This record of my life at Rivermouth would be strangely incomplete did I not devote an entire chapter to Gypsy. I had other pets, of course; for what healthy boy could long exist without numerous friends in the animal kingdom? I had two white mice that were forever gnawing3 their way out of a pasteboard chateau4, and crawling over my face when I lay asleep. I used to keep the pink-eyed little beggars in my bedroom, greatly to the annoyance5 of Miss Abigail, who was constantly fancying that one of the mice had secreted6 itself somewhere about her person.
I also owned a dog, a terrier, who managed in some inscrutable way to pick a quarrel with the moon, and on bright nights kept up such a ki-yi-ing in our back garden, that we were finally forced to dispose of him at private sale. He was purchased by Mr. Oxford7, the butcher. I protested against the arrangement and ever afterwards, when we had sausages from Mr. Oxford's shop, I made believe I detected in them certain evidences that Cato had been foully8 dealt with.
Of birds I had no end-robins, purple-martins, wrens9, bulfinches, bobolinks, ringdoves, and pigeons. At one time I took solid comfort in the iniquitous10 society of a dissipated old parrot, who talked so terribly, that the Rev2. Wibird Hawkins, happening to get a sample of Poll's vituperative11 powers, pronounced him "a benighted12 heathen," and advised the Captain to get rid of him. A brace13 of turtles supplanted14 the parrot in my affections; the turtles gave way to rabbits; and the rabbits in turn yielded to the superior charms of a small monkey, which the Captain bought of a sailor lately from the coast of Africa.
But Gypsy was the prime favorite, in spite of many rivals. I never grew weary of her. She was the most knowing little thing in the world. Her proper sphere in life -- and the one to which she ultimately attained15 -- was the saw-dust arena16 of a travelling circus. There was nothing short of the three R's, reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, that Gypsy couldn't be taught. The gift of speech was not hers, but the faculty17 of thought was.
My little friend, to be sure, was not exempt18 from certain graceful19 weaknesses, inseparable, perhaps, from the female character. She was very pretty, and she knew it. She was also passionately20 fond of dress -- by which I mean her best harness. When she had this on, her curvetings and prancings were laughable, though in ordinary tackle she went along demurely21 enough. There was something in the enamelled leather and the silver-washed mountings that chimed with her artistic22 sense. To have her mane braided, and a rose or a pansy stuck into her forelock, was to make her too conceited23 for anything.
She had another trait not rare among her sex. She liked the attentions of young gentlemen, while the society of girls bored her. She would drag them, sulkily, in the cart; but as for permitting one of them in the saddle, the idea was preposterous24. Once when Pepper Whitcomb's sister, in spite of our remonstrances25, ventured to mount her, Gypsy gave a little indignant neigh, and tossed the gentle Emma heels over head in no time. But with any of the boys the mare26 was as docile27 as a lamb.
Her treatment of the several members of the family was comical. For the Captain she entertained a wholesome28 respect, and was always on her good behavior when he was around. As to Miss Abigail, Gypsy simply laughed at her -- literally29 laughed, contracting her upper lip and displaying all her snow-white teeth, as if something about Miss Abigail struck her, Gypsy, as being extremely ridiculous.
Kitty Collins, for some reason or another, was afraid of the pony30, or pretended to be. The sagacious little animal knew it, of course, and frequently, when Kitty was banging out clothes near the stable, the mare being loose in the yard, would make short plunges31 at her. Once Gypsy seized the basket of clothespins with her teeth, and rising on her hind32 legs, pawing the air with her fore1 feet followed Kitty clear up to the scullery steps.
That part of the yard was shut off from the rest by a gate; but no gate was proof against Gypsy's ingenuity33. She could let down bars, lift up latches34, draw bolts, and turn all sorts of buttons. This accomplishment35 rendered it hazardous36 for Miss Abigail or Kitty to leave any eatables on the kitchen table near the window. On one occasion Gypsy put in her head and lapped up six custard pies that had been placed by the casement37 to cool.
An account of my young lady's various pranks38 would fill a thick volume. A favorite trick of hers, on being requested to "walk like Miss Abigail," was to assume a little skittish39 gait so true to nature that Miss Abigail herself was obliged to admit the cleverness of the imitation.
The idea of putting Gypsy through a systematic40 course of instruction was suggested to me by a visit to the circus which gave an annual performance in Rivermouth. This show embraced among its attractions a number of trained Shetland ponies41, and I determined42 that Gypsy should likewise have the benefit of a liberal education. I succeeded in teaching her to waltz, to fire a pistol by tugging43 at a string tied to the trigger, to lie down dead, to wink44 one eye, and to execute many other feats45 of a difficult nature. She took to her studies admirably, and enjoyed the whole thing as much as anyone.
The monkey was a perpetual marvel46 to Gypsy. They became bosom-friends in an incredibly brief period, and were never easy out of each other's sight. Prince Zany -- that's what Pepper Whitcomb and I christened him one day, much to the disgust of the monkey, who bit a piece out of Pepper's nose -- resided in the stable, and went to roost every night on the pony's back, where I usually found him in the morning. Whenever I rode out, I was obliged to secure his Highness the Prince with a stout47 cord to the fence, he chattering48 all the time like a madman.
One afternoon as I was cantering through the crowded part of the town, I noticed that the people in the street stopped, stared at me, and fell to laughing. I turned round in the saddle, and there was Zany, with a great burdock leaf in his paw, perched up behind me on the crupper, as solemn as a judge.
After a few months, poor Zany sickened mysteriously, and died. The dark thought occurred to me then, and comes back to me now with redoubled force, that Miss Abigail must have given him some hot-drops. Zany left a large circle of sorrowing friends, if not relatives. Gypsy, I think, never entirely49 recovered from the shock occasioned by his early demise50. She became fonder of me, though; and one of her cunningest demonstrations51 was to escape from the stable-yard, and trot52 up to the door of the Temple Grammar School, where I would discover her at recess53 patiently waiting for me, with her fore feet on the second step, and wisps of straw standing54 out all over her, like quills55 upon the fretful porcupine56.
I should fail if I tried to tell you how dear the pony was to me. Even hard, unloving men become attached to the horses they take care of; so I, who was neither unloving nor hard, grew to love every glossy57 hair of the pretty little creature that depended on me for her soft straw bed and her daily modicum58 of oats. In my prayer at night I never forgot to mention Gypsy with the rest of the family -- generally setting forth59 her claims first.
Whatever relates to Gypsy belongs properly to this narrative60; therefore I offer no apology for rescuing from oblivion, and boldly printing here a short composition which I wrote in the early part of my first quarter at the Temple Grammar School. It is my maiden61 effort in a difficult art, and is, perhaps, lacking in those graces of thought and style which are reached only after the severest practice.
Every Wednesday morning, on entering school, each pupil was expected to lay his exercise on Mr. Grimshaw's desk; the subject was usually selected by Mr. Grimshaw himself, the Monday previous. With a humor characteristic of him, our teacher had instituted two prizes, one for the best and the other for the worst composition of the month. The first prize consisted of a penknife, or a pencil-case, or some such article dear to the heart of youth; the second prize entitled the winner to wear for an hour or two a sort of conical paper cap, on the front of which was written, in tall letters, this modest admission: I AM A DUNCE! The competitor who took prize No. 2. wasn't generally an object of envy.
My pulse beat high with pride and expectation that Wednesday morning, as I laid my essay, neatly62 folded, on the master's table. I firmly decline to say which prize I won; but here's the composition to speak for itself.
It is no small-author vanity that induces me to publish this stray leaf of natural history. I lay it before our young folks, not for their admiration63, but for their criticism. Let each reader take his lead-pencil and remorselessly correct the orthography64, the capitalization, and the punctuation65 of the essay. I shall not feel hurt at seeing my treatise66 cut all to pieces; though I think highly of the production, not on account of its literary excellence67, which I candidly68 admit is not overpowering, but because it was written years and years ago about Gypsy, by a little fellow who, when I strive to recall him, appears to me like a reduced ghost of my present self.
I am confident that any reader who has ever had pets, birds or animals, will forgive me for this brief digression.
1 fore | |
adv.在前面;adj.先前的;在前部的;n.前部 | |
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2 rev | |
v.发动机旋转,加快速度 | |
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3 gnawing | |
a.痛苦的,折磨人的 | |
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4 chateau | |
n.城堡,别墅 | |
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5 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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6 secreted | |
v.(尤指动物或植物器官)分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 );隐匿,隐藏 | |
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7 Oxford | |
n.牛津(英国城市) | |
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8 foully | |
ad.卑鄙地 | |
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9 wrens | |
n.鹪鹩( wren的名词复数 ) | |
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10 iniquitous | |
adj.不公正的;邪恶的;高得出奇的 | |
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11 vituperative | |
adj.谩骂的;斥责的 | |
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12 benighted | |
adj.蒙昧的 | |
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13 brace | |
n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备 | |
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14 supplanted | |
把…排挤掉,取代( supplant的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15 attained | |
(通常经过努力)实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 ); 达到; 获得; 达到(某年龄、水平、状况) | |
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16 arena | |
n.竞技场,运动场所;竞争场所,舞台 | |
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17 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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18 exempt | |
adj.免除的;v.使免除;n.免税者,被免除义务者 | |
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19 graceful | |
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的 | |
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20 passionately | |
ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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21 demurely | |
adv.装成端庄地,认真地 | |
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22 artistic | |
adj.艺术(家)的,美术(家)的;善于艺术创作的 | |
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23 conceited | |
adj.自负的,骄傲自满的 | |
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24 preposterous | |
adj.荒谬的,可笑的 | |
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25 remonstrances | |
n.抱怨,抗议( remonstrance的名词复数 ) | |
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26 mare | |
n.母马,母驴 | |
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27 docile | |
adj.驯服的,易控制的,容易教的 | |
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28 wholesome | |
adj.适合;卫生的;有益健康的;显示身心健康的 | |
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29 literally | |
adv.照字面意义,逐字地;确实 | |
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30 pony | |
adj.小型的;n.小马 | |
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31 plunges | |
n.跳进,投入vt.使投入,使插入,使陷入vi.投入,跳进,陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 );暴跌;骤降;突降 | |
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32 hind | |
adj.后面的,后部的 | |
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33 ingenuity | |
n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
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34 latches | |
n.(门窗的)门闩( latch的名词复数 );碰锁v.理解( latch的第三人称单数 );纠缠;用碰锁锁上(门等);附着(在某物上) | |
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35 accomplishment | |
n.完成,成就,(pl.)造诣,技能 | |
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36 hazardous | |
adj.(有)危险的,冒险的;碰运气的 | |
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37 casement | |
n.竖铰链窗;窗扉 | |
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38 pranks | |
n.玩笑,恶作剧( prank的名词复数 ) | |
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39 skittish | |
adj.易激动的,轻佻的 | |
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40 systematic | |
adj.有系统的,有计划的,有方法的 | |
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41 ponies | |
矮种马,小型马( pony的名词复数 ); £25 25 英镑 | |
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42 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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43 tugging | |
n.牵引感v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的现在分词 ) | |
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44 wink | |
n.眨眼,使眼色,瞬间;v.眨眼,使眼色,闪烁 | |
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45 feats | |
功绩,伟业,技艺( feat的名词复数 ) | |
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46 marvel | |
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事 | |
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48 chattering | |
n. (机器振动发出的)咔嗒声,(鸟等)鸣,啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的,啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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49 entirely | |
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地 | |
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50 demise | |
n.死亡;v.让渡,遗赠,转让 | |
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51 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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52 trot | |
n.疾走,慢跑;n.老太婆;现成译本;(复数)trots:腹泻(与the 连用);v.小跑,快步走,赶紧 | |
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53 recess | |
n.短期休息,壁凹(墙上装架子,柜子等凹处) | |
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54 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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55 quills | |
n.(刺猬或豪猪的)刺( quill的名词复数 );羽毛管;翮;纡管 | |
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56 porcupine | |
n.豪猪, 箭猪 | |
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57 glossy | |
adj.平滑的;有光泽的 | |
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58 modicum | |
n.少量,一小份 | |
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59 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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60 narrative | |
n.叙述,故事;adj.叙事的,故事体的 | |
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61 maiden | |
n.少女,处女;adj.未婚的,纯洁的,无经验的 | |
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62 neatly | |
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地 | |
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63 admiration | |
n.钦佩,赞美,羡慕 | |
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64 orthography | |
n.拼字法,拼字式 | |
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65 punctuation | |
n.标点符号,标点法 | |
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66 treatise | |
n.专著;(专题)论文 | |
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67 excellence | |
n.优秀,杰出,(pl.)优点,美德 | |
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68 candidly | |
adv.坦率地,直率而诚恳地 | |
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