Chapter 5 WILFRID IS MOST ANNOYING - AND ANNE IS MOST SURPRISING!

Chapter 5 WILFRID IS MOST ANNOYING - AND ANNE IS MOST SURPRISING!
Wilfrid brought back the pail to Anne, and dumped it down. 'Like to see my pet beetles²?' he said.
'No thank you,' said Anne. 'I don't like beetles very much.'
'Well, you ought to!' said Wilfrid. 'I've two very beautiful ones. You can hold them if you like.
Their tiny feet feel very queer when they walk all over your hand.'
'I don't mind beetles, but I don't WANT them walking over my hand,' said poor Anne, who really wasa bit afraid of what she called 'creepy-crawly' things. 'Do get out of my way, Wilfrid. If you had anymanners, you'd carry that pail indoors for me.'
'I haven't any manners,' said Wilfrid. 'Everybody tells me that. Anyway, I don't want to carry yourpail, if you don't want to see my beetles.'
'Oh go away!' said Anne, exasperated³, picking up the pail herself. Wilfrid went to a little thick bushand sat down by it. He put his face almost on the grass, and looked under the bush. Anne feltuncomfortable. Was he going to call his beetles out? She couldn't help putting down her pail, andstanding still to watch.
No beetles came out from under the bush - but something else did. A very large, awkward-lookingtoad came crawling out, and sat there, looking up at Wilfrid with the greatest friendliness⁵. Anne wasamazed. How did Wilfrid know the toad⁴ was there? And why in the world should it come out to seehim? She stood and stared - and shivered, because she really did not like toads⁶. 'I know they havebeautiful eyes, and are intelligent, and eat all kinds of harmful insects, but I just can't go near one!'
she thought. 'Oh goodness - Wilfrid's tickling⁷ its back - and it's scratching where he's tickled⁸ it - justlike we would!'
'Come and say how do you do to my pet toad,' called Wilfrid. 'I'll carry your pail for you then.'
Anne picked up her pail in a hurry, afraid that Wilfrid might whistle up a few snakes next. What aboy! How she wished the others would come back! Why, Wilfrid might own a boa constrictor -or have a small crocodile somewhere - or... but no, she was being silly! If only the others would comeback!
To her horror the toad crawled right on to Wilfrid's hand, and looked up at him out of its reallybeautiful eyes. That was too much for Anne. She fled into the cottage, spilling half the water as shewent.
20
'I wish I was like George,' she thought. 'She wouldn't really mind that toad. I'm silly. I ought to tryand like all creatures. Oh my goodness, look at that enormous spider in the corner of the sink!
It's sitting there, looking at me out of its eight eyes! Wilfrid, Wilfrid - PLEASE come and get thisspider out of the sink for me!'
Wilfrid sauntered in, fortunately without the toad. He held his hand out to the spider and made acurious clicking, ticking noise. The spider perked⁹ up at once, waved two curious little antennaeabout, and crawled across the sink to Wilfrid's hand. Anne shuddered¹⁰. She simply couldn't help it!
She shut her eyes, and when she opened them, the spider had gone and so had Wilfrid.
'I suppose he's now teaching it to dance, or something!' she thought, trying to make herself smile.
'I can't think how insects and animals and birds like him. I simply can't bear him. If I were a rabbit orbird or beetle¹, I'd run miles away from him. What's this curious attraction he has for creatures of allkinds?'
Wilfrid had completely disappeared, and Anne thankfully went on with her little jobs. 'I'll tidy up theloft where the boys will sleep,' she thought. 'I'll wash this living-room floor. I'll make a list of thethings in the larder¹¹. I'll clean that dirty window over there. I'll... good gracious, what's that noise?'
It was the sound of magpies¹³ chattering¹⁴ noisily - a harsh but pleasant noise. Anne peered out of thelittle cottage window. Well, what a sight! There stood Wilfrid in front of the window, a magpie¹² oneach outstretched hand - and one on the top of his head! It stood there, chattering loudly, and thenturned round and round, getting its feet mixed up in the boy's thick hair.
'Come out here and I'll tell one of my magpies to sit on your head too!' shouted Wilfrid. 'It's such anice feeling. Or would you like a young rabbit to cuddle? I can call one for you with my little pipe!'
'I don't want a magpie on my head,' said Anne, desperately¹⁵. 'For goodness sake get a nice little babyrabbit. I'd like that.'
Wilfrid jerked the magpies off his hands and shook his head violently so that the third one flew up,squawking cheerfully. He then sat down and pulled out his queer little whistle-pipe, as Anne called it.
She watched, fascinated, as the strange little dirge¹⁶ like tune¹⁷ came to her ears. She found her feetwalking to the door. Good gracious - could there be some peculiar¹⁸ kind of magic in that pipe thatmade her go to Wilfrid, just as the other creatures did?
21
She stopped at the door, just as a baby rabbit came lolloping round a tall clump¹⁹ of grass. It was thefunniest, roundest, dearest little thing, with a tiny bobtail and big ears.
It went straight to Wilfrid and nestled against him. The boy stroked it and murmured to it. Then hecalled to Anne softly.
'Well - here's the baby rabbit you asked for. Like to come and stroke it?'
Anne went softly over the grass, expecting the rabbit to bolt at once. Wilfrid continued to fondle it,and the little thing looked at him with big, unwinking eyes. Anne bent²⁰ down to stroke it - butimmediately it leapt in fright and fled into the grass.
'Oh dear - why did it do that?' said Anne, disappointed. 'It was quite all right with you! Wilfrid, howdo you get all these creatures to come to you?'
'Shan't tell you,' said Wilfrid, getting up. 'Is there anything to eat in the cottage? I'm hungry.'
He pushed Anne aside and went into the cottage. He opened the larder door, and took down a tin.
There was a cake inside and he cut off a huge piece. He didn't offer Anne any.
'Couldn't you have cut me a piece too?' said Anne. 'You really are a rude boy!'
'I like being rude,' said Wilfrid, munching²¹ his cake. 'Especially to people who come to my cottagewhen I don't want them.'
'Oh don't be so silly!' said Anne, exasperated. 'It isn't your cottage - it belongs to your grandmother.
She told us so. Anyway, you said we could stay if Timmy stayed too.'
'I'll soon make Timmy my dog,' said Wilfrid, taking another bite. 'You'll see! Soon he won't want thatgirl George any more - and he'll follow at my heels all day and night. You'll see!'
Anne laughed scornfully. Timmy following at this boy's heels? That could never happen! Timmyloved George with all his doggy heart. He would never desert her for Wilfrid no matter how much hewhistled on pipes, or put on his special croony voice. Anne was absolutely certain of that!
'If you laugh at me, I'll call up my grass snake and my adder²²!' said Wilfrid, fiercely. 'Then you'll runfor miles!'
'Oh no I won't!' said Anne, hurrying into the cottage. 'Just watch yourself run!'
She picked up the pail of water, went out with it, and threw it all over the astonished Wilfrid!
Somebody else was most astonished too - and that was Julian, who had arrived back before theothers, anxious not to leave Anne alone in the cottage for too long.
22
He came just in time to see Anne drenching²³ Wilfrid, and stared in the utmost amazement²⁴. Annebehaving like that? Anne looking really fierce - quiet, peaceful Anne! What in the world hadhappened?
'Anne!' he called. 'What's the matter? What's Wilfrid been doing?'
'Oh - Julian!' said Anne, glad to see him, but horrified²⁵ that he had come just then. Wilfrid wasdrenched from head to foot. He stood there, gasping²⁶, taken- aback, bewildered. Why, Anne hadseemed such a quiet, frightened little thing - scared even of a spider!
'That girl!' said Wilfrid, half-choking, shaking the water off himself. 'That bad, wicked girl! She's likea tiger! She sprang at me, and threw the water all over me! I won't let her stay in my cottage!'
The boy was so angry, so wet, so taken-aback, that Julian had to laugh! He roared in delight, andclapped Anne on the back. 'The mouse has turned into a tiger! Well, you said you might one day,Anne - and you haven't lost much time! Let me see if you've grown claws!'
He took Anne's hands and pretended to examine her nails. Anne was half-laughing, half-crying now,and pulled her hand away. 'Oh Julian! I shouldn't have soaked Wilfrid - but he was SOIRRITATING, I lost my temper, and...'
'All right, all right - it's quite a good thing to do sometimes,' said Julian. 'And I bet young Wilfriddeserved all he got. I only hope the water was icy cold! Have you a change of clothes here, Wilfrid?
Go and get into them, then.'
The boy stood there, dripping wet, and made no effort to obey. Julian spoke²⁷ again. 'You heard what Isaid, Wilfrid. Jump to it! Go and change!'
The boy looked so wet and miserable²⁸ that Anne felt suddenly sorry for what she had done. She ran tohim and felt his wet shoulders. 'Oh, I'm sorry!' she said. 'I truly am. I don't know why I turned into atiger so suddenly!'
Wilfrid gave a little half-laugh, half-sob. 'I'm sorry too,' he mumbled²⁹. 'You're nice - and your nose islike that baby rabbit's - it's - it's a bit woffly!'
He ran into the cottage and slammed the door. 'Let him be for a while,' said Julian, seeing that Annemade a move to go after him. 'This will do him good. Nothing like having a pail of cold water flungover you to make you see things as they really are! He was really touched when you said you weresorry. He's probably never apologized to anyone in his life!'
'Is my nose like a rabbit's?' said Anne, worried.
23
'Well, yes - just a bit,' said Julian, giving his sister an affectionate pat. 'But a rabbit's nose is very nice,you know - very nice indeed. I don't think you'll have much trouble with Wilfrid after this littleepisode. He didn't know that you had the heart of a tiger, as well as a nose like a rabbit's!'
Wilfrid came out of the cottage in about ten minutes, dressed in dry clothes, carrying his wet ones ina bundle. 'I'll hang those out on the bushes for you, to dry in the sun,' said Anne, and took them fromhim, smiling. He suddenly smiled back.
'Thanks,' he said. 'I don't know how they got so wet! Must have been pouring with rain!'
Julian chuckled³⁰ and smacked³¹ him gently on the back. 'Rain can do an awful lot of good at times!'
he said. 'Well, Anne, we've brought you back a whole lot of goods for your larder. Here come theothers. We'll carry everything in for you - with Wilfrid's help too!'

1 beetle   

n.甲虫，近视眼的人

参考例句：

• A firefly is a type of beetle.萤火虫是一种甲虫。
• He saw a shiny green beetle on a leaf.我看见树叶上有一只闪闪发光的绿色甲虫。

2 beetles   

n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Beetles bury pellets of dung and lay their eggs within them. 甲壳虫把粪粒埋起来，然后在里面产卵。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This kind of beetles have hard shell. 这类甲虫有坚硬的外壳。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

4 toad   

n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆

参考例句：

• Both the toad and frog are amphibian.蟾蜍和青蛙都是两栖动物。
• Many kinds of toad hibernate in winter.许多种蟾蜍在冬天都会冬眠。

5 friendliness   

n.友谊，亲切，亲密

参考例句：

• Behind the mask of friendliness,I know he really dislikes me.在友善的面具后面，我知道他其实并不喜欢我。
• His manner was a blend of friendliness and respect.他的态度友善且毕恭毕敬。

6 toads   

n.蟾蜍，癞蛤蟆( toad的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• All toads blink when they swallow. 所有的癞蛤蟆吞食东西时都会眨眼皮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Toads have shorter legs and are generally more clumsy than frogs. 蟾蜍比青蛙脚短，一般说来没有青蛙灵活。 来自辞典例句

7 tickling   

反馈，回授，自旋挠痒法

参考例句：

• Was It'spring tickling her senses? 是不是春意撩人呢？
• Its origin is in tickling and rough-and-tumble play, he says. 他说，笑的起源来自于挠痒痒以及杂乱无章的游戏。

8 tickled   

（使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐

参考例句：

• We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友，我们高兴极了。
• I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚，使她发笑。

9 perked   

（使）活跃( perk的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）增值； 使更有趣

参考例句：

• The recent demand for houses has perked up the prices. 最近对住房的需求使房价上涨了。
• You've perked up since this morning. 你今天上午精神就好多了。

10 shuddered   

v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动

参考例句：

• He slammed on the brakes and the car shuddered to a halt. 他猛踩刹车，车颤抖着停住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I shuddered at the sight of the dead body. 我一看见那尸体就战栗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 larder   

n.食物贮藏室，食品橱

参考例句：

• Please put the food into the larder.请将您地食物放进食物柜内。
• They promised never to raid the larder again.他们答应不再随便开食橱拿东西吃了。

12 magpie   

n.喜欢收藏物品的人，喜鹊，饶舌者

参考例句：

• Now and then a magpie would call.不时有喜鹊的叫声。
• This young man is really a magpie.这个年轻人真是饶舌。

13 magpies   

喜鹊（magpie的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They set forth chattering like magpies. 他们叽叽喳喳地出发了。
• James: besides, we can take some pied magpies home, for BBQ. 此外，我们还可以打些喜鹊回家，用来烧烤。

14 chattering   

n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The teacher told the children to stop chattering in class. 老师叫孩子们在课堂上不要叽叽喳喳讲话。
• I was so cold that my teeth were chattering. 我冷得牙齿直打战。

15 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

16 dirge   

n.哀乐，挽歌，庄重悲哀的乐曲

参考例句：

• She threw down her basket and intoned a peasant dirge.她撂下菜篮，唱起庄稼人的哀歌。
• The stranger,after listening for a moment,joined in the mournful dirge.听了一会儿后这个陌生人也跟著唱起了悲哀的挽歌。

17 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

18 peculiar   

adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的

参考例句：

• He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
• He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。

19 clump   

n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走

参考例句：

• A stream meandered gently through a clump of trees.一条小溪从树丛中蜿蜒穿过。
• It was as if he had hacked with his thick boots at a clump of bluebells.仿佛他用自己的厚靴子无情地践踏了一丛野风信子。

20 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

21 munching   

v.用力咀嚼（某物），大嚼( munch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was munching an apple. 他在津津有味地嚼着苹果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Munching the apple as he was, he had an eye for all her movements. 他虽然啃着苹果，但却很留神地监视着她的每一个动作。 来自辞典例句

22 adder   

n.蝰蛇；小毒蛇

参考例句：

• The adder is Britain's only venomous snake.蝰蛇是英国唯一的一种毒蛇。
• An adder attacked my father.一条小毒蛇攻击了我父亲。

23 drenching   

n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• A black cloudburst was drenching Siena at midday. 中午，一场天昏地暗的暴风雨在锡耶纳上空倒下来。 来自辞典例句
• A drenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheets along the ground. 一阵倾盆大雨泼下来了，越来越大的狂风把它顺着地面刮成了一片一片的雨幕。 来自辞典例句

24 amazement   

n.惊奇，惊讶

参考例句：

• All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
• He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。

25 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

26 gasping   

adj. 气喘的, 痉挛的 动词gasp的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was gasping for breath. 他在喘气。
• "Did you need a drink?""Yes, I'm gasping!” “你要喝点什么吗？”“我巴不得能喝点！”

27 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。

28 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

29 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

30 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

31 smacked   

拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He smacked his lips but did not utter a word. 他吧嗒两下嘴，一声也不言语。
• She smacked a child's bottom. 她打孩子的屁股。