XIV MR. CROW'S QUESTIONS

 If people snubbed Reddy Woodpecker he never cared. When the members of the Pleasant Valley Singing Society wouldn't let him join them he only smiled and said he intended to form a club of his own.

 

As soon as the bird neighbors heard of Reddy's plan they were all very curious to know more about it. But whenever anybody asked him questions he had little to say.

 

"You'll learn all about it later," he told them. "Please don't bother me now, for I'm a busy bird. I'm starting my club."

 

It was easy for Reddy Woodpecker to keep his secrets from such small feathered folk as little Mr. Chippy. But there was one that couldn't rest until he found out what he wanted to know. This was old Mr. Crow. He shot question after question at Reddy Woodpecker. At last Reddy just had to tell him something in order to gain a little peace. Reddy knew that Mr. Crow would leave him as soon as he had picked up a bit of news. The old gentleman would hurry away to tell it to everybody in the valley.

 

"What's your club going to be named?" Whenever Mr. Crow talked with Reddy Woodpecker that was his favorite question. He asked it so many times and so loudly that just to get rid of him Reddy finally told him.

 

"I'm going to call my club 'The Redcaps,'" he said.

 

Old Mr. Crow didn't tarry an instant longer. With an eager look in his snapping¹ black eyes he went flapping² off on his broad wings, far down the valley.

 

Now, Mr. Crow was a fast worker. In an hour's time he had zigzagged³ back again, having spread his bit of news far and wide.

 

And when he had repeated it to the last neighbor he could find he hurried to the orchard⁴ to ask Reddy Woodpecker more questions.

 

The moment he found Reddy Mr. Crow began to put one question after another so fast that you couldn't have told where one ended and the next one began.

 

Reddy Woodpecker pretended to be busier than ever.

 

"I can't stop now," he told Mr. Crow. "You'll have to see my secretary."

 

"Where is he? Who is he?" Mr. Crow inquired⁵ hoarsely⁶.

 

"I can't answer those questions," Reddy replied.

 

"Why not?" demanded Mr. Crow.

 

"Because I haven't a secretary yet," Reddy explained.

 

"Why should you have a secretary?" Mr. Crow asked him.

 

"Why shouldn't I?" Reddy retorted⁷. "I guess, Mr. Crow, you don't know much about clubs. I guess you don't know that the president of a club always has a secretary."

 

"Are you president of the Redcaps?" Mr. Crow cried breathlessly.

 

"Well—yes, I am!" Reddy admitted. "I didn't mean to tell you that to-day. But I can't deny it."

 

Mr. Crow was off like a shot. You'd have thought he had just spied Farmer Green with a gun in his hands. His caw, caw, caw told everybody in Pleasant Valley that he was going somewhere on important business.

 

Reddy Woodpecker pulled a fat grub from its hiding place in the old apple tree. He could still hear Mr. Crow squawking when the old gentleman was half a mile away. And Reddy smiled as he swallowed the grub.

 

"That's better than putting the news in a newspaper," he said with a chuckle⁸.

 

1 snapping   

adv.显著地，强烈地，非常地v.猛地咬住( snap的现在分词 )；（使某物）发出尖厉声音地突然断裂[打开，关闭]；厉声地说；拍照

参考例句：

• The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away. 细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The fire is snapping. 火劈劈啪啪地响。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 flapping   

（使）上下左右移动( flap的现在分词 )； 轻拍； 焦急，焦虑； 振（翅）

参考例句：

• The flag was flapping around in the light wind. 那面旗子在微风中飘动。
• Do stop flapping around, we'll get the job done in time. 大可不必担心，我们会按时完成这项工作的。

3 zigzagged   

adj.呈之字形移动的v.弯弯曲曲地走路，曲折地前进( zigzag的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The office buildings were slightly zigzagged to fit available ground space. 办公大楼为了配合可用的地皮建造得略呈之字形。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The lightning zigzagged through the church yard. 闪电呈之字形划过教堂的院子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

5 inquired   

打听，询问( inquire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• The pilot inquired about the weather condition. 这飞行员查问天气情况。

6 hoarsely   

adv.嘶哑地

参考例句：

• "Excuse me," he said hoarsely. “对不起。”他用嘶哑的嗓子说。
• Jerry hoarsely professed himself at Miss Pross's service. 杰瑞嘶声嘶气地表示愿为普洛丝小姐效劳。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

7 retorted   

反驳( retort的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She retorted upon me, saying I was to blame. 她反驳我，说我才应该受责备。
• She retorted upon him, saying he was to blame. 她反驳他，说他不好。

8 chuckle   

vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑

参考例句：

• He shook his head with a soft chuckle.他轻轻地笑着摇了摇头。
• I couldn't suppress a soft chuckle at the thought of it.想到这个，我忍不住轻轻地笑起来。