The Burgess Animal Book for Children
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CHAPTER XV Two Unlike Little Cousins

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 Whitefoot the Wood Mouse is one of the smallest of the little people who live in the Green Forest. Being so small he is one of the most timid. You see, by day and by night sharp eyes are watching for Whitefoot and he knows it. Never one single instant, while he is outside where sharp eyes of hungry enemies may see him, does he forget that they are watching for him. To forget even for one little minute might mean—well, it might mean the end of little Whitefoot, but a dinner for some one with a liking1 for tender Mouse.
 
So Whitefoot the Wood Mouse rarely ventures more than a few feet from a hiding place and safety. At the tiniest sound he starts nervously2 and often darts3 back into hiding without waiting to find out if there really is any danger. If he waited to make sure he might wait too long, and it is better to be safe than sorry. If you and I had as many real frights in a year, not to mention false frights, as Whitefoot has in a day, we would, I suspect, lose our minds. Certainly we would be the most unhappy people in all the Great World.
 
But Whitefoot isn't unhappy. Not a bit of it. He is a very happy little fellow. There is a great deal of wisdom in that pretty little head of his. There is more real sense in it than in some very big heads. When some of his neighbors make fun of him for being so very, very timid he doesn't try to pretend that he isn't afraid. He doesn't get angry. He simply says:
 
“Of course I'm timid, very timid indeed. I'm afraid of almost everything. I would be foolish not to be. It is because I am afraid that I am alive and happy right now. I hope I shall never be less timid than I am now, for it would mean that sooner or later I would fail to run in time and would be gobbled up. It isn't cowardly to be timid when there is danger all around. Nor is it bravery to take a foolish and needless risk. So I seldom go far from home. It isn't safe for me, and I know it.”
 
This being the way Whitefoot looked at matters, you can guess how he felt when Chatterer the Red Squirrel caught sight of him and gave him Old Mother Nature's message.
 
“Hi there, Mr. Fraidy!” shouted Chatterer, as he caught sight of Whitefoot darting4 under a log. “Hi there! I've got a message for you!”
 

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 liking mpXzQ5     
n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢
参考例句：
  • The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
  • I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。
2 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地，不安地
参考例句：
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇，努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
3 darts b1f965d0713bbf1014ed9091c7778b12     
n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
  • His darts trophy takes pride of place on the mantelpiece. 他将掷镖奖杯放在壁炉顶上最显著的地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I never saw so many darts in a bodice! 我从没见过紧身胸衣上纳了这么多的缝褶！ 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 darting darting     
v.投掷，投射( dart的现在分词 )；向前冲，飞奔
参考例句：
  • Swallows were darting through the clouds. 燕子穿云急飞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Swallows were darting through the air. 燕子在空中掠过。 来自辞典例句
5 poked 87f534f05a838d18eb50660766da4122     
v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交
参考例句：
  • She poked him in the ribs with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘顶他的肋部。
  • His elbow poked out through his torn shirt sleeve. 他的胳膊从衬衫的破袖子中露了出来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 heed ldQzi     
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。
7 hawk NeKxY     
n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员
参考例句：
  • The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
  • The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。
8 pussy x0dzA     
n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪
参考例句：
  • Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
  • The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。
9 fawn NhpzW     
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 stump hGbzY     
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。
11 doorway 2s0xK     
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。
12 thrifty NIgzT     
adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的
参考例句：
  • Except for smoking and drinking,he is a thrifty man.除了抽烟、喝酒，他是个生活节俭的人。
  • She was a thrifty woman and managed to put aside some money every month.她是个很会持家的妇女，每月都设法存些钱。
13 spoke XryyC     
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。
14 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的
参考例句：
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。
15     
参考例句：
16 stouter a38d488ccb0bcd8e699a7eae556d4bac     
粗壮的( stout的比较级 )； 结实的； 坚固的； 坚定的
参考例句：
  • Freddie was much stouter, more benevolent-looking, cheerful, and far more dandified. 弗烈特显得更魁伟，更善良、更快活，尤其更像花花公子。 来自教父部分
  • Why hadn't she thought of putting on stouter shoes last night? 她昨天晚上怎么没想起换上一双硬些的鞋呢？
17 beads 894701f6859a9d5c3c045fd6f355dbf5     
n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链
参考例句：
  • a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
  • Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。
18 homely Ecdxo     
adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的
参考例句：
  • We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
  • Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？
19 dread Ekpz8     
vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧
参考例句：
  • We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
  • Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。
20 mowing 2624de577751cbaf6c6d7c6a554512ef     
n.割草，一次收割量，牧草地v.刈，割( mow的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • The lawn needs mowing. 这草坪的草该割了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • "Do you use it for mowing?" “你是用它割草么？” 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说
21 burrow EsazA     
vt.挖掘(洞穴)；钻进；vi.挖洞；翻寻；n.地洞
参考例句：
  • Earthworms burrow deep into the subsoil.蚯蚓深深地钻进底土。
  • The dog had chased a rabbit into its burrow.狗把兔子追进了洞穴。
22 clump xXfzH     
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。
23 orchards d6be15c5dabd9dea7702c7b892c9330e     
（通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • They turned the hills into orchards and plains into granaries. 他们把山坡变成了果园，把平地变成了粮仓。
  • Some of the new planted apple orchards have also begun to bear. 有些新开的苹果园也开始结苹果了。
24 gnaws 04e1b90666fd26b87dd1f890c734a7bb     
咬( gnaw的第三人称单数 )； （长时间） 折磨某人； （使）苦恼； （长时间）危害某事物
参考例句：
  • Time, whose tooth gnaws away everything else, is powerless against truth. 时间，它的利齿可咬碎万物，但对真理却无能为力。
  • The water gnaws at the shoreline. 海水侵蚀海岸线。
25 everlasting Insx7     
adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的
参考例句：
  • These tyres are advertised as being everlasting.广告上说轮胎持久耐用。
  • He believes in everlasting life after death.他相信死后有不朽的生命。
26 watchfulness 2ecdf1f27c52a55029bd5400ce8c70a4     
警惕，留心； 警觉（性）
参考例句：
  • The escort and the universal watchfulness had completely isolated him. 护送和普遍一致的监视曾经使他完全孤立。
  • A due watchfulness on the movements of the enemy was maintained. 他们对敌人的行动还是相当警惕的。

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