03-01-06-风语河岸柳 [13]
… hate to say goodbye…' Toad' s whisper became slower and slower, and then stopped.
The Rat felt very worried. Toad lay so still and quiet—perhaps he really was ill. The Rat wished that the other two were not so far away. What should he do
He looked again at the still and silent Toad, and decided that he must get th doctor at once. He hurried out, carefully locking the door behind him, and ran off to the village as fast as he could.
When Toad heard the front door bang, he jumped out of bed, laughing loudly. He quickly put on his best suit and filled his pockets with money. Then he took the sheets off the bed, tied them together, and in minutes he had climbed down from the bedroom window and was running across the garden to-wards the fields.
A few hours later he was a long way from home. As he walked happily along the road, he felt very pleased with him-self. ' A clever piece of work, that was! he boasted to the trees and the fields. ' Poor old Ratty! A good fellow, but not very intelligent. Badger will be so angry with him! '
Soon he came to a small town and decided to have lunch in the pub there. He was very hungry after his long walk. Halfway through his meal, he heard a sound that he knew very well indeed. Poop-poop! The car stopped outside and the people in it came into the pub to have lunch.
Shaking with excitement, Toad paid his bill and hurried out. He walked slowly round the car, looking at it lovingly. Every-body was having lunch and the street was empty.
' I wonder, ' Toad said to himself, ' I wonder if this kind of car starts easily
'
It started very easily, and Toad found himself in the driver' s seat. He did not know how it happened, but a minute later he was driving out of the town, forgetting right and wrong, for-getting everything except this wonderful, beautiful madness.
Faster and faster he drove, singing and laughing, as the car ate up the miles. Once again he knew that he was Toad-Toad the dreamer, Toad the adventurer, Toad the terror of the open road!
' You are a dangerous criminal, ' said the Judge. ' You stole a valuable motor-car, and you drove like a madman. It' s surprising that you didn' t kill somebody. And finally, you were very rude indeed to the police when they arrested you. Because of all this, I am sending you to prison for twenty years. Guards! Take the prisoner away! '
And so, shouting and crying, Toad was taken away. He was taken to an old dark castle, pushed into the smallest and darkest room below the ground, and the door was locked behind him.
■ 5 给癞蛤蟆先生的教训
冬天过去了，春天回到了河岸。这是初夏一个晴朗的早上，世界似乎充满了阳光，长满了新叶。下游的河岸边，鼹鼠和水鼠正卖力地干着活，修补着船然后把它清洗干净，又寻找着不知遗落在何处的船桨，为夏天在河上划船做着准备。忙碌了一阵他们便回家吃早餐。快吃完时，他们突然听到重重的敲门声。
鼹鼠过去看看是谁，回来时表情非常惊讶。他说，“獾先生！”
獾来拜访他们，的确是不可思议的事。他走进屋里，非常严肃地站着看着他们。水鼠坐在那儿张大着嘴巴，手中的汤匙掉在地上。
“时辰到了！”獾最后说。
“什么时辰？”水鼠担心地问，一边看着墙上的钟。
“你是说，谁的时辰？”灌回答道。“哎，蛤蟆的时辰！癞蛤蟆的时辰！我说过夏天来了我要教训教训他，今天我就要着手干了。”
“癞蛤蟆的时辰，当然！”鼹鼠叫道。“我现在想起来了，我们要把他教育成理智的癞蛤蟆！”
“昨晚我听说，”獾继续着，“另一辆崭新的、高速的汽车刚刚抵达蛤蟆宅第，你们俩必须马上跟我走，我们得把癞蛤蟆从疯狂中救醒过来。”
“好！”水鼠叫道，然后跳起来说：“我们马上走。”
当他们到达蛤蟆宅第，他们看见这辆新车正停放在房子前。车身很长，锃亮耀眼，是蛤蟆最喜欢的艳红色。只见癞蛤蟆他自己穿着特大外套，戴着帽子和护目镜，正从台阶上走下来。
“你们好，伙计们！”癞蛤蟆打着招呼，“你们来得正好，一起兜风去……”
他看到朋友们都板着脸，便打住了。
灌走上台阶，说：“进屋去，癞蛤蟆！我们得和你谈谈。”
他们把癞蛤蟆带进屋里，然后关上大门。
“现在，”獾对癞蛤蟆说，“首先，脱下你那可笑的驾车服。”
“不，我决不！”癞蛤蟆答道，“这是什么意思？马上给我解释！”
“脱下他那身玩意儿，你们俩，”獾命令道。
这可不是件容易的事。水鼠不得不坐在癞蛤蟆身上压住他以便鼹鼠脱下他的外衣，帽子和护目镜。癞蛤蟆嘴里一直对他们骂骂咧咧的。但当他再次站起来时，他似乎更像他自己，更像大家所熟悉的癞蛤蟆了。
“你应该知道这件事总有一天会发生的，蛤蟆，”獾解释说。“我们警告过你多次而你从来不听。你正在花光你所有的钱财，又总是给警察找麻烦，因为你开车像疯子。你跟我到另一个房间去，在那儿你会听到你自己的一些荒唐事。你出来后将会变个样。”
他带癞蛤蟆离开大厅走进一个房间关上了门。水鼠摇着头，说：“仅仅跟他谈谈是救不了他的，他将会作一些许诺——然后又去干他喜欢干的事。”
大约过了一小时，门开了，一只很伤心、很愧疚的癞蛤蟆走了出来，獾跟在他的后面。
“朋友们，”獾看起来很开心，“我高兴地告诉你们癞蛤蟆现在已认识到他曾经有多愚蠢。他已发誓再也不走进汽车。”
“这倒是非常不错的消息，”鼹鼠一本正经地说。
“的确不赖，”水鼠边说边审视着癞蛤蟆脸上的表情。
“好了，蛤蟆，”獾接着说，“我要你在你朋友面前重复你的诺言。”
接下来是一段长长的沉默。
“不！”癞蛤蟆突然说。“不，我不。我不感到愧疚，我一点儿也不愚蠢。那整个太精彩了！我才不发什么誓呢！”
“什么？”獾叫道。“但是在那儿你告诉我——”
“是的，是的，我知道，”癞蛤蟆赶快说，“你说得那么至情至理，亲爱的獾，我就忍不住答应你了。但是我一直在想这个问题。我喜欢开车，我是了不起的驾车手，我发誓我将继续永远开车！扑扑-扑扑！”
“我告诉过你吧，是不是？”水鼠对鼹鼠说。
“很好，”獾说，“如果你不听忠告，我们将不得不采取另一种方法。我们打算和你呆在你的屋里直到你清醒过来。带他上楼去，你们俩，把他锁在
The Rat felt very worried. Toad lay so still and quiet—perhaps he really was ill. The Rat wished that the other two were not so far away. What should he do
He looked again at the still and silent Toad, and decided that he must get th doctor at once. He hurried out, carefully locking the door behind him, and ran off to the village as fast as he could.
When Toad heard the front door bang, he jumped out of bed, laughing loudly. He quickly put on his best suit and filled his pockets with money. Then he took the sheets off the bed, tied them together, and in minutes he had climbed down from the bedroom window and was running across the garden to-wards the fields.
A few hours later he was a long way from home. As he walked happily along the road, he felt very pleased with him-self. ' A clever piece of work, that was! he boasted to the trees and the fields. ' Poor old Ratty! A good fellow, but not very intelligent. Badger will be so angry with him! '
Soon he came to a small town and decided to have lunch in the pub there. He was very hungry after his long walk. Halfway through his meal, he heard a sound that he knew very well indeed. Poop-poop! The car stopped outside and the people in it came into the pub to have lunch.
Shaking with excitement, Toad paid his bill and hurried out. He walked slowly round the car, looking at it lovingly. Every-body was having lunch and the street was empty.
' I wonder, ' Toad said to himself, ' I wonder if this kind of car starts easily
'
It started very easily, and Toad found himself in the driver' s seat. He did not know how it happened, but a minute later he was driving out of the town, forgetting right and wrong, for-getting everything except this wonderful, beautiful madness.
Faster and faster he drove, singing and laughing, as the car ate up the miles. Once again he knew that he was Toad-Toad the dreamer, Toad the adventurer, Toad the terror of the open road!
' You are a dangerous criminal, ' said the Judge. ' You stole a valuable motor-car, and you drove like a madman. It' s surprising that you didn' t kill somebody. And finally, you were very rude indeed to the police when they arrested you. Because of all this, I am sending you to prison for twenty years. Guards! Take the prisoner away! '
And so, shouting and crying, Toad was taken away. He was taken to an old dark castle, pushed into the smallest and darkest room below the ground, and the door was locked behind him.
■ 5 给癞蛤蟆先生的教训
冬天过去了，春天回到了河岸。这是初夏一个晴朗的早上，世界似乎充满了阳光，长满了新叶。下游的河岸边，鼹鼠和水鼠正卖力地干着活，修补着船然后把它清洗干净，又寻找着不知遗落在何处的船桨，为夏天在河上划船做着准备。忙碌了一阵他们便回家吃早餐。快吃完时，他们突然听到重重的敲门声。
鼹鼠过去看看是谁，回来时表情非常惊讶。他说，“獾先生！”
獾来拜访他们，的确是不可思议的事。他走进屋里，非常严肃地站着看着他们。水鼠坐在那儿张大着嘴巴，手中的汤匙掉在地上。
“时辰到了！”獾最后说。
“什么时辰？”水鼠担心地问，一边看着墙上的钟。
“你是说，谁的时辰？”灌回答道。“哎，蛤蟆的时辰！癞蛤蟆的时辰！我说过夏天来了我要教训教训他，今天我就要着手干了。”
“癞蛤蟆的时辰，当然！”鼹鼠叫道。“我现在想起来了，我们要把他教育成理智的癞蛤蟆！”
“昨晚我听说，”獾继续着，“另一辆崭新的、高速的汽车刚刚抵达蛤蟆宅第，你们俩必须马上跟我走，我们得把癞蛤蟆从疯狂中救醒过来。”
“好！”水鼠叫道，然后跳起来说：“我们马上走。”
当他们到达蛤蟆宅第，他们看见这辆新车正停放在房子前。车身很长，锃亮耀眼，是蛤蟆最喜欢的艳红色。只见癞蛤蟆他自己穿着特大外套，戴着帽子和护目镜，正从台阶上走下来。
“你们好，伙计们！”癞蛤蟆打着招呼，“你们来得正好，一起兜风去……”
他看到朋友们都板着脸，便打住了。
灌走上台阶，说：“进屋去，癞蛤蟆！我们得和你谈谈。”
他们把癞蛤蟆带进屋里，然后关上大门。
“现在，”獾对癞蛤蟆说，“首先，脱下你那可笑的驾车服。”
“不，我决不！”癞蛤蟆答道，“这是什么意思？马上给我解释！”
“脱下他那身玩意儿，你们俩，”獾命令道。
这可不是件容易的事。水鼠不得不坐在癞蛤蟆身上压住他以便鼹鼠脱下他的外衣，帽子和护目镜。癞蛤蟆嘴里一直对他们骂骂咧咧的。但当他再次站起来时，他似乎更像他自己，更像大家所熟悉的癞蛤蟆了。
“你应该知道这件事总有一天会发生的，蛤蟆，”獾解释说。“我们警告过你多次而你从来不听。你正在花光你所有的钱财，又总是给警察找麻烦，因为你开车像疯子。你跟我到另一个房间去，在那儿你会听到你自己的一些荒唐事。你出来后将会变个样。”
他带癞蛤蟆离开大厅走进一个房间关上了门。水鼠摇着头，说：“仅仅跟他谈谈是救不了他的，他将会作一些许诺——然后又去干他喜欢干的事。”
大约过了一小时，门开了，一只很伤心、很愧疚的癞蛤蟆走了出来，獾跟在他的后面。
“朋友们，”獾看起来很开心，“我高兴地告诉你们癞蛤蟆现在已认识到他曾经有多愚蠢。他已发誓再也不走进汽车。”
“这倒是非常不错的消息，”鼹鼠一本正经地说。
“的确不赖，”水鼠边说边审视着癞蛤蟆脸上的表情。
“好了，蛤蟆，”獾接着说，“我要你在你朋友面前重复你的诺言。”
接下来是一段长长的沉默。
“不！”癞蛤蟆突然说。“不，我不。我不感到愧疚，我一点儿也不愚蠢。那整个太精彩了！我才不发什么誓呢！”
“什么？”獾叫道。“但是在那儿你告诉我——”
“是的，是的，我知道，”癞蛤蟆赶快说，“你说得那么至情至理，亲爱的獾，我就忍不住答应你了。但是我一直在想这个问题。我喜欢开车，我是了不起的驾车手，我发誓我将继续永远开车！扑扑-扑扑！”
“我告诉过你吧，是不是？”水鼠对鼹鼠说。
“很好，”獾说，“如果你不听忠告，我们将不得不采取另一种方法。我们打算和你呆在你的屋里直到你清醒过来。带他上楼去，你们俩，把他锁在