X A SLIGHT MISTAKE

 Mrs. Woodchuck was glad that she had gone to Aunt Polly Woodchuck's house to tell her the news about the Muley Cow. Aunt Polly was all in a flutter, she was so eager to see the Muley Cow in her new poke¹ bonnet².

 

"Is the poke becoming to her?" Aunt Polly asked Mrs. Woodchuck.

 

"I haven't set eyes on it," Mrs. Woodchuck said. "Old Mr. Crow told me the news only this morning. I asked him to describe the poke. But all he could say was that I'd be surprised when I saw it."

 

"That's the way with men folks," Aunt Polly Woodchuck declared. "They never know anything about the styles—except that queer Mr. Frog, the tailor."

 

Both ladies giggled³ at the mere⁴ mention of Ferdinand Frog. And while they were busy tittering, Mrs. Woodchuck's son Billy helped himself to a piece of carrot from Aunt Polly's store of roots and herbs.

 

"I must have a look at the Muley Cow this very morning," Aunt Polly told her caller. "Won't you come with me?"

 

Mrs. Woodchuck said that nothing would please her more. So she ordered Billy to scamper⁵ home.

 

"You'll have to wait till I put on my best poke," Aunt Polly said. "If the Muley Cow has a new one I don't want to call on her in my second best."

 

So Mrs. Woodchuck waited. And at last they set off together to find the Muley Cow. They hadn't gone far before old Mr. Crow flapped down on a hummock⁶ near them.

 

"If you're looking for the Muley Cow," he squawked, "you'll find her down near the lane. And she's wearing her new poke, too."

 

They thanked him. And as soon as they had passed on Mrs. Woodchuck remarked what a busybody he was.

 

"Always poking⁷ his bill into other people's affairs!" Aunt Polly sniffed⁸.

 

Still, his advice saved them a good many steps. For they found the Muley Cow just where Mr. Crow had said they would.

 

But she wasn't wearing a poke bonnet at all. They noticed that as soon as they caught sight of her.

 

"Perhaps it has fallen off her head and she doesn't know it," Aunt Polly suggested.

 

 

"I'll ask her," said Mrs. Woodchuck. And she hurried up to the Muley Cow.

 

"Where's your poke?" she cried. "You haven't lost it—have you?" As she spoke⁹ she noticed a peculiar¹⁰ something about the Muley Cow's neck. It was a sort of huge wooden collar, with a long stake that stuck out in front of her.

 

The Muley Cow acted very grumpy.

 

"Don't be impertinent!" she snapped.

 

"Excuse us, please!" Aunt Polly Woodchuck said to the Muley Cow. "We heard you were wearing a poke; and we wanted to see it. You know, I always wear a poke in summer. In fact, I put on my best one before leaving home."

 

The Muley Cow stared at her in a puzzled fashion. And at last the truth dawned upon her.

 

"You've made a mistake," she said. "You've misunderstood. It's not a poke bonnet that I have. It's a poke—this thing around my neck."

 

Well, Aunt Polly and Mrs. Woodchuck didn't know what to say. And they felt so uncomfortable that they turned away and started off.

 

"Wait a moment!" the Muley Cow called to them. "How did you hear about this poke?"

 

"Old Mr. Crow told me," Mrs. Woodchuck replied.

 

"I thought so," said the Muley Cow. "And I'd like to have a talk with him."

1 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。

2 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。

3 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 scamper   

v.奔跑，快跑

参考例句：

• She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。
• The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。

6 hummock   

n.小丘

参考例句：

• He crawled up a small hummock and surveyed the prospect.他慢腾腾地登上一个小丘，看了看周围的地形。
• The two young men advanced cautiously towards the hummock.两个年轻人小心翼翼地向小丘前进。

7 poking   

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：

• He was poking at the rubbish with his stick. 他正用手杖拨动垃圾。
• He spent his weekends poking around dusty old bookshops. 他周末都泡在布满尘埃的旧书店里。

8 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。