XXI SAMMY JAY MAKES A CALL

 

Sammy Jay hadn't had so much fun for a long time as he was having at the expense of Chatterer the Red Squirrel. No, Sir, Sammy hadn't had so much fun for as long as he could remember. You see, he and Chatterer never had been very good friends and always had played sharp tricks on each other whenever they had the chance. Sammy had not forgotten how Chatterer had stolen the eggs of Drummer the Woodpecker in the spring and then laid the blame on him, so that all the birds of the Old Orchard¹ had driven him out until they discovered who the real thief was. Sammy had never forgotten or forgiven that sharp, mean trick. And now he was getting even. Right down in his heart he didn't want any real harm to come to Chatterer, but he did love to see him frightened. But his greatest fun was in matching his wits against those of Chatterer, for you know both have very sharp wits, as scamps are very apt to have.

 

Now all the time he had been mumbling² and finding fault with the corn Chatterer had brought from his storehouse in the hollow rail on the edge of the cornfield Sammy had only been pretending. Yes, Sir, he had simply been pretending. You see, he had thought of that store-house before Chatterer had and had thought Chatterer very stupid not to have remembered it in the first place. Now that Chatterer had remembered it, Sammy was glad, although he pretended not to be. Why was he glad? Well, you see, he knew that Chatterer was greatly tickled³ inside because he thought that he had proved himself smarter than Sammy, and all the time Sammy saw another chance to prove to Chatterer that he wasn't so smart as he thought himself.

 

When he left Chatterer, he flew straight to the Green Forest and from there to the edge of the Green Meadows. His sharp eyes searched the Green Meadows until they saw his cousin, Blacky the Crow. Sammy flew straight over to where Blacky was sitting. For a few minutes they talked together, and then both looked over to a tall, lone⁴ tree out in the middle of the Green Meadows, in the top of which sat a black form very straight and very still. In fact, to eyes less sharp than those of Sammy Jay and Blacky the Crow, it would have looked very much like a part of the tree. It was Roughleg the Hawk⁵ watching for Danny Meadow Mouse.

 

 

 

"Will you do it?" asked Sammy. "I don't dare to myself because he might have a notion that a fat Jay like me would make him a good dinner."

 

"Of course I'll do it," replied Blacky. "Old Roughleg never bothers me, and it will be a great joke."

 

"All right," replied Sammy. "Be on hand where you can see what happens to-morrow morning." And with that, Sammy Jay flew back to the Green Forest where he could watch.

 

In a few minutes Blacky the Crow flew over near the tree in which sat Roughleg the Hawk. Presently Sammy heard Blacky's harsh voice.

 

"Caw, caw, caw," said Blacky.

 

Sammy smiled. It was a signal, and he knew that Blacky had done as he had said he would. Then Sammy flew off to look for some new mischief⁶ with which to amuse himself for the rest of the day.

 

1 orchard   

n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场

参考例句：

• My orchard is bearing well this year.今年我的果园果实累累。
• Each bamboo house was surrounded by a thriving orchard.每座竹楼周围都是茂密的果园。

2 mumbling   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him mumbling to himself. 我听到他在喃喃自语。
• He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg. 宴会结束时，他仍在咕哝着医院里的事。说着说着，他在一块冰上滑倒，跌断了左腿。

3 tickled   

（使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐

参考例句：

• We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友，我们高兴极了。
• I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚，使她发笑。

4 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

5 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

6 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。