IV. BOB WHITE AND PETER BECOME NEIGHBORS

 Who strictly¹ minds his own affairs

 

And cheerfully³ doth labor⁴,

 

He is the one whom I would choose

 

Always to be my neighbor.

 

 

THAT is just the kind of a neighbor Peter Rabbit found Bob White to be. Bob and Mrs. Bob had come down from the Old Pasture⁵ and built their home near the dear Old Briar-patch and so become the neighbors of Peter and little Mrs. Peter. Bob was very neighborly. He often dropped in to have a chat with Peter, and Peter was always glad to see him, for he is such a cheerful² fellow that Peter always felt better for having him about. It always is that way with cheerful people. They are just like sunshine.

 

But though Bob and Mrs. Bob had built their home near Peter, he didn't know just where it was. No, Sir, Peter didn't know just where that home of the Bob Whites was. It wasn't because he didn't try to find out. Oh, my, no! Peter could no more have helped trying to find out than he could have helped breathing. That was the curiosity⁶ in him. He wasted a great deal of time trying to find Bob White's home, all to no purpose. At first he was rather put out because Bob White wouldn't tell him where it was hidden. But Bob just smiled and told Peter that the reason he wouldn't was because he thought a great deal of Peter and wanted him for a friend always.

 

“Then,” said Peter, “I should think you would tell me where your home is. There ought not to be secrets between friends. I don't think much of a friendship that cannot be trusted.”

 

“How would you feel, Peter, if harm came to me and my family through you?” asked Bob White.

 

“Dreadfully,” declared Peter. “But do you suppose I would let any harm come to you? A nice kind of a friend you must think me!”

 

“No,” replied Bob White soberly⁸, “I don't think you would let any harm come to us if you knew it. But you've lived long enough, Peter, to know that there are eyes and ears and noses watching, listening, smelling everywhere all the time. Now supposing that when you were sure that nobody saw you, somebody did see you visit my house. Or supposing Reddy Fox just happened to run across your tracks⁹ and followed them to my house. It wouldn't be your fault if something dreadful⁷ happened to us, yet you would be the cause of it. You remember what I told you the other day, that there are some things it is better not to know.”

 

Peter looked very thoughtful¹⁰ and pulled his whiskers while he turned this over in his mind. “That is a new idea to me,” said he at last. “I never had thought of it before. I certainly never would be able to forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me.”

 

“Of course you wouldn't,” replied Bob White. “No more would I ever be able to forgive myself if anything happened to my family because I had told some one where my home is.”

 

Peter nodded. “Of course if I should just happen to find your home all by myself, you wouldn't be angry, would you?” he asked.

 

Bob White laughed. “Of course not,” said he. “Just the same I would advise you not to try to find it. Then you will have nothing to trouble your mind if you should be followed, and something dreadful did happen to me or mine. You see there are just as many who would like to make a dinner of me as there are who would like to make a dinner of you, and I would a whole lot rather sit on a fence-post and whistle¹¹ than to fill somebody's stomach.”

 

“And I would a lot rather have you,” declared Peter.

 

1 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

2 cheerful   

adj.快活的，高兴的，兴高采烈

参考例句：

• Yellow is a cheerful colour.黄色是令人高兴的颜色。
• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。

3 cheerfully   

adv.高兴地，愉快地

参考例句：

• The train rolled cheerfully into the station.火车欢呼着驶进车站。
• He takes our advice quite cheerfully.他欣然接受我们的劝告。

4 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

5 pasture   

n.牧场，牲畜饲养

参考例句：

• This is the place where they used to pasture.这就是他们过去经常放牧的地方。
• The boy got up very early every morning to pasture cattle.这男孩每天起得很早去放牛。

6 curiosity   

n.好奇心，新奇的事物，珍品

参考例句：

• He gave in to curiosity and opened my letter.他抑制不住好奇心，拆开了我的信。
• The children are dying of curiosity to see what's in the parcel.孩子们出于好奇，迫不及待地想看看包裹中是什么东西。

7 dreadful   

adj.糟透了的，极端的，可怕的，令人畏惧的

参考例句：

• I cannot imagine what to do in this dreadful situation.我不能想像在这么糟的情况下该怎么办。
• I must apologize for the dreadful mistake I made.我为我所犯的严重错误深表歉意。

8 soberly   

adv. 清醒地，严肃地，素净地

参考例句：

• We must be soberly aware that there is still a long way ahead of us. 我们一定要清醒地认识到我们的前面还有一段漫长的道路。
• She walked on more soberly now, and she was lonely. 她一个劲往前走去，这时头脑更加清醒了，感到自己格外孤单。

9 tracks   

n.小路( track的名词复数 )；跑道；路径；轨道v.跟踪( track的第三人称单数 )；跟踪摄影；留下（脏）足迹；追随（潮流等）

参考例句：

• Tracks led up the mountainside. 小径沿着山坡向上延伸。
• All the tracks have been digitally remastered from the original tapes. 所有的曲子都已经从原始录音带转录到了数码母带上。

10 thoughtful   

adj.思考的，沉思的，体贴的，关心的

参考例句：

• She is thoughtful for her friends.她很体贴她的朋友们。
• This is a thoughtful essay.这是一篇具有思想性的随笔。

11 whistle   

n.口哨，汽笛，啸啸声，口哨声；vi. 吹口哨，鸣汽笛，发嘘嘘声；vt.用口哨通知

参考例句：

• We heard the whistle of a train.我们听到了火车的汽笛声。
• He gave a loud whistle of surprise.他吹了一声响亮的口哨表示惊讶。