第 7 节
作者:换裁判      更新:2024-09-08 23:53      字数:9322
  below in the woods。
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  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
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  The Original Peter Rabbit Books
  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
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  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。
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  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    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