CHAPTER XI GRANDPA GRUMBLES

 Little Bear said: "I will go and find Red Riding Hood¹."

 

Papa and Mama Bear, and all the other Bears hugged Little Bear, and kissed him good-by, and shouted: "Don't get lost in the woods, don't get lost in the woods!"

 

Little Bear was happy. He went off whistling a merry tune².

 

He wandered about in the woods all day, and when night came he saw a light and followed it.

 

The light came from a very little window in a very little house.

 

Little Bear went up to the door of the house and knocked. An old bear stuck his head out of a window and called: "Who is there?"

 

Little Bear said: "I am Little Bear.  I am lost in the woods. May I come in, please?"

 

The old bear said: "I am called Grandpa Grumbles⁴. What is your name?"

 

Then Little Bear began to cry, and howl and scream, and he made such a dreadful noise that Grandpa Grum­bles had to come down and let him in. Grandpa Grumbles was such a cross old bear that none of the animals would live with him.

 

He always grumbled⁵ about some­thing. He said it was too hot or too cold, or too wet or too dry, and he was never happy unless he was grumbling⁶.

 

Little Bear limped along into the house. His feet were sore and tired. He said,: "I haven't any name."

 

Grandpa Grumbles took Little Bear into the dining-room, and let him sit up in a high chair at the table.

 

He said, as he passed Little Bear some cake: "You can't eat your cake and have it, too! Eat some cake."

 

Then Little Bear stopped crying, and ate some cake, and pretty soon he said in a whisper:

 

"Couldn't you find a name for me?"

 

Grandpa began to grumble³ and say: "Your Ma ought to find you a name. If I find you a name you won't like it. You know you won't like it."

 

Just then a gentle rap was heard at the door and in walked Red Riding Hood.

 

She had a basket of cookies and a pot of butter.

 

Grandpa began to grumble in a very fierce way, and Little Bear was afraid he was going to eat Red Riding Hood. So he jumped up on the table and cried:

 

"Eat me, Grandpa! Eat me, Grand­pa! I am young and tender!"

 

Then they all laughed, and Grand­pa forgot to grumble, and Red Riding Hood took off her cape⁷ and hood, and she ate supper with them.

 

Red Riding Hood came often to visit Grandpa Grumbles, as they were old friends.

 

"You have been gone a long a time," said Grandpa Grumbles.

 

Little Bear tried to say something, but his mouth was full of buttered toast and he could not speak.

 

"He is trying to talk with his mouth full," grumbled Grandpa.

 

"I would like some more cakes," said Red Riding Hood.

 

Then Grandpa Grumbles shouted: "Pass me the vinegar! I must have vinegar on my cakes!"

 

Red Riding Hood passed the vine­gar, and smiled so sweetly that Grand­pa Grumbles forgot what he was grumbling about.

 

Then Little Bear said: "Red Riding Hood came to our house, and Bushy Tail came and stole the cookies!"

 

Then Grandpa Grumbles grew very angry, indeed, and shouted:

 

"Ha! ha! Bushy Tail stole the cookies! Well, well! He is no relative of mine. Some one ought to box his ears! Some one ought to box his ears!"

 

Then Red Riding Hood laughed, and Little Bear laughed, and Grandpa Grumbles laughed, and chuckled⁸ and said:

 

"I will fix Bushy Tail, I will punish Bushy Tail. I have a present for him in my grab-bag."

 

Little Bear was so tired he fell asleep.

 

Red Riding Hood said: "He is the prettiest little bear I have ever seen."

Grandpa Grumbles said: "It is a pity he hasn't any name.

 

1 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

2 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

3 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

4 grumbles   

抱怨( grumble的第三人称单数 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。
• I'm sick of your unending grumbles. 我对你的不断埋怨感到厌烦。

5 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

6 grumbling   

adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的

参考例句：

• She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
• We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。

7 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

8 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。