XIX COLD FEET

 Yes! Jasper Jay looked sulky when Jimmy Rabbit told him to stand in the puddle¹ of water, close beside the cedar² tree.

 

"How long do you want me to stay here?" Jasper growled³. "I can tell you that it's not very pleasant to stand in a pool of water a great while—on a cold day like this."

 

Now, all this happened quite late in the fall. And it was true that the day was a cold one. In fact, the weather seemed to be growing colder every minute.

 

"I won't ask you to wait any longer than is necessary," said Jimmy Rabbit. "And if you want me to put Reddy Woodpecker where he can't eat any nuts, and you don't have to see him, you must follow my directions.... When you're ill and go to Aunt Polly Woodchuck, the herb doctor, you always take her advice, don't you?"

 

Jasper admitted that he did.

 

"Well, then, you must do just as I say. You know, it always makes you ill to look at Reddy Woodpecker. And I'm going to cure you, if you'll only give me a chance."

 

So Jasper Jay went and stood in the puddle. He screamed a good deal as he stepped into the cold water.

 

"This is terrible!" he groaned⁴. "Do hurry with your scheme, or I shall have a chill."

 

"Remember! You're to keep absolutely still!" Jimmy Rabbit warned him. "You mustn't move and you mustn't talk. If you should, my plan would be spoiled; and then you would have to fight Reddy Woodpecker after all."

 

"I pr-pr-promise!" said Jasper Jay. His bill was chattering⁵ so fast that he could hardly talk. And he was so cold that he looked uncommonly⁶ blue—even for a blue jay.

 

So Jimmy Rabbit hopped⁷ away, feeling quite pleased with himself and his plan. If Jasper Jay could have seen him stop, as soon as he was out of sight, and roll over and over upon the ground and hold his shaking sides he might have wondered what Jimmy was laughing at. Certainly Jasper Jay could see no joke in standing⁸ still in a cold puddle on a frosty fall day.

 

Well, after a time Jimmy Rabbit stopped rolling upon the ground and hurriedp. 102 straight to the place where the beeches⁹ grew. And there—as he had hoped to—he found Reddy Woodpecker, busily eating beechnuts.

 

"How are the nuts this fall?" Jimmy Rabbit asked.

 

"They couldn't be better!" said Reddy, stuffing his mouth as he spoke¹⁰.

 

"They say there's a big crop this year," Jimmy Rabbit observed.

 

"Yes!" replied Reddy. "But it's none too big. In fact, there are too many people in this neighborhood that come here for nuts. I hope," he said, "that's not what you're looking for."

 

Jimmy Rabbit laughed.

 

"Certainly not!" he said. "I'm satisfied to leave the nuts for you and Jasper Jay to eat. I want none of them."

 

"Jasper Jay!" screamed Reddy Woodpecker. "Don't mention that rowdy's name to me, please! He's the greediest of all! And he's so vain—so proud of that sky-blue suit of his—that I can't bear the sight of him. I wish I could put him where he couldn't eat any more of these beechnuts, and where I wouldn't have to look at him, either!"

 

Of course, that was not at all an agreeable remark for him to make.

 

But it seemed to please Jimmy Rabbit greatly.

 

1 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

2 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。

3 growled   

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》

4 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

6 uncommonly   

adv. 稀罕(极，非常)

参考例句：

• an uncommonly gifted child 一个天赋异禀的儿童
• My little Mary was feeling uncommonly empty. 我肚子当时正饿得厉害。

7 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。

8 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。

9 beeches   

n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 )；山毛榉木材

参考例句：

• The beeches, oaks and chestnuts all belong to the same family. 山毛榉树、橡树和栗子树属于同科树种。 来自互联网
• There are many beeches in this wood. 这片树林里有许多山毛榉。 来自互联网

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。