THE TIP OF A TAIL

 Now let us see—oh, yes, I remember now. We left off just when little Timmy Meadowmouse poked¹ his head up through the snow and said, “Helloa!”

 

“Howdy, Timmy Meadowmouse,

Through the chimney of your house

Looking o’er the meadow white,

Glancing round from left to right,

You might lose your woollen socks

If  ’t weren’t I, but Danny Fox,”

 

laughed Little Jack² Rabbit, kicking up his strong hind³ legs until a big snowball hit Timmy Meadowmouse, knocking the hat off his head into a snowbank.

 

“Look out! What are you doing,” cried Timmy Meadowmouse. “That’s the new hat Mother gave me for Xmas.” Pretty soon he began to laugh, too, for he’s a merry little fellow and a good friend.

 

“My, but it’s lonely these long winter days,” sighed the little bunny. “Everybody’s sound asleep in his winter home. Only you and I and a few others are about,” and the little rabbit sighed again, for what he says is true, let me tell you.

 

For in the good Old Summer time

’Most everybody’s round,

The feathered folk are in the trees,

The furry⁴ on the ground.

And all the sweet and verdant⁵ dells

Are ringing with the flower bells.

 

“Cheer up, little rabbit,” said the merry little Meadowmouse, “spring will soon be here. The buds on the trees are waiting for little Miss South Wind to open them,” and after that the little meadowmouse disappeared into his tunnel and the little bunny hopped⁶ away, clipperty clip, over the snow till he came to the Shady Forest. And after he had gone in a little way, not so very far, he saw something that made his heart go pitter, pat. And what do you suppose it was? I’ll give you three guesses and then I’ll tell you. The footprints of Danny Fox. Yes, sir! Right there in the snow were the marks of that sly old fox’s feet.

 

Little Jack Rabbit stopped right then and there to look about him. But Danny Fox was nowhere in sight, but that was no reason why he might not be, at that very moment, hiding behind a tree. The little rabbit looked again at the footprints in the snow. There they were, but, thank goodness! They led away, far away, into the Shady Forest. Just then, all of a sudden, the Miller’s Boy jumped out from behind a clump⁷ of bushes.

 

“Run! run!” screamed Jimmy Jay, who happened by just then. And the little rabbit did. He went so fast that his shadow couldn’t keep up with him and neither could the Miller’s Boy. But, oh, dear me! The Miller’s dog did. Yes, sir! He kept so close that before he popped into the Old Bramble Patch he caught the end of the little rabbit’s tail.

1 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 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。

4 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

5 verdant   

adj.翠绿的，青翠的，生疏的，不老练的

参考例句：

• Children are playing on the verdant lawn.孩子们在绿茵茵的草坪上嬉戏玩耍。
• The verdant mountain forest turns red gradually in the autumn wind.苍翠的山林在秋风中渐渐变红了。

6 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。

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。