阅读理解
We never forget when Perronet came to us. It
was on a spring afternoon. We never knew who drowned Perronet, but David pulled
him out of the water and saved his life, People sometimes asked us what kind of
dog he was, but we never knew, except that he was the nicest possible kind.
Mother said we could not afford him because of the tax(税) and his keep. The tax was five shillings(先令), but it was nearly a year before the time when it must be paid. At
last, we decided that all three of us would give up sugar toward saving the
cost of his keep. It was the hardest for David because he was fond of sweet
things, but then, he was fond of Perronet. So we all gave up sugar, and Perronet
was allowed to remain.
We were very
happy that summer. The boys were especially happy. The only thing that vexed me was Perronet's tax money,
for months and months went on and we didn't save it. One day, I found David
alone with Perronet in his arms. He was crying, and feeding Perronet with cake.
I can't bear to see boys cry. I begged of David to stop, and told him I should
certainly think of something.
One day, we were
all in school. The schoolmaster told us that there was to be a flower show for
the school children this year, and that an old gentleman would give prizes to
the best arranged wild flowers. There was to be a first prize of five
shillings, and a second prize of a half crown, for the best collection of wild
flowers, with their names upon them. I squeezed(挤)
David's arm, and whispered, "Five shillings!"
I thought I
could never get my lessons that day, for all day I was thinking about Perronet's
tax money. At night, I said to them, "Look here! I'll make a collection of
flowers. You two can make a collection of mosses(苔藓).
There are ten kinds of mosses by the river, and we have names of our own for
them." The boys agreed. Richard made me a box. We put wet sand at the
bottom, then feather moss, and into that I stuck the flowers. I got all the
flowers and all the grasses ready and printed the names on pieces of cardboard,
to stick in with them. I didn't like it when it was done, but Richard praised
it and that cheered me. I thought their mosses were beautiful.
The day of the
flower show was very hot. When we reached the tent, it was filled with grown-up
people. It was very hard work getting about and trying to see the stands with
flowers. We kept seeing tickets with "First Prize" and "Second
Prize". It made me feel sick with heat and anxiety, to think of them. We
had walked slowly all round the tent. We had seen all the cucumbers, onions,
lettuce, grapes, long potatoes, round potatoes and everything else. At last we
saw my collection! It had a label on it, marked "First Prize", and
next to it came the boy's moss, marked "Second Prize". We cried "Perronet
is paid for!"
