XX CATCHING FLIES

 

 

After his children were grown up Reddy Woodpecker had plenty of time to wander about and see all the sights in Pleasant Valley. He had often heard that one of the most curious sights was an odd person known as Ferdinand Frog. So one day Reddy flew down to Black Creek¹, where this nimble gentleman lived.

 

Unseen by Mr. Frog, Reddy Woodpecker clung to an old stump² that leaned over the water, as if it wanted to enjoy a swim but didn't quite dare take the first plunge³. Keeping most of himself hidden, Reddy peeped around the stump and watched Ferdinand Frog as he sat on a flat rock near the bank and caught flies.

 

Mr. Frog was an expert at that sport. Whenever a fly ventured near enough to him his long tongue darted⁴ out of his wide mouth so quickly you could hardly see it. And it darted back again just as fast, bearing the fly upon the end of it.

 

"I don't see how he spears 'em like that," thought Reddy Woodpecker, "with nothing but air behind them." Mr. Frog's knack⁵ was so unusual that at last Reddy Woodpecker couldn't keep silent any longer.

 

So he called to Mr. Frog, "How do you do——"

 

"I'm very well, thank you!" cried Ferdinand Frog instantly. "How are you?"

 

Reddy Woodpecker had to explain that Mr. Frog hadn't understood him.

 

"What I was going to ask you," he said, "was not 'How do you do?' It was 'How do you do that?'"

 

"That what?" Ferdinand Frog inquired.

 

"How do you spear flies with your tongue when they're in the air?" Reddy Woodpecker asked. "I can spear grubs and things with my tongue when they're on a tree. And I can catch flies in my mouth when I'm flying. But I've never learned your trick."

 

"I don't spear flies," said Mr. Frog.

 

Of course Reddy Woodpecker thought that Mr. Frog had told a whopper. Hadn't he been watching him?

 

"I don't spear flies with my tongue," Ferdinand Frog went on. "My tongue is sticky. When it touches a fly, he's caught. It's very simple."

 

"That's an elegant way to catch 'em," Reddy remarked.

 

"Yes," said Mr. Frog; "and that's an elegant suit you're wearing. Would you mind if I copied it? You know, I'm the well known tailor of Pleasant Valley. And I'm always on the lookout⁶ for something different. Your clothes are different from any I've ever seen before. I dare say they'll become quite fashionable in about ten years."

 

Well, Reddy Woodpecker didn't know whether to be angry or pleased. He had heard that Mr. Frog was queer. But he hadn't supposed Mr. Frog could be as queer as he seemed.

 

"You may copy my suit if you wish," Reddy blurted⁷ at last.

 

"Good!" the tailor exclaimed. "Come with me to my shop and I'll make some notes."

 

This was more than Reddy Woodpecker cared to do. "I won't!" he said flatly.

 

"Tut! Tut!" cried Mr. Frog. "You promised I might copy your suit. You mustn't break your promise."

 

"I'm not going inside any shop," Reddy declared very firmly.

 

"Of course not!" said Mr. Frog. "I'll go inside. You can stay outside. And I'll look you over through the doorway⁸ and jot⁹ down what I need."

 

"All right!" said Reddy Woodpecker.

 

So Mr. Frog leaped ashore¹⁰ and gayly led the way to his shop near-by.

 

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

3 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

4 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》

5 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

6 lookout   

n.注意，前途，瞭望台

参考例句：

• You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
• It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。

7 blurted   

v.突然说出，脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止，她已脱口而出。
• He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相，说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

9 jot   

n.少量；vi.草草记下；vt.匆匆写下

参考例句：

• I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来，免得忘了。
• There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。

10 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。