DUCKEY DADDLES

 Duckey Daddles loved to swim. Every day he begged Mrs. Duck to take him down to the Old Mill Pond. But she couldn't take him there every day, for there were lots of things to attend to at home. Besides, it was quite a long way, and she wasn't fond of walking.

 

So one day Duckey Daddles made up his mind to go alone. Off he went on his floppy¹ yellow feet, wabbly, wabbly down the road, under the Old Snake Fence and then across the Pleasant Meadow till he reached the Old Mill Pond.

 

Sitting very still on his log was Old Uncle Bullfrog. He was half asleep, with his hands folded across his white and yellow waistcoat. He had just eaten a lot of nice green flies and was feeling very contented².

 

"Quack³! quack! hip⁴! hurray!" cried Duckey Daddles, flapping his wings. Then he jumped in, spattering water all over Old Uncle Bullfrog.

 

"Take care, there!" said Old Uncle Bullfrog, waking up and wiping his yellow-rimmed spectacles. But Duckey Daddles didn't hear him. He was standing⁵ on his head in the water, gobbling up little fish.

 

"What's the use of going home for lunch? I've had mine already!" he cried. And off he swam around the Old Mill Pond. Suddenly there was a loud splash. Duckey Daddles turned to see what was the matter. On the bank stood a number of boys. Duckey Daddles ducked just in time to get out of the way of a stone that splashed in the water close beside him.

 

"Swim, you little side-wheeler!" shouted the boys, and another stone fell uncomfortably near him.

 

"Any port in a storm," he said to himself, remembering a story he had once heard about his great-great-grandfather, Admiral Drake. And Duckey Daddles paddled straight for a little cove⁶ behind a clump⁷ of trees.

 

It was nearly dark when he finally reached home, for he had to wait a long time before the boys left the Old Mill Pond.

 

 

"Duckey Daddles, where have you been?" asked Mamma Duck.

 

"Come over here!" cried his father, laying down the Duckville "Evening Quack." "What has kept you out so late?"

 

Duckey Daddles told the truth, and when he had finished, Daddy Duck said, "Duckey Daddles, I won't punish you because you've told the truth. But next time look out! I shan't ask any questions."

1 floppy   

adj.松软的，衰弱的

参考例句：

• She was wearing a big floppy hat.她戴了顶松软的大帽子。
• Can you copy those files onto this floppy disk?你能把那些文件复制到这张软盘上吗？

2 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

3 quack   

n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子

参考例句：

• He describes himself as a doctor,but I feel he is a quack.他自称是医生，可是我感觉他是个江湖骗子。
• The quack was stormed with questions.江湖骗子受到了猛烈的质问。

4 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 cove   

n.小海湾，小峡谷

参考例句：

• The shore line is wooded,olive-green,a pristine cove.岸边一带林木蓊郁，嫩绿一片，好一个山外的小海湾。
• I saw two children were playing in a cove.我看到两个小孩正在一个小海湾里玩耍。

7 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。