Chapter IV
STUARTS MORNINGS
Stuart
was an early riser. 1 He always was the first person up
2 in the morning. He liked the quiet rooms with books on the
shelves, the morning light. In winter it was dark when he climbed out of bed.
It was very cold as he stood in his night-shirt and did his exercises. Every
morning he touched his toes ten times. His brother George always said it kept
the stomach muscles firm. 3
After his exercises Stuart took a
towel and started for 4 the bathroom. He had to go through
the long dark hall, past his mother's and father's and George's rooms.
Of course, the bathroom was dark too.
But there was a long string tied to the switch. 5 If Stuart
pulled it with all his might he was able to turn on the light.
There was also a tiny rope ladder tied
to the wash-basin, and Stuart could climb it in order to wash his hands and
face and brush his teeth. One day George promised to build Stuart a special
small wash-basin, only one inch high, but George always promised to build
something and then forgot about it.
So every morning Stuart climbed the
rope ladder to the big wash-basin. He had a doll's tooth-brush, a doll's cake
of soap, a doll's towel, and a doll's comb with which he could comb his
whiskers. He carried these things in his pocket and when he reached the
wash-basin he took them out and put them near him. Then he turned the water
on. For such a small fellow 6 it was a difficult problem. One
day he discussed it with his father.
"I
can't turn the faucet on properly," he said, "because when I am doing it, my
feet are in the air."
"Yes, I know," his father answered.
"That's the whole trouble. 7 We must do something about it."
8
George, who liked to listen to other
people's conversations, said that they must build a special board for Stuart.
He took a wooden board, a hammer and some nails and started to make a terrible
noise in the bathroom. But he soon became interested in something else
9 and disappeared leaving the tools all over the floor.
10
"Maybe I can hit the faucet with
something and in this way 11 turn it on," said Stuart.
Mr. Little gave him a very small
wooden hammer, and Stuart started for the bathroom to try. He swung his hammer
three times around his head and hit the faucet. When a thin stream of water
began to flow Stuart brushed his teeth and washed his face and hands. He liked
it very much.
And now every morning his parents and
brother George, who were still asleep 12 in their beds,
could hear the loud plink, plink, plink 13 of
Stuart's hammer. It told them that it was time to get up.
1 was an early riser —
любил рано вставать
2 was the first person
up — вставал первым
3 it kept the stomach
muscles firm — это укрепляет мышцы живота
4 started for —
отправлялся в
5 tied to the switch —
привязанная к выключателю
6 a small fellow —
малыш
7 That's the whole
trouble. — В этом вся беда.
8 We must do something
about it. — Тут что-то нужно придумать.
9 became interested in
something else — заинтересовался чем-то другим
10 leaving the tools
all over the floor — разбросав инструменты по всему полу
11 in this way —
таким образом
12 were still asleep
— еще спали
13 plink — тук-тук (звукоподражание)