XXI TWO RASCALS CAUGHT

 The moment Reddy Woodpecker stepped into the cold water he wanted to say "Ouch!" But Jimmy Rabbit put a finger on his mouth—meaning that Reddy must be still as a mouse.

 

So the red-capped scamp managed to keep quiet, though it was such hard work that he began to feel terribly hungry. Jimmy Rabbit watched him for a short time, smiling and nodding his head, as if to say:

 

"That's right! Just do as I say and all will be well." And then he waved a sort of farewell, before he disappeared.

 

 

Though Reddy did not know it, Jimmy Rabbit stopped as soon as he was out of sight and crept behind a bush, from which hiding-place he could watch the cedar¹ tree, without being seen by the two beechnut lovers who stood so still beside it—for there was Jasper Jay, standing² in a puddle³ on one side of the big tree, and there was Reddy Woodpecker, standing in another puddle on the opposite side of the tree!

 

And neither of them knew that the other was anywhere around!

 

But there was one thing that they knew quite well: the water was almost colder than they could bear, at first. If their feet hadn't grown numb⁴, after a time, so that there was no feeling in them at all, they wouldn't have been able to stand there so still and so long.

 

They both wondered where Jimmy Rabbit was, and what he was doing, and why he didn't come back.

 

But Jimmy Rabbit was waiting for something. As he had told Reddy Woodpecker, everything depended on the weather. Though the air was becoming sharper every minute, it was not yet cold enough to suit Jimmy Rabbit. What he wanted was freezing weather. And at last he was satisfied. When the sun hid itself behind a bank of clouds the ground began to stiffen⁵ with frost, which covered all the puddles⁶ and pools with a coating of ice.

 

It was almost dark when Jimmy Rabbit left the shelter of his bush and danced up and down to get warm. Soon he came with a hop⁷, skip and a jump to the big cedar tree.

 

"How are you?" he called.

 

And two very sulky voices answered:

 

 

"I'm cold—that's how I am!"

 

"Well, why don't you dance around and get warm?" Jimmy asked.

 

But both Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay were caught fast by their feet in the frozen puddles. And as soon as they tried to move they began to squall loudly—because they were so frightened. They could no more have danced than the old cedar tree could have pulled up its roots and capered⁸ about in the forest. So far as they could see, they might as well have stepped into any of the traps that Johnnie Green set for Peter Mink⁹.

 

It was no wonder that they were alarmed—no wonder that they struggled to free themselves.

 

"You seem to like to stay by that tree," said Jimmy Rabbit.

 

Now, since Jasper and Reddy had wanted exactly the same things to happen,p. 113 and since they were now in the same fix, Jimmy Rabbit could talk to them both at the same time. What he said to one fitted the other just as well.

 

Of course, that made it very easy for Jimmy Rabbit.

 

But it was rather hard on Reddy Woodpecker and Jasper Jay.

 

"Jay! jay!" screamed Jasper in a rasping voice, like a saw biting into a log. "Ker-r-ruck! ker-r-ruck!" sounded Reddy's rolling call. And they began to scold Jimmy Rabbit, until he put his paws over his ears and ran away.

 

If it hadn't been for Reddy Woodpecker's strong bill they might have stayed in the cedar swamp all winter. But he set to work and soon chopped himself free. Then he helped Jasper Jay. And before it was dark they flew away together and went straight to the beechp. 114nut grove¹⁰, where they ate a huge meal of beechnuts, without having a single dispute about anything.

 

On the contrary, they agreed perfectly¹¹ in every way. Especially they agreed that Jimmy Rabbit was a busybody and that somebody ought to teach him better manners.

 

"I'd be glad to help you do that," said Jasper Jay.

 

It was actually funny that two such rowdies should talk of another's bad manners. But no doubt such an idea never entered their heads.

该作者的其它作品
《The Tale of Timothy Turtle》
《The Tale of Miss Kitty Cat》
《The Tale of Old Dog Spot》
《The Tale of Solomon Owl》

《The Tale of Grunty Pig》

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 numb   

adj.麻木的，失去感觉的；v.使麻木

参考例句：

• His fingers were numb with cold.他的手冻得发麻。
• Numb with cold,we urged the weary horses forward.我们冻得发僵，催着疲惫的马继续往前走。

5 stiffen   

v.(使)硬，(使)变挺，(使)变僵硬

参考例句：

• The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen.当肌肉变得僵硬时，皮肤的供血量就减少了。
• I was breathing hard,and my legs were beginning to stiffen.这时我却气吁喘喘地开始感到脚有点僵硬。

6 puddles   

n.水坑， （尤指道路上的）雨水坑( puddle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The puddles had coalesced into a small stream. 地面上水洼子里的水汇流成了一条小溪。
• The road was filled with puddles from the rain. 雨后路面到处是一坑坑的积水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 hop   

n.单脚跳，跳跃；vi.单脚跳，跳跃；着手做某事；vt.跳跃，跃过

参考例句：

• The children had a competition to see who could hop the fastest.孩子们举行比赛，看谁单足跳跃最快。
• How long can you hop on your right foot?你用右脚能跳多远？

8 capered   

v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• While dressing, he capered and clowned like a schoolboy. 他一边穿，一边象个学生似的蹦蹦跳跳地扮演起小丑来。 来自辞典例句
• The lambs capered in the meadow. 小羊在草地上蹦蹦跳跳。 来自辞典例句

9 mink   

n.貂，貂皮

参考例句：

• She was wearing a blue dress and a mink coat.她穿着一身蓝色的套装和一件貂皮大衣。
• He started a mink ranch and made a fortune in five years. 他开了个水貂养殖场，五年之内就赚了不少钱。

10 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

11 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。