CHAPTER XX Eating a Tree

 As Simon Screecher¹ remarked to his cousin, Solomon Owl², it was a hard winter. The snow was deep. The days were cold. And the nights were colder. And, worst of all, food became scarce. It seemed as if there wasn't anything to eat anywhere except at the farm buildings, which Farmer Green had stuffed full of hay and grain during the summer and autumn. Many of the forest folk stole down from Blue Mountain after nightfall and visited the farmyard in the hope of getting a bite of something or other.

Even Master Meadow Mouse began to[95] find it harder and harder to get enough seeds under the snow to satisfy his hunger. He had stored away a stock of food. But it hadn't been big enough. And that was a great mistake. Master Meadow Mouse promised himself that he would not repeat it another time. Unfortunately, all the promises in the world wouldn't give him a square meal when he needed one.

 

At last he went to one of his cousins who had already spent one winter in the meadow.

 

"This is my first winter," Master Meadow Mouse explained. "I'm running short of food. And I wish you'd tell me what to do in such a case."

 

"That's easy," his cousin answered. "Get more!" And then he hurried away, for he had important business to attend to.

 

Poor Master Meadow Mouse ran after[96] him. It was hard to follow his cousin through the winding³ galleries beneath the snow. Several times Master Meadow Mouse took the wrong turn and had to retrace⁴ his steps. But at last he found his busy cousin again.

 

"You advised me to get more food," said Master Meadow Mouse. "But you didn't tell me where to get it."

 

"In the orchard⁵!" his cousin cried. And then he hurried away again.

 

"I wish he'd wait a minute," Master Meadow Mouse grumbled⁶ as he tore after his cousin once more. "I don't feel like running. I haven't had a hearty⁷ meal for days."

 

The cousin seemed surprised when Master Meadow Mouse overtook him.

 

"What!" that busy gentleman exclaimed. "Have you been to the orchard and back so soon?"

 

"No!" said Master Meadow Mouse. "I've been chasing you. I want you to tell me what I'll find to eat when I go to the orchard."

 

"That's easy," his cousin replied. "Trees!" Having said those three words he dashed off again even faster than before.

 

"Trees!" Master Meadow Mouse echoed. "I can't eat trees. I've never eaten a tree in all my life. There must be something that my cousin forgot to explain. So I suppose I'll have to run after him again and ask him what he meant."

 

The fourth time that Master Meadow Mouse found his cousin he took no chances. He caught his cousin by his tail and held on firmly.

 

"You're not going to get away from me till I've found out what I want to know," he declared. "How can I eat a tree?" Master Meadow Mouse demanded.

 

"You can't!" his cousin replied, struggling desperately⁸ to free himself, for he was too busy to stop long.

 

"Then explain what you mean!" Master Meadow Mouse cried.

 

"Eat the bark!" his cousin answered.

 

Then—and not till then—did Master Meadow Mouse let him go.

 

Master Meadow Mouse chased his cousin no more, but hurried away to Farmer Green's orchard, where he gnawed⁹ a ring all the way around one of the young fruit trees, at the top of the snow. It was the first big meal he had enjoyed for weeks. And he went home feeling that the winter was not so hard as he had thought, after all.

 

But Farmer Green didn't agree with him. When he happened to go into the orchard one day, later, and saw tree after tree ruined, he was very, very much displeased¹⁰.

 

"I ought to have put wire netting around those young trees," he told the hired man. "This is what comes of a hard winter."

1 screecher   

参考例句：

2 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

3 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

4 retrace   

v.折回；追溯，探源

参考例句：

• He retraced his steps to the spot where he'd left the case.他折回到他丢下箱子的地方。
• You must retrace your steps.你必须折回原来走过的路。

5 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。

6 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

7 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

8 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

9 gnawed   

咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物

参考例句：

• His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
• The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。

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。