"The time has come!" my grandmother said. "The great moment has arrived! Are you ready,my darling?"
It was exactly half-past seven. Bruno was in the bowl finishing that fourth banana. "Hang on,"he said. "Just a few more bites."
"No!" my grandmother said. "We've got to go!" She picked him up and held him tight in herhand. She was very tense and nervous. I had never seen her like that before. "I'm going to put youboth in my handbag now," she said, "but I shall leave the clasp undone1." She popped Bruno into itfirst. I waited, clutching the little bottle to my chest. "Now you," she said. She picked me up and gaveme a kiss on the nose. "Good luck, my darling. Oh, by the way, you do realise you've got a tail, don'tyou?"
"A what?" I said.
"A tail. A long curly tail."
"I must say that never occurred to me," I said. "Good gracious me, so I have! I can see it now!
I can actually move it! It is rather grand, isn't it?""I mention it only because it might come in useful when you're climbing about in thekitchen," my grandmother said. "You can curl it around and you can hook it on to things and you canswing from it and lower yourself to the ground from high places.""I wish I'd known this before," I said. "I could have practised using it.""Too late now," my grandmother said. "We've got to go." She popped me into her handbagwith Bruno, and at once I took up my usual perch2 in the small side-pocket so that I could poke3 myhead out and see what was going on.
My grandmother picked up her walking-stick and out she went into the corridor to the lift.
She pressed the button and the lift came up and she got in. There was no one in there with us.
"Listen," she said. "I won't be able to talk to you much once we're in the Dining-Room. If Ido, people will think I'm dotty and talking to myself."The lift reached the ground floor and stopped with a jerk. My grandmother walked out of itand crossed the lobby of the hotel and entered the Dining-Room. It was a huge room with golddecorations on the ceiling and big mirrors around the walls. The regular guests always had theirtables reserved for them and most of them were already in their places and starting to eat theirsuppers. Waiters were buzzing about all over the place, carrying plates and dishes. Our table was asmall one beside the right-hand wall about halfway4 down the room. My grandmother made her wayto it and sat down.
Peeping out of the handbag, I could see in the very centre of the room two long tables thatwere not yet occupied. Each of them carried a notice fixed5 on to a sort of silver stick and the noticessaid, RESERVED FOR MEMBERS OF THE RSPCC.
My grandmother looked towards the long tables but said nothing. She unfolded her napkinand spread it over the handbag on her lap. Her hand slid under the napkin and took hold of me gently.
With the napkin covering me, she lifted me up close to her face and whispered, "I am about to putyou on the floor under the table. The table-cloth reaches almost to the ground so no one will see you.
Have you got hold of the bottle?"
"Yes," I whispered back. "I'm ready, Grandmamma."Just then, a waiter in a black suit came and stood by our table. I could see his legs from underthe napkin and as soon as I heard his voice, I knew who he was. His name was William. "Goodevening, madam," he said to my grandmother. "Where is the little gentleman tonight?""He's not feeling very well," my grandmother said. "He's staying in his room.""I'm sorry to hear that," William said. "Today there is green-pea soup to start with, and for themain course you have a choice of either grilled6 fillet of sole or roast lamb.""Pea soup and lamb for me, please," my grandmother said. "But don't hurry it, William. I'm inno rush tonight. In fact, you can bring me a glass of dry sherry first.""Of course, madam," William said, and he went away.
My grandmother pretended she had dropped something, and as she bent7 down, she slid me outfrom under the napkin on to the floor under the table. "Go, darling, go!" she whispered, then shestraightened up again.
I was on my own now. I stood clasping the little bottle. I knew exactly where the door into thekitchen was. I had to go about halfway round the enormous Dining-Room to reach it. Here goes, Ithought, and like a flash I skittled out from under the table and made for the wall. I had no intentionof going across the Dining-Room floor. It was far too risky8. My plan was to cling close to the skirtingof the wall all the way round until I reached the kitchen door.
I ran. Oh, how I ran. I don't think anyone saw me. They were all too busy eating. But to reachthe door leading to the kitchen I had to cross the main entrance to the Dining-Room. I was just aboutto do this when in poured a great flood of females. I pressed myself against the wall clutching thebottle. At first I saw only the shoes and ankles of these women who were surging in through the door,but when I glanced up a bit higher I knew at once who they were. They were the witches coming into dinner!
I waited until they had all passed me by, then I dashed on towards the kitchen door. A waiteropened it to go in. I nipped in after him and hid behind a big garbage-bin on the floor. I stayed therefor several minutes, just listening to all the talk and the racket. By golly, what a place that kitchenwas! The noise! And the steam! And the clatter9 of pots and pans! And the cooks all shouting! Andthe waiters all rushing in and out from the Dining-Room yelling the food orders to the cooks! "Foursoups and two lambs and two fish for table twenty-eight! Three apple-pies and two strawberry ice-creams for number seventeen!" Stuff like that going on all the time.
Not far above my head there was a handle sticking out from the side of the garbage-bin. Stillclutching the bottle, I gave a leap, turned a somersault in the air, and caught hold of the handle withthe end of my tail. Suddenly there I was swinging to and fro upside down. It was terrific. I loved it.
This, I told myself, is how a trapeze artist in a circus must feel as he goes swishing through the airhigh up in the circus tent. The only difference was that his trapeze could only swing backwards10 andforwards. My trapeze (my tail) could swing me in any direction I wanted. Perhaps I would become acircus mouse after all.
Just then, a waiter came in with a plate in his hand and I heard him saying, "The old hag ontable???????????????????????????????????????????????????fourteen says this meat is too tough! She wants anotherportion!" One of the cooks said, "Gimme her plate!" I dropped to the floor and peeped round thegarbage-bin. I saw the cook scrape the meat off the plate and slap another bit on. Then he said,"Come on boys, give her some gravy11!" He carried the plate round to everyone in the kitchen and doyou know what they did? Every one of those cooks and kitchen-boys spat12 on to the old lady's plate!
"See how she likes it now!" said the cook, handing the plate back to the waiter.
Quite soon another waiter came in and he shouted, "Everyone in the big RSPCC party wantsthe soup!" That's when I started sitting up and taking notice. I was all ears now. I edged a bit fartherround the garbage-bin so that I could see everything that was going on in the kitchen. A man with atall white hat who must have been the head chef shouted, "Put the soup for the big party in the largersilver soup-tureen!"
I saw the head chef place a huge silver basin on to the wooden side-bench that ran along thewhole length of the kitchen against the opposite wall. Into that silver basin is where the soup isgoing, I told myself. So that's where the stuff in my little bottle must go as well.
I noticed that high up near the ceiling, above the side-bench, there was a long shelf crammedwith saucepans and frying-pans. If I can somehow clamber up on to that shelf, I thought, then I've gotit made. I shall be directly above the silver basin.
But first I must somehow get across to the other side of the kitchen and then up on to themiddle shelf. A great idea came to me! Once again, I jumped up and hooked my tail around thehandle of the garbage-bin. Then, hanging upside down, I began to swing. Higher and higher I swung.
I was remembering the trapeze artist in the circus I had seen last Easter and the way he had got thetrapeze swinging higher and higher and higher and had then let go and gone flying through the air. Sojust at the right moment, at the top of my swing, I let go with my tail and went soaring clear acrossthe kitchen and made a perfect landing on the middle shelf!
By golly, I thought, what marvellous things a mouse can do! And I'm only a beginner!
No one had seen me. They were all far too busy with their pots and pans. From the middleshelf I somehow managed to shinny up a little water-pipe in the corner, and in no time at all I was upon the very top shelf just under the ceiling, among all the saucepans and the frying-pans. I knew thatno one could possibly see me up there. It was a super position, and I began working my way alongthe shelf until I was directly above the big empty silver basin they were going to pour the soup into. Iput down my bottle. I unscrewed the top and crept to the edge of the shelf and quickly poured whatwas in it straight into the silver basin below. The next moment, one of the cooks came along with agigantic saucepan of steaming green soup and poured the whole lot into the silver basin. He put thelid on the basin and shouted, "Soup for the big party all ready to go out!" Then a waiter arrived andcarried the silver basin away.
I had done it! Even if I never got back alive to my grandmother, the witches were still goingto get the Mouse-Maker! I left the empty bottle behind a large saucepan and began working my wayback along the top shelf. It was much easier to move about without the bottle. I began using my tailmore and more. I swung from the handle of one saucepan to the handle of another all the way alongthat top shelf, while far below me cooks and waiters were all bustling13 about and kettles weresteaming and pans were spluttering and pots were boiling and I thought to myself, Oh boy, this is thelife! What fun it is to be a mouse doing an exciting job like this! I kept right on swinging. I swungmost marvellously from handle to handle, and I was enjoying myself so much that I completelyforgot I was in full view of anyone in the kitchen who might happen to glance upwards14. What camenext happened so quickly I had no time to save myself. I heard a man's voice yelling, "A mouse Lookat that dirty little mouse!" And I caught a glimpse below me of a white-coated figure in a tall whitehat and then there was a flash of steel as the carving15-knife whizzed through the air and there was ashoot of pain in the end of my tail and suddenly I was falling and falling head-first towards the floor.
Even as I fell, I knew just what had happened. I knew that the tip of my tail had been cut offand that I was about to crash on to the floor and everyone in the kitchen would be after me. "Amouse!" they were shouting. "A mouse! A mouse! Catch it quick!" I hit the floor and jumped up andran for my life. All around me there were big black boots going stamp stamp stamp and I dodgedaround them and ran and ran and ran, twisting and turning, and dodging17 and swerving18 across thekitchen floor. "Get it!" they were shouting. "Kill it! Stamp on it!"The Whole floor seemed to be fullof black boots stamping away at me and I dodged16 and swerved19 and twisted and turned and then insheer desperation, hardly knowing what I was doing, wanting only a place to hide, I ran up thetrouser-leg of one of the cooks and clung to his sock!
"Hey!" the cook shouted. "Jeepers creepers! He's gone up my trouser! Hold on, boys! I'll gethim this time!"
The man's hands began slap-slapping at the trouser-leg and now I really was going to getsmashed if I didn't move quickly. There was only one way to go and that was up. I dug my littleclaws into the hairy skin of the man's leg and scuttled20 upwards, higher and higher, past the calf21 andpast the knee and on to the thigh22.
"Holy smoke!" the man was yelling. "It's going all the way up! It's going right up my leg!" Iheard shrieks23 of laughter coming from the other cooks but I can promise you I wasn't laughingmyself. I was running for my life. The man's hands were slap-slap-slapping all around me and he wasjumping up and down as though he was standing24 on hot bricks, and I kept climbing and I keptdodging and very soon I reached the very top of the trouser-leg and there was nowhere else to go.
"Help! Help! Help!" the man was screaming. "It's in my knickers! It's running round in myflaming knickers! Get it out! Someone help me to get it out!""Take off your trousers, you silly slob!" someone else shouted. "Pull down your pants andwe'll soon catch him!"
I was in the middle of the man's trousers now, in the place where the two trouser-legs meetand the zip begins. It was dark and awfully25 hot in there. I knew I had to keep going. I dashed onwardand found the top of the other trouser-leg. I went down it like greased lightning and came out at thebottom of it and once again I was on the floor. I heard the stupid cook still shouting, "It's in mytrousers! Get it out! Will somebody please help me to get it out before it bites me!" I caught aflashing glimpse of the entire kitchen staff crowding round him and laughing their heads off andnobody saw the little brown mouse as it flew across the floor and dived into a sack of potatoes.
I burrowed26 down in among the dirty potatoes and held my breath.
The cook must have started taking his trousers right off because now they were shouting, "It'snot in there! There's no mice in there, you silly twerp!""There was! I swear there was!" the man was shouting back. "You've never had a mouse inyour trousers! You don't know what it feels like!"The fact that a tiny little creature like me had caused such a commotion27 among a bunch ofgrown-up men gave me a happy feeling. I couldn't help smiling in spite of the pain in my tail.
I stayed where I was until I was sure they had forgotten about me. Then I crept out of thepotatoes and cautiously poked28 my tiny head over the edge of the sack. Once again the kitchen was allof a bustle29 with cooks and waiters rushing about everywhere. I saw the waiter who had come inearlier with the complaint about tough meat coming in again. "Hey boys!" he shouted. "I asked theold hag if the new bit of meat was any better and she said it was perfectly30 delicious! She said it wasreally tasty!"
I had to get out of that kitchen and back to my grandmother. There was only one way to dothis. I must make a dash clear across the floor and out through the door behind one of the waiters. Istayed quite still, watching for my chance. My tail was hurting terribly. I curled it round so as to havea look at it. About two inches of it were missing and it was bleeding quite a lot. There was a waiterloading up with a batch31 of plates full of pink ice-cream. He had a plate in each hand and two morebalanced on each arm. He went towards the door. He pushed it open with his shoulder. I leapt out ofthe sack of potatoes and went across that kitchen floor and into the Dining-Room like a streak32 oflight, and I didn't stop running until I was underneath33 my grandmother's table.
It was lovely to see my grandmother's feet again in those old-fashioned black shoes with theirstraps and buttons. I shinnied up one of her legs and landed on her lap. "Hello, Grandmamma!" Iwhispered. "I'm back! I did it! I poured it all into their soup!""Her hand came down and caressed34 me.?"Well done, my darling!" she whispered back. "Welldone you! They are at this very moment eating that soup!" Suddenly, she withdrew her hand. "You'rebleeding!" she whispered. "My darling, what's happened to you?""One of the cooks cut off my tail with a carving knife," I whispered back. "It hurts like billy-o."
"Let me look at it," she said. She bent her head and examined my tail. "You poor little thing,"she whispered. "I'm going to bandage it up with my handkerchief. That will stop the bleeding."She fished a small lace-edged handkerchief out of her bag and this she somehow managed towrap around the end of my tail. "You'll be all right now," she said. "Just try to forget about it. Didyou really manage to pour the whole bottle into their soup?""Every drop," I said. "Do you think you could put me where I can watch them?""Yes," she answered. "My handbag is on your own empty chair beside me. I'm going to popyou in there now and you can peep out as long as you are careful not to be seen. Bruno is there aswell, but take no notice of him. I gave him a roll to eat and that's keeping him busy for a while."Her hand closed around me and I was lifted off her lap and transferred to the handbag. "Hello,Bruno," I said.
"This is a great roll," he said, nibbling35 away in the bottom of the bag. "But I wish there wasbutter on it."
I peered over the top of the handbag. I could see the witches quite clearly sitting at their twolong tables in the centre of the room. They had finished their soup now, and the waiters were clearingaway the plates. My grandmother had lit up one of her disgusting black cigars and was puffing36 smokeover everything. All around us the summer holiday guests in this rather grand hotel were babblingaway and tucking into their suppers. About half of them were old people with walking-sticks, butthere were also plenty of families with a husband, a wife and several children. They were all well-to-do people. You had to be if you wanted to stay in the Hotel Magnificent.
"That's her, Grandmamma!" I whispered. "That's The Grand High Witch!""I know!" my grandmother whispered back. "She's the tiny one in black sitting at the head ofthe nearest table!"
She could kill anyone in this room with her white-hot sparks!""Look out!" my grandmother whispered. "The waiter's coming!"I popped down out of sight and I heard William saying, "Your roast lamb, madam. And whichvegetable would you like? Peas or carrots?"
"Carrots, please," my grandmother said. "But no potatoes."I heard the carrots being dished out. There was a pause. Then my grandmother's voice waswhispering, "It's all right. He's gone." I popped my head up again. "Surely no one will notice my littlehead sticking out like this?" I whispered.
"No," she answered. "I don't suppose they will. My problem is I've got to talk to you withoutmoving my lips."
"You're doing beautifully," I said.
"I've counted the witches," she said. "There aren't nearly as many as you thought. You werejust guessing, weren't you, when you said two hundred?""It just seemed like two hundred," I said.
"I was wrong, too," my grandmother said. "I thought there were a lot more witches than thisin England."
"How many are there?" I asked.
"Eighty-four," she said.
"There were eighty-five," I said. "But one of them got fried."At that moment, I caught sight of Mr Jenkins, Bruno's father, heading straight for our table.
"Look out, Grandmamma!" I whispered. "Here comes Bruno's father!"
在厨房里
“时间到了！”我姥姥说，“伟大的时刻到了！你准备好了吗，我的宝贝？”
现在正好七点半。布鲁诺在玻璃碗里就要吃完他的第四根香蕉了。“等一等，”他说，“只差几口。”
“不！”我姥姥说，“我们得走了！”她把他抓起来紧握在手里。她十分紧张。我以前还没有见过她这副样子。“我现在把你们两个放进我的手提包里，”她说，“但不扣上扣子。”她先把布鲁诺放进去。我抱着小瓶子等着。“现在是你，”她说着把我抓起来，吻吻我的鼻子，“祝你好运，我的宝贝。噢，你知道你有一条尾巴吧？”
“一条什么？”我说。
“一条尾巴，一条弯弯的长尾巴。”
“说实在话，我倒没想到过，”我说，“天啊，我是有一条尾巴！我现在看到它了！我还能摆动它呢！它真棒，对吗？”
“我提到它，只是因为你在厨房里攀爬时可能用得着它，”我姥姥说，“你能把它卷起来，用它钩住东西，这样就能摇晃身体，并从高处跳到地面。”
“我真希望早知道这一点，”我说，“这样我就可以练习练习怎么使用它了。”
“现在来不及啦，”我姥姥说，“我们得走了。”她把我放进手提包里，让我和布鲁诺待在一起。我照旧马上钻进边上的小袋里，好把头伸出来看周围的情况。
我姥姥拿起她的手杖，走到外面的走廊上，到电梯那儿去。她按了按钮，电梯上来后，她进了电梯。电梯里没别人。
“听着，”她说，“一到餐厅，我就不能和你多说话了。我要是说话，别人会以为我疯了，在自言自语。”
电梯来到底层，一震就停下了。我姥姥走出电梯，穿过旅馆前厅，走进餐厅。这是个大房间，天花板上描着金，周围的墙上嵌着大镜子。客人总是预先订好座位，大多数人已经坐定开始吃晚饭了。侍者们端着盘子来来去去，忙个不停。我们的桌子很小，在餐厅中间，靠右边的墙。我姥姥一路走到那里，坐下来。
我把头从手提包里伸出来，看到房间正中央有两排长桌，还没有人。每张长桌上有一张名片夹在一个银底座上，上面写着：防止虐待儿童王家协会会员订。
我姥姥看看那两张长桌，没说什么。她打开餐巾，铺在膝盖上的手提包上。她的手伸到餐巾底下，轻轻地抓住我。她用餐巾盖着我，把我举到脸旁，悄悄地说：“我要把你放到桌子底下去了。桌布几乎遮到地面，因此没有人会看见你的。你抱着瓶子了吗？”
“是的，”我悄悄地回答，“我准备好了，姥姥。”
这时候一个穿黑衣服的侍者走过来，站在我们的桌子旁边。我从餐巾底下看到了他的腿，一听声音我就分辨出他是谁了。他叫威廉。“你好，太太，”他对我的姥姥说，“你那位小少爷今晚在哪里呀？”
“他不大舒服，”我姥姥说，“他留在了他的房间里。”
“真遗憾，”威廉说，“今晚有青豆汤，供挑选的主菜有炸鳎鱼排和烤羊肉。”
“请给我青豆汤和烤羊肉吧，”我姥姥说，“但不用快上，威廉。今晚我没事。你可以先给来一杯干雪利酒。”
“当然，太太。”威廉说着走了。
我姥姥装作掉了什么东西，弯下腰去，把我从餐巾底下放到桌下的地板上。“去吧，宝贝，去吧。”她轻轻地说。然后她重新坐好。
现在全靠我自己了。我抱着小瓶子站起来。我很清楚通往厨房的门在哪里。我得绕过大半个餐厅才能到那里。我想，我从这边走，像闪电一样从桌子底下跑到墙边。我不想穿过餐厅。那太危险了。我的打算是沿墙边绕到厨房门那儿。
我跑了起来。噢，我是怎样拼命地跑啊。我觉得没有人看见我，他们正忙着吃饭。但到厨房门得经过餐厅正门。我正要过去，一大群女人像洪水般拥了进来。我抱紧瓶子紧挨墙边。起先我只看到像潮水般进门的那些女人的鞋子和脚踝，但当我把头抬起一点看时，我马上看到她们是谁了。正是女巫们来赴晚宴！
我等到她们都走完，然后向厨房门冲过去。一个侍者正开门进厨房，我紧跟着进去了，躲在一个大垃圾桶后面。我躲了几分钟，竖起耳朵细听所有的谈话。天啊，厨房是怎么个地方啊！喧闹！热气腾腾！盘子和锅乒乒乓乓！厨师全都在大叫大嚷！侍者们匆匆忙忙进出餐厅，向厨师们喊叫点的菜名！“二十八号台四个汤、两个羊肉、两个鱼！十七号台两个苹果馅饼、两个草莓冰淇淋！”有关这一类东西的喊叫声不绝于耳。
离我头顶不远，从垃圾桶边上伸出个把手。我抱着瓶子猛一跳，来个大空翻，用尾巴抓住了那个把手。我的身子猛然间已经倒过来，在来回摇晃。真可怕。但我喜欢这样。我对自己说：空中飞人演员在杂技棚高处摇晃一定就是这种感觉。唯一不同的是，他的高秋千只能前后摇动，而我的高秋千（我的尾巴）却能随意往任何方向摇。也许我能成为一只演杂技的老鼠。
就在这时候，一个侍者托着一个盘子走进来，我听见他说：“十四号台的老妖婆说这肉太老了！她要换一块！”一个厨师说：“把她的盘子给我！”我落到地板上，从垃圾桶后面偷看。
我看见厨师把盘子里的肉铲掉，另换了一块。接着他说：“来吧伙计们，给她点儿肉汁！”他把盘子向厨房里的人一个个递上去。你们知道他们在干什么吗？每个厨师和厨房小伙计都在往盘子里吐口水！“现在看她喜欢不喜欢！”厨师说着把盘子还给侍者。
很快又进来一个侍者，叫道：“现在‘防止虐待儿童王家协会’宴会上的人都要上汤！”这时候我开始警觉起来。现在我竖起了耳朵。我从垃圾桶后面又挪出来一点，看到了厨房里的所有情形。一个戴白高帽的人—他一定是厨师长—叫道：“用大银汤锅放宴会上用的汤！”
我看见那个厨师长把一个有盖的大银汤锅放在沿着墙从厨房这一头直到那一头的长木桌上。我对自己说：汤就要倒在那个银汤锅里。那也就是我瓶子里的东西必须倒进去的地方。
我看到在长桌上面靠近天花板的地方有一个长架子，上面堆满了深锅和平底锅。我想，如果能爬上那架子，我就成功了。我将直接到达那银汤锅的上面。
但我必须先到厨房另一边，然后上架子。我有了个好主意！我又一次跳起来，用尾巴钩住垃圾桶的把手。接着我倒悬着，开始摇晃，越摇越高。我还记得上一个复活节在马戏班看空中飞人时，演员越摇越高，越摇越高，最后放手飞过空中。我现在也越摇越高，越摇越高，到了最高处我放开尾巴，飞过厨房，正好落在中间的那层架子上！
天啊，我暗想，一只老鼠能做出多么了不起的事啊！而我还只是个新手！
没有人看见我。他们太忙于他们的锅盘了。我从中间一层架子上爬上边上的一根小水管，转眼间我已经到了就在天花板下的最高一层架子上，躲在那些深锅和平底锅之间。我知道，我在这上面没有人能看见我。这是一个最佳位置。我开始沿着架子一直走到他们准备用来盛汤的大银空锅上方。我放下瓶子，旋开瓶盖，爬到架子边，很快地把瓶里的东西一直倒进下面的银汤锅里。紧接着一个厨师拿着一大锅热气腾腾的绿颜色的汤过来，全倒在银汤锅里。他把银汤锅盖上，叫道：“宴会的汤可以上了！”接着侍者进来，把那银汤锅端走了。
我成功了！即使我不能活着回到我姥姥那里，那些女巫也会把变鼠药吃进去！我把空瓶留在一个大深锅后面，开始顺着架子往回走。没有了瓶子走起来容易多了。我开始越来越多地利用尾巴。在最高一层架子上，我从一个锅的长柄飞到另一个锅的长柄。
这时下面的厨师和侍者正忙得不可开交，水壶在冒气，煎锅劈劈啪啪响，深锅在沸腾，我心里说：噢，这才是生活啊！做一只老鼠，干如此令人兴奋的大事多么有劲！我继续摇啊摇。我用最出色的技巧从一个长柄荡到另一个长柄。我太得意了，完全忘记了厨房里只要有人抬头就会看见我。接下来发生的事来得如此快，我根本来不及逃命。我听到有人叫道：“老鼠！看那肮脏的小老鼠！”我低头看见一个穿白衣戴白高帽的人，接着白光一闪，一把菜刀飞过空中，我的尾巴尖一阵剧痛，我一个倒栽葱向下面的地板落下来了。
就在落下来的时候，我明白出什么事情了。我知道我的尾巴尖被砍断了，我这就要啪嗒落到地板上，厨房里所有的人都要来追我。“老鼠！”他们在叫，“一只老鼠！一只老鼠！快捉住它！”我一碰到地就跳起来逃生。我周围许多黑色的大靴子嗵嗵嗵地在地上跺。我绕开它们逃啊逃，转来转去，躲来躲去，绕着厨房地板乱跑。“捉住它！”他们在叫，“杀死它！踩死它！”整个地板好像都是要踩我的黑靴子。我就这样绝望地躲来躲去，转来转去，简直不知道我在干什么，只想找个地方藏起来。最后我跑到一个厨师的裤腿里面，抓住他的袜子悬在那里！
“嘿！”那厨师叫道，“它爬进了我的裤子！别动，伙计们！这一回我要逮住它了！”
那人的手开始拍打裤腿，如果我不赶紧逃走，这回我准要被打扁了。如今只有一个办法，那就是继续往上逃。我用我的小爪子抓住那人腿上毛茸茸的皮肤往上爬，越爬越高，过了小腿，过了膝盖，到了大腿。
“天啊！”那人大叫，“它在我身上往上爬！它爬上了我的大腿！”我听见其他的厨师哈哈大笑，但我向你们保证，我自己一点也笑不出来。我在逃生。那人的手在我周围拍着，他乱蹦乱跳，像是站在滚烫的砖上。我一个劲地躲来躲去直向上爬，很快来到裤腿最上面的地方，裤腿到头了。
“救命啊！救命啊！救命啊！”那人哇哇大叫，“它在我的衬裤里乱跑！把它弄出去！什么人来帮帮我，把它弄出去！”
“脱掉裤子吧，你这傻瓜！”有人叫道，“把你的衬裤脱下来，我们马上就捉到它了！”
如今我在那人的长裤中间，在两条裤腿结合的地方，裤子的前拉链就从那里开始。那里又黑又热。我知道我得继续逃。我向前跳，来到另一条裤腿的上部。我像闪电一样又往下跑。我跑到底下重新来到地板上。我听见那个笨厨师还在叫：“它在我的裤子里！把它弄出去！谁来帮帮我，趁它还没有咬我，快把它弄出去吧！”我瞥了一眼，看到全厨房的人都在围着他哈哈大笑，没有人看到我这只小棕鼠已经跑过地板，钻到一袋土豆里去了。
我钻到肮脏的土豆中间，屏住了呼吸。
那厨师一定已经脱掉裤子，因为现在他们大叫：“它不在里面！里面没有老鼠，你这傻瓜蛋！”
“有过的！我发誓有过的！”那人大声反驳道，“你们从来没碰到过有一只老鼠在你们的裤子里！你们不知道那是什么滋味！”
像我这样一只小东西能使一大群大人如此骚乱，我感到十分得意。尽管尾巴痛，我还是不由得笑起来。
我在那袋土豆里一直待着，直到我断定他们已经把我忘记了为止。然后我从土豆堆里爬出来，把我的头小心地伸出袋口。厨房里如今又是厨师和侍者到处跑来跑去。我看到早些时候进来说肉太老的侍者又进来了。“喂，伙计们！”他叫道，“我问那老妖婆重新给她的肉是不是好些，她说好吃极了！她说味道的确不错！”
我得溜出厨房回我姥姥那里去了。只有一个办法：我必须跑过厨房地板，跟着一个侍者钻出厨房门。我一动不动地等待机会。我的尾巴痛得厉害。我把它卷起来看了看，短了大约两英寸，还流了不少血。一个侍者端着好几碟粉红色的冰淇淋，两只手各拿一碟，两只手臂上平稳地各放两碟。他向门走去，用肩头把门顶开。我连忙从那袋土豆上跳下来，像道光一样飞快地跑过厨房地板冲进餐厅，一直跑到我姥姥的桌子底下才停下来。
重新看到姥姥穿着有鞋带和鞋扣的老式黑皮鞋的脚，那真是太高兴了。我爬上她的一条腿，蹲在她的膝盖上。“你好，姥姥！”我悄悄说，“我回来了！我成功了！我把药全倒在她们的汤里了！”
她把手放下来抚摸我。“干得好，我的宝贝！”她悄悄地回答，“你干得好！她们这会儿正在喝汤！”她忽然把手缩回去，“你在流血！”她悄悄地说，“我的宝贝，你出什么事了？”
“一个厨师用菜刀斩断了我的尾巴，”我悄悄地回答，“痛极了。”
“让我看看。”她说着低头看我的尾巴。“你这可怜的小东西，”她悄悄地说，“我来用手绢把它包扎好。这样血就不流了。”
她从手提包里拿出一块花边小手绢，把我的尾巴包扎好。“现在没事了，”她说，“你就把它忘了吧。你当真把整瓶东西都倒到她们的汤里去了吗？”
“每一滴都倒进去了，”我说，“你能把我放在能让我看到她们的地方吗？”
“当然，”她回答说，“我的手提包放在我身边的那把空椅子上。现在我把你放到包里去，你可以随意探出头看，只要不被人看见就行。布鲁诺也在那里，但别理他。我给了他一个面包卷，够他忙的。”
她的手抓住我，我离开了她的膝盖到了手提包里。“你好，布鲁诺。”我说。
“这个面包卷真好吃，”他在手提包底下啃着，“不过我希望是有牛油的。”
我从手提包上面探出头来向外看。我清楚地看到那些女巫坐在房间中央的两张长条桌旁边。她们现在已经把汤喝完，侍者们正在把汤盘端走。我姥姥已经点着一支她那种难闻的黑雪茄，向四周吐着烟。在我们周围，住在这个豪华旅馆里度暑假的客人们在谈天，吃着晚饭。他们半数是用手杖的老人，但也有不少是全家来的：丈夫、妻子和几个孩子。他们都是富人。想住这家华丽的旅馆就得是富人。
“那就是她，姥姥！”我悄悄说，“那就是女巫大王！”
“我知道！”我姥姥悄悄回答，“就是穿黑裙子的那个小个子女人，坐在靠近这边那张长桌的头上的！”
“她能杀死你！”我悄悄说，“她能用她那白热的火花杀死这房间里的任何一个人！”
“小心！”我姥姥悄悄说，“侍者来了！”
我把头缩进手提包，听见威廉说：“你的烤羊肉来了，太太。你喜欢什么蔬菜？青豆还是胡萝卜？”
“胡萝卜，谢谢，”我姥姥说，“不要青豆。”
我听见把胡萝卜拨到盘子里的声音。沉默片刻，接着我姥姥的声音又悄悄地响起来：“好了，他走了。”我重新把头探出来。“我这样探出头，肯定不会有人看见的。”我悄声说道。
“不会，”她回答说，“我想不会。我的问题是我和你说话得不动嘴唇。”
“你干得很漂亮。”我说。
“我把女巫数过了，”她说，“没有你想得那么多。你说两百个是猜想的吧？”
“只是好像两百个。”我说。
“我也错了，”我姥姥说，“我以为英国的女巫总数要比这多得多。”
“这里一共多少？”我问道。
“八十四个。”她说。
“那么总数应该是八十五个，”我说，“有一个给火化了。”
这时候我看到布鲁诺的父亲詹金斯先生向我们的桌子走过来。“小心，姥姥，”我悄悄地说，“布鲁诺的爸爸来了！”
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
undone
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| a.未做完的，未完成的 | |
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perch
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| n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于 | |
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poke
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| n.刺，戳，袋；vt.拨开，刺，戳；vi.戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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halfway
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| adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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6
grilled
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| adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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7
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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clatter
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| v./n.(使)发出连续而清脆的撞击声 | |
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10
backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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gravy
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| n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快 | |
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spat
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| n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声 | |
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13
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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15
carving
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| n.雕刻品，雕花 | |
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16
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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18
swerving
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的现在分词 ) | |
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swerved
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| v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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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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calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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thigh
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| n.大腿；股骨 | |
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shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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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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awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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burrowed
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| v.挖掘（洞穴），挖洞( burrow的过去式和过去分词 )；翻寻 | |
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27
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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bustle
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| v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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33
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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35
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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puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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