THE GAME OF MARBLES

 Never stop upon your way,

Just to fool around and play.

Learn to quickly go to school;

Never, never break this rule.

But, oh dear me. One morning when Little Jack¹ Rabbit met the Squirrel Brothers, Featherhead, the naughty gray squirrel, asked him to stop and play a game of marbles.

 

“Where are your marbles?” asked the little rabbit.

 

“Here they are,” answered Featherhead,[10] taking some red and yellow oak apples out of his pocket. “They make dandy marbles.”

 

Little Jack Rabbit dropped his school books, and quickly dug a hole in the ground. Then they all took turns rolling the marbles to see who would have the first shot.

 

The little bunny’s was the first to drop into the hole, although Twinkle Tail’s was very close and Featherhead’s not far away.

 

It was then easy for Little Jack Rabbit to hit the two marbles. Why, he couldn’t miss them, they were so close. I guess they would have been playing until now if all of a sudden, just like that, Bobbie Redvest hadn’t called out:

 

“Ding-a-ling! ding-a-ling! the school bell is ringing.”

 

“Gracious me!” cried little bunny, and off[11] he went, clipperty clip, lipperty lip. Featherhead and Twinkle Tail picked up their books and followed.

 

It certainly was lucky that the little robin² had shouted, “Ding-a-ling! ding-a-ling!” for hardly had they reached the top of the hill when the school bell commenced: “Ding, dong! ding, dong! ding, dong!”

 

“Hurry up!” cried Little Jack Rabbit, “or we’ll be late,” and he hopped³ along faster than ever.

 

Professor Crow was standing⁴ in the doorway⁵ waiting for the last scholar to arrive.

 

All out of breath and scared to death,

Came little Jackie Bunny.

And Twinkle Tail began to quail⁶,

And Featherhead felt funny.

They thought the teacher standing there

Gave them a cold and angry stare.

[12]Perhaps he did, but soon he went

And o’er his platform table bent⁷,

While Featherhead and Twinkle Tail

Slipped in their seats with faces pale.

Then up stood stern Professor Crow

And said some scholars are so slow

That if they’d stop upon the way

They’d never get to school all day.

 

Then he sat down and called the school to order. But, oh dear me! None of the little marble players knew his lesson. And instead of being allowed to go when school was over, they were kept in and made to study until late in the afternoon.

 

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 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 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。

4 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。

5 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

6 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

7 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。