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第8章

a collection of beatrix potter stories-第8章

小说: a collection of beatrix potter stories 字数: 每页4000字

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string; through the window。





But naturally being a thin…legged

person (though vindictive and sandy

whiskered)he was quite unable to

lift the heavy weight to the level of

the hook and rope。 He very nearly

overbalanced himself。



The snores became more and

more apoplectic。 One of Tommy

Brock's hind legs twitched under

the blanket; but still he slept on

peacefully。





Mr。 Tod and the pail descended

from the chair without accident。

After considerable thought; he

emptied the water into a wash…basin

and jug。 The empty pail was not

too heavy for him; he slung it up

wobbling over the head of Tommy

Brock。



Surely there never was such a

sleeper! Mr。 Tod got up and down;

down and up on the chair。



As he could not lift the whole

pailful of water at once; he fetched

a milk jug; and ladled quarts of

water into the pail by degrees。 The

pail got fuller and fuller; and swung

like a pendulum。 Occasionally a

drop splashed over; but still Tommy

Brock snored regularly and never

moved;except one eye。





At last Mr。 Tod's preparations

were complete。 The pail was full

of water; the rope was tightly

strained over the top of the bed;

and across the window sill to the

tree outside。



〃It will make a great mess in

my bedroom; but I could never

sleep in that bed again without a

spring cleaning of some sort;〃 said

Mr。 Tod。





Mr。 Tod took a last look at the

badger and softly left the room。 He

went out of the house; shutting the

front door。 The rabbits heard his

footsteps over the tunnel。



He ran round behind the house;

intending to undo the rope in order

to let fall the pailful of water upon

Tommy Brock



〃I will wake him up with an

unpleasant surprise;〃 said Mr。 Tod。





The moment he had gone; Tommy

Brock got up in a hurry; he rolled

Mr。 Tod's dressing…gown into a

bundle; put it into the bed beneath

the pail of water instead of himself;

and left the room alsogrinning

immensely。



He went into the kitchen; lighted

the fire and boiled the kettle; for

the moment he did not trouble himself

to cook the baby rabbits。





When Mr。 Tod got to the tree;

he found that the weight and strain

had dragged the knot so tight that

it was past untying。 He was

obliged to gnaw it with his teeth。

He chewed and gnawed for more

than twenty minutes。 At last the

rope gave way with such a sudden

jerk that it nearly pulled his teeth

out; and quite knocked him over

backwards。





Inside the house there was a great

crash and splash; and the noise of

a pail rolling over and over。



But no screams。 Mr。 Tod was

mystified; he sat quite still; and

listened attentively。 Then he

peeped in at the window。 The


water was dripping from the bed;

the pail had rolled into a corner。



In the middle of the bed under

the blanket; was a wet flattened

SOMETHINGmuch dinged in; in the

middle where the pail had caught it

(as it were across the tummy)。 Its

head was covered by the wet blanket

and it was NOT SNORING ANY LONGER。



There was nothing stirring; and

no sound except the drip; drop;

drop drip of water trickling from

the mattress。





Mr。 Tod watched it for half an

hour; his eyes glistened。



Then he cut a caper; and became

so bold that he even tapped at

the window; but the bundle never

moved。



Yesthere was no doubt about

itit had turned out even better

than he had planned; the pail had

hit poor old Tommy Brock; and

killed him dead!





〃I will bury that nasty person in

the hole which he has dug。 I will

bring my bedding out; and dry it in

the sun;〃 said Mr。 Tod。



〃I will wash the tablecloth and

spread it on the grass in the sun to

bleach。 And the blanket must be

hung up in the wind; and the bed

must be thoroughly disinfected; and

aired with a warming…pan; and

warmed with a hot…water bottle。〃





〃I will get soft soap; and monkey

soap; and all sorts of soap; and

soda and scrubbing brushes; and

persian powder; and carbolic to

remove the smell。 I must have a

disinfecting。 Perhaps I may have

to burn sulphur。〃



He hurried round the house to

get a shovel from the kitchen

〃First I will arrange the hole

then I will drag out that person in

the blanket 。 。 。〃



He opened the door。 。 。 。



Tommy Brock was sitting at Mr。

Tod's kitchen table; pouring out

tea from Mr。 Tod's tea…pot into

Mr。 Tod's tea…cup。 He was quite

dry himself and grinning; and he

threw the cup of scalding tea all

over Mr。 Tod。





Then Mr。 Tod rushed upon

Tommy Brock; and Tommy Brock

grappled with Mr。 Tod amongst

the broken crockery; and there was

a terrific battle all over the kitchen。

To the rabbits underneath it sounded

as if the floor would give way at

each crash of falling furniture。



They crept out of their tunnel;

and hung about amongst the rocks

and bushes; listening anxiously。





Inside the house the racket was

fearful。 The rabbit babies in the

oven woke up trembling; perhaps

it was fortunate they were shut up

inside。。



Everything was upset except the

kitchen table。



And everything was broken;

except the mantelpiece and the

kitchen fender。 The crockery was

smashed to atoms。





The chairs were broken; and the

window; and the clock fell with a

crash; and there were handfuls of

Mr。 Tod's sandy whiskers。



The vases fell off the mantelpiece;

the canisters fell off the

shelf; the kettle fell off the hob。

Tommy Brock put his foot in a jar

of raspberry Jam。



And the boiling water out of the

kettle fell upon the tail of Mr。 Tod。





When the kettle fell; Tommy

Brock; who was still grinning;

happened to be uppermost; and he

rolled Mr。 Tod over and over like

a log; out at the door。



Then the snarling and worrying

went on outside; and they rolled

over the bank; and down hill;

bumping over the rocks。 There

will never be any love lost between

Tommy Brock and Mr。 Tod。





As soon as the coast was clear

Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny

came out of the bushes



〃Now for it! Run in; Cousin

Benjamin! Run in and get them

while I watch at the door。〃



But Benjamin was frightened



〃Oh; oh! they are coming back!〃



〃 No they are not。〃



〃 Yes they are!〃



〃What dreadful bad language!

I think they have fallen down the

stone quarry。〃



Still Benjamin hesitated; and

Peter kept pushing him



〃Be quick; it's all right。 Shut

the oven door; Cousin Benjamin;

so that he won't miss them。〃



Decidedly there were lively

doings in Mr。 Tod's kitchen!





At home in the rabbit hole; things

had not been quite comfortable。



After quarrelling at supper;

Flopsy and old Mr。 Bouncer had

passed a sleepless night; and

quarrelled again at breakfast。 Old Mr。

Bouncer could no longer deny that

he had invited company into the

rabbit hole; but he refused to reply

to the questions and reproaches of

Flopsy。 The day passed heavily。





Old Mr。 Bouncer; very sulky;

was huddled up in a corner; barricaded

with a chair。 Flopsy had

taken away his pipe and hidden

the tobacco。 She had been having

a complete turn out and spring…

cleaning; to relieve her feelings。

She had just finished。 Old Mr。

Bouncer; behind his chair; was

wondering anxiously what she

would do next。





In Mr。 Tod's kitchen; amongst the

wreckage; Benjamin Bunny picked

his way to the oven nervously;

through a thick cloud of dust。 He

opened the oven door; felt inside;

and found something warm and

wriggling。 He lifted it out carefully;

and rejoined Peter Rabbit。



〃I've got them! Can we get away?

Shall we hide; Cousin Peter?〃



Peter pricked his ears; distant

sounds of fighting still echoed in

the wood。



Five minutes afterwards two

breathless rabbits came scuttering

away

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