登陆注册
15803300000019

第19章

"Not a mule, exactly," Jail replied, "but I drove old Pier up from the field with a load of wheat all by myself.Mother sat on the load.""Come along!" shouted Father De Smet to Joseph, and in a moment the gangplank was out and Jan and Joseph had changed places.

"May I go, too?" asked Marie timidly of Father De Smet as he was about to draw in the plank."The babies are both asleep and Ihave nothing to do."

Father De Smet took a careful look in every direction.It was level, open country all about them, dotted here and there with farmhouses, and in the distance the spire of a village church rose above the clustering houses and pointed to the sky.

"Yes, yes, child.Go ahead," said Father De Smet."Only don't get too near Netteke's hind legs.She doesn't know you very well and sometimes she forgets her manners."Marie skipped over the gangplank and ran along the tow-path to Jan, who already had taken up Netteke's reins and was waiting for the signal to start.Joseph took his place at the tiller, and again the "Old Woman" moved slowly down the stream.

For some time Jan and Marie plodded along with Netteke.At first they thought it good fun, but by and by, as the sun grew hot, driving a mule on a tow-path did not seem quite so pleasant a task as they had thought it would be.

"I'm tired of this," said Jan at last to Marie."That mule is so slow that I have to sight her by something to be sure that she is moving at all! I've been measuring by that farmhouse across the river for a long time, and she hasn't crawled up to it yet! Ishouldn't wonder if she'd go to sleep some day and fall into the river and never wake up! Why, I am almost asleep myself.""She'll wake up fast enough when it's time to eat, and so will you," said Marie, with profound wisdom.

"Let 's see if we can't make her go a little faster, anyway,"said Jan, ignoring Marie's remark."I know what I'll do," he went on, chuckling; "I'll get some burrs and stick them in her tail, and then every time she slaps the flies off she'll make herself go faster."Marie seized Jan's arm.

"You'll do nothing of the kind!" she cried."Father De Smet told me especially to keep away from Netteke's hind legs.""Pooh!" said Jan; "he didn't tell me that.I'm not afraid of any mule alive.I guess if I can harness a horse and drive home a load of grain from the field, there isn't much I can't do with a mule!" To prove his words he shouted "U - U" at Netteke and slapped her flank with a long branch of willow.

Now, Netteke was a proud mule and she wasn't used to being slapped.Father De Smet knew her ways, and knew also that her steady, even, slow pace was better in the long run than to attempt to force a livelier gait, and Netteke was well aware of what was expected of her.She resented being interfered with.

Instead of going forward at greater speed, she put her four feet together, laid back her ears, gave a loud "hee-haw!" and stopped stock-still.

"U - U!" shouted Jan.In vain! Netteke would not move.Marie held a handful of fresh grass just out of reach of her mouth.But Netteke was really offended.She made no effort to get it.She simply stayed where she was.Father De Smet stuck his head over the side of the boat.

"What is the matter?" he shouted.

"Oh, dear!" said Jan to Marie."I hoped he wouldn't notice that the boat wasn't moving.""Netteke has stopped.She won't go at all.I think she's run down!" Marie called back.

"Try coaxing her," cried the skipper."Give her something to eat.

Hold it in front of her nose."

"I have," answered Marie, "but she won't even look at it.""Then it's no use," said Father De Smet mournfully."She's balked and that is all there is to it.We'll just have to wait until she is ready to go again.When she has made up her mind she is as difficult to persuade as a setting hen."Mother De Smet's head appeared beside her husband's over the boat-rail.

"Oh, dear!" said she; "I hoped we should get to the other side of the line before dark, but if Netteke's set, she's set, and we must just make the best of it.It's lucky it's dinner-time.We'll eat, and maybe by the time we are through she'll be willing to start." Father De Smet tossed a bucket on to the grass.

"Give her a good drink," he said, "and come aboard yourselves."Jan filled the bucket from the river and set it down before Netteke, but she was in no mood for blandishments.She kept her ears back and would not touch the water.

"All right, then, Crosspatch," said Jan.Leaving the pail in front of her, he went back to the boat.The gangplank was put out, and he and Marie went on board.They found dinner ready in the tiny cabin, and because it was so small and stuffy, and there were too many of them, anyway, to get into it comfortably, they each took a bowl of soup as Mother De Smet handed it to them and sat down on the deck in front of the cabin to eat it.It was not until the middle of the afternoon that Netteke forgot her injuries, consented to eat and drink, and indicated her willingness to move on toward Antwerp.

同类推荐
  • 卫生易简方

    卫生易简方

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • SUMMER

    SUMMER

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 华阳博议

    华阳博议

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Middle Class Gentleman

    The Middle Class Gentleman

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 汾阳无德禅师语录

    汾阳无德禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 江山为聘:惊鸿曲

    江山为聘:惊鸿曲

    【笑暖影凉执剑天下俯首,繁花落尽葬毙浮生荣华。】我是谁?我是那Y国首席执政官Mr.鸿?我是那天启王朝的楚家熙宁皇后?我是那云秦国的帝王东方惊鸿?还是那人最爱的妻子长欢?我这一生叱咤过风云,行走过山河万里,掌控过这国家这大陆许多人的生死。我这一世负过太多人,负了他们的信仰,负了他们的方向。负了那人的江山为聘。我不知道该如何去爱一个人,但是我可以等待一个人十年。江山为聘,卿可许我三千情?一曲惊鸿,与君执手至往生。这是一个无心人学会爱与被爱的过程,这是一个帝国兴衰的故事,这是一个“我爱你,却不能告诉你”的秘密。那个雨夜,故事,开始了……
  • 傲娇总裁:甜妻乖乖睡

    傲娇总裁:甜妻乖乖睡

    被渣男抛弃,遭闺蜜算计,危急关头,没想到他一句“我们结成侠侣吧”,改变了某女的一生,恋爱后,大事小事全听她的,家务全包,简直二十四孝新好男人,游戏里也处处谦让……[新人驾到,求票票,求打赏]
  • Henry VIII and His Court

    Henry VIII and His Court

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 漫漫求道路

    漫漫求道路

    道,漫漫人生路吾独求。生,花花世界中吾遗世。
  • 灵界

    灵界

    他父亲是灵界至尊势力的一名天之骄子,但因为某些原因被打落凡尘,修为尽失,成为一个废人。他母亲是至尊势力冰灵宫圣女,将来要嫁给升龙阁第一天才。路钧偶得灵界一位至尊遗骨,融入己身,得传承,战八荒,震慑九天,打上至尊势力,为父亲报仇,找回母亲的记忆,杀仇敌,成就灵界掌缘生灭。
  • 湘王无情

    湘王无情

    她刚睁开眼,就被当成妖魔鬼怪敬而远之!被自己的父亲大骂淫荡、恶毒,冠上勾引自家姐妹男人的罪名。伤还没好就被一纸圣旨火速抬进湘王府,被迫嫁给臭名昭著的湘王爷。婚礼当天新郎不在,宾客全无。她被人从侧门悄无声息的抬进了王府。新婚当晚,湘王爷更是下令将她丢进了兽苑。世人都知道湘王爷对她无情冷落,却不知,她自己也乐得被冷落。没事喝喝小酒,做做美食,驯驯凶兽,无拘无束,逍遥自在。直到那晚,他酒醉将她压在身下,拿防狼三式痛击他。“废了本王,王妃打算守活寡?”“难道一直以来,我不是正守着活寡?”她微微一笑,至此万劫不复。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 理想爱情的歌唱家:屠格列夫传

    理想爱情的歌唱家:屠格列夫传

    本书用优美的文字和精美的图片,记录了这位给世界文学和我国现当代文学以重大影响的世界文豪的创作和人生经历,带引读者走进他迷人的艺术世界。
  • 萌宠绝爱:校草大人,消停会儿

    萌宠绝爱:校草大人,消停会儿

    第一次见面,“夜城”酒吧,他帅气凌人,本想英雄救美,无奈却没“调戏”,这可怎么受得了!第二次见面,爸妈把他带到家里,这个变态竟然要住在自己的卧室里,“湛北辰,我们谈谈!”“好,睡着谈。”
  • 陈晓明小说时评

    陈晓明小说时评

    本书是一部批评文集,是对时下小说创作独特的评述。一篇篇评论显露出批评者自身精神和心灵的独特魅力,仿佛所有小说是为他而写。批评的过程,也即批评者的主体能力与艺术作品进行交流、碰撞的过程,也是使批评者得以整合自己独特的审美经验世界的过程,有融合,也拒绝。
  • 妙斋怪谈

    妙斋怪谈

    道尽悲欢离合,讽遍世间不平。爱撰魑魅魍魉,不作奴才文章。