IX WEARING A POKE

 The cows never paid much attention to the woodchucks, unless it was to scold them now and then for eating too much clover. But living as they did in the pasture, the woodchucks took a great interest in Farmer Green's herd¹. Many a bit of gossip about some cow passed from one woodchuck hole to another, without the cow herself ever dreaming that folk were talking about her.

 

Whenever Billy Woodchuck's mother heard any specially² interesting news about a cow she was more than likely to put on her best apron³ and hurry over to make a call on Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the famous herb doctor, who lived under the hill.

 

Well, one morning while the dew was still on the grass Billy saw his mother dash into the house, whisk off her old apron and reach for her best one. He knew at once, without asking, exactly where she was going. Nor was he sorry, because Mrs. Woodchuck always stayed a long time at Aunt Polly's. And that gave Billy a chance to do a number of things without being told "Don't!"

 

Alas⁴! "You'd better come with me," his mother said.

 

"Oh, I'd rather not," he protested. "I—I'm not feeling very well this morning."

 

"Then you must certainly come," she insisted, "for I'm going to see Aunt Polly Woodchuck and she'll give you a dose of herbs to cure you."

 

Billy Woodchuck began to squirm. He saw that he had got himself into trouble.

 

"I'll be all right if I keep still a while," he stammered⁵. "And then I'm going out to gather a nice lot of greens for you."

 

"You'll do nothing of the sort!" said his mother. "You'll come with me. You'd be sure to get into mischief⁶ if I left you here."

 

So off they went. And Mrs. Woodchuck hurried so fast that she was quite out of breath when she reached Aunt Polly Woodchuck's house. She had to sit down and rest before she could tell Aunt Polly the news that was on the tip of her tongue.

 

While waiting for her guest to compose herself, Aunt Polly Woodchuck looked over her spectacles at Billy, who lingered near the door.

 

"Come here, young man!" she said. Though her tone was severe, Billy Woodchuck took heart. He thought he saw a twinkle in the old lady's eye. "I can see," Aunt Polly told him, "that you need an apple." And thereupon she handed him one. And Billy Woodchuck declared as soon as he began to eat it that he felt much better.

 

"I hope you're quite well," Aunt Polly said to Billy's mother, who was at last beginning to get her breath.

 

"Yes—very!" said Mrs. Woodchuck. "I've come over to tell you the news about the Muley Cow. I hope you haven't heard it already," she added, for she dearly loved to be the first to spread a bit of gossip.

 

"I fear I do know it," Aunt Polly replied, as she pushed her poke⁷ bonnet⁸ back and began to fan herself with a plantain leaf. "I suppose you've just heard about the Muley Cow's meeting Cuffy Bear in the back pasture."

 

Mrs. Woodchuck had begun to look disappointed. But now her honest face brightened. "Oh, no! There's newer news than that," she explained. "It hasn't anything to do with the Muley Cow's jumping the fence into the back pasture."

 

"Do tell!" Aunt Polly exclaimed.

 

"It's something about her clothes—something new she's wearing." Mrs. Woodchuck wasn't going to give up her news too soon. She liked to get people well interested before she actually told them anything.

 

"She hasn't a pair of horns, has she!" Aunt Polly inquired eagerly.

 

"Oh, no! Not that! But I knew you'd like to hear the news. I knew it would please you."

 

 

"Well, what is it?" Aunt Polly demanded.

 

"That's a pretty poke that you have on," Mrs. Woodchuck remarked.

 

Aunt Polly straightened her poke bonnet. "Thank you!" she said. "But do let me hear the news."

 

"Can't you guess it?" Mrs. Woodchuck asked her. "Can't you guess it, now that I've given you a hint?"

 

But Aunt Polly couldn't. So at last Mrs. Woodchuck told her the news:

 

"The Muley Cow is wearing a poke! I knew you'd approve of it, because you always wear one yourself."

 

Aunt Polly Woodchuck threw up her hands in astonishment⁹.

 

"I didn't suppose the Muley Cow had sense enough to do that!" she exclaimed.

1 herd   

n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见，只是人云亦云。

2 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

3 apron   

n.围裙；工作裙

参考例句：

• We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。
• She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

4 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

5 stammered   

v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He stammered most when he was nervous. 他一紧张往往口吃。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Barsad leaned back in his chair, and stammered, \"What do you mean?\" 巴萨往椅背上一靠，结结巴巴地说，“你是什么意思？” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

6 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

7 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。

8 bonnet   

n.无边女帽；童帽

参考例句：

• The baby's bonnet keeps the sun out of her eyes.婴孩的帽子遮住阳光，使之不刺眼。
• She wore a faded black bonnet garnished with faded artificial flowers.她戴着一顶褪了色的黑色无边帽，帽上缀着褪了色的假花。

9 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。