A SAILOR once went ashore on the coast of South America. He had with him a number of red woollen caps for sale. On his way to a town at some distance from the coast, he had to pass through a forest, in which troops of monkeys were everywhere seen climbing among the trees.

At noon, as the sun was right overhead, the sailor had to take shelter from its burning rays. He lay down to rest under the shade of a large tree.

Taking one of the caps out of his bundle, he put it on his head, and soon fell fast asleep.

When he awoke, he found, to his utter amazement, that the caps were all gone! A most unusual chattering among the dense branches above him drew his attention. Looking up, he saw the trees alive with troops of monkeys, and on the head of each monkey was a red woollen cap!

The little mimics had watched his proceedings;and, having stolen his caps while he slept, had adorned their black pates with their booty. The monkeys gave no heed to his shouts, but only grinned at his rage.

Finding every attempt to get back his caps fruitless, he pulled off the one which he had put on his head, and threw it on the ground, crying out, “Here, you little thieving rogues, if you will keep the rest, you may take this one too!”

No sooner had he done this, than, to his great surprise, the little animals at once did the same. Each snatched the cap from his head and threw it on the ground! The sailor regained all his caps, and marched off in triumph.

Questions

Who is that lying on the ground? What is he doing? What do you see on the trees? What have they got on their heads? What is the monkey on the ground doing? Where did the others get their caps? How were they made to give them up again?

Pronunciation

A-mer'-i-ca bun'-dle at-ten'-tion climb'-ing fruit'-less

dis'-tance branch'-es a-dorned' chat'-ter-ing thiev'-ing

Write

unusual attempt triumph

climbing fruitless thieving

amazement chattering snatched

有一次，一個水手在南美洲一個海岸上岸，他帶了一些紅色的羊毛帽子，準備賣到距離海岸不遠的一個小鎮。去這個小鎮需要經過一片森林，這片森林里有好多猴子。

中午太陽日頭正大的時候，水手想找個地方躲避炙熱的陽光，于是便在一棵大樹的樹蔭下躺下來休息。

水手拿出一頂帽子，蓋到頭上，很快睡著了。

當他醒來的時候，不禁大吃一驚，他的帽子全都沒了！濃密的樹枝間發出的不同尋常的顫動聲引起了他的注意。他抬頭往上一看，發現樹上滿是猴子，而且每個猴子頭上都戴著一頂紅色羊毛帽子！

原來這些小模仿者關注著水手的一舉一動，他們趁水手睡著的時候偷了他的帽子，并且把自己的戰利品戴在黑黑的腦袋上。猴子們不僅對水手的喊叫無動于衷，看到他震怒時還齜牙咧嘴地笑。

水手想盡了各種辦法都沒能把帽子奪回來，于是他把自己頭上戴的那頂帽子拿下來，扔到地上，大聲喊，“喂，你們這些偷東西的小無賴，既然你們把其他帽子都拿走了，那干脆把這頂也拿走算了！”

讓水手大吃一驚的是，他剛把帽子一扔，這些小猴子們立即就做了同樣的動作。所有的猴子都抓起自己頭上的帽子，扔到了地上！水手收起了他的帽子，洋洋得意地走了。