20090504 -- The Pullet Surprise (1)

The Pullet Surprise

It walks like a duck, and it talks like a duck, but is it?

The barnyard was quiet as the rain poured down.
"It's raining, so don't go out," clucked the hen to her chicks.
"And stay nearby. The henhouse is crowded today.
Everyone's pushing and shoving."
"Yes, mother," peeped all the little chicks.
All but one, that is, "Aw, Mom," she complained.
"I'm tired of being cooped up. Can't I go outside?"
"Dear, no," said Mother.
"You might catch a cold. If you got sick and didn't pull through,
I would never forgive myself.
We mustn't push our luck. Now, not another peep."
"Mother warries too much," the chick said.
"I never get to do anything. I'm tired of being pushed around."
The little pullet pushed through the crowded henhouse over to the door.
She pushed it open and looked outside.


"It's not raining much," she though.
"And look at those funny-looking chickens. They get to play outside.
Those lucky ducks! Oops!" The chick fell out into the barnyard.
"Oh, boy!" she shouted. And she went over to play with the funny-looking chicks.
"Quack, quack," they welcomed.
"Peep, peep," the chick replied.
"My, these chicks talk funny," she thought.
And they went off splashing through the rain together.
"I really should go back inside." she thought.
"Mother will be worried. But I'm having such a good time. I just can't pull myself away."
"Come-along. little ones," the funny-looking mother called.
The youngsters waddled in a row behind their mother.
"My, these chicks walk funny," she thought,
"and fast too. I'll have to push myself to keep up. But I'm tired. And I'm wet.
And I'm catching a a-a-ahh-choo ... a cold."

cooped up adj. -> trapped in a very small area 被關起來的
coop v. 關起來
eg: I've been cooped up in the house all day because I don't want to go outside in the rain.
eg: The hostages were cooped up in a tiny room for two whole days.
eg: We've been cooped up in the hotel all day because of the snowstorm.

quack n. 鴨叫聲
eg: Did you hear that quack? I think there is a duck over there.

waddle v.
eg: The baby waddled for a few short steps and then fell down.

pull through 度過難關
eg: The operation was very successful and the doctor believed the patient would pull through.

pull someone through 幫助某人度過難關
eg: She said the support of her teammates had pulled her through.

push through 擠著通過
eg: We tried push through the baseball fans who were lining up for tickets.
eg: He pushed his way through the crowd and went home.

pullet -> young female hen 小母雞


cluck v. (母雞)發咯咯聲喚小雞

You are such a lucky duck. 你真幸運

pull myself away

//== Chat room ==//

The rain poured down.

pour -> it's raining very hard

It's pouring buckets. 傾盆大雨

When it rains, it pours. 很久沒有發生的事情，一發生就來勢洶洶

It's raining cats and dogs. 傾盆大雨

//== Grammer on the go ==//

My, these chicks talk funny.
-> "my" doesn't have any meaning. It shows that the speaker is surprised.

eg: My, look at the time!
eg: My, what a lovely gift!