第 8 节
作者:换裁判      更新:2024-09-08 23:53      字数:9322
  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。
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  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 。 。 。〃
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  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!〃
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  〃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
  down     Bull   Banks;    half  carrying    half  dragging     a  sack   between    them;
  bumpetty bump over the grass。 They reached home safely and burst into
  the rabbit hole。
  Great was old Mr。 Bouncer's relief and Flopsy's joy when Peter and
  Benjamin   arrived   in   triumph   with   the   young   family。   The   rabbit…   babies
  were rather tumbled and very hungry; they were fed and put to bed。 They
  soon recovered。
  A long new pipe and a fresh supply of rabbit tobacco was presented to
  Mr。 Bouncer。 He was rather upon his dignity; but he accepted。
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  Old Mr。 Bouncer was forgiven; and they all had dinner。 Then Peter
  and Benjamin told their storybut they had not waited long enough to be
  able to tell the end of the battle between Tommy Brock and Mr。 Tod。
  THE END
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  THE TALE OF MRS。 TIGGY…
  WINKLE
  for THE REAL LITTLE LUCIE OF NEWLANDS
  ONCE upon a time there was a little girl called Lucie; who lived at a
  farm called   Little…town。  She was   a good   little girlonly she   was   always
  losing her pocket… handkerchiefs!
  One day little Lucie came into the farm…yard crying oh; she did cry
  so! 〃I've lost my pocket…handkin! Three handkins and a pinny! Have YOU
  seen them; Tabby