牙齿和爪子 Gabriel Ernest-英语听力

[00:05.22]Gabriel Ernest [00:11.32]Cunningham had spent an agreeable week in the country with his friend Van Cheele． [00:12.91]Now Van Cheele was driving his guest back to the station． [00:17.41]Cunninghamwas unusually quiet on the journey， butVan Cheele talked all the time， so hedid not notice his friend's silence． [00:25.16]Suddenly Cunningham spoke． [00:28.57]'Thereis a wild animal in your woods，' he said． [00:31.74] 'A wild animal？ A fewrabbits， perhaps． Nothingvery terrible， surely，'said Van Cheele． [00:37.96]Cunningham said nothing． [00:41.20]' What did you mean about a wild animal？'asked Van Cheele later， at the station． [00:46.99] 'Nothing． It was myimagination． Here is the train，'said Cunningham． [00:52.20]That afternoon Van Cheele went for a walk through his woods． [00:57.18]He knew a little about plants and animals，and he enjoyed walking through the woods around his house and looking at the birds and flowers there． [01:05.70]He also enjoyed telling everyone about them aftefwards． [01:10.30]Of course，he never saw anything very surprising——until that afternoon． [01:14.98]During his walk Van Cheele came to a deep pool under sometall trees． [01:22.46]He knew it well： afterall， it was his pool． [01:27.16]But today， he saw a boy of about sixteen lying on a large rock beside the pool． [01:34.91] The boy was drying his wet， naked brown body in the sun． [01:44.80] His hair was wet too，and he had long， golden，wolfish eyes． [01:49.70] He turned those eyes towards VanCheele with a look of lazy watchfulness． [01:53.71] Van Cheele was surprised to see the boy． [01:57.21] Wheredoes this wild－looking boy come from？he thought． [02:06.69] Can he be the miller's son？ He disappeared two months ago． [02:08.38] People say he fell intothe river． [02:09.62] It's a fast-running river，and nobody ever found his body． [02:12.91] Iwonder？ But the miller's boy was only a young child? 'What are you doing here？asked Van Cheele． [02:23.00] 'Enjoying the sunshine， of course，' said the boy． [02:25.39] 'Where do you live？' 'Here， in these woods． ' [02:30.65]You can't live in these woods．'said Van Cheele． [02:33.58] 'They are very nice woods，'said the boy politely． [02:37.55] 'But where do you sleep at night？' 'I don't sleep at night． [02:49.60][02:42.53] That's my busiest time． [02:50.11]' Van Cheele began to feel cross． [02:52.58] What did the boy mean？ 'What do you eat？ heasked． [02:53.43] 'Meat，' said the boy． [02:57.58]He opened his mouth， showing very white teeth． [03:13.75]'Meat？What kind ofmeat？ 'Well， if you must know， I eat rabbits， wild birds，chickens from the farm and young sheep from the hills． [03:15.69] I like children when I can find them． [03:18.50] But they 're usually too well locked in at night． [03:19.27] It's two months since I tasted child meat． [03:23.75]' The boy is joking about the children， thought Van Cheele． [03:28.45] But perhaps he really is stealing animals from the woods and farms． [03:32.63] I must find out more about this． [03:35.47] Aloud he said，'You catch rabbits？ You must be joking． [03:40.30]Our rabbits are much too fast for you． [03:42.70]' 'At night I hunt on four feet，'was the boy's surprising replp． [03:49.88] 'You mean that you hunt with a dog？'guessed Van Cheele． [03:53.82] The boy sat up suddenly and laughed a strange， low laugh． [03:58.25] To Van Cheele that laugh sounded horrlbly like a growl． [04:02.92] 'I don't think any dog would like to hunt with me，'the boy said． [04:10.32]'Not at night?' There is something horrible about this boy， thought Van Cheele． [04:15.18] I don't like the way he looks and I don't like the way he talks． [04:19.44] 'I can't let you stay in my woods，'he said aloud． [04:23.84] 'Very well then—shall I come and live in your house？'repliedte boy． [04:29.59] Van Cheele thought about his quiet， tidy house． [04:33.27] No， he did not want this strange， wild boy at all． [04:37.53] Of course， the boy was joking? but Van Cheele was not amused． [04:42.47] 'If you don't go away，'he said， 'I shall have to call the police． [04:48.41]' At once the boy turned and jumped head-first into the pool． [04:53.88]A moment later， his shining， wet body landed half－way up the grassy bank where Van Cheele was standing． [05:03.30] Van Cheele stepped backwards． [05:06.23] His foot slipped on the wet grass and he fell． [05:09.24] He found himself lying on the grass with those wolfish yellow eyes uncomfortably near to his． [05:16.14] He felt a moment of horrible fear． [05:20.59] The boy laughed again，a laugh that was like the growl of a wild animal，then disapeared among the bushes． [05:29.92] 'What an extraordinarily wild animal！'said Van Cheele as he picked himself up． [05:36.66] And then he remembered Cunning ham's words about a wild animal in his woods． [05:42.56] As he walked slowly home， Van Cheele thought about several things which had happened in and around the village recently． [05:49.88] Perhaps this boy knows something about them， he thought? Something has been killing rabbits and birds in the woods lately． [05:59.10] Something has been stealing the farmer's chickens and carrying off the young sheep fromthe hills． [06:06.10] Is it possible that this wildboy is hunting at night with a fast， intelligent dog？The boy talked of hunting on four feet at night? [06:16.88]But he also said that dogs did not like to hunt with him at night?Very strange indeed． [06:24.48] As Van Cheele walked along， he turned the questions over and over in his head． [06:30.80] Suddenly he stopped． [06:34.40] The miller's son！ he said to himself． [06:38.17] The child disappeared two months ago． [06:40.76] Everyone thought that he had fallen into the river and been carried away． [06:45.31] But the child's mother did not believe this． [06:57.78] She said she had heard a scream—— and the scream came from the hill，a long way away from the water． [07:03.24]It's impossible， of course， said Van Cheele to himself． [07:09.13]Butthe child disappeared two months ago， and the boy talked about child meat． [07:12.69] He was joking， of course?but what a horrible joke！ [07:20.30] Van Cheele usually talked to his aunt about the birds，plant sand animals he saw on his walks． [07:21.50] But today he said nothing． [07:23.36] He was an important man in his village． [07:26.21] If there was a thief living in his woods， he did not want anyone to know． [07:31.26]If people hear about the boy， he thought， perhaps they will want me to pay for their lost chickens and their disappearing sheep． [07:40.71] He was unusually quiet at dinner． [07:44.70]'What's the matter with you？'joked his aunt． [07:48.42]'Did you see a wolf on your walk？' [07:50.38]At breakfast the next morning Van Cheele realized that he still felt uncomfortable about yesterday's adventure． [07:57.28]I know what I' 11 do， he said to himself． [08:02.11]I' 11 take the train to London and I'11 go and see Cunningham． [08:05.65]I'11 ask him If he was joking when he said there was a wild animal in my woods． [08:10.95]After he had decided this，Van Cheele felt better． [08:14.96]He sang a happy little song as he walked to the sitting-room for his morning cigarette． [08:20.49]His fat old dog walked beside him． [08:24.45]As Van Cheele entered the sitting-room， the song died on his lips and his dog ran away with his tail between his legs． [08:32.99]There on the day－bed， with his hands comfortably behind his head， lay the boy from the woods． [08:40.48] He was drier than yesterday， but he was still naked． [08:46.99] 'What are you doing here？ asked Van Cheele angrily． [08:56.30] 'You told me I couldn't stay in the woods，'said the boy calmly． [08:59.18] 'But I didn't tell you to come here． [09:02.46] What if my aunt sees you？ What will she think？' [09:04.11]Van Cheele hurriedly covered his unwanted guest's nakedness with a newspaper． [09:07.82] At that moment his aunt entered the room． [09:10.95] 'This is a poor boy，'explained Van Cheele quickly． [09:16.70]'He has lost his way—and lost his memory too． [09:19.65]He doesn't know who he is， or where he comes from． [09:22.98]' Miss Van Cheele was very interested． [09:26.34]'Perhaps his name is on his underclothes，' she said． [09:30.53] 'He has lost his underclothes too，'said Van Cheele． [09:34.75] The newspaper was slipping off the boy's naked body． [09:38.28] VanCheele hurried to replace it Miss Van Cheele was a kind old lady． [09:44.41] She felt sorry for this naked， helpless child． [09:47.72] 'We must help him，'she said． [09:50.90] She sent the housekeeper to aneighbour's house to borrow some clothes． [09:55.83] Soon the boy was clean and tidy， and dressed in shirt，trousers and shoes． [10:01.85]Van Cheele thought he looked just as strange and wolfish as before． [10:07.80] But Miss Van Chee1e thought he was sweet． [10:10.46] 'We must give him a name until we know who he really is，'she said． [10:15.46]' Gabriel Ernest， I think． [10:19.25] Those are nice， suitable names． [10:22.60]' Van Cheele agreed． [10:25.22] But he was not sure that the boy was a nice， suitableboy． [10:28.82] Van Cheele's old dog， when he saw the boy， had run away in fear and would not come back into the house． [10:35.81] Van Cheele decided to go and see Cunningham at once． [10:40.59] As he got ready to go to the station， his aunt was busily arranging a children's tea party in the church hall． [10:48.43] 'Gabriel Ernest will help me with the little ones，'she said happily． [10:53.66]When Van Cheele got to London， Cunningham did not want to talk at first． [10:59.59]You'llthink I'm crazy，' he said． [11:02.75]'But what did you see？'asked Van Cheele．' [11:06.80]I saw something—somethingunbelievable． [11:09.82]On the last evening of myvisit to you I was standing half-hidden in the bushes， watchingthe sun go down． [11:16.76]Suddenly I noticed anaked boy． [11:20.78]He has been swimming in apool somewhere， I said to myself． [11:24.49]He was standing on the hill side and he too was watching the sun go down． [11:30.62]Then the sun disappeared behind the hill and its light was gone． [11:36.41]At the same moment a very surprising thing happened—the boy disappeared too．' [11:44.90]'What？He disappearedjust like that？' said Van Cheeleexcitedly．' [11:53.93]No． It was much morehorrible than that． [11:55.32] On the open hillside where the boy had been，I saw a large，blackish-grey wolf with long white teeth and yellow eyes． [12:05.28] You'll think I'm crazy—' But Van Cheele did not wait． [12:09.40] He was running towards the station as fast as he could． [12:12.87] He did not know what he could do． [12:15.34] I can't send my aunt a message， he thought．Whatcan I say？ [12:18.95]Gabriel Ernest is a werewolf'？My aunt will think I'm joking． [12:23.56] I MUST get home before sundown． [12:26.51] He caught his train． [12:28.17] With painful slowness it carried him to the station a few miles from his home． [12:33.61]He took a taxi to his village． [12:35.81]'Take me to the church hall—and hurry！ 'he ordered． [12:40.96]Thetaxi drove along the quiet country roads， and the sky turned pink and purple as the sun got lower and lower in the west． [12:50.31] His aunt was putting away some uneaten cakes and sandwiches when he arrived． [12:55.10] 'Where is Gabriel Ernest？'screamed Van Cheele． [12:59.19] 'He's taking little Jack Toop home，'said his aunt calmly． [13:03.61]'It was getting solate． [13:05.79] I didn't want to send the dear little boy home alone． [13:08.63] Isn't the sky beautiful this evening？' [13:11.81] But Van Cheele had no time to talk about the beautiful sky． [13:15.35]He ran like the wind down the narrow road that went to the Toops' house． [13:20.30] On one side was the fast-running river， on the other was the dark hillside． [13:26.78] In a minute I'll catch up with them，Van Cheele thought． [13:30.88] Then the sun went down behind the hill and the whole world became grey and cold． [13:38.59]Van Cheele heard a short scream of fear， and he knew he was too late． [13:45.97] Nobody ever saw little Jack Toop or Gabrid Ernest again． [13:51.95]Gabriel Ernest's clothes were found lying in the road． [13:55.72] 'Poor littler Jack fell into the river，'said Miss Van Cheele． [14:00.74]'And dear Gabriel Ernest took off his clothes and jumped into the river to try to save him． [14:06.18]' Mrs Toop had eleven other children and did not cry too long for her lost son． [14:12.59] But Miss Van Cheele was terribly sad about Gabriel Ernest． [14:17.50] 'He must have a memorial in the church，'she said． [14:21.30] She chose the words herself：GABRIEL ERNEST，ANUNKNOWN BOY WHO BRAVELY GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER． [14:32.11] Van Cheele usually did what his aunt wanted． [14:36.23] Bu the refused to give any money at all for Gabriel Ernest's memorial．