【儿童英文读物】The Tale of Nimble Deer.docx

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1、【儿童英文读物】The Tale of Nimble DeerI THE SPOTTED FAWN When Nimbles mother first looked at him she couldnt believe she would ever be able to raise him. He was such a tiny, frail, spotted thing that he seemed too delicate for a life of adventure on the wooded ridges and in the tangled swamps under the sha

2、dow of Blue Mountain. Bless me! cried the good lady. This childs not much taller than an overgrown beet top and he cant be any heavier than one of Farmer Greens prize cabbages. And his legs she exclaimedhis legs are no thicker than pea pods. Theyll be ready to eat in another month, she added, meanin

3、g not her childs legs, as you might have supposed, but Farmer Greens early June peas. For Nimbles mother was very fond of certain vegetables that did not grow wild in the woods. Of course young Nimble did not know what she was talking about. He had a great deal to learn. And he would have to wait un

4、til he was a good deal bigger before his mother took him on an excursion, by night, across the fields to Farmer Greens garden patch. All at once Nimble leaped quickly upon his slightly wobbly legs. He trembled and gazed up at his mother with a look of fear in his great eyes. At the same time his mot

5、her, too, lifted her head and listened for a few moments. Dont be afraid! she said then, to Nimble. Thats old SpotFarmer Greens dogbarking. But hes down near the barns, so we dont need to worry. That was the first time Nimble had ever heard a dogs voice. Yet no one needed to tell him that it wasnt a

6、 pleasant sound. Even his mother couldnt help feeling that she had better put a wide stretch of rough country between her new youngster and old Spots home. So in a little while she led the way slowly along the pine grown ridge which bent around a shoulder of the mountain. She was headed for the spri

7、ng which marked the beginning of Broad Brook. Her little spotted fawn, Nimble, kept close beside her. Slowly as his mother moved, he found the traveling none too easy. And he was glad when she stopped in a pocket-like clearing. There she spoke to a proud speckled bird who was sitting on a log and am

8、using himself by spreading his tail feathers into a beautiful fan. Good morning, Mr. Grouse! said Nimbles mother. Good morning, madam! replied the gentleman with the fan. What a handsome child you have! Theres nothing quite like spotsor specklesto add to a persons looks. They are pretty, Nimbles mot

9、her agreed with a happy glance at her son. I cant say he favors his mother, Mr. Grouse remarked. Oh, I had spots enough when I was young, she explained. You see, all our family lose our spots as we grow up. Im glad to say, Mr. Grouse said with a flirt of his tail, that all our family keep their spot

10、s, every one of them. We get to be so swift-footed that we dont need spots, said Nimbles mother. That speech seemed to displease Mr. Grouse. I hope, he cried, you dont mean to say that we Grouse arent swift! No, indeed! Nimbles mother answered hastily. I should hope not! was Mr. Grouses response to

11、that. For everybody knows that we go up like rockets at the slightest sign of danger. Exactly! said Nimbles mother. You are so swift that you dont really need those spots to help conceal yourself, once youre grown up. Theyre handy to have, all the same, he told her. And as for this youngster of your

12、s, you neednt worry much about him. Hell be safe enough in the woods. He looks just like a patch of sunlight that has fallen through a tree top upon a leaf-strewn bank. Nimbles mother was pleased to hear that. Yes! said Mr. Grouse cheerfully. Hell be safe enoughexcept for the Foxes. And that remark

13、didnt please Nimbles mother at all. 该作者的其它作品The Tale of Timothy TurtleThe Tale of Miss Kitty CatThe Tale of Solomon OwlII LEARNING THINGS Nimbles mother hadnt liked Mr. Grouses remark about Foxes. Somehow she couldnt put Foxes out of her mind. And not once did she mean to let Nimble wander out of he

14、r sight. At first, when he was only a tiny chap, it was easy for her to keep her young son near her. But Nimble grew a little livelier with each day that passed. And it wasnt long before he began to annoy his mother and worry her, too. For he soon fell into the habit of dodging behind something or o

15、ther, such as a baby pine tree or a clump of blackberry bushes, when his mother wasnt looking. Every time she missed her spotted fawn the poor lady was sure a Fox had snatched him up and dragged him away. And when she found Nimble again she was so glad that she hadnt the heart to punish him. However

16、, one day she talked to him quite severely. Do you want a Fox to catchand eatyou? she asked him. No, Mother!. Has a Fox ever eaten you? Certainly not! Nimbles mother answered. Do you expect to be caught by a Fox? No, indeed! said his mother. Then there cant be any great danger, Nimble remarked light

17、ly. Ah! Theres always danger of Foxes so long as youre a little fawn, she explained. When youre grown upor even half grownno Fox would dare touch you. But if you wandered away alone at your tender age and you met a Fox Well, the poor lady was so upset by the mere thought of what might happen that sh

18、e couldnt say anything more just then. But her son Nimble was not upset. If I met a Fox, he declared bravely, Id be safe enough. Id stand perfectly still. And he wouldnt be able to see me, on account of my spots. Ah! But if the wind happened to be blowing his way hed be sure to smell you, cried Nimb

19、les mother. And he would find you. And he would jump at you. Id run away from him then, said Nimble stoutly. His mother shook her head. Youre spry for your age. But youre too slow to escape a Fox. Youre not quick enough for that yet. You dont know how quick Foxes are. So look out! Look out for a sly

20、 fellow with a pointed nose and a bushy tail! In spite of all these warnings Nimble didnt feel the least bit alarmed. And the older he grew the less he heeded his mothers words. He thought she was too careful. She seemed always to be on the watch for some danger. She was forever stopping to look bac

21、k, lest somebody or something might be following her. Whenever she picked out a good resting place behind a clump of evergreens, out of the wind, she never lay down without first retracing her steps for a little way and peering all around. Then, of course, she had to walk back again before she sank

22、down on the bed of her choosing. It all seemed very silly to young Nimble. Whats the use, he finally asked her one day, whats the use of fussing so much over your back tracks? You should always know whats behind you, said his mother. Besides, I cant rest well if Im uneasy. Do you feel easy now? he i

23、nquired, for she had just then lain down after giving her back tracks her usual attention. Quite! said Nimbles mother, as she closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh of contentment. Her answer pleased Nimble. He smiled faintly as he watched her closely. And he chuckled when his mothers head nodded th

24、ree times and then sank lower and lower. Presently Nimble rose to his feet, without making the slightest rustle. And very carefully he stole away. III AN INTERRUPTED NAP Nimble, the fawn, stole away into the woods while his mother was sleeping. And when he went he took great pains not to disturb her

25、. He was careful not to step on a single twig. For young as he was, he knew that the sound of a breaking twig was enough to rouse his mother instantly out of the deepest sleep. And he made sure that he didnt set his little feet on any stones. For he knew that at the merest click of a hoof his mother

26、 would bound up and discover that he had left her. So Nimble trod only upon the soft carpet of pine needles and made not the slightest noise. Meanwhile his mother slept peacefully onor as peacefully as anybody can who is a light sleeper and keeps one ear always cocked to catch every stir in the fore

27、st. She never missed her son at all until she found herself suddenly wide awake and on her feet, ready to run. Not seeing Nimble beside her, for a moment or two she forgot she had a child. Her only thought was to flee from the creature that was crashing through the underbrush beyond the old stone wa

28、ll and drawing nearer to her every instant. It was a wonder that she didnt dash off then and there. Indeed she took one leap before she remembered who she was and that she had a youngster named Nimble. Then, of course, she stopped short and looked wildly around. But she saw no little spotted fawn an

29、ywhere. She had been startled enough, before, roused as she was out of a sound sleep. And now she was terribly frightened. Nimble! she called. Where are you? Here I am! Nimble answered. Even as he spoke he burst into sight, leaping the stone wall in such a way that his mother couldnt help feeling pr

30、oud of him. Whats the matter? she cried. Whos chasing you? Nobodys chasing me, Nimble told her. When I saw the Fox I hurried back here. The Fox! his mother exclaimed. Well, he wont dare touch you while I am with you. She began to breathe easily again. If it was only a Fox she certainly didnt intend

31、to run. Where did you see the Fox? she demanded. He was right over my head, Nimble said. My goodness! his mother gasped. That was dangerous. Was he on a bank above you? He was in a tree, Nimble replied. His mother gave him a queer look. Whats that? she asked him sharply. In a tree? What did he look

32、like? Was he red? He was grayish and he had black rings around his long bushy tail; and his long pointed nose stuck out from under a black mask. Nonsense! cried Nimbles mother. You didnt see a Fox. You saw a Coon! Nimble was puzzled. You told me once, he reminded his mother, that a Fox was a sly fel

33、low with a bushy tail and a long pointed nose. And this person in the tree had Yes! Yes! said his mother. Now listen to what I say: A Fox is red. And his tail has no rings at all. And Foxes dont climb trees. Yes, Mother! was Nimbles meek answer. He was glad to learn all that. And he was glad, too, t

34、hat his mother hadnt asked him how he happened to stray off alone into the woods.IV PLANNING A PICNIC While he was only a fawn Nimble became very fond of water lilies. But he didnt carry them as a bouquet, nor wear one in his buttonhole. He was fond of lilies in a different way: he liked to eat them

35、, and their flat, round, glossy pads. At night his mother often led him to the edge of the lake on the other side of Blue Mountain and there they feasted. It was wonderful to stand in the cool water, not too far from the shore, with the moonlight shimmering on the ruffled lake, and breathe in the sw

36、eet scent of the lilies while nibbling at their pads. Theres nothing, said Nimble to his mother one night, nothing so good to eat as water lilies. His mother said, Humph! Wait till youve tasted carrots! Carrots! Nimble echoed. What are carrots and where can I find some? Do they grow in this lake? Ca

37、rrots, his mother explained, are vegetables and they grow in Farmer Greens garden. When he heard that, Nimble wanted to start for Farmer Greens place at once. But his mother said, No! And he soon saw that she meant it, too. However, the word carrots was in his mouth a good deal of the time, for days

38、 and nights afterward. But Nimble wasnt satisfied with having only the word in his mouth. There was no taste to that at all. Nor could he chew it, nor swallow it. He was wild to bite into a carrot and see if it actually was more toothsome than a water lily. Again and again he said to his mother, Can

39、t we go down to Farmer Greens garden patch to-night? If we wait much longer somebody else will eat all the carrots before we get a taste of them. Or maybe he would exclaim, Lets have some carrots for supper! Please! It was no wonder that Nimbles mother grew very tired of his teasing. At last she sai

40、d to him, when he was urging her to take him down the hill and across the meadow to Farmer Greens vegetable garden, Theres no sense in our going down there now. The carrots arent big enough yet. They arent ready to eat. But later, if you show youre trustworthy, and if you mind well, and if you grow

41、enough, and if you can start quickly and run fast, perhaps Ill see that you have your first meal of carrots. Now, dont bother me any more! Well, there were so many ifs in his mothers promise that Nimble almost gave up hope of ever getting to Farmer Greens garden patch. He didnt quite dare expect tha

42、t his mother would take him there with her. But he made up his mind that if she didnt he would go on a carrot hunt alone as soon as he could. At the same time he practiced minding his mother, which was not always a pleasant thing to do. And he practiced starting and running, both of which were a goo

43、d deal of fun. As for growing, Nimble did not need to practice that at all; for he was getting heavier and taller every day, without doing anything more than to eat and to sleep and to have the best time possible. Meanwhile he told everybody he met that if all went well he would be eating carrots so

44、me day. And when his friends learned that he planned to go on an excursion to Farmer Greens garden patch there wasnt one of them that didnt say he would like to go too. Jimmy Rabbit said he really ought to have a look at the cabbages. And if Nimble didnt mind he thought it would be pleasant to join

45、the party. Patty Coon remarked that there were certain matters connected with corn which he must attend to, and if there was no objection he would go along with the rest, when the time came for the excursion. Even Cuffy Bear, who almost never went near the farm buildings, declared that there was not

46、hing he would enjoy more than to make the trip with Nimble and his mother. He had once tasted baked beans. And ever since that occasion he had meant to see if he couldnt find some around Farmer Greens house. Of course it would have been awkward to say no. So Nimble said yes to everybody. He even pro

47、mised that he would let all his friends know when the excursion should take place. But of all these things he said not a word to his mother. He was not sure that they would please her. In fact he was sure that they wouldnt.V NIMBLES MISTAKE One morning Nimbles mother said to him, To-night, just as the moon rises, well start for Farmer Greens garden patch. He knew what that meant. It meant that he was going to know, at last, what carrots tasted like. And he was delighted. Youve improved fast, his mother told him.