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CHAPTER V KILLER THE WEASEL MAKES A PLAN LIKEWISE
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 With a still tongue and a waving tail Watch galloped1 back from the Robins2’ Roost, Bobby Robin3 flitting along beside him. They were hunting trouble, and that was the very wisest way in the world to hunt it. Because the very trouble they were hunting was peering through a crack between two big stones on the bank of Doctor Muskrat4’s Pond. It was a little bit of a crack—so little you wouldn’t think a garter snake could much more than squeeze into it. But it held a lot of trouble. Because trouble is brains—not size.
 
Trouble was the meanest of all the things from under-the-earth who came up to spoil Mother Nature’s nice plans in the far-back, First-Off Beginning of Things. Trouble was Killer5 the Weasel, with his snaky head and his cruel beady eyes and his conceited6 smile. And he was peering through that crack to see how the Woodsfolk behaved before he tried a very funny trick the wife of the Bad Little Owls7 had whispered to him.
 
The first thing he saw was Watch the Dog bounding along with his tail in the air as though he hadn’t a care in the world. “Ho,” said the wicked weasel to himself, “that clumsy beast would carry his tail between his legs if he knew I was here!” I told you he was conceited.
 
The next thing he saw was Bobby Robin flitting past as careless as a butterfly in a breeze. “A-ha!” said the weasel to himself, “that foolish bird would set up a fine squawking if he knew I was here.” Wasn’t he just conceited?
 
Then he laid his ear to the crack to hear if they were talking about him. But they weren’t—not a single word. It really hurt his feelings. That’s how conceited he was!
 
All he heard was Chaik Jay waking up in the bottom of the bush where he’d crept the night before. “What a place to sleep!” thought the wicked weasel. “It’s a pity I didn’t see him.”
 
Chaik gave himself a little shake; then he tried to stretch. “Ye-a-a-ak!” he squawked. “Ow, my sore wing! Oh, my cramped9 claws! Whee! my stiff feathers!”
 
“What a noise to make!” growled10 the wicked weasel to himself. “I don’t believe he can fly a little bit. Now that dog will make a quick meal of him.”
 
But the dog didn’t at all. He just said: “Here, Chaik, let me lick the soreness out, the way we dogs do.”
 
“No, thanks,” Chaik almost giggled11, because the idea was really funny. “I’d never find head nor tail of myself again if you mussed me up with your great wet tongue. I’d much rather have Doctor Muskrat bring me a blister12 beetle13 if he can find one.”
 
And the wicked weasel didn’t know what to make of that. Chaik was sitting on the lowest branch where anybody could have caught him, and Watch wasn’t even trying to eat him!
 
Instead of that, he went down by Doctor Muskrat’s big flat stone and barked. And instead of diving down to the deepest bottom of the pond and hiding beneath the water lilies, up swam Doctor Muskrat himself, and he flopped14 on his stone. “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Did any one want me?”
 
“Ye-ah,” called the bird. “I’ve hurt my wing. And I’m sore all over. I feel like a mouse after a cat has been playing with it.”
 
“You do, do you?” said the good old muskrat, flopping15 over to him. “Well, you look as if you’d been caught in a hailstorm. Let’s see what’s the matter with your flapper. M-m-m. It isn’t broken. Just give it a day’s rest.”
 
“How about a blister beetle?” asked Chaik. “I feel scary here on the ground. I want to get to flying again.”
 
“Fine for fur, but no good at all for feathers,” the doctor explained. “There, there! Don’t flutter yourself. I guess you had too much party last night by the looks of you. You’d better be careful about eating. I recommend a little acid. Try an ant or two. Or perhaps you’d like a nice red sumach berry from the Quail’s Thicket16. I’ll cut down a branch so you can reach them.” Sumach berry, indeed! You know how Chaik loves them. Off he hopped17, dragging his wing.
 
“Queerer and queerer,” thought the bad beast hiding under the stone.
 
The next thing he saw was Nibble’s bunnies trooping down to drink—my, but they made his mouth water! And he could hear all the birds spluttering and splashing at the edge of the sand where it would be easy to catch them! Still, he stayed hidden.
 
But when Stripes Skunk19 came strolling down with his three fat kittens behind him and the bunnies actually began playing with them he made up his mind. “That little owl8 told the truth!” said the weasel to himself. “She said the Woodsfolk were all friends, but I couldn’t believe her. Well, if they’ve made friends with my cousin Stripes Skunk, they’ll make friends with me. How nice that will be. They’ll walk right into my jaws20. I’ll do exactly what the owl told me to. Her advice is worth having!” And he began to prick21 up his ears and carefully slick back his whiskers.
 
He didn’t have very much elbow room in that narrow crack between the two big stones but the way he managed to fix himself up was surely surprising. The wife of the Bad Little Owl would never in the world have known he was the bristly whiskered ruffian with red in his eye she found gnawing22 a robin in the door of his den18.
 
When he squeezed through the crack and shook himself he was really a very elegant-looking creature. His little ears were perked23 up as pert as he could prick them. His tail didn’t stick straight out behind; it was all fluffed out and he cocked it up the way Chatter24 Squirrel does. He didn’t slink along like a snake gliding25 through the bushes; he arched his neck and he arched his back and he hopped as neatly26 as a rabbit. I won’t say he was comfortable, but he really did look handsome.
 
Well, the first beast he met was that very bunny who had been locked up in the cage in Louie Thomson’s cellar. “Good morning, Miss Rabbit,” said he in his politest voice. “Can you tell me where I can find my cousin, Tad Coon? I’ve come to visit him.” He said that because he wanted to find out where Tad was. He was the least little bit scared he might have to be careful about Tad.
 
The bunny opened her eyes very wide. You remember Tad Coon was the fellow who taught her how foolish she was to trust strangers. He told her that his family ate little rabbits. If this was a cousin of Tad’s she wasn’t going to risk being eaten. She didn’t even stop to answer; she just flicked27 her white tail in his very face and made for the Pickery Things.
 
“That’s funny,” thought the weasel. “But maybe she’s only young and foolish.” So he edged along by some tall grass to where Stripes Skunk was catching28 some grasshoppers29. “Good morning, Cousin Stripes,” he said. “I’m your cousin Slick.” (He thought maybe he could fool even Stripes, just a little, because he looked so different.) “Won’t you introduce me to your friends? I’m tired of living in the Deep Woods. I want to be good and happy like the rest of you.” (That’s what the Bad Little Owl had told him to say.)
 
Stripes was most as scared as the bunny. But he could see something the bunny didn’t see—something the wicked weasel didn’t see, either. For that good old dog Watch was standing30 right behind him. And he looked different, too. He wasn’t sleek31 and good-tempered any more. He was red-eyed and bristly, thinking about what the weasel had done to the poor robins. He didn’t take a step, or Killer’s sharp ears would have heard him. He crouched for a great big spring, and then——
 

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1 galloped 4411170e828312c33945e27bb9dce358     
(使马)飞奔,奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 ); 快速做[说]某事
参考例句:
  • Jo galloped across the field towards him. 乔骑马穿过田野向他奔去。
  • The children galloped home as soon as the class was over. 孩子们一下课便飞奔回家了。
2 robins 130dcdad98696481aaaba420517c6e3e     
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
3 robin Oj7zme     
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。
4 muskrat G6CzQ     
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。
5 killer rpLziK     
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。
6 conceited Cv0zxi     
adj.自负的,骄傲自满的
参考例句:
  • He could not bear that they should be so conceited.他们这样自高自大他受不了。
  • I'm not as conceited as so many people seem to think.我不像很多人认为的那么自负。
7 owls 7b4601ac7f6fe54f86669548acc46286     
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
8 owl 7KFxk     
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。
9 cramped 287c2bb79385d19c466ec2df5b5ce970     
a.狭窄的
参考例句:
  • The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤,但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
  • working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作
10 growled 65a0c9cac661e85023a63631d6dab8a3     
v.(动物)发狺狺声, (雷)作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 );低声咆哮着说
参考例句:
  • \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道:“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》
11 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
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》
12 blister otwz3     
n.水疱;(油漆等的)气泡;v.(使)起泡
参考例句:
  • I got a huge blister on my foot and I couldn't run any farther.我脚上长了一个大水泡,没办法继续跑。
  • I have a blister on my heel because my shoe is too tight.鞋子太紧了,我脚后跟起了个泡。
13 beetle QudzV     
n.甲虫,近视眼的人
参考例句:
  • A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
  • He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。
14 flopped e5b342a0b376036c32e5cd7aa560c15e     
v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅
参考例句:
  • Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽,一屁股坐到椅子上。
  • It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地,出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 flopping e9766012a63715ac6e9a2d88cb1234b1     
n.贬调v.(指书、戏剧等)彻底失败( flop的现在分词 );(因疲惫而)猛然坐下;(笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地)移动或落下;砸锅
参考例句:
  • The fish are still flopping about. 鱼还在扑腾。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying agin me?' 咚一声跪下地来咒我,你这是什么意思” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
16 thicket So0wm     
n.灌木丛,树林
参考例句:
  • A thicket makes good cover for animals to hide in.丛林是动物的良好隐蔽处。
  • We were now at the margin of the thicket.我们现在已经来到了丛林的边缘。
17 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
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。
18 den 5w9xk     
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
参考例句:
  • There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
  • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。
19 skunk xERzE     
n.臭鼬,黄鼠狼;v.使惨败,使得零分;烂醉如泥
参考例句:
  • That was a rotten thing to do, you skunk!那种事做得太缺德了,你这卑鄙的家伙!
  • The skunk gives off an unpleasant smell when attacked.受到攻击时臭鼬会发出一种难闻的气味。
20 jaws cq9zZq     
n.口部;嘴
参考例句:
  • The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。
  • The scored jaws of a vise help it bite the work. 台钳上有刻痕的虎钳牙帮助它紧咬住工件。
21 prick QQyxb     
v.刺伤,刺痛,刺孔;n.刺伤,刺痛
参考例句:
  • He felt a sharp prick when he stepped on an upturned nail.当他踩在一个尖朝上的钉子上时,他感到剧烈的疼痛。
  • He burst the balloon with a prick of the pin.他用针一戳,气球就爆了。
22 gnawing GsWzWk     
a.痛苦的,折磨人的
参考例句:
  • The dog was gnawing a bone. 那狗在啃骨头。
  • These doubts had been gnawing at him for some time. 这些疑虑已经折磨他一段时间了。
23 perked 6257cbe5d4a830c7288630659113146b     
(使)活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 ); (使)增值; 使更有趣
参考例句:
  • The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
  • You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。
24 chatter BUfyN     
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
参考例句:
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
25 gliding gliding     
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的
参考例句:
  • Swans went gliding past. 天鹅滑行而过。
  • The weather forecast has put a question mark against the chance of doing any gliding tomorrow. 天气预报对明天是否能举行滑翔表示怀疑。
26 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
27 flicked 7c535fef6da8b8c191b1d1548e9e790a     
(尤指用手指或手快速地)轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 ); (用…)轻挥; (快速地)按开关; 向…笑了一下(或瞥了一眼等)
参考例句:
  • She flicked the dust off her collar. 她轻轻弹掉了衣领上的灰尘。
  • I idly picked up a magazine and flicked through it. 我漫不经心地拿起一本杂志翻看着。
28 catching cwVztY     
adj.易传染的,有魅力的,迷人的,接住
参考例句:
  • There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
  • Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
29 grasshoppers 36b89ec2ea2ca37e7a20710c9662926c     
n.蚱蜢( grasshopper的名词复数 );蝗虫;蚂蚱;(孩子)矮小的
参考例句:
  • Grasshoppers die in fall. 蚱蜢在秋天死去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • There are usually a lot of grasshoppers in the rice fields. 稻田里通常有许多蚱蜢。 来自辞典例句
30 standing 2hCzgo     
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。
31 sleek zESzJ     
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢
参考例句:
  • Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
  • The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。


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