CHAPTER IV FUR AND FEATHERS PLAN A CAMPAIGN

 Next morning the robins¹ were in an awful flutter when they came down to drink. And when a robin² is excited he just has to tell everybody all about it—you’ve heard them, lots of times, though you don’t always understand them. Bobby took his bath in a great splatter and then flew over to talk with Watch while he fixed³ his feathers.

 

He caught sight of Chaik Jay all huddled⁴ up on the bottom branch of a bush. His poor hurt wing, that he struck when he went tail over crest⁵ in the black dark, was drooping⁶.

 

“Whew!” whistled Bobby. “Chaik looks like I feel, too mussed up to know my beak⁷ from my back toe-claw. We didn’t sleep a wink⁸ last night, over at the roost; terrible things were happening.”

 

“Quick!” snapped Watch; “what did happen?”

 

It seemed to him that Killer⁹ the Weasel was standing¹⁰ right beside him. He had to sniff¹¹ to make sure he wasn’t. He was so excited that his back hair was as stiff as it gets when he wants to fight.

 

“Well, last night, when it was black, black dark,” began Bobby in a scary whisper, “we heard a cry, as though some bird were having a bad dream. Then everything was quiet, and we settled down to sleep again. Pretty soon we were waked up the very same way. It happened over and over. I had my eyes wide open a dozen times, but I couldn’t see a single thing. And my ears are sharp, but I couldn’t even hear anything. Yet this morning a dozen families report some bird is missing. You don’t think a ghost bird could have taken them?” He meant the big white owl¹² who sometimes comes down from the far north, where the storms grow, and snatches the sleeping folks out of their pine-tree perches¹³. But that only happens in the winter time.

 

“It was Killer the Weasel, of course,” sniffed¹⁵ Watch.

 

“No, it wasn’t,” argued Bobby. “Killer’s been there half-a-dozen times, but he always leaves dead birds scattered¹⁶ around on the ground to scare us.”

 

“Then it was the Bad Little Owls¹⁷,” said Watch.

 

“They wouldn’t dare!” exclaimed Bobby, ruffling¹⁸ up his feathers. “What do you take us for, a flock of sparrows?”

 

“A flock of foolish heads!” Watch snapped back impatiently. “It serves you right. Why do you keep on perching there if Killer knows right where you are?”

 

Bobby stared at him with round eyes. “If we did move, how would the new birds who come in on every wind find out where we are? Eh? How would we get together for the long flight? We robins stick to the Robins’ Roost so long as there’s a bird left alive to perch¹⁴ there.”

 

“Um-m,” said Watch thoughtfully. “It would be inconvenient¹⁹. I see that now. But why don’t you fly along?”

 

“My wings!” Bobby almost hopped²⁰ at the idea. “It’s easy to see you don’t know what business this long flight is. We can’t all go together—we wouldn’t find enough to feed all of us along the road. We can’t afford to spend all day hunting our food as we do here. And a fine mixup it would be if every bird left just when the whim²¹ took him. We leave in regular turn. Mother Nature gives us our first signal when the leaves do the butterfly dance (he meant when they turn gay colours and fall) and our last party takes wing at the turn of the worm.” (That’s when the worms dig down below the icy ground for their winter sleep.)

 

“I see,” Watch nodded. “Well, then, we’ll just find out who it is and nip his tail for him. Come along.”

 

Bobby Robin really felt quite comforted when Watch seemed ready to help him—those hundreds and hundreds of birds who weigh down the great elm tree before they get their signal from Mother Nature to fly south are a terrible responsibility. But he didn’t see just exactly what Watch could do about it. He dipped along beside the dog’s long, easy run for a minute or so. Then he broke out again, “But I can’t think who it could have been.”

 

“It was Killer the Weasel or the owls,” Watch answered. “I’ll bet you on it.”

 

“What’ll you bet?” Bobby demanded with a sidewise quirk²² of his head—that is the way he smiles. “I’m a pretty old bird. I’ve been hunted by weasels and cats and hawks²³ and foxes and big owls and little ones ever since I first grew feathers, but never have I known the like of this.”

 

“I’ll bet you a bone,” Watch began. Then he wiped out the idea with a sweep of his tail. “Foolish me! I forgot you haven’t teeth. Well, I’ll bet you a nice soft bread-crust I can lay me paw on. I buried it yesterday—to keep those thieves of chickens from stealing it.”

 

“I’ll take you,” giggled²⁴ Bobby. “And I’ll bet you a whole nest of furry²⁵ caterpillars²⁶ it wasn’t either of them.”

 

“What’ll I do with the caterpillars?” sniffed Watch. “Wear ’em in my whiskers?”

 

Bobby just had to laugh, but he got all sober and discouraged again the next minute. “I don’t see how we’re going to decide, anyhow,” he sighed. “It happened hours ago—long before the sun began to spread his wings.” (Birds say the long streaks²⁷ you see in the east at sunrise are the sun’s wings flapping before he soars across the sky.) “And it was so crow dark nobody could see anything.”

 

“That doesn’t matter,” said Watch cheerfully. “I don’t have to see. Seeing’s no good the minute after a thing has happened. Hearing isn’t any better. But I can smell! M-m-m!” he sniffed softly. “And when a fellow can smell he can see with his nose just who has been there and what they did long after they’ve gone. Listen!” He laid his nose to the trunk of the Roosting Elm. “Killer!” he exclaimed. “Here he climbed up. Here he came down. Here he walked out below this limb. Here—here—owl! Bobby. Plain as day I do smell owl!”

 

“Fur and feathers working together,” sobbed²⁸ Bobby. “What chance have we poor birds? What won’t they do to us to-night?”

 

“Well, you’re feathers and I’m fur,” argued Watch. “Can’t we do something, too?”

 

And that made Bobby so happy again he just had to flap his wings over it.

 

But Watch was thoughtful.

 

“Now listen to me, Bobby,” he said at last. “If Killer and the Bad Little Owls are going to hunt together, we Woodsfolk are going to have trouble, aren’t we? Trouble afoot and awing²⁹.” He licked his nose, as though he were trying to smell out the thing to do next.

 

“Trouble afoot is the only thing I’m afraid of,” cheeped Bobby. “Those owls can’t do anything alone; I thought you were going to nip Killer’s tail for him. Wasn’t that what you said?” He sounded all discouraged again.

 

“Now don’t get flutter-headed,” warned Watch. “So I am. But I have to get my teeth on it, don’t I? And that means I have to catch the cleverest, craftiest³⁰ of all things from under-the-earth. Yes, and the wickedest. It gives me the creeps to think about him.”

 

“By the Great Grub Who Gnawed³¹ the Moon!” gasped³² the bird, leaning over to get a good look at the big dog. “You talk as though you were afraid of him—a great big beast like you afraid of a slinky little thing like him!”

 

And then Watch repeated exactly what Killer had told the wife of the Bad Little Owl. “It isn’t size, it’s brains. Nobody is really safe from him. I’m ever so much bigger than Doctor Muskrat³³ or even Tad Coon. But if Killer caught me while I was asleep and got his weasel hold under my chin, even I couldn’t bite him back. He’s so small I couldn’t reach him.”

 

“That’s so!” exclaimed Bobby. “You’d be no safer than a bird.”

 

“Oh, yes, I am,” Watch was fair enough to explain. “I’m the last beast in all the woods he’d try it on. My ears are wide, and my nose is wet, and my long, stiff coat feels every stir in the grass. I wake up with a jump before I know whether I heard or smelled or felt what was coming. But Killer is quieter than a pad-footed pussy³⁴. He can hide his scent³⁵ like a nesting quail³⁶, and he can see where he’s stepping. That’s why he never hunts fair. He’s all bite and no fight.”

 

“He certainly is!” agreed the bird.

 

“Ah, but here’s the point,” the old dog went on. “We know who we’re hunting, and he doesn’t know we know. We won’t let him. Then we’ve got trouble down a mouse hole. We’ll hunt him like the pussycat hunts them—pretend we aren’t paying any attention and be all ready to pounce³⁷ on him. A still tongue and a waving tail is the way to trail trouble whenever you find it. Not a cheep until the time comes!”

 

And this time Bobby Robin didn’t answer—not with his tongue. He just wagged his long tail up and down so very hard that his whole perch wagged with him.

该作者的其它作品
《Tad Coon's Tricks》

《Nibble Rabbit Makes More Friends》

《The Sins of Silvertip the Fox》

1 robins   

n.知更鸟，鸫( robin的名词复数 )；（签名者不分先后，以避免受责的）圆形签名抗议书（或请愿书）

参考例句：

• The robins occupied their former nest. 那些知更鸟占了它们的老窝。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Benjamin Robins then entered the fray with articles and a book. 而后，Benjamin Robins以他的几篇专论和一本书参加争论。 来自辞典例句

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

5 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

6 drooping   

adj. 下垂的，无力的 动词droop的现在分词

参考例句：

• The drooping willows are waving gently in the morning breeze. 晨风中垂柳袅袅。
• The branches of the drooping willows were swaying lightly. 垂柳轻飘飘地摆动。

7 beak   

n.鸟嘴，茶壶嘴，钩形鼻

参考例句：

• The bird had a worm in its beak.鸟儿嘴里叼着一条虫。
• This bird employs its beak as a weapon.这种鸟用嘴作武器。

8 wink   

n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁

参考例句：

• He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。
• The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

9 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

12 owl   

n.猫头鹰，枭

参考例句：

• Her new glasses make her look like an owl.她的新眼镜让她看上去像只猫头鹰。
• I'm a night owl and seldom go to bed until after midnight.我睡得很晚，经常半夜后才睡觉。

13 perches   

栖息处( perch的名词复数 )； 栖枝； 高处； 鲈鱼

参考例句：

• Other protection can be obtained by providing wooden perches througout the orchards. 其它保护措施是可在种子园中到处设置木制的栖木。
• The birds were hopping about on their perches and twittering. 鸟儿在栖木上跳来跳去，吱吱地叫着。

14 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

15 sniffed   

v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• When Jenney had stopped crying she sniffed and dried her eyes. 珍妮停止了哭泣，吸了吸鼻子，擦干了眼泪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The dog sniffed suspiciously at the stranger. 狗疑惑地嗅着那个陌生人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

17 owls   

n.猫头鹰( owl的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• 'Clumsy fellows,'said I; 'they must still be drunk as owls.' “这些笨蛋，”我说，“他们大概还醉得像死猪一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The great majority of barn owls are reared in captivity. 大多数仓鸮都是笼养的。 来自辞典例句

18 ruffling   

弄皱( ruffle的现在分词 )； 弄乱； 激怒； 扰乱

参考例句：

• A cool breeze brushed his face, ruffling his hair. 一阵凉风迎面拂来，吹乱了他的头发。
• "Indeed, they do not,'said Pitty, ruffling. "说真的，那倒不一定。" 皮蒂皱皱眉头，表示异议。

19 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

20 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

21 whim   

n.一时的兴致，突然的念头；奇想，幻想

参考例句：

• I bought the encyclopedia on a whim.我凭一时的兴致买了这本百科全书。
• He had a sudden whim to go sailing today.今天他突然想要去航海。

22 quirk   

n.奇事，巧合；古怪的举动

参考例句：

• He had a strange quirk of addressing his wife as Mrs Smith.他很怪，把自己的妻子称作史密斯夫人。
• The most annoying quirk of his is wearing a cap all the time.他最令人感到厌恶的怪癖就是无论何时都戴著帽子。

23 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

24 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

26 caterpillars   

n.毛虫( caterpillar的名词复数 )；履带

参考例句：

• Caterpillars eat the young leaves of this plant. 毛毛虫吃这种植物的嫩叶。
• Caterpillars change into butterflies or moths. 毛虫能变成蝴蝶或蛾子。 来自辞典例句

27 streaks   

n.（与周围有所不同的）条纹( streak的名词复数 )；（通常指不好的）特征（倾向）；（不断经历成功或失败的）一段时期v.快速移动( streak的第三人称单数 )；使布满条纹

参考例句：

• streaks of grey in her hair 她头上的绺绺白发
• Bacon has streaks of fat and streaks of lean. 咸肉中有几层肥的和几层瘦的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

28 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

29 awing   

adj.& adv.飞翔的[地]v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

30 craftiest   

狡猾的，狡诈的( crafty的最高级 )

参考例句：

• The craftiest fox can't escape the skilled hunter. 狐狸再狡猾也斗不过好猎手。

31 gnawed   

咬( gnaw的过去式和过去分词 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物

参考例句：

• His attitude towards her gnawed away at her confidence. 他对她的态度一直在削弱她的自尊心。
• The root of this dead tree has been gnawed away by ants. 这棵死树根被蚂蚁唼了。

32 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

33 muskrat   

n.麝香鼠

参考例句：

• Muskrat fur almost equals beaver fur in quality.麝鼠皮在质量上几乎和海獭皮不相上下。
• I saw a muskrat come out of a hole in the ice.我看到一只麝鼠从冰里面钻出来。

34 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

35 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

36 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

37 pounce   

n.猛扑；v.猛扑，突然袭击，欣然同意

参考例句：

• Why do you pounce on every single thing I say?干吗我说的每句话你都要找麻烦？
• We saw the tiger about to pounce on the goat.我们看见老虎要向那只山羊扑过去。