Bambi was no longer able to keep quiet about this. “Do you not think of the danger?” he asked.
“No,” came Gobo’s simple answer. “There is no danger for me.”
“Bambi, love,” Gobo’s mother put in, “you’re forgetting that He is a friend of his. Gobo can afford to allow himself more than you can or anyone else.” And she was very proud of this. Bambi said no more. One day, Gobo commented to him, “Do you know? Sometimes it strikes me as odd that I can eat here like this, whenever I want to and wherever I want to.”
Bambi did not understand. “What’s so odd about that? That’s what we all do.”
Gobo thought about this and said, “Yes ... well that’s you! Bit with me it’s a bit different. I’ve got used to having my food brought to me, and that they’ll call me when it’s ready.”
Bambi looked at Gobo with pity. Looked at Auntie Ena, at Faline and Marena. But they just smiled and admired Gobo.
“I think,” Faline began, “I think you’ll find it hard to get used to the winter, Gobo. For us, outside in the winter there is no hay at all, no turnips2, no potatoes.”
“That’s true,” answered Gobo thoughtfully, “but if it gets too hard for me I’ll just go back to Him. Why should I go hungry? I really don’t need to.”
Without a word, Bambi turned round and walked away.
Gobo now was alone with Marena, and he began to talk about Bambi. “He doesn’t understand me,” he said. “Bambi is good, but he thinks I’m still just stupid, little Gobo, like I used to be. He still can’t understand that I’ve been changed into something special. The danger! Why is he always on about danger? I’m sure he means the best for me. But danger is something for him and for those like him, not for me!”
Marena agreed with him. She loved him, and Gobo loved her, and the two of them were very happy.
“You see,” he said to her, “no-one understands me as well as you do! Anyway, I can’t complain. Everyone respects and honours me, but it’s you who understands me best. The others ... I’ve told them so many times how good He is but they won’t listen to me. I’m sure they don’t think I’m lying but they keep on thinking he must be terrible!”
“I always believed in Him,” said Marena with enthusiasm.
“Don’t you remember,” Marena went on, “that day when you stayed lying in the snow? I said that one day He would come to us here in the woods and play with us ...”
“No,” retorted Gobo, speaking very slowly, “I can’t remember that at all.”
A couple of weeks went by, and one morning, just as the sun was rising, Bambi and Faline, Gobo and Mareni, were all together in the old thicket4 of hazel bushes that they saw as home. Bambi and Faline had just come back home from their wanderings, they had gone past the oak and wanted to seek out their place to rest when they came across Gobo and Marena. Gobo was just about to go out onto the meadow.
“Stay here with us,” said Bambi. “It’ll soon be broad daylight, no-one goes out into the open at this time.”
“Ridiculous,” Gobo mocked. “If no-one goes ... I go.”
He strode away, Marena followed him.
Bambi and Faline stayed where they were. “Come on!” said Bambi angrily to Faline. “Come on! He can just do what he wants.” They wanted to go on. Then outside, from the other side of the meadow, came the screech5 of the jay, loud and foreboding.
Bambi turned suddenly round and ran after Gobo. He caught up with him and Marena just before they had reached the oak tree.
“Do you hear that?” he called to him.
“Hear what?” asked Gobo in puzzlement.
“Can you really not hear it?” Bambi repeated.
“No,” said Gobo calmly.
“That means danger!” Bambi insisted.
Now a magpie7 appeared, chattering8 as he went, and immediately after there was another one and then, just as promptly9, a third. At the same time the jay screeched once again, and the crows gave signals from high in the air.
Even Marena now began to urge him. “Stay here! For my sake stay here today ... it’s dangerous!”
Gobo stood there and grinned in embarrassment11. “Danger! Danger! Why should I be bothered about that?”
The danger of the moment gave Bambi an idea. “At least let Marena go out first, then we’ll know ...”
He had not finished speaking before Marena had already slipped out there.
All three stood there and looked at her. Bambi and Faline held their breath, Gobo was openly patient, as if he wanted to let the others have their foolish way.
They watched as Marena walked, step by step, onto the meadow, slowly, her head raised high, her legs hesitant. She looked round and smelt12 the air on every side.
She suddenly turned round, as quick as lightning, a high leap and, as if blown in by a storm, she was back in the thicket. “He ... He’s there ...” she whispered in a voice that was choking in horror. Her whole body was shaking. “I ... I... saw ... Him ... He ... is ... there ...” she stammered13, “up there ... He’s standing14 there ... by the alder15 tree ...”
“Let’s get away from here!” Bambi called. “Now, let’s get away!”
“Come away!” Faline implored16 them. And Marena, who by now was barely able to speak, whispered, “Please Gobo, I beg of you, come away with us ... I beg of you ...”
But Gobo remained calm. “Run away then, run away as far as you can?” he said, “I’m not stopping you am I. If He’s there I’ll go over and say hello.”
There was nothing that could have held Gobo back.
They stayed where they were and watched him as he went out onto the meadow. They stayed behind because his immense confidence had a kind of power over them and at the same time held their terror for Him in its place. They were unable to move from the spot.
Gobo stood out in the open on the meadow and looked around to find the alder. Now he seemed to have found it, now he seemed to have glimpsed Him. Then the thunder-crack sounded.
The sound threw Gobo into the air, he suddenly turned round and, leaping as fast as he could, flew back into the thicket.
When he arrived they were still standing there, unable to move because of their horror. They heard the whistling of his breath, he did not stop but hurled17 himself forward in unthinking leaps. They turned to him, surrounded him, and gave themselves up to full flight.
Marena immediately stood still, close beside him. Bambi and Faline were a little further away, ready to flee at any time.
Gobo’s flank had been torn open and he lay there with his bloody19 innards protruding20. He made a dull movement of turning and raising his head.
“Marena ...” he said with some effort, “Marena ... He didn’t recognize me ...” His voice broke off.
From the bushes between them and the meadow, there came an uproarious noise showing no thought of any need to be careful.
Marena lowered her head down to Gobo. “He’s coming!” she whispered urgently. “Gobo ... He’s coming ... can’t you stand up and come with me ...?”
Gobo, once again, weakly turned his head and raised it. His legs twitched21 violently but he continued to lie where he was.
Marena could see him from a short distance. She slowly crept back, disappeared behind the undergrowth, and hurried to join Bambi and Faline.
She turned around once more and there she saw Him as He bent24 down over the fallen Gobo and took hold of him.
Then she heard Gobo’s pitiful scream of death.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
hesitation
|
|
| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
turnips
|
|
| 芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
glibly
|
|
| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
thicket
|
|
| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
screech
|
|
| n./v.尖叫；(发出)刺耳的声音 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
screeched
|
|
| v.发出尖叫声( screech的过去式和过去分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
magpie
|
|
| n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
chattering
|
|
| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
promptly
|
|
| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
implore
|
|
| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
embarrassment
|
|
| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
smelt
|
|
| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
stammered
|
|
| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
alder
|
|
| n.赤杨树 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
implored
|
|
| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
collapsed
|
|
| adj.倒塌的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
bloody
|
|
| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
protruding
|
|
| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
twitched
|
|
| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
clattering
|
|
| 发出咔哒声（clatter的现在分词形式） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
rustling
|
|
| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
bent
|
|
| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |