"TICKITY-TOCK"

 Once upon a time there was a clock that stood on the mantel in a little boy's mother's room, ticking merrily night and day, "Tickity, tickity tock." It told the little boy's father when to go to work and his mother when to get dinner, and sometimes it talked to the little boy himself. "Go to bed, Sleepy Head," that is what it seemed to say at bedtime; and in the morning it ticked out loud and clear, as if it were calling, "Wake up! wake up! wake up!"

 

The little boy's mother always knew just what it meant by its tickity, tickity tock, and late one afternoon, when he was playing with his toys and the clock was ticking on the mantel, she said:—

 

"Listen, little boy, the clock has something to tell you:—

 

"'Tickity, tickity tock,' it is saying,

'Tickity tock, it is time to stop playing;

Somebody's coming so loving and dear,

You must be ready to welcome him here.'"

Then the little boy jumped up in a hurry and put his hobby-horse in the corner and his pony¹ lines on a hook² in the closet and his tin soldiers in a straight row on the cupboard shelf.

 

"Now I'm ready," he said, but:—

 

"'Tickity, tickity, tickity tock!

Time to tidy yourself,' said the clock."

"Oh!" said the little boy, when his mother told him this; but he stood very still while she washed his hands and his rosy³ face and combed his curls⁴ till they were smooth and shining.

 

"Now I'm ready," he cried, but Mother said:—

 

 

"Why, are you going to forget your nice little blouse that you've never worn yet?"

 

"'Tickity, tickity, tickity tock,

Time for clean clothes, little boy,' says the clock."

Then she made haste⁵ to get the blouse out of the dresser drawer, where it had been ever since it was finished. It had a big collar and a tie, and when the little boy put it on he looked like a sailor man.

 

"Now I'm ready," he said, and—do you believe it?—the very next minute the door opened and in walked the little boy's father.

 

"I knew you were coming," said the little boy, "and so did Mother. The clock told us and I have on my new blouse."

1 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

2 hook   

vt.钩住；n.钩子，钩状物

参考例句：

• The blacksmith forged a bar of iron into a hook.铁匠把一根铁条锻造成一个钩子。
• He hangs up his scarf on the hook behind the door.他把围巾挂在门后的衣钩上。

3 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

4 curls   

n.一绺鬈发( curl的名词复数 )；卷曲物；螺旋状物；（指头发）拳曲v.（使）弯曲( curl的第三人称单数 )；（使）卷曲；盘旋；缠绕

参考例句：

• His hair curls naturally. 他的头发天生鬈曲。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls. 她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 haste   

n.匆忙，急速；草率；v.赶快；匆忙

参考例句：

• In his blind haste he almost ran into the river.他匆匆忙忙地几乎跑到河里去了。
• The contract says the work must be completed with all possible haste.合同上写明这项工作必须尽快完成。