XX SPOT GOES TO TOWN

 The bays had to step lively that morning, for Farmer Green's family didn't want to be late for the circus parade in the village.

 

There were many other teams on the road, and almost nobody to be seen working in the fields. It seemed to Johnnie Green as if everybody had made up his mind to go to the circus. The only thing that troubled him was that his father didn't drive fast enough to suit him.

 

Half way from the farm to the village Farmer Green stopped the bays at a watering trough. Johnnie jumped out of the carryall to uncheck them, so they could drink. And there, beneath the carriage, was old dog Spot!

 

"Spot's followed us!" Johnnie Green cried.

 

The old dog whisked out from between the wheels and frolicked about Johnnie. He didn't act at all guilty.

 

"Well, I never!" said Farmer Green. "I certainly shut the barn door after I shoved him inside."

 

Spot gave a few short, sharp barks, as if to say, "Yes! But you forgot the window that was open."

 

He had scrambled¹ through the window and overtaken the carryall before it reached the gristmill.

 

Well, what could Farmer Green do? They had come too far to send Spot back home.

 

"We'll have to take him with us now," said Johnnie Green's father, "though he'll be a nuisance because the village will be crowded to-day."

 

As soon as the bays had had their drink the party started on again. And old dog Spot was content. He did not mind the dust that the bays' heels kicked up as he followed beneath the carriage. And the faster they trotted², the more they pleased him; for he was as anxious as Johnnie Green to get to town and see the crowds and the fun.

 

Once a surly dog ran out from a farmhouse³ and tried to reach him. That made Spot somewhat uneasy.

 

"I don't want to stop to fight this fellow," he thought. "If I do, I'll be left behind."

 

Luckily Farmer Green cut at the strange dog with his whip and bade him be off.

 

Spot grinned as he sneaked⁴ away, yelping⁵.

 

At last they entered the village. Main Street was thronged⁶ with people. Carriages and wagons⁷ of all sorts lined the road on both sides—glistening buggies with red ribbons tied in bows about the whip stocks, old lumber⁸ wagons with chairs set behind the driver's seat.

 

Johnnie Green had never seen such a gathering—not even at the fair.

 

"The whole county's here!" he exclaimed. "I hope we'll find a good place to stop, where we can see the parade."

 

They did. Farmer Green backed the bays into the last open space in the gutter⁹. And Johnnie Green was greatly relieved.

 

The crowd made such a roar, with its talking and laughter, that old Spot cowered¹⁰ down under the carryall and almost wished he had stayed at home. The cries of men selling peanuts and popcorn¹¹, squawkers and toy balloons, mingled¹² with the shouts of small boys and the squeals¹³ of their sisters.

 

"Goodness!" Spot murmured. "What a racket! It hurts my ears."

 

A moment later he stuck his nose out from beneath the carriage and burst into a mournful howl.

 

"Keep still!" Farmer Green ordered.

 

Little did he know, then, what made Spot cry like that. But in a minute or two Johnnie Green heard the same thing that Spot's sharp ears had caught first. And Johnnie howled too.

 

"Hear the band!" he shouted. "Hurrah¹⁴! The parade's coming!"

1 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》

2 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

3 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。

4 sneaked   

v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
• She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。

5 yelping   

v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In the middle of the table sat a little dog, shaking its paw and yelping. 在桌子中间有一只小狗坐在那儿，抖着它的爪子，汪汪地叫。 来自辞典例句
• He saved men from drowning and you shake at a cur's yelping. 他搭救了快要溺死的人们，你呢，听到一条野狗叫唤也瑟瑟发抖。 来自互联网

6 thronged   

v.成群，挤满( throng的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mourners thronged to the funeral. 吊唁者蜂拥着前来参加葬礼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The department store was thronged with people. 百货商店挤满了人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 wagons   

n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 )；铁路货车；小手推车

参考例句：

• The wagons were hauled by horses. 那些货车是马拉的。
• They drew their wagons into a laager and set up camp. 他们把马车围成一圈扎起营地。

8 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。

9 gutter   

n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟

参考例句：

• There's a cigarette packet thrown into the gutter.阴沟里有个香烟盒。
• He picked her out of the gutter and made her a great lady.他使她脱离贫苦生活，并成为贵妇。

10 cowered   

v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 )

参考例句：

• A gun went off and people cowered behind walls and under tables. 一声枪响，人们缩到墙后或桌子底下躲起来。
• He cowered in the corner, gibbering with terror. 他蜷缩在角落里，吓得语无伦次。

11 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

12 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

13 squeals   

n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• There was an outburst of squeals from the cage. 铁笼子里传来一阵吱吱的叫声。 来自英汉文学
• There were squeals of excitement from the children. 孩子们兴奋得大声尖叫。 来自辞典例句

14 hurrah   

int.好哇，万岁，乌拉

参考例句：

• We hurrah when we see the soldiers go by.我们看到士兵经过时向他们欢呼。
• The assistants raised a formidable hurrah.助手们发出了一片震天的欢呼声。