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儿童英语读物 The Ice Cream Mystery CHAPTER 5 Is This Your Horse?

时间:2017-11-02 05:08来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“Next stop, the library,” Brianna announced from the driver’s seat of the ice-cream wagon1. She guided Butterscotch across the grass and under the shade of a large old oak tree next to the library building. “Why don’t you ring the wagon bell, Benny.”

Benny leaned forward and gave the bell a long, loud ring. “I’m getting good at this,” he announced.

“You sure are,” Brianna agreed.

The Aldens had been riding in the ice-cream wagon all afternoon, taking turns sitting up on the driver’s seat with Brianna, helping2 dish up ice cream, peering out the top half of the Dutch door at the back of the wagon.

Now, as the wagon halted, Henry unlatched the Dutch door, pushed it open, and walked around to Butterscotch. He took the reins4 from Brianna and tied Butterscotch to the tree.

Jessie helped lower the steps from the driver’s seat, while Violet pushed open the side window from which the ice cream was served.

Brianna went to join Violet inside the wagon, but Benny stayed up in the wagon seat. He liked being there. He waved at everybody he saw and called out, “Ice cream sold here!”

Now he talked excitedly. “Look! There’s Thelma from the bike shop! Hi, Thelma. I’ve seen lots of people I know today. Marcos, in his blue and white truck. I like his truck. It’s not as nice as our wagon, though. And I saw three neighbors from our street. And two friends of Grandfather’s.”

Listening to Benny chatter5, Jessie patted Butterscotch’s nose, then filled her water bucket. Brianna always carried a container of water in the wagon just for Butterscotch.

“Ice cream! Sold here!” Benny sang out from the wagon seat. “Hi, come buy some ice cream! Oh, hi, Preston.”

Preston didn’t ask how Benny knew his name. He stopped his bike a few feet away. “So now you’re all working for the Ice Cream Barn.”

“No,” said Jessie. “Brianna’s just letting us ride in the wagon today.”

“Ha,” said Preston. But he didn’t sound angry. He sounded almost as if his feelings were hurt.

“It’s true,” said Henry.

“Sure,” said Preston.

On the other side of the wagon, a small line was forming at the window. Brianna was very busy scooping7 ice-cream cones9 while Violet took the money and made change.

“How’s Butterscotch?” asked Preston abruptly10.

“Fine,” said Henry.

“Come pet him,” urged Jessie.

“Hot day, cold ice cream!” Benny called from the seat to some passersby11. Jessie had thought of that and he liked the sound of it.

Butterscotch snorted, making bubbles in the water, then raised her dripping nose to look at Preston.

He got on his bike and pedaled away without another word.

Brianna and Violet hadn’t noticed Preston. They were too busy. The small line of customers had gotten bigger.

“The special flavor this week? Banana split,” Brianna said. “Is that what you want, Ralph?” By now, she knew many of the regular customers by name. “One scoop6 coming right up.”

A large group of children came out of the library and joined the line. Brianna greeted several of them by name, too.

“How do you remember everybody?” asked Violet.

Brianna grinned. “Lots of them ask for the same thing every time. That makes it easier. Like Annie with the red hair is one scoop chocolate, one scoop vanilla12, vanilla on top. Maria is chocolate cherry fudge. Radj, the boy at the end of the line? He’ll order one scoop of whatever the special is, with sprinkles. He always gets sprinkles, no matter what flavor the ice cream is.”

“May I pet the horsie?” a little girl asked.

Henry said, “Her name is Butterscotch and she likes to have her nose petted. You can scratch behind her ear, too.”

Butterscotch was almost as popular as ice cream with the group of children. One little boy even tried to share his ice cream with the big horse. Jessie stopped him in time, explaining that Butterscotch would have plenty of oats when she got home from work that night.

Benny didn’t say anything about that. He thought it was too bad that Butterscotch couldn’t have an ice-cream cone8 of her own.

Then Violet reached down to hand a customer change and looked up to find herself almost face-to-face with a police officer.

“Oh!” she said. “Hello. Would you like some ice cream?”

“No, thank you,” said the police officer. “I’m Officer Pierre. Who’s in charge here?”

“I am,” said Brianna.

“Could I see your license13 and permits?” the police officer asked.

“Sure,” said Brianna. She washed her hands, then opened a small drawer underneath14 the money drawer. She took out a folder15 and passed it through the window to Officer Pierre.

The officer examined the papers carefully, then handed them back to Brianna.

“Is there a problem, Officer?” Henry asked.

“We have the library’s permission to park the wagon here,” Jessie added.

Officer Pierre didn’t answer right away. She walked around to look at Butterscotch, who was standing16 quietly, her eyes half closed. Officer Pierre glanced at the water bucket, then back at the wagon. “Hot day,” she said.

“Hot day, cold ice cream,” said Benny promptly17.

That made Officer Pierre smile a little.

The officer moved closer to Butterscotch, stroking her nose and looking her over carefully. Then she said, “We had a complaint about the horse. Someone said she was being mistreated.”

“Butterscotch? Mistreated?” gasped18 Brianna in disbelief.

“She’s not being mistreated!” Henry said. “We always stop in the shade. And she gets water at every stop.”

“And she has her own barn and stall and paddock,” said Jessie.

“And oats at night,” Benny said.

“Who complained?” Violet asked.

“I’m not allowed to say,” Officer Pierre replied. “But whoever said you were treating your horse badly obviously didn’t know what they were talking about.”

“Or whoever it was wanted to cause trouble,” Henry said in a low voice.

Neither Officer Pierre nor Brianna heard him, but Jessie did. She glanced over quickly and Henry knew she’d been thinking the same thing.

“Butterscotch and I don’t go out during the hot part of the day. And if it is too hot—or too cold—we won’t go out at all,” Brianna was saying.

“I’m writing this complaint up as unfounded,” Officer Pierre reassured19 her. “That means there is nothing to it, and if we get another complaint, we’ll look much more closely at it before contacting you.”

“Good,” said Benny.

After the officer had left, Brianna and Violet served a few more ice-cream cones to customers, including one more familiar face. It was the blond woman with the dark eyebrows20. “One scoop,” Brianna predicted in a low voice as they watched the customer approach. “And no matter what flavor, she won’t eat it all.”

Brianna was right.

“What’s your freshest ice cream?” demanded the woman.

“It’s all fresh,” Brianna told her.

“The ice cream you just made,” the woman said.

“Our special flavor, banana split,” said Brianna.

“I’ll take it. One scoop,” the woman said.

She looked the wagon over as she waited for her scoop.

“Would you like to pet Butterscotch?” Jessie asked.

“The horse? No, thank you,” said the woman. She paid for her cone and took a careful taste. “It is fresh,” she said.

“Yes, it is,” said Violet.

The customer walked around the back of the wagon, still looking it over. Then she left, taking tiny, careful tastes of her ice cream.

Benny saw her toss it into a trash can across the street.

“She threw it away!” he said in horror.

“Do I know my customers, or what?” said Brianna. “She does that every time.”

They had a few more customers, but it was getting late now. When the last one had left, Henry unhitched Butterscotch from the tree, emptied the water bucket, and tied it to the side of the wagon. He and Jessie climbed in the back while Brianna joined Benny on the driver’s seat. Violet closed the Dutch door and latched3 it, and then went to the front of the wagon to peer through the little window behind the driver. “Ready,” she said.

“Giddyap, Butterscotch,” Benny said.

“Home, girl,” said Brianna, and Butterscotch, who knew that was where they were going anyway, turned in the direction of the Ice Cream Barn—and her own barn, too.

Inside the wagon, Jessie said in a low voice so Brianna wouldn’t hear her, “I think whoever complained about Butterscotch was trying to cause more trouble for the Ice Cream Barn.”

“I think so, too,” said Henry. “Anyone can see that Butterscotch isn’t being mistreated.”

“It was a mean thing to do,” said Violet. “It upset Brianna. But who could have done it?”

“Remember Benny saying he’d seen Marcos? It could have been Marcos. Benny waved at him, so Marcos knew the ice-cream wagon was making its rounds,” said Jessie.

“So did Preston,” said Jessie. “And he was just here, right before the police officer came.”

“He sure was,” said Henry. “He was here and he was in a very bad mood. And he asked about Butterscotch.”

They looked at one another. Violet said, “It doesn’t really prove anything. And the one who complained about Butterscotch before was Mr. Bush.”

Henry frowned. “True.” He paused, then said, “Wait a minute.” Going to the front of the wagon, he spoke21 through the window. “Benny, remember you said you saw some of our neighbors today?”

“Yes,” said Benny. “I waved at them.”

“Was Mr. Bush one of them?” asked Henry.

“Yes,” said Benny. “He was still cranky. He didn’t wave back. I think he’s the one who made the police come after Butterscotch.”

Henry suddenly laughed. “Could be, Benny. But we can’t prove it.”

He went back to join Jessie and Violet. “You heard what Benny said,” Henry told them. “We have to count Mr. Bush as a suspect, too.”

Violet sighed. “This isn’t good,” she said. “We still have three suspects. We still don’t know who’s trying to sabotage22 the Ice Cream Barn. I wish we could find out, before anything else happens.”

Sometimes wishes come true. But this time, Violet’s wish didn’t.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 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。
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 latched f08cf783d4edd3b2cede706f293a3d7f     
v.理解( latch的过去式和过去分词 );纠缠;用碰锁锁上(门等);附着(在某物上)
参考例句:
  • The government have latched onto environmental issues to win votes. 政府已开始大谈环境问题以争取选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He latched onto us and we couldn't get rid of him. 他缠着我们,甩也甩不掉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 reins 370afc7786679703b82ccfca58610c98     
感情,激情; 缰( rein的名词复数 ); 控制手段; 掌管; (成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的)保护带
参考例句:
  • She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
  • The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。
5 chatter BUfyN     
vi./n.喋喋不休;短促尖叫;(牙齿)打战
参考例句:
  • Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
  • I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。
6 scoop QD1zn     
n.铲子,舀取,独家新闻;v.汲取,舀取,抢先登出
参考例句:
  • In the morning he must get his boy to scoop it out.早上一定得叫佣人把它剜出来。
  • Uh,one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.我要一勺咖啡的和一勺巧克力的。
7 scooping 5efbad5bbb4dce343848e992b81eb83d     
n.捞球v.抢先报道( scoop的现在分词 );(敏捷地)抱起;抢先获得;用铲[勺]等挖(洞等)
参考例句:
  • Heated ice cream scoop is used for scooping really cold ice cream. 加热的冰淇淋勺是用来舀非常凉的冰淇淋的。 来自互联网
  • The scoop-up was the key phase during a scooping cycle. 3个区间中,铲取区间是整个作业循环的关键。 来自互联网
8 cone lYJyi     
n.圆锥体,圆锥形东西,球果
参考例句:
  • Saw-dust piled up in a great cone.锯屑堆积如山。
  • The police have sectioned off part of the road with traffic cone.警察用锥形路标把部分路面分隔开来。
9 cones 1928ec03844308f65ae62221b11e81e3     
n.(人眼)圆锥细胞;圆锥体( cone的名词复数 );球果;圆锥形东西;(盛冰淇淋的)锥形蛋卷筒
参考例句:
  • In the pines squirrels commonly chew off and drop entire cones. 松树上的松鼠通常咬掉和弄落整个球果。 来自辞典例句
  • Many children would rather eat ice cream from cones than from dishes. 许多小孩喜欢吃蛋卷冰淇淋胜过盘装冰淇淋。 来自辞典例句
10 abruptly iINyJ     
adv.突然地,出其不意地
参考例句:
  • He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
  • I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。
11 passersby HmKzQJ     
n. 过路人(行人,经过者)
参考例句:
  • He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛,因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印,看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。
12 vanilla EKNzT     
n.香子兰,香草
参考例句:
  • He used to love milk flavoured with vanilla.他过去常爱喝带香草味的牛奶。
  • I added a dollop of vanilla ice-cream to the pie.我在馅饼里加了一块香草冰激凌。
13 license B9TzU     
n.执照,许可证,特许;v.许可,特许
参考例句:
  • The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
  • The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。
14 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
15 folder KjixL     
n.纸夹,文件夹
参考例句:
  • Peter returned the plan and charts to their folder.彼得把这份计划和表格放回文件夹中。
  • He draws the document from its folder.他把文件从硬纸夹里抽出来。
16 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。
17 promptly LRMxm     
adv.及时地,敏捷地
参考例句:
  • He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
  • She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。
18 gasped e6af294d8a7477229d6749fa9e8f5b80     
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》
19 reassured ff7466d942d18e727fb4d5473e62a235     
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The captain's confidence during the storm reassured the passengers. 在风暴中船长的信念使旅客们恢复了信心。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • The doctor reassured the old lady. 医生叫那位老妇人放心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
20 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
21 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。
22 sabotage 3Tmzz     
n.怠工,破坏活动,破坏;v.从事破坏活动,妨害,破坏
参考例句:
  • They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
  • The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。
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