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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Hot Air Balloon CHAPTER 8 Return of the Hare

时间:2017-08-15 08:21来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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During the long tense wait, Sky, Matt, and the Aldens sat near the shed and talked about ballooning.

Suddenly, Violet spotted1 something across the field. It moved steadily2 toward them, a cloud of dust swirling3 in its wake. “Is that a truck?” she asked.

Sky got to her feet. “Looks like it,” she said.

Matt shielded his eyes with his hand. “It’s a pickup4. There’s a basket in the back.”

“I’ll bet it’s Don Fister,” Benny said.

They hurried toward the oncoming truck and met it where it stopped. Don Fister jumped down from the passenger side. His round face was pinched with anger.

“What happened?” Matt asked.

“Are you all right?” Sky wanted to know.

He waved away their questions. “Help me get my gear,” he said sternly.

Henry and Jessie scrambled5 into the back of the truck. They began moving equipment toward the tailgate. The others lifted it and set it on the ground. The driver turned the truck around.

“Thanks for everything!” Don called after him as he drove away. Then, he turned toward Sky and Matt. “You want to know what happened? I’ll tell you what happened! I didn’t have a map. That’s what happened.”

Sky was stunned6. “But I gave everyone a map.”

“And my compass — that was gone, too!”

“Did you have them when you launched?” Matt asked.

“Yes, I had the map and the compass,” Don snapped. “I checked. My crew chief checked. They were in the basket where they belong.”

“Could they have fallen out?” Benny asked.

“The basket was on its side when you were inflating7 the balloon,” Henry reminded Don. “Maybe they fell out then.”

Don stomped8 over to the basket. He reached in and pulled out several maps. “I have these. They didn’t . . . fall out. Can you explain that?”

No one could.

Don answered his own question. “Nothing fell out! Someone stole my map and my compass — that’s what happened.”

“But who?” Sky said. “No one would do such a thing.”

Don began to pace. “I was lucky to find that farmer’s field. And lucky he was so helpful. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten back here without him.”

“You could have phoned. Someone would’ve picked you up,” Matt said.

A crowd had gathered. Everyone wanted to know what had happened. Don told and retold his story.

Henry said, “Let’s go sit in the shade.” He started toward the big oak. The other Aldens followed.

“Do you think Don’s right?” Violet asked. “Someone took the map and compass?”

“Yes,” Jessie answered. “Why would one map fall out of the basket and not the others?”

“Someone would have found them if they’d fallen on the ground,” Soo Lee suggested.

“Right,” Henry said. “Someone must have taken them.”

“But who?” Benny asked.

“And when?” Violet said.

They fell silent, each trying to remember what had happened before the balloon went up.

“Pete was a crew member,” Jessie said at last.

Henry nodded. “He could have removed the map and compass at any time.”

“Don and his crew chief checked everything,” Soo Lee reminded them.

Benny nodded. “More than once,” he said.

“Whoever took those things must have done it at the very last minute,” Violet concluded.

“Pete held the basket down,” Jessie remembered.

“Other crew members did that, too,” Henry said.

“Mary England helped,” Soo Lee reminded them.

“Whoever took Don’s things probably launched Brad Golder’s balloon, too,” Henry suggested.

“We’ve got another mystery to solve,” Benny concluded.

The sun was a blazing ball low in the western sky.

“It must be near dinnertime,” Benny said. “Let’s go see if Sky and Matt are ready to go back to the inn.”

The Aldens trooped over to the shed. Sky and Matt were talking to Mary.

“Mary changed more than her stockings,” Soo Lee observed.

Mary was wearing a white dress patterned with small lavender flowers.

“That’s a pretty dress,” Violet said. She liked anything colored with shades of purple.

When she saw the Aldens, Sky excused herself and joined them.

“Is it time to go back to the inn?” Jessie asked.

“Barbara will serve dinner soon,” Sky answered. “But Matt and I are staying here. We have to go over tomorrow’s schedule.”

“You mean you’ll go without dinner?” Benny asked. He couldn’t imagine anyone skipping a meal.

“Matt’ll drive into town and pick up something,” Sky told him.

“We can get a ride back to the inn with Pete,” Henry suggested.

Coming up beside them, Mary said, “Pete went on ahead. I’m dining at the inn; I’ll be happy to take you.”

“Thank you,” the Aldens said.

They followed Mary to her car.

Inside, Benny said, “It’s awful hot in here. How do you open the windows?”

“I never open the windows,” Mary responded. “They let in too much dust and dirt.” She pushed a button. “I always use the air-conditioning.”

Barbara had vegetables and dip awaiting them in the parlor9.

Benny dug right in. “This is good,” he said.

“Don’t eat too much,” Barbara told him. “I wouldn’t want you to spoil your appetite for dinner.”

Henry chuckled10. “No chance of that, is there, Benny?”

“I can always eat,” Benny assured Barbara.

Pete came in from the kitchen. He nodded at Mary. “Hello, Mary,” he said. “I didn’t know you were coming to dinner.”

“There are many things you don’t know,” Mary replied. Her tone was sharp.

Barbara glanced at the clock on the mantel. “I wonder what’s keeping Hollis,” she said.

Pete smiled at the Aldens. “How’d you like your first day of ballooning?”

“It was exciting,” Henry answered.

“First there was a runaway11 balloon,” Soo Lee said.

“And then Don Fister’s balloon disappeared,” Violet added.

“And the Hare and Hounds game was ruined because Don Fister was the hare,” Benny said.

Pete grinned. “That was one rabbit we couldn’t pull out of the hat,” he joked.

The Aldens laughed. Barbara and Mary did not.

A tense silence followed.

After a while, Jessie said, “The lunch Pete brought to the port was very good. Did you make it, Barbara?”

Barbara looked pleased. “Yes, I did make it.”

“It was delicious,” Benny put in. “I had some of everything.”

“We like picnics,” Soo Lee added.

Henry told them all about living in the boxcar and the picnics they had enjoyed there. “Today reminded us of those times,” he concluded.

“All that was missing was our blue tablecloth12 and my pink cup,” Benny said.

Jessie explained how they had come to own those things.

Barbara seemed very interested. “Blue tablecloth and pink cup,” she murmured as though she were storing information in her memory.

Hollis McKnight arrived, and they all went into the dining room.

Looking at the table, Benny’s eyes grew large. “Oh, boy,” he said. “Roasted chicken! My favorite!”

Jessie said, “Oh, Benny, everything’s your favorite.”

This time, even Barbara and Mary laughed.

During dinner, Mary and Hollis did most of the talking. They told stories about Lloyd’s Landing — its early history and development.

“It sounds as if Lloyd’s Landing hasn’t changed much over the years,” Henry commented.

“Exactly,” Mary responded. “Our grandparents — Barbara’s and mine — wanted a quiet, peaceful place. We’ve all tried to honor their wishes.”

“Sometimes, things can be too peaceful,” Hollis said.

Mary shot him a withering13 glance. Then, she said, “I’m sorry to eat and run, but I must go.” She thanked Barbara for the dinner and headed for the door.

“Will we see you tomorrow at the rally?” Pete asked.

The Aldens were sure she heard him; yet, she didn’t respond.

After a strawberry shortcake dessert, Hollis McKnight looked at his watch. “I have to get back to the paper,” he said. “Put it to bed.”

Benny imagined him tucking a newspaper into a small bed. He giggled14. “That’s funny,” he said. “A newspaper going to bed.”

Hollis laughed heartily15. “It is a strange expression,” he admitted. “It means going to press.”

After he had gone, Barbara began clearing the table. Violet and Soo Lee gathered the silverware. When they took it into the kitchen, Barbara was on the phone.

Her face reddened and she put down the receiver. “Line’s busy,” she said.

“May we help you with the dishes?” Violet asked.

“No, thank you, dear,” Barbara answered.

Pete suggested they go outside to sit on the porch. “It’s nice this time of night.”

Henry and Benny sat on a wooden swing. Violet, Jessie, and Soo Lee settled into rocking chairs. Pete sat on the top step. No one spoke16. Fireflies flickered17 on the lawn, and the stars twinkled in the night sky.

After a while, Benny yawned. “I’m really tired,” he said.

“You’d better get a good night’s sleep,” Pete said. “We’re up before dawn tomorrow.”

“Just a few more minutes,” Soo Lee pleaded.

Benny yawned again. “I’ll meet you upstairs,” he said. “I’m going to get a glass of milk and then go to bed.”

Inside, he heard Barbara talking to someone. He crept into the kitchen so as not to disturb her. She was on the phone, her back to him.

She said, “Drop it,” sternly.

Benny felt uncomfortable. The telephone conversation was private; Barbara would not be happy that he had overheard.

Suddenly, Barbara realized she was not alone. She put down the receiver and turned to Benny. Smiling uneasily, she asked, “What can I do for you, Benny?”

“Oh, nothing,” Benny said, and he ran up the stairs.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
2 steadily Qukw6     
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地
参考例句:
  • The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
  • Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。
3 swirling Ngazzr     
v.旋转,打旋( swirl的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着,旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句
4 pickup ANkxA     
n.拾起,获得
参考例句:
  • I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
5 scrambled 2e4a1c533c25a82f8e80e696225a73f2     
v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 );攀登;争夺;(军事飞机)紧急起飞
参考例句:
  • Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 stunned 735ec6d53723be15b1737edd89183ec2     
adj. 震惊的,惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词
参考例句:
  • The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
  • The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。
7 inflating 3f6eb282f31a24980303279b69118db8     
v.使充气(于轮胎、气球等)( inflate的现在分词 );(使)膨胀;(使)通货膨胀;物价上涨
参考例句:
  • I felt myself inflating slowly with rage, like a tyre. 我感到自己体内的怒气正慢慢膨胀,像一只轮胎那样。 来自互联网
  • Many are already overheating, with prices rising and asset bubbles inflating. 随着物价日益上涨、资产泡沫膨胀,很多新兴国家经济已经过热。 来自互联网
8 stomped 0884b29fb612cae5a9e4eb0d1a257b4a     
v.跺脚,践踏,重踏( stomp的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She stomped angrily out of the office. 她怒气冲冲,重步走出办公室。
  • She slammed the door and stomped (off) out of the house. 她砰的一声关上了门,暮暮地走出了屋了。 来自辞典例句
9 parlor v4MzU     
n.店铺,营业室;会客室,客厅
参考例句:
  • She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
  • Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店?
10 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。
11 runaway jD4y5     
n.逃走的人,逃亡,亡命者;adj.逃亡的,逃走的
参考例句:
  • The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
  • He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。
12 tablecloth lqSwh     
n.桌布,台布
参考例句:
  • He sat there ruminating and picking at the tablecloth.他坐在那儿沉思,轻轻地抚弄着桌布。
  • She smoothed down a wrinkled tablecloth.她把起皱的桌布熨平了。
13 withering 8b1e725193ea9294ced015cd87181307     
使人畏缩的,使人害羞的,使人难堪的
参考例句:
  • She gave him a withering look. 她极其蔑视地看了他一眼。
  • The grass is gradually dried-up and withering and pallen leaves. 草渐渐干枯、枯萎并落叶。
14 giggled 72ecd6e6dbf913b285d28ec3ba1edb12     
v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
  • The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 heartily Ld3xp     
adv.衷心地,诚恳地,十分,很
参考例句:
  • He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿,就出去找他的马。
  • The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手,热情地和我握手。
16 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。
17 flickered 93ec527d68268e88777d6ca26683cc82     
(通常指灯光)闪烁,摇曳( flicker的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • The lights flickered and went out. 灯光闪了闪就熄了。
  • These lights flickered continuously like traffic lights which have gone mad. 这些灯象发狂的交通灯一样不停地闪动着。
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