CHAPTER IV

 "Goodness me, Tottie, why don't you fasten the button!" cried Tessie to her little sister. But Tottie was too frightened to answer; she just stood still while sister fastened the little white pants which had slipped down on the tops of her pink slippers¹.

 

"Let's go out in the garden now," said Tessie, and the two little sisters ran out on the piazza² and down the walk. They found brother Teddy already there filling his wagon³ with grass, for the lawn had just been cut and was covered with the loose grass.

 

"We'll make a big hay mow⁴!" cried the children, and very soon they had piled up the fragment grass as high as their heads. It was great fun rolling over it, or covering each other up until nothing but a little toe stuck out at one end, or the tip of a little pug nose showed at the other.

 

After a while pussy⁵ came by, but when she had been covered up deep with the ticklish⁶ grass, she escaped by jumping over the green haymow, and ran off to the barn. She most likely thought it was more fun in the hay loft⁷ hunting for mice than being covered up in a big green grass hay-mow out on the lawn. Perhaps, too, she was afraid some one might step on her when under the grass. At any rate, she didn't come back, and by and by it was time for the children to go in for luncheon⁸. I don't know whether pussy heard the bell or not, but she came in from the barn in time to get her saucer of milk before the children had finished.

 

"Pussy never has to bother with buttons," said Tessie, looking over at Tottie, and smiling.

 

"No," answered Tottie, "'cause she has only fur."

1 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

2 piazza   

n.广场；走廊

参考例句：

• Siena's main piazza was one of the sights of Italy.锡耶纳的主要广场是意大利的名胜之一。
• They walked out of the cafeteria,and across the piazzadj.他们走出自助餐厅,穿过广场。

3 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

4 mow   

v.割（草、麦等），扫射，皱眉；n.草堆，谷物堆

参考例句：

• He hired a man to mow the lawn.他雇人割草。
• We shall have to mow down the tall grass in the big field.我们得把大田里的高草割掉。

5 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

6 ticklish   

adj.怕痒的；问题棘手的；adv.怕痒地；n.怕痒，小心处理

参考例句：

• This massage method is not recommended for anyone who is very ticklish.这种按摩法不推荐给怕痒的人使用。
• The news is quite ticklish to the ear,这消息听起来使人觉得有些难办。

7 loft   

n.阁楼，顶楼

参考例句：

• We could see up into the loft from bottom of the stairs.我们能从楼梯脚边望到阁楼的内部。
• By converting the loft,they were able to have two extra bedrooms.把阁楼改造一下，他们就可以多出两间卧室。

8 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。