WHEN P'RAPSY SAID "YES"

 P'rapsy Perrin was never quite certain about things. She always said "P'raps" instead of "Yes," or "No." That's how she came to be called P'rapsy.

 

But there was one thing P'rapsy was certain about—she loved to go barefoot; and just as soon as the first warm spring day came, P'rapsy teased to take off her shoes and stockings.

 

But Mrs. Perrin only laughed. "You'll catch cold, P'rapsy. And you know what you have to take when you get sick."

 

P'rapsy thought of the big white bottle on the bathroom shelf, and stopped teasing. But she didn't forget.

 

That afternoon Mrs. Perrin went out to make some calls.

 

"Be a good girl, P'rapsy," she said as she left the house.

 

"Yessum," promised P'rapsy. But she must have added "P'raps" inside; for she ran straight to the back yard and called to the two little girls next door.

 

"Yoo-hoo!" she cried. "Come on over and go wading¹."

 

A pool of water had been left in the hollow of the yard by the heavy spring rains. "Dare you!" it seemed to twinkle up at P'rapsy.

 

"Oo-o-o, I dassent!" cried the biggest little girl, carefully smoothing down her stiff, clean dress.

 

"Oo-o-o, I dassent!" echoed the littlest little girl.

 

P'rapsy eyed them scornfully as she took off her shoes and stockings and splashed into the pool.

 

"'Fraid cats!" she jeered². "'Fraid cats! 'Fraid cats! 'Fraid cats!"

 

The little girls watched P'rapsy in scared silence.

 

"You'll take cold," finally ventured the biggest little girl.

 

"P'raps I will," retorted P'rapsy.

 

"You're getting wet," said the littlest little girl.

 

P'rapsy only sniffed³. But it wasn't so very much fun, after all. P'rapsy kept hearing, "Be a good girl, P'rapsy." "Yessum."

 

When she had proved that she, at least, was not a 'fraid cat, P'rapsy splashed out.

 

"You needn't tell," she cried over her shoulder, as her bare feet twinkled back to the house.

 

That night Mrs. Perrin heard strange sounds in P'rapsy's room: "Ker-choo! Ker-choo! Ker-choo!" She went to the door. P'rapsy was sitting up in bed.

 

"I'b dot sick, babba," she explained. "I'b just—ker-choo!"

 

Mrs. Perrin left the room. When she returned she carried a big white bottle and a spoon.

 

"Do, do, do!" screamed P'rapsy, as her mother poured out the thick, slippery oil. "I'b dot——"

 

What she was "dot" was lost in a gurgle and a splutter as the oil slid down her throat.

 

P'rapsy was not happy. She drew the blankets up around her, and buried her head among the pillows.

 

"P'rapsy," said her mother when the dose was down, "you've disobeyed me. Are you sorry?"

 

"P-p-pr—yes!" sobbed⁴ P'rapsy under the bedclothes.

1 wading   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。
• The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

2 jeered   

v.嘲笑( jeer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police were jeered at by the waiting crowd. 警察受到在等待的人群的嘲弄。
• The crowd jeered when the boxer was knocked down. 当那个拳击手被打倒时，人们开始嘲笑他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。