XV THE REDCAPS

 Reddy Woodpecker knew that Mr. Crow would come back to the orchard¹ to ask him another question. The old gentleman simply had to learn more about Reddy's club.

 

"I'd like to knew—" said Mr. Crow—"I'd like to know why you are the president of The Redcaps."

 

"That's easily answered," Reddy replied. "It's because I wear the biggest and reddest cap of all the birds in the neighborhood."

 

Mr. Crow puzzled over the matter for a time.

 

"I don't understand what difference your cap makes," he said at last. "I've been thinking about joining the club. And I have no red cap."

 

"That's true, Mr. Crow," Reddy agreed. "And that's the reason why you can't join my club. Nobody that doesn't wear a red cap can be a member of The Redcaps."

 

Mr. Crow looked daggers² at him.

 

"Humph!" cried the old gentleman. "I've been thinking about joining the club. But I've decided³ not to do it."

 

Reddy Woodpecker smiled at him. And for some reason Mr. Crow became angry.

 

"How many members has your club?" he squawked.

 

"One!" Reddy told him.

 

"Ha!" the old fellow exclaimed. "You can't have a club with only one member."

 

"I expect that several of the neighbors will join The Redcaps to-morrow," said Reddy Woodpecker. "They 're only waiting for an invitation."

 

"Let me see," Mr. Crow murmured. "There's your cousin Mr. Flicker⁴. He wears a red patch on the back of his head. But you can't call it a cap."

 

"I call it a cap," Reddy Woodpecker told him. "Mr. Flicker is going to get an invitation."

 

Mr. Crow then muttered something about cousins, and added something more about birds of a feather flocking together. And then he said, "There's the Downy Woodpecker and there's the Hairy Woodpecker—both cousins of yours, too. They've only what you might call a touch of red on the backs of their necks; but I suppose——"

 

"Yes! I'm going to invite them to join The Redcaps," Reddy interrupted.

 

Mr. Crow looked terribly upset, though he claimed it was no more than he had expected. "That will be about all the members you will get," he added.

 

"Oh, no!" Reddy exclaimed. "You forget Mr. Sapsucker. He has a scarlet⁵ crown. I'll want him."

 

Mr. Crow swallowed hard a few times but said nothing.

 

"Then there's the Ruby-crowned Kinglet," Reddy went on. "He's going to have an invitation. And so is Mr. Kingbird."

 

"Not Mr. Kingbird!" spluttered old Mr. Crow. "His crown is orange-colored."

 

"It's red enough for me," Reddy retorted. "And of course I'll ask little Mr. Chippy to join us."

 

"Nonsense!" cried Mr. Crow. "His cap is only chestnut-colored."

 

"It's red enough for me," Reddy Woodpecker repeated in a firm voice.

 

"My goodness!" Mr. Crow squalled. "I suppose you'll ask the whole Wood Thrush family too—and their cousin Mr. Veery. Their heads are reddish."

 

"No! They're too brown for me," Reddy Woodpecker decided, to Mr. Crow's great relief.

 

"What about Buddy⁶ Brown Thrasher?" Mr. Crow inquired. "What about his head?"

 

"Too brown!"

 

"Well," said old Mr. Crow, "I'm glad to see you have a little sense. But on the whole these Redcaps are going to be a queer lot."

 

1 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。

2 daggers   

匕首，短剑( dagger的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I will speak daggers to her, but use none. 我要用利剑一样的话刺痛她的心，但绝不是真用利剑。
• The world lives at daggers drawn in a cold war. 世界在冷战中剑拨弩张。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 flicker   

vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现

参考例句：

• There was a flicker of lights coming from the abandoned house.这所废弃的房屋中有灯光闪烁。
• At first,the flame may be a small flicker,barely shining.开始时，光辉可能是微弱地忽隐忽现，几乎并不灿烂。

5 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

6 buddy   

n.（美口）密友，伙伴

参考例句：

• Calm down,buddy.What's the trouble?压压气，老兄。有什么麻烦吗？
• Get out of my way,buddy!别挡道了，你这家伙！