XII. GRANNY FOX TELLS ANOTHER STORY

Believe all the good that you may hear,

 

But always doubt the bad.

 

Pass on the word of kindly¹ cheer;

 

Forget the tale that's sad.

 

 

IF every one would do that what a different world this would he! My, my, my, yes, indeed! There wouldn't be any place for the Granny Foxes who start untrue stories just to make trouble. But we will have to say this much for old Granny Fox,—she seldom does make trouble just for the sake of trouble. No, Sir, old Granny Fox seldom, very seldom makes trouble, unless she or Reddy Fox have something to gain by it. She is too smart and wise for that.

 

It was just this way now. You see she felt down in her heart that Old Man Coyote the Wolf had no right on the Green Meadows and in the Green Forest. He was a stranger from the Great West, and she felt that she and Reddy Fox had the best right there, because they had been born there and always had lived there; and she was afraid, very much afraid, that there wouldn't be room for them and for Old Man Coyote. But she wasn't big or strong enough to fight him and drive him away, and so the only thing she could think of was to make him so much trouble that he would leave. She had begun by telling an untrue story to Prickly Porky, a story which had made Prickly Porky very angry with Old Man Coyote, although they had never met. Now she was hurrying down to the Smiling Pool on the banks of which Old Man Coyote was in the habit of taking a sun-bath, she had been told.

 

Sure enough, when she came in sight of the Smiling Pool, there he lay sprawled² out in the sun and talking to Grandfather Frog, who sat on his big green lily-pad well out of reach from the shore. Granny came up on the opposite side of the Smiling Pool from where Old Man Coyote lay.

 

“How do you do, Mr. Coyote? I have just heard that you have come here to make your home among us, and I am sure we all give you a hearty³ welcome.” Granny said this just as if she really meant it, and all the time she was speaking she was smiling. Old Man Coyote watched her out of half-closed eyes and to himself he thought: “I don't believe a word of it. Granny Fox is too polite, altogether too polite. I wonder what kind of a trick she is trying to play now.”

 

All the time he was saying this, Old Man Coyote was chuckling⁴ inside. But aloud he said, and his voice was just as smooth and soft and pleasant as Granny's:

 

“I'm very well, thank you, and I am much obliged to you for your hearty welcome. I am sure we shall be the best of friends.”

 

Now all the time he was saying this, Old Man Coyote was chuckling inside, for he knew well enough that they wouldn't be friends, and that Granny Fox didn't want to be friends. You see, he is quite as sharp as she.

 

“Yes, indeed, I am sure we shall,” replied old Granny Fox. “How big and strong you are, Mr. Coyote! I shouldn't think that you would be afraid of anybody.”

 

Old Man Coyote looked flattered. “I'm not,” said he.

 

Granny Fox raised her eyebrows⁵ as if very much surprised. “Is that so?” she exclaimed. “Why I heard that Prickly Porky the Porcupine⁶ is boasting that you are afraid of him and don't dare put your foot in the Green Forest when he is about.”

 

Old Man Coyote suddenly jumped to his feet, and there was an ugly gleam in his yellow eyes. Granny Fox was glad that she was on the other side of the Smiling Pool. “I don't know who this Prickly Porky is,” said he, “but if you'll be so kind as to tell me where I can find him, I think I will make him a call at once.”

 

“Probably he's taking a nap in a tree-top just now,” replied Granny, “but it you really want to meet him, you'll find him getting a drink at the Laughing Brook⁷ in the Green Forest late this afternoon. I do hope that you will be careful, Mr. Coyote.”

 

“Careful! Careful!” snorted he.

 

“There won't be any Prickly Porky when I get through with him!”

 

“Chug-a-rum!” said Grandfather Frog and looked very hard at old Granny Fox. Granny winked⁸ the eye that was nearest to him.

1 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

2 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

3 hearty   

adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的

参考例句：

• After work they made a hearty meal in the worker's canteen.工作完了，他们在工人食堂饱餐了一顿。
• We accorded him a hearty welcome.我们给他热忱的欢迎。

4 chuckling   

轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him chuckling to himself as he read his book. 他看书时，我能听见他的轻声发笑。
• He couldn't help chuckling aloud. 他忍不住的笑了出来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

5 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

6 porcupine   

n.豪猪， 箭猪

参考例句：

• A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。
• There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言，叫豪猪的哲学。

7 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

8 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》