Jayfeather shifted uncomfortably on the bareearth. How was any cat supposed to sleep without a proper nest? But Leafpool had kept him so busy the day before that there had been no time to search for fresh moss¹. “It’ll do the den² good to be aired out,” Leafpool had said. Huh!Jayfeather wriggled³ again, feeling a cold dawn wind ruffle⁴ his pelt⁵.

The sound of a cat brushing past the bramble screen brought him properly awake. He picked up Leafpool’s scent⁶, and the smell of the moss she carried in her jaw⁷. At last! But why didn’t she ask me to help?Jayfeather’s paws itched⁸ with irritation⁹ that Leafpool seemed determined¹⁰ to do even the most basic tasks without him. Does she think I’m too incompetent¹¹ even to carry moss?

But there was no point in protesting. Jayfeather stumbled out of the scoop¹² where his nest should have been and helped Leafpool arrange the moss near the trickle¹³ of water, where sick cats slept.

“Do you want me to fetch more?” he offered.

His mentor

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1 moss
n.苔，藓，地衣
参考例句：
Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。 He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 den
n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室
参考例句：
There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。 The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。

3 wriggled
v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等）
参考例句：
He wriggled uncomfortably on the chair. 他坐在椅子上不舒服地扭动着身体。 来自《简明英汉词典》 A snake wriggled across the road. 一条蛇蜿蜒爬过道路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 ruffle
v.弄皱，弄乱；激怒，扰乱；n.褶裥饰边
参考例句：
Don't ruffle my hair.I've just combed it.别把我的头发弄乱了。我刚刚梳好了的。 You shouldn't ruffle so easily.你不该那么容易发脾气。

5 pelt
v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火
参考例句：
The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。 Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

6 scent
n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉
参考例句：
The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。 The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

7 jaw
n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训
参考例句：
He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。 A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

8 itched
v.发痒( itch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Seeing the children playing ping-pong, he itched to have a go. 他看到孩子们打乒乓，不觉技痒。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 He could hardly sIt'still and itched to have a go. 他再也坐不住了，心里跃跃欲试。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 irritation
n.激怒，恼怒，生气
参考例句：
He could not hide his irritation that he had not been invited.他无法掩饰因未被邀请而生的气恼。 Barbicane said nothing,but his silence covered serious irritation.巴比康什么也不说，但是他的沉默里潜伏着阴郁的怒火。

10 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 incompetent
adj.无能力的，不能胜任的
参考例句：
He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。 He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

12 scoop
n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出
参考例句：
In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。 Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。

13 trickle
vi.淌，滴，流出，慢慢移动，逐渐消散
参考例句：
The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。 The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。

14 mentor
n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导
参考例句：
He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。 He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

15 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。

16 belly
n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛
参考例句：
The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。 His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

17 clan
n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派
参考例句：
She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。 The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

18 kit
n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物
参考例句：
The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。 The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

19 kits
衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件
参考例句：
Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。 Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

20 darted
v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect. 蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The old man was displeased and darted an angry look at me. 老人不高兴了，瞪了我一眼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 strand
vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）
参考例句：
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。 The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

22 stifling
a.令人窒息的
参考例句：
The weather is stifling. It looks like rain. 今天太闷热，光景是要下雨。 We were stifling in that hot room with all the windows closed. 我们在那间关着窗户的热屋子里，简直透不过气来。

23 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。

24 hiss
v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满
参考例句：
We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。 Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

25 flea
n.跳蚤
参考例句：
I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。 Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

26 fleas
n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）
参考例句：
The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。 Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 apprentice
n.学徒，徒弟
参考例句：
My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。 The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

28 apprentices
学徒，徒弟( apprentice的名词复数 )
参考例句：
They were mere apprentices to piracy. 他们干海盗仅仅是嫩角儿。 He has two good apprentices working with him. 他身边有两个好徒弟。

29 underneath
adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面
参考例句：
Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。 She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

30 stunned
adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句：
The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。 The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

31 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》

32 twig
n.小树枝，嫩枝；v.理解
参考例句：
He heard the sharp crack of a twig.他听到树枝清脆的断裂声。 The sharp sound of a twig snapping scared the badger away.细枝突然折断的刺耳声把獾惊跑了。

33 infested
adj.为患的，大批滋生的（常与with搭配）v.害虫、野兽大批出没于( infest的过去式和过去分词 )；遍布于
参考例句：
The kitchen was infested with ants. 厨房里到处是蚂蚁。 The apartments were infested with rats and roaches. 公寓里面到处都是老鼠和蟑螂。

34 pricked
刺，扎，戳( prick的过去式和过去分词 )； 刺伤； 刺痛； 使剧痛
参考例句：
The cook pricked a few holes in the pastry. 厨师在馅饼上戳了几个洞。 He was pricked by his conscience. 他受到良心的谴责。

35 weird
adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的
参考例句：
From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。 His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

36 tingle
vi.感到刺痛，感到激动；n.刺痛，激动
参考例句：
The music made my blood tingle.那音乐使我热血沸腾。 The cold caused a tingle in my fingers.严寒使我的手指有刺痛感。

37 muddled
adj.混乱的；糊涂的；头脑昏昏然的v.弄乱，弄糟( muddle的过去式)；使糊涂；对付，混日子
参考例句：
He gets muddled when the teacher starts shouting. 老师一喊叫他就心烦意乱。 I got muddled up and took the wrong turning. 我稀里糊涂地拐错了弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

38 crunched
v.嘎吱嘎吱地咬嚼( crunch的过去式和过去分词 )；嘎吱作响；（快速大量地）处理信息；数字捣弄
参考例句：
Our feet crunched on the frozen snow. 我们的脚嘎吱嘎吱地踩在冻雪上。 来自《简明英汉词典》 He closed his jaws on the bones and crunched. 他咬紧骨头，使劲地嚼。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命

39 tugged
v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。 A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

40 gathering
n.集会，聚会，聚集
参考例句：
He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。 He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。