LITTLE SIR CAT

 Little Sir Cat Sees the Cow Jump Over the Moon

One day as Little Sir Cat was riding along on his pony¹, Dapple Gray, he met the Cow that jumped over the moon.

 

"Come here to-night

When the moon is bright.

You'll hear a fine tune²

When I jump o'er the moon."

"All right," he answered, and then he went on his way, and by-and-by he met Little Dog Muff, who spilt his master's snuff. And, goodness me! How he did bark! But this didn't frighten Little Sir Cat. No, Siree. He knew that Muff was only barking for joy. So he put out his paw and said:

 

"Helloa, Muff. Have you spilt any snuff lately?"

 

"No. I haven't," he answered. "I don't live with my master any more. He wasn't a kind man; so Old Dog Tray got me a good job, and I've been a watch dog ever since." And then Little Sir Cat rode down the street until he came to a Pat-a-Cake Baker³ Shop, outside of which stood a little boy.

 

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake,

Baker's man,

Bake me a doughnut

As fast as you can.

And goodness me! that little boy stuffed a whole doughnut into his mouth, he was in such a hurry. "Hold on!" cried Little Sir Cat, "don't choke yourself!" And pretty soon the Baker Man came out of his little shop and gave Dapple Gray a lump of sugar. "You have a fine horse, Sir Cat. How much do you want for him?"

 

"Nothing."

 

"What!" cried the Baker Man, in astonishment⁴.

 

"He's not for sale," said Little Sir Cat. And just then the school bell rang and off went the little boy to his lessons.

 

So Little Sir Cat said "Gid-ap!" and rode away with Muff at his heels, and by-and-by they came to a thick wood. "Don't let us go in," said Dapple Gray, "for, there may be robbers hidden among the trees." And just then a fierce-looking man ran out and, seizing Dapple Gray by the bridle⁵, shouted: "Give me your purse, or I'll make you my prisoner!"

 

But Dapple Gray rose on his hind⁶ legs and with his front feet knocked the robber heels over head, and then off he went on a gallop⁷. And after a while, not so very long, Little Sir Cat saw a great white bird sitting on a gold egg. "Did you lay that golden egg, Mr. Big Bird?" he asked. But the great white bird didn't answer. Maybe she was frightened, or maybe she was waiting for the golden egg to hatch, for just then, all of a sudden, the shell broke open and out hopped⁸ twenty-one little white birds armed with swords. And one of them was dressed like a captain, with gold epaulets on his shoulder wings, and one had a drum, like a regular little drummer boy. And then they all began to sing:

 

We are the soldier birds of the air,

And we need no aeroplane,

For we can fly across the sky

In sunshine and in rain.

And if an enemy comes in view

With our bright sharp swords we'll cut him in two.

"Hurrah⁹!" cried Little Sir Cat, and the great white mother bird flapped her wings, for she was mighty¹⁰ proud to think that she had raised a little sky army for Mother Goose Land.

 

ack, be nimble!

Jack¹¹ be quick!

Jack, jump over the candlestick!

Jack jumped when something struck his wheel,

For his candlestick was an automobile¹²!

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 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 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

4 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

5 bridle   

n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒

参考例句：

• He learned to bridle his temper.他学会了控制脾气。
• I told my wife to put a bridle on her tongue.我告诉妻子说话要谨慎。

6 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

7 gallop   

v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展

参考例句：

• They are coming at a gallop towards us.他们正朝着我们飞跑过来。
• The horse slowed to a walk after its long gallop.那匹马跑了一大阵后慢下来缓步而行。

8 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

9 hurrah   

int.好哇，万岁，乌拉

参考例句：

• We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
• The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。

10 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

12 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。