I had been at work but a few moments, when I heard small voices near me, and presently the Little Ones, as I soon found they called themselves, came creeping out from among the tiny trees that like brushwood filled the spaces between the big ones. In a minute there were scores and scores about me. I made signs that the giants had but just left me, and were not far off; but they laughed, and told me the wind was quite clean.
“They are too blind to see us,” they said, and laughed like a multitude of sheep-bells.
“Do you like that rope about your ankles?” asked one.
“I want them to think I cannot take it off,” I replied.
“They can scarcely see their own feet!” he rejoined. “Walk with short steps and they will think the rope is all right.”
As he
spoke1, he danced with merriment.
One of the bigger girls got down on her knees to
untie2 the clumsy knot. I smiled, thinking those pretty fingers could do nothing with it, but in a moment it was loose.
They then made me sit down, and fed me with delicious little fruits; after which the smaller of them began to play with me in the wildest fashion, so that it was impossible for me to resume my work. When the first grew tired, others took their places, and this went on until the sun was setting, and heavy steps were heard approaching. The little people started from me, and I made haste to put the rope round my ankles.
“We must have a care,” said the girl who had freed me; “a crush of one of their
horrid3 stumpy feet might kill a very little one!”
“Can they not perceive you at all then?”
“They might see something move; and if the children were in a heap on the top of you, as they were a moment ago, it would be terrible; for they hate every live thing but themselves.—Not that they are much alive either!”
She whistled like a bird. The next instant not one of them was to be seen or heard, and the girl herself had disappeared.
It was my master, as doubtless he counted himself, come to take me home. He freed my ankles, and dragged me to the door of his hut; there he threw me on the ground, again tied my feet, gave me a kick, and left me.
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收听单词发音
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1
spoke
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| 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。
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2
untie
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| vt.解开，松开；解放 |
参考例句： |
- It's just impossible to untie the knot.It's too tight.这个结根本解不开。太紧了。
- Will you please untie the knot for me?请你替我解开这个结头，好吗？
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3
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 |
参考例句： |
- I'm not going to the horrid dinner party.我不打算去参加这次讨厌的宴会。
- The medicine is horrid and she couldn't get it down.这种药很难吃，她咽不下去。
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4
winsome
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| n.迷人的，漂亮的 |
参考例句： |
- She gave him her best winsome smile.她给了他一个最为迷人的微笑。
- She was a winsome creature.她十分可爱。
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5
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 |
参考例句： |
- There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
- Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。
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6
loath
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| adj.不愿意的；勉强的 |
参考例句： |
- The little girl was loath to leave her mother.那小女孩不愿离开她的母亲。
- They react on this one problem very slow and very loath.他们在这一问题上反应很慢，很不情愿。
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7
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 |
参考例句： |
- Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
- He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。
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8
monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 |
参考例句： |
- She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
- His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。
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9
toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 |
参考例句： |
- The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
- Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。
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10
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 |
参考例句： |
- She drew a little book from her bosom.她从怀里取出一本小册子。
- A dark jealousy stirred in his bosom.他内心生出一阵恶毒的嫉妒。
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11
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的
动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 |
参考例句： |
- He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
- I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。
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12
jubilation
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| n.欢庆，喜悦 |
参考例句： |
- The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.主场球迷为进球欢呼。
- The whole city was a scene of jubilation.全市一片欢腾。
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13
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 |
参考例句： |
- An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
- He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。
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14
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 |
参考例句： |
- It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
- The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。
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15
advent
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| n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临 |
参考例句： |
- Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
- The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。
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16
frightful
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| adj.可怕的；讨厌的 |
参考例句： |
- How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊！
- We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
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17
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 |
参考例句： |
- The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
- Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
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18
moody
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| adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的 |
参考例句： |
- He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
- I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。
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19
unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 |
参考例句： |
- If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
- The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。
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20
instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 |
参考例句： |
- He tried to conceal his instinctive revulsion at the idea.他试图饰盖自己对这一想法本能的厌恶。
- Animals have an instinctive fear of fire.动物本能地怕火。
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21
clenched
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| v.紧握，抓紧，咬紧( clench的过去式和过去分词 ) |
参考例句： |
- He clenched his fists in anger. 他愤怒地攥紧了拳头。
- She clenched her hands in her lap to hide their trembling. 她攥紧双手放在腿上，以掩饰其颤抖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
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22
glutton
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| n.贪食者，好食者 |
参考例句： |
- She's a glutton for work.She stays late every evening.她是个工作狂，每天都很晚才下班。
- He is just a glutton.He is addicted to excessive eating.他就是个老饕，贪吃成性。
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23
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 |
参考例句： |
- The whole experience had been like some hideous nightmare.整个经历就像一场可怕的噩梦。
- They're not like dogs,they're hideous brutes.它们不像狗，是丑陋的畜牲。
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24
miserable
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| 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。
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25
rumour
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| n.谣言，谣传，传闻 |
参考例句： |
- I should like to know who put that rumour about.我想知道是谁散布了那谣言。
- There has been a rumour mill on him for years.几年来，一直有谣言产生，对他进行中伤。
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