The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes

Once upon a time there was a little fat comfortable grey squirrel, called Timmy Tiptoes. He had a nest thatched with leaves in the top of a tall tree; and he had a little squirrel wife called Goody.

从前有一只矮胖而安逸的灰松鼠，名叫蒂米·蒂普托斯。他在一棵 高大的树顶上有一个用树叶铺盖的窝；他还有一位小松鼠妻子， 名叫古迪。

Timmy Tiptoes sat out, enjoying the breeze; he whisked his tail and chuckled—"Little wife Goody, the nuts are ripe; we must lay up a store for winter and spring." Goody Tiptoes was busy pushing moss under the thatch—"The nest is so snug, we shall be sound asleep all winter." "Then we shall wake up all the thinner, when there is nothing to eat in spring-time," replied prudent Timothy.

蒂米·蒂普托斯坐在外面享受着微风，摇着尾巴呵呵笑道：“古迪 小妻子，坚果都熟了，我们得为冬天和春天多存些粮食才行。” 古迪·蒂普托斯正忙着把苔藓塞进茅草窝里——“这窝真暖和，我们 整个冬天都能睡个安稳觉。”“那到了春天没东西吃的时候，我们 可就要瘦得不成样子喽，”谨慎的蒂莫西答道。

When Timmy and Goody Tiptoes came to the nut thicket, they found other squirrels were there already. Timmy took off his jacket and hung it on a twig; they worked away quietly by themselves.

蒂米和古迪·蒂普托斯来到坚果树丛时，发现别的松鼠早已经在那 儿了。蒂米脱下外衣挂在一根树枝上，两人便安安静静地各自忙活 起来。

Every day they made several journeys and picked quantities of nuts. They carried them away in bags, and stored them in several hollow stumps near the tree where they had built their nest.

他们每天都要往返好几趟，采下大量的坚果，装进袋子里搬走， 存进他们筑巢那棵树附近的几个空树桩里。

When these stumps were full, they began to empty the bags into a hole high up a tree, that had belonged to a wood-pecker; the nuts rattled down—down—down inside.

等这些树桩都装满了，他们便开始把袋子里的坚果倒进树上高处 一个曾经属于啄木鸟的洞里；坚果哗啦啦地滚下去——滚下去—— 一直滚到深处。

"How shall you ever get them out again? It is like a money-box!" said Goody.

“你们以后要怎么把它们再取出来呀？这简直就像个储钱罐！” 古迪说道。

"I shall be much thinner before spring-time, my love," said Timmy Tiptoes, peeping into the hole.

“到了春天，我可就要瘦上不少了，我的爱人，”蒂米·蒂普托斯 一边往洞里张望，一边说道。

They did collect quantities—because they did not lose them! Squirrels who bury their nuts in the ground lose more than half, because they cannot remember the place.

他们确实攒下了大量的坚果——因为他们从没弄丢过！那些把坚果 埋在地里的松鼠，往往会丢掉一大半，因为他们记不住埋在哪儿了。

The most forgetful squirrel in the wood was called Silvertail. He began to dig, and he could not remember. And then he dug again and found some nuts that did not belong to him; and there was a fight. And other squirrels began to dig,—the whole wood was in commotion!

林子里最健忘的一只松鼠名叫银尾巴。他挖呀挖，怎么也记不起 埋在哪儿；接着他又挖，挖出了几颗不属于他的坚果，于是就打了 起来。别的松鼠也跟着挖起来——整片林子都乱成了一锅粥！

Unfortunately, just at this time a flock of little birds flew by, from bush to bush, searching for green caterpillars and spiders. There were several sorts of little birds, twittering different songs.

不巧的是，正在这时，一群小鸟从这丛灌木飞到那丛灌木，四处 寻找绿色的毛毛虫和蜘蛛。那儿有好几种小鸟，各自啁啾着不同 的曲子。

The first one sang about digging up nuts, and another sang about bread and cheese in its natural way.

第一只鸟唱的是关于挖坚果的歌，另一只则照着自己天生的调子 唱着面包和奶酪的歌。

The squirrels followed and listened. The first little bird flew into the bush where Timmy and Goody Tiptoes were quietly tying up their bags, and it sang its usual song about digging up nuts.

松鼠们跟在后面听着。第一只小鸟飞进了蒂米和古迪·蒂普托斯 正安安静静扎着袋子的那丛灌木，唱起了它那首关于挖坚果的 老调子。

Timmy Tiptoes went on with his work without replying; indeed, the little bird did not expect an answer. It was only singing its natural song, and it meant nothing at all.

蒂米·蒂普托斯只顾埋头干活，没有搭理；其实那小鸟也没指望 得到什么回答。它不过是在唱自己天生的曲子罢了，压根没有别 的意思。

But when the other squirrels heard that song, they rushed upon Timmy Tiptoes and cuffed and scratched him, and upset his bag of nuts. The innocent little bird which had caused all the mischief, flew away in a fright!

可别的松鼠一听见这歌，便一拥而上扑向蒂米·蒂普托斯，又抓 又挠，把他的坚果袋子也打翻了。那只无辜地惹出这场祸事的小 鸟，吓得飞走了！

Timmy rolled over and over, and then turned tail and fled towards his nest, followed by a crowd of squirrels shouting about digging up nuts.

蒂米滚了一圈又一圈，然后转身朝自己的窝逃去，后面跟着一大 群嚷嚷着挖坚果的松鼠。

They caught him and dragged him up the very same tree, where there was the little round hole, and they pushed him in. The hole was much too small for Timmy Tiptoes' figure. They squeezed him dreadfully, it was a wonder they did not break his ribs. "We will leave him here till he confesses," said Silvertail Squirrel, and he shouted into the hole about the missing nuts.

它们追上了他，把他拖到那棵有个小圆洞的树跟前，硬把他塞了 进去。那洞对蒂米·蒂普托斯的身材来说实在太小了，他们把他 挤得好惨，肋骨没被挤断真是个奇迹。“我们就把他留在这儿， 等他招供为止，”银尾巴松鼠说道，一边冲着洞里大喊，追问那 些丢失的坚果。

Timmy Tiptoes made no reply; he had tumbled down inside the tree, upon half a peck of nuts belonging to himself. He lay quite stunned and still.

蒂米·蒂普托斯没有回答；他早已跌落到树洞里面，正好落在自己 的半配克坚果上。他晕头转向地躺着，一动不动。

Goody Tiptoes picked up the nut bags and went home. She made a cup of tea for Timmy; but he didn't come and didn't come.

古迪·蒂普托斯捡起坚果袋子回了家。她给蒂米沏了杯茶，可他 左等不来，右等也不来。

Goody Tiptoes passed a lonely and unhappy night. Next morning she ventured back to the nut-bushes to look for him; but the other unkind squirrels drove her away.

古迪·蒂普托斯度过了一个孤单而难过的夜晚。第二天早上，她 壮着胆子回到坚果丛去找他，可别的凶巴巴的松鼠把她赶走了。

She wandered all over the wood, calling—"Timmy Tiptoes! Timmy Tiptoes! Oh, where is Timmy Tiptoes?"

她在整片树林里四处游荡，呼喊着——“蒂米·蒂普托斯！蒂米· 蒂普托斯！哦，蒂米·蒂普托斯到底在哪儿呀？”

In the meantime Timmy Tiptoes came to his senses. He found himself tucked up in a little moss bed, very much in the dark, feeling sore; it seemed to be under ground. Timmy coughed and groaned, because his ribs hurted him. There was a chirpy noise, and a small striped Chipmunk appeared with a night light, and hoped he felt better?

与此同时，蒂米·蒂普托斯苏醒了过来。他发现自己被裹在一张 小小的苔藓床上，四周一片漆黑，浑身酸痛；这地方似乎是在地 底下。蒂米咳嗽着，呻吟着，因为他的肋骨疼得厉害。这时传来 一阵吱吱的声音，一只带条纹的小花鼠提着一盏夜灯出现了，问 他觉得好些了没有？

It was most kind to Timmy Tiptoes; it lent him its night-cap; and the house was full of provisions.

这只花鼠对蒂米·蒂普托斯真是好得没话说；它把自己的睡帽借 给他戴，而且屋里堆满了粮食。

The Chipmunk explained that it had rained nuts through the top of the tree—"Besides, I found a few buried!" It laughed and chuckled when it heard Timmy's story. While Timmy was confined to bed, it 'ticed him to eat quantities—"But how shall I ever get out through that hole unless I thin myself? My wife will be anxious!" "Just another nut—or two nuts; let me crack them for you," said the Chipmunk. Timmy Tiptoes grew fatter and fatter!

花鼠解释说，坚果是像下雨一样从树顶灌进来的——“再说，我 自己也挖出来了几颗埋着的呢！”它听了蒂米的遭遇，笑得咯咯 的。蒂米卧床养伤这段日子，它总哄着他多吃些——“可要是我 不瘦下来，怎么才能从那个洞里出去呢？我妻子该着急了！” “再吃一颗——或者两颗坚果吧；我来替你敲开，”花鼠说道。 蒂米·蒂普托斯就这样越吃越胖！

Now Goody Tiptoes had set to work again by herself. She did not put any more nuts into the woodpecker's hole, because she had always doubted how they could be got out again. She hid them under a tree root; they rattled down, down, down. Once when Goody emptied an extra big bagful, there was a decided squeak; and next time Goody brought another bagful, a little striped Chipmunk scrambled out in a hurry.

这时古迪·蒂普托斯又自己一个人重新干起活来。她不再往啄木 鸟的那个洞里塞坚果了，因为她一直怀疑那些坚果日后要怎么取 出来。她把坚果藏在一棵树根底下，坚果哗啦啦地滚下去，滚下 去，一直滚到深处。有一回古迪倒进去满满一大袋，忽然传来一 声清脆的尖叫；下一次古迪再送去一袋时，一只带条纹的小花鼠 急匆匆地爬了出来。

"It is getting perfectly full-up down-stairs; the sitting-room is full, and they are rolling along the passage; and my husband, Chippy Hackee, has run away and left me. What is the explanation of these showers of nuts?"

“楼下都快堆满了；客厅堆满了，坚果还滚到了过道里；我丈夫 奇皮·哈基跑掉了，把我一个人丢在这儿。这些像下雨一样的坚 果究竟是怎么回事？”

"I am sure I beg your pardon; I did not know that anybody lived here," said Mrs. Goody Tiptoes; "but where is Chippy Hackee? My husband, Timmy Tiptoes, has run away too." "I know where Chippy is; a little bird told me," said Mrs. Chippy Hackee.

“真是对不住，我不知道这儿还住着别人，”古迪·蒂普托斯太太 说道，“可是奇皮·哈基在哪儿呢？我丈夫蒂米·蒂普托斯也跑 掉了。”“我知道奇皮在哪儿，有只小鸟告诉我了，”奇皮·哈基 太太说道。

She led the way to the woodpecker's tree, and they listened at the hole.

她领着路走到啄木鸟那棵树跟前，两人便在洞口听着动静。

Down below there was a noise of nut crackers, and a fat squirrel voice and a thin squirrel voice were singing together about reconciliation.

下面传来敲坚果的声响，一个胖松鼠的嗓音和一个瘦松鼠的嗓音 正一起唱着关于和好的歌。

"You could squeeze in, through that little round hole," said Goody Tiptoes. "Yes, I could," said the Chipmunk, "but my husband, Chippy Hackee, bites!"

“你可以从那个小圆洞钻进去，”古迪·蒂普托斯说道。“是啊， 我是能钻进去，”花鼠说，“可我丈夫奇皮·哈基会咬人的！”

Down below there was a noise of cracking nuts and nibbling; and then the fat squirrel voice and the thin squirrel voice sang a playful ditty.

下面传来敲开坚果和啃咬的声响；随后那胖松鼠的嗓音和瘦松鼠 的嗓音一起唱起了一支俏皮的小曲。

Then Goody peeped in at the hole, and called down—"Timmy Tiptoes! Oh fie, Timmy Tiptoes!" And Timmy replied, "Is that you, Goody Tiptoes? Why, certainly!"

这时古迪凑近洞口往里瞧，朝下喊道——“蒂米·蒂普托斯！哎呀， 真是的，蒂米·蒂普托斯！”蒂米答道：“是你吗，古迪·蒂普托 斯？哎呀，当然是我啦！”

He came up and kissed Goody through the hole; but he was so fat that he could not get out.

他爬上来，隔着洞口亲了亲古迪；可他实在太胖了，出不来。

Chippy Hackee was not too fat, but he did not want to come; he stayed down below and chuckled.

奇皮·哈基倒不算太胖，可他不想出来，仍留在下面咯咯地笑着。

And so it went on for a fortnight; till a big wind blew off the top of the tree, and opened up the hole and let in the rain.

就这样过了两个星期，直到一场大风刮掉了树顶，把洞口豁开了 一道口子，雨水也灌了进去。

Then Timmy Tiptoes came out, and went home with an umbrella.

于是蒂米·蒂普托斯这才出来，撑着把伞回了家。

But Chippy Hackee continued to camp out for another week, although it was uncomfortable.

可奇皮·哈基又多露营了一个星期，虽然那日子并不好过。

At last a large bear came walking through the wood. Perhaps he also was looking for nuts; he seemed to be sniffing around.

终于有一天，一只大熊晃悠悠地穿过树林走来，或许它也是在 找坚果吃，看样子正到处嗅来嗅去。

Chippy Hackee went home in a hurry!

奇皮·哈基急急忙忙地跑回了家！

And when Chippy Hackee got home, he found he had caught a cold in his head; and he was more uncomfortable still.

奇皮·哈基到家以后，才发现自己得了重感冒，日子过得更加 难受了。

And now Timmy and Goody Tiptoes keep their nut-store fastened up with a little padlock.

从此以后，蒂米和古迪·蒂普托斯便用一把小挂锁把他们的坚果 仓库锁了起来。

And whenever that little bird sees the Chipmunks, he sings about digging up nuts. But nobody ever answers!

而每当那只小鸟看见那些花鼠，它还是照唱它那首挖坚果的歌。 可再也没有谁答应它了！