XX LEARNING TO BOX

 For some time Cuffy Bear and his new friend Pete, as he preferred to be called, continued to slide down the bank of the brook² into the water. They became plastered with mud from head to foot. And Cuffy's best trousers had two big holes in them. But Cuffy was having a splendid time.

 

"Let's box, Cuff¹!" Pete exclaimed, after a while.

 

"What's that?" Cuffy asked. He liked to be called "Cuff." Nobody had ever called him by that name before. He felt quite grown up.

 

"I'll show yer," Pete said. "Stand up in front of me."

 

Cuffy stood up on his hind³ legs.

 

"Now, hold up yer paws—so."

 

And Cuffy did as he was told.

 

"Now hit me!" Pete ordered.

 

And Cuffy struck out at his new friend. But to his surprise he didn't succeed in touching⁴ Pete at all. Instead, he received a stinging slap right on the end of his nose.

 

Cuffy didn't like that. In fact, it made him somewhat angry. And he struck out at Pete once more. But Pete dodged⁵; and he gave Cuffy a good, hard blow in the eye. And while Cuffy was holding onto his poor eye, Pete hit his other eye. And then Cuffy couldn't see a thing, except bright spots that made him think of stars. He tried not to cry. But a few tears would go rolling down his cheeks. And he did not like it at all when Pete began to laugh.

 

"Huh! Don't be a cry-baby!" Pete said. "Yer want ter learn ter box, don't yer?"

 

"Y-es!" Cuffy answered.

 

"Well—quit yer cryin' and stand up here, then," Pete commanded.

 

So once more Cuffy straightened up and held his paws in front of him. And when he thought Pete wasn't watching, Cuffy tried again to hit him. Again Cuffy missed. His paw didn't reach Pete at all. But Pete gave him a terrible poke⁶ right in the stomach, and Cuffy sat down quickly on the ground and began to groan⁷.

 

Pete sat down on the ground too and he looked at Cuffy and grinned.

 

"Want any more?" he asked.

 

Cuffy shook his head.

 

"I'll have to go home now," he said. "Of course, I'd like to box some more; but I haven't time to-day."

 

"First lesson's over, then," Pete announced. "Come back termorrer and I'll give yer another."

 

"How long will it be before I learn to box well?" Cuffy inquired.

 

"You might learn next time," Pete said, "Better try it, anyhow," he advised.

 

"All right!" Cuffy said. He hoped that another time he would be able to show Pete how it felt to be pounded. "All right—I'll be here at the same time to-morrow."

 

So Pete trotted⁸ off spryly in one direction; and Cuffy trotted off in another, but not quite so spryly, for his head ached and one of his eyes was closed tight.

 

"Mercy sakes!" Mrs. Bear said, when Cuffy came into the house. "Look at those trousers!"

 

Cuffy looked at them as well as he could with his one good eye.

 

"And you're covered with mud!" his mother added severely⁹. "What's the matter with your eye?" she demanded.

 

"I've been having fun—" Cuffy began. "I've been boxing—"

 

"Fun! Boxing! You've ruined your best trousers," she said. "You're a naughty little bear and you're going straight to bed. Who has been playing with you?" she asked.

 

Mrs. Bear was very much displeased¹⁰ when she learned about Cuffy's new friend. "I know who he is," she said. "His people are very rough. They're not nice bears at all. And I forbid you aver¹¹ to play with that Peter again."

 

So Cuffy had to go to bed. And the next day when Pete arrived at the pool he found no Cuffy there. For some time he waited. But still there was no Cuffy.

 

"Huh!" Pete grunted¹², as he went away at last. "He's afraid, he is. And it's a good thing for him he didn't come back. If he had, I'd 'a' fixed¹³ him. Yes, sir! I'd—" Whatever it was that Peter would have done to Cuffy, I am sure it wouldn't have been at all pleasant, because the rough little bear Peter scowled¹⁴ frightfully as he trotted off.

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 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

2 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

3 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

4 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

5 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 poke   

n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢

参考例句：

• We never thought she would poke her nose into this.想不到她会插上一手。
• Don't poke fun at me.别拿我凑趣儿。

7 groan   

vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音

参考例句：

• The wounded man uttered a groan.那个受伤的人发出呻吟。
• The people groan under the burden of taxes.人民在重税下痛苦呻吟。

8 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

9 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

10 displeased   

a.不快的

参考例句：

• The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。
• He was displeased about the whole affair. 他对整个事情感到很不高兴。

11 aver   

v.极力声明；断言；确证

参考例句：

• I aver it will not rain tomorrow.我断言明天不会下雨。
• In spite of all you say,I still aver that his report is true.不管你怎么说，我还是断言他的报告是真实的。

12 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

13 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

14 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。