PARSON OWL EXPLAINS

 One day as Twinkle Tail was taking a walk through the treetops, he met a young lady squirrel. She was anxiously looking here and there as if in search of something.

 

“Are you looking for anybody?” asked Twinkle Tail, lifting his little fur cap and bowing politely.

 

“Not exactly,” she replied, “I’m looking for a furnished apartment. Do you know of one?”

 

Twinkle Tail didn’t answer at once. He wanted to say something, but as he was a bashful little squirrel, it took him some time to make up his mind. Miss Squirrel, however, was not the least impatient, but curled her beautiful bushy tail up over her back and looked her prettiest.

 

At last he said: “Why don’t you share my house? It’s a very nice sort of a place since I fixed¹ it up. It once belonged to Grandmother Magpie², you know.”

 

After little Miss Squirrel had looked it over, she seemed greatly pleased, especially with the kitchenette, in which were stored lots of beech³ nuts, hazels and fir-cones. And I think she was even more pleased with Twinkle Tail, for she agreed to get married to him at once. So off he started for Parson Owl⁴ and a little gold ring, while she went into the kitchenette to get the wedding supper.

 

On his way he met little Jack⁵ Rabbit.

 

“I’m going to get married to-day! Come to my house this afternoon at five,” shouted Twinkle Tail.

 

“All right,” answered the little rabbit. “I’ll run home to tell mother.”

 

Pretty soon Twinkle Tail met Squirrel Nutcracker.

 

“I knew there was going to be a wedding,” he exclaimed, when he heard the news. “I saw three magpies⁶ this very morning, and that’s a sure sign.” Then he patted the little squirrel’s head and promised that he and Mrs. Nutcracker would surely come.

 

By the time Twinkle Tail reached the parsonage at the top of the old oak tree it was quite late. “Have you got the wedding ring?” asked Parson Owl as the little squirrel turned to go.

 

“Goodness gracious meebus!” exclaimed Twinkle Tail, “I’ve forgotten all about it.”

 

Parson Owl yawned, for it’s only in the night-time that owls⁷ are wide awake, you know, and replied:

 

“Can’t marry you without a ring. No, indeed. Who ever heard of a wedding without a ring?”

 

(Parson Owl was wide awake enough to know that! Goodness me! I hope the little squirrel will find a jewelry⁸ store somewhere in the Shady Forest.)

 

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 magpie   

n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者

参考例句：

• Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
• This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。

3 beech   

n.山毛榉；adj.山毛榉的

参考例句：

• Autumn is the time to see the beech woods in all their glory.秋天是观赏山毛榉林的最佳时期。
• Exasperated,he leaped the stream,and strode towards beech clump.他满腔恼怒，跳过小河，大踏步向毛榉林子走去。

4 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

5 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。

6 magpies   

喜鹊（magpie的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They set forth chattering like magpies. 他们叽叽喳喳地出发了。
• James: besides, we can take some pied magpies home, for BBQ. 此外，我们还可以打些喜鹊回家，用来烧烤。

7 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

8 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。