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儿童英语读物 The Mystery of the Wild Ponies CHAPTER 3 What Benny Saw

时间:2017-09-28 06:18来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“A ghost horse!” Benny said excitedly as they walked back to Gullwing Cottage. “Neat!”

“Now, Benny,” Jessie said gently. “It’s just a story. I bet Mr. Toler likes to tell stories.”

“But it could be true,” Benny insisted.

Violet silently agreed with her little brother, even though she knew ghosts didn’t exist. She could imagine the shimmery1 horse prancing2 in the moonlight.

Home again, the children realized they were tired after the long day. Everyone went to bed early.

In the room he shared with Henry, Benny lay in the top bunk3 across from his brother and listened to the surf outside. Henry was already asleep.

Benny thought about climbing down the bunk bed ladder to look out the window. Maybe he’d see Magic, the ghost horse. He’d get down right now, but first he’d just close his eyes for a moment.…

Instead of moonlight, Benny woke to bright sunshine beaming in his face and the delicious aroma4 of frying bacon.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” Henry greeted his little brother. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. “Jessie says breakfast is almost ready.”

Benny didn’t need to be told twice. He was dressed and sitting at the round oak table in a flash.

Jessie and Grandfather served toasted English muffins, scrambled5 eggs, bacon, and orange juice.

“After we’ve cleaned up,” said Grandfather, “we’ll drive to that grocery store in Corolla and buy food for the week.”

Henry took the big cooler out to the car, for milk and meat that might spoil. When the dishes were done, they all got into the station wagon7.

The road twisted north for several miles. Then Benny spotted8 a redbrick lighthouse towering over the trees.

“Look!” he cried.

“That’s the Currituck Beach Lighthouse,” Grandfather said. “It’s the only lighthouse this far north on the Outer Banks. Because this strip of land is so narrow, storms and hurricanes often do lots of damage.”

“What about all these houses?” Violet noticed huge houses on either side of the road.

“Good question,” said Grandfather. “If they are built too close to the ocean, they could be swept out to sea in a really powerful storm.”

They drove to a shopping center with a large grocery store and, with everyone helping9, they got everything they needed in a few minutes.

At the checkout10 counter, Grandfather added a copy of the local newspaper. Henry loaded the heavy bags into the back of the car. As they were pulling out, he saw a sign.

“ ‘The Corolla Wild Horse Sanctuary11,’ ” Henry exclaimed. “That must be where the wild horses are kept.”

“Can we go see them, Grandfather?” Benny asked.

“Of course. I’ve heard about these horses but have never seen them.”

The road went from pavement to gravel12 and then they arrived at a gate that barred the way.

Violet was disappointed. “I guess we can’t go in after all.”

A uniformed young man with freckles14 and red hair was locking the gate. When he heard their car, he turned and smiled.

“Hello,” he said in a friendly way. “You can get out of the car and watch from the gate if you like.”

“We were hoping to see the wild horses,” Grandfather said.

The officer glanced back toward the high dune15 topped with sea grass. “I only saw a few of them myself this morning. The rest must be on the far side of the sanctuary.” He put out a hand. “I’m Officer Thomas Hyde.”

“Are you a policeman?” Benny asked in awe16, shaking the man’s hand.

Officer Hyde grinned. “Sanctuary officer. My job is to take care of the horses. I stop traffic if the herd17 crosses the road, and prevent people from feeding or trying to pet or ride the horses.”

“I thought the horses were penned in,” Henry said. “How can they cross the road?”

Officer Hyde pointed13 to the fence on either side of the gate. “Horses naturally want to roam to new grazing areas. They swim around the fence on the ocean side. We can’t fence in the ocean.”

“What happens if the horses get out?” Jessie wanted to know.

“I find them,” said Officer Hyde. “I’m in radio contact with the sheriff’s office and an on-call vet18. Mainly I protect the herd from tourists. It’s against the law to bother these animals, you know.”

Benny was hanging on the gate. “I see them!” he cried. “Here they come!”

Officer Hyde shaded his eyes from the glare of the sun. “This is your lucky day. Once in a while the horses follow me to the gate.”

Violet held her breath as she waited for the herd to come into view.

At last several horses ambled6 over the dune. They were small, with shaggy manes and tails. Most were a reddish-brown color, though some were spotted with white. A couple were coal-black.

“How cute!” Jessie exclaimed. “They look like ponies19!”

“Many people call them ponies,” said Officer Hyde. “But they are true descendants of Spanish mustangs. They aren’t that small, really. Most are thirteen to fourteen hands high.”

Benny frowned, holding out his palms. “Hands?”

Officer Hyde laughed. “It’s an old, easy way to measure things. A hand equals four inches. Horses are generally eighteen hands high.”

“Here, sweetie.” Violet tried to coax20 over a chestnut-brown horse with a white face. The horse had big brown eyes fringed with long lashes21.

“Please remember these are not friendly animals,” Officer Hyde warned her. “They look cute, but they may bite and kick.”

They watched the horses nibble22 on grass. Officer Hyde told them there were actually two pony23 herds24 on the Outer Banks. The other herd was penned on Okracoke Island. When more people started coming to the Banks, the herd split and migrated to the northern and southern ends, he explained as he glanced at his watch.

Grandfather smiled. “You must have other duties. Thanks for talking to us.”

“Anytime,” said Officer Hyde, walking over to his Jeep. “Here’s a brochure about the sanctuary. You can reach me at the lighthouse if you have any more questions.”

The kids waved good-bye.

“He’s nice,” said Violet.

Benny agreed. “I want to be a pony policeman.”

“What about the Coast Guard?” Henry teased.

“That, too.” Benny planned to have lots of jobs when he grew up.

At the cottage, they unpacked25 the groceries. Henry picked up the newspaper.

“Here’s a story about the ponies,” he said.

The others gathered around the table. Henry held up the newspaper and read the story aloud. They learned that the horses were brought to the island in 1523 by Spanish explorers and that there were only nineteen horses in the Corolla herd.

“No wonder they are special,” Violet commented. “But it’s sad so many have been hit by cars.”

“That’s why the sanctuary was started,” said Jessie. “It seems mean to pen them up, but at least they’re safer.”

Benny was looking at the pictures in the newspaper as the others talked about wild ponies. Wow, he thought, what is that? It was a picture of some kids at summer camp, but one of the boys wore a necklace with one large, sharp, triangle-shaped tooth hanging from it. Benny wondered what kind of tooth it was and where he might find one, until his stomach started grumbling26 and his thoughts turned to food.

The kids fixed27 a quick lunch of turkey sandwiches, apple juice, and cookies. Then they changed into bathing suits and walked over the dune to the beach.

First they splashed in the waves. Then they wet some sand above the high-tide line and built a huge castle. Next they hunted for shells.

Jessie spied a familiar figure on the dune behind them. “There’s Winifred Gorman. She’s painting.”

“Oh, let’s go see!” said Benny.

He ran off before Jessie could stop him. Jessie knew some artists didn’t like other people peering at their work. Winifred Gorman did not seem happy to see the Aldens.

“I’m not on public display,” she said grumpily. “I’m working.” She tossed her brush down with a sigh.

Violet studied the seascape. “It’s very nice, only—”

“Only what?” Winifred said sharply.

“It’s just waves and beach,” Violet said nervously28. “Maybe you could put in some people or animals. Like the wild horses.”

Winifred considered her suggestion. “Hmmm. I forgot about those wild ponies. My real estate agent mentioned them when I bought this house.”

“You live here?” Benny wanted to know.

“No, not year-round. I live in New York City. This is my first summer here.” She became impatient again. “Where are those ponies you mentioned? I must paint them while the light is good.”

Henry pointed north. “The sanctuary is that way. You can’t miss it.”

The artist snatched her canvas off the easel, grabbed her tackle box of paints and brushes, and hurried off.

The children were stretched out on their deck when they heard Winifred Gorman’s car pull into the driveway next door.

Benny ran to the railing. “Did you see the ponies?” he called.

Her car door slammed angrily. “No, I did not,” she said stiffly. “I drove all the way up there and stood outside that stupid gate for ages. But did any of them show up? No!”

“We saw them this morning,” said Violet. “They’re really cute.”

“Well, that makes me feel better,” Winifred said sharply. “How am I going to paint a horse I can’t see?” The artist stomped29 up the steps into her house.

“Boy, is she grouchy,” Benny commented.

“She just wants to paint a good picture,” Violet said. “Mmm! What’s that smell?”

Benny knew that smell. “Hamburgers!”

Grandfather was grilling30 hamburgers on the deck. Jessie added potato salad, applesauce, and a coconut31 cake from the store bakery.

Full and pleasantly tired from their day in the sun, the Aldens once again went to bed early.

Benny and Henry chatted awhile.

“What will happen to my sand castle?” Benny asked.

“The tide might wash it away,” Henry replied, yawning. “But we can build another one tomorrow.” Then he fell asleep.

Benny lay awake, thinking about his sand castle. He wondered if he could see it from the window. Was the moat filled with water?

Climbing down the ladder, he dropped softly to the floor. He didn’t want to wake Henry.

The window was open, letting in the sound of the surf. Benny leaned on the sill, straining to see in the darkness.

A silver-dollar moon had risen above the ocean, shining on the beach. Benny noticed a light still on in Winifred Gorman’s house.

Was she looking at the moon, too? he wondered.

Suddenly Benny heard a strange cry. It sounded like it came from the dune! As he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of something on the beach.

It was a horse, its shiny coat gleaming in the pale moonlight. The animal pawed the sand, nodding its proud head. Then it cantered out of sight down the beach.

Benny swallowed. “Magic,” he whispered. “The famous ghost horse.”


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 shimmery 504a84b9c4180ea3174af07b38011b6c     
adj.微微发亮的
参考例句:
  • Apply shimmery shadow over eyelids and finish with black mascara. 用发光的眼影涂在眼皮上,最后用黑色睫毛油。 来自互联网
  • And see your shimmery eyes again. 又见你如水的眼睛。 来自互联网
2 prancing 9906a4f0d8b1d61913c1d44e88e901b8     
v.(马)腾跃( prance的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • The lead singer was prancing around with the microphone. 首席歌手手执麦克风,神气地走来走去。
  • The King lifted Gretel on to his prancing horse and they rode to his palace. 国王把格雷特尔扶上腾跃着的马,他们骑马向天宫走去。 来自辞典例句
3 bunk zWyzS     
n.(车、船等倚壁而设的)铺位;废话
参考例句:
  • He left his bunk and went up on deck again.他离开自己的铺位再次走到甲板上。
  • Most economists think his theories are sheer bunk.大多数经济学家认为他的理论纯属胡说。
4 aroma Nvfz9     
n.香气,芬芳,芳香
参考例句:
  • The whole house was filled with the aroma of coffee.满屋子都是咖啡的香味。
  • The air was heavy with the aroma of the paddy fields.稻花飘香。
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 ambled 7a3e35ee6318b68bdb71eeb2b10b8a94     
v.(马)缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 );从容地走,漫步
参考例句:
  • We ambled down to the beach. 我们漫步向海滩走去。
  • The old man ambled home through the garden every evening. 那位老人每天晚上经过花园漫步回家。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 wagon XhUwP     
n.四轮马车,手推车,面包车;无盖运货列车
参考例句:
  • We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
  • The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。
8 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。
9 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。
10 checkout lwGzd1     
n.(超市等)收银台,付款处
参考例句:
  • Could you pay at the checkout.你能在结帐处付款吗。
  • A man was wheeling his shopping trolley to the checkout.一个男人正推着购物车向付款台走去。
11 sanctuary iCrzE     
n.圣所,圣堂,寺庙;禁猎区,保护区
参考例句:
  • There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
  • Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
12 gravel s6hyT     
n.砂跞;砂砾层;结石
参考例句:
  • We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
  • More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。
13 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。
14 freckles MsNzcN     
n.雀斑,斑点( freckle的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • She had a wonderful clear skin with an attractive sprinkling of freckles. 她光滑的皮肤上有几处可爱的小雀斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • When she lies in the sun, her face gets covered in freckles. 她躺在阳光下时,脸上布满了斑点。 来自《简明英汉词典》
15 dune arHx6     
n.(由风吹积而成的)沙丘
参考例句:
  • The sand massed to form a dune.沙积集起来成了沙丘。
  • Cute Jim sat on the dune eating a prune in June.可爱的吉姆在六月天坐在沙丘上吃着话梅。
16 awe WNqzC     
n.敬畏,惊惧;vt.使敬畏,使惊惧
参考例句:
  • The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
  • The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。
17 herd Pd8zb     
n.兽群,牧群;vt.使集中,把…赶在一起
参考例句:
  • She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
  • He had no opinions of his own but simply follow the herd.他从无主见,只是人云亦云。
18 vet 2HfyG     
n.兽医,退役军人;vt.检查
参考例句:
  • I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
  • Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。
19 ponies 47346fc7580de7596d7df8d115a3545d     
矮种马,小型马( pony的名词复数 ); £25 25 英镑
参考例句:
  • They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
  • She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。
20 coax Fqmz5     
v.哄诱,劝诱,用诱哄得到,诱取
参考例句:
  • I had to coax the information out of him.我得用好话套出他掌握的情况。
  • He tried to coax the secret from me.他试图哄骗我说出秘方。
21 lashes e2e13f8d3a7c0021226bb2f94d6a15ec     
n.鞭挞( lash的名词复数 );鞭子;突然猛烈的一击;急速挥动v.鞭打( lash的第三人称单数 );煽动;紧系;怒斥
参考例句:
  • Mother always lashes out food for the children's party. 孩子们聚会时,母亲总是给他们许多吃的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Never walk behind a horse in case it lashes out. 绝对不要跟在马后面,以防它突然猛踢。 来自《简明英汉词典》
22 nibble DRZzG     
n.轻咬,啃;v.一点点地咬,慢慢啃,吹毛求疵
参考例句:
  • Inflation began to nibble away at their savings.通货膨胀开始蚕食他们的存款。
  • The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.鸟儿们紧贴在墙上,啄着砖缝。
23 pony Au5yJ     
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。
24 herds 0a162615f6eafc3312659a54a8cdac0f     
兽群( herd的名词复数 ); 牧群; 人群; 群众
参考例句:
  • Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。
  • There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。
25 unpacked 78a068b187a564f21b93e72acffcebc3     
v.从(包裹等)中取出(所装的东西),打开行李取出( unpack的过去式和过去分词 );拆包;解除…的负担;吐露(心事等)
参考例句:
  • I unpacked my bags as soon as I arrived. 我一到达就打开行李,整理衣物。
  • Our guide unpacked a picnic of ham sandwiches and offered us tea. 我们的导游打开装着火腿三明治的野餐盒,并给我们倒了些茶水。 来自辞典例句
26 grumbling grumbling     
adj. 喃喃鸣不平的, 出怨言的
参考例句:
  • She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。
  • We didn't hear any grumbling about the food. 我们没听到过对食物的抱怨。
27 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。
28 nervously tn6zFp     
adv.神情激动地,不安地
参考例句:
  • He bit his lip nervously,trying not to cry.他紧张地咬着唇,努力忍着不哭出来。
  • He paced nervously up and down on the platform.他在站台上情绪不安地走来走去。
29 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
30 grilling fda9f429e8dac4e73e506139874fd98f     
v.烧烤( grill的现在分词 );拷问,盘问
参考例句:
  • The minister faced a tough grilling at today's press conference. 部长在今天的记者招待会上受到了严厉的盘问。
  • He's grilling out there in the midday sun. 他在外面让中午火辣辣的太阳炙烤着。 来自《简明英汉词典》
31 coconut VwCzNM     
n.椰子
参考例句:
  • The husk of this coconut is particularly strong.椰子的外壳很明显非常坚固。
  • The falling coconut gave him a terrific bang on the head.那只掉下的椰子砰地击中他的脑袋。
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