登陆注册
5241200000028

第28章 CHAPTER Eleven(1)

All About Gypsy

This record of my life at Rivermouth would be strangely incomplete did I not devote an entire chapter to Gypsy. I had other pets, of course; for what healthy boy could long exist without numerous friends in the animal kingdom? I had two white mice that were forever gnawing their way out of a pasteboard chateau, and crawling over my face when I lay asleep. I used to keep the pink-eyed little beggars in my bedroom, greatly to the annoyance of Miss Abigail, who was constantly fancying that one of the mice had secreted itself somewhere about her person.

I also owned a dog, a terrier, who managed in some inscrutable way to pick a quarrel with the moon, and on bright nights kept up such a ki-yi-ing in our back garden, that we were finally forced to dispose of him at private sale.

He was purchased by Mr. Oxford, the butcher. I protested against the arrangement and ever afterwards, when we had sausages from Mr. Oxford-s shop, I made believe I detected in them certain evidences that Cato had been foully dealt with.

Of birds I had no end-robins, purple-martins, wrens, bulfinches, bobolinks, ringdoves, and pigeons. At one time I took solid comfort in the iniquitous society of a dissipated old parrot, who talked so terribly, that the Rev.

Wibird Hawkins, happening to get a sample of Poll's vituperative powers, pronounced him "a benighted heathen," and advised the Captain to get rid of him. A brace of turtles supplanted the parrot in my affections; the turtles gave way to rabbits; and the rabbits in turn yielded to the superior charms of a small monkey, which the Captain bought of a sailor lately from the coast of Africa.

But Gypsy was the prime favorite, in spite of many rivals. I never grew weary of her. She was the most knowing little thing in the world. Her proper sphere in life-and the one to which she ultimately attained-was the saw-dust arena of a travelling circus. There was nothing short of the three R's, reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, that Gypsy couldn't be taught. The gift of speech was not hers, but the faculty of thought was.

My little friend, to be sure, was not exempt from certain graceful weaknesses, inseparable, perhaps, from the female character. She was very pretty, and she knew it. She was also passionately fond of dress-by which I mean her best harness. When she had this on, her curvetings and prancings were laughable, though in ordinary tackle she went along demurely enough.

There was something in the enamelled leather and the silver-washed mountings that chimed with her artistic sense. To have her mane braided, and a rose or a pansy stuck into her forelock, was to make her too conceited for anything.

She had another trait not rare among her sex. She liked the attentions of young gentlemen, while the society of girls bored her. She would drag them, sulkily, in the cart; but as for permitting one of them in the saddle, the idea was preposterous. Once when Pepper Whitcomb's sister, in spite of our remonstrances, ventured to mount her, Gypsy gave a little indignant neigh, and tossed the gentle Emma heels over head in no time. But with any of the boys the mare was as docile as a lamb.

Her treatment of the several members of the family was comical. For the Captain she entertained a wholesome respect, and was always on her good behavior when he was around. As to Miss Abigail, Gypsy simply laughed at her-literally laughed, contracting her upper lip and displaying all her snow-white teeth, as if something about Miss Abigail struck her, Gypsy, as being extremely ridiculous.

Kitty Collins, for some reason or another, was afraid of the pony, or pretended to be. The sagacious little animal knew it, of course, and frequently, when Kitty was banging out clothes near the stable, the mare being loose in the yard, would make short plunges at her. Once Gypsy seized the basket of clothespins with her teeth, and rising on her hind legs, pawing the air with her fore feet followed Kitty clear up to the scullery steps.

That part of the yard was shut off from the rest by a gate; but no gate was proof against Gypsy's ingenuity. She could let down bars, lift up latches, draw bolts, and turn all sorts of buttons. This accomplishment rendered it hazardous for Miss Abigail or Kitty to leave any eatables on the kitchen table near the window. On one occasion Gypsy put in her head and lapped up six custard pies that had been placed by the casement to cool.

同类推荐
  • 贯休应梦罗汉画歌

    贯休应梦罗汉画歌

    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 Patagonia

    The Patagonia

    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。
  • 香销酒醒词

    香销酒醒词

    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。
  • Who Cares

    Who Cares

    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。
  • 古琴疏

    古琴疏

    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
  • 最具影响力的政坛伟人(下)

    最具影响力的政坛伟人(下)

    作家是生活造就的,作家又创作了文学。正如高尔基所说:“作家是一支笛子,生活里的种种智慧一通过它就变成音韵和谐的曲调了……作家也是时代精神手中的一支笔,一支由某位圣贤用来撰写艺术史册的笔……”因此,作家是人类灵魂的工程师,也是社会生活的雕塑师。文学作品是作家根据一定的立场、观点、社会理想和审美观念,从社会生活中选取一定的材料,经过提炼加工而后创作出来的。它既包含客观的现实生活,也包含作家主观的思想感情,因此,文学作品通过相应的表现形式,具有很强的承载性,这就是作品的具体内容。
  • 独家宠溺:暮少,请臣服

    独家宠溺:暮少,请臣服

    【重生豪门宠文,宠宠宠】传言,男神苏暮止,有颜有钱有权有势,不近女色传言:林家四小姐大字不识,琴棋书画样样不通,要多废物有多废物。苏暮止浅笑,清绝矜贵,直道:学霸学神,除了她还有谁?当他遇到她——苏暮止摇身一变,工作?闪开!钱?不要。他只想一件事情,和她一同终老,看花开花落。而凉子卿只想躲远点,再躲远点!
  • 异族美人离宫记

    异族美人离宫记

    姐妹两人旅游进入欧洲古迹,穿越为大凉公主,保家卫国的使命,落到两位公主的身上,看现在美少女穿越到古代,如何普写巾帼传说--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 智能时代

    智能时代

    本书的创作来源于作者杰夫·霍金斯的两大热爱,作为一名成功的计算机工程师和企业家,杰夫·霍金斯因创办了Palm Computing和Handspring两家公司而声名在外,而他个人更重要的兴趣在于大脑。在《智能时代》这本书中,作者将计算机与大脑两个领域的研究结合在一起,从大脑的细节处探究与解析人类智能的本质。这是一本简单、直观解释大脑的书,作者在书中提出“记忆-预测框架”理论,将大脑预测未来的能力作为智能的关键,并探讨了人类如何能建造智能机器,以及智能机器的未来将是什么样子。是有关智能原理的必读书,具有跨时代的意义。
  • 快穿系统:宿主大人别崩了!

    快穿系统:宿主大人别崩了!

    (推荐免费新书:逆天娇妻:枭爷别太撩)某年某月某日,某只系统可怜巴巴的看着面前这个低头只顾着玩游戏的女人,“宿主,我们应该去下一个位面了!”女人抬头:“等一会。”某系统哭唧唧,等一会!你两个时辰前就是这样说的……………………“宿主,那是女主不能拍呀!”九妖妖看着帝九歌即将拍到女主头上的板砖心惊胆颤的喊道。“急什么,又不是拍死!”帝九歌微微停顿,没有听九妖妖的话,直接一板砖拍了下去。系统望天:唉……管理者肯定要来找它了……呜呜呜~
  • 穿越:福孕高照

    穿越:福孕高照

    她觉得自己应该不算什么好运,好死不死穿越到架空的古代,爹妈死了,又进了宫,被人当做棋子送到慕云昭身边,尔虞我诈勾心斗角的生活根本就不适合她,可她偏偏是个有福的,福大命大,好孕连年!【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 亿万盛宠只为你

    亿万盛宠只为你

    他们是青梅竹马,两人的日常就是斗斗小嘴,互怼互损。他嘴上说嫌弃她,实际心里在意得要命,看她跟别的男生亲近,他就醋劲大发,索性把她绑在自己身边,成为他一个人的专属。出版名《我和你的微甜时光》,甜宠文,1v1。
  • 紫灵战神

    紫灵战神

    龙川竹影几千秋,云锁高峰水自流,万里长江飘玉带,一轮明月滚金球。远看西北三千界,势压江南十二州,好景一时看不尽,天缘有分再来游。群:545582175
  • 思路决定财路

    思路决定财路

    本书以丰富、生动的事例说明人们在求财创富的道路上,思路决定财路的道理。而正确的思路则来源于对市场现状与发展趋势的全面了解和准确预测,来源于对商机的高度敏感性与及时把握等。
  • 梅花落:倾尽芳华

    梅花落:倾尽芳华

    落霞山下,碧映湖旁,白梅亭中初相遇,她静若处子,宛如谪仙下凡。他,一曲天外琴音,他,千万百计给予她爱情,缘不过阴谋利益;当她终于忘尽前尘,安隐于百姓人家,位于权利顶峰的他,却又为何百般寻觅?是难忘旧情,亦或本性难移?