X HOW UGLY DOG STOPPED THE CAR

Ugly Dog lived out in a place called New Jersey¹, where the mosquitoes are always so busy that the people never have time to think about getting old. Near the house of his master there were two rails, on which the Running Houses kept going up and down as fast as they could. Every time a Running House went past Ugly Dog went out and barked, for the very sight of it made him angry. Before the Running Houses came, his master went to the station in a buggy, and Ugly Dog always went along and trotted² back with the coachman. Now his master went alone, and Ugly Dog had to stay at home.

 

He came out one morning just in time to see his master get on the back steps of a Running House and wave good-by to the children. Ugly Dog was never so angry in all his life. He ran as hard as he could, and tried to jump on the Running House so that he could go to the station with his master. Then he heard two bells ring, and with a clicking and banging, Running House was sliding away so fast that Ugly Dog could not keep up with it. He ran until he nearly dropped on the ground, and he barked until he was hoarse³.

 

 

 

He crawled into the bushes at the side of the road and laid down to rest. He was all covered with dust, and his eyes were red and his tongue was hanging out.

 

“Well,” said Sly Fox, who had just come up through the bushes, “You do not seem to be very happy this morning. What is the matter?”

 

“I can’t go to the station any more,” growled⁴ Ugly Dog, “because I can’t run fast enough to keep up with those miserable⁵ little houses that go sliding away as soon as my master gets on the back steps.”

 

“It seems to me,” said Sly Fox, “that for a dog that has such a fine face you do not know very much. I understand why it is that the Running Houses do not stop—you are not polite enough to the man at the front door.”

 

“What am I to do?” asked Ugly Dog.

 

“O, that is very simple,” answered Sly Fox. “You must be very particular about how you act. Nobody ever succeeds unless he is polite and always says please. You know that I am very wise, and if you only listen to me, you may never have any more trouble.”

 

“I am all ears,” said Ugly Dog, folding his arms and looking as humble⁶ as Jack⁷ Rabbit.

 

[106]

 

 

“Well, in the first place,” said Sly Fox, “the Running Houses only stop when you wave your paw to the man at the front door. Now, if I were you I would stand right in front of the next one as it comes along and then I would make a low bow and wave my paw. That is the way your master gets them to stop.”

 

“I’ll do that,” said Ugly Dog, “just as soon as I get rested. But how is it that you are all out of breath, too?”

 

“Well,” answered the Sly Fox, coughing in a funny sort of a way and shuffling⁸ his feet around, “you know that I am a doctor, and I was called in a hurry to see two little chickens which had the croup in their crops.”

 

“Is that so?” asked Ugly Dog, “and are they better now?”

 

“Those dear, little chickens,” answered Sly Fox, as he stroked his white mustache, “will never be bothered by having anything in their crops again.”

 

Just then there was a whirring sound way up the road and Sly Fox jumped up.

 

“My friend,” he said, “I think that another Running House is coming. If I were you I would hurry up and get right in front of it.”

 

Ugly Dog got up on his feet and shook himself and wagged his tail and smoothed out his hair.

 

“How do I look?” he asked.

 

“Fine,” answered Sly Fox. “If I were the man standing⁹ on the front porch of any Running House I would stop in a minute. Now you do just as I tell you, and I am sure that you will never have any more trouble.”

 

Ugly Dog went out in front of Running House, wagging his tail and standing up on his hind¹⁰ legs and making bows all the time. He waved one of his paws as Running House came hurrying down the rail. The man at the front door began to ring the bell as fast as he could and to yell at Ugly Dog.

 

“He sees you!” cried Sly Fox from behind the bushes.

 

Then the man turned a brass¹¹ handle.

 

Running House began to go slower, but it did not stop. The thing in front which looked like a scraper struck Ugly Dog and sent him way up in the air, and he fell down at the side of the road all in a heap. When he got on his feet again, he saw the Running House going down the road as fast as it could, and on the back step was Sly Fox, smoking a pipe and looking very wise.

 

Just then there was a crackling of branches and a yelping¹² and a stamping. Through the bushes came men riding horses and a pack of angry hounds.

 

“You are a rascal,” yelped¹³ the hounds. “You, Ugly Dog, stopped the Running House so that Sly Fox could get away from us!”

 

“I did no such thing,” whined¹⁴ Ugly Dog. “That mean Fox played a trick on me.”

 

The hounds would not listen to him, but they chased him to his kennel¹⁵ and gave him a good whipping. Ugly Dog did not get over the hurting he got that day until the next month.

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

3 hoarse   

adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的

参考例句：

• He asked me a question in a hoarse voice.他用嘶哑的声音问了我一个问题。
• He was too excited and roared himself hoarse.他过于激动，嗓子都喊哑了。

4 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》

5 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

6 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 shuffling   

adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• Don't go shuffling along as if you were dead. 别像个死人似地拖着脚走。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some one was shuffling by on the sidewalk. 外面的人行道上有人拖着脚走过。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

9 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。

10 hind   

adj.后面的，后部的

参考例句：

• The animal is able to stand up on its hind limbs.这种动物能够用后肢站立。
• Don't hind her in her studies.不要在学业上扯她后腿。

11 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

12 yelping   

v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In the middle of the table sat a little dog, shaking its paw and yelping. 在桌子中间有一只小狗坐在那儿，抖着它的爪子，汪汪地叫。 来自辞典例句
• He saved men from drowning and you shake at a cur's yelping. 他搭救了快要溺死的人们，你呢，听到一条野狗叫唤也瑟瑟发抖。 来自互联网

13 yelped   

v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He yelped in pain when the horse stepped on his foot. 马踩了他的脚痛得他喊叫起来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• A hound yelped briefly as a whip cracked. 鞭子一响，猎狗发出一阵嗥叫。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 whined   

v.哀号( whine的过去式和过去分词 )；哀诉，诉怨

参考例句：

• The dog whined at the door, asking to be let out. 狗在门前嚎叫着要出去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He whined and pouted when he did not get what he wanted. 他要是没得到想要的东西就会发牢骚、撅嘴。 来自辞典例句

15 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。