酷兔英语
    当前位置:
  1. 首页
  2. 文章
  3. 娱乐英语
  4. 原版小说
  5. 正文

The Wind in the Willows-Part17_Kenneth Grahame(1859-1932)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

0 收藏 0 分享 0 赞

章节正文
文章总共2页
Company's regulations, but we're not so very particular in these

out-of-the-way parts.'



The Toad's misery turned into rapture as he eagerly

scrambled up into the cab of the engine. Of course, he had never



washed a shirt in his life, and couldn't if he tried and, anyhow,

he wasn't going to begin; but he thought: `When I get safely home



to Toad Hall, and have money again, and pockets to put it in, I

will send the engine-driver enough to pay for quite a quantity of



washing, and that will be the same thing, or better.'

The guard waved his welcome flag, the engine-driver whistled in



cheerful response, and the train moved out of the station. As

the speed increased, and the Toad could see on either side of him



real fields, and trees, and hedges, and cows, and horses, all

flying past him, and as he thought how every minute was bringing



him nearer to Toad Hall, and sympathetic friends, and money to

chink in his pocket, and a soft bed to sleep in, and good things



to eat, and praise and admiration at the recital of his

adventures and his surpassing cleverness, he began to skip up and



down and shout and sing snatches of song, to the great

astonishment of the engine-driver, who had come across



washerwomen before, at long intervals, but never one at all like

this.



They had covered many and many a mile, and Toad was already

considering what he would have for supper as soon as he got home,



when he noticed that the engine-driver, with a puzzled expression

on his face, was leaning over the side of the engine and



listening hard. Then he saw him climb on to the coals and gaze

out over the top of the train; then he returned and said to Toad:



`It's very strange; we're the last train running in this

direction to-night, yet I could be sworn that I heard another



following us!'

Toad ceased his frivolous antics at once. He became grave and



depressed, and a dull pain in the lower part of his spine,

communicating itself to his legs, made him want to sit down and



try desperately not to think of all the possibilities.

By this time the moon was shining brightly, and the engine-



driver, steadying himself on the coal, could command a view of

the line behind them for a long distance.



Presently he called out, `I can see it clearly now! It is an

engine, on our rails, coming along at a great pace! It looks as



if we were being pursued!'

The miserable Toad, crouching in the coal-dust, tried hard



to think of something to do, with dismal want of success.

`They are gaining on us fast!' cried the engine-driver. And the



engine is crowded with the queerest lot of people! Men like

ancient warders, waving halberds; policemen in their helmets,



waving truncheons; and shabbily dressed men in pot-hats, obvious

and unmistakable plain-clothes detectives even at this distance,



waving revolvers and walking-sticks; all waving, and all shouting

the same thing--"Stop, stop, stop!"'



Then Toad fell on his knees among the coals and, raising his

clasped paws in supplication, cried, `Save me, only save me, dear



kind Mr. Engine-driver, and I will confess everything! I am not

the simple washerwoman I seem to be! I have no children waiting



for me, innocent or otherwise! I am a toad--the well-known and

popular Mr. Toad, a landed proprietor; I have just escaped, by my



great daring and cleverness, from a loathsomedungeon into which

my enemies had flung me; and if those fellows on that engine



recapture me, it will be chains and bread-and-water and straw and

misery once more for poor, unhappy, innocent Toad!'



The engine-driver looked down upon him very sternly, and said,

`Now tell the truth; what were you put in prison for?'



`It was nothing very much,' said poor Toad, colouring deeply. `I

only borrowed a motorcar while the owners were at lunch; they had



no need of it at the time. I didn't mean to steal it, really;

but people--especially magistrates--take such harsh views of



thoughtless and high-spirited actions.'

The engine-driver looked very grave and said, `I fear that you



have been indeed a wicked toad, and by rights I ought to give you

up to offended justice. But you are evidently in sore trouble



and distress, so I will not desert you. I don't hold with motor-

cars, for one thing; and I don't hold with being ordered about by






文章总共2页
文章标签:名著  

章节正文
Copyright © 2023 Qeto All rights reserved.
商务合作 | 联系我们 | 关于我们 | 版权声明 | 隐私条款 | 如果智培

京ICP备05059198号-1 京公网安备 11011202003401号