PROFESSOR JIM CROW’S LESSON

 “I’m so glad Twinkle Tail got away,” said Little Jack¹ Rabbit to himself, as the frightened gray squirrel squeezed in between the rocks. And then the little rabbit hopped² away as fast as he could, and pretty soon he saw Professor Jim Crow with his little Black Book in his claw.

 

“Tell me, Professor Jim Crow,” said the little rabbit, “what is the name of the yellowish-brown animal that chases little gray squirrels around and around the trunks of trees?”

 

“How big was he?” asked the wise old bird, putting on his spectacles and turning over the leaves of his little Black Book.

 

“Larger than the farmer’s black cat,” answered the little rabbit.

 

“Did it look something like a fox?” asked the old crow.

 

“Yes, he did,” replied the little rabbit.

 

Professor Jim Crow smiled and turned to page 49. “Listen!” he said. “The Marten looks very much like a young fox about two months old. Its color is a yellowish-brown, a little darker than a yellow fox, with a number of long black hairs. It is a great climber, hunts squirrels and robs birds’ nests.”

 

Then the wise old crow closed his book and wiped his spectacles. “You have learned something to-day, little rabbit. Mother Nature’s School House will teach you lots of things,” and the old professor bird flew away.

 

“Well, I’m going to have a good time now,” thought the little rabbit to himself. “I’ve learned my daily lesson. I’ll call up Uncle John.” So off he hopped to the Hollow Stump³ Telephone Booth.

 

“What number do you want?” asked the telephone girl who was a little wood-mouse.

 

“One, two, three, Harefield,” answered the little rabbit, and in less than five hundred short seconds, he heard his Uncle’s voice over the wire.

 

“Goodness gracious meebus!” exclaimed Mr. John Hare, “I thought you’d forgotten all about your old uncle. Where are you?”

 

“I’m in the Hollow Stump Telephone Booth,” answered the little rabbit.

 

“I’ll come right over to the Old Bramble Patch,” said Uncle John, and the old gentleman hare dropped the receiver on his left hind⁴ toe he was so excited. You see, he hadn’t heard from his little bunny nephew for so long that he supposed he had enlisted⁵ in Uncle Sam’s Army or Aunt Columbia’s Navy! Well, anyway, as soon as the little rabbit had paid the little wood-mouse five carrot cents, he hopped home to tell his mother that Uncle John Hare was coming over to supper.

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 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。

3 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

4 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。

5 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》