XI MRS. GREEN'S MISTAKE

 Old dog Spot never moved from the place where he was lying in front of the kitchen table. Although Miss Kitty Cat had told him angrily that he thought she was going to enjoy a luncheon¹ on the leg of mutton that was on the kitchen table, he didn't lose his temper.

 

"Pardon me!" he said. "You are mistaken. I don't think you're going to have even a taste of this mutton—not while I'm in the kitchen!"

 

Miss Kitty Cat was furious. She had done her best to make Spot go away. She had dropped a number of hints to get him out of doors. But Spot hadn't taken a single one of them.

 

"You're a meddlesome² old dog," she scolded. "I've a good mind to drag my claws across your nose."

 

Spot grinned at her.

 

"If you do," he warned her, "I shall yelp³. Then Mrs. Green will hurry back here to see what's going on. And you certainly won't get any mutton while she's in the kitchen. I happen to know that the family's going to have that leg of mutton for dinner to-morrow."

 

"There ought to be enough of it for everybody," Miss Kitty Cat grumbled⁴. "If I ate a bit of it nobody would ever miss it. And after I've finished my meal there would be nothing to prevent your helping⁵ yourself. I certainly shouldn't stand in your way—nor lie in it, either."

 

Old dog Spot couldn't help sniffing⁶.

 

"I never snatch any food when Mrs. Green's back is turned," he told Miss Kitty Cat severely⁷. "She feeds me all she thinks I ought to eat. And if I want more, I hunt for it in the woods and fields."

 

"Don't I hunt?" Miss Kitty Cat hissed⁸. "I keep the house free of rats and mice. Mrs. Green could well spare me a bit of that mutton in return for all I do for her.... I'll thank you, sir, to move away from that table!"

 

Old Spot began to look somewhat anxious. He had once felt Miss Kitty's sharp claws on his nose. And he didn't care to be scratched by her again. But there was the leg of mutton! He had to guard that for Mrs. Green.

 

"I wish Mrs. Green would come back," he said to himself. "I don't want a row with this Cat person."

 

Miss Kitty suddenly spat⁹ at him.

 

Spot knew that that was a danger sign. And he gave a few short, sharp barks.

 

"There!" he muttered. "That ought to fetch Mrs. Green. If she's in the house she can't help hearing me."

 

Spot was right. In about a minute Farmer Green's wife came hurrying into the kitchen.

 

Old dog Spot jumped up and wagged his tail and gave a low-pitched bark as if to say, "I've saved your leg of mutton for you, Mrs. Green."

 

But she didn't understand him.

 

"You rascal¹⁰!" Mrs. Green exclaimed. "You've been teasing the cat again. I can tell by the way she acts. Out you go!" And she opened the door.

 

Spot went.

1 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

2 meddlesome   

adj.爱管闲事的

参考例句：

• By this means the meddlesome woman cast in a bone between the wife and the husband.这爱管闲事的女人就用这种手段挑起他们夫妻这间的不和。
• Get rid of that meddlesome fool!让那个爱管闲事的家伙走开！

3 yelp   

vi.狗吠

参考例句：

• The dog gave a yelp of pain.狗疼得叫了一声。
• The puppy a yelp when John stepped on her tail.当约翰踩到小狗的尾巴，小狗发出尖叫。

4 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

8 hissed   

发嘶嘶声( hiss的过去式和过去分词 )； 发嘘声表示反对

参考例句：

• Have you ever been hissed at in the middle of a speech? 你在演讲中有没有被嘘过？
• The iron hissed as it pressed the wet cloth. 熨斗压在湿布上时发出了嘶嘶声。

9 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

10 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。