chapter xiv

　　BRYCE,” SAID THE OLD WOMAN, “GIT awa7from that rabbit. I ain’t paying you to stanGand stare.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Bryce. He wiped hiFnose with the back of his hand and continueGto look up at Edward. The boy’s eyes werebrown with flecks¹ of gold shining in them.

“Hey,” he whispered to Edward.

A crow settled on Edward’s head, and thHboy flapped² his arms and shouted, “Go on,git!” and the bird spread his wings and fle6away.

“Bryce!” shouted the old woman.

“Ma’am?” said Bryce.

“Git away from that rabbit. Do your work.

I ain’t gonna say it again.”

“Yes’m,” said Bryce. He wiped his hanGacross his nose. “I’ll be back to get you,” hesaid to Edward.

The rabbit spent the day hanging by hiFears, baking in the hot sun, watching the olGwoman and Bryce weed and hoe³ the garden@Whenever the woman wasn’t looking, BrycHraised his hand and waved.

The birds circled over Edward’s head&laughing at him.

What was it like to have wings? EdwarGwondered. If he had had wings when he waFtossed overboard, he would not have sunk t:

the bottom of the sea. Instead, he would havHflown in the opposite direction, up, into thHdeep, bright blue sky. And when Lolly tookhim to the dump, he would have flown out o8the garbage and followed her and landed oAher head, holding on with his sharp claws. AnGon the train, when the man kicked him,Edward would not have fallen to the groundOinstead he would have risen up and sat on toCof the train and laughed at the man: Caw, caw&caw.

In the late afternoon, Bryce and the olGlady left the field. Bryce winked⁴ at Edward aFhe walked past him. One of the crows lighteGon Edward’s shoulder and tapped with hisbeak at Edward’s china face, reminding therabbit with each tap that he had no wings, tha<not only could he not fly, he could not movHon his own at all, in any way.

Dusk descended over the field, and theAcame true dark. A whippoorwill sang out ove9and over again. Whip poor Will. Whip poo9Will. It was the saddest sound Edward had eve9heard. And then came another song, the hu;of a harmonica.

Bryce stepped out of the shadows.

“Hey,” he said to Edward. He wiped hiFnose with the back of his hand and thenplayed another bit of song on the harmonica@“I bet you didn’t think I’d come back. But herHI am. I come to save you.”

Too late, thought Edward as Bryceclimbed the pole and worked at the wires tha<were tied around his wrists. I am nothing but 5hollow rabbit.

Too late, thought Edward as Bryce pulleGthe nails out of his ears. I am only a doll madHof china.

But when the last nail was out and he felKforward into Bryce’s arms, the rabbit felt a rus=of relief, and the feeling of relief was followeGby one of joy.

Perhaps, he thought, it is not too late, afterall, for me to be saved.

1 flecks   

n.斑点，小点( fleck的名词复数 )；癍

参考例句：

• His hair was dark, with flecks of grey. 他的黑发间有缕缕银丝。
• I got a few flecks of paint on the window when I was painting the frames. 我在漆窗框时，在窗户上洒了几点油漆。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 flapped   

（使）上下左右移动( flap的过去式和过去分词 )； 轻拍； 焦急，焦虑； 振（翅）

参考例句：

• The swan flapped its wings noisily. 天鹅大声地拍打着翅膀。
• He flapped the flies away with a fan. 他用扇子把苍蝇拍走。

3 hoe   

n.锄；v.用锄整(地)，用锄除草

参考例句：

• They hoe the garden to keep down the weeds.他们把花园里的草锄掉，阻止其生长。
• She bought herself a hoe and a sickle.她给自己买了一把锄头和一把镰刀。

4 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》