The days passed.

 

Things were busy in the forest, both above and below. All the wives had eggs or young and all the husbands had their work cut out to provide food for their families. Every one attended to his business and took no heed¹ of his neighbour, except when he wanted to eat him.

 

The new animals had taken up their abode² on an island in the river.

 

This was because the lion had met them one day on the borders of the copsewood. He had got out of their way, as on the first occasion; but he had given them such a look that Mrs. Two-Legs trembled with fright:

 

“He’ll eat us one day,” she said. “I dare not sleep in the meadow again.”

 

Then Two-Legs discovered the little island and built a hut on it of branches and grass. Every day they waded³ through the river and went to gather fruit in the forest. At night they slept in their hut. The other animals had gradually all got used to them and spoke⁴ of them but seldom. Only the dog never forgot to run down to the river every morning to look across at the island and bark “Good morning!” to them. And the orang-outang slandered⁵ them wherever he went.

 

“Who minds what he says?” asked the stag. “They’re relations; and we all know what that means.”

 

 

2

One night, a child was born to the new animals.

 

“The Two-Legs have had a youngster,” said the sparrow, who went everywhere and always had some news to tell.

 

“Really! I must run and have a look at the baby,” said Mrs. Nightingale. “My eggs will keep warm for four or five minutes.”

 

“Mrs. Fox has gone there herself, so I can leave my goslings alone for a moment,” said the goose.

 

Down by the river was a huge number of visitors and enquirers.

 

All the wives had hurried from hearth

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点击收听单词发音  

1 heed
v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心
参考例句：
You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。 For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

2 abode
n.住处，住所
参考例句：
It was ten months before my father discovered his abode.父亲花了十个月的功夫，才好不容易打听到他的住处。 Welcome to our humble abode!欢迎光临寒舍！

3 waded
（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She tucked up her skirt and waded into the river. 她撩起裙子蹚水走进河里。 He waded into the water to push the boat out. 他蹚进水里把船推出来。

4 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。

5 slandered
造谣中伤( slander的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
She slandered him behind his back. 她在背地里对他造谣中伤。 He was basely slandered by his enemies. 他受到仇敌卑鄙的诋毁。

6 hearth
n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面
参考例句：
She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。 She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

7 mole
n.胎块；痣；克分子
参考例句：
She had a tiny mole on her cheek.她的面颊上有一颗小黑痣。 The young girl felt very self- conscious about the large mole on her chin.那位年轻姑娘对自己下巴上的一颗大痣感到很不自在。

8 mere
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。 It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

9 fawn
n.未满周岁的小鹿；v.巴结，奉承
参考例句：
A fawn behind the tree looked at us curiously.树后面一只小鹿好奇地看着我们。 He said you fawn on the manager in order to get a promotion.他说你为了获得提拔，拍经理的马屁。

10 mite
n.极小的东西；小铜币
参考例句：
The poor mite was so ill.可怜的孩子病得这么重。 He is a mite taller than I.他比我高一点点。

11 snugly
adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地
参考例句：
Jamie was snugly wrapped in a white woolen scarf. 杰米围着一条白色羊毛围巾舒适而暖和。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The farmyard was snugly sheltered with buildings on three sides. 这个农家院三面都有楼房，遮得很严实。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 pouch
n.小袋，小包，囊状袋；vt.装...入袋中，用袋运输；vi.用袋送信件
参考例句：
He was going to make a tobacco pouch out of them. 他要用它们缝制一个烟草袋。 The old man is always carrying a tobacco pouch with him.这老汉总是随身带着烟袋。

13 otter
n.水獭
参考例句：
The economists say the competition otter to the brink of extinction.经济学家们说，竞争把海獭推到了灭绝的边缘。 She collared my black wool coat with otter pelts.她把我的黑呢上衣镶上了水獭领。

14 wading
（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 )
参考例句：
The man tucked up his trousers for wading. 那人卷起裤子，准备涉水。 The children were wading in the sea. 孩子们在海水中走着。

15 gaping
adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大
参考例句：
Ahead of them was a gaping abyss. 他们前面是一个巨大的深渊。 The antelope could not escape the crocodile's gaping jaws. 那只羚羊无法从鱷鱼张开的大口中逃脱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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！”

17 snarling
v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说
参考例句：
"I didn't marry you," he said, in a snarling tone. “我没有娶你，"他咆哮着说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 So he got into the shoes snarling. 于是，汤姆一边大喊大叫，一边穿上了那双鞋。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险