Chapter Eight WHAT HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT

Chapter Eight WHAT HAPPENED ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT
　　IT was great fun on Christmas morning. The children awoke early and tumbled out of bed to look atthe presents that were stacked on chairs near by. Squeals¹ and yells of delight came from everyone.
　　'Oh! a railway station! Just what I wanted! Who gave me this marvellous station?'
　　'A new doll - with eyes that shut! I shall call her Betsy-May. She looks just like a Betsy-May!'
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　　'I say - what a whopping great book - all about aeroplanes. From Aunt Fanny! How decent of her!'
　　'Timothy! Look what Julian has given you - a collar with big brass² studs all round - you will begrand. Go and lick him to say thank you!'
　　'Who's this from? I say, who gave me this? Where's the label? Oh - from Mr. Roland. How decent ofhim! Look, Julian, a pocket-knife with three blades!'
　　So the cries and exclamations³ went on, and the four excited children and the equally-excited dogspent a glorious hour before a late Christmas breakfast, opening all kinds and shapes of parcels.
　　The bedrooms were in a fine mess when the children had finished!
　　'Who gave you that book about dogs, George?' asked Julian, seeing rather a nice dog-book lying onGeorge's pile.
　　'Mr. Roland,' said George, rather shortly. Julian wondered if George was going to accept it. He ratherthought she wouldn't. But the little girl, defiant⁵ and obstinate⁶ as she was, had made up her mind not tospoil Christmas Day by being 'difficult'. So, when the others thanked the tutor for their things she tooadded her thanks, though in rather a stiff little voice.
　　George had not given the tutor anything, but the others had, and Mr. Roland thanked them all veryheartily, appearing to be very pleased indeed. He told Anne that her Christmas card was the nicest hehad ever had, and she beamed at him with joy.
　　'Well, I must say it's nice to be here for Christmas!' said Mr. Roland, when he and the others weresitting round a loaded Christmas table, at the mid-day dinner. 'Shall I carve for you, Mr.
　　Quentin? I'm good at that!'
　　Uncle Quentin handed him the carving⁷ knife and fork gladly. 'It's nice to have you here,' he saidwarmly. 'I must say you've settled in well - I'm sure we all feel as if we've known you for ages!'
　　It really was a jolly Christmas Day. There were no lessons, of course, and there were to be none thenext day either. The children gave themselves up to the enjoyment⁸ of eating a great deal, suckingsweets, and looking forward to the lighting⁹ of the Christmas tree.
　　It looked beautiful when the candles were lighted. They twinkled in the darkness of the hall, and thebright ornaments¹⁰ shone and glowed. Tim sat and looked at it, quite entranced.
　　'He likes it as much as we do,' said George. And indeed Tim had enjoyed the whole day just as muchas any of the children.
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　　They were all tired out when they went to bed. 'I shan't be long before I'm asleep,' yawned Anne.
　　'Oh, George - it's been fun, hasn't it? I did like the Christmas tree.'
　　'Yes, it's been lovely,' said George, jumping into bed. 'Here comes Mother to say good night.
　　Basket, Tim, basket!'
　　Tim leapt into his basket by the window. He was always there when George's mother came in to saygood night to the girls but as soon as she had gone downstairs, the dog took a flying leap and landedon George's bed. There he slept, his head curled round her feet.
　　'Don't you think Tim ought to sleep downstairs tonight?' said George's mother. 'Joanna says he atesuch an enormous meal in the kitchen that she is sure he will be sick.'
　　'Oh no, Mother!' said George, at once. 'Make Tim sleep downstairs on Christmas night?
　　Whatever would he think?'
　　'Oh, very well,' said her mother, with a laugh. 'I might have known it was useless to suggest it.
　　Now go to sleep quickly, Anne and George - it's late and you are all tired.'
　　She went into the boys' room and said good night to them too. They were almost asleep.
　　Two hours later everyone else was in bed. The house was still and dark. George and Anne sleptpeacefully in their small beds. Timothy slept too, lying heavily on George's feet.
　　Suddenly George awoke with a jump. Tim was growling¹¹ softly! He had raised his big shaggy headand George knew that he was listening.
　　'What is it, Tim?' she whispered. Anne did not wake. Tim went on growling softly. George sat up andput her hand on his collar to stop him. She knew that if he awoke her father, he would be cross.
　　Timothy stopped growling now that he had roused George. The girl sat and wondered what to do. Itwasn't any good waking Anne. The little girl would be frightened. Why was Tim growling?
　　He never did that at night!
　　'Perhaps I'd better go and see if everything is all right,' thought George. She was quite fearless, andthe thought of creeping through the still, dark house did not disturb her at all. Besides she had Tim!
　　Who could be afraid with Tim beside them!
　　She slipped on her dressing-gown. 'Perhaps a log has fallen out of one of the fire-places and a rug isburning,' she thought, sniffing¹² as she went down the stairs. ‘It would be just like Tim to smell it andwarn us!'
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　　With her hand on Tim's head to warn him to be quite quiet, George crept softly through the hall to thesitting-room. The fire was quite all right there, just a red glow. In the kitchen all was peace too. Tim'sfeet made a noise there, as his claws rattled¹³ against the linoleum¹⁴.
　　A slight sound came from the other side of the house. Tim growled¹⁵ quite loudly, and the hairs on theback of his neck rose up. George stood still. Could it possibly be burglars?
　　Suddenly Timothy shook himself free from her fingers and leapt across the hall, down a passage, andinto the study beyond! There was the sound of an exclamation⁴, and a noise as if someone was fallingover.
　　'It is a burglar!' said George, and she ran to the study. She saw a torch shining on the floor, droppedby someone who was even now struggling with Tim.
　　George switched on the light, and then looked with the greatest astonishment¹⁶ into the study. Mr.
　　Roland was there in his dressing-gown, rolling on the floor, trying to get away from Timothy, who,although not biting him, was holding him firmly by his dressing-gown.
　　'Oh - it's you, George! Call your beastly dog off!' said Mr. Roland, in a low and angry voice. 'Do youwant to rouse all the household?'
　　'Why are you creeping about with a torch?' demanded George.
　　'I heard a noise down here, and came to see what it was,' said Mr. Roland, sitting up and trying tofend off the angry dog. 'For goodness' sake, call your beast off.'
　　'Why didn't you put on the light?' asked George, not attempting to take Tim away. She was verymuch enjoying the sight of an angry and frightened Mr. Roland.
　　'I couldn't find it,' said the tutor. 'It's on the wrong side of the door, as you see.'
　　This was true. The switch was an awkward one to find if you didn't know it. Mr. Roland tried to pushTim away again, and the dog suddenly barked.
　　'Well - he'll wake everyone!' said the tutor, angrily. 'I didn't want to rouse the house. I thought I couldfind out for myself if there was anyone about - a burglar perhaps. Here comes your father!'
　　George's father appeared, carrying a large poker¹⁷. He stood still in astonishment when he saw Mr.
　　Roland on the ground and Timothy standing¹⁸ over him.
　　'What's all this?' he exclaimed. Mr. Roland tried to get up, but Tim would not let him. George's fathercalled to him sternly.
　　'Tim! Come here, sir!'
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　　Timothy glanced at George to see if his mistress agreed with her father's command. She said nothing.
　　So Timothy took no notice of the order and merely made a snap at Mr. Roland's ankles.
　　'That dog's mad!' said Mr. Roland, from the floor. 'He's already bitten me once before, and now he'strying to do it again!'
　　'Tim! Will you come here, sir!' shouted George's father. 'George, that dog is really disobedient.
　　Call him off at once.'
　　'Come here, Tim!' said George, in a low voice. The dog at once came to her, standing by her sidewith the hairs on his neck still rising up stiffly. He growled softly as if to say, 'Be careful, Mr.
　　Roland, be careful!'
　　The tutor got up. He was very angry indeed. He spoke¹⁹ to George's father.
　　'I heard some sort of a noise and came down with my torch to see what it was,' he said. 'I thought itcame from your study, and knowing you kept your valuable books and instruments here, I wonderedif some thief was about. I had just got down, and into the room, when that dog appeared fromsomewhere and got me down on the ground! George came along too, and would not call him off.'
　　'I can't understand your behaviour, George; I really can't,' said her father, angrily. 'I hope you are notgoing to behave stupidly, as you used to behave before your cousins came last summer. And what isthis I hear about Tim biting Mr. Roland before?'
　　'George had him under the table during lessons,' said Mr. Roland. 'I didn't know that, and when Istretched out my legs, they touched Tim, and he bit me. I didn't tell you before, sir, because I didn'twant to trouble you. Both George and the dog have tried to annoy me ever since I have been here.'
　　'Well, Tim must go outside and live in the kennel,' said George's father. 'I won't have him in thehouse. It will be a punishment for him, and a punishment for you too, George. I will not have thiskind of behaviour. Mr. Roland has been extremely kind to you all.'
　　'I won't let Tim live outside,' said George furiously. 'It's such cold weather, and it would simply breakhis heart.'
　　'Well, his heart must be broken then,' said her father. 'It will depend entirely²⁰ on your behaviour fromnow on whether Tim is allowed in the house at all these holidays. I shall ask Mr. Roland each dayhow you have behaved. If you have a bad report, then Tim stays outside. Now you know! Go back tobed but first apologize to Mr. Roland!'
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　　'I won't!' said George, and choked by feelings of anger and dismay, she tore out of the room and upthe stairs. The two men stared after her.
　　'Let her be,' said Mr. Roland. 'She's a very difficult child - and has made up her mind not to like me,that's quite plain. But I shall be very glad, sir, to know that that dog isn't in the house. I'm not at allcertain that Georgina wouldn't set him on me, if she could!'
　　'I'm sorry about all this,' said George's father. 'I wonder what the noise was that you heard - a logfalling in the grate I expect. Now - what am I to do about that tiresome²¹ dog tonight? Go and take himoutside, I suppose!'
　　'Leave him tonight,' said Mr. Roland. 'I can hear noises upstairs - the others are awake by now!
　　Don't let's make any more disturbance²² tonight.'
　　'Perhaps you are right,' said George's father, thankfully. He didn't at all want to tackle a defiant littlegirl and an angry big dog in the middle of a cold night!
　　The two men went to bed and slept. George did not sleep. The others had been awake when she gotupstairs, and she had told them what had happened.
　　'George! You really are an idiot!' said Dick. 'After all, why shouldn't Mr. Roland go down if he hearda noise! You went down! Now we shan't have darling old Tim in the house this cold weather!'
　　Anne began to cry. She didn't like hearing that the tutor she liked so much had been knocked downby Tim, and she hated hearing that Tim was to be punished.
　　'Don't be a baby,' said George. 'I'm not crying, and it's my dog!'
　　But, when everyone had settled down again in bed, and slept peacefully, George's pillow was verywet indeed. Tim crept up beside her and licked the salt tears off her cheek. He whined²³ softly. Timwas always unhappy when his little mistress was sad.

1 squeals   

n.长而尖锐的叫声( squeal的名词复数 )v.长声尖叫，用长而尖锐的声音说( squeal的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• There was an outburst of squeals from the cage. 铁笼子里传来一阵吱吱的叫声。 来自英汉文学
• There were squeals of excitement from the children. 孩子们兴奋得大声尖叫。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 exclamations   

n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词

参考例句：

• The visitors broke into exclamations of wonder when they saw the magnificent Great Wall. 看到雄伟的长城，游客们惊叹不已。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After the will has been read out, angry exclamations aroused. 遗嘱宣读完之后，激起一片愤怒的喊声。 来自辞典例句

4 exclamation   

n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词

参考例句：

• He could not restrain an exclamation of approval.他禁不住喝一声采。
• The author used three exclamation marks at the end of the last sentence to wake up the readers.作者在文章的最后一句连用了三个惊叹号，以引起读者的注意。

5 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

6 obstinate   

adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的

参考例句：

• She's too obstinate to let anyone help her.她太倔强了，不会让任何人帮她的。
• The trader was obstinate in the negotiation.这个商人在谈判中拗强固执。

7 carving   

n.雕刻品，雕花

参考例句：

• All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
• He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。

8 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

9 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

10 ornaments   

n.装饰( ornament的名词复数 )；点缀；装饰品；首饰v.装饰，点缀，美化( ornament的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The shelves were chock-a-block with ornaments. 架子上堆满了装饰品。
• Playing the piano sets up resonance in those glass ornaments. 一弹钢琴那些玻璃饰物就会产生共振。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

12 sniffing   

n.探查法v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的现在分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说

参考例句：

• We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing. 我们都感冒了，一个劲地抽鼻子，打喷嚏。
• They all had colds and were sniffing and sneezing. 他们都伤风了，呼呼喘气而且打喷嚏。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

14 linoleum   

n.油布，油毯

参考例句：

• They mislaid the linoleum.他们把油毡放错了地方。
• Who will lay the linoleum?谁将铺设地板油毡？

15 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》

16 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

17 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

18 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。

19 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

20 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

21 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

22 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

23 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