儿童英语读物《神奇树屋》 第二册 Knight At Dawn 04
“我想杀了她。”杰克自言自语着。
他把所有的东西都塞进背包里，向吊桥走去。他希望不被任何人发现。
天越来越黑了，这肯定是夜晚。
他来到桥边，开始过桥。桥上的木板在脚下咯吱咯吱作响。
他从桥沿往下看了看。护城河里有鳄鱼吗?他不知真假。
“站住!”有人大声喊道。一个卫兵站在城堡的墙头上，正注视着下面。
杰克飞速跨过桥，穿过城堡的大门，冲进院子里。
从城堡里面传来了音乐声、喊叫声和欢笑声。
杰克急忙躲在一个黑暗的角落里，蹲伏下来。他浑身发抖，扫视四周，寻找安妮。
火把将院子四周的高墙都照亮了。院子里几乎是空空如也。
两个侍童牵着马，走在灰色鹅卵石路上，哒哒作响。
“咴咴咴咴!”
杰克转过身。这是那个骑士的黑马!
“嘘!”
他盯着黑暗处看了看。
安妮在那里。
她正藏在院子中央一口井的后面。她向他挥了挥手。
杰克也挥了挥手。他等呀等，等到侍童和马消失在马厩里，然后冲向井边。
“我打算去找音乐声!”安妮低声说，“你来吗?”
“好吧。”杰克叹息说。
他们一起蹑手蹑脚地走过鹅卵石路，然后溜进城堡的入口。
喧闹声、音乐声从他们前面那个亮堂堂的房间传来。他们站在大门的一旁偷看着。
“宴会在大厅里举行!”杰克低声说。他屏住气，敬畏地注视着。
在喧闹房间的另一端，一座大壁炉里正炉火熊熊。鹿角和壁毯挂在石墙上。鲜花覆盖着地板。身着短服的侍童端着大盘大盘的食品。
狗在桌下为骨头你争我夺。
身穿鲜亮衣服、头戴滑稽帽子的人们在人群中转来转去。有的弹着形状古怪的吉他。有的把球抛向空中。有的用手指顶着宝剑，让它立在空中不倒下来。
披着斗篷、穿着皮衣的先生们和女士们顺着长长的木餐桌而坐，挤挤一堂。
“我纳闷哪一个是那个骑士。”杰克说。
“我也不知道。”安妮低声说。“但是他们正在用他们的手指抓东西吃。”
突然有人在他们的背后大叫起来。
杰克转过身来。
一个侍童端着一盘馅饼正站在几英尺之外。
“你们是谁?”侍童怒气冲冲地问。
“杰克。”杰克细声答道。
“安妮。”安妮细声答道。
然后他们奋力地向光线昏暗的门厅跑去。
4 Into the Castle
“I’m going to kill her，” muttered Jack.
He threw his stuff into his pack and moved toward the drawbridge. He hoped no one would see him.
It was getting darker. It must be night.
When he got to the bridge， he started across. The wooden planks creaked under his feet.
He peered over the edge of the bridge. Were there any crocodiles in the moat? He couldn’t tell.
“Halt!” someone shouted. A guard on top of the castle wall was looking down.
Jack dashed across the bridge. He ran through the castle gate and into the courtyard.
From inside the castle came the sounds of music， shouting， and laughter.
Jack hurried to a dark corner and crouched down. He shivered as he looked around for Annie.
Torches lit the high wall around the courtyard.The courtyard was nearly empty.
Two boys led horses that clopped over the gray cobblestones.
“Neeee-hhhh!”
Jack turned. It was the knight’s black horse!
“Psssst!”
He peered into the darkness.
There was Annie.
She was hiding behind a well in the center of the courtyard. She waved at him.
Jack waved back. He waited till the boys and horses disappeared inside the stable. Then he dashed to the well.
“I’m going to find the music!” whispered Annie. “Are you coming?”
“Okay，” Jack said with a sigh.
They tiptoed together across the cobblestones. Then they slipped into the entrance of the castle.
Noise and music came from a bright room in front of them. They stood on one side of the doorway and peeked in.
“The feast in the Great Hall!” whispered Jack. He held his breath as he stared in awe.
A giant fireplace blazed at one end of the noisy room. Antlers and rugs hung on the stone walls. Flowers covered the floor. Boys in short dr
esses carried huge trays of food.
Dogs were fighting over bones under the tables.
People in bright clothes and funny hats strolled among the crowd. Some played funny-shaped guitars. Some tossed balls in the air. Some balanced swords on their hands.
Men and women dressed in capes and furs sat at long， crowded wooden tables.
“I wonder which one is the knight，” said Jack.
“I don’ t know，” whispered Annie. “But they’re eating with their fingers.”Suddenly， someone shouted behind them.
Jack whirled around.
A man carrying a tray of pies was standing a few feet away.
“Who art thou?” he asked angrily.
“Jack，” squeaked Jack.
“Annie，” squeaked Annie.
Then they ran as fast as they could down a dimly lit hallway.
