GOOD gracious! whatever am I to do now?” thought Boy, for the tide was rising higher and higher every moment, and there seemed to be no possible way of getting back to the shore again. He had just decided1 to return to Sand Castle and see if he could not find something to make a raft of when he noticed a very large Crab2 in a white waistcoat and dark blue coat carrying a goldheaded cane3 in one claw, and walking rapidly towards him.
As soon as he perceived Boy he exclaimed in a delighted voice,—
“Why! Bless me, what a charming little human creature! How do you do, my dear sir?”
Boy, staring at him in great surprise, replied that he was “quite well, thank you,” and was just going to ask the Crab if he could suggest a way back to the shore, when a great wave rolled up unexpectedly and carried Boy and the Crab off their feet, destroying about half of Sand Castle, and washing away most of the toy trees which were in the garden.
“Very refreshing4, sir, isn’t it?” remarked the Crab, smoothing down his coat as the wave receded5, leaving them on the wet sand.
Boy, drenched6 to the skin, was spluttering and gasping7 for breath, and could not reply for a moment or two, but at last he managed to say, “I think it is horrid8, and I am sure I shall be drowned soon if this sort of thing goes on much longer. Do you know how I can get back to the shore?” he panted.
“You can’t get back,” said the Crab decidedly.
“Oh dear me! then I shall certainly be drowned!” cried Boy in alarm.
“What nonsense!” remarked the Crab. “That’s what all the human creatures say directly they get a little wet. It’s all affectation, my dear sir, I assure you. Why, look at me. I’m just as comfortable in the water as out of it, and so would you be if you would only try it. Here comes another wave. Now don’t be frightened and don’t let yourself be carried away; just stop on the sand and let the water go over you—give me your claw;” and grasping Boy’s hand He held him, down while the wave passed over their heads. For a moment Boy could not breathe, but presently having swallowed a great mouthful of salt water, he found to his great surprise that he could breathe just as well under the water as out of it.
“There, what did I tell you?” remarked the Crab pleasantly, when Boy had partially9 recovered from his fright; for there is no disguising the fact that he had been frightened, although he was a brave little fellow, too. “Come along,” continued the Crab, “you had better come and see my school now you have got so far.”
“Your school!” exclaimed Boy. “Do you keep a school?”
“Yes,” replied the Crab, “I am the Head Master of Drinkon College.”
“What a funny name!” said Boy smilingly.
“Not at all,” replied the Crab; “no funnier than Eaton—Eaton on land and Drinkon under the sea, you know.”
Boy thought about this as they proceeded along the hard sand under the water, and then he noticed to his great surprise a number of fishes about his own size, in short jackets and deep collars, and wearing College caps, swimming in their direction.
“These are some of my scholars,” remarked the Crab as they came in sight—the fishes, swimming in a perfectly10 upright position, raised their caps when they saw the Crab, and one of them said very politely,—
“Good-morning, Professor.”
“Good-morning,” replied the Crab as they swam past. Just then a curious-looking little creature covered all over with little prickly spikes11 called out rudely,—“Yah! old Professor Crab—who caned12 the Oyster13?” and scuttled14 away behind some seaweed.
“That,” said the Crab, “is one of the Sea Urchins15; they are very rude and ill behaved. I do not allow my scholars to associate with them.”
“Are you really a Professor?” asked Boy, who felt greatly impressed with the Crab’s importance.
“I’m afraid I am,” said the Crab. “All schoolmasters are, you know—whether they admit it or not.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Boy. “I don’t think my schoolmaster is a Professor; at any rate he does not call himself one.”
“Ah, that’s his artfulness,” said the Crab. “A professor,” he explained, “is one who professes16 to know more than he really does, and all schoolmasters do that more or less, whether they admit it or not—they are obliged to; however, let’s change the subject; it is a painful one.”
Boy was greatly surprised at this admission on the part of the Crab, but he was too much interested in his strange surroundings to think much about it.
They were walking along a roadway with great seaweeds planted at regular intervals17 on either side, and in the distance Boy could see the outlines of some great buildings.
“Why, there are some houses!” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Of course,” replied Professor Crab. “What did you suppose we lived in?”
“I had no idea that fishes built houses before,” said Boy, “except sticklebacks; I know they build a kind of nest with sticks and things, because I have seen pictures of them in my Natural History book.”
“My dear sir,” remarked the Professor, “those were in the old days, before fishes became civilised: you might as well refer to the time when human creatures dwelt in caves and huts. No, my dear sir, the spread of education has extended to us also, and we have now as fine cities under the sea as any on land.”
Boy was just going to reply when his attention was attracted by a party of Lobsters18 on bicycles rushing past them, all dressed alike in dark green and yellow. One dear little one riding along gallantly19 at the end of the procession amused Boy very much indeed, and he was still watching him when he heard a voice exclaiming, “Cab, sir?” and, turning around, beheld20 the most curious vehicle you can possibly imagine: two sea-horses were attached to a kind of carriage made out of a large shell mounted on two wheels, and were driven by a small crayfish, wearing a top hat, who was perched up behind.
“Yes, I think we will ride,” said Professor Crab, mounting the steps of this strange conveyance21, and beckoning22 Boy to follow. Boy was delighted to do so, and was charmed with the curious little carriage as the coachman cracked his whip and they bowled quickly along. Presently they passed a large building looking like a Station, and Professor Crab told him that it was the Terminus of the Submarine Steam Navigation Company, and told the cabman to stop a moment so that Boy might watch one of the boats which was just starting out of the Station. A very curious affair it turned out to be: shaped like an enormous Cigar, with a screw propeller23 at one end of it a deck on top with rails around it, on which a number of various kinds of fishes were sitting about on deck-chairs, chatting and reading, while through the large plate-glass windows, of which, there was one on either side of this curiously24-shaped boat, Boy could see a number of other fishes making themselves comfortable in the luxuriously25 furnished saloon. As soon as it floated away out of sight the cabman whipped up his horses again, and off they started once more, and did not stop until they reached some large gates with a board over them, on which was painted in gold letters:
DRINKON COLLEGE,
Principal: Professor Crab.
The Professor paid the cabman, who touched his hat, and then, followed by Boy, entered a large building just through the gates. A long corridor ran right through the building, and through the glass doors at the end Boy could see a number of the scholars at play.
“Would you like to join them while I give the First Class in Molluscs their singing lesson?” asked the Professor.
Boy said that he should, and passing out into the playground, was soon surrounded by a number of young fishes, all dressed in College suits similar to those Boy had seen before.
“What’s your name?” asked one, as soon as he came up to Boy, and before he could answer another one had asked, “What’s your father? and how much pocket money do you have a week?” while a third demanded, “Where did you go for your holiday last year?”
Boy thought he had better answer one question at a time, so he replied, “Oh, I went to Broadstairs and had such a jolly time, and one day I went out in a boat and caught such a lot of———” (Fortunately he remembered just in time to prevent himself from saying “such a lot of fish” as he had at first intended.)
“Such a lot of what?” asked one of the little fishes curiously.
“Oh—er—er—such a lot of—er—er—things, shells, you know, and er—er—seaweed,” stammered26 Boy, feeling very confused.
“Rather funny to go out in a boat to catch seaweed, wasn’t it?” remarked one of the fishes suspiciously. “What did you catch really?”
Boy could not think what to say, but at last he thought that he could see a way out of the difficulty, and said, “Oh, I caught a crab.”
“Oh! I don’t mean a really truly crab,” Boy hastened to say. “I mean when your oars28 stick in the water and you can’t draw them out again; that’s called ‘catching a crab,’ you know, and that’s the kind I mean, of course.”
The fishes did not seem quite satisfied though, and stood staring at him suspiciously for some time, till at last one of them said,—“Can you play cricket?”
“Yes, rather,” said Boy proudly. “I’m going to be captain of our eleven next term if Traddles doesn’t come back again.”
“Who’s Traddles?” demanded one of the fishes.
“Oh! a fellow at our school,” said Boy. “He’s eleven and ever so much taller than me; but I can bowl better than him any day.”
“Come on then, let’s have a game,” said one of the fishes, leading the way to the end of the playground where a single wicket was pitched.
“Your innings,” he cried, handing Boy a bat.
Boy thought this was a very curious way of beginning a game, and he was more surprised still when, without the slightest warning, all the rest of the fishes began throwing balls at him as hard as they could, hitting him pretty sharply in several places, and of course knocking the bails29 off the stumps30 at once.
“How’s that, Umpire?” they shouted all together.
The fish who had handed Boy the bat promptly31 replied “Out,” and the others threw their caps up into the air excitedly and called out that they had won the game.
“That’s not the way to play cricket,” cried Boy, throwing down his bat in disgust.
“Who says it isn’t?” demanded one of the fishes, coming up to him.
“Very well, then I’ll fight you for it,” declared the fish, throwing off his coat.
“I’m sure you won’t,” said Boy, laughing at the very idea.
“Yah! cowardy, cowardy custard,” cried the fishes, dancing around him. “Afraid to fight; dear little mammy’s baby.”
Boy very wisely determined33 not to heed34 their taunts35 and walked back to the College, leaving the quarrelsome little fishes to themselves.
The sound of music from one of the class-rooms told him where he should find the Professor, and looking in at the window he saw the Crab standing36 beside a blackboard with notes on it waving a bâton, while a number of Oysters37 in rows were singing with their shells wide open.
“Come in,” he cried, when he saw Boy, and Boy went round to the door and entered the room.
“We have nearly finished,” said Professor Crab. “Perhaps you would like to hear the Molluscs sing.”
“Very much indeed,” said Boy, taking a seat on one of the forms.
The Crab counted “One, two, three,” beating time with his bâton, and the Oysters started singing the following song:—
“THE DEAR LITTLE OYSTER.”
“There was once a little Oyster, living underneath38 the sea,
Who was good as gold and, consequently, happy as could be;
She kept the house as tidy and as clean as a new’ pin,
And helped her Ma to make the beds they tuck the Oysters in.
So diligently42 practised she her lessons and her scales,
That she quickly gained the medal given by the Prince of
Whales.
“Of course she now was far too good to waste her life down
here,
So reluctantly we gave her up to grace another sphere:
She, in a barrel nicely packed, was sent to Mr. Gatti,
Boy was very pleased indeed with this song, which the First Class in Molluscs sang very well, and clapped vigorously.
“I’m glad you like their singing,” said the Professor, looking pleased at Boy’s approval.
“That will do for to-day,” he added, dismissing the class, and the Oysters went out of the room in single file, each one making a little bow as he passed the Professor. .
“Now what shall we do with ourselves for the rest of the day?” said the Crab, when they had all gone, for there is a half-holiday, you know. Would you like to go for a trip to Zum?” he asked.
“Oh yes, please,” answered Boy, who remembered that that was where One-and-Nine said that they should meet again.
So Professor Crab put his hat on, and after locking the class-room door set out with Boy for the Station of the Submarine Navigation Company.
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收听单词发音
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1
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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crab
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| n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气 | |
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3
cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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4
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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5
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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6
drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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7
gasping
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| adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词 | |
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8
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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9
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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10
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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11
spikes
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| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
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12
caned
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| vt.用苔杖打（cane的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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13
oyster
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| n.牡蛎；沉默寡言的人 | |
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scuttled
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| v.使船沉没( scuttle的过去式和过去分词 )；快跑，急走 | |
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15
urchins
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| n.顽童( urchin的名词复数 )；淘气鬼；猬；海胆 | |
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professes
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| 声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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17
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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18
lobsters
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| 龙虾( lobster的名词复数 )； 龙虾肉 | |
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19
gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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21
conveyance
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| n.(不动产等的)转让，让与；转让证书；传送；运送；表达；（正）运输工具 | |
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22
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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23
propeller
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| n.螺旋桨，推进器 | |
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24
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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26
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
horrified
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| a.(表现出)恐惧的 | |
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28
oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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29
bails
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| （法庭命令缴付的）保释金( bail的名词复数 )； 三柱门上的横木 | |
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30
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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31
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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33
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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34
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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35
taunts
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| 嘲弄的言语，嘲笑，奚落( taunt的名词复数 ) | |
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36
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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37
oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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38
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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39
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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40
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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41
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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42
diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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43
skilful
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| (=skillful)adj.灵巧的，熟练的 | |
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