登陆注册
5156700000012

第12章 THE TALE OF MR TOD(5)

"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 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.

Old Mr.Bouncer was forgiven, and they all had dinner.Then Peter and Benjamin told their story--but they had not waited long enough to be able to tell the end of the battle between Tommy Brock and Mr.Tod.

THE END

同类推荐
  • 注华严法界观科文

    注华严法界观科文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Golden Dog

    The Golden Dog

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 所闻录

    所闻录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Diary of a Man of Fifty

    The Diary of a Man of Fifty

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 新竹县制度考

    新竹县制度考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 杂式

    杂式

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生我不是影后

    重生我不是影后

    她演技精湛,却坚定道:我不做影后!重来一次,凌蔚坚决不要再做风光无限好的影后,世人只看到她台上的风光,看不到为了这风光她付出的努力。这一次她要低调演戏,安心过自己的小日子!
  • 校草大人,要亲亲!

    校草大人,要亲亲!

    【从红颜到白发一生相守】他们初遇在太平间,刚见面三次,她就被他拐回家宠着。为她虐天虐地虐渣渣。他们本不该有交集,所以她三番四次爬墙要走人。校草大人大怒,“俞浅,把我的心留下。”他爱她如命,蚀骨之深,却也正是他亲手把她丟入深渊。“谢谢你曾给我带来微光,谢谢你曾惜我如命。”
  • 大瓦山(二)

    大瓦山(二)

    大瓦山像一叶孤舟游弋在茫茫云海之上,耸立于圣洁的雪原之巅,远处群山环绕,巍峨耸立,此情此景,我拙于用文字的排列来描绘它,只能唏嘘慨叹,得此美景,此生足矣!艾祖国在他的日记本上继续写道:我没去过天堂,但我知道它很美。自从见到大瓦山,她大气磅礴,浩浩荡荡,让我知道之前所见过的雄浑不叫雄浑;她美轮美奂,韵景非凡,让我见识了以前见过的精美不算精美;她气韵流动,变化莫测,让我明白了之前所见过的幻境不是幻境。于我而言,也许这就是一种颠覆。可惜,面对颠覆,我似乎还没有做好准备,只能睁大双眼,却总也看不够……
  • 巨星兄长

    巨星兄长

    含着金汤匙的他,因为某些小人的算计,被迫成为自家公司的签约明星?!签最不平等的条约,拿最不温不火的资源。某人冲他嗤笑一声——你就是只任人拿捏的兔子!身为妹妹的她一直一直陪在身边。跌落,浴血,涅槃,重生。她说——哥,我饿了。哥,我们来谈恋爱怎么样?
  • 杠上花花痞子:今年不出嫁

    杠上花花痞子:今年不出嫁

    恭喜你今年桃花盛开,年内可能走上红地毯。夏冰看到这句话,不小心被自己喝着的饮料给噎着了,什么破测试题?这么狗血喷饭的测试结果!桃花,绝对不是她夏冰要的,她每年的生日愿望可是继续保持单身贵族的生活。桃花如预言般降临,夏冰防不胜防……她忍不住呜呼感叹:单身并不难,难的是应付那些千方百计想要结束你单身的人。小心桃花来袭……
  • 我的保镖好厉害
  • 总裁大人寄宿在我体内

    总裁大人寄宿在我体内

    C大考古专业学霸——林北望C城首富,某生物科技公司总裁——陆寒彻在一个古墓现场,机缘巧合之下,灵魂寄宿在了女主身上。看霸道总裁和考古学学霸林北望上演的一出灵魂寄宿在一体的奇妙故事。林北望:其实我们是同行。陆寒彻:你一个挖土的……林北望:我挖土,你吃土啊—他环抱她身后,在他的耳边低沉诱惑的说到,“叫我名字。”她呆愣住,不由自主的轻唤,“陆寒彻。”他的灵魂便进入了她的身体里。趁着她是魂体的状态,他穿着她的皮囊,对外宣布她是他的未婚妻。他陪着她一路寻找失踪母亲的下落,保护她不受人追杀。她陪着他一路寻找灵魂归体的方法,她温暖了他的世界。—这是个,互撩、互怼、互爱,双强、双洁的绝爽宠文。—每日两更。
  • 黄帝内经(精粹)

    黄帝内经(精粹)

    《黄帝内经》又名《内经》,因托名为上古黄帝所作,故名《黄帝内经》。该书是我国现存最早、地位最高的中医理论巨著,从问世之日起即被尊为“至道之宗,奉生之始”。《黄帝内经》包括《素问》和《灵枢》,各81篇,共约18万字。其思想内核大致可归纳为10个方面,即阴阳五行说、藏象说、精气神说、经络学、病因病机学、病证学、诊法学、治则学、养生学及运气学。本书着意遴选出文意相对浅显且最能反映中医学术思想特点的篇章和段落加以注译。另外,为了便于读者理解《黄帝内经》的精髓,我们结合现今社会的常见疾病,从精血、经络、病因、病机、病证、诊法、治法、养生学、运气学等诸多方面精选相关篇目,以期给读者以切实有用的指导。
  • ENGLISH TRAITS

    ENGLISH TRAITS

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。