XIX WHO WAS GREEDY?

 

 

Reddy Woodpecker was very angry with Cuffy Bear. He thought that when they hunted grubs together it was only fair that they should divide the game. So far Cuffy had taken all but one. And that was one that he had overlooked.

 

"I don't believe I'll hunt with you any more," Reddy Woodpecker told Cuffy.

 

That news surprised Cuffy Bear. "Why, what's the matter?" he inquired. "Haven't we had good luck?"

 

Reddy Woodpecker sniffed¹.

 

"You have had fine luck," he replied. "But I certainly haven't. When you asked me to hunt grubs with you I expected we would divide the grubs."

 

Cuffy Bear shook his head doubtfully.

 

"It's not easy to divide a grub," he said. "That's why I let you have all of that one that you found a while ago."

 

"You don't understand me," Reddy went on. "What I mean is this: If we find two dozen grubs in a stump² you should have one dozen and I should have one dozen."

 

"I've never hunted in that way before," Cuffy told him. "But since you insist, I'm willing to try it. And maybe it would be only fair if I found the next stump and let you open it."

 

Now, this was a much better offer than Reddy Woodpecker had expected, so he made haste to accept it.

 

Then Cuffy Bear went wandering away into the woods. He was gone a long time. But at last he came back and said gruffly, "Follow me!"

 

They reached, after a while, a spot where Cuffy Bear stopped and pointed³ a paw towards an old stump.

 

"There it is," he said. "Now you tear it open."

 

Reddy Woodpecker alighted upon the stump and clung to it while he drilled into it with his bill, tap, tap, tap!

 

Meanwhile Cuffy Bear watched him impatiently.

 

"My goodness!" he muttered. "That fellow is slow. I'll never get another grub if I wait for him."

 

At last, however, Reddy pulled out a grub and ate it.

 

"My turn next!" growled⁴ Cuffy Bear as Reddy Woodpecker promptly⁶ went after another.

 

Well, very soon Reddy thrust his tongue into another hole that he drilled and drew out another grub.

 

"That's mine!" cried Cuffy Bear.

 

Reddy Woodpecker tried to let it fall upon the ground. He did not find it easy to drop the grub. His horny tongue had pierced it. And in trying to let go of it he had a mishap⁷. He swallowed the grub.

 

When Cuffy Bear saw what had happened he let out a frightful⁸ roar.

 

"That was an accident," Reddy explained over his shoulder.

 

To Cuffy Bear's dismay the same accident happened over and over again. Finally Cuffy couldn't wait another moment. With a terrible growl⁵ he rushed up to the stump, while Reddy Woodpecker slipped out of his way just in time. In another instant Cuffy had split the old stump wide open and had his head buried in it.

 

"Here!" cried Reddy Woodpecker. "How many grubs do you want?"

 

"Only about a hundred dozen!" Cuffy Bear mumbled⁹.

 

When he heard that, Reddy Woodpecker shrieked¹⁰.

 

"One hundred dozen would feed my whole family," he declared. "I shall never hunt grubs with you again."

 

"That's a pity," said Cuffy Bear. "But won't you join me to-night? I'm going after different game."

 

"What's that?" Reddy asked him.

 

"Pigs!" Cuffy replied.

 

He couldn't understand why Reddy Woodpecker went off without saying another word.

 

"He's a queer one," Cuffy muttered. "I don't care if he doesn't hunt with me. He's too greedy."

1 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；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：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

6 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

7 mishap   

n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸

参考例句：

• I'm afraid your son had a slight mishap in the playground.不好了，你儿子在操场上出了点小意外。
• We reached home without mishap.我们平安地回到了家。

8 frightful   

adj.可怕的；讨厌的

参考例句：

• How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
• We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。

9 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

10 shrieked   

v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She shrieked in fright. 她吓得尖叫起来。
• Li Mei-t'ing gave a shout, and Lu Tzu-hsiao shrieked, "Tell what? 李梅亭大声叫，陆子潇尖声叫：“告诉什么？ 来自汉英文学 - 围城