Chapter 8 OFF TO THE LITTLE HUT

Chapter 8 OFF TO THE LITTLE HUT
Julian and Dick were so sleepy after their long day in the cold air, and their enormous meal, that theycould not keep their eyes open for long.
'Go to bed, both of you!' said Anne, seeing them lying tired out in their chairs, when Mrs. Jones hadcleared away everything.
'Yes. I think we'd better,' said Julian, staggering up. 'Oh, my legs! They're as stiff as sticks! Goodnight, you two girls, and Timmy. See you tomorrow - if we wake up!'
The two boys stumbled up the stone stairs to bed. George and Anne stayed downstairs, talking andreading. Timmy lay on the hearthrug, listening, his ears twitching¹ towards Anne when she spoke², andthen towards George as she answered. This little habit of his always made them laugh.
'It's exactly as if he was listening, but too lazy to join in our conversation!' said Anne. 'Oh, George - Ireally am glad you're not going home tomorrow. It would be the first time you'd ever done a thinglike that! I'd just have had to come with you!'
'Don't let's talk about it,' said George. 'I feel rather ashamed of making such a fuss now. All the sameI shall be terrified if I see any of those dogs again when I'm with Timmy. What a bit of luck the boyswent up to that hut today, Anne - we'd never have known about it if they hadn't.'
'Yes. It sounds fun,' said Anne. 'Don't let's be too late to bed, George. It will be quite a pull up themountainside tomorrow, with all our things!'
George went to the window.
'It's snowing hard,' she said. 'Just as Morgan said it would. I don't like him, do you?'
'Oh - I think he's all right,' said Anne. 'And what a voice he's got! He nearly made me jump out of myskin when he called his three dogs. He must have the loudest voice in the world!'
'Timmy - you're yawning!' said George, as Timmy opened his mouth widely and made a yawningnoise. 'How's your neck?'
33
Timmy was getting rather tired of having his neck examined. He lay still while George had anotherlook at it.
'Healing beautifully!' she said. 'You'll be quite all right tomorrow. Will you like going off to that hutall by ourselves, Tim?'
Timmy gave her a loving lick and yawned again. Then he got up and trotted³ over to the door that ledto the stone stairs, looking back enquiringly at George.
'Right. We're coming,' said George, laughing, and she and Anne blew out the lamp on the table, andfollowed Timmy up the stairs. They peeped in at the boys' room - and saw Julian and Dick absolutelysound asleep, dead to the world!
'A thunderstorm wouldn't wake them tonight!' said Anne. 'Come on - let's buck⁴ up and get into bedourselves. We've a nice wood-fire again, and I shall undress in front of it. Move over, Timmy, I wantto stand on the rug.'
In the morning the world was very white indeed! As Morgan had prophesied⁶, the snow had fallenthickly in the night, and everywhere was covered in a thick white blanket, that gleamed and sparkledin the weak January sun.
'This is something like!' said Dick, as he looked out of his bedroom window. 'Get up, Ju - it's amarvellous morning! Remember, we've got to take all our things up to that hut today! Do stiryourself!'
Mrs. Jones gave them a fine breakfast - eggs, bacon and sausages.
'It's the last hot meal you'll have, if you're going up to that hut,' she said. 'Though you'll be able tocook eggs in the little saucepan up there, if you set it on top of the oil-stove. And mind you don't getplaying about round that stove when it's alight, or the whole place might go up in flames!'
'We'll be very careful,' promised Julian. 'I'll send anyone back if they upset the stove - yes, I will, sojust look out, Timmy!'
'Woof!' said Tim, amiably⁷. He was pleasantly excited with all the preparations for going, and ransniffing from one parcel to another.
The children were not taking all their things, of course, but Mrs. Jones had made them pack acomplete change of clothes each, besides their warmest night-clothes and dressing-gowns. They hadtorches too, and plenty of rope for hauling things up and down the hills. And also they had 34six loaves of new-baked bread, a large cheese, about three dozen eggs and a ham. So they were trulywell provided for.
'And there's plenty of butter packed in with the loaves,' said Mrs. Jones, 'and a large pot of cream. I'lltry and send up some milk if the shepherd comes down. He'll pass the hut when he goes up again.
There's only a quart in that bottle there - but you'll find plenty of orangeade and lemonade in the hut -and you can boil snow if you want to make cocoa or tea!'
It was quite clear that Mrs. Jones had no idea how many times the Five had gone off on their own!
They smiled and winked⁸ at one another, and took all her advice in good part. She really was so kind,so very concerned about them all. She even packed some bones and dog biscuits for Timmy!
'Here's my Morgan now,' said Mrs. Jones, when every single thing had been put in a pile outside thefront door, toboggans and skis as well. 'He's brought his snow-slide with him, to take all your goods.'
The snow-slide was like a long, flat cart with runners instead of wheels - an elongated⁹ sleigh.
The children piled on to it all the parcels, and two suit-cases. They were all going to walk up as thesnow was not yet too thick. Timmy danced round in great excitement - though both he and Georgekept a wary¹⁰ eye out for the other dogs, and Timmy did not venture very far from George.
The giant like Morgan arrived, his breath puffing¹¹ before him like a smoke-cloud! He nodded at thechildren.
'Morning,' he said, and that was all. He took hold of the ropes at the front of the snow-slide and ranthem over his shoulders.
'I'll take one,' said Julian. 'It's much too heavy for one person to pull!'
'Ha!' said Morgan, scornfully, and walked off with the two ropes over his shoulder. The snow-slidefollowed easily.
'Strong as a horse, my Morgan is,' said old Mrs. Jones, proudly.
'Strong as ten horses!' said Julian, wishing he was as big and as strong as the broad-shoulderedfarmer.
George said nothing. She hadn't yet forgiven the farmer for being scornful about Timmy's bite theday before. She followed the others, carrying her skis, and waved to kind old Mrs. Jones as she stoodanxiously watching them leave.
35
It seemed a long trek¹² up the mountainside, when things had to be pulled or carried! Morgan wentfirst, pulling the big snow-slide easily. Julian went next, pulling a toboggan and carrying his skis.
Dick was next with another toboggan and skis, and the girls came last with their skis only.
Timmy ran at the front or the back as he liked, enjoying everything.
Morgan said nothing at all. Julian addressed a few polite remarks to him, and received a grunt¹³ inreply, but that was all. He looked curiously¹⁴ at the great, strong fellow, wondering about him and hissilence. He looked intelligent and even kindly¹⁵ - but he seemed so dour⁵ and rough in his manners andbehaviour! Oh well - they would soon say good-bye to him and be on their own!
They came at last to the little hut. The girls ran ahead to it, exclaiming in delight. George lookedthrough the windows.
'Oh - it's a proper little house inside! Oh, look at those bunks¹⁶ on the walls! And there's even a carpeton the floor! Quick, Julian, where's the key?'
'Morgan's got it,' said Julian, and they all stood by and waited while Morgan unlocked the door forthem.
'Thanks so much for helping¹⁷ to bring up our things,' said Julian, politely. 'Awfully¹⁸ good of you.'
Morgan grunted¹⁹, but looked pleased.
'Shepherd comes by at times,' he said, in his great deep voice, and the Five felt quite surprised to hearhim saying even a short sentence to them! 'He'll take messages for you if you so want.'
And with that he set off down the hill back to the farm, with enormous, swinging steps, like a giantfrom an old-time tale.
'He's queer,' said Anne, looking after him. 'I don't know if I like him or not.'
'What does it matter?' said Dick. 'Come on, Anne, old girl, give a hand. There's plenty to do.
What about you and George seeing what blankets and things are in those cupboards, and making upsome beds for tonight.'
Anne loved that kind of thing, though George didn't. She would much rather have carried in thethings as the boys were doing. But she went to the cupboards with Anne, and examined all theircontents with much interest.
'Plenty of rugs and blankets and pillows,' said Anne. 'And enough china and cutlery for half a dozenfamilies too! I suppose old Mrs. Jones has dozens of people here in the summer! George, I'll put thefood away, if you'll see to the beds.'
36
'Right,' said George, and went to make up four of the bunk-beds. There were six of these altogether,in rows of three - three on one wall, three on another, one above the other. George was soonstruggling with blankets and pillows, while Anne set out the food they had brought with them,arranging it neatly²⁰ on the cupboard shelves. Then she went to look at the stove to see if it had oil in it,for it would be very cold that night.
'Yes, it's full,' she said. 'I'll light it tonight, because I expect we'll be out as long as it's daylight, won'twe, Dick?'
'Rather!' said Dick, unpacking²¹ some of the things out of his suit-case. 'By the way, there's a littlewooden bunker outside, with a can of extra oil and an enamel²² jug²³. I suppose the jug's for fetchingwater from some spring or other in the summer-time - but we can easily melt snow for water.
Will you two girls be long, Anne?'
'No. We've almost finished,' said Anne. 'Do you want something to eat before we go? Or shall wetake some bread and ham with us, and have a good meal when we come back?'
'Oh, take some sandwiches,' said Julian. 'I don't want to stop for a meal. Besides, we can't be hungryyet. Make sandwiches, Anne - and we'll take some of those apples with us too!'
The sandwiches were quickly made, and the boys filled their pockets with apples. Timmy dancedround in delight.
'You won't be quite so pleased, Tim, when you find yourself in deep snow!' said Dick. 'I wonder ifhe'll like travelling down the hill on a toboggan, George!'
'Oh, he'll love it!' said George. 'Won't you, Tim? Are we ready? Well, lock the door, Ju, and off we'llgo!'

1 twitching   

n.颤搐

参考例句：

• The child in a spasm kept twitching his arms and legs. 那个害痉挛的孩子四肢不断地抽搐。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My eyelids keep twitching all the time. 我眼皮老是跳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。

3 trotted   

小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走

参考例句：

• She trotted her pony around the field. 她骑着小马绕场慢跑。
• Anne trotted obediently beside her mother. 安妮听话地跟在妈妈身边走。

4 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

5 dour   

adj.冷酷的，严厉的；（岩石）嶙峋的；顽强不屈

参考例句：

• They were exposed to dour resistance.他们遭受到顽强的抵抗。
• She always pretends to be dour,in fact,she's not.她总表现的不爱讲话，事实却相反。

6 prophesied   

v.预告，预言( prophesy的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She prophesied that she would win a gold medal. 她预言自己将赢得金牌。
• She prophesied the tragic outcome. 她预言有悲惨的结果。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 amiably   

adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地

参考例句：

• She grinned amiably at us. 她咧着嘴向我们亲切地微笑。
• Atheists and theists live together peacefully and amiably in this country. 无神论者和有神论者在该国和睦相处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 winked   

v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮

参考例句：

• He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼，她便知道他的想法和她一样。
• He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 elongated   

v.延长，加长( elongate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Modigliani's women have strangely elongated faces. 莫迪里阿尼画中的妇女都长着奇长无比的脸。
• A piece of rubber can be elongated by streching. 一块橡皮可以拉长。 来自《用法词典》

10 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

11 puffing   

v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧

参考例句：

• He was puffing hard when he jumped on to the bus. 他跳上公共汽车时喘息不已。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My father sat puffing contentedly on his pipe. 父亲坐着心满意足地抽着烟斗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 trek   

vi.作长途艰辛的旅行；n.长途艰苦的旅行

参考例句：

• We often go pony-trek in the summer.夏季我们经常骑马旅行。
• It took us the whole day to trek across the rocky terrain.我们花了一整天的时间艰难地穿过那片遍布岩石的地带。

13 grunt   

v.嘟哝；作呼噜声；n.呼噜声，嘟哝

参考例句：

• He lifted the heavy suitcase with a grunt.他咕噜着把沉重的提箱拎了起来。
• I ask him what he think,but he just grunt.我问他在想什麽，他只哼了一声。

14 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

15 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

16 bunks   

n.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的名词复数 )；空话，废话v.（车、船等倚壁而设的）铺位( bunk的第三人称单数 )；空话，废话

参考例句：

• These bunks can tip up and fold back into the wall. 这些铺位可以翻起来并折叠收入墙内。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• At last they turned into their little bunks in the cart. 最后他们都钻进车内的小卧铺里。 来自辞典例句

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

19 grunted   

（猪等）作呼噜声( grunt的过去式和过去分词 )； （指人）发出类似的哼声； 咕哝着说

参考例句：

• She just grunted, not deigning to look up from the page. 她只咕哝了一声，继续看书，不屑抬起头来看一眼。
• She grunted some incomprehensible reply. 她咕噜着回答了些令人费解的话。

20 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

21 unpacking   

n.取出货物，拆包[箱]v.从（包裹等）中取出（所装的东西），打开行李取出( unpack的现在分词 )；拆包；解除…的负担；吐露（心事等）

参考例句：

• Joe sat on the bed while Martin was unpacking. 马丁打开箱子取东西的时候，乔坐在床上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They are unpacking a trunk. 他们正在打开衣箱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 enamel   

n.珐琅，搪瓷，瓷釉；(牙齿的)珐琅质

参考例句：

• I chipped the enamel on my front tooth when I fell over.我跌倒时门牙的珐琅质碰碎了。
• He collected coloured enamel bowls from Yugoslavia.他藏有来自南斯拉夫的彩色搪瓷碗。

23 jug   

n.(有柄，小口，可盛水等的)大壶，罐，盂

参考例句：

• He walked along with a jug poised on his head.他头上顶着一个水罐，保持着平衡往前走。
• She filled the jug with fresh water.她将水壶注满了清水。