PRUDY‘S PATCHWORK
普鲁迪缝补丁
1.I will tell you about a little girl who teased her mother to let her sew patchwork.Did you ever know a little girl who did so？
2.Then when the squares were basted together，she broke needles，and pricked her fingers，and made a great fuss，and sometimes cried，and wished there was no such thing as patchwork.Did you ever know of a little girl like this？
3.I will just tell you how she acted，one morning，when she was doing her work.She kept running to her mother with every stitch，saying，“Will that do？”Now her mother was very busy，and said，“My little daughter must not come to me.”
4.So Prudy sat down near the door，and began to sew with all her might.But soon little Totty came along，and she looked so cunning that Prudy dropped her needle，and went to hugging her.
5.“O，little sister，”said she，“I would not have a horse come and eat you up，for any thing in the world！”Prudy could not find her needle again，and，of course，her mother had to get her another，and then thread it for her.
6.She sewed for a few moments，till she pricked her finger，and the sight of a wee drop of blood made her cry-“O，dear！-I wish somebody would pity me！”
7.But her mother was so busy frying doughnuts，that she could not stop for any thing；and the next she saw of Prudy，she was at the farther end of the room，while her patchwork lay on the spice-box.
8.“Prudy！Prudy！what are you up to now？”“Up to the table，”said Prudy.“O mother，I am so sorry，but I have broken a crack in the pitcher！”
9.“What will mother do with you？you have not finishedyour work.What made you get out of your chair？”
10.“O，I thought grandma might want me.I thought I would go and find Zip，too.See，mamma，he is so tickled to see me；he shakes all over-every bit of him！”
11.“Where is your patchwork？”said her mother.“I don’t know.You have got a double name，haven‘t you，dooggie？It is Zip Coon；but it is not a very double name is it，mother？”
12.When Mrs.Parlin had finished her doughnuts，she said，“Prudy，you can not keeps t i l l t w o m i n u t e s ，N o w，i f y o u w a n t t o s e w t h i s patchwork for grandma’s quilt，I will tell you what I shall do.
13.”There is an empty hogshead by the kitchen door，and I will put you into that，and you can not climb out.I will lift you out whenyour work is done.“14.”Oh，what a funny little house！“said Prudy，when she was inside；and as she spoke her voice startled her；it was loud and hollow.“I will talk some more，”thought she；“it makes such a queer noise.”
15.“Old Mrs.Hogshead，I thought I would come and see you，and bring my work.I like your house，ma‘am，only I should think you would want more windows.I suppose you know who I am，Mrs.Hogshead？
16.”My name is Prudy.My mother did not put me in here because I was a naughty girl；for I have not done nothing，nor nothing，nor nothing.Do you want to hear some singing？
17.’O，come，come away，From labor now reposing，Let busy Caro，wife of Barrow，Come，come away.‘“18.”Prudy，what is the matter？“said mamma from the cook-room.“Didn’t you hear somebody singing？”said Prudy.“Well，it was I.”“I would not sing；you cannot sew，if you do.”
19“Then I will stop，”said Prudy.“Now，Mrs.Hogshead，you won‘t hear me singing any more；it mortifies my mother very much！”
20.So Prudy made her fingers fly，and soon said，“Now，mother，it is done，and I am ready to be taken out.”Just then her father came in from the field.
21.“Prudy is in the hogshead，”said Mrs.Parlin-“will younot please take her out，father？”
22.Mr.Parlin peeped into the hogshead.“How in this world did you get in here，child？”said he.“I think I shall have to takeyou out with a pair of tongs.”Prudy laughed.
23.“Give me your hands，my children.Up she comes！Now come and sit on my knee，”said he，when they had gone to the porch “and tell me how you climbed into that hogshead！”
24.“Mother dropped me in，and I am going to stay there till I make a bedquilt，only I am coming out to eat，you know.”
25.“Ha！ha！-and this is your patchwork that you have squeezed up in your hand so tight？”
26.“Dinner is ready，”said Mrs.Parlin，coming to the door，with the baby in her arms.“Totty wants to lead you in，papa.”
27.Then they all went to the table，and Prudy was so busy with her green corn and currant pie，that she forgot all about the patchwork.
【中文阅读】
1.下面我要讲一个小女孩子的故事，她哭着闹着要她妈妈让她把几块布缝到一起做一块补丁布，你们听说过有这样的女孩子吗？2.在缝制过程中，她一会弄坏了针，一会又扎坏了手指，还不时地哭喊着不想做这样的工作，你听说过这样的孩子吗？
3.下面我就给你们讲一讲她到底是怎样做的：一天早晨，当她做针线活时，突然跑到妈妈身边，手里拿着正在缝制的布，对妈妈说：“这样行吗？”妈妈当时正在忙着，就说：“乖女儿，现在不要打扰我。”
4.于是普鲁迪就坐到门边，开始随意做起针线活来。但是不久小托迪来了，她看起来很可爱，以至于普鲁迪扔掉了手里的针，一下子抱住了她。
5.“哦，小妹妹，”普鲁迪说，“我不会让我的马或者任何东西过来吃你的！”然后普鲁迪再想缝补丁时肯定是找不到针了，于是她妈妈不得不再给她找一根，又给她纫上了线。
6.她缝了一会儿，却又扎了手指，看到手上冒出了一滴血，她哭喊着--“哦，天啊！---谁可怜可怜我吧！”
7.当时妈妈正忙着炸制食品，根本就不可能停下来照顾她。当她有空闲看她一眼时，却看到她正在房间的另一角，缝制的补丁丢在香料盒旁。
8.“普鲁迪！普鲁迪！你现在又怎么了？”“快到桌子这边来，”普鲁迪说：“妈妈，对不起，我缝的补丁中间裂开了一条口子！”
9.“妈妈能拿你怎么办呢？你还没有完成你的工作，是什么让你离开了椅子？”
10.“我想是外祖母想我了。我想我还应该去看看吉普。看，妈妈，他也特别想见我，他想我想得浑身发抖--想得厉害啊！”
11.“你做的补丁在哪里？”妈妈问道。“我不知道。小狗狗，你有两个名字对不对？还有一个名字就是吉普o 库恩；但他不只是这两个名字，对吧妈妈？”
12.巴琳夫人煎炸完食品后说道：“普鲁迪，你就不能安安静静地坐那两分钟不动吗？如果你想为外祖母的被子做个补丁，我就要让你看看我会对你采取什么措施。
13.”厨房门口有一个空的大木桶，我会把你放到大木桶里，你自己爬不出来。什么时候你的补丁缝完，我再把你抱出来。“14”哦，多有趣的小房子！“普鲁迪进到大木桶中，感叹道。那声音很大，而且还有回音，所以吓了她一跳。”我应该再多说几句，“她心里想，”这声音太古怪了。“15.”老木桶夫人，我带着我该做的工作进来看你来了。老夫人，我喜欢你的房子，不过我想如果再有几扇窗子就会更好了。我猜你很想知道我是谁吧，木桶夫人？
16.“我叫普鲁迪。妈妈让我过来是因为我非常淘气；因为我这也没做那也没做，什么都没做。你想听我唱歌吗？”
17.来吧，休息吧，来休息吧，让巴罗的妻子卡罗忙吧，来吧，休息吧。
18.“普鲁迪，怎么了？”从厨房里传来了妈妈的声音。“你听到有人唱歌了吗？”普鲁迪说道：“是我唱的。”“不要唱歌了，如果你唱歌就做不了缝制的工作了。”
19.“好吧，我不唱了。”普鲁迪说道：“现在木桶夫人，你不会再听到我唱歌了，那样会让妈妈非常生气的！”
20.普鲁迪双手开始忙起了针线活，很快她就喊了起来：“妈妈，我的工作完成了，现在我可以出去了。”就在这时爸爸忙完了地里的工作回到了家。
21.“普鲁迪在大木桶里，”巴琳夫人对爸爸说，“你把她从木桶里抱出来好吗？”
22.巴琳先生探进大木桶中。“孩子，你到底是怎么进去的？”他问道。“我想我不得不找个大钳子把你弄出来了。”普鲁迪哈哈笑了起来。
23.“双手递给我，孩子。”一下子她就出来了！“来，坐到我腿上来，”到了走廊爸爸说：“告诉我你是怎么爬进大木桶里的？”
24.“妈妈把我放进去的，她让我在里面把补丁缝完才能出来，但是你知道，我要出来吃饭！”
