XXI THE ODD MR. FROG

 

 

Reddy Woodpecker stood on the doorstep of Mr. Frog's shop. And inside the tiny building Mr. Frog the tailor squatted¹ cross-legged and scratched upon a flat stone. Now and then he glanced up to look closely at Reddy Woodpecker.

 

"Colors: red, white and—yes! blue!" Mr. Frog murmured, blinking his bulging² eyes at Reddy Woodpecker. "It's a little too blackish for my taste, but it's certainly blue.... A good suit for the Fourth of July!" he muttered. "Just the thing for a clown to wear in a parade of Horribles!"

 

Mr. Frog's remarks did not please Reddy Woodpecker. In fact they made him very angry. But Mr. Frog didn't appear to notice that. He went right on talking to himself.

 

"Red head and black tail!" he said, scratching upon his stone all the while. "Black head and red tail would be much better."

 

"I didn't come here to be abused!" Reddy Woodpecker spluttered.

 

The tailor paid no heed³ to Reddy's protest.

 

"Too much stiffening⁴ in the tail!" Mr. Frog mumbled⁵. "Colors too gay for everyday wear! Too loud for the best taste!"

 

By this time Reddy Woodpecker had become so furious that he couldn't speak.

 

Meanwhile Mr. Frog continued to look him over calmly, and as his gaze fell at last upon Reddy's feet he began to titter.

 

"This person's feet are all wrong," he chanted, scratching like mad upon his flat stone. "Never saw a bird before with toes like his. The rule for birds is: three toes in front, one toe in back. This person has two in front and two in back. I thought there was something queer about him."

 

"Look here!" Reddy Woodpecker burst forth⁶. "I won't stay here any longer. You're making fun of me. I don't care if I did promise. If my clothes are so queer why do you want to copy them?"

 

"I don't want to copy them," Mr. Frog replied. "I'd hate to copy them."

 

"Then why did you ask me to stand here in front of your shop while you wrote down all this nonsense?"

 

"You're mistaken," Mr. Frog told him. "I haven't written a word. I asked you to come here because you look like a customer. It's good business to have customers seen about my shop. I haven't had a real customer this season," he added somewhat sadly. "So you can't blame me if I want people to think I have one at last—now can you?"

 

Reddy Woodpecker had no patience with him.

 

"I think you're nothing but a fraud," he declared. "I don't believe you're a tailor at all."

 

"Dear me!" said Mr. Frog. "Maybe I'm not. Sometimes I've wondered if I wasn't fooling myself."

 

"You'd better stick to catching⁷ flies," Reddy advised him. "That's all you're good for."

 

"Perhaps you're right," Mr. Frog replied. He seemed quite meek⁸ and mournful. But all at once he smiled. "Anyhow," he remarked, "it's lucky that the flies stick to me—now isn't it?"

 

1 squatted   

v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。

参考例句：

• He squatted down beside the footprints and examined them closely. 他蹲在脚印旁仔细地观察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He squatted in the grass discussing with someone. 他蹲在草地上与一个人谈话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bulging   

膨胀； 凸出（部）； 打气； 折皱

参考例句：

• Her pockets were bulging with presents. 她的口袋里装满了礼物。
• Conscious of the bulging red folder, Nim told her,"Ask if it's important." 尼姆想到那个鼓鼓囊囊的红色文件夹便告诉她：“问问是不是重要的事。”

3 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

4 stiffening   

n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Her mouth stiffening, she could not elaborate. 她嘴巴僵直，无法细说下去。
• No genius, not a bad guy, but the attacks are hurting and stiffening him. 不是天才，人也不坏，但是四面八方的攻击伤了他的感情，使他横下了心。

5 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。

6 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

7 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

8 meek   

adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的

参考例句：

• He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。
• The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。