THERE was once a handsome gentleman whose whole effects consisted of a Bootjack and a hair-comb,but he had the finest Shirt Collar in the world, and about this Shirt Collar we will tell a story.

The Collar was now old enough to think of marrying,and it happened that he was sent to the wash together with a Garter.

“My word! exclaimed the Shirt Collar.“I have never seen anything so slender and delicate, so charming and genteel. May I ask your name?”

“I shall not tell you that,”said the Garter.

“Where is your home?”asked the Shirt Collar.

But the Garter was of rather a modest disposition,and it seemed such a strange question to answer.

“I presume you are a girdle?”said the Shirt Collar----“a sort of under girdle? I see that you are useful as well as ornamental,my little lady.”

“You are not to speak to me,”said the Garter.“I have not, I think, given you any occasion to do so.”

“Oh! when one is as beautiful as you are, ”cried the Shirt Collar,“that is occasion enough.”

“Go!”said the Garter;“don't come so near me:you look to me quite like a man.”

“I am a fine gentleman,too,”said the Shirt Collar.“I possess a bootjack and a hair-comb.”

And that was not true at all, for it was his master who owned these things, but he was boasting.

“Don't come too near me,”said the Garter;“I'm not used to that.”

“Affectation!”cried the Shirt Collar.

And then they were taken out of the wash, and starched², and hung over a chair in the sunshine, and then laid on the ironing-board; and now came the hot Iron.

“Mrs. Widow!”said the Shirt Collar,“little Mrs.Widow, I'm getting quite warm; I'm being quite changed; I'm losing all my creases³; you're burning a hole in me! Ugh! I propose to you.”

“You old rag!”said the Iron, and rode proudly over the Shirt Collar, for it imagined that it was a steam boiler⁴, and that it ought to be out on the railway, dragging carriages. “You old rag!”said the Iron,

The Shirt Collar was a little frayed⁵ at the edges,therefore the Paper Scissors came to smooth away the frayed places.

“Ho, ho!”said the Shirt Collar;“I presume you are a first-rate dancer. How you can point your toes! No one in the world can do that like you.”

点击收听单词发音  

1 jack
n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克
参考例句：
I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。 He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 starched
adj.浆硬的，硬挺的，拘泥刻板的v.把（衣服、床单等）浆一浆( starch的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
My clothes are not starched enough. 我的衣服浆得不够硬。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》 The ruffles on his white shirt were starched and clean. 白衬衫的褶边浆过了，很干净。 来自辞典例句

3 creases
（使…）起折痕，弄皱( crease的第三人称单数 )； （皮肤）皱起，使起皱纹
参考例句：
She smoothed the creases out of her skirt. 她把裙子上的皱褶弄平。 She ironed out all the creases in the shirt. 她熨平了衬衣上的所有皱褶。

4 boiler
n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等)
参考例句：
That boiler will not hold up under pressure.那种锅炉受不住压力。 This new boiler generates more heat than the old one.这个新锅炉产生的热量比旧锅炉多。

5 frayed
adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》 The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 ragged
adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的
参考例句：
A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。 Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

7 brag
v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的
参考例句：
He made brag of his skill.他夸耀自己技术高明。 His wealth is his brag.他夸张他的财富。