IX A BUNDLE OF CLOTHES

 Old dog Spot was trotting¹ down the road with the bundle of clothes in his mouth—the clothes which belonged to Johnnie Green's friend Red, who was one of the swimming party in the mill pond.

 

Somewhat to Spot's surprise the boys had not come tearing down the road after him.

 

"It's queer," he said to himself. "I wonder why they don't follow me. This would be fun if they'd only chase me."

 

Just then he happened to spy a squirrel on a stone wall. Spot promptly² made for this gentleman. Keeping a firm hold on his bundle, he plunged³ through a tangle⁴ of blackberry bushes that grew beside the road.

 

The thorny⁵ brambles caught at Spot's bundle and held it fast.

 

"G-r-r-r!" he growled⁶. "I don't want to lose sight of that fat fellow. Unless I'm mistaken, it was Frisky⁷ Squirrel. And I've had an eye out for him for a longtime."

 

After a few frantic⁸ tugs⁹ he let go of the bundle of clothes and dashed after the squirrel.

 

It was Frisky Squirrel. He ran up a tree while Spot was struggling in the blackberry thicket¹⁰. And he scampered¹¹ from one tree top to another while Spot followed beneath him, barking furiously.

 

At last Frisky stopped and sat on a limb, to chatter¹² and scold at old dog Spot.

 

"What are you doing so far from home?" he demanded after a while.

 

"I've been swimming in the mill pond with the boys," said old dog Spot.

 

"Then you'd better go back there at once, unless you want a punishing later," Frisky Squirrel told him. "I can hear them whistling for you."

 

It wasn't far from the mill pond—that place where they were talking, for Spot's chase of Frisky Squirrel had led him back up the hill again. Now Spot cocked his ear in the direction of the pond and listened. Sure enough! he could hear Johnnie Green's whistle.

 

"I'll see you again," he told Frisky Squirrel.

 

"Not if I see you first!" Frisky muttered as old Spot started through the woods for the mill pond.

 

"Come here!" Johnnie Green greeted him sternly when, a few minutes later, he appeared on the bank. "Where are those clothes that you took?"

 

Spot wagged his tail. He acted very, very friendly. Nobody would have supposed, from his looks, that he had stolen anyone's clothes.

 

"This is no joke," Johnnie Green declared. "I haven't anything to wear. Get those clothes and bring them back here!"

 

"I don't know what's the matter with Johnnie," Spot thought. "I didn't touch his things. I don't see why he's so angry."

 

"Good old Spot!" Johnnie coaxed¹³. "Find the clothes! There's a good fellow!"

 

He waded¹⁴ toward the bank and snapped his fingers at Spot.

 

The old dog edged away. Johnnie talked pleasantly enough. But he had a queer look in his eye. Spot thought it safer to keep out of his clutches.

 

Just then the miller¹⁵ came driving up the hill on a load of corn. When he saw the boys in the pond he stopped his horses.

 

"Anybody here lost any clothes?" he asked, holding a bundle up in his hand. "I found these by the side of the road. I noticed them hanging on a blackberry bush."

 

"I'll take 'em!" Johnnie Green cried. "They belong to Red. But you can leave them with me."

 

The miller tossed the bundle to him.

 

The boy Red, wearing Johnnie's clothes, was watching everything that went on, from behind a tree. He waited until Johnnie had untied¹⁶ the hard, wet knots in the clothes. Then he stepped out from his hiding place.

 

"Let's swap¹⁷!" he said. And while they were swapping¹⁸, old dog Spot took a swim in the mill pond. Somehow he felt that all was well again.

1 trotting   

小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• The riders came trotting down the lane. 这骑手骑着马在小路上慢跑。
• Alan took the reins and the small horse started trotting. 艾伦抓住缰绳，小马开始慢跑起来。

2 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

3 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

4 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。

5 thorny   

adj.多刺的，棘手的

参考例句：

• The young captain is pondering over a thorny problem.年轻的上尉正在思考一个棘手的问题。
• The boys argued over the thorny points in the lesson.孩子们辩论功课中的难点。

6 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 frisky   

adj.活泼的，欢闹的；n.活泼，闹着玩；adv.活泼地，闹着玩地

参考例句：

• I felt frisky,as if I might break into a dance.我感到很欢快，似乎要跳起舞来。
• His horse was feeling frisky,and he had to hold the reins tightly.马儿欢蹦乱跳，他不得不紧勒缰绳。

8 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

9 tugs   

n.猛拉( tug的名词复数 )；猛拖；拖船v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The raucous sirens of the tugs came in from the river. 河上传来拖轮发出的沙哑的汽笛声。 来自辞典例句
• As I near the North Tower, the wind tugs at my role. 当我接近北塔的时候，风牵动着我的平衡杆。 来自辞典例句

10 thicket   

n.灌木丛，树林

参考例句：

• A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
• We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。

11 scampered   

v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

13 coaxed   

v.哄，用好话劝说( coax的过去式和过去分词 )；巧言骗取；哄劝，劝诱

参考例句：

• She coaxed the horse into coming a little closer. 她哄着那匹马让它再靠近了一点。
• I coaxed my sister into taking me to the theatre. 我用好话哄姐姐带我去看戏。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 waded   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。
• He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

15 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

16 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

17 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

18 swapping   

交换，交换技术

参考例句：

• The slow swapping and buying of horses went on. 马匹的买卖和交换就是这样慢慢地进行着。
• He was quite keen on swapping books with friends. 他非常热衷于和朋友们交换书籍。