典范英语 9 sing for your supper精编版.docx

1、典范英语 9 sing for your supper精编版典范英语 9Sing for your SupperNick WarburtonCHAPTER 1Red BeardThe smell of mutton pies woke Jamie up. His nose twitched before his eyes opened. Jamies mother was dead. His father had gone to sea and not come back. He remembered the big round sails as the little galleon move

2、d out of Plymouth harbour, but hed forgotten what his father looked like. For two years hed lived on the streets and begged for his food, so he got used to sniffing out pies. Hed been dozing on a pile of straw beside the horse trough when the man walked by with his tray. Pies, Jamie thought at once.

3、 Fat warm pies. He didnt have a coin to his name, but he jumped up and followed the man. He was heading for The Boars Head. Jamie saw him push his tray into the crowd at the door and disappear. After him, Jamie said to himself. He dropped to his knees and crawled through a forest of sturdy legs. Jam

4、ie could tell by a sniff that the pie man had stopped by a table in the corner. Keeping an eye open for the innkeeper, he crawled on. The pie man had set two steaming pies on the table. He was counting a handful of coins into his purse. His customers werent ordinary sailors. They wore stiff ruffs an

5、d a line of fancy buttons down the front of their tunics. Jamie had seen one of them around Plymouth before the one with the red curly hair and the pointed beard. He must be important, Jamie thought. Whenever he goes theres bustle and talk. But he looks like a man who might share his pie with a hung

6、ry boy. Jamie saw him push his tray into the crowd at the door and disappear After him。Jamie said to himself He dropped to his knees and crawled through a forest of sturdy legsJamie could tell by a sniff that the pie man had stopped by a table in the cornerKeeping an eye open for the innkeeper, he c

7、rawled onThe pie man had set two steaming pies on the tableHe was counting a handful of coins into his purse His customers werent ordinary sailorsThey wore stiff ruffs and a line of fancy buttons down the front of their tunicsJamie had seen one of them around Plymouth before-the one with the red cur

8、ly hair and the pointed beard He must be important，Jamie thought. Wherever he goes theres bustle and talk .But he looks like a man who might share his pie with a hungry boy. No mutton pies after we set sai1, the man with the red bead was saying to his friend. Ships biscuits and hard cheese and not m

9、uch else. But may be some Spanish gold to spend when we get back, eh, Francis? his friend said. Francis. So that was his name. And Spanish gold. That meant sea-fights, didnt it? Maybe they were pirates. Well, Master Francis, Jamie said to himself, I cant wait for your gold but Id like to share a bit

10、 of your pie. And he popped up from behind the table as the redheaded man was about to eat. Can I sing you a song, Master Francis? Jamie asked him. Francis blinked at him with his mouth stil1 open. Please, Master, Jamie said. A song for a mouthful of pie. The man laughed and asked him if he had a go

11、od voice. A wonderful voice, sir. Sweet as the birds, I promise.If you want to earn the Price of a Pie, said Franciss friend, you can go down to the harbour and help load our Ship.what ship is that, sir? Jamie asked.The Pelican. And its being loaded for a voyage toBut before he could say another wor

12、d, Francis held up a hand to stop him.Quiet, Wi11, he said. A busy inn is not the place to talk about our plans.Will shut his mouth and looked round the noisy room. Jamie looked round, too. And sure enough- or so he thought- there was a thin man at the next table, leaning towards them as if to catch

13、 every word. For a second Jamies eye met his, and the man scowled.A face to sour the milk, Jamie thought. And full of trouble, too. After two years on the streets, Jamie knew trouble when he saw it.A shiver of fear ran up his spine. But Francis was speaking to him again.Come on then, lad, he said. S

14、ing up.Jamie opened his mouth to Sing, but a broad hand took hold of his neck and he felt himself jerked to his feet.Ive told you before, boomed a voice. You leave my gentlemen in peace.It was the innkeeper. He crooked an arm round Jamies throat and crushed him against his greasy apron.Jamie kicked

15、out and flailed his arms but it was no use. The innkeeper hauled him backwards to the door and swung him out into the night.He twisted through the air and landed with a thud in the street. Instead of the smell of mutton, his nose was fi1led with the stench of straw and horse dung. It was the second

16、time he had been thrown out of The Boars Head that night.He stood up and shook himself. Across the street he saw the g1ow of candle-light from The Swan. The hum of voices inside tempted him to try his luck there, but hed been thrown out of The Swan, too. He didnt feel like being dumped in horse muck

17、 a fourth time.Oh well, he mumbled as he wiped himself down, maybe I should go down to the harbour. If theyre loading for a voyage, maybe I can pick up some scraps.Soon he heard the lap of water against wooden hulls and ropes slapping in the breeze. He saw masts swaying against the blue-black sky. T

18、he ship in front of him was The Pelican. There were others, too, lined up behind it.The harbour was busy for the time of night. Dark figures with sacks on their shoulders hurried backwards andforwards. Some dumped their loads on the harbour wall and others tottered up planks onto the ships.He stoppe

19、d one of the sailors and asked if he could help.Clear off, little un, the sailor growled. Youll only get under our feet.Jamie sighed and sat down in the shadow of a wall. His stomach grumbled with hunger in the dark. His head hurt. He watched the men loading their stores. Hed seen ships being loaded

20、 many times. Once hed seen a sack drop and split open, sending cheeses rolling over the cobbles.A good round cheese would do nicely now, he thought. Maybe someonell drop a few sacks tonight. Sack after sack he saw carried onto the ships. But no one stumbled. Nothing spilled. At last the men stopped

21、work and went off together, laughing and joking.For a while Jamie watched the moon climb s1owly in the sky. Then he stood up and stretched.Nothing doing here, he said softly to himself. He was about to wander back into Plymouth Town when something caught his eye.Two of the men came back. r were they

22、 the same men? It was too dark to see properly and they were wrapped in long cloaks.They moved like the men whod loaded the ships, trotting along with their heads bowed, but there was something different about them.At first Jamie couldnt think what it was. Then it came to him. They had no sacks on t

23、heir backs. They were running up the plank onto The Pelican but they carried no stores. He saw them drop into the ship and disappear in shadow. Jamie sat down again and waited.A man with a lantern on a pole came wandering along- the watchman, keeping his eye on the ships with their load of fresh sto

24、res. He walked steadily a1ong the harbour wa1l until he reached the ship furthest from The Pelican. Then he paused for a moment before turning round. It was then that the two men came scuttling down the plank again.One was tall with pale hands which fluttered in the dark. Jamie knew him. It was the

25、sour-faced man from The Boars Head. The other man was short and thick-set.They moved nimbly and silently, and this time they were carrying some-thing, At least, the short one was. It was more like a black bag than a sack and the short man carried it on his shoulder like a barrel. Jamie Shrank back i

26、nto the shadow of a wa11. He saw the men look round and spot the Watchman. The tall man stooped and picked up a stone in his pale hands. He hurled it high over the masts of me Pelican and Jamie heard it drop into the sea with a deep splash.Along the harbour wall the watchman heard it too. He spun ro

27、und and held himself still. Then he lifted his lantern and peered between the ships, trying to see where the sound had come from. While he was still staring at the sea, the men hurried away in the opposite direction, their cloaks flapping behind them as they ran.CHAPTER 2Pale handsJamies mind was ra

28、cing. He knew that something odd was going on. He waited until the men were almost out of sight, then set off after them. When they turned into a side street, he forced himself to run faster. Mustnt lose them now, he thought as he pounded along. Theyll disappear down some dark alley. I must keep up.

29、Jamie had seen plenty of thieves on the streets, but these two were different- and he was sure they were dangerous Common sense told him to stay out of it. But he was curious. And maybe there was the chance of pleasing Red Beard and earning some pie. Maybe even something better than pie.Mustnt lose

30、them, he said to himself over and over. Mustnt lose them.As soon as the men reached the safety of a side street, they stopped running to catch their breath. They were bending down to examine the thing in the black bag, when Jamie hurtled round the corner and ran straight into them. He fell over one

31、and ro1led onto the other. There were rough shouts, the rustle of cloaks and a waving of arms. Jamies struggle didnt last long.Soon he felt a knee on his chest and long fingers tightening on his arm. He twisted his head and saw the same pale hand that had thrown the stone。 There was a silver ring on

32、 the middle finger. A face came close and spoke to him in a harsh voice.And where do you think youre going?It was the broad man, the one who was kneeling on him, and the Stench of his breath made Jamie flinch. Im sorry, master, he said. Im Sorry.Then the tall man spoke and his voice was a thin whisper.Hes following us, Tom. I saw him talking to Red Beard in The Boars Head.No, sir, said Jamie. Tm not following you