STORY XXIV THE KINKYTAILS BLOW BUBBLES

 "Oh, dear, I wonder what we can do to-day?" exclaimed¹ Jacko Kinkytail, as he got up one Saturday morning and saw that it was raining quite hard.

 

"Yes, isn't it too bad," said his brother, the green monkey. "Here it is Saturday, when there is no school, and we can't go out and play. Oh, dear!"

 

"Oh, my!" cried Mamma Kinkytail, as she came in to see if her boys were ready for breakfast. "Why are you so sad?"

 

"I guess you'd be sad if you couldn't go out and play," answered Jacko, as he parted his hair on the left side and took the kinky spots out of his tail where he had slept on it in the night.

 

"We'll see if we can't have some fun in the house," his mamma said. "Just you get your breakfasts and then you boys can help me dust a bit. Then I'll think up some way so you may have some fun, even if it rains."

 

"Oh, goody!" cried Jacko and Jumpo together, and they jumped up and down, and Jacko climbed on Jumpo's back and tried to touch the ceiling, only Jumpo toppled over and they both fell right down on top of the bed, so they weren't hurt.

 

"Now, if you'd only jump around, and help me dust, it would be better than jumping on the bed," said their mamma with a laugh. So they got some old rags, and soon all the furniture was polished so shiny that you could see yourself standing² upside down in it.

 

"Now for the fun!" said Mrs. Kinkytail. "Jacko, you get me some bowls with warm water in them, and, Jumpo, you shave up some of that nice smelling soap in the bathroom."

 

"Are you going to wash us, ma?" asked Jumpo, scared like.

 

"No, indeed. You will have your baths tonight. This is a little trick I am going to do for you. While you are getting the soap and water and bowls I will go to the telephone. But you mustn't listen to what I say."

 

Well, of course, the monkey boys promised, and they got the things their mamma told them to, while she was telephoning. Then she showed them how to mix up the soap and water in the bowls. Just as this was finished the door bell rang.

 

"I wonder who that can be?" said Jacko, surprised like.

 

"Suppose you go and see," answered his mother with a smile.

 

Jacko went to the front door and looked down toward³ the ground, for you know the monkeys' house was up in a high tree. In the rain he saw three duck children standing there.

 

"Oh, it's Lulu and Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble!" cried Jacko in delight. "Oh, how did you happen to come in all the rain?"

 

"Why, your mamma telephoned for us," said Jimmie, as he wiggled his wings to toss⁴ off some of the water, for you know the ducks didn't need umbrellas.

 

"Oh, come right up!" cried Jumpo, who had also run to the door. "We're going to have fun. Come up."

 

"But how can we, when there are no stairs?" asked Lulu.

 

"Wait, I'll let down the basket," spoke⁵ Jacko, and soon he lowered a basket, fastened to a rope. This was always kept for visitors, but the monkeys could climb up without it.

 

Into the basket Alice and Lulu and Jimmie stepped, and Jacko and Jumpo pulled them up, for monkeys are very strong.

 

"Come right in, Jimmie, and your sisters, too," invited Mrs. Kinkytail. "Did you bring the pipes, Jimmie?"

 

"Yes, ma'am," said the boy duck.

 

"What pipes?" Jumpo wanted to know.

 

"Some nice, new, clean clay pipes, that you are going to blow bubbles⁶ with," explained his mamma. "That is the good time I have made for you. You are going to have a soap-bubble⁷ party. Now, children, come right out in the kitchen and the party will begin."

 

"Oh, how lovely!" cried Alice Wibblewobble, as she looked in a glass to see if her hair ribbon was on straight. "I love soap bubbles."

 

"So do I," said Lulu, whistling just like a boy.

 

Out in the kitchen a soft cloth had been spread on the floor for the bubbles to fall on, so they wouldn't get hurt. And Jimmie put the new pipes on the table beside the bowls of soap and water.

 

"Now, begin," said Mamma Kinkytail. So each one dipped a pipe into the soapy water and began to blow. Oh, what fine bubbles they made! Some were white, and some blue, and some green, and some red—just like the rainbow colors.

 

Lulu blew a very big bubble, almost as big as the moon looks, and all of a sudden it burst, making her sneeze like the time when Uncle Wiggily got the water up his nose.

 

Then Jacko blew a bubble and bounced⁸ it on the soft cloth until it looked like a football rolling along.

 

"Oh, see mine!" cried Alice, as she shook one off her pipe. It floated about the room. "It's on Jumpo's head!" said Alice. And, surely enough, it was, only it didn't stay there very long, as it burst. And Jimmie Wibblewobble blew one that almost reached the ceiling. Then Jumpo blew two at once, like twins, and they stayed on the cloth a long time.

 

Oh! They were having such fun that they didn't even think of the rain. They blew hundreds of bubbles, and laughed and shouted until you would have thought there were a dozen children at the party. And then, all of a sudden, something happened.

 

All at once there was a noise at the window, and a great big black bear poked⁹ his head in. He gave a growl¹⁰ and cried:

 

"Ah, ha! Now I'll have plenty for my supper. I am very fond of monkeys and ducks. I'm glad I climbed up the tree to get you. All ready now, I'm coming in!"

 

"You get right out of here, you bad bear!" cried Lulu.

 

"No, I will not," said the bear, savage¹¹ like.

 

"I'll go tell my mamma if you don't," said Jacko, for Mrs. Kinkytail wasn't in the kitchen just then.

 

"I'm not afraid!" growled¹² the bear. "Here I come in after you."

 

Well, he was just getting in through the window, when Lulu Wibblewobble cried:

 

"Oh, let's blow a whole lot of bubbles at him and scare him!"

 

And that's what those brave animal children did. They dipped their pipes in the soap and water and blew forty-'leven-sixteen-twenty-one bubbles and shook them at the bear. And my! how frightened he was. He'd never seen soap bubbles before, and he thought they were red and green and yellow and blue cannon¹³ balls going to hit him on his nose and toes.

 

Quickly he turned around and crawled¹⁴ out of the window and down the pole before any of the bubbles could burst and make him sneeze, and he ran off to the woods, and so that's how he didn't eat anybody that night.[Pg 166]

 

Then Mrs. Kinkytail came in and heard what happened, and she said Lulu was a very bright little duck girl to think of it. Then the mamma monkey called:

 

"Come into the dining-room now and have ice cream and cake." And, oh! wasn't it good!

 

Then they blew more bubbles and soon the party was over, and Jacko and Jumpo were glad it had rained. Now on the next page, if the boy who lives in the corner house doesn't lose his roller skates down our chimney¹⁵ and make it sneeze, you may read about Jacko and the paper chain.[Pg 167]

 

1 exclaimed   

vt.exclaim的过去式v.呼喊，惊叫，大声说( exclaim的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "We have a good chance of winning," he exclaimed optimistically. “我们很可能获胜。”他乐观地喊道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She exclaimed in delight when she saw the presents. 她见到礼品高兴得叫了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

4 toss   

n./v.突然抬起，摇摆，扔

参考例句：

• Let's toss to see who pays it.让我们来掷钱币决定谁付账吧。
• The matter made him toss in the bed.那件事使他在床上翻来覆去。

5 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。

6 bubbles   

泡( bubble的名词复数 )； 泡影； 肥皂泡； （欲表达的）一点感情

参考例句：

• Bubbles are rising from the bottom of the boiling water. 水泡从沸水的底部升到水面。
• The incorporation of air bubbles in the glass spoiled it. 玻璃含有气泡，使它质量降低。

7 bubble   

n.泡，水泡，气泡；泡影，妄想；v.(使)起泡

参考例句：

• The water begins to bubble.水开始起泡了。
• Their hopes of success have burst like a bubble.他们成功的希望已经成了泡影。

8 bounced   

v.弹回( bounce的过去式和过去分词 )；（电子邮件）被退回；拒付；（朝某个方向）颠簸行进

参考例句：

• The ball bounced twice before he could reach it. 球弹了两次他才接到。
• The new car bounced along the bumpy mountain road. 这辆新车在崎岖的山路上颠簸行驶。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 poked   

v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
• His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 growl   

v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣

参考例句：

• The dog was biting,growling and wagging its tail.那条狗在一边撕咬一边低声吼叫，尾巴也跟着摇摆。
• The car growls along rutted streets.汽车在车辙纵横的街上一路轰鸣。

11 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

12 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

14 crawled   

v.爬( crawl的过去式和过去分词 )；（昆虫）爬行；缓慢行进；巴结

参考例句：

• They crawled along on their bellies. 他们匍匐前进。
• She crawled onto the river bank and lay there gulping in air. 她爬上河岸，躺在那里喘着粗气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 chimney   

n.烟囱，烟筒；玻璃罩

参考例句：

• The chimney blew out a cloud of black smoke.烟囱里喷出一团黑烟。
• His father is a chimney sweeper.他的父亲是一位扫烟囱的工人。