【英文读物】Wongo and the Wise Old CrowA Daring Plot CHAPTER 1 IN TIMBERTANGLEThere s many a tale of adventure told,Of heroes that do and dare,But here is a tale of adventure bold,Of a goat, a crow, and a bear.There s a quarrel and fight,And a desperate plot,And a villain as bad as can be.Oh, it is a tale worth talking about!Just read it yourself and see!A SUDDEN gust of cold wind swept along the mountain side and rattled the dry leaves and deadbranches of some jack-oak bushes that stood at the entrance of a snug little cave. Its soleoccupant, awakened by the noise, opened his eyes and looked blinkingly up at the paledawn-light that shone on the familiar rocks of the roof above him. Once awake, he realized thathe was thirsty and hungry, but he hated to get up, it would be so nice to have just a little moresleep.14While the cave-dweller was deciding between the call of his stomach and his desire to sleep,a big bluejay, with feathers rumpled by the wind, lit on a rock at the cave entrance and, afterpeering within, called out:uSleepy-head! Sleepy-head!M Then, as there was no response from the cave, he called again:Get up, Wongo. *The early bird catches the worm,* and the early bear may catch the fatsheep.“That s all right about the early bird and the worm, growled the little bear angrily, “but abird doesn t know much and it served the silly worm right for getting up too early. He ought toget caught.”Then Wongo got to his feet and, as the noisy bluejay flew away, he crawled sleepily out of thecave and ambled down a secret trail that led to the canyon below.Although the sun was not quite up on this eventful day, a pale dawn-light flooded the mountainside, causing the trees and bushes to look dim and ghostly.Wongo was in an ill temper. Hunger, thirst, and the desire to sleep, to say nothing of the windthat was bent on blowing his fur the wrong way, made him growl under his breath. And now hemust go to the little stream that ran through the dark15 canyon far below and get a drink, and ifhe met any kind of an animal on the way that was good to eat一well, that animal had better lookout for himself!Suddenly he stopped and sniffed the cool breeze that was now sweeping up from the gorgebelow.“Meat! he ejaculated. Fresh meat of the young calf. Then quickening his pace he soonstood on the rim of the canyon, with his nose in the air; sniffing to the right and to the left. It tookbut a moment to decide that the good smell came from up the canyon, but up the canyon wasforbidden ground. That tantalizing odor meant just one thing, and that was that old Grouch, the* Make as plain a trail with your feet as you can, by running on soft ground whenever you findany. Go straight up the canyon toward old Grouch s den. You II be safe enough even though hehears you and comes out to fight, as all you will have to do is to kill the sheep, drop it and run. Hewill stop quickly enough when he finds the meat, but I hope he will not hear you, and thechances are that he won* t, as he has had a big feed to-day and will sleep. However, he is an oldglutton and, thanks to your making way with the remainder of his calf meat this morning, he willbe keen enough for another square meal before daylight comes.“When you* ve carried the sheep up to the thicket that is near his den, kill it and lay it down.Then walk backwards, backwards mind you, to the big vine-covered rock, and when you come toit jump straight over it, and run to your home by the long way round the mountain.“What s all this for? asked Wongo, who was confused by the long and seemingly foolishinstructions. u It sounds like a lot of nonsense to me,n he continued. * Why in the world shouldI risk my neck to get a sheep for old Grouch?43 u I am just coming to the explanation,v said Kaw. u When the squaw-man and the Indiansstart out early to-morrow morning to catch a live bear, what do you suppose they will do?“They will find my trail and follow it, said Wongo promptly, “and it will be a sorry day for meif they catch me.”“Well,” replied Kaw, “you are right and you are wrong. They will follow your trail, but it will beold Grouch and not you that they will catch. The old rascal will probably smell the fresh muttonas soon as you drop it, and when he comes down for it his tracks will meet yours, and will bemore fresh than yours when the squaw-man s dogs come to that part of the trail. ”“Ho, ho! I see your scheme now,” said Wongo, chuckling at the thought of old Grouch beingcaptured by the terrible squaw-man. But, said he, stopping suddenly as the fearful thoughtstruck him, “ what if the dogs should get off onto my trail when they reach the big rock? ”I have provided for just that possibility/, said Kaw. I have engaged an old friend of mine topick up your trail as soon as you leave the rock and, ” he continued with a chuckle, “they wont follow h