儿童英语读物 小木屋之谜 The Woodshed Mystery Chapter 9 盒子里是什么？

CHAPTER 9
What Was in the Box

Aunt Jane was not in the house. No dog came to meet them. Aunt Jane’s dog, Lady, always stayed with her. Benny called out, “Aunt Jane!” When nobody answered, Henry called, “Lady! Lady!”

A bark came from the yard behind the house. There sat Aunt Jane reading Violet¹’s big book. She looked up.

“Well, how did you get along?” she asked.

Benny could hardly wait to tell her about the hole under the woodshed. Then Jessie gave her the old candlestick.

“What an old candlestick!” cried Aunt Jane. “This is the kind they used at the time of the Revolutionary War!”

“That’s what Jessie thought, Aunt Jane,” said Violet. “And we found an old iron² box, too.”

“Open it right away!” said Aunt Jane. “It looks like a candle box. The kind they used to pack candles in.”

“Somebody sat there in the dark with a candle,” said Henry. “Why would they do that, Aunt Jane?”

“I have an idea, Henry! I got it from this old book. You just open that box and we’ll see.”

“I’ll have to break the top off, I’m afraid,” said Henry. “See how rusty³ it is.”

“All right. Break it!” cried Aunt Jane.

“I’ll get a hammer and chisel,” shouted Benny. “I’ll be right back.”

Off he went to the house. He soon came back and Henry started to work. Little by little the cover opened. At last it fell off.

“Well, what is it?” cried Benny. “Just a lot of old black powder.”

“Gunpowder⁴!” said Aunt Jane with shining eyes. “I read about gunpowder in Violet’s book. Somebody dug⁵ that hole to keep ammunition⁶ in!”

“You’re right,” said Henry quietly. “I think we have found one of the places where they hid ammunition!”

“Then they took it to Concord,” said Jessie.

“In a load of hay⁷!” said Violet.

They all looked at each other.

Henry said, “Aunt Jane, we decided⁸ not to go into the tunnel⁹. We may find a lot more things later.”

“We thought somebody might shut the cover down,” said Benny. “And there we’d all be. Next time we’ll leave somebody outside to keep watch. Where’s Sam?”

But Sam had gone back to work.

Aunt Jane said, “Sam must go with you every time. Remember that.”

“I think so, too,” said Jessie. “That dirt looked as if it had been moved only yesterday. Some stranger is around here.”

“He’s stealing eggs from the Beans,” said Benny. Everyone laughed.

Benny went on slowly. Talking about the Beans had made him think of something. He said, “Aunt Jane, why didn’t you marry this Andy Bean?”

“All right, I’ll tell you, Benny. Nobody ever asked me before.”

“I wasn’t very polite to ask you, was I?” said Benny.

“No,” said Aunt Jane. “But I don’t mind. I was quite silly. Andy Bean did ask me to marry him and I said no. My reasons were very silly. I know that now. The first reason was that he was two years younger than I was, but he was big and he looked older. What do you guess the second reason was?”

“What?” asked four voices.

“I didn’t want to be called Mrs. Bean!”

Violet patted¹⁰ Aunt Jane’s hand. “I don’t think that was too silly.”

“Well, I do,” said Aunt Jane. “I have been sorry a thousand times. Andy was a fine looking, clever boy. He had a nice crooked¹¹ smile. His younger brother owns the Bean farm now. His wife is the Mrs. Bean who told you about the eggs, Benny.”

“Don’t we have the most exciting adventures!” cried Benny. “Something new is always happening.”

“Yes, Benny,” said Aunt Jane laughing. “Ever since I met you something nice has happened every day. Before that nothing happened.”

“Well, tomorrow we’ll explore that cellar¹² again,” said Henry. “I’ll read that old book myself. I’d like to know what to look for.”

“We might find an old gun,” said Benny. “Maybe an old flintlock.”

“Benny Alden!” cried Violet. Her eyes were like stars. “Do you know what you just said? Maybe that cellar is where Andy Bean found his old flintlock!”

Everyone was excited until Jessie said, “No, I don’t think so. Don’t you remember that somebody gave it to Andy?”

“That’s right, Jessie,” said Benny. “They said it was somebody hiding in this house! And that’s why the stories have been told and nobody will live here.”

“Well!” said Henry. “We’ll find out if it takes all summer.”

“Don’t forget,” said Aunt Jane softly¹³, “it may.”

Henry smiled at his aunt. Maybe it would take all summer, but the mystery would be solved. And it would be solved quickly if some of his and Benny’s ideas proved to be right.

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 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。

3 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

4 gunpowder   

n.火药

参考例句：

• Gunpowder was introduced into Europe during the first half of the 14th century.在14世纪上半叶，火药传入欧洲。
• This statement has a strong smell of gunpowder.这是一篇充满火药味的声明。

5 dug   

n.动物的乳房[乳头]v.挖，掘( dig的过去式和过去分词 )；（如用铲、锨或推土机等）挖掘；挖得；寻找

参考例句：

• He dug a deep hole in the garden. 他在花园里挖了个深坑。
• We dug a deep pit in the yard. 我们在院子中挖了个深洞。

6 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

7 hay   

n.(用作饲料或覆盖的)干草

参考例句：

• Cows feed on hay.奶牛以干草为生。
• They usually keep the hay in the barn.他们通常将干草存放在谷仓中。

8 decided   

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。

9 tunnel   

n.隧道，地下道；vi.挖隧道；vt.掘隧道于

参考例句：

• They will have to block up the entrance to the tunnel.他们将不得不封闭通往隧道的入口。
• The train passed through a tunnel.火车通过了一条隧道。

10 patted   

v.轻拍( pat的过去式和过去分词 )；拍成，拍至；表扬，称赞（某人/自己）

参考例句：

• She patted the dog on the head. 她轻轻地拍着狗的头。
• He leaned forward and patted me on the shoulder. 他向前倾着身子并拍我的肩膀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 crooked   

adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He crooked a finger to tell us to go over to him.他弯了弯手指，示意我们到他那儿去。
• You have to drive slowly on these crooked country roads.在这些弯弯曲曲的乡间小路上你得慢慢开车。

12 cellar   

n.地窖，地下室，酒窖

参考例句：

• He took a bottle of wine from the cellar.他从酒窖里拿出一瓶酒。
• The little girl hid away in the cellar.小姑娘藏在地下室里。

13 softly   

adv.柔和地，静静地，温柔地

参考例句：

• He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻，她听不见。
• She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。