669小说网

chater ten the ell beg t break（第1页）

NowwemustgobacktoMr。andMrs。Beaverandthethreeotherchildren．AssoonasMr。Beaversaid，“There’snotimetolose，”everyonebeganbundlingthemselvesintocoats，exceptMrs。Beaver，whostartedpickingupsacksandlayingthemonthetableandsaid：“Now，Mr。Beaver，justreachdownthatham．Andhere’sapacketoftea，andthere’ssugar，andsomematches。Andifsomeonewillgettwoorthreeloavesoutofthecrockoverthereinthecorner．”

“Whatareyoudoing，Mrs。Beaver？”exclaimedSusan．

“Packingaloadforeachofus，dearie，”saidMrs。Beaververycoolly．“Youdidn’tthinkwe’dsetoutonajourneywithnothingtoeat，didyou？”

“Butwehaven’ttime！”saidSusan，buttoningthecollarofhercoat．“Shemaybehereanyminute．”

“That’swhatIsay，”chimedinMr。Beaver．

“Getalongwithyouall，”saidhiswife．“Thinkitover，Mr。Beaver．Shecan’tbehereforquarterofanhouratleast．”

“Butdon’twewantasbigastartaswecanpossiblyget，”saidPeter，“ifwe’retoreachtheStoneTablebeforeher？”

“You’vegottorememberthat，Mrs。Beaver，”saidSusan．“Assoonasshehaslookedinhereandfindswe’regoneshe’llbeoffattopspeed．”

“Thatshewill，”saidMrs。Beaver．“Butwecan’tgettherebeforeherwhateverwedo，forshe’llbeonasledgeandwe’llbewalking．”

“Then-havewenohope？”saidSusan．

“Nowdon’tyougetfussing，there’sadear，”saidMrs。Beaver，“butjustgethalfadozencleanhandkerchiefsoutofthedrawer．Coursewe’vegotahope．Wecan’tgettherebeforeherbutwecankeepundercoverandgobywaysshewon’texpectandperhapswe’llgetthrough．”

“That’strueenough，Mrs。Beaver，”saidherhusband．“Butit’stimewewereoutofthis．”

“Anddon’tyoustartfussingeither，Mr。Beaver，”saidhiswife。“There．That’sbetter．There’sfiveloadsandthesmallestforthesmallestofus：that’syou，mydear，”sheadded，lookingatLucy．

“Oh，dopleasecomeon，”saidLucy．

“Well，I’mnearlyreadynow，”answeredMrs。Beaveratlast，allowingherhusbandtohelpherinto；hersnow-boots．“Isupposethesewingmachine’stookheavytobring？”

“Yes．Itis，”saidMr。Beaver．“Agreatdealtooheavy．And

youdon’tthinkyou’llbeabletouseitwhilewe’reontherun，Isuppose？”

“Ican’tabidethethoughtofthatWitchfiddlingwithit，”saidMrs。Beaver，“andbreakingitorstealingit，aslikelyasnot．”

“Oh，please，please，please，dohurry！”saidthethreechildren．AndsoatlasttheyallgotoutsideandMr。Beaverlockedthedoor（“It’lldelayherabit，”hesaid）andtheysetoff，allcarryingtheirloadsovertheirshoulders．

Thesnowhadstoppedandthemoonhadcomeoutwhentheybegantheirjourney．Theywentinsinglefile-firstMr。Beaver，thenLucy，thenPeter，thenSusan，andMrs。Beaverlastofall．Mr。Beaverledthemacrossthedamandontotherightbankoftheriverandthenalongaveryroughsortofpathamongthetreesrightdownbytheriver-bank．Thesidesofthevalley，shininginthemoonlight，toweredupfarabovethemoneitherhand．“Bestkeepdownhereasmuchaspossible，”hesaid．“She’llhavetokeeptothetop，foryoucouldn’tbringasledgedownhere．”

Itwouldhavebeenaprettyenoughscenetolookatitthroughawindowfromacomfortablearmchair；andevenasthingswere，Lucyenjoyeditatfirst．Butastheywentonwalkingandwalking-andwalking—andasthesackshewascarryingfeltheavierandheavier，shebegantowonderhowshewasgoingtokeepupatall。Andshestoppedlookingatthedazzlingbrightnessofthefrozenriverwithallitswaterfallsoficeandatthewhitemassesofthetree-topsandthegreatglaringmoonandthecountlessstarsandcouldonlywatchthelittleshortlegsofMr。Beavergoingpad-pad-pad-padthroughthesnowinfrontofherasiftheywerenevergoingtostop．Thenthemoondisappearedandthesnowbegantofalloncemore．AndatlastLucywassotiredthatshewasalmostasleepandwalkingatthesametimewhensuddenlyshefoundthatMr。Beaverhadturnedawayfromtheriver-banktotherightandwasleadingthemsteeplyuphillintotheverythickestbushes．AndthenasshecamefullyawakeshefoundthatMr。Beaverwasjustvanishingintoalittleholeinthebankwhichhadbeenalmosthiddenunderthebushesuntilyouwerequiteontopofit．Infact，bythetimesherealizedwhatwashappening，onlyhisshortflattailwasshowing。