LITTLE SIR CAT

 Little Sir Cat Helps Piggie

The next morning as Mrs. Oriole was singing her pretty song, all of a sudden, a big tramp¹ cat ran up the tree. And he would have caught Mrs. Oriole right then and there if Little Sir Cat hadn't shouted: "Don't touch that little bird!" And would you believe it? That tramp cat said, "I won't!" and began to purr:

 

"Last Saturday night a week ago

I went to the city to see a fine show.

And Sunday morning, just for a lark²,

I chased a gray squirrel³ all over the Park!"

and then he grinned like a cousin of his from Cheshire, and climbed down the tree.

 

Well, all of a sudden, Little Sir Cat said "Phist!" which so frightened that naughty cat that he ran away, and I guess he's running yet, for nobody ever saw him again. And this made the little Orioles so happy that they began to sing:

 

"Oh, how brave is Little Sir Cat!

We like the feather in his hat,

But more than that we like the way

He saved our Mother Bird to-day!"

which so pleased Little Sir Cat that he took a cracker⁴ out of his pocket and gave it to them. And after that he said good-by and went upon his way, and by and by he met a big Turkey Gobbler who was being fattened⁵ for Thanksgiving. But he didn't know it. Oh, my no! He just thought the farmer fed him nice things because he loved him.

"Helloa!" said Little Sir Cat, "how is Mrs. Turkey?" But the old Turkey Gobbler never answered. He just gobbled, gobbled, not food, you know, but air, for that is the way a turkey talks.

 

"I can't understand you. You had better go home and talk to Mrs. Turkey," said Little Sir Cat, and away he went, hoping next time to meet a more sociable⁶ person.

 

Well, pretty soon he saw a little pig caught in the fence. So he helped him out and then they set off together, and after a while, not so very far, they came to a big pond where some boys were sailing toy boats. And they were the funniest, queerest⁷ little toy boats you ever saw. In fact, they weren't boats at all, but big wooden letters. And just then a little bird began to sing:

 

"Big 'A' and little 'B'

Went a-sailing on the 'C.'"

"They're Alphabet Boats," cried Little Sir Cat. "I once read about Alphabet Town where all the letters were alive,—'A' was an Ant, and 'B' was a Bee, and if you weren't an artist you couldn't write letters to your friends."

 

"He, he!" laughed little Piggie Porker, "that was a queer⁸ place."

 

Well, after that Little Sir Cat and Piggie Porker went into the wood to see Goggle⁹ Woggle, a little dwarf¹⁰ who knew just where the fairies and Giant Oatencake lived. And as soon as Goggle Woggle saw Little Sir Cat and Piggie, he said: "Let's go up the hill to Giant Oatencake. I've got a wooden sword and if he comes out of his castle, I'll cut off his head!" So off they went, Little Sir Cat, Piggie and Goggle Woggle, and by and by, not so very long, they came to the top of the hill.

 

"Wait a minute till I get my sword ready," said Goggle Woggle, and maybe it took him quite a long time, for he was just a little bit afraid, you know. And so would you and so would I if we were going to fight Giant Oatencake.

 

But Little Sir Cat said: "Don't be afraid. I'm with you!" and this made Goggle Woggle feel lots braver. And after that he shouted:

 

"Come out of your castle!"

 

Now Giant Oatencake was only a great big tremendous cornstalk, and as soon as Goggle Woggle struck him with his sword, a big ripe ear of corn fell to the ground.

 

"Here is his head," cried Goggle Woggle, as he put it under his arm. "I'll make pop-corn balls out of it," and he ran back to his big tree in the wood. And in the next story you shall hear what happened after that, unless

 

The little mouse in the pantry

Catches my Tabby Cat,

And my little yellow canary

Runs away with a high silk hat.

 

1 tramp   

n.流浪者，步行，跋涉；v.步行，跋涉

参考例句：

• She wants to go for a tramp in the country.她想去乡间远足。
• A tramp came to the door and asked for food.一个流浪汉来到门前讨饭吃。

2 lark   

n.云雀，百灵鸟；n.嬉戏，玩笑；vi.嬉戏

参考例句：

• He thinks it cruel to confine a lark in a cage.他认为把云雀关在笼子里太残忍了。
• She lived in the village with her grandparents as cheerful as a lark.她同祖父母一起住在乡间非常快活。

3 squirrel   

n.松鼠，松鼠的毛皮；vt.贮藏以备用

参考例句：

• The squirrel makes a store of nuts for the winter.松鼠贮藏坚果以备过冬。
• A squirrel hoards nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬贮藏坚果。

4 cracker   

n.（无甜味的）薄脆饼干

参考例句：

• Buy me some peanuts and cracker.给我买一些花生和饼干。
• There was a cracker beside every place at the table.桌上每个位置旁都有彩包爆竹。

5 fattened   

v.喂肥( fatten的过去式和过去分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The piglets are taken from the sow to be fattened for market. 这些小猪被从母猪身边带走，好育肥上市。
• Those corrupt officials fattened themselves by drinking the people's life-blood. 那些贪官污吏用民脂民膏养肥了自己。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 sociable   

adj.好交际的，友好的，合群的

参考例句：

• Roger is a very sociable person.罗杰是个非常好交际的人。
• Some children have more sociable personalities than others.有些孩子比其他孩子更善于交际。

7 queerest   

adj.可疑的( queer的最高级 )；（身子）不舒服的；古怪的；娘儿们似的

参考例句：

• Philosophy's queerest arguments tickle agreeably our sense of subtlety and ingenuity. 哲学上最奇怪的议点也会愉快地引起我们微妙机敏的感觉。 来自辞典例句
• These little American flirts were the queerest creature in the world. 这些喜欢卖弄风情的美国姑娘，真是世界上最不可捉摸的怪物。 来自辞典例句

8 queer   

adj.奇怪的，异常的，不舒服的，眩晕的

参考例句：

• I heard some queer footsteps.我听到某种可疑的脚步声。
• She has been queer lately.她最近身体不舒服。

9 goggle   

n.瞪眼，转动眼珠，护目镜；v.瞪眼看，转眼珠

参考例句：

• His insincerity is revealed by the quick goggle of his eyes.他眼睛的快速转动泄露了他的不诚实。
• His eyes seemed to goggle larger than usual behind the heavy lenses.在厚厚的镜片后面，眼睛瞪得比平时大得多。

10 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。