A JOKE ON UNCLE JIMMY

 "Hurrah!" cried Jack¹, "here comes the snow!" Sister May came to the window and looked out. "If it keeps on like this, Jack, we'll be able to build a snowman today. We'll take that old silk hat of father's to put on his head and he will look so jolly."

 

"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Jack laughing at the idea that suddenly came into his head. "Uncle Jimmy is expected late this evening. Now, we'll make Mr. Snowman close to the walk—we might almost put him on the walk, and then we'll dress him up in some old clothes, so he will look very natural. Perhaps we can fool Uncle Jimmy."

 

"I don't see just how," remarked May thoughtfully, "unless it is so dark that Uncle Jimmy will almost run into him."

 

"That's just it," answered Jack. "If it keeps on snowing all day, and doesn't stop even when it's dark, our snowman will have a good chance to fool almost anybody."

 

In an hour or so there was enough snow on the ground for the children to commence. "May," said Jack, as he finished rolling the ball which was to be Mr. Snowman's head, "I'm going to build this snowman close to the walk so he will look just like a man standing² by the tree, and perhaps we can think up something to make Uncle Jimmy imagine he is being attacked by a highwayman."

 

"You goose," said his sister, laughing; "how will you manage that?"

 

"You just wait," said Jack, "I'll work out some sort of a plan."

 

The snowman grew bigger every minute. It was getting dark, and at a little distance the snowman looked as natural as life. But how to make him scare Uncle Jimmy was the question. All the afternoon Jack had cudgeled his brains for an idea, but in vain, and here it was almost time for the climax³.

 

Suddenly Jack gave a whoop⁴ of delight. "I've got it! I've got it!" In a moment he was rushing inside the house, and in a few minutes returned with a long rope. "May, stuff the right coatsleeve with snow, while I climb up the tree." In a few minutes Jack had the rope over an overhanging limb, and having tied one end to the wrist of Mr. Snowman's right arm, he led the other end around the side of the piazza⁵.

 

"Come on, May," he cried excitedly, "I see Uncle Jimmy coming!" Both children darted⁶ behind the house as the front gate clicked. Up the walk came Uncle Jimmy and just as he got abreast⁷ of the tree Jack let go the rope and the right arm of Mr. Snowman hit Uncle Jimmy on the shoulder. There was a smothered⁸ exclamation⁹, and then Mr. Snowman's hat flew off his head like a cannon¹⁰ ball.

 

A hearty¹¹ laugh followed and before the children could escape Uncle Jimmy, guided by the long rope, darted around the side of the house and Mr. Jack Joker was being treated to a face massage¹² of cold snow. Uncle Jimmy was not any too particular about some getting down Jack's collar, either. When his nephew finally begged for mercy Uncle Jimmy let him up and gave chase to May. What a scramble¹³! And what a lot of screams! May had seen Jack's good-natured punishment, but nevertheless she didn't want any of Uncle Jimmy's facial treatment. Just then, kind fate intervened, and mother opened the door. "What are you children doing?" she called, peering into the darkness. "Come in at once!"

 

"All right," answered Uncle Jimmy, and with a rush they all ran for the open door.

 

After kissing him mother turned to Jack and said: "Goodness, what makes your face so red? Why, it's all wet!"

 

"I'll run up stairs and fix up," answered Jack hurriedly, and off he went. Uncle Jimmy smiled. "That snowman of yours, Jack, tackled the wrong fellow, don't you think so?" But Jack kept right along going upstairs, so good-natured Uncle Jimmy didn't say another word.

 

Goosey, goosey gander

Whither do you wander?

Of your winged motor car

Are you growing fonder?

1 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。

2 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。

3 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。

4 whoop   

n.大叫，呐喊，喘息声；v.叫喊，喘息

参考例句：

• He gave a whoop of joy when he saw his new bicycle.他看到自己的新自行车时，高兴得叫了起来。
• Everybody is planning to whoop it up this weekend.大家都打算在这个周末好好欢闹一番。

5 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。

6 darted   

v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔

参考例句：

• The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 abreast   

adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地

参考例句：

• She kept abreast with the flood of communications that had poured in.她及时回复如雪片般飞来的大批信件。
• We can't keep abreast of the developing situation unless we study harder.我们如果不加强学习，就会跟不上形势。

8 smothered   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He smothered the baby with a pillow. 他用枕头把婴儿闷死了。
• The fire is smothered by ashes. 火被灰闷熄了。

9 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

10 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

11 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

12 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

13 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。