儿童英语读物 Bicycle Mystery CHAPTER 2 First Aid

The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful morning. It was not too warm and not too cold.

“Remember how we came along this way in the station wagon¹ when we were going on the houseboat?” Henry asked.

“That’s right,” Benny said. “What was the name of the first place where we stopped?”

“Wasn’t it called Second Landing²?” Violet³ asked. “I remember there was a store there.”

“Let’s stop again!” Benny said. “Maybe the man in the store will remember us.”

“We can buy some things for lunch,” Jessie said.

The Aldens liked the smooth country road. There were trees and bushes⁴ on both sides.

When they had ridden about ten miles, Benny said, “I think I see a railroad⁵ crossing. Maybe we are coming to a town.”

When they were closer, Benny called out, “Yes, it’s Second Landing. I remember it.”

“And there is Mr. Martin’s store,” said Henry. “We bought groceries⁶ there for the houseboat.”

The Aldens leaned⁷ their bicycles against the side of the little store. They went inside.

Right away they heard a woman’s voice saying, “Oh, Mr. Martin, I’m so upset.”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Randall,” said Mr. Martin. “I’d like to help you. Tell me about it.” He nodded at the Aldens. “Be with you in a minute.”

The children saw that Mrs. Randall was a pretty woman with curly⁸ brown hair. She was small, and she certainly was upset.

She said, “My husband is bringing his boss, Mr. Evans, home to supper. And I just got Carl off to camp, and the house is a mess. Now I have to get a special dinner and clean up the house and yard. And I have to do it alone.”

Jessie went over to the counter⁹. “Excuse me,” she said. “We couldn’t help hearing.”

The woman turned around and saw the four young people.

Jessie said, “We’d like to help you out. We are just taking a bicycle trip. Violet and I would love to do your housework, and Henry and Benny could do your yard.”

“That’s right,” Henry added¹⁰. “We have plenty of time. We’ll be glad to help you.”

Mrs. Randall stood with her mouth open in surprise. Then she exclaimed¹¹, “How kind you are! I’m a perfect stranger. I could never let you do this.”

“Oh, yes you could,” said Benny. “Just try.”

“Now you have some good help,” said Mr. Martin. “I’ve met these Aldens and you can trust them.”

“We are looking for an adventure, anyway,” said Benny.

Mr. Martin laughed. “It looks like a lot of hard work to me.”

“If you really mean it—” began Mrs. Randall.

“Of course we mean it,” said Benny. “And here we stand, wasting time.”

“All right!” said Mrs. Randall. “I’ll do it! I’m buying things for a boiled dinner.”

Violet said, “That’s good. That is the dinner my grandfather likes best.”

Mr. Martin was already putting things in bags.

“Give them to me,” Henry said. “We’ll carry the bags on our bikes.”

“Oh, you don’t need bikes,” said Mrs. Randall. “I live just around the corner.”

Benny said, “We have to take our bikes anyway. We might as well take the groceries, too.”

They rode along slowly, and Mrs. Randall walked. “Right here,” she said, pointing. The boys saw that the grass needed cutting. She opened the door.

Mrs. Randall led the way into the kitchen, saying, “It was awfully¹² good of you to come. Have you had lunch?”

“No,” answered Benny, “and I am starving!”

Mrs. Randall laughed and said, “You make me think of my son Carl. He’s always hungry.”

She stopped smiling suddenly and looked worried.

“That’s funny,” the Aldens thought. “Her troubles should be over.”

“Why is she worrying when there are four people to help her?” wondered Jessie.

Then Jessie took peanut¹³ butter and bread out of the bag and began to make sandwiches. Mrs. Randall said, “If I can’t make sandwiches for you, I can give you milk and bananas.”

Henry set four chairs at the kitchen table. As Mrs. Randall watched them eat, she said, “I can’t believe you are going to help. It seems like a dream.”

“I’m no dream,” said Benny. “Just touch me.” They all laughed, and everyone felt better.

When lunch was over, the girls began to wash the breakfast and lunch dishes. The boys went out into the yard.

“You’ll find rakes¹⁴ and things in the garage,” Mrs. Randall called after them. “Don’t touch the—” She stopped. “But then you wouldn’t anyway.”

Henry and Benny looked at each other. “Now what do you make of that?” Benny asked. “I feel that something is still wrong, but I can’t think what.”

“Neither can I,” said Henry. “Of course, we are strangers. Maybe we will find out later.”

Then all was quiet for awhile except for the noise of the dishes and the lawnmower. Mrs. Randall went upstairs to make the beds. She had left all the things to make a boiled dinner. Corned beef, cabbage, carrots, and turnips¹⁵ lay on the table.

Jessie and Violet began to peel the vegetables. Then they put everything into a big kettle¹⁶. Later they would add the potatoes.

Mrs. Randall came downstairs. She said, “This has to boil slowly for a long time.”

“But then your whole dinner is done,” said Jessie.

“Except for a pie,” Violet said. “Mrs. Randall, let Jessie make an apple pie for you. I’ll peel the apples.”

“I’m sure any man would like that,” said Mrs. Randall. “I should tell you that my husband sounded nervous this morning when he telephoned me from Boston. He doesn’t have any idea why Mr. Evans wants to see him. He could see him any time in Boston. Perhaps he isn’t doing his work very well.”

Benny came in just in time to hear this. “Then again,” he said, “maybe Mr. Evans is going to give your husband a better job and more money.”

Mrs. Randall laughed. “That could be. But why does Mr. Evans want to visit us in our home?”

“There must be some reason,” Jessie said. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

Mrs. Randall went into the dining room to dust. Suddenly Violet noticed that she was sitting down at the table with her head on her hand.

“Are you all right?” she asked anxiously.

Mrs. Randall jumped up and said brightly, “Oh, yes, I was just resting.”

But Violet thought, “She is still worrying about something.”

Later, the girls helped Mrs. Randall get ready for company. Violet said, “This must be your boy’s slipper¹⁷.” She held up an old green slipper, ripped¹⁸ along one side. “I found it behind the sofa.”

“Yes, it’s Carl’s,” Mrs. Randall said. “I’m afraid he isn’t very neat.”

“Like most boys,” said Jessie, laughing.

Mrs. Randall laughed, too, but she soon looked sad again. Violet thought to herself, “Something is wrong. I’m sure it has something to do with Carl.”

When the table was set, Mrs. Randall said, “The men will come on the six o’clock train. I’ll go upstairs and change my dress.”

But the Aldens could hear her saying to herself, “Oh, dear! Oh, dear me!” They looked at each other.

“Still worrying,” Jessie said to Henry.

At six o’clock, Benny said, “Hear that whistle¹⁹? The train has come in.”

The Aldens knew that the station was not far away. Mr. Randall and Mr. Evans could walk to the house very easily. Sure enough, the men soon appeared on the front walk.

Mrs. Randall met them at the door and shook hands with Mr. Evans. “How do you do?” she said. “I’m so glad you could come, Mr. Evans.”

“I’m glad to be here,” Mr. Evans said and looked at Mrs. Randall with a smile. Her curly hair was smooth, and her blue linen²⁰ dress was very becoming.

“Come in and sit down,” Mrs. Randall said. “I have a surprise for my husband. Four of the nicest young people came along when I was buying groceries. They are taking a bicycle trip, but they offered to help me.”

“You mean strangers?” Mr. Evans asked, smiling to himself.

“Mr. Martin at the store knew them,” Mrs. Randall said. “We weren’t strangers very long. They’re my friends now.” And she introduced the Aldens to Mr. Evans and her husband.

Mr. Evans said, “Can I believe my nose? I smell something I haven’t had for years. A New England boiled dinner!”

“Good!” Mrs. Randall exclaimed. “I’m so glad you like that. And Jessie made us an apple pie. You don’t know what wonderful friends the Aldens have been to me!”

“You are having dinner with us, aren’t you?” Mr. Randall said to the Aldens.

Henry shook his head. “We’d like to, sir, but we think we should be on our way. There’s a motel²¹ between here and Ashby. That’s where we plan to stay tonight.”

“I asked them to stay to dinner and overnight²², too,” Mrs. Randall said. “But they wouldn’t. Maybe you’ll stop on your way back?”

Jessie smiled. “That’s right. Maybe we will. We have had such a good time with you.”

Mr. Evans said, “I’m sorry you young people can’t stay. I’m sure you are all wondering why I came. I was going to tell the Randalls later, but if you are going, I’ll tell it now. It has a lot to do with the Aldens.”

Everyone looked puzzled²³. Mr. Evans had never heard of the Aldens until that very day.

However, Mr. Evans went on. “Mr. Randall is doing an excellent job for me. He is the right man, and he makes friends easily. I want to give him a more important place in the company. But first I had to be sure that his wife also makes friends easily. I see that she does! I hope you will both be happy about moving to Boston.”

Mrs. Randall’s eyes were dancing as she looked at Jessie. She said, “See what you did for me!”

Mr. Randall said, “This is great news! And you never need to worry about my wife. She is more friendly than I am.”

The Aldens shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Randall and Mr. Evans, and got ready to pedal²⁴ away. They all waved good-bye.

The riders²⁵ soon left Second Landing behind them. The wind blowing on their backs seemed to be pushing them along.

Henry looked at his watch. “We have about two hours before it will be dark,” he said.

“Do you think we have to wait until we get to the motel to eat?” Benny asked.

“No, we’ll stop at the first good place we see,” Henry promised. “We’re all hungry.”

As the Aldens rode along, Jessie said, “Oh, I love these country roads. And we’ve already had an adventure for you, Ben.”

“And a real mystery, too,” said Benny. “A mystery about Mrs. Randall and her son Carl. Something was wrong.”

Violet said, “And it had nothing to do with company for supper.”

“Right,” said Jessie.

The Aldens had been riding for half an hour when Henry said, “Look, there’s a restaurant.”

“A good thing, too,” said Benny. “I’m starved.”

An hour later the Aldens had finished dinner and were coming out of the restaurant to get their bikes.

“It looks like rain to me,” said Violet. “Look at those black clouds. We’d better hurry.”

Benny didn’t know it, but he was hurrying toward²⁶ another adventure on their bicycle trip.
 

1 wagon   

n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车

参考例句：

• We have to fork the hay into the wagon.我们得把干草用叉子挑进马车里去。
• The muddy road bemired the wagon.马车陷入了泥泞的道路。

2 landing   

n.登陆；着陆；楼梯平台

参考例句：

• Owing to engine trouble,the plane had to make a forced landing.由于发动机出了毛病，飞机不得不进行迫降。
• When are we landing?我们什么时候着陆？

3 violet   

adj.紫色的；n.紫罗兰

参考例句：

• She likes to wear violet dresses.他喜欢穿紫色的衣服。
• Violet is the color of wisdom,peace and strength.紫色是智慧的，和平的和力量的颜色。

4 bushes   

n.灌木（丛）( bush的名词复数 )；[机械学]（金属）衬套；[电学]（绝缘）套管；类似灌木的东西（尤指浓密的毛发或皮毛）

参考例句：

• There was someone skulking behind the bushes. 有人藏在灌木后面。
• The boy chased his sister in and out among the bushes. 那个男孩在灌木丛里跟着他姐姐追过来追过去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 railroad   

n.铁路；vi.由铁路运输

参考例句：

• The railroad connects two cities,namely,New York and Chicago.这条铁路连接两个城市，即纽约与芝加哥。
• My brother is working on the railroad.我兄弟在铁路系统工作。

6 groceries   

n.食品，杂货；杂货业( grocery的名词复数 )；杂货店；杂品

参考例句：

• Hi, Al. I see you're buying the groceries today. 你好，Al.我今天看见你买杂货了。 来自超越目标英语 第3册
• She ordered her groceries by phone and never left the house. 她用电话定购食品，一步也没离开那座房子。 来自辞典例句

7 leaned   

v.（使）倾斜，屈身( lean的过去式和过去分词 )；倚；依赖；使斜靠

参考例句：

• He leaned forward, his hands clasped tightly together. 他俯身向前，双手十字交错地紧握着。
• He leaned back, exulting at the success of his plan. 他向后一靠，为自己计划成功而得意扬扬。

8 curly   

adj.卷曲的，卷缩的

参考例句：

• The little boy has curly hair.这小男孩长着一头卷发。
• She is tall and dark with curly hair.她高高的个子，黑皮肤，卷头发。

9 counter   

n.柜台；计数器；adj.相反的；adv.与…相反地；vt.反对，反击；vi.反对，反击

参考例句：

• This counter is closed now.这个柜台现在已停止营业。
• Set the counter to zero and you'll know where the recording starts.把计数器拨到零，你就会知道录音从哪儿开始。

10 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

11 exclaimed   

vt.exclaim的过去式v.呼喊，惊叫，大声说( exclaim的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "We have a good chance of winning," he exclaimed optimistically. “我们很可能获胜。”他乐观地喊道。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She exclaimed in delight when she saw the presents. 她见到礼品高兴得叫了起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 awfully   

adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地

参考例句：

• Agriculture was awfully neglected in the past.过去农业遭到严重忽视。
• I've been feeling awfully bad about it.对这我一直感到很难受。

13 peanut   

n.花生

参考例句：

• We don't have peanut oil in our family.我们家不吃花生油。
• The peanut develops below the ground.花生在地下结果。

14 rakes   

耙子( rake的名词复数 )； 放荡的男人，舞台等的倾斜度，

参考例句：

• The farmers counted their rakes and hoes and plows. 农民清点耙，锄和犁。
• The sea rakes against the shore. 海浪冲刷海岸。

15 turnips   

芜青( turnip的名词复数 )； 芜菁块根； 芜菁甘蓝块根； 怀表

参考例句：

• Well, I like turnips, tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflowers, onions and carrots. 噢，我喜欢大萝卜、西红柿、茄子、菜花、洋葱和胡萝卜。 来自魔法英语-口语突破（高中）
• This is turnip soup, made from real turnips. 这是大头菜汤，用真正的大头菜做的。

16 kettle   

n.(浇水用的)水壶；水壶，水锅

参考例句：

• The kettle is boiling.水壶里的水开了。
• She put the kettle on the gas stove.她将水壶放在煤气炉上。

17 slipper   

n.拖鞋

参考例句：

• I rescued the remains of my slipper from the dog.我从那狗的口中夺回了我拖鞋的残留部分。
• The puppy chewed a hole in the slipper.小狗在拖鞋上啃了一个洞。

18 ripped   

adj. <美俚>喝醉的，受毒品麻醉的 动词rip的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He had ripped up the carpet, leaving only the bare boards. 他用力扯去了地毯，只剩下裸露的地板。
• I ripped my jeans on the fence. 我的牛仔裤在栅栏上划破了。

19 whistle   

n.口哨，汽笛，啸啸声，口哨声；vi. 吹口哨，鸣汽笛，发嘘嘘声；vt.用口哨通知

参考例句：

• We heard the whistle of a train.我们听到了火车的汽笛声。
• He gave a loud whistle of surprise.他吹了一声响亮的口哨表示惊讶。

20 linen   

n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的

参考例句：

• The worker is starching the linen.这名工人正在给亚麻布上浆。
• Fine linen and cotton fabrics were known as well as wool.精细的亚麻织品和棉织品像羊毛一样闻名遐迩。

21 motel   

n.汽车游客旅馆

参考例句：

• Late that night he landed at a motel.那晚他到了一家汽车旅馆。
• The motel manager showed the guests to their room.汽车旅馆经理把旅客领到他们房间。

22 overnight   

ad.前一天晚上，一夜间 a.前一天晚上的

参考例句：

• She stayed overnight in the hotel. 她在旅馆过了一夜。
• Our success is not won overnight. 我们的成功不是一夜之间得来的。

23 puzzled   

adj.迷惑的；困惑的

参考例句：

• The student was puzzled about what to do next.这个学生对下一步做什么伤透了脑筋。
• I was somewhat puzzled at his unwillingness to help.他不愿意帮忙让我有点困惑。

24 pedal   

n.踏板；adj.脚的，踏脚的；v.用脚踏动，踩踏板

参考例句：

• He pressed down the accelerator pedal of his car.他踩下汽车的加速器踏板。
• I saw him pedal to school every morning.我看到他每天早晨骑自行车上学。

25 riders   

骑（马、自行车等）的人( rider的名词复数 )； 乘客； 附文； 附加条款

参考例句：

• a group of riders strung out along the beach 沿海滩散开的一队骑手
• The riders came trotting down the lane. 这骑手骑着马在小路上慢跑。

26 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。