THE TALE OF SQUIRREL NUTKIN（4）

On the sixth day, which was Saturday, the squirrels came again for the last time; they brought a new-laid eggin a little rush basket as a last parting present for Old Brown.
But Nutkin ran in front laughing, and shouting —
“Humpty Dumpty lies in the beck,With a white counterpane round his neck,Forty doctors and forty wrights,Cannot put Humpty Dumpty to rights!”
Now old Mr. Brown took an interest in eggs; he opened one eye and shut it again. But still he did not speak.
Nutkin became more and more impertinent —
“Old Mr. B! Old Mr. B!Hickamore, Hackamore, on the King’s kitchen door;All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men,Couldn’t drive Hickamore, Hackamore,Off the King’s kitchen door.”
Nutkin danced up and down like a sunbeam; but still Old Brown said nothing at all.
Nutkin began again —
“Arthur O’Bower¹ has broken his band,He comes roaring up the land!The King of Scots with all his power,Cannot turn Arthur of the Bower!”
Nutkin made a whirring noise to sound like the wind, and he took a running jump right onto the head of Old Brown!…
Then all at once there was a flutterment and a scufflement and a loud “Squeak!”
The other squirrels scuttered away into the bushes.
When they came back very cautiously, peeping round the tree — there was Old Brown sitting on his door-step, quite still, with his eyes closed, as if nothing had happened.
But Nutkin was in his waistcoat pocket!
This looks like the end of the story; but it isn’t.
Old Brown carried Nutkin into his house, and held him up by the tail, intending to skin him; but Nutkin pulled so very hard that his tail broke in two, and he dashed up the staircase and escaped out of the attic² window.
And to this day, if you meet Nutkin up a tree and ask him a riddle³, he will throw sticks at you, and stamp his feet and scold, and shout —
“Cuck-cuck-cuck-cur-r-r-cuck-k-k!”
THE END

第六天是星期六，松鼠们最后一次来到岛上。他们把一只刚下的鸡蛋装在用灯心草做
的小篮子里，作为送给老布朗的告别礼物。
坚果金跑在前面，笑着喊道：
圆胖子，水中躺，
白床单，围脖上。
八十个医生和工匠，
也无法让它端正模样！
老布朗对鸡蛋产生了兴趣。他睁开一只眼睛，又闭上了，一句话也没说。
坚果金越来越无礼：
老布朗，老布朗！
马缰绳，马笼头，
挂在国王的厨房门旁。
国王所有的仆人和马，
都无法来把它们取下。
坚果金跳上跳下，像一束刺眼的光，但老布朗还是一声不吭。
坚果金继续跳着唱道：
亚瑟王把人马全解散，
一路咆哮号叫冲向前！
苏格兰王力气全使完，
也无法让亚瑟把头转！
坚果金发出呼啸声，听起来就像风一样。突然，他一跃而起，向老布朗直扑了过去！
接着传来了翅膀振动和扭打的声音，随后响起了“吱吱”的尖叫声。
其他松鼠纷纷躲进了灌木丛。
他们小心翼翼地从灌木丛中走出来，朝大树看去，只见老布朗就坐在家门口，闭着眼
睛，泰然自若，仿佛什么事也没发生过。
但是，坚果金已经被他抓进了马甲口袋里！
讲到这里，故事似乎就结束了。
不，还没完呢。
老布朗把坚果金带回家里，拎起他的尾巴，准备活剥他的皮。坚果金吓得拼命挣扎，
结果把尾巴一下子挣断了。他慌里慌张地冲上楼梯，从阁楼的窗口逃了出去。
现在，如果你在一棵树上遇到坚果金，问他一个谜语，他就会向你扔树枝，还会跺着
脚骂：
去，去，去！一边去！
—完—