儿童英语读物 Tree House Mystery CHAPTER 11 Lost and Found

There was plenty to do to help Uncle Max get his restaurant open.

Jessie and Violet¹ made bright yellow curtains for the big new window. Jeffrey and Sam wrote a story about the rocking horse. Mr. Alden had it printed on place mats² with a picture of the rocking horse in the middle. Henry and Benny helped paint and make shelves to hold the old toys. Uncle Max put up his new sign outside.

The Rocking Horse Restaurant was to have its big opening day on a Saturday. There was an advertisement in the Greenfield News. On Friday Henry, the other Aldens, with Jeffrey and Sammy, took the old toys to Uncle Max. Jessie and Violet had flowers to put on the tables.

Jeffrey and Sammy carried Willy Carver’s wonderful old rocking horse from the Alden station wagon³. Soon the horse was standing⁴ in its special place just inside the door at one side. Children coming in could see it and pat⁵ its nose but they could not ride it. That would have been too much for the old horse.

On opening day the restaurant was clean and shining. The new window let in the sunlight⁶. Uncle Max had bought more tables and chairs. The new sign hung outside on an iron⁷ pole. Place mats were on the tables, and everything was ready.

The Aldens and the Beaches came before noon. Everyone was almost too excited to do anything. But they helped Uncle Max in every way they could. Jessie and Violet set the tables. Benny and the Beach boys peeled potatoes.

“You are certainly a lot of help to me,” said Uncle Max. “What should I do without you?”

Sammy said, “I guess you think we act as if the Rocking Horse Restaurant is ours. Anyway we can’t stay away.”

Jessie said, “I almost wish we weren’t going on our vacation so soon. We are leaving next week.”

“I’m sorry,” said Uncle Max. “I didn’t know you Aldens were going away so soon.”

But Sammy said, “We’ll be here, Uncle Max.”

Jeffrey added⁸, “We’ll keep you company. We’ll come to lunch and dinner often.”

Everything was ready now. There was nothing to do but wait. At eleven o’clock no customers had come. Everyone was afraid there wouldn’t be any customers at all.

But at half-past eleven they changed their minds. They were afraid there would be too many customers! More and more people kept coming in.

Many children came. They loved the rocking horse and the story on the place mats. And they liked Uncle Max’s cooking, too. They begged their parents to bring them again.

When all the customers had gone, the Aldens and the Beaches sat down to talk over the day. What a success it had been!

John Beach said, “Of course this was your biggest day. It won’t be like this every day.”

“I hope not,” said Uncle Max. “I like to wait on the children myself. I like to hear them talk. It will be fine if the restaurant is just busy enough for me to do all the work.”

“Well, you heard them today,” said Benny. “The children certainly had a good time. They’ll be back.”

Suddenly Uncle Max began to laugh. He said, “I almost forgot. Now that we are alone, I have a surprise for everybody. Excuse me a minute.”

Uncle Max went behind the counter⁹ and came out carrying an enormous¹⁰ cake.

“Just look at that cake!” exclaimed¹¹ Jessie. “Did you make it, Uncle Max?”

“I did,” said Uncle Max. “I wanted to say thank you to everybody.”

Max had done his best. The frosting¹² was creamy white, decorated with pink roses and pale green leaves. In the middle of the cake was a beautiful rocking horse made of frosting.

“Oh, it’s too pretty to cut!” said Violet.

The cake was as good as it looked. It was soon cut and everyone began to eat. It was a wonderful way for Uncle Max to say thank you.

As Sammy finished his large piece, he said, “I want to tell you something, Benny.”

“Go right ahead,” said Benny. “I’m listening.”

“I want to thank you for everything,” said Sammy. “I didn’t know how to pull out a nail¹³, and I couldn’t climb. I didn’t know how to make things, and I didn’t even know how to make friends. Now I can make friends with anybody.”

The others listened. They knew it was true.

But Benny said, “Now you listen, Sammy. Thank you for all you taught me.”

“I taught you?” cried Sammy. “I couldn’t teach you anything!”

“Oh, yes, you did, Sammy. I learned¹⁴ from you and Jeffrey that sometimes I ought to shut my mouth and stop talking—and think. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Oh, don’t, Ben!” said Jessie. “You wouldn’t be Benny any more if you didn’t talk all the time.”

“I’ll think about it anyway,” said Benny.

Everybody laughed.

Then Jeffrey said, “I’ve been thinking, too, and I think we ought to thank the Aldens for the tree house. If they hadn’t helped us build the tree house, none of this would have happened.”

“That’s right, Jeff,” said Sammy. “We would never have found the spyglass.”

“We would never have found the little round window,” added Jeffrey.

“You would never have found the rocking horse,” said Mrs. Beach.

“There wouldn’t have been a Rocking Horse Restaurant,” said Mr. Beach.

Uncle Max nodded his head. “A lot of things have been lost and found: the spyglass, the rocking horse, a whole room—and a brother.” He looked at John Beach. “Without the tree house, I don’t think I would have found my brother quite so soon. Do you, John?”

“I have to agree, Max, and I’m glad we are good friends at last.” He shook hands with Max.

When it was time to go home, Mrs. Beach took Jessie and Violet by the hand. She smiled at them, but she said nothing.

Mr. Beach went out with Mr. Alden. He said, “After this, our family is going to have fun together. Just the way you do. We have found that our boys mean more to us than anything else in the whole world.”

“Good,” said Grandfather. “I’m glad. I had to learn that the hard way a long time ago.” And as he said this he thought about how his grandchildren¹⁵ had once made a home for themselves in an old boxcar.

As Henry drove¹⁶ home, Benny said, “We had a lot of fun. But the best part about the whole thing is Mr. Beach and Uncle Max being friends again.”

And everyone agreed with Benny.

1 violet   

adj.紫色的；n.紫罗兰

参考例句：

• She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
• Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的，和平的和力量的颜色。

2 mats   

abbr.maintenance analysis test set 维修分析测试装置n.席子( mat的名词复数 )；（体育运动用的）厚垫子；（起装饰或保护作用的）衬垫；团

参考例句：

• The effect of MATS on blood-lipids in experimental hypercholesteremic rats was observed. 本文探讨了甲基烯丙基三硫(MATS)对实验性高胆固醇血症大鼠脂质代谢紊乱的影响。 来自互联网
• The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. 门厅里一股子清煮白菜外带破草垫的味儿。 来自英汉文学

3 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

4 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

5 pat   

n.轻拍，拍打声；vt.轻拍，拍打；vi.轻跑，轻击；adv.适时，彻底；adj.油腔滑调的，恰好的，合适的

参考例句：

• Could you hear the pat?你能听到轻轻的拍击声吗？
• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。

6 sunlight   

n.日光，阳光，日照

参考例句：

• The room was flooded with warm and golden sunlight.房间充满着温暖、金色的阳光。
• In the bright sunlight she had to narrow her eyes.在强烈阳光下她必须眯着双眼。

7 iron   

n.铁，熨斗，坚强，烙铁，镣铐；vt.烫平，熨，用铁包；vi. 烫衣服

参考例句：

• The iron has lost its magnetic force.这块铁已失去了磁力。
• We need an electrician to mend the iron.我们要请电工修理熨斗。

8 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

9 counter   

n.柜台；计数器；adj.相反的；adv.与…相反地；vt.反对，反击；vi.反对，反击

参考例句：

• This counter is closed now.这个柜台现在已停止营业。
• Set the counter to zero and you'll know where the recording starts.把计数器拨到零，你就会知道录音从哪儿开始。

10 enormous   

adj.巨大的；庞大的

参考例句：

• An enormous sum of money is injected each year into teaching.每年都有大量资金投入到教学中。
• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。

11 exclaimed   

vt.exclaim的过去式v.呼喊，惊叫，大声说( exclaim的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "We have a good chance of winning," he exclaimed optimistically. “我们很可能获胜。”他乐观地喊道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She exclaimed in delight when she saw the presents. 她见到礼品高兴得叫了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 frosting   

n.霜状白糖，玻璃粉，无光泽面；结霜；起霜；镶饰

参考例句：

• Moonlight was frosting the dew, and an old sundial threw a long shadow. 月光把露水照得雪白，一座旧日规投出一条长长的影子。 来自辞典例句
• She smiled and winked as I bit into the moist chocolate frosting. 她微笑着，向我眨眨眼，而我正在吃湿乎乎的巧克力糖衣。 来自互联网

13 nail   

n.钉子，指甲；vt.用钉钉牢，使固定，使集中于，揭露

参考例句：

• He drove a nail into the wall.他把钉子钉在墙上。
• In order to hang the picture,he had to hammer a nail.为了挂那幅画，他必须钉枚钉子。

14 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

15 grandchildren   

n.孙子；孙（女），外孙（女）( grandchild的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He left a bequest to each of his grandchildren. 他给他的孙辈每人留下一笔遗产。
• His grandchildren afforded him his greatest pleasure in his old age. 他的孙子和孙女们在晚年的时候给了他最大的欢乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 drove   

vbl.驾驶，drive的过去式；n.畜群

参考例句：

• He drove at a speed of sixty miles per hour.他以每小时60英里的速度开车。
• They drove foreign goods out of the market.他们把外国货驱逐出市场。