VIII CUFFY LEARNS TO SWIM

 Yes! Cuffy Bear was floating down the river on a cake of ice! How he wished he had been a good little bear and stayed at home, instead of running away to the river all alone! He was huddled¹ up in a little black heap in the center of the cake, and crying as if his heart would break. For Cuffy thought he would never see his mother and father and Silkie again. If only he knew how to swim, like his father! But he didn't; and there he was, being swept away down the valley, right toward Farmer Green's house. It certainly was enough to make anybody weep.

 

When Cuffy thought about Farmer Green he was more frightened than ever and he began to scream. He remembered all the dreadful² things he had heard about men and the things they do to little bears.

 

Pretty soon Cuffy saw something move up on the bank ahead of him. And he stopped screaming. He was afraid that it was Farmer Green himself and he thought he had better keep still. Then perhaps Farmer Green wouldn't see him. But to his dismay³ the big black thing began to slide down the steep bank right toward the river.

 

Cuffy's heart seemed to stand still. He shut his eyes tight and tried to make himself as small as he could. And he hardly breathed.

 

Then somebody called his name. Cuffy was so surprised that he looked up, and there was his father standing⁴ on the edge of the stream. Cuffy was so glad to see him!

 

Mr. Bear seemed very cross, but Cuffy did not mind that, he was so glad to see his father.

 

"Oh, Father! What shall I do?" Cuffy cried.

 

Mr. Bear said just one word. It was "Jump!"

 

Cuffy could hardly believe his ears.

 

"Jump!" said Mr. Bear again.

 

"I don't know how to swim," Cuffy whined⁵.

 

"Jump, jump, jump!" Mr. Bear repeated very sternly⁶.

 

Still Cuffy did not jump. He was so afraid of that rushing water!

 

Then Mr. Bear became very, very angry. He gave a great roar and plunged⁷ into the icy water. With a few strong strokes—for Mr. Bear was a fine swimmer—he reached the middle of the river. And as he swam close up to Cuffy he reached out and gave that naughty, frightened little bear a shove⁸ that sent him flying into the stream.

 

Cuffy started to scream. But his shriek⁹ was cut off short as he sank, head and all, into the cold, cold river. In another moment his nose came up out of the water. It was only an instant, but to Cuffy it seemed a long, long time before he could breathe again. And now, to his great surprise, he found that he was swimming as well as his father.

 

Now, little bears are different from little boys and girls. They don't have to learn to swim. Cuffy didn't know it. But his father did. That was why Mr. Bear told him to jump. He knew that as soon as Cuffy found himself in the water he could swim as well as anybody.

 

In another minute Cuffy and his father were safe on the bank, and in another second after that they were running toward home as fast as Cuffy could go, so they wouldn't take cold, you know.

 

Cuffy had to go to bed for the rest of the day, as a punishment. And as he lay on his little bed he could hear his father and mother laughing in the next room. He didn't see how they could laugh. But you know, Cuffy didn't realize how funny he had looked, floating down the river on the cake of ice.

该作者的其它作品

The Tale of Timothy Turtle

The Tale of Miss Kitty Cat

The Tale of Old Dog Spot

The Tale of Kiddie Katydid

1 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

2 dreadful   

adj.糟透了的，极端的，可怕的，令人畏惧的

参考例句：

• I cannot imagine what to do in this dreadful situation.我不能想像在这么糟的情况下该怎么办。
• I must apologize for the dreadful mistake I made.我为我所犯的严重错误深表歉意。

3 dismay   

n.灰心，沮丧，惊愕；vt.使沮丧，使惊愕

参考例句：

• The enemy retreated in perfect dismay.敌人沮丧地退去。
• I am filled with dismay at the news.我对这个消息极为震惊。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 whined   

v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨

参考例句：

• The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句

6 sternly   

adv.严厉地；严肃地

参考例句：

• The chair sternly rebuked the audience for their laughter.主席厉声斥责听众哄笑。
• Her husband looked at her sternly.她丈夫严厉地看着她。

7 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

8 shove   

vt.乱推，乱塞；vi.用力推，挤；n.猛推

参考例句：

• She will not shove the heavy load onto others.她不愿意把重担推给别人。
• Help me shove this furniture aside.帮我把这家具推到一边去。

9 shriek   

v./n.尖叫，叫喊

参考例句：

• Suddenly he began to shriek loudly.突然他开始大声尖叫起来。
• People sometimes shriek because of terror,anger,or pain.人们有时会因为恐惧，气愤或疼痛而尖叫。