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儿童英语读物 The Creature in Ogopogo Lake CHAPTER 3 A Sighting

时间:2017-11-24 03:19来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“See that boat over there?” Benny was standing1 by the water’s edge. “The one at the end of the dock?”

The four Alden children were helping2 Abby get ready for the picnic. Henry looked over. “What about it, Benny?”

“I bet that’s the one Abby was talking about,” guessed Benny. “The one Patch left to her, I mean.”

“You’re right on the mark, Benny,” Abby said, coming up behind them. She was carrying a bowl filled with pasta salad. “That’s the Seven Seas.”

“What a great name for a boat!” said Jessie. She made room for Abby’s salad among the plastic containers and covered dishes.

Abby nodded. “Patch spent most of his life sailing the seven seas searching for treasures. When he finally saved up enough to buy that old boat, he decided3 the Seven Seas was the perfect name for her.”

“Was Patch a pirate?” Benny’s eyes were wide.

“No, nothing like that, Benny.” Abby couldn’t help smiling. “When ships sailed the oceans long ago,” she explained, “they were often caught in terrible storms. Sometimes the ships would sink to the bottom of the ocean. Patch was part of a diving crew that searched for lost treasures on sunken ships.”

“How exciting!” said Violet.

“Wow,” added Henry.

“Maybe that’s what he left you, Abby,”

Benny exclaimed. “One of the treasures he found at sea!”

“That’s not likely, Benny,” Abby told him. “Patch had nothing but the clothes on his back when he arrived on my doorstep. I’m afraid he never got rich looking for treasures on the ocean floor.”

Violet shook her head sadly. “That’s a shame.”

“Oh, not really, Violet,” said Abby. “You see, Patch never placed any importance on money. He always said it was the search he enjoyed.”

The Aldens understood. They were never happier than when they were on the trail of clues.

“Did Patch live around here?” Henry wondered.

“Yes, he made his home in one of the cabins,” Abby told Henry. “He’d give me a hand with the chores in exchange for a roof over his head. Of course,” she added, “I got the better end of that deal.”

“Why do you say that, Abby?” asked Violet.

“Because Patch worked very hard. When he wasn’t helping me, he was busy painting or carving4. And let me tell you, everything he made sold like hotcakes. That’s how he bought that old boat.”

Just then, Grandfather came down the path, carrying a pitcher5 of lemonade. “Where do you want this, Abby?”

Abby laughed. “Wherever you can find room, James.”

“Who else is coming, Abby?” Jessie asked. She had noticed the two extra places at the table.

“I invited Max Lowe and his son, Adam, to join us,” said Abby. “They’re staying in the second cabin down from yours.”

“Will they be coming soon?” Benny asked hopefully.

“Don’t worry, Benny.” Jessie smiled at her little brother. “I’m sure we’ll be eating before long.”

Abby handed the youngest Alden a celery stick with cheese in it. “Here you go, Benny. This should tide you over.”

“Hey, save some for us!” a voice called from the lakeside path.

Everyone turned to see a tall man with a tumble of sandy curls walking towards them. Beside him was a boy about Henry’s age, his nose peeling from the sun.

“There’s enough here to feed an army, Max,” Abby said with a grin. Then she introduced the Aldens to Max Lowe and his son, Adam. “We’ve been talking about the Seven Seas,” she told them, as everyone crowded around the long picnic table.

“Patch did a great job restoring that old boat,” said Max, lifting some food onto his plate. “We sure make good use of it.”

Abby nodded. “Max and Adam take folks out Ogopogo hunting,” she explained. “Visitors get a tour of the lake and a chance to catch a glimpse of the famous monster.”

“Sounds like fun,” said Henry. Then he turned to Adam. “I bet you get all kinds of questions about the monster.”

Adam nodded. “Everybody wants to know what Ogopogo looks like.”

“We tell them as much as we can,” added Max.

“They handle the boat tours for me,” put in Abby. “In return, they get a free cabin for the summer.”

“Adam and I really look forward to getting away from the city in the summer,” Max explained.

Grandfather helped himself to the coleslaw. “Sounds like it works out for everyone.”

“It sure does,” said Adam.

Benny was wondering about something. “Adam, have you ever seen the monster?”

“Nope.” Adam smiled at the Aldens. “We’ve been around the lake about a million times and we haven’t spotted6 anything strange. I don’t think there is a monster out there, Benny.”

Max put down his fork and looked around at the Aldens. “Why don’t we check it out? Who’s up for some Ogopogo hunting?”

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny waved their hands high in the air.

Max looked pleased. “How about meeting us at the end of the dock around ten tomorrow morning?”

“Sure,” said Jessie. “If that’s okay with you, Grandfather.”

Grandfather nodded. “You can’t pass up a chance like that.”

“I’ll bring my binoculars,” said Benny. He sounded excited.

“And I won’t forget about my camera,” added Violet.

“Then it’s settled.” Max looked pleased. “It’ll give us a good excuse to take the boat out. It’s been a while since we’ve booked a tour.”

“Yes, business has been pretty slow.” Abby sighed. “What we need is a good Ogopogo sighting.”

Grandfather chuckled7. “I imagine that would bring the tourists into town.”

“Oh, yes,” said Abby. “Business always picks up after a report of a strange creature in the water.”

“If I remember right,” said Grandfather, “Peachland holds the record for the most sightings. Doesn’t it?”

“It sure does.” Max reached for the pepper. “Every summer someone around here says they’ve seen Ogopogo.”

“I bet I know why,” piped up Benny. “I bet it’s because Ogopogo makes his home right across the lake.”

“You catch on fast, Benny.” Abby smiled at the youngest Alden. “Would you pass the butter, Adam?”

Adam didn’t answer. He was staring out at the lake.

“Adam?”

Adam still made no reply. When Abby reached out and put a hand gently on his arm, he suddenly jerked his head around. “Oh!” He seemed to have forgotten where he was.

“You’re a million miles away, Adam,” said Abby. “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m … um, not feeling very well,” Adam said quickly. “Guess I got a bit too much sun today. Is it okay if I go back to the cabin?” Adam looked over at his father expectantly.

“Go ahead,” Max answered, a note of concern in his voice. “I won’t be long.”

Jessie couldn’t help noticing that Adam had eaten every bit of food on his plate. Was he really not feeling well?

“I hope Adam’s better by tomorrow,” Benny said, as Adam hurried away. “For the Ogopogo hunt, I mean.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” said Max. “The truth is, Adam hasn’t been himself lately. I’m afraid he’s upset about the resort being sold.”

Abby nodded her head sadly. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do is sell my home.”

“What if you did some advertising8, Abby?” Grandfather suggested. “It might bring in more business.”

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny all paid attention when their grandfather spoke9. James Alden knew all there was to know about business.

“Yes,” agreed Abby. “Advertising would help, James. But it takes money to advertise. And the truth is, I’m pinching pennies right now. Besides,” she added, “it’s awfully10 hard to compete with the fancier resorts. Some of them even have waterslides.” She let out a long sigh. “Waterslides are very popular right now.”

Violet spoke up. “What if we painted the signs out front for you, Abby?” she offered. “Bright colors would really make them stand out.”

Grandfather nodded approvingly. “It would certainly catch a tourist’s eye.”

“That would be wonderful.” Abby looked surprised—and pleased. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

“It’s fun to paint!” Benny piped up. And Henry and Jessie nodded.

“That’s very kind of you,” said Abby. “Now, there’s a paint store in town, but it’s closed tomorrow. Why don’t you stop by the gift shop on Monday. I’ll give you some money from the cash register, and you can get what you need. Oh!” Abby touched a hand to her mouth. “I almost forgot! I have something for you, Benny.”

“For me?” Benny pointed11 to himself.

Abby reached into her straw bag and pulled out a stuffed Ogopogo. She held it out to the youngest Alden.

Benny was grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you very much!”

“Ogopogo will be good company for Stockings,” Violet said, smiling over at her little brother. Stockings was a rag bear made from old socks. Violet and Jessie had made the rag bear for Benny when they were living in the boxcar.

Over dessert, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny took turns telling Abby and Max all about their boxcar days. When they were finished, they gave Abby a hand clearing the picnic table.

After the dishes were finished, Abby led the way into her living room.

“Is that the carving Patch made for you, Abby?” Henry asked. He pointed to the Ogopogo carving beside the fireplace. The carving was attached to a wooden stand.

Abby nodded. “Yes, isn’t it wonderful?” she said with a smile. “Oh, speaking of Patch, why don’t I show you that riddle12?”

As they made themselves comfortable on the sofa, Abby reached for the photo album on the coffee table. She began flipping13 through the pages. “Here it is!” She handed a snapshot to Violet.

“Somebody sure likes cats,” Violet said, as she studied the photograph of seven cats curled up along a weathered green bench.

“Patch had a real soft spot for them,” said Abby. “He was always taking in strays.”

“What happened to them?” Benny wanted to know. “After Patch died, I mean.”

“Well, I couldn’t take them in myself,” Abby told him. “You see, they always made me sneeze up a storm. But I made sure they all went to good homes.”

Violet passed the photograph to Henry. Henry passed it to Benny. Benny passed it to Jessie. They were each wondering the same thing. What did a snapshot have to do with the riddle?

“Flip it over, Jessie,” Abby instructed.

On the back of the photograph, Jessie found a verse printed in black ink.

“What does that say?” Benny asked, checking it out over her shoulder. He was just learning to read. Jessie read the riddle aloud:

An awesome14 treasure

you can find

with the clue

I’ve left behind.

“Wow,” said Benny. “That’s not much to go on.”

“You got that right!” agreed Henry. “What clue did he leave behind?”

“I don’t know! I haven’t had any luck figuring it out,” Abby told them.

“None at all?” asked Violet.

“Zero.”

The Aldens looked at one another. How in the world were they going to find the answer to such a strange riddle?


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
2 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。
3 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。
4 carving 5wezxw     
n.雕刻品,雕花
参考例句:
  • All the furniture in the room had much carving.房间里所有的家具上都有许多雕刻。
  • He acquired the craft of wood carving in his native town.他在老家学会了木雕手艺。
5 pitcher S2Gz7     
n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐;(棒球)投手
参考例句:
  • He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
  • Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。
6 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。
7 chuckled 8ce1383c838073977a08258a1f3e30f8     
轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
  • She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情,她就轻轻地暗自发笑。
8 advertising 1zjzi3     
n.广告业;广告活动 a.广告的;广告业务的
参考例句:
  • Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
  • The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。
9 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
10 awfully MPkym     
adv.可怕地,非常地,极端地
参考例句:
  • Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
  • I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。
11 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。
12 riddle WCfzw     
n.谜,谜语,粗筛;vt.解谜,给…出谜,筛,检查,鉴定,非难,充满于;vi.出谜
参考例句:
  • The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
  • Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。
13 flipping b69cb8e0c44ab7550c47eaf7c01557e4     
讨厌之极的
参考例句:
  • I hate this flipping hotel! 我讨厌这个该死的旅馆!
  • Don't go flipping your lid. 别发火。
14 awesome CyCzdV     
adj.令人惊叹的,难得吓人的,很好的
参考例句:
  • The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
  • That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.
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