I peeped round the leg of the chair and watched the hundreds of witches' feet walking outthrough the doors of the Ballroom1. When they had all gone and the place was absolutely silent, Ibegan to move cautiously about on the floor. Suddenly I remembered Bruno. He must surely bearound here somewhere, too. "Bruno!" I called out.
I wasn't seriously expecting that I would be able to speak at all now that I had become amouse, so I got the shock of my life when I heard my own voice, my own perfectly2 normal ratherloud voice, coming out of my tiny mouth.
It was wonderful. I was thrilled. I tried it again. "Bruno Jenkins, where are you?" I called out.
"If you can hear me, give a shout!"
My voice was exactly the same and just as loud as it had been when I was a boy. "Hey there,Bruno Jenkins! " I called. "Where are you?"
There was no answer.
I pottered about between the seat-legs trying to get used to being so close to the ground. Idecided I rather liked it. You are probably wondering why I wasn't depressed3 at all. I found myselfthinking, What's so wonderful about being a little boy anyway? Why is that necessarily any betterthan being a mouse? I know that mice get hunted and they sometimes get poisoned or caught in traps.
But little boys sometimes get killed, too. Little boys can be run over by motor-cars or they can die ofsome awful illness. Little boys have to go to school. Mice don't. Mice don't have to pass exams. Micedon't have to worry about money. Mice, as far as I can see, have only two enemies, humans and cats.
My grandmother is a human, but I know for certain that she will always love me whoever I am. Andshe never, thank goodness, keeps a cat. When mice grow up, they don't ever have to go to war andfight against other mice. Mice, I felt pretty certain, all like each other. People don't.
Yes, I told myself, I don't think it is at all a bad thing to be a mouse.
I was wandering around the Ballroom floor thinking about all this when I spotted4 anothermouse. It was crouching5 on the floor holding a piece of bread in its front paws and nibbling6 away at itwith great gusto.
It had to be Bruno. "Hello, Bruno," I said.
He glanced up at me for about two seconds, then went right on guzzling7.
"What have you found?" I asked him.
"One of them dropped it," he answered. "It's a fish-paste sandwich. Pretty good."He too spoke8 with a perfectly normal voice. One would have expected that a mouse (if it wasgoing to talk at all) would do so with the smallest and squeakiest voice you could imagine. It wasterrifically funny to hear the voice of the rather loud-mouthed Bruno coming out of that tiny mouse'sthroat.
"Listen, Bruno," I said. "Now that we are both mice, I think we ought to start thinking a bitabout the future."
He stopped eating and stared at me with small black eyes. "What do you mean we?" he said.
"The fact that you're a mouse has nothing to do with me.""But you're a mouse, too, Bruno."
"Don't be a fool," he said. "I'm not a mouse.""I'm afraid you are, Bruno."
"I most certainly am not!" he shouted. "Why are you insulting me? I haven't been rude to you!
Why do you call me a mouse?"
"Don't you know what's happened to you?" I said.
"What on earth are you talking about?" Bruno said.
"I have to inform you", I said, "that not very long ago the witches turned you into a mouse.
Then they did it to me."
"You're lying!" he cried. "I'm not a mouse!"
"If you hadn't been so busy guzzling that sandwich," I said, "you would have noticed yourhairy paws. Take a look at them."
Bruno looked down at his paws. He jumped. "Good grief!" he cried. "I am a mouse! You waittill my father hears about this!"
"He may think it's an improvement," I said.
"I don't want to be a mouse!" Bruno shouted, jumping up and down. "I refuse to be a mouse!
I'm Bruno Jenkins!"
"There are worse things than being a mouse," I said. "You can live in a hole.""I don't want to live in a hole!" Bruno shouted.
"And you can creep into the larder9 at night," I said, "and nibble10 through all the packets ofraisins and cornflakes and chocolate biscuits and everything else you can find. You can stay there allnight eating yourself silly. That's what mice do.""Now that's a thought," Bruno said, perking11 up a bit. "But how am I going to open the door ofthe fridge to get at the cold chicken and all the leftovers12? That's something I do every evening athome."
"Maybe your rich father will get you a special little mouse-fridge all to yourself," I said. "Onethat you can open."
"You say a witch did this to me?" Bruno said. "Which witch?""The one who gave you the chocolate bar in the hotel lobby yesterday," I told him. "Don't youremember?"
"The filthy13 old cow!" he shouted. 'I'll get her for this! Where is she? Who is she?""Forget it," I said. "You don't have a hope. Your biggest problem at the moment is yourparents. How are they going to take this? Will they treat you with sympathy and kindness?"Bruno considered this for a moment. "I think", he said, "that my father is going to be a bit putout."
"And your mother?"
"She's terrified of mice," Bruno said.
"Then you've got a problem, haven't you?"
"Why only me?" he said. "What about you?"
"My grandmother will understand perfectly," I said."She knows all about witches."Bruno took another bite of his sandwich. "What do you suggest?" he said.
"I suggest we both go first of all and consult my grandmother," I said. "She'll know exactlywhat to do."
I moved towards the doors which were standing14 open. Bruno, still grasping part of thesandwich in one paw, followed after me.
"When we get out into the corridor," I said, "we're going to run like mad. Stick close to thewall all the way and follow me. Do not talk and do not let anyone see you. Don't forget that just aboutanyone who catches sight of you will try to kill you."I snatched the sandwich out of his paw and threw it away. "Here goes," I said. "Keep behindme."
布鲁诺
我从椅子腿后面往外偷看，看到几百只女巫的脚走出舞厅门。她们走光以后，这里异常安静。我开始小心翼翼地在地板上走。我忽然想起了布鲁诺。他一定也在这儿什么地方。“布鲁诺！”我叫出声来。
我已经变成老鼠了，我并不怎么指望这会儿我还能说话。因此，当我听到我的小嘴发出我自己的声音，而且是完全正常、十分响亮的声音时，我不由得大吃一惊。
太好了。我快活无比。我又试了一次。“布鲁诺·詹金斯，你在哪里？”我叫道，“如果你能听到我的话，叫一声吧！”
我的声音完全和原来一样，和我还是个男孩的时候一样响。“喂，布鲁诺·詹金斯！”我叫道，“你在哪里呀？”
没有回答。
我在椅背之间闲逛，想习惯习惯离地那么近的状态。我倒很喜欢这样子。你们可能奇怪我为什么一点也不感到难过。我确实是这么想的。做一个小孩又有什么好？真比做一只老鼠更好吗？我知道，老鼠会被追捕，有时会被毒死或者落入老鼠夹。但小孩有时候也同样会被杀死。小孩会被汽车轧死，会病死。小孩要上学。老鼠不用上学。老鼠不用通过考试。老鼠不用担心钱的问题。据我所知，老鼠只有两种敌人：人和猫。我姥姥虽然是个人，但我毫不怀疑，不管我是什么她都永远爱我。而且，谢谢天，她不养猫。等到老鼠长大，它们不用去打仗，不用去打别的老鼠。我十分肯定地认为，老鼠之间彼此相爱。人却不是这样。
是的，我对自己说，我不认为做老鼠是件坏事。
我正在舞厅地板上边想着这些事情边走的时候，看到了另一只老鼠。它正蹲在地板上，用两只前爪抱着一块面包，大口大口地在啃着吃。
这只能是布鲁诺。“你好，布鲁诺。”我说。
他抬头看了我两眼，接着只顾埋头啃他的面包。
“你找到什么了？”我问他。
“它们当中的一个把它掉了，”他答道，“是鱼酱三明治，味道好极了。”
他也用完全正常的声音说话。你也许会以为，老鼠万一能说话，说话声应该极小，像是吱吱叫，这个你能想象得到。但从小老鼠的喉咙里发出布鲁诺的大嗓门，你听着就不免感到极其滑稽了。
“听我说，布鲁诺，”我说，“现在我们两个都是老鼠了，我想我们应该动动脑子，想想将来。”
他停下来不吃了，用两只小黑眼睛看着我。“我们，你这是什么意思？”他说，“你是老鼠和我毫不相干。”
“但你也是老鼠啊，布鲁诺。”
“别说傻话了。”他说，“我不是老鼠。”
“恐怕你是的，布鲁诺。”
“我当然不是！”他叫道，“你为什么污辱我？我又没有得罪你！你为什么说我是老鼠？”
“你不知道你出了什么事吗？”我说。
“你在说些什么呀？”布鲁诺说。
“我得告诉你，”我说，“不久以前，女巫把你变成了老鼠。接着她们把我也变成了老鼠。”
“你撒谎！”他叫道，“我不是老鼠！”
“如果你不是只顾忙着啃那三明治，”我说，“你就能看到你毛茸茸的爪子了。看看它们吧。”
布鲁诺低下头去看他的爪子。他跳了起来。“糟糕！”他叫道，“我是只老鼠！我爸爸会怎么说啊！”
“他会以为这是一个长进。”我说。
“我不要做老鼠！”布鲁诺蹦跳着叫道，“我不答应做老鼠！我是布鲁诺·詹金斯！”
“还有比做老鼠更糟的，”我说，“你可以住在洞里了。”
“我不要住在洞里！”布鲁诺叫道。
“你夜里可以爬进食品室，”我说，“吃所有的那些装在袋子里的葡萄干、玉米花、巧克力饼干和一切你能找到的东西。你可以待在那里痛痛快快地吃个通宵。老鼠就是这么干的。”
“对，这主意倒不坏。”布鲁诺稍微高兴了一些，说，“但我怎么打开冰箱门去吃冷鸡肉和所有的剩菜呢？在家里我每天晚上都是这样干的。”
“也许你的阔爸爸会给你弄个特制的老鼠冰箱，”我说，“你可以自己打开它的门。”
“你是说女巫把我变成老鼠了？”布鲁诺说，“哪个女巫？”
“就是昨天在旅馆前厅里给你吃巧克力的那个。”我告诉他，“你不记得吗？”
“那肮脏的老母牛！”他叫道，“我要找她报仇！她在哪里？她是谁？”
“算了吧，”我说，“你没有希望了。现在你最大的问题是你的爸爸妈妈。他们会怎样对待这件事呢？他们会同情你，待你好吗？”
布鲁诺想了一阵。“我想，”他说，“我爸爸会有点不高兴。”
“你妈妈呢？”
“她最怕老鼠。”布鲁诺说。
“那你就有问题了，对吗？”
“为什么只是我有问题？”他说，“你呢？”
“我姥姥全明白。”我说，“女巫的事她全知道。”
布鲁诺又啃了一口三明治。“你看该怎么办？”他说。
“我的意见是，我们两个先去跟我姥姥商量一下，”我说，“她完全知道该怎么办。”
我向开着的门走去。布鲁诺又抓住一点三明治，跟着我走。
“到了外面的走廊里，”我说，“我们就拼命跑。一路上紧挨着墙，跟着我。不要说话，不要让任何人看见你。别忘了，只要让人看见，他就会打死你。”
我抢过他爪子里的三明治扔掉。“好了，”我说，“紧跟着我。”
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
ballroom
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| n.舞厅 | |
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2
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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6
nibbling
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| v.啃，一点一点地咬（吃）( nibble的现在分词 )；啃出（洞），一点一点咬出（洞）；慢慢减少；小口咬 | |
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7
guzzling
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| v.狂吃暴饮，大吃大喝( guzzle的现在分词 ) | |
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8
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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9
larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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nibble
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| n.轻咬，啃；v.一点点地咬，慢慢啃，吹毛求疵 | |
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11
perking
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| （使）活跃( perk的现在分词 )； （使）增值； 使更有趣 | |
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12
leftovers
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| n.剩余物，残留物，剩菜 | |
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13
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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14
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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