheels scooped up stones which hammered ominously under the car. 车轮搅起的石块，在车身下发出不吉祥的锤击声。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城

7 jaws   

n.口部；嘴

参考例句：

• The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
• The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。

8 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

10 grudge   

n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做

参考例句：

• I grudge paying so much for such inferior goods.我不愿花这么多钱买次品。
• I do not grudge him his success.我不嫉妒他的成功。

11 snarled   

v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说

参考例句：

• The dog snarled at us. 狗朝我们低声吼叫。
• As I advanced towards the dog, It'snarled and struck at me. 我朝那条狗走去时，它狂吠着向我扑来。 来自《简明英汉词典》