When the spring came, I went one day to a village on the edge of the forest, and was surprised to find quite a commotion1 there. The people were walking up and down; everybody had on his Sunday clothes; and, what was stranger still, all the donkeys in the neighborhood seemed to be there. They were sleek2 and fat, their heads were decorated with flowers and leaves, and not one of them was in harness or had a rider.
I trotted3 up to see if I could find out what all this was about, when suddenly one of the boys who were standing4 there saw me, and shouted,—
“Oh, I say, look here! here’s a fine donkey!”
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“My word!” said another, “how well groomed5 he is! and how fat and well fed!” and they roared with laughter.
“I suppose he’s come to run in the donkey race,” said a third, “but he won’t win the prize! No fear!”
I was very much annoyed at these rude jokes and personal remarks; but I thought I should enjoy taking part in the race, so I listened again.
“Where are they going to run?” asked an old dame6, who had just come up.
“In the meadow by the mill,” said a man named Andrew.
“How many donkeys are there?” asked the old woman.
“Sixteen, Mother Evans, and the one that comes in first will win a silver watch and a bag of money.”
“Oh, deary me!” said Mother Evans, “I do wish I had a donkey. I should so like to have a watch. I’ve never had the money to buy one.”
I liked the look of this old woman; I was justly proud of my running; I had been so long in the forest that I was not too fat, as some of these prize donkeys were; and so I would take part in the race. I trotted up to the others, and took my place among them, and then, to32 attract attention, I opened my mouth and brayed7 vigorously.
“Oh, you stop that!” cried out a man named Bill. “Hi! you there, donkey, you just stop that music, will you? and get out of there! You can’t run, you shabby brute8! and, besides, you don’t belong to anybody.”
I held my tongue, but I didn’t budge9 an inch. Some laughed, and others were getting angry, when old Mother Evans said:—
“Well, he can have me for his mistress. I take him into my service from this minute. So now he can run for me.”
“Well,” said Bill, “do as you like, mother. Only if you want him to run, you’ve got to put a quarter into the bag the Squire10 has yonder.”
“All right, my dear,” said Mother Evans, and she hobbled off to where the Squire was sitting and paid her subscription11 into the bag.
“Very good,” said the Squire; “put Mrs. Evans’s name down, Richard.”
So the clerk put down my new mistress’s name. We were all drawn12 up in a line in the meadow. The Squire said, “One, two, three, and away!” the boys who held the donkeys let them go, and away we galloped13 as hard as we could, while the crowd ran cheering alongside.
The sixteen donkeys had not gone a hundred yards before I was in front of them all, an easy33 first. I thought I would beat them all now, at any rate, and I flew along as if I had wings. I passed proudly before the winning-post, not only first, but a long way ahead of all the rest, amid loud cheers from those who had no donkeys in the race.
I was ahead of All.
"I was ahead of All."
The Squire sat at a table to give away the prizes, and Mother Evans, who was almost beside herself with delight, stroked and patted me, and led me up to the table with her to receive the first prize.
“Here, my good woman,” said the Squire; and he was just going to hand the watch and the bag of money to the old woman.
“Please, your worship, it isn’t fair!” cried Bill34 and Andrew. “It isn’t fair! That donkey doesn’t really belong to Mother Evans any more than it does to us! Our donkeys really got in first, not counting this one. The watch and money ought to be ours. It isn’t fair!”
“Did Mrs. Evans pay her quarter into the bag?” said the Squire.
“Well, your worship, she did, but—”
“Did any of you object to her doing so at the time?” asked the Squire.
“Well, no, your worship, but—”
“Did you raise any objection when the donkeys were just going to start?”
“Well, no, sir, but—”
“Very well, then. It’s all perfectly14 fair, and Mrs. Evans gets the watch and bag of money.”
“Please, sir, it isn’t fair, it isn’t fair! You—”
When I heard this, I at once put my head down on the table, and taking up the watch and bag in my teeth, put them into Mother Evans’s hands. This intelligent action on my part made the people roar with laughter, and won for me thunders of applause.
“There!” said the Squire, “the donkey has decided15 in favor of Mother Evans; and,” he added, with a smile, looking at Bill and Andrew, “I don’t think he is the biggest donkey present!”
“Bravo, your worship!” “Good for you!” resounded16 on all sides. And every one began to35 laugh at Andrew and Bill, who went away looking cross and ill-tempered.
And was I pleased? No, not at all. My pride was hurt. The Squire had been very rude to me; he had actually put men, these stupid men, on a level with an intelligent and right-minded donkey like myself! It was too much! I declined to stay in a place where I was so insulted, and I turned tail and trotted away from such an ignorant set of people.
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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2
sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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3
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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4
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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5
groomed
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| v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗 | |
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6
dame
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| n.女士 | |
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7
brayed
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| v.发出驴叫似的声音( bray的过去式和过去分词 )；发嘟嘟声；粗声粗气地讲话（或大笑）；猛击 | |
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8
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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9
budge
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| v.移动一点儿；改变立场 | |
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10
squire
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| n.护卫, 侍从, 乡绅 | |
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11
subscription
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| n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方） | |
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12
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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13
galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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14
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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15
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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16
resounded
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| v.（指声音等）回荡于某处( resound的过去式和过去分词 )；产生回响；（指某处）回荡着声音 | |
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