Dodo’s Kitten

 YOU mustn’t go into the morning-room, Dodo—don’t forget, will you?

 

“No, Mother,” Dodo answered, but she didn’t seem very pleased. It happened that she was a very curious little girl, and always liked to know what was going on, and she was quite certain that something interesting was taking place now.

 

Mary and Eric had just come out of the morning-room, whispering together, and if Eric, who was younger than Dodo, might go in, she thought it was very unkind of Mother not to let her.

 

Dodo was so cross that she sulked nearly all the afternoon, and was so tiresome¹ when nurse was dressing² her to go down to the drawing-room, that the other children were ready long before she was.

 

But at last she trotted³ downstairs, with Spot at her heels—Spot always waited for Dodo—and as the two of them passed the morning-room door, they both stopped.

 

Strange to say, Spot was quite as curious as Dodo. He sniffed⁴ at the door, and whined⁵, and wagged his short stumpy tail violently to and fro. The little girl’s hand was on the handle of the door. Should she turn it? Surely one little peep couldn’t matter?

 

It always seemed to Dodo that the handle turned of its own accord. I don’t think it could have done so, but at any rate the door opened a little way, and out dashed a fluffy⁶ white kitten. In an instant Spot was after it, and chased it down the hall and out into the garden.

 

Dodo didn’t know what to do; she couldn’t very well run after Spot, because just at that moment Mary called her.

 

“Be quick, Dodo; Mother wants you,” she said. So Dodo went into the drawing-room feeling very guilty, and soon afterwards Spot came in, licking his lips.

 

“Had he eaten the kitten?” his mistress thought, but she didn’t dare say anything.

 

The next morning when Dodo came down to breakfast, she found all sorts of nice presents laid out beside her plate.

 

“They can’t be for me,” she said, but Mother kissed her and said:

 

“Yes, they are, my pet. You surely haven’t forgotten that it is your birthday? I am so sorry that I have no present for you, but yesterday I bought you a little white kitten and shut it up in the morning-room. Some one must have let it out, for we can’t find it anywhere.”

 

You can think how Dodo felt then. She grew redder and redder, and then she burst out crying. After that she did the best thing she could have done. She told Mother all about it, and Mother kissed and comforted her, and forgave her, but she made her promise to try and not be so curious or so disobedient again.

 

And before breakfast was over, what do you think happened? Dick, the gardener’s boy, brought in a lovely white Persian kitten, that he had found in the tool-house. Of course, it was Dodo’s, and it was the very sweetest and dearest kitten in the world.

 

Spot was inclined to be jealous of the new pet, and was very naughty at first, barking and snapping at it in a very rude manner; but in the end even he couldn’t help liking⁷ the pretty little fluffy thing. Before a week had passed he and Snow became the very best of friends, and he wouldn’t have chased that kitten for the meatiest bone in a whole butcher’s shop.

 

L. L. Weedon.

1 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

2 dressing   

n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料

参考例句：

• Don't spend such a lot of time in dressing yourself.别花那么多时间来打扮自己。
• The children enjoy dressing up in mother's old clothes.孩子们喜欢穿上妈妈旧时的衣服玩。

3 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

4 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》

5 whined   

v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨

参考例句：

• The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• 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。 来自辞典例句

6 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

7 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。