X DROPPING HINTS

 On the table in the kitchen of the farmhouse¹ was a leg of mutton. Farmer Green had left it there and gone away. And Mrs. Green had stepped out of the kitchen—nobody knew for how long.

 

At least old dog Spot and Miss Kitty Cat didn't know. They were left there in the kitchen alone—alone with the leg of mutton.

 

"Ahem!" said Miss Kitty Cat to old dog Spot. "Don't you think you'd better go and see what's become of Farmer Green?"

 

She was unusually pleasant, for her. As a rule she had little to say to Spot, except to scold at him.

 

"I'm comfortable here, thank you," Spot answered. "Farmer Green must be out of sight by this time. So I won't bother to chase after him."

 

"You could smell out his track, couldn't you?" Miss Kitty Cat suggested.

 

"Perhaps!" said Spot. "Perhaps! But as I said, I'm comfortable here. I'm going to stay right here in the kitchen." Out of the corner of his eye he looked at Miss Kitty Cat. He could see that she was somewhat displeased² by something or other. Her tail was beginning to swell³ slightly. And that was a sure sign that she was losing her temper. But when she spoke⁴ again her voice was as sweet as honey.

 

"What a beautiful day to go hunting!" she remarked as she sprang into a chair beside the window and looked out. "The woods must be full of birds."

 

"No doubt!" said Spot dryly. "I went hunting early this morning; and there was plenty of game then."

 

"Ha!" Miss Kitty exclaimed suddenly. "Do I hear the cows in the cornfield?"

 

Now, Spot loved to drive the cows out of the corn. But for a wonder, he never even moved an ear.

 

"I hope the sheep haven't scrambled⁵ over the stone wall," Miss Kitty Cat mewed. "If they have, Farmer Green would want you to get them back into the pasture for him."

 

"Yes!" said Spot with a yawn. "I'm sure he would. And if he needs me he knows where he can find me."

 

Miss Kitty Cat's tail was growing bigger every moment. And the fur on her back was beginning to stand on end. Still she managed to speak in her very softest voice.

 

"Did you know—" she inquired—"did you know that Johnnie Green had gone swimming in the mill pond?"

 

"No!" said Spot. "Has he? I hope he'll have a good time. I had a fine swim yesterday in Black Creek⁶. And I almost caught a muskrat⁷ there."

 

As he spoke he rose and walked across the big, square kitchen and stretched himself out on the floor right in front of the table where the leg of mutton lay.

 

At that Miss Kitty Cat gave a terrible cry of rage.

 

"I know why you won't leave the kitchen!" she yowled. "You think I'm going to eat some of that mutton. And that's why you've lain down alongside it."

 

1 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

2 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

3 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

7 muskrat   

n.麝香鼠

参考例句：

• Muskrat fur almost equals beaver fur in quality.麝鼠皮在质量上几乎和海獭皮不相上下。
• I saw a muskrat come out of a hole in the ice.我看到一只麝鼠从冰里面钻出来。