Annie and the Rabbit

Tina Shaw

“Hello， Annie. Wheres your mum？”said Mick. “She went out，”Annie said.“Well， Ill see her next time. Bye，”saidMick.“Bye， Mick，”Annie said.

After some time， Annies mother cameback.“Did you give Mick the money？”

Mother asked.“Oh， I didnt！ I forgot，”

Annie said.“Why？ I told you to do that.Youre the only girl in the family andyoure eight years old， not four years old！If only your father was around more， andnot always at work，”Mother said.

Annie was sad. Her mother alwaystold her off， but never her brothers. Theycould get away with anything， justbecause they were boys.“Im not happy，”

Annie shouted. Her mother was not happy，either. Annie found it would be a goodidea not to be around here， so she wentinto the back room.

In the room， she found a box. But itwas a small rabbits foot on a chain2 thatcaught3 her eye. It was Grandfathers.Annies mother said it was a luckyrabbits foot. How would her mum knowif she just took the rabbits foot out for alittle time？ She wanted to show it toThumper， her best friend Harriets oldrabbit. Annie could hear her mother inthe kitchen. Good， she was busy cookingdinner. Then Annie went out.

“Hey， Annie！ ”Mr. Field said. Hewanted to show her his budgie4 calledTimmy. He liked talking to children. ThenMr. Field showed Annie his Timmy.“Youcan play with Timmy，”Mr. Field said.Timmy was so cute and warm.

“I think he likes you， Annie. Ill puthim back. Jacks just come in，”Mr. Fieldsaid. Jack was a cute cat. The cat likedAnnie very much and it wanted to play withher when she came to visit. But the catdidnt like Timmy.

“Want to see my secret5？”“Whatsthat？”“Look！ ”Annie showed him the rabbitsfoot.“My dear！ Who does that belongto？”“My mum says its the only thing frommy granddad. He had this rabbits foot inhis life. Do you know what people say aboutrabbits foot？ It will give you lucky life. Imgoing to show it to Harriet， so I cannot stay.Bye， Mr. Field.”

Annie went to Harriets house. Harrietplayed with her mother. Annie could seeThumper the rabbit. He looked unhappy.“Ive got a little thing to show you，”Anniesaid to Thumper. “Oh no， its not there！ ”“Whatsnot there？”asked Harriet comingover.“My rabbits foot. I must have lost it.I must find it，”said Annie. “Is it in Mr.Fields home？”Annie went back to Mr.Fields home but found he had gone out.

Back at her home， Annie didnt knowwhat to do. “And just where have youbeen？”Mother asked. “I went to playwith Harriet，” Annie said. She lookedaround and saw her four brothers.“Yourgrandfathers rabbits foot has gonemissing6. Do any of you know where itis？”Mother asked. “No，”they all said.Annie found the sad look in her mumseyes. Tomorrow she would find it， butwhere is it？

On her way to school the nextmorning， Annie saw Geraldine.“Its mine.I found it！ ”Geraldine shouted to somegirls. “Found what？”asked Annie. Shethen saw her mums rabbits foot！

“That old cat belonging to Mr. Fieldwas playing with it. Its mine now，”Geraldine said.“No！ ”Annie said.“Its mymums， and I was going to show it to Harriet.I must have lost it in Mr. Fields houseyesterday. Give it back to me， please！ ”

“No！ ”Geraldine said.“If you dontlet me take it back， Ill ask my big brotherfor help，”Annie said. “Im not afraid ofyour brother. I want a penny to buy somefood. Then you can get back your rabbitsfoot，”Geraldine said. Annie had no idea.“OK， Ill get the money after school.”“Good. See you after school then.”

Annie was guilty7， but she knew thiswas her way to get the rabbits foot backand make her mum happy again. She stole8a penny from home. “Heres the penny，”

Annie shouted. “My mum said it wasnt alucky rabbits foot. We dont want it in ourhouse！ Geraldine said.“No！ It is lucky. Itsaved my grandfather in the war9！ ”Anniesaid， got the rabbits foot and went backhome. She couldnt help but think that hermum would be so happy.

Later that evening， Annies mother saidto her father， “A pennys gone missing. Doyou know where it went？”“Im missing apenny. Are you sure you havent taken it，Annie？”her mother asked. “No，”Annie wassad“. How come you never asked my brothers？You always ask me！ ”

In the end， Annie told her parentseverything and gave the rabbits foot backto her mother. Annies parents told hernever to lie10 again. They loved her as muchas they loved her brothers.

“你好，安妮。你妈妈在哪儿？”

米克说。“她出去了。”安妮说。“好吧，我下次再見她。再见。”米克说。

“再见，米克。”安妮说。

过了一会儿，安妮的妈妈回来了。“你给米克钱了吗？”妈妈问。“哦，我没有！我忘了。”安妮说。“为什么？我告诉过你了。你是家里唯一的女孩，而且你8 岁了，不是4 岁！要是你父亲多陪陪你，而不是一直在工作就好了。”妈妈说。

安妮很伤心。她妈妈总是责备她，但从不责备她的哥哥们。因为他们是男孩，所以他们可以逃避任何事情。“我不高兴。”安妮喊道。她妈妈也不高兴了。安妮觉得最好不要待在这里，于是她进了里屋。

在房间里，她发现了一个盒子。

但引起她注意的是戴着链子的那只小兔子的脚。这是外公的。安妮的妈妈说这是幸运兔的脚。如果她把兔子的脚拿出来一会儿，她妈妈怎么会知道呢？她想把它拿给她最好的朋友哈丽特家的老兔子桑普看。安妮能听见她妈妈在厨房里。很好，她正忙着做晚饭。然后安妮走了出去。

“嗨，安妮！”菲尔德先生说。他想给她看他那只叫蒂米的虎皮鹦鹉。他喜欢和孩子们交谈。然后，菲尔德先生给安妮看了他的蒂米。“你可以和蒂米一起玩。”菲尔德先生说。蒂米是如此的可爱和温暖。

“我想它喜欢你，安妮。我要把它放回去了。杰克刚才进来了。”菲尔德说。杰克是一只可爱的猫。这只猫非常喜欢安妮，当安妮来串门的时候，它想和她一起玩。但是这只猫不喜欢蒂米。

“想看看我的秘密吗？”“什么秘密？”“看！”安妮给他看了那只兔子脚。“我的天，这是谁的？”“我妈妈说这是我外公留下的唯一的东西。

他花了一生时间保存这只兔子脚。

你知道人们怎么说兔子脚吗？

它会给你带来幸运的生活。我要把它给哈丽特看，所以我不能留下来。再见，菲尔德先生。”

安妮去了哈丽特家。哈丽特在和妈妈一起玩。安妮能看见兔子桑普，它看起来不高兴。“我有个小东西给你看。”安妮对桑普说。“哎呀，不好，不见了！”“什么不见了？”哈丽特走过来问道。“我的兔子脚。我一定是丢了。我必须找到它。”安妮说。“在菲尔德先生家里吗？”安妮回到菲尔德先生的家，发现他已经出去了。

回到家里，安妮不知道该怎么办。“你刚才上哪儿去了？”妈妈问。“我去和哈丽特玩了。”安妮说。她环顾四周，看到了她的四个哥哥。“你们外公的兔子脚不见了，有人知道它在哪儿吗？”妈妈问。“不知道。”他們都说。安妮看到了妈妈眼中悲伤的神情。明天她就会找到它，但是它在哪里呢？

第二天早上在上学的路上，安妮看到了杰拉尔丁。“是我的，我找到的！”杰拉尔丁对几个女孩喊道。“发现了什么？”安妮问。然后她看到了她妈妈的兔子脚！

“菲尔德先生的那只老猫在玩它。它现在是我的了。”杰拉尔丁说。“不是！”安妮说，“这是我妈妈的，我正要给哈丽特看。我昨天一定是把它丢在菲尔德先生家里了。请把它还给我！”

“不还！”杰拉尔丁说。“如果你不让我拿回它，我就让我哥哥帮我。”安妮说。“我不怕你哥哥。

我想要一个便士买些食物。然后你就可以拿回你的兔子脚了。”

杰拉尔丁说。安妮不知道怎么办。“好吧，放学后我去拿钱。”

“那好，放学后见。”

安妮很内疚，但她知道这是她找回兔子脚，让妈妈再次高兴起来的方法。她从家里偷了一个便士。“这是一个便士。”安妮喊道。我妈妈说那不是幸运的兔脚。“我们不想让它进我们的房子！”杰拉尔丁说。“不对！

它是幸运的。它在战争中救了我外祖父！”安妮说完，接过兔子的脚回家了。她不禁想，她妈妈会很高兴的。

那天晚上，安妮的妈妈对爸爸说：“我丢了一个便士。你知道它去哪儿了吗？”“我少了一个便士，你确定你没有拿吗，安妮？”她妈妈问。“没拿。”安妮很伤心，“你怎么从来没问过我的哥哥们？你总是问我！”

最终，安妮把一切都告诉了父母，并把兔子脚还给了妈妈。安妮的父母叫她以后不要再撒谎了。他们像爱她的哥哥们一样爱她。

Notes

1. rabbit 兔子

2. chain 锁链

3. catch 接住；抓住；引起；吸引

4. budgie 虎皮鹦鹉

5. secret 秘密

6. missing 丢失的；找不到的

7. guilty 内疚的；感到惭愧的

8. steal 偷窃；盗窃

9. war 战争

10. lie 说谎；撒谎