MOLLIE AND THE POUTS

 Until the Pouts¹ got to work on Mollie she was a very pretty little girl. But when she sat on the couch and sulked, and sulked, and sulked because she could not go out to play with Little Sister, the Pouts turned her into a very ugly little girl indeed.

 

"Ouch! You hurt!" cried a little voice, just as a Pout² drew Mollie's mouth down at the corners.

 

Mollie started. She had forgotten that she was holding Dear Doll Dainty by the arm, and she let go of her in her surprise.

 

"Well!" cried Dear Doll Dainty. "It's a wonder that fall didn't break my head. Why didn't you lay me nicely on the couch? My, what a sour face!"

 

With that, Dear Doll Dainty stepped up to her own special trunk, which stood open in the center of the floor, and put on her hat and slipped into her coat.

 

"Wh-what are you going to do?" asked Mollie, staring.

 

"Going away, of course. I don't care to belong to a little girl with the Pouts."

 

Dear Doll Dainty walked to the door.

 

"Wait a minute, Dear Doll Dainty," squeaked³ the rabbits that were capering⁴ around the top of the wall; "we're coming too." And with a great scurry⁵, down slid the bunnies. "We're tired of trying to make a cross little girl happy."

 

"So are we," added the roses on the curtains sweetly, as they let themselves down by their thorns and walked to the door on their stems.

 

"And we." The pillows Mollie's impatient little fists had punched dropped to the floor and started off.

 

The trunk slammed down its lid and followed the pillows, the bureau followed the trunk, the book Mollie had thrown on the floor followed the bureau.

 

"Pardon me," said a deep voice, "but I am tired of being sat on and having heels dug into me!" Up went the couch. Bump! went Mollie on the floor.

 

 

The couch walked clumsily to the door. It couldn't get through.

 

"Tee-hee-hee!" giggled⁶ Mollie. The Pouts took to their heels. "Tee-hee—"

 

Mollie stopped laughing and looked around in amazement⁷. Everything in the room was just as it ought to be, except that she and Dear Doll Dainty were both on the floor.

 

But Mollie thought the rabbits winked⁸ at her as she laid Dear Doll Dainty gently on the couch and put the book in its place on the table.

1 pouts   

n.撅嘴，生气( pout的名词复数 )v.撅（嘴）( pout的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• "Now, none of your pouts, Miss. "好，别撅着嘴生气了。 来自飘（部分）
• I don't like to see you in the pouts. 我不喜欢看到你闷闷不乐。 来自互联网

2 pout   

v.撅嘴；绷脸；n.撅嘴；生气，不高兴

参考例句：

• She looked at her lover with a pretentious pout.她看着恋人，故作不悦地撅着嘴。
• He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted.他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。

3 squeaked   

v.短促地尖叫( squeak的过去式和过去分词 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The radio squeaked five. 收音机里嘟嘟地发出五点钟报时讯号。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. 埃米走过走廊时，鞋子踩在地砖上嘎吱作响。 来自辞典例句

4 capering   

v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的现在分词 )；蹦蹦跳跳

参考例句：

• The lambs were capering in the fields. 羊羔在地里欢快地跳跃。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boy was Capering dersively, with obscene unambiguous gestures, before a party of English tourists. 这个顽童在一群英国旅游客人面前用明显下流的动作可笑地蹦蹦跳跳着。 来自辞典例句

5 scurry   

vi.急匆匆地走；使急赶；催促；n.快步急跑，疾走；仓皇奔跑声；骤雨，骤雪；短距离赛马

参考例句：

• I jumped on the sofa after I saw a mouse scurry by.看到一只老鼠匆匆路过,我从沙发上跳了起来。
• There was a great scurry for bargains.大家急忙着去抢购特价品。

6 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

8 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》