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第7章

a collection of beatrix potter stories-第7章

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Tommy Brock; whose snores

continued solemnly in Mr。 Tod's bed。



But there really was not very much

comfort in the discovery。 They could

not open the window; and although

the young family was alivethe little

rabbits were quite incapable of letting

themselves out; they were not

old enough to crawl。



After much whispering; Peter and

Benjamin decided to dig a tunnel。

They began to burrow a yard or two

lower down the bank。 They hoped

that they might be able to work

between the large stones under the

house; the kitchen floor was so dirty

that it was impossible to say whether

it was made of earth or flags。





They dug and dug for hours。

They could not tunnel straight on

account of stones; but by the end

of the night they were under the

kitchen floor。 Benjamin was on his

back; scratching upwards。 Peter's

claws were worn down; he was

outside the tunnel; shuffling sand

away。 He called out that it was

morningsunrise; and that the

jays were making a noise down

below in the woods。



Benjamin Bunny came out of the

dark tunnel; shaking the sand from

his ears; he cleaned his face with

his paws。 Every minute the sun

shone warmer on the top of the hill。

In the valley there was a sea of

white mist; with golden tops of

trees showing through。





Again from the fields down below

in the mist there came the angry

cry of a jay…followed by the sharp

yelping bark of a fox!



Then those two rabbits lost their

heads completely。 They did the

most foolish thing that they could

have done。 They rushed into their

short new tunnel; and hid themselves

at the top end of it; under

Mr。 Tod's kitchen floor。





Mr。 Tod was coming up Bull

Banks; and he was in the very worst

of tempers。 First he had been upset

by breaking the plate。 It was

his own fault; but it was a china

plate; the last of the dinner service

that had belonged to his grandmother;

old Vixen Tod。 Then the

midges had been very bad。 And he

had failed to catch a hen pheasant on

her nest; and it had contained only

five eggs; two of them addled。 Mr。

Tod had had an unsatisfactory night。





As usual; when out of humour;

he determined to move house。 First

he tried the pollard willow; but it

was damp; and the otters had left

a dead fish near it。 Mr。 Tod likes

nobody's leavings but his own。



He made his way up the hill; his

temper was not improved by noticing

unmistakable marks of badger。

No one else grubs up the moss so

wantonly as Tommy Brock。





Mr。 Tod slapped his stick upon

the earth and fumed; he guessed

where Tommy Brock had gone to。

He was further annoyed by the jay

bird which followed him persistently。

It flew from tree to tree and scolded;

warning every rabbit within hearing

that either a cat or a fox was coming

up the plantation。 Once when it

flew screaming over his head

Mr。 Tod snapped at it; and barked。



He approached his house very

carefully; with a large rusty key。

He sniffed and his whiskers bristled。

The house was locked up; but Mr。

Tod had his doubts whether it was

empty。 He turned the rusty key in

the lock; the rabbits below could

hear it。 Mr。 Tod opened the door

cautiously and went in。





The sight that met Mr。 Tod's eyes

in Mr。 Tod's kitchen made Mr。 Tod

furious。 There was Mr。 Tod's chair;

and Mr。 Tod's pie dish; and his knife

and fork and mustard and salt cellar

and his table…cloth that he had left

folded up in the dresserall set out

for supper (or breakfast)without

doubt for that odious Tommy Brock



There was a smell of fresh earth

and dirty badger; which fortunately



overpowered all smell of rabbit。



But what absorbed Mr。 Tod's

attention was a noisea deep slow

regular snoring grunting noise;

coming from his own bed。



He peeped through the hinges of

the half…open bedroom door。 Then

he turned and came out of the

house in a hurry。 His whiskers

bristled and his coat…collar stood on

end with rage。





For the next twenty minutes

Mr。 Tod kept creeping cautiously

into the house; and retreating

hurriedly out again。 By degrees he

ventured further inright into the

bedroom。 When he was outside the

house; he scratched up the earth with

fury。 But when he was insidehe

did not like the look of Tommy

Brock's teeth。



He was lying on his back with

his mouth open; grinning from ear

to ear。 He snored peacefully and

regularly; but one eye was not

perfectly shut。



Mr。 Tod came in and out of the

bedroom。 Twice he brought in his

walking…stick; and once he brought

in the coal…scuttle。 But he thought

better of it; and took them away。





When he came back after removing

the coal…scuttle; Tommy Brock

was lying a little more sideways;

but he seemed even sounder asleep。

He was an incurably indolent person;

he was not in the least afraid

of Mr。 Tod; he was simply too lazy

and comfortable to move。



Mr。 Tod came back yet again into

the bedroom with a clothes line。 He

stood a minute watching Tommy

Brock and listening attentively to

the snores。 They were very loud

indeed; but seemed quite natural。



Mr。 Tod turned his back towards

the bed; and undid the window。

It creaked; he turned round with

a jump。 Tommy Brock; who had

opened one eyeshut it hastily。

The snores continued。





Mr。 Tod's proceedings were peculiar;

and rather uneasy; (because the

bed was between the window and

the door of the bedroom)。 He opened

the window a little way; and pushed

out the greater part of the clothes

line on to the window sill。 The rest

of the line; with a hook at the end;

remained in his hand。



Tommy Brock snored conscientiously。

Mr。 Tod stood and looked

at him for a minute; then he left

the room again。





Tommy Brock opened both eyes;

and looked at the rope and grinned。

There was a noise outside the

window。 Tommy Brock shut his

eyes in a hurry。



Mr。 Tod had gone out at the front

door; and round to the back of the

house。 On the way; he stumbled

over the rabbit burrow。 If he had

had any idea who was inside it; he

would have pulled them out quickly。





His foot went through the tunnel

nearly upon the top of Peter Rabbit

and Benjamin; but fortunately he

thought that it was some more of

Tommy Brock's work。



He took up the coil of line from

the sill; listened for a moment; and

then tied the rope to a tree。



Tommy Brock watched him with

one eye; through the window。 He

was puzzled。





Mr。 Tod fetched a large heavy

pailful of water from the spring;

and staggered with it through the

kitchen into his bedroom。



Tommy Brock snored industriously;

with rather a snort。



Mr。 Tod put down the pail beside

the bed; took up the end of rope

with the hookhesitated; and

looked at Tommy Brock。 The

snores were almost apoplectic; but

the grin was not quite so big。



Mr。 Tod gingerly mounted a chair

by the head of the bedstead。 His

legs were dangerously near to

Tommy Brock's teeth。



He reached up and put the end

of rope; with the hook; over the

head of the tester bed; where the

curtains ought to hang。





(Mr。 Tod's curtains were folded

up; and put away; owing to the

house being unoccupied。 So was

the counterpane。 Tommy Brock

was covered with a blanket only。)

Mr。 Tod standing on the unsteady

chair looked down upon him

attentively; he really was a first prize

sound sleeper!



It seemed as though nothing

would waken himnot even the

flapping rope across the bed。



Mr。 Tod descended safely from

the chair; and endeavoured to get

up again with the pail of water。

He intended to hang it from the

hook; dangling over the head of

Tommy Brock; in order to make

a sort of shower…bath; worked by a

string; through the window。





But naturally being a thin…legged

person (though vi

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