XIX The Major's Scheme

 "I never can run a thousand miles through the tree-tops," Major Monkey told Jolly Robin¹ in a tone of great disappointment. "I don't see how I can spend the winter in the South; and I certainly don't want to stay here, if it's as cold as you say." The poor Major looked so glum² that Jolly Robin was sorry for him.

 

"Can't you get a ride?" he asked.

 

"I could ride a horse, if I had one," Major Monkey replied.

 

"That's not a bad idea," Jolly Robin said. "But I'm afraid you'd have troublefinding a horse. Farmer Green would scarcely care to spare one of his horses for so long a trip."

 

"Well, I could ride a dog," said Major Monkey. "There's that dog at the farmhouse³—old Spot, as you call him. Surely Farmer Green wouldn't mind if I rode him away, for he's nothing but a nuisance."

 

"Why don't you ask Farmer Green?" Jolly Robin suggested.

 

But Major Monkey shook his head.

 

"No!" he said. "No! I don't want to do that yet. Before I speak to Farmer Green I prefer to make sure that old dog Spot is easy to ride on."

 

Jolly Robin looked puzzled. His mouth fell open. And for a few moments he stared at Major Monkey without saying a word.

 

When he finally spoke⁴, it was to ask Major Monkey how he was going to find out what he wanted to know about old dog Spot.

 

"There's only one way," said Major Monkey. "There's only one way; and that's to ride him and see."

 

Jolly Robin thought what a bold fellow Major Monkey was. He entirely⁵ forgot the Major's flight from the picnic grove⁶. Riding a dog was such a feat⁷ as Jolly Robin himself would never, never attempt. And he was sure that if Major Monkey really undertook it there could be no doubt of his bravery.

 

"How do you know"—Jolly asked the Major timidly—"how do you know that old dog Spot will let you ride him?"

 

"Don't you worry about that!" Major Monkey cried lightly, as he swaggered along a limb of the apple tree where they were talking. "Leave that to me."

 

And Jolly Robin thought what a stout⁸ heart beat beneath Major Monkey's red coat, and how fine it was to be one of his friends.

 

"I should like to see you when you first ride old Spot," said Jolly Robin.

 

"Delighted, I'm sure!" Major Monkey cried.

 

"And I hope you've no objection to my bringing my wife along, too."

 

Major Monkey was not so sure that he would care to have Mrs. Robin for an onlooker⁹.

 

"Women are likely to be timid," he remarked. "They sometimes scream at the wrong time. And if your wife happened to cry out just as I was about to drop on old Spot's back, he might jump. And that would spoil everything."

 

Jolly Robin decided¹⁰ that Major Monkey knew best.

 

"We'll keep this affair a secret," he whispered.

 

The Major nodded.

 

"And now"—Jolly Robin asked him—"now where and when are you going to ride old Spot?"

 

Shutting his eyes tightly, Major Monkey wrinkled his low forehead until Jolly Robin began to fear that he was in great pain.

 

"Are you ill?" Jolly asked him.

 

"No!" said the Major. "I was only thinking. And it seems to me that the other end of the orchard¹¹, toward the farmhouse, would be the best place to begin my ride.... As for the time," he added, "that will be when old Spot happens to come that way."

 

"I'll be there, whenever that may be," Jolly Robin assured him.

1 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

2 glum   

adj.闷闷不乐的，阴郁的

参考例句：

• He was a charming mixture of glum and glee.他是一个很有魅力的人，时而忧伤时而欢笑。
• She laughed at his glum face.她嘲笑他闷闷不乐的脸。

3 farmhouse   

n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房）

参考例句：

• We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
• We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

6 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

7 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

8   

参考例句：

9 onlooker   

n.旁观者，观众

参考例句：

• A handful of onlookers stand in the field watching.少数几个旁观者站在现场观看。
• One onlooker had to be restrained by police.一个旁观者遭到了警察的制止。

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

11 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。