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儿童英语读物 The Copycat Mystery CHAPTER 10 April Fool Pie

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When the Aldens finished their last day as tour guides, Aunt Jane invited everyone over for a special barbecue. Jessie and Benny sat on one side of an extra-long picnic table, along with Mr. Mason, Aunt Jane, Gwen, and Sharon. Across from them sat Henry, Violet, Miss Pennink, Draper Mills, and Jake North.

“These are the best hamburgers I’ve had in a long time,” declared Jake, who had been true to his word. A big article had appeared in the newspaper that morning. It said that the old Wagner farmhouse1 wasn’t haunted and never had been.

“I’m glad you could make it, Jake,” Aunt Jane said with a warm smile. “I didn’t know if you’d be too busy at work.”

“Oh, this was my day off.” Jake wiped some mustard from the corner of his mouth. “I’m lucky to even have a job after the stunts2 I’ve pulled. It’s on a trial basis, of course—which is more than I deserve.”

Draper Mills put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

“Yes, indeed,” agreed Mr. Mason. “We all make mistakes. It’s learning from them that matters. It happens to be one of the reasons I enjoy history so much. We can learn from the past and hopefully not repeat the same mistakes.” Mr. Mason cleared his throat. “I’m ashamed to say I’ve been guilty of some rigid3 thinking, the sort of thinking that was common in the Victorian era. I should have known better. Ever since that article about Horace came out in the newspaper, the museum’s been flooded with calls.

People want to know more about Horace and about the history of Elmford. If he can spark that kind of interest, Horace Wagner’s okay with me. And I have a feeling’ he added, “that Miss Pennink’s book will be sold out in Elmford.”

“You wrote a book, Miss Pennink?” cried Gwen. “You never said a word.”

Miss Pennink beamed. “It’s a history of the Wagner family.”

The Aldens looked at one another. That was what Miss Pennink had meant about making sure everyone knew about Horace Wagner.

“I’ve kept it a secret,” Miss Pennink went on, “knowing how Mr. Mason felt about Horace and his practical jokes. I didn’t want to risk Draper’s job. You see, Draper’s helping4 me. As soon as I finish a chapter, Draper goes over it and makes suggestions. Every morning, he leaves his notes for me in the pantry—in a crock pot.”

Gwen winked5 at Draper Mills. “That explains why you were in the farmhouse so early that morning. I didn’t think any of the window shades needed fixing.”

Draper nodded. “You caught me by surprise. Sorry for not being more honest.”

“It’s really quite a delightful6 book,” said Mr. Mason. “Miss Pennink told me about it the day I put Horace’s photograph back where it belonged.”

“I’m afraid I’ve been guilty of some rigid thinking myself.” Gwen put an arm around her younger sister. “I’m sure we can work something out, Sharon. There’s no reason you shouldn’t take part in those fashion shows.”

Sharon’s face lit up. “Oh, do you mean it?”

Gwen nodded. “It’s a good way for you to find out if modeling is what you really want.” Then she added, “I was thinking that the farmhouse gardens would be a wonderful place to hold some of those fashion shows. And who knows? Maybe Victorian dresses could be modeled along with the modern ones.”

Sharon was thrilled. “That’s a great idea!”

Benny had a question. He hesitated for a moment, then blurted7 out, “Sharon, why didn’t you want us working at the farmhouse?”

Gwen’s sister lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry for being so unfriendly,” she said. “The truth is, I was glad we were going to be shorthanded at the farmhouse. I thought it’d give me a chance to prove to my sister that I was responsible enough to handle any situation—including taking part in the fashion shows. When I heard you were volunteering, I thought my chance to prove myself was gone.” Sharon took a breath. “I never should have accused you of setting up those practical jokes,” she said, looking at each of the Aldens in turn. “Because of you, my sister still has her job.”

Draper Mills had a confession8 to make, too. “I haven’t been very friendly, either. It’s no secret I didn’t take kindly9 to the farm being opened up to the public. I thought all those visitors would trample10 all over the garden. But folks have been great. It’s been a nice surprise.”

“Well,” said Aunt Jane, “we’re certainly not short on reasons to celebrate today!”

Miss Pennink agreed. “It’s a good thing I made a very special dessert.”

Benny grinned. “Dessert?”

“Wait right here,” Miss Pennink told him, then she disappeared into the kitchen. Returning a moment later, she said, “This was my great-great-grandfather’s favorite dessert—April Fool pie!”

“April Fool pie?” echoed Benny. “What’s that?”

Miss Pennink set the dessert on the picnic table. “You won’t know until you try it, Benny.” And she gave him the first piece.

“It looks like apple pie,” observed Benny. “Mmmm, it tastes like apple pie, too!”

“April Fool!” said Miss Pennink with a big smile. “There isn’t a single apple in it. It’s made with crackers11 and a mixture of water, lemon juice, sugar, and a teaspoon12 of cream of tartar. You sprinkle it with cinnamon and bake it in the oven. And that’s how you get—”

“April Fool pie!” everyone cried out.

Jessie said, “This is a perfect way to end the week.”

“And our trip back in time,” added Violet.

“We even solved a mystery on our trip,” declared Benny. “Right, Henry?”

“Like I said before, Benny,” Henry answered, “some things never change!”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
2 stunts d1bd0eff65f6d207751b4213c4fdd8d1     
n.惊人的表演( stunt的名词复数 );(广告中)引人注目的花招;愚蠢行为;危险举动v.阻碍…发育[生长],抑制,妨碍( stunt的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He did all his own stunts. 所有特技都是他自己演的。
  • The plane did a few stunts before landing. 飞机着陆前做了一些特技。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 rigid jDPyf     
adj.严格的,死板的;刚硬的,僵硬的
参考例句:
  • She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
  • The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严,几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。
4 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
5 winked af6ada503978fa80fce7e5d109333278     
v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 );递眼色(表示友好或高兴等);(指光)闪烁;闪亮
参考例句:
  • He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was. 他冲她眨了眨眼,她便知道他的想法和她一样。
  • He winked his eyes at her and left the classroom. 他向她眨巴一下眼睛走出了教室。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
6 delightful 6xzxT     
adj.令人高兴的,使人快乐的
参考例句:
  • We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
  • Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。
7 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》
8 confession 8Ygye     
n.自白,供认,承认
参考例句:
  • Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
  • The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。
9 kindly tpUzhQ     
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地
参考例句:
  • Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
  • A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。
10 trample 9Jmz0     
vt.踩,践踏;无视,伤害,侵犯
参考例句:
  • Don't trample on the grass. 勿踏草地。
  • Don't trample on the flowers when you play in the garden. 在花园里玩耍时,不要踩坏花。
11 crackers nvvz5e     
adj.精神错乱的,癫狂的n.爆竹( cracker的名词复数 );薄脆饼干;(认为)十分愉快的事;迷人的姑娘
参考例句:
  • That noise is driving me crackers. 那噪声闹得我简直要疯了。
  • We served some crackers and cheese as an appetiser. 我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 teaspoon SgLzim     
n.茶匙
参考例句:
  • Add one teaspoon of sugar.加一小茶匙糖。
  • I need a teaspoon to stir my tea.我需要一把茶匙搅一搅茶。
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