典范英语 第一本 原文 Warus Joins In

Walrus Joins In

1

What will Walrus do?

Everyone at the North Pole was very excited. There was going to be a show and ANYONE could be in it.

…I will do skating,? said Arctic Fox. …I?m good at that!?

…I?ll do tumbling,? said Polar Bear. …No one tumbles quite like me!?…I?ll do singing,? said Seal. …Everyone says I have a very fine

voice!?

…Then I?ll do diving,? said Whale. …I won a prize for diving at school, you know!?

They all looked at Walrus. …What will YOU do?? they asked.

But Walrus was not good at anything.

He wasn?t good at skating, and he wasn?t good at tumbling.

He was terrible at singing, and when he tried to dive, he always got water up his nose.

He sat and chewed his whiskers sadly.

…Never mind,? said Arctic Fox. …You can watch us.?

Arctic Fox and Polar Bear and Seal and Whale practised hard for the big show.

Walrus hid behind a snowdrift and watched, and chewed his whiskers.

He wished he was good at something.

2

The big night

At last, the big night arrived. Everyone sat down and waited for the show to begin. Walrus sat in the front row. He was very excited.

Fox came onto the ice and bowed. Everyone cheered.

Then Fox began to skate. Fox skated forwards and backwards and sideways. She skated in perfect circles and figures of eight. She was elegant and amazing!

Walrus watched and he loved what he saw. Fox made it all look so easy.

Walrus was sure that if he really tried he could skate just like Fox.

He couldn?t stop himself. He just had to leap onto the ice and join in with Fox. “I can skate,” he cried. “Look at me!”

But Walrus couldn?t skate at all. He could only trip up and fall over.

He bumped into Fox, and Fox went flat on her face. FLOMP!

Fox was very upset. “Walrus has RUINED my act,” she wailed.

Next, it was Polar Bear?s turn. He rolled out across the ice like a big, white snowball. Everyone clapped wildly.

Then Polar Bear began to tumble. He did jumps and spins and somersaults, and stood on his head.

Walrus watched and he loved what he saw. Polar Bear made it

all look such fun. Walrus was sure that this time, if he really tried, he could tumble just like Polar Bear.

All of a sudden, Walrus just couldn?t stop himself, and he leaped onto the ice.

“I can tumble too,” he cried. “Look at me!”

But Walrus couldn?t tumble at all. He could only trip up and fall over. He tripped up Polar Bear, who came down with a WALLOP!

Of course, Polar Bear was pretty angry. “Walrus has RUINED my act,” he wailed.

3

From bad to worse

It was Seal?s turn next. She gave Walrus a don?t-you-dare stare, and then she started to sing:

“O, how many heart rejoices when I see the Northern Lights.

My ear is filled with voices sweetly singing in the night!”

Walrus listened. What a beautiful song! Surely if he really tried, he could sing as beautifully as Seal? Oh, dear. Walrus just couldn?t stop himself again.

“I know that song,” he cried. “I can sing it too!”

He leaped up and started singing along with Seal.

But Walrus couldn?t sing! He sounded terrible. In fact, he sounded like a rusty old bucket.

Seal stopped singing and burst into floods of tears.

“Walrus has RUINED my song,” she wailed.

Whale was last. He was pretty certain that Walrus could not ruin his act.

Whale leaped high out of the water. Then he fell back with an enormous splash!

Walrus watched. He wished that he could dive like that. His flippers began to twitch, and his whiskers bristled with excitement. He tried and tried his very best not to join in.

But then he had a brilliant idea.

“I?ll hold my nose when I dive,”he thought. “Then the water won?t go up it!”

Walrus just couldn?t stop himself. He had to join in.

“Everybody, look at me!” he cried, as he leaped into the water. “I can dive too!”

But just at that moment, Whale was getting ready to spout a big jet of water.

WHOOSH!

Whale spouted Walrus high into the air!

Everyone was watching Walrus now. They clapped and cheered as Walrus landed back in the sea with a SPLOSH!

Whale was furious. “You are a meddling, incompetent BUFFOON!” he roared. “Y ou have RUINED my act. Now GET OUT

OF MY SIGHT!”

Whale was pretty scary when he was angry. Walrus turned tail and fled. He hid behind a snowdrift, feeling sad and very sorry.

4

The show will go on!

The show was over. Fox and Polar Bear and Seal and Whale stood in a line, blushing and wishing that Walrus had not ruined everything.

But everyone was cheering like mad.

“Well done, Polar Bear, well done, Seal! Well done, Fox and Whale!”they shouted. “But where?s the clown? Why isn?t he here? Where?s Walrus?”

Behind his snowdrift, Walrus heard the cheers. Were they really cheering for him, too?

Yes! They were!

He shuffled up to Fox and Polar Bear and Seal And Whale.

“I?m very sorry,” he said.

“So you should be,” said Fox.

“At least everyone thought you were part of the show,” said Polar Bear.

“I suppose,” said Seal, “if Walrus was really part of our next show, it couldn?t be any worse.”

Walrus was overjoyed. “Me?” he cried. “Truly? Can I be part of

the show? Can I join in next time?”

“Yes,” said Whale. “It will be a lot safer that way. You can be the clown. As long as you do it properly.”

Walrus practiced hard and became a very good clown indeed. Now he is so good that Fox, Polar Bear, Seal and Whale are glad he is taking part.

Sometimes, when Walrus is clowning around, they really just can?t stop themselves. They have to join in too!