Now these matters, and other strayings and misdoings of the youngling, befel before the time whereof I now tell, when he was, as aforesaid, passed of twelve years; and it was in latter autumn, when the nights are lengthening1. At this time there was a hired man dwelling2 with them, whose work it was to drive the sheep afield, either up on to the eastern bents or away off down to the water, so as they might not eat the grass of the kine from them. But Osberne, both of his own will and at the bidding of the goodman, went off afield with this man John and helped him to keep the sheep from straying over-far. Now one day at evening, somewhat later than he was wont4, when, as it chanced, Osberne had not fared with him, back comes John from the bents, and he looked scared and pale, and he tells the tale that as the light began to fail up there, three huge wolves fell upon the sheep, and slew5 sundry6 of them, and it was easy to be seen of him that he had held no very close battle with the wolves, but had stood aloof7 till they had done their supper, and then gathered what he could of the sheep without going over-near the field of deed. The goodman berated8 him for his cowardice9, and seemed to begrudge10 him his victuals11 somewhat that night, whereas, what with them who the wolves had slain12, and them who had perchance fled away, the flock was seventeen wethers short. John excused himself what he might, and said that he had no weapon, nought13 save his shepherd's staff, and that the wolves had slain his dog in the first stour: but while he spake, Osberne, who sat by, deemed him somewhat stark14 and tall to be so little-hearted.
However, the next day the goodman and John must needs go up to the bent3 to see if they might find aught alive of the sheep that were missing, and each of them bore a shield and short spear, that they might make head against the wolves if that host should fall on them in the middle of the [day]. Meantime Osberne, by the goodman's bidding, drives the flock down toward the water, nothing loth, for ever the wondrous15 stream seemed to draw the lad to it. And a fair day he had of it, wandering amidst the sheep and being friendly with them, whiles drawing out his knife to look thereon, as oft he did when he was alone; and forsooth it was a goodly weapon, carven with quaintnesses about the heft, the blade inlaid with runes done in gold, and the sheath of silver. Whiles also he stood on the river's lip and looked across the water which was there in most places as big as the Thames is at Reading, but sometimes narrower. But there was nought stirring within eyeshot on the further bank that day, save the fowl16, and a bull that came running along and lowing as he went on some errand, whatever it might be, for he was not followed of any men. So he came back with the flock before dark all safe; neither had he gone far from the stead, for so he was bidden of by his grandsire.
A little after comes in the goodman with John, neither of them in very sweet temper; they had seen nought of the sheep save the hide and bones of a half score, but the wolves they had not failed to see; they had come to the same place as the last night, and seemed by no means afraid of the man-host with its spears and shields, wherefore these last had turned their backs and run from them stoutly17, and now sat together glowering18 on each other, and casting now and again a gibe19 each at each. But they were at one in this, that the wolves were huge and fierce beyond measure, and such as any man might fear. But at last John spake and said: "Well, master, it is as they say down the Dale, that this no lucky house; meseems ye are beset20 with no common wolves, but with skin-changers who have taken the shape of wolves, whether they be Land-wights or Dwarfs21, or ride-a-nights of the outlaws22."
At that word waxed the master wood-wrath23, as was his wont if any spake of the luck of Wethermel; and he forgot his fear in his anger, and said: "Hearken the fool-talk of him! Thou hadst not the heart for all thine inches to go forward before thy master, and a man on the downward side of years; and now thou must needs make up fairy tales to cover they cowardice." Said John, grinning, "Keep thy head, master; for sooth it is that thou wert the first to run, and wert the first through the door."
"Thou liest," said the goodman; "but this I tell thee, that whosoever was afraid then, thou shalt be afraid now." And he rose up and smote24 his man upon the face so that he fell to the ground, and John leapt up and would have smitten25 his master again; but even therewith comes in the goodwife, and Bridget with her, bearing in the supper smoking hot, and something seemed to hold John back from his blow, and he sat down, surly enough but silent. Then said the goodwife: "What is to do here? Hast thou run against the settle-end, John, that thy cheek is red and blue?"
Laughed the youngling thereat, and a word came into his mouth, and he sang:
All grey on the bent
There the sheep-greedy went:
The big spear and shield
But nought the white teeth
For master and man
Full meetly they ran.
But now in this hall
The fear off doth fall
From one of the twain,
And his hand getteth gain,
But the other sits there,
And new groweth his fear
Both of man and of grey.
So the meat on board lay,
Thou on whom gold doth ride,
Meat-goddess grey-eyed,
Let the loaf-warden eat,
And the man whom he beat,
And the lad that doth lie
In wall-nook hereby,
And thou Gold-tree the fair,
And the milk-mother dear,
Lest the meat wax a-cold
Both for bold and unbold.
Hereat all laughed, but the two men somewhat from one side of their mouths. And the goodman said: "See thou to it, kinsman28, lest stripes be thy song-pay." But Osberne laughed from a fair and merry face and sang again:
O lord of the land,
To the staff lay no hand
Till the grey ones thou face
In the wind-weary place.
And therewith he fell to his meat and ate stoutly, and to the women it seemed that their little kinsman had the makings of a champion in him, and his staves they loved dearly in their hearts, and they smiled upon him kindly29; and he looked from one to the other and quoth he:
Three mothers had I,
And one is gone by,
But two are left here,
As for the goodman, now that the meat was getting into him, the wrath was running off, and he thought within himself that presently he should have good avail of his grandson.
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1
lengthening
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的现在分词 )； 加长 | |
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2
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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3
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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4
wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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5
slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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6
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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7
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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8
berated
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| v.严厉责备，痛斥( berate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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10
begrudge
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| vt.吝啬，羡慕 | |
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11
victuals
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| n.食物；食品 | |
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12
slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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13
nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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14
stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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15
wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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16
fowl
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| n.家禽，鸡，禽肉 | |
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17
stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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18
glowering
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| v.怒视( glower的现在分词 ) | |
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19
gibe
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| n.讥笑；嘲弄 | |
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20
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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21
dwarfs
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| n.侏儒，矮子（dwarf的复数形式）vt.（使）显得矮小（dwarf的第三人称单数形式） | |
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22
outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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23
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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24
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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25
smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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26
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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27
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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28
kinsman
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| n.男亲属 | |
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29
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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30
buxom
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| adj.（妇女）丰满的，有健康美的 | |
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