the golden road-第45节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
a bit frightened。 I just was quite willing to be killed。 If there hadn't been a big pile of chaff on the barn floor these words would never have been written。 But there was and I fell on it and wasn't a bit hurt； only my hair and mouth and eyes and ears got all full of chaff。 The strange part is that I wasn't a bit frightened when I thought I was going to be killed； but after all the danger was over I was awfully frightened and trembled so the Story Girl had to help me into the house。
FELICITY KING。
THE BATTLE OF THE PARTRIDGE EGGS
Once upon a time there lived about half a mile from a forrest a farmer and his wife and his sons and daughters and a granddaughter。 The farmer and his wife loved this little girl very much but she caused them great trouble by running away into the woods and they often spent haf days looking for her。 One day she wondered further into the forrest than usual and she begun to be hungry。 Then night closed in。 She asked a fox where she could get something to eat。 The fox told her he knew where there was a partridges nest and a bluejays nest full of eggs。 So he led her to the nests and she took five eggs out of each。 When the birds came home they missed the eggs and flew into a rage。 The bluejay put on his topcoat and was going to the partridge for law when he met the partridge coming to him。 They lit up a fire and commenced sining their deeds when they heard a tremendous howl close behind them。 They jumped up and put out the fire and were immejutly attacked by five great wolves。 The next day the little girl was rambelling through the woods when they saw her and took her prisoner。 After she had confessed that she had stole the eggs they told her to raise an army。 They would have to fight over the nests of eggs and whoever one would have the eggs。 So the partridge raised a great army of all kinds of birds except robins and the little girl got all the robins and foxes and bees and wasps。 And best of all the little girl had a gun and plenty of ammunishun。 The leader of her army was a wolf。 The result of the battle was that all the birds were killed except the partridge and the bluejay and they were taken prisoner and starved to death。
The little girl was then taken prisoner by a witch and cast into a dunjun full of snakes where she died from their bites and people who went through the forrest after that were taken prisoner by her ghost and cast into the same dunjun where they died。 About a year after the wood turned into a gold castle and one morning everything had vanished except a piece of a tree。
PETER CRAIG。
（DAN； WITH A WHISTLE：〃Well； I guess nobody can say Peter can't write fiction after THAT。〃
SARA RAY； WIPING AWAY HER TEARS：〃It's a very interesting story； but it ends SO sadly。〃
FELIX：〃What made you call it The Battle of the Partridge Eggs when the bluejay had just as much to do with it？〃
PETER； SHORTLY：〃Because it sounded better that way。〃
FELICITY：〃Did she eat the eggs raw？〃
SARA RAY：〃Poor little thing； I suppose if you're starving you can't be very particular。〃
CECILY； SIGHING：〃I wish you'd let her go home safe； Peter； and not put her to such a cruel death。〃
BEVERLEY：〃I don't quite understand where the little girl got her gun and ammunition。〃
PETER； SUSPECTING THAT HE IS BEING MADE FUN OF：〃If you could write a better story； why didn't you？ I give you the chance。〃
THE STORY GIRL； WITH A PRETERNATURALLY SOLEMN FACE：〃You shouldn't criticize Peter's story like that。 It's a fairy tale； you know； and anything can happen in a fairy tale。〃
FELICITY：〃There isn't a word about fairies in it！〃
CECILY：〃Besides； fairy tales always end nicely and this doesn't。〃
PETER； SULKILY：〃I wanted to punish her for running away from home。〃
DAN：〃Well； I guess you did it all right。〃
CECILY：〃Oh； well； it was very interesting； and that is all that is really necessary in a story。〃 ）
PERSONALS
Mr。 Blair Stanley is visiting friends and relatives in Carlisle。 He intends returning to Europe shortly。 His daughter； Miss Sara； will accompany him。
Mr。 Alan King is expected home from South America next month。 His sons will return with him to Toronto。 Beverley and Felix have made hosts of friends during their stay in Carlisle and will be much missed in social circles。
The Mission Band of Carlisle Presbyterian Church completed their missionary quilt last week。 Miss Cecily King collected the largest sum on her square。 Congratulations； Cecily。
Mr。 Peter Craig will be residing in Markdale after October and will attend school there this winter。 Peter is a good fellow and we all wish him success and prosperity。
Apple picking is almost ended。 There was an unusually heavy crop this year。 Potatoes； not so good。
HOUSEHOLD DEPARTMENT
Apple pies are the order of the day。
Eggs are a very good price now。 Uncle Roger says it isn't fair to have to pay as much for a dozen little eggs as a dozen big ones； but they go just as far。
FELICITY KING。
ETIQUETTE DEPARTMENT
F…l…t…y。 Is it considered good form to eat peppermints in church？ Ans。； No； not if a witch gives them to you。
No； F…l…x； we would not call Treasure Island or the Pilgrim's Progress dime novels。
Yes； P…t…r； when you call on a young lady and her mother offers you a slice of bread and jam it is quite polite for you to accept it。
DAN KING。
FASHION NOTES
Necklaces of roseberries are very much worn now。
It is considered smart to wear your school hat tilted over your left eye。
Bangs are coming in。 Em Frewen has them。 She went to Summerside for a visit and came back with them。 All the girls in school are going to bang their hair as soon as their mothers will let them。 But I do not intend to bang mine。
CECILY KING。
（SARA RAY； DESPAIRINGLY：〃I know ma will never let ME have bangs。〃）
FUNNY PARAGRAPHS
D…n。 What are details？ C…l…y。 I am not sure； but I think they are things that are left over。
（CECILY； WONDERINGLY：〃I don't see why that was put among the funny paragraphs。 Shouldn't it have gone in the General Information department？〃）
Old Mr。 McIntyre's son on the Markdale Road had been very sick for several years and somebody was sympathizing with him because his son was going to die。 〃Oh；〃 Mr。 McIntyre said； quite easy； 〃he might as weel be awa'。 He's only retarding buzziness。〃
FELIX KING。
GENERAL INFORMATION BUREAU
P…t…r。 What kind of people live in uninhabited places？
Ans。： Cannibals； likely。
FELIX KING。
CHAPTER XXXII
OUR LAST EVENING TOGETHER
IT was the evening before the day on which the Story Girl and Uncle Blair were to leave us； and we were keeping our last tryst together in the orchard where we had spent so many happy hours。 We had made a pilgrimage to all the old hauntsthe hill field； the spruce wood； the dairy； Grandfather King's willow； the Pulpit Stone； Pat's grave； and Uncle Stephen's Walk； and now we foregathered in the sere grasses about the old well and feasted on the little jam turnovers Felicity had made that day specially for the occasion。
〃I wonder if we'll ever all be together again；〃 sighed Cecily。
〃I wonder when I'll get jam turnovers like this again；〃 said the Story Girl； trying to be gay but not making much of a success of it。
〃If Paris wasn't so far away I could send you a box of nice things now and then；〃 said Felicity forlornly； 〃but I suppose there's no use thinking of that。 Dear knows what they'll give you to eat over there。〃
〃Oh； the French have the reputation of being the best cooks in the world；〃 rejoined the Story Girl； 〃but I know they can't beat your jam turnovers and plum puffs； Felicity。 Many a time I'll be hankering after them。〃
〃If we ever do meet again you'll be grown up；〃 said Felicity gloomily。
〃Well； you won't have stood still yourselves； you know。〃
〃No； but that's just the worst of it。 We'll all be different and everything will be changed。〃
〃Just think；〃 said Cecily； 〃last New Year's Eve we were wondering what would happen this year； and what a lot of things have happened that we never expected。 Oh； dear！〃
〃If things never happened life would be pretty dull；〃 said the Story Girl briskly。 〃Oh； don't look so dismal； all of you。〃
〃It's hard to be cheerful when everybody's going away；〃 sighed Cecily。
〃Well； let's pretend to be； anyway；〃 insisted the Story Girl。 〃Don't let's think of parting。 Let's think instead of how much we've laughed this last year or so。 I'm sure I shall never forget this dear old place。 We've had so many good times here。〃
〃And some bad times； too；〃 reminded Felix。
〃Remember when Dan et the bad berries last summer？〃
〃And the time we were so scared over that bell ringing in the house；〃 grinned Peter。
〃And the Judgment Day；〃 added Dan。
〃And the time Paddy was bewitched；〃 suggested Sara Ray。
〃And when Peter was dying of the measles；〃 said Felicity。
〃And the time Jimmy Patterson was lost；〃 said Dan。 〃Gee
