"Hate school?" cried Mother Fisher. "Oh, Joey! think how Ben wanted more schooling1, only he
wouldn't take the chance when Mr. King offered it to him because he felt that he must be earning
money as soon as possible. Oh, Joey!"
That "Oh, Joey!" cut deeply. Joel winced2 and burrowed3 deeper under his mother's fingers.
"That's just it," he cried. "Ben wanted it, and I don't. I hate it, and I don't want to go back."
"Don't want to go back?" repeated Mrs. Fisher in dismay.
"No, I don't. The fellows are always twitting me, and every one gets ahead of me, and I'm
everlastingly4 staying in from ballgames to make up lessons, and I'd like to fire the books, I would,"
cried Joel with venom5.
Mrs. Fisher said nothing, but the hands still stroked the brown stubby head in her lap.
"And nobody cares for me because I won't be smart like the others, but I can't help it, I just hate
school!" finished Joel in the same strain.
"Joel," said Mrs. Fisher slowly, "if that is the case, I shall go down to Mr. King and tell him that
we, Father Fisher and I, Polly and Phronsie, will not go abroad with him."
Joel bolted upright and, putting down his two hands, brought his black eyes to bear on her.
"What?"
"I shall go directly downstairs and tell Mr. King that Father Fisher and I, Polly and Phronsie, will
not go abroad with him," repeated his mother slowly and distinctly while she looked him fully6 in
the face.
"You can't do that," said Joel in amazement7. "He's engaged the state- rooms."
"That makes no difference," said Mrs. Fisher, "when a woman has a boy who needs her, nothing
should stand in the way. And I must stay at home and take care of you, Joel."
Joel sprang to his feet and began to prance8 up and down the floor. "I'm big enough to take care of
myself, mother," he declared, coming up to her, to prance off again.
"So I thought," said Mrs. Fisher composedly, "or I shouldn't have placed you at Mr. Marks's
school."
"The idea, Mamsie, of your staying at home to take care of me," said Joel excitedly. "Why, feel of
that." He bared his arm, and coming up, thrust it out for inspection9. "Isn't that splendid? I do verily
believe I could whip any fellow in school, I do," he cried, regarding his muscles affectionately. "If
you don't believe it, just pinch them hard. You don't mean it really, Mamsie, what you said, of
course. The idea of staying at home to take care of me," and he began to prance again.
"I don't care how many boys you can whip," observed Mother Fisher coolly, "as long as you can't
whip your own self when you're naughty, you're too weak to go alone, and I must stay at home."
Joel stopped suddenly and looked at her.
"And before I'd give up, a boy of thirteen, and beg to be taken away from school because the
lessons were hard, and I didn't like to study, I'd work myself to skin and bone but I'd go through
creditably." Mrs. Fisher sat straight now as an arrow in her corner of the sofa. "I've said my say,
Joel," she finished after a pause, "and now I shall go down and tell Mr. King."
"Mother," howled Joel, dashing across the room to her, "don't go! I'll stay, I will. Don't say that
again, about my having to be taken care of like a baby. I'll be good, mother, and study."
"Study doesn't amount to much unless you are glad of the chance," said Mrs. Fisher sharply. "I
wouldn't give a fig12 for it, being driven to it," and her lips curled scornfully.
Joel wilted13 miserably14. "I do care for the chance," he cried; "just try me, and see."
Mrs. Fisher took his sunburnt face between her two hands. "Do you really wish to go back to
school, and put your mind on your books? Be honest, now."
"Yes, I do," said Joel, without winking15.
"Well, you never told me a lie, and I know you won't begin now," said Mother Fisher, slowly
releasing him. "You may go back, Joe; I'll trust you."
"Phronsie," said Jasper, as the sound of the two voices could be heard in Mother Fisher's room,
"don't you want to come into my den11? I've some new bugs16 in the cabinet--found a regular beauty
to-day."
Phronsie stood quite still just where Joel had left her; her hands were clasped and tears were
rolling slowly down her cheeks. "No," she said, without looking at him, "Jasper, I don't."
"Do come, Phronsie," he begged, going over to her, and holding out his hand. "You can't think
how nice the new one is, with yellow stripes and two long horns. Come and see it, Phronsie."
"No, Jasper," said the child quietly. Then in the next breath, "I think Joey must be very sick."
"Oh! Mamsie is taking care of him, and he'll soon be all right," broke in Polly cheerily. "Do go
with Jasper, Phronsie, do, dear." She took hold of the clasped hands, and smiled up into the
drooping17 face.
But Phronsie shook her head and said "No."
"If Grandpapa should come in and find her so 'twould be very dreadful!" exclaimed Polly, looking
over at the five boys, who in this sudden emergency were knocked speechless. "Do let us all play
some game. Can't some one think of one?"
"Let us play 'Twenty Questions,'" proposed Jasper brightly. "I'll begin it, I've thought of
something."
"That's horrid," cried Van, finding his tongue, "none of us want to play that, I'm sure."
"I do," said David. "I think 'Twenty Questions' is always nice. Is it animal, vegetable or mineral,
Jasper?"
"I'm sick of it. Do play something not quite as old as the hills, I beg."
"Well, you think of something yourself, old man," said Jasper, nodding furiously at him. "Hurry
up."
"I'd rather have Polly tell a story than any game you could possibly think of," said Van, going over
to her, where she sat on the rug at Phronsie's feet. "Polly, will you?" he asked wheedlingly18.
"Don't ask her to-night," interposed Jasper.
"Yes, I shall. It's the only time we shall have," said Van, "before we go back to school. Do, Polly,
will you?" he begged again.
"I can't think of the first thing," declared Polly, pushing back little rings of brown hair from her
forehead.
"Don't try to think; just spin it off," said Van. "Now begin."
"You're a regular nuisance, Van!" exclaimed Jasper indignantly. "Polly, I wouldn't indulge him."
"I know Phronsie wants a story; don't you, Phronsie?" asked Van artfully, and running over to peer
into her face.
But to his astonishment19, Phronsie stood perfectly20 still. "No," she said again, "I don't want a story;
Joey must be sick."
"Jasper," cried Polly in despair, and springing up, "something must be done. Grandpapa's coming;
I hear him."
"Phronsie," said Jasper, bending to speak into her ear, "do you know you are making Polly feel
very unhappy? Just think; the next thing I don't know but what she'll cry."
Phronsie unfolded her hands. "Give me your handkerchief, Polly," she said, winking back the rest
of the tears.
"Now, there's a dear," cried Polly, pulling out her handkerchief and wiping the wet, little face.
None too soon; the door opened and Mr. King came in.
"Well--well--well!" he exclaimed, looking over his spectacles at them all. "Playing games, hey?"
"We're going to," said Ben and Jasper together.
"No, Polly is going to tell a story," said Van loudly, "that is, if you want to hear it, Grandpapa. Do
say you do," he begged, going over to whisper in his ear.
"I want immensely to hear it!" declared the old gentleman, pulling up an easy-chair to the fireside.
"There now," sitting down, "I'm fixed21. Now proceed, my dear."
Van softly clapped his hands. "Phronsie," Mr. King beckoned22 to her, and then suggestively
touched his knee, "here, dear."
Phronsie scurried23 across the room to his side. "Yes, Grandpapa."
"There, up she goes!" sang Mr. King, swinging her into position on his lap. "Now then, Polly, my
child, we are all ready for the wonderful tale. Stay, where is Joel?"
"Joel went upstairs a little while ago," said Jasper quickly. "Well, now, Polly, do begin."
"I'll tell how we went to buy Phronsie's shoes," said Polly, drawing up an ottoman to Mr. King's
side. "Now, boys, bring your chairs up."
"Joel ought to know that you are going to tell a story, Polly," said Mr. King. "One of you boys run
out and call him at the foot of the stairs."
"He's in Mamsie's room," said Ben. "I suppose when she gets through with him, he'll come down."
"Oh! ah!" said the old gentleman. "Well, Polly, then perhaps you would better proceed."
So Polly began on the never tiresome24 recital25, how Phronsie fell down the stairs leading from the
kitchen to the "provision room" in the little brown house, with the bread-knife in her hand; and
how, because she cut her thumb so that it bled dreadfully, mother decided26 that she could at last
have a pair of shoes bought especially for her very own self; and how Deacon Brown's old horse
and wagon27 were procured28, and they all set forth29, except mother, and how they rode to town, and
how the Beebes were just as good as gold, and how the red-topped shoes fitted as if they were
made for Phronsie's feet, and how they all went home, and how Phronsie danced around the
kitchen till she was all tired out, and then went to bed carrying the new shoes with her, and how
she fell asleep with--
"Why, I declare," exclaimed Polly, reaching this denouement30 in a delightfully31 roundabout way, "if
she isn't asleep now!"
And indeed she was. So she had to be carried up to bed in the same old way; only this time it was
Jasper instead of Polly who held her.
"Don't you believe we'd better put it off till some other night?" whispered Percy to Van on the way
upstairs to bed, the library party having broken up early. "A fellow doesn't want to see a burglar on
top of the time Joel has had."
"No, no," said Van; "it'll be good for him, and knock the other thing out of his head, don't you see,
Percy? I should want something else to think of if I were Joel. You can't back out; you promised,
you know."
"Well, and I'll do it," said Percy testily32.
"It's no use trying to sleep," declared Joel, in the middle of the night, and kicking the bedclothes
for the dozenth time into a roll at the foot, "as long as I can see Mamsie's eyes. I'll just get up and
tackle that Latin grammar now. Whew! haven't I got to work, though! Might as well begin at it,"
and he jumped out of bed.
Stepping softly over to the door that led into David's little room, he closed it carefully, and with a
sigh, lighted the gas. Then he went over to the table where his schoolbooks ought to have been.
But instead, the space was piled with a great variety of things--one or two balls, a tennis racket,
and a confusion of fishing tackle, while in front, the last thing that had occupied him that day, lay a
book of artificial flies.
Joel set his teeth together hard, and looked at them. "Suppose I shan't get much of this sort of thing
this summer," he muttered. "Here goes!" and without trusting himself to take another look, he
swept them all off down to the floor and into a corner.
"There," he said, standing33 up straight, "lie there, will you?" But they loomed34 up in a suggestive
heap, and his fingers trembled to just touch them once.
"I must cover up the things, or else I know I'll be at them," he said, and hurrying over to the bed,
he dragged off the cover-lid. "Now," and he threw it over the fascinating mass, "I've GOT to study.
Dear me, where are my books?"
For the next five minutes Joel had enough to do to collect his working instruments, and when at
last he unearthed35 them from the corner of his closet where he had thrown them under a pile of
boots, he was tired enough to sit down.
"I don't know which to go at first," he groaned36, whirling the leaves of the upper book. "It ought to
be Latin--but then it ought to be algebra37 just as much, and as for history--well there--here goes, I'll
take them as they come."
With a very red face Joel plunged38 into the first one under his hand. It proved to be the Latin
grammar, and with a grimace39, he found the page, and resting his elbows on the table, he seized
each side of his stubby head with his hands. "I'll hang on to my hair," he said, and plunged into his
task.
And now there was no sound in the room but his hard breathing, and the noise he made turning the
leaves, for he very soon found he was obliged to go back many lessons to understand how to
approach the one before him; and with cheeks growing every instant more scarlet40 with shame and
confusion, the drops of perspiration41 ran down his forehead and fell on his book.
"Whew!" he exclaimed, "it's horribly hot," and pushing back his book, he tiptoed over to the other
window and softly raised it. The cool air blew into his face, and leaning far out into the dark night,
he drew in deep breaths.
"I've skinned through and saved my neck a thousand times," he reflected, "and now I've got to dig
like sixty to make up. There's Dave now, sleeping in there like a cat; he doesn't have anything to
do, but to run ahead of the class like lightning--just because he"--
"Loves it," something seemed to sting the words into him. Joel drew in his head and turned
abruptly42 away from the window.
"Pshaw! well, here goes," he exclaimed again, throwing himself into his chair. "She said, 'I'd work
myself to skin and bone but I'd get through creditably.'" Joel bared his brown arm and regarded it
critically. "I wonder how 'twould look all skin and bone," and he gave a short laugh.
"But this isn't studying." He pulled down his sleeve, and his head went over the book again.
Outside, a bright blue eye applied43 to the keyhole, gave place to a bright brown one, till such time
as the persons to whom the eyes belonged, were satisfied as to the condition of the interior they
were surveying.
"What do you suppose he's doing?" whispered the taller figure, putting his face concealed44 under a
black mask, closely to the ear of the other person, whose countenance45 was similarly adorned46.
"Don't know," whispered the second black mask. "He acts dreadfully queer, but I suppose he's got
a novel. So you see it's our duty to break it up," he added virtuously47.
The taller figure shook his head, but as it was very dark on their side of Joel's door, the movement
was unobserved. "Well, come on," whispered the second black mask. "Are you ready?"
Yes.
"Come then."
"O, dear, dear!" grunted48 Joel, "I'd rather chop wood as I used to, years ago, to help the little brown
house out," swinging his arms up over his head. "Why"--
And he was left in darkness, his arms failing nervously49 to his side, while a cautious step across the
room made his black eyes stand out in fright.
"A burglar--a burglar!" flashed through his mind. He held his breath hard and his knees knocked
together. But Mamsie's eyes seemed to look with scorn on him again. Joel straightened up,
clenched50 his fist, and every minute expecting to be knocked on the head, he crept like a cat to the
further corner, even in this extremity51, grumbling52 inwardly because Mr. King would not allow
firearms. "If I only had them now!" he thought. "Well, I must get my club."
But there was no time to get it. Joel creeping along, feeling his way cautiously, soon knew that
there were two burglars instead of one in the room, and his mind was made up.
"They'll be after Grandpapa's money, sure," he thought. "I have got to get out, and warn him."
But how? that was the question.
Getting down on all-fours, holding his breath, yet with never a thought of danger to himself, he
crept along toward the door leading into the hall, then stopped and rested under cover of the heavy
window drapery. But as quick as a flash, two dark figures, that now, his eyes becoming more
accustomed to the darkness, he could dimly distinguish, reached there before him, and the key
clicking in the lock, Joel knew that all hope from escape by that quarter was gone.
Like a cat, he sprang to his feet, swung the drapery out suddenly toward the figures, and in the
next second hurled53 himself over the window-sill, hanging to the edge, grasping the blind, crawling
to the next window, and so on and over, and down, down, by any friendly thing he could grasp, to
the ground.
Two black masks hung over the deserted54 window-edge.
"Joe--Joe! it's only we boys--Percy and Van. Joe--Joe!"
"He'll be killed!" gasped55 Van, his face as white as Joel's robe fluttering below them in his wild
descent. "Stop him, Percy. Oh! do stop him."
Percy clung to the window- sill, and danced in distress56. "Stop him!" he was beyond uttering
anything more.
"Yes, oh, Joe! don't you see it's only Percy and Van?" cried Van persuasively57, and hanging out of
the window to the imminent58 danger of adding himself to Joel's company.
Percy shoved him back. "He's 'most down," he said, finding his breath. "Now we'll run downstairs
and let him in."
Van flew off from the window. "I'll go; it's my scrape," and he was unlocking the door.
"I'm the oldest," said Percy, hurrying to get there first. "I ought to have known better."
This made Van furious, and pushing Percy with all his might, he wriggled59 out first as the door flew
open, and not forgetting to tiptoe down the hall, he hurried along, Percy behind him, to hear the
noise of men's feet coming over the stairs.
Van tried to rush forward shouting, "Thomas, it's we boys--Percy and Van." Instead, he only
succeeded in the darkness, in stumbling over a chair, and falling flat with it amid a frightful60 racket
that drowned his voice.
Old Mr. King who had been awakened61 by the previous noise, and had rung his burglar alarm that
connected with Thomas's and Jencks's rooms in the stable, now cried out from his doorway62.
"Make quick work, Thomas," and Percy saw the gleam of a pistol held high in Thomas's hand.
Up with a rush came bare feet over the back stairs; a flutter of something white, and Joel sprang in
between them. "It's Percy--it's Percy!" he screamed, "don't you see, Thomas?"
"I'm Percy--don't shoot!" the taller burglar kept saying without intermission, while the flaring63 of
candles and frightened voices, told of the aroused household.
"Make quick work, Jencks!" shouted Mr. King from his doorway, to add to the general din10.
Thomas, whose blood was up, determined64 once for all to put an end to the profession of burglary
as far as his master's house was concerned, now drew nearer, steadying his pistol and trying to
sight the nearest fellow. This proved to be Van, now struggling to his feet.
Joel took one wild step forward. "Thomas--don't shoot! It's Van!"
"Make quick work, Thomas!" called Mr. King.
There was but a moment in which to decide. It was either Van or he; and in an instant Joel had
stepped in front of the pistol.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
schooling
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| n.教育；正规学校教育 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
burrowed
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的过去式和过去分词 )；翻寻 | |
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4
everlastingly
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| 永久地，持久地 | |
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venom
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| n.毒液，恶毒，痛恨 | |
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6
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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7
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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prance
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| v.（马）腾跃，(人)神气活现地走 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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fig
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| n.无花果(树) | |
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wilted
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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15
winking
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| n.瞬眼，目语v.使眼色( wink的现在分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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16
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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drooping
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| adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词 | |
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wheedlingly
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| 用甜言蜜语哄骗 | |
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19
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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20
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scurried
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| v.急匆匆地走( scurry的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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recital
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| n.朗诵，独奏会，独唱会 | |
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26
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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27
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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28
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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29
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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denouement
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| n.结尾，结局 | |
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delightfully
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| 大喜，欣然 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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unearthed
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| 出土的（考古） | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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algebra
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| n.代数学 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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virtuously
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| 合乎道德地，善良地 | |
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grunted
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| （猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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50
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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grumbling
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| adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的 | |
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53
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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54
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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55
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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56
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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persuasively
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| adv.口才好地；令人信服地 | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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59
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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60
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 | |
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61
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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62
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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63
flaring
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| a.火焰摇曳的，过份艳丽的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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