拾繪英文繪本讀書會

One hot summer in Itching Down, [0]

Four million wasps flew into town. [0]

They drove the picnickers away,[e]

They chased the farmers from their hay,[e]

They stung Lord Swell on his fat bald pate, [e]

They dived and hummed and buzzed and ate, [e]

And the noisy, nasty nuisance grew [u]
Till the villagers cried "What can we do?" [u]

So they called a meeting in the village hall, [C]

And Mayor Muddlenut asked them all, [C]
"What can we do?" And they said, "Good question!"[W]
But nobody had a good suggestion.[W]

Then Bap the Baker leaped to his feet [i]
And cried, “What do wasps like best to eat?[i]
Strawberry jam! Now wait a minute! [I]
If we made a giant sandwich we could trap them in it!”[I]

The gentlemen cheered, the ladies squealed,[i]

And farmer Seed said, 'Use my field.[i]

Bap gave instructions for the making of the dough.[o]

'Mix flour from above and yeast from below.[o]

Salt from the seaside, water from the spout.[0]

Now thump it! Bump it! Bang it about!'"[0]

While they were working, and working hard,[a]

Some more made a tablecloth out in the yard.[a]

When they were done, the dough was left to rise[1]

Till the loaf was a mountain in shape and size![1]

They hitched it up, with a bit of fuss,[V]

To tractors, cars and the village bus,[V]

And took it to the oven they had made on the hill –[I]

Fifty cookers in an old brick mill.[I]

For hours and hours they let it cook.[U]

It swelled inside till the windows shook.[U]

It was piping hot when they took it out,[0]

And the villagers raised a mighty shout."[0]

Isn't it crusty, aren't we clever!'[W]

But the wasps were just as bad as ever.[W ]

The loaf was left to cool, and then [W ]

The people watched while six strong men[W ]

Took a great big saw and sliced right through.[u]

Everybody clapped as they cut slice two.[u]

The village bus, they all agreed,[i]

Would spoil the fields of Farmer Seed,[i]

So eight fine horses pulled the bread[W ]

To where the picnic cloth was spread. [W ]

A truck drew up and dumped out butter,[V]

And they spread it out with a flap and a flutter. [V]

Spoons and spades! Slap and slam![A]

And they did the same with the strawberry jam.[A]

Meanwhile, high above the field,[i]

Six flying machines whirred and wheeled,[i]

Ready for the wasps to take the bait.[e]

And then there was nothing to do but wait.[e]

Suddenly the sky was humming![V]

All four million wasps were coming![V]

They smelled that jam, they dived and struck![V]

And they ate so much that they all got stuck.[V]

The other slice came down – kersplat! –[A]

On top of the wasps, and that was that.[A]

There were only three that got away,[e]

And where they are now I cannot say.[e]

But they never came back to Itching Down,[0]

Which is not a very waspish sort of town,[0]

But a very nice place to dance and play.[e]

And that's what the villagers did that day.[e]

What became of the sandwich? Well,[W/e]

In Itching Down they like to tell[W/e]

How the birds flew off with it in their beaks[i]

And had a feast for a hundred weeks.[i]

~ by Anita