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儿童英语读物 The Mystery Horse CHAPTER 5 Stop, Thief!

时间:2017-07-27 02:38来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Jessie was relieved to find Henry, Violet, and Benny sitting apart from the group, under the shade of an apple tree. They had finished eating, and Henry was whittling1 a chunk2 of white oak with his pocketknife.

“You missed lunch,” Benny said the moment Jessie sat down.

“I ate inside,” she said hurriedly. Then she showed them the magazine. “Look what I found in the house.” She flipped3 to the picture of Wind Dancer and waited for their reaction.

“Oh, what a great horse,” Benny said.

“Hey, that’s funny,” Violet said. “He looks a little like that horse we saw last night.”

Henry leaned over for a closer look and then shook his head in amazement4. “He looks exactly like the horse we saw.” His eyes met Jessie’s. “They could be twins.”

“I think it is the same horse,” Jessie said. “The Morgans call him Star, but he’s really Wind Dancer. He’s a champion racehorse.”

“Do you really think so?” Violet asked. She peered at the magazine again. “You know, I think it is the same horse. But what’s he doing at Sunny Oaks?”

“Maybe the Morgans kidnapped him,” Benny said. “Or horsenapped him.”

“I don’t think so,” Henry said slowly. “It could be they don’t know who he really is. Maybe they’re boarding him for someone.”

“But it seems like they’re hiding him,” Violet said. She still hated the idea that the chestnut5 horse was cooped up all alone in the barn, whoever he was. “And I didn’t believe it when they said they had to keep him away from the other horses.”

“Racehorses are always around lots of other horses,” Jessie pointed6 out.

“That’s right,” Benny said, his eyes wide. He was getting more excited by the minute. He loved solving mysteries!

“What should we do?” Violet’s soft eyes were serious. “Should we say something to the Morgans?”

Henry thought for a moment. “Not just yet,” he said finally. “Let’s give it a little time and see what happens. And let’s try to get a look at that horse again.”

“Good idea.” Jessie was about to say more, but she spotted7 Daisy racing8 across the yard toward them.

“Hey, Jessie and Violet!” the little girl shouted. “Want to come with me? I’m going to feed Oliver.” She held up a bag of sliced apples and raisins9, Oliver’s favorite treat.

Jessie and Violet exchanged a look as they got to their feet. “It looks like she’s not afraid of horses anymore,” Jessie said. Violet smiled.

It was mid-afternoon when Mr. Morgan stopped Henry on his way to the cattle shed. “Need to talk to you for a minute, son,” the farmer said.

“Sure,” Henry answered.

“I need a little favor. Mrs. Morgan wants to go into town to set up a booth for the fair. Daisy and the kids are coming with us, and Ms. Jefferies went for a walk around the lake. I wondered if you’d look after things here for me.”

“I’ll be glad to,” Henry said. “Is there anything special you want me to do?”

Mr. Morgan started to say something and then stopped. “Well, not really. Just keep an eye on the farm, that’s all.” He nodded and moved off before Henry could ask any more questions. Puzzled, Henry headed for his last chore of the day, pitching fresh straw into the shed.

An hour later, Henry was enjoying a tall glass of lemonade when he looked up in surprise. A car pulling a horse trailer was rumbling10 up the main road. Mr. Morgan hadn’t said anything about visitors. Henry quickly crossed the yard and stood in front of the main house. But the car roared past him, blowing up clouds of dust. It was headed straight for the stable!

Henry took off at a run, and nearly collided with Violet and Jessie who were carrying a burlap bag of chicken feed between them.

“What’s your hurry?” Jessie said, laughing. She lost her grip on the bag, and some chicken feed spilled on the ground.

“No time to explain,” Henry gasped11. “Just follow me.” He was panting when he reached the stable, and he took several deep breaths. The car had pulled right up in front of the stable, and two men were trying to open the padlocked door.

“Wouldn’t you know it? It’s locked up tight,” one man said disgustedly to his partner.

“I told you to bring the crowbar, Hank. Only a fool would leave a stable unlocked.”

“Well, we’d better think of something quick, before they get back,” the man named Hank said. “It looked like they were heading into town, but we don’t know how long they’ll stay there.”

Henry decided12 it was time to speak up. “May I help you with something?” His tone was polite, but firm.

“Who are you, boy?” Hank looked questioningly at Henry.

“I’m Henry Alden.” Hank edged closer, but Henry stood his ground. He noticed that both men were tall with dark hair, and they were dressed casually14. The one who hung back was wearing expensive black cowboy boots with silver toes.

“What do you want?” Henry asked. He knew without turning around that Violet and Jessie had come up behind him.

There was a long pause while the two men looked at each other. Finally the one with the silver-toed boots moved toward the children. “We’re here to pick up one of the horses,” he said casually.

“Which one?” The words were out before Violet even realized she had spoken.

“Why, the big chestnut one, little girl,” Hank said. He smiled, but Violet thought his eyes looked hard and cold. “Do you know which one we mean?”

Violet shook her head. Of course she knew which horse he was talking about, but she decided to say nothing.

“How about you?” Hank moved past Henry to stand in front of Jessie. “Have you seen a big chestnut horse with a star on his face?” Jessie shook her head, and the man threw up his hands in disgust. He turned to his partner. “Well, now what do we do, Ryan?”

Ryan tried the padlocked door again. The aging wood creaked a little, but the lock held. “There must be some way in here,” he muttered. He walked back to Henry. “That just leaves you. I bet you could figure out a way to get in the stable. Maybe you even have a key.”

Henry didn’t flinch15. “Why are you here?” His voice was strong, but his heart was beating fast.

“Oh, we should have explained that,” Hank said. “We’re here . . . ” He paused and glanced at Ryan.

“We’re here to take one of the horses to the veterinarian. The big one with the star . . . he’s got a bad foot.”

“The veterinarian?” Mr. Morgan hadn’t said anything about a horse going to the vet’s, and Henry was more suspicious than ever.

“Well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow,” Henry said firmly.

“Now that’s not such a good idea,” Ryan said thoughtfully. “The poor horse must be suffering. He really should be treated right away.”

Violet glanced at the horse trailer behind the car. It was burgundy-colored and there was no name on it. “What’s the name of the veterinarian?”

Hank scratched his head. “Well, that’s easy. It’s Doc, uh, Doc . . .”

“Doc Henderson,” Ryan said smoothly16. “Maybe you’ve heard of him.”

Violet shook her head. She was suspicious, too. What did the men want with Wind Dancer?

Jessie turned as Benny scampered17 over to them. He looked at the shiny horse trailer. “Neat!” he exclaimed. “Is there a horse inside?”

“Not yet,” Hank said. “I don’t suppose you know how to get into the stables, do you?”

Benny looked at the padlocked door and shook his head. “No, you’ll have to wait until the Morgans get home. They should be here any minute.”

Violet wanted to hug him. That was exactly the right thing to say!

Hank gave a worried look to his partner. “Maybe we should come back another time,” he said, backing toward the car.

“I think we’ll have to,” Ryan replied. He had his car keys in his hand and seemed eager to be on his way.

“That would be a good idea,” Henry said firmly.

He stared at Henry for a long minute. “We’ll be back.” He was scowling18 and his voice was cold.

The moment the car rumbled19 back down the drive, Violet turned to Henry. “What was that all about?” she asked. “Do you think they were here to kidnap Wind Dancer?”

“Something’s going on,” Henry told her. “We have to let the Morgans know right away. Wind Dancer could be in real danger.”

As soon as the Morgans pickup20 truck pulled up in the driveway, all four Aldens hurried over. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan were busily unloading some bags of grain from the truck.

“Well, it looks like we have a welcoming committee,” Mrs. Morgan said, smiling.

“We have something really important to talk to you about,” Henry told her. “In private.”

Mr. Morgan looked serious. “Come inside the house, children.” He waited until everyone was settled in the den13. “Now what’s this all about?”

“We know about Wind Dancer,” Jessie blurted21 out.

“You call him Star, but we know who he really is!” Violet chimed in.

“Some men were here today to steal him!” Benny said, his eyes wide. “But we stopped them just in time.”

Mrs. Morgan put her hand to her mouth. “Oh, no!” she cried.

“Slow down,” Mr. Morgan said. “Now, Henry, start at the beginning and tell me exactly what happened.”

Henry told him about the men trying the padlocked door, and he gave a good description of the car and the horse trailer. When he finished Mr. Morgan shook his head.

“I guess I should have been honest with you last night,” he said. “I lied when I said the horse was named Star.”

“Then Star really is Wind Dancer!” Jessie said. “I knew it the moment I saw his picture in Horse Sense.”

“We’re keeping his identity a secret to protect him,” Mrs. Morgan told her. “He was nearly stolen last month, and his owners wanted a nice safe place to board him for a couple of weeks. Sunny Oaks seemed like the perfect spot.” She shook her head sadly. “But now the thieves are after him again.”

“What can we do to help?” Henry asked.

“Just don’t tell anyone what you know,” Mr. Morgan said. “And I’ll keep him hidden in that back stall as much as I can.”

“Doesn’t he ever get out?” Violet asked. “I feel so sorry for him.”

Mr. Morgan smiled at her. “Now don’t worry about him. I make sure he gets some exercise. I take him out every other night on the old bridle22 path that runs around the pond.” He paused. “I suppose I’m taking a chance, but I wait until it’s dark, so no one can spot us.”

“We’ll have to be more careful than ever, now that there’s been a second attempt,” Mrs. Morgan pointed out.

“We’ll do whatever we can to help you,” Henry offered.

“You can count on us!” Violet piped up.

“I’m glad that you know the truth,” Mrs. Morgan said. “And thank you for what you did today. That took some quick thinking.”

“Yes, you kids did a great job,” Mr. Morgan added. “Wind Dancer is safe, thanks to you.”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 whittling 9677e701372dc3e65ea66c983d6b865f     
v.切,削(木头),使逐渐变小( whittle的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Inflation has been whittling away their savings. 通货膨胀使他们的积蓄不断减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He is whittling down the branch with a knife to make a handle for his hoe. 他在用刀削树枝做一把锄头柄。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 chunk Kqwzz     
n.厚片,大块,相当大的部分(数量)
参考例句:
  • They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
  • The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。
3 flipped 5bef9da31993fe26a832c7d4b9630147     
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 ); 按(开关); 快速翻转; 急挥
参考例句:
  • The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
  • The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
4 amazement 7zlzBK     
n.惊奇,惊讶
参考例句:
  • All those around him looked at him with amazement.周围的人都对他投射出惊异的眼光。
  • He looked at me in blank amazement.他带着迷茫惊诧的神情望着我。
5 chestnut XnJy8     
n.栗树,栗子
参考例句:
  • We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
  • In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。
6 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
7 spotted 7FEyj     
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的
参考例句:
  • The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
  • Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。
8 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
9 raisins f7a89b31fdf9255863139804963e88cf     
n.葡萄干( raisin的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • These raisins come from Xinjiang,they taste delicious. 这些葡萄干产自新疆,味道很甜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Mother put some raisins in the cake. 母亲在糕饼中放了一些葡萄干。 来自辞典例句
10 rumbling 85a55a2bf439684a14a81139f0b36eb1     
n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词
参考例句:
  • The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
  • The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。
11 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 );喘息;倒抽气;很想要
参考例句:
  • She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
  • People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
12 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
13 den 5w9xk     
n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
参考例句:
  • There is a big fox den on the back hill.后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
  • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den.不入虎穴焉得虎子。
14 casually UwBzvw     
adv.漠不关心地,无动于衷地,不负责任地
参考例句:
  • She remarked casually that she was changing her job.她当时漫不经心地说要换工作。
  • I casually mentioned that I might be interested in working abroad.我不经意地提到我可能会对出国工作感兴趣。
15 flinch BgIz1     
v.畏缩,退缩
参考例句:
  • She won't flinch from speaking her mind.她不会讳言自己的想法。
  • We will never flinch from difficulties.我们面对困难决不退缩。
16 smoothly iiUzLG     
adv.平滑地,顺利地,流利地,流畅地
参考例句:
  • The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作,所以工作进展顺利。
  • Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。
17 scampered fe23b65cda78638ec721dec982b982df     
v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑,惊惶奔跑( scamper的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The cat scampered away. 猫刺棱一下跑了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • The rabbIt'scampered off. 兔子迅速跑掉了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
18 scowling bbce79e9f38ff2b7862d040d9e2c1dc7     
怒视,生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里,穿着灰色的衣服,漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
  • Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家(1-26) - 家(1-26)
19 rumbled e155775f10a34eef1cb1235a085c6253     
发出隆隆声,发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 ); 轰鸣着缓慢行进; 发现…的真相; 看穿(阴谋)
参考例句:
  • The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
  • Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了,然而,在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声,持续不断。
20 pickup ANkxA     
n.拾起,获得
参考例句:
  • I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
21 blurted fa8352b3313c0b88e537aab1fcd30988     
v.突然说出,脱口而出( blurt的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She blurted it out before I could stop her. 我还没来得及制止,她已脱口而出。
  • He blurted out the truth, that he committed the crime. 他不慎说出了真相,说是他犯了那个罪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 bridle 4sLzt     
n.笼头,束缚;vt.抑制,约束;动怒
参考例句:
  • He learned to bridle his temper.他学会了控制脾气。
  • I told my wife to put a bridle on her tongue.我告诉妻子说话要谨慎。
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