THE GOING-TO CLUB

 The Going-To Club had only one member. Bobby Brant was that member. In fact, Bobby was the club.

 

It was his mother who named him the Going-To Club. It always took at least two askings to get Bobby to do anything. Sometimes it took three or four. Bobby was always "going to."

 

This club always met when there was something Bobby wanted particularly to do; and it met most often in the spring, when the boys were out flying their kites. In the spring nobody could get Bobby to do anything.

 

One spring Bobby had a very fine new kite that he and his father had made together. They named it the Skylark, because they thought it would fly higher than any of the other kites. But something was wrong. Instead of sailing up gracefully¹, as it should, the first time Bobby tried to fly it, the Skylark pitched about so violently that Bobby had to wind it in.

 

Just then he heard Mary Jane calling, "Bobby, will you get me some water?"

 

"All right," cried Bobby. "I wonder what ails² it," he added, as he turned the kite about.

 

"Bob-by-y!"

 

"I'm going to," answered the Going-To Club impatiently³, and straightway forgot all about it.

 

Pretty soon Mary Jane came down the path with the water pail⁴. Mary Jane had little brothers. Perhaps she could tell what was the matter.

 

"Mary Jane," said Bobby, "my kite won't fly straight. Will you help me fix it?"

 

A naughty twinkle⁵ came into Mary Jane's eyes. "All right, Bobby," she said, and went on to the well.

 

"Will you?" urged Bobby, as she came back with her pail full.

 

"I'm going to, Bobby."

 

Bobby followed Mary Jane to the house.

 

"Mary Jane——"

 

Mary Jane set down the pail and went on with her washing. "I'm going to," she promised.

 

Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub! Rub-a-dub! went the clothes.

 

"Mary Jane——"

 

And this time Mary Jane dried her hands and picked up the kite.

 

"Tail's too long," she said. "And, by the way, Bobby," she added with a laugh, "what do you think about the Going-To Club now?"

 

Bobby grinned and hung his head.

1 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

2 ails   

v.生病( ail的第三人称单数 )；感到不舒服；处境困难；境况不佳

参考例句：

• He will not concede what anything ails his business. 他不允许任何事情来干扰他的工作。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Measles ails the little girl. 麻疹折磨着这个小女孩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 impatiently   

adv.不耐烦地

参考例句：

• Impatiently he cut short what I was telling him. 他不耐烦地打断了我的话。
• The children wait impatiently for the vacation.孩子们焦急地等待着假期的来临。

4 pail   

n.桶，提桶

参考例句：

• There was a pail of water on the ground.地上有一桶水。
• She can lift a pail of water from the ground.她能把一桶水提起来。

5 twinkle   

n.闪烁，闪耀，眨眼，瞬息；v.闪烁，使...闪耀，眨眼，迅速移动

参考例句：

• The twinkle of distant town lights was very beautiful.远处城镇灯火闪烁，煞是好看。
• At night,lights twinkle in distant villages across the valleys.夜间，山谷那头的遥远村落里灯光闪闪。