章节正文
makes old Chiss so dangerous. If we get too
near, he'll fire those quills at us and hurt us
badly."
"Then we will be foolish to get too near,
said Scraps.
"I'm not afraid," declared the Woozy. "The Chiss
is cowardly, I'm sure, and if it ever heard my
awful, terrible, frightful growl, it would be
scared stiff."
"Oh; can you growl?" asked the Shaggy Man.
"That is the only ferocious thing about me,"
asserted the Woozy with evident pride. "My growl
makes an earthquake blush and the thunder ashamed
of itself. If I growled at that creature you call
Chiss, it would immediately think the world had
cracked in two and bumped against the sun and
moon, and that would cause the monster to run as
far and as fast as its legs could carry it."
"In that case," said the Shaggy Man, "you are
now able to do us all a great favor. Please
growl."
"But you forget," returned the Woozy; "my
tremendous growl would also frighten you, and
if you happen to have heart disease you might
expire."
"True; but we must take that risk," decided
the Shaggy Man, bravely. "Being warned of
what is to occur we must try to bear the terrific
noise of your growl; but Chiss won't expect it,
and it will scare him away."
The Woozy hesitated.
"I'm fond of you all, and I hate to shock you,"
it said.
"Never mind," said Ojo.
"You may be made deaf."
"If so, we will forgive you.
"Very well, then," said the Woozy in a
determined voice, and advanced a few steps toward
the giant porcupine. Pausing to look back, it
asked: "All ready?"
"All ready!" they answered.
"Then cover up your ears and brace yourselves
firmly. Now, then--look out!"
The Woozy turned toward Chiss, opened wide its
mouth and said:
"Quee-ee-ee-eek."
"Go ahead and growl," said Scraps.
"Why, I--I did growl!" retorted the Woozy,
who seemed much astonished.
"What, that little squeak?" she cried.
"It is the most awful growl that ever was heard,
on land or sea, in caverns or in the sky,"
protested the Woozy. "I wonder you stood the shock
so well. Didn't you feel the ground tremble? I
suppose Chiss is now quite dead with fright."
The Shaggy Man laughed merrily.
"Poor Wooz!" said he; "your growl wouldn't
scare a fly."
The Woozy seemed to be humiliated and surprised.
It hung its head a moment, as if in shame or
sorrow, but then it said with renewed confidence:
"Anyhow, my eyes can flash fire; and good fire,
too; good enough to set fire to a fence!"
"That is true," declared Scraps; "I saw it
done myself. But your ferocious growl isn't as
loud as the tick of a beetle--or one of Ojo's
snores when he's fast asleep."
"Perhaps," said the Woozy, humbly, "I have
been mistaken about my growl. It has always
sounded very fearful to me, but that may, have
been because it was so close to my ears."
"Never mind," Ojo said soothingly; "it is a
great talent to be able to flash fire from your
eyes. No one else can do that."
As they stood hesitating what to do Chiss
stirred and suddenly a shower of quills came
flying toward them, almost filling the air, they
were so many. Scraps realized in an instant that
they had gone too near to Chiss for safety, so
she sprang in front of Ojo and shielded him
from the darts, which stuck their points into her
own body until she resembled one of those
targets they shoot arrows at in archery games.
The Shaggy Man dropped flat on his face to
avoid the shower, but one quill struck him in
the leg and went far in. As for the Glass Cat,
the quills rattled off her body without making
even a scratch, and the skin of the Woozy was
so thick and tough that he was not hurt at all.
When the attack was over they all ran to the
Shaggy Man, who was moaning and groaning, and
Scraps promptly pulled the quill out of his leg.
Then up he jumped and ran over to Chiss, putting
his foot on the monster's neck and holding it a
prisoner. The body of the great porcupine was now
as smooth as leather, except for the holes where
the quills had been, for it had shot every single
quill in that one wickedshower.
"Let me go!" it shouted angrily. "How dare
you put your foot on Chiss?"
"I'm going to do worse than that, old boy,"
replied the Shaggy Man. "You have annoyed
travelers on this road long enough, and now
I shall put an end to you."
"You can't!" returned Chiss. "Nothing can
kill me, as you know perfectly well."
"Perhaps that is true," said the Shaggy Man
in a tone of disappointment. "Seems to me I've
been told before that you can't be killed. But if
I let you go, what will you do?"
"Pick up my quills again," said Chiss in a
sulky voice.
"And then shoot them at more travelers? No;
that won't do. You must promise me to stop
throwing quills at people."
"I won't promise anything of the sort," declared
Chiss.
"Why not?"
"Because it is my nature to throw quills, and
every animal must do what Nature intends it
to do. It isn't fair for you to blame me. If it were
wrong for me to throw quills, then I wouldn't
be made with quills to throw. The proper thing
for you to do is to keep out of my way.
"Why, there's some sense in that argument,
admitted the Shaggy Man, thoughtfully; "but
people who are strangers, and don't know you
are here, won't be able to keep out of your way."
"Tell you what," said Scraps, who was trying
to pull the quills out of her own body, "let's
gather up all the quills and take them away with
us; then old Chiss won't have any left to throw
at people."
"Ah, that's a clever idea. You and Ojo must
gather up the quills while I hold Chiss a
prisoner; for, if I let him go he will get some of
his quills and be able to throw them again."
So Scraps and Ojo picked up all the quills
and tied them in a bundle so they might easily
be carried. After this the Shaggy Man released
Chiss and let him go, knowing that he was
harmless to injure anyone.
"It's the meanest trick I ever heard of,"
muttered the porcupinegloomily. "How would you
like it, Shaggy Man, if I took all your shags away
from you?"
"If I threw my shags and hurt people, you would
be welcome to capture them," was the reply.
Then they walked on and left Chiss standing in
the road sullen and disconsolate. The Shaggy Man
limped as he walked, for his wound still hurt him,
and Scraps was much annoyed be cause the quills
had left a number of small holes in her patches.
When they came to a flat stone by the roadside
the Shaggy Man sat down to rest, and then Ojo
opened his basket and took out the bundle of
charms the Crooked Magician had given him.
"I am Ojo the Unlucky," he said, "or we would
never have met that dreadfulporcupine. But I will
see if I can find anything among these charms
which will cure your leg."
Soon he discovered that one of the charms
was labelled: "For flesh wounds," and this the
boy separated from the others. It was only a bit
of dried root, taken from some unknown shrub,
but the boy rubbed it upon the wound made by
the quill and in a few moments the place was
healed entirely and the Shaggy Man's leg was
as good as ever.
"Rub it on the holes in my patches," suggested
Scraps, and Ojo tried it, but without any effect.
"The charm you need is a needle and thread,"
said the Shaggy Man. "But do not worry, my
dear; those holes do not look badly, at all."
"They'll let in the air, and I don't want people
to think I'm airy, or that I've been stuck
up," said the Patchwork Girl.
"You were certainly stuck up until we pulled
Out those quills," observed Ojo, with a laugh.
So now they went on again and coming presently
to a pond of muddy water they tied a heavy stone
to the bundle of quills and sunk it to the bottom
of the pond, to avoid carrying it farther.
Chapter Thirteen
Scraps and the Scarecrow
From here on the country improved and the desert
places began to give way to fertile spots; still
no houses were yet to be seen near the road. There
were some hills, with valleys between them, and on
reaching the top of one of these hills the
travelers found before them a high wall, running
to the right and the left as far as their eyes
could reach. Immediately in front of them, where
the wall crossed the roadway, stood a gate having
stout iron bars that extended from top to bottom.
They found, on coming nearer, that this gate was
locked with a great padlock, rusty through lack of
use.
"Well," said Scraps, "I guess we'll stop here."
"It's a good guess," replied Ojo. "Our way is
barred by this great wall and gate. It looks as if
near, he'll fire those quills at us and hurt us
badly."
"Then we will be foolish to get too near,
said Scraps.
"I'm not afraid," declared the Woozy. "The Chiss
is cowardly, I'm sure, and if it ever heard my
awful, terrible, frightful growl, it would be
scared stiff."
"Oh; can you growl?" asked the Shaggy Man.
"That is the only ferocious thing about me,"
asserted the Woozy with evident pride. "My growl
makes an earthquake blush and the thunder ashamed
of itself. If I growled at that creature you call
Chiss, it would immediately think the world had
cracked in two and bumped against the sun and
moon, and that would cause the monster to run as
far and as fast as its legs could carry it."
"In that case," said the Shaggy Man, "you are
now able to do us all a great favor. Please
growl."
"But you forget," returned the Woozy; "my
tremendous growl would also frighten you, and
if you happen to have heart disease you might
expire."
"True; but we must take that risk," decided
the Shaggy Man, bravely. "Being warned of
what is to occur we must try to bear the terrific
noise of your growl; but Chiss won't expect it,
and it will scare him away."
The Woozy hesitated.
"I'm fond of you all, and I hate to shock you,"
it said.
"Never mind," said Ojo.
"You may be made deaf."
"If so, we will forgive you.
"Very well, then," said the Woozy in a
determined voice, and advanced a few steps toward
the giant porcupine. Pausing to look back, it
asked: "All ready?"
"All ready!" they answered.
"Then cover up your ears and brace yourselves
firmly. Now, then--look out!"
The Woozy turned toward Chiss, opened wide its
mouth and said:
"Quee-ee-ee-eek."
"Go ahead and growl," said Scraps.
"Why, I--I did growl!" retorted the Woozy,
who seemed much astonished.
"What, that little squeak?" she cried.
"It is the most awful growl that ever was heard,
on land or sea, in caverns or in the sky,"
protested the Woozy. "I wonder you stood the shock
so well. Didn't you feel the ground tremble? I
suppose Chiss is now quite dead with fright."
The Shaggy Man laughed merrily.
"Poor Wooz!" said he; "your growl wouldn't
scare a fly."
The Woozy seemed to be humiliated and surprised.
It hung its head a moment, as if in shame or
sorrow, but then it said with renewed confidence:
"Anyhow, my eyes can flash fire; and good fire,
too; good enough to set fire to a fence!"
"That is true," declared Scraps; "I saw it
done myself. But your ferocious growl isn't as
loud as the tick of a beetle--or one of Ojo's
snores when he's fast asleep."
"Perhaps," said the Woozy, humbly, "I have
been mistaken about my growl. It has always
sounded very fearful to me, but that may, have
been because it was so close to my ears."
"Never mind," Ojo said soothingly; "it is a
great talent to be able to flash fire from your
eyes. No one else can do that."
As they stood hesitating what to do Chiss
stirred and suddenly a shower of quills came
flying toward them, almost filling the air, they
were so many. Scraps realized in an instant that
they had gone too near to Chiss for safety, so
she sprang in front of Ojo and shielded him
from the darts, which stuck their points into her
own body until she resembled one of those
targets they shoot arrows at in archery games.
The Shaggy Man dropped flat on his face to
avoid the shower, but one quill struck him in
the leg and went far in. As for the Glass Cat,
the quills rattled off her body without making
even a scratch, and the skin of the Woozy was
so thick and tough that he was not hurt at all.
When the attack was over they all ran to the
Shaggy Man, who was moaning and groaning, and
Scraps promptly pulled the quill out of his leg.
Then up he jumped and ran over to Chiss, putting
his foot on the monster's neck and holding it a
prisoner. The body of the great porcupine was now
as smooth as leather, except for the holes where
the quills had been, for it had shot every single
quill in that one wickedshower.
"Let me go!" it shouted angrily. "How dare
you put your foot on Chiss?"
"I'm going to do worse than that, old boy,"
replied the Shaggy Man. "You have annoyed
travelers on this road long enough, and now
I shall put an end to you."
"You can't!" returned Chiss. "Nothing can
kill me, as you know perfectly well."
"Perhaps that is true," said the Shaggy Man
in a tone of disappointment. "Seems to me I've
been told before that you can't be killed. But if
I let you go, what will you do?"
"Pick up my quills again," said Chiss in a
sulky voice.
"And then shoot them at more travelers? No;
that won't do. You must promise me to stop
throwing quills at people."
"I won't promise anything of the sort," declared
Chiss.
"Why not?"
"Because it is my nature to throw quills, and
every animal must do what Nature intends it
to do. It isn't fair for you to blame me. If it were
wrong for me to throw quills, then I wouldn't
be made with quills to throw. The proper thing
for you to do is to keep out of my way.
"Why, there's some sense in that argument,
admitted the Shaggy Man, thoughtfully; "but
people who are strangers, and don't know you
are here, won't be able to keep out of your way."
"Tell you what," said Scraps, who was trying
to pull the quills out of her own body, "let's
gather up all the quills and take them away with
us; then old Chiss won't have any left to throw
at people."
"Ah, that's a clever idea. You and Ojo must
gather up the quills while I hold Chiss a
prisoner; for, if I let him go he will get some of
his quills and be able to throw them again."
So Scraps and Ojo picked up all the quills
and tied them in a bundle so they might easily
be carried. After this the Shaggy Man released
Chiss and let him go, knowing that he was
harmless to injure anyone.
"It's the meanest trick I ever heard of,"
muttered the porcupinegloomily. "How would you
like it, Shaggy Man, if I took all your shags away
from you?"
"If I threw my shags and hurt people, you would
be welcome to capture them," was the reply.
Then they walked on and left Chiss standing in
the road sullen and disconsolate. The Shaggy Man
limped as he walked, for his wound still hurt him,
and Scraps was much annoyed be cause the quills
had left a number of small holes in her patches.
When they came to a flat stone by the roadside
the Shaggy Man sat down to rest, and then Ojo
opened his basket and took out the bundle of
charms the Crooked Magician had given him.
"I am Ojo the Unlucky," he said, "or we would
never have met that dreadfulporcupine. But I will
see if I can find anything among these charms
which will cure your leg."
Soon he discovered that one of the charms
was labelled: "For flesh wounds," and this the
boy separated from the others. It was only a bit
of dried root, taken from some unknown shrub,
but the boy rubbed it upon the wound made by
the quill and in a few moments the place was
healed entirely and the Shaggy Man's leg was
as good as ever.
"Rub it on the holes in my patches," suggested
Scraps, and Ojo tried it, but without any effect.
"The charm you need is a needle and thread,"
said the Shaggy Man. "But do not worry, my
dear; those holes do not look badly, at all."
"They'll let in the air, and I don't want people
to think I'm airy, or that I've been stuck
up," said the Patchwork Girl.
"You were certainly stuck up until we pulled
Out those quills," observed Ojo, with a laugh.
So now they went on again and coming presently
to a pond of muddy water they tied a heavy stone
to the bundle of quills and sunk it to the bottom
of the pond, to avoid carrying it farther.
Chapter Thirteen
Scraps and the Scarecrow
From here on the country improved and the desert
places began to give way to fertile spots; still
no houses were yet to be seen near the road. There
were some hills, with valleys between them, and on
reaching the top of one of these hills the
travelers found before them a high wall, running
to the right and the left as far as their eyes
could reach. Immediately in front of them, where
the wall crossed the roadway, stood a gate having
stout iron bars that extended from top to bottom.
They found, on coming nearer, that this gate was
locked with a great padlock, rusty through lack of
use.
"Well," said Scraps, "I guess we'll stop here."
"It's a good guess," replied Ojo. "Our way is
barred by this great wall and gate. It looks as if
- evident [´evidənt]
a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词) - thunder [´θʌndə] n.雷 vi.打雷 vt.吼出 (初中英语单词)
- monster [´mɔnstə] n.怪物 a.大得异常的 (初中英语单词)
- frighten [´fraitn] vt.吓唬，使惊惧 (初中英语单词)
- forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- fearful [´fiəfəl] a.可怕的；担心的 (初中英语单词)
- talent [´tælənt] n.天才；才干；天资 (初中英语单词)
- shower [´ʃauə] n.展出者；阵雨；淋浴 (初中英语单词)
- instant [´instənt] a.立即的 n.紧迫；瞬间 (初中英语单词)
- sprang [spræŋ] spring 的过去式 (初中英语单词)
- scratch [skrætʃ] v.&n.抓，搔；抓伤 (初中英语单词)
- promptly [´prɔmptli] ad.敏捷地；即时地 (初中英语单词)
- wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
- disappointment [,disə´pɔintmənt] n.失望；挫折 (初中英语单词)
- bundle [´bʌndl] n.包，捆；包袱(裹) (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- injure [´indʒə] vt.伤害，损害，毁坏 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- capture [´kæptʃə] vt.&n.捕获；俘获；夺取 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
- needle [´ni:dl] n.针；指针 v.用针缝 (初中英语单词)
- frightful [´fraitfəl] a.可怕的；不愉快的 (高中英语单词)
- earthquake [´ə:θkweik] n.地震；大变动 (高中英语单词)
- bravely [´breivli] ad.勇敢地；毅然 (高中英语单词)
- mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
- angrily [´æŋgrili] ad.生气地；愤怒地 (高中英语单词)
- perfectly [´pə:fiktli] ad.理想地；完美地 (高中英语单词)
- thoughtfully [´θɔ:tfuli] ad.深思地；体贴地 (高中英语单词)
- sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)
- crooked [´krukid] a.弯曲的；畸形的 (高中英语单词)
- magician [mə´dʒiʃən] n.魔法师；妖道；术士 (高中英语单词)
- fertile [´fə:tail] a.肥沃的；有繁殖力的 (高中英语单词)
- cowardly [´kauədli] a.&ad.胆小的(地) (英语四级单词)
- shaggy [´ʃægi] a.蓬乱的；多粗毛的 (英语四级单词)
- porcupine [´pɔ:kjupain] n.豪猪，箭猪 (英语四级单词)
- humbly [´hʌmbli] ad.恭顺地，谦卑地 (英语四级单词)
- ferocious [fə´rəuʃəs] a.凶猛的；残忍的 (英语六级单词)
- holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
- gloomily [´glu:mili] adv.忧郁的 (英语六级单词)
- roadway [´rəudwei] n.车行道；路面 (英语六级单词)
- extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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