《神奇树屋》 第十八册 Buffalo Before Breakfast 04 Good Manners

　　Black Hawk¹ led Jack² and Annie toward the tepees. Everyonekept watching them.

Jack couldn't tell what anyone was thinking. No one lookedangry. But no one looked happy, either.

Jack wondered how to appear brave.

He glanced at Annie. She walked tall and straight. Her chinwas up. Her face was calm.

Jack straightened his shoulders. He lifted his chin, and he feltbraver.

Black Hawk stopped and slid off his pony³. The pony headedfor the grazing pasture.

Then Black Hawk led them to a tepee. It was covered withbuffalo designs.

"Grandmother is inside," Black Hawk said to Jack and Annie.

Inside, the tepee looked like a small round room. A fire burnedin the center. Smoke rose through a hole at the top.

An old woman sat on animal skins. She was sewing beadsonto a moccasin.

She looked up at Jack and Annie.

"Grandmother," said Black Hawk. "This is Jack and Anniefrom Frog Creek⁵, Pennsylvania"Jack and Annie both held up two fingers for "friend."Grandmother raised two fingers also.

Then Jack took off his coonskin cap. He gave it toGrandmother.

She put the cap on her head, then laughed. Jack and Annielaughed, too.

Grandmother's laughter and kind face reminded Jack of hisown grandmother.

"You wish to learn our ways," she said.

Jack and Annie nodded. Jack could tell she was wise.

Grandmother stood and left the tepee. They followed her.

Outside, everyone was busy again. They all seemed to knowthat Jack and Annie weren't enemies.

Jack looked around the camp.

Men and boys carved bows. Women and girls pounded meatand sewed clothes. One girl was adding claws to a buckskinshirt.

"The bear claws will give her the strength of the bear," saidGrandmother. "She will sew on hawk feathers, elk⁶ teeth, andporcupine quills⁷, too. All will give her the power of the animals."Jack pulled out his notebook and wrote:

Sew bear claws to shirt"I have strong animal power when I go on a buffalo⁴ hunt,"Black Hawk said proudly.

"What do you mean?" asked Jack.

"I will show you," said Black Hawk. "Wait."Black Hawk went back inside the tepee.

Annie turned to Grandmother.

"Why does he hunt the buffalo?" she asked.

"The buffalo gives our people many gifts," said the oldwoman. "Food from his body. Tepees from his skin, tools fromhis bones."Jack started making a list.

"Cups from his horns," Grandmother went on. "Ropes from hishair Even winter sleds from his ribs⁸."Jack finished his list.

BuffaloSkin = tepeeBones=toolsHorns= cupsHair= ropesRibs=sleds"That reminds me of the seal hunter in the Arctic," said Annie.

"He used all the gifts from the seal's body. He didn't waste athing."Just then, Teddy began growling⁹ and barking.

Jack and Annie turned around. They both gasped¹⁰.

Coming out of Grandmother's tepee was a huge wolf!

1 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 pony   

adj.小型的；n.小马

参考例句：

• His father gave him a pony as a Christmas present.他父亲给了他一匹小马驹作为圣诞礼物。
• They made him pony up the money he owed.他们逼他还债。

4 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

5 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

6 elk   

n.麋鹿

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing.我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。
• The refuge contains the largest wintering population of elk in the world.这座庇护所有着世界上数量最大的冬季麋鹿群。

7 quills   

n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管

参考例句：

• Quills were the chief writing implement from the 6th century AD until the advent of steel pens in the mid 19th century. 从公元6世纪到19世纪中期钢笔出现以前，羽毛笔是主要的书写工具。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defensive quills dot the backs of these troublesome creatures. 防御性的刺长在这些讨人厌的生物背上。 来自互联网

8 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。

9 growling   

n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼

参考例句：

• We heard thunder growling in the distance. 我们听见远处有隆隆雷声。
• The lay about the deck growling together in talk. 他们在甲板上到处游荡，聚集在一起发牢骚。

10 gasped   

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》