Chapter 9 Chapter 7 The Tick Controversy, Becky's Sadness

The more Tom tried to concentrate on his book, the more confused he became.He had no choice but to sigh, yawn, and finally gave up the idea of ​​reading and studying.He felt that school was always late at noon.The air is deathly still, motionless, and these are the most drowsy days.There are twenty-five students working hard in the classroom. The sound of their reading is like the buzzing of a swarm of bees, which soothes people's hearts and lulls them to sleep.Under the scorching red sun in the distance, Cardiff Mountain looks green and purple in a layer of heat waves that flicker slightly, and it looks very soft from a distance; a few birds soar leisurely in the high sky ; only a few cows are still alive, but they are sleeping.Tom was very anxious, and was looking forward to the early dismissal, or else some interesting work and tinkering to pass the time.He fumbled into his pocket, and before he knew it, he was so excited that his face was full of gratitude.So he quietly took out the detonator tube, released the ticks, and put them on the long, flat desk.The little thing probably had a sense of gratitude, too, but it was premature, for just as it was gratefully about to flee, Tom turned it over with a pin and turned it around.

Tom's best friend Joe Harper sat next to him.Like Tom, Joe Harper finally had his day.Seeing the tick, he was very grateful, and suddenly became very interested in it.The two friends, normally best friends, became bitter enemies on Saturday.Jo removed the pin from the lapel of her suit, and began to help drill the little captive.The gameplay is instantly more fun.Soon, Tom said that it was neither convenient nor enjoyable for two people to play the same thing.So he put Joe's clipboard on the table, and drew a straight line down the middle of the clipboard. He said, "Now, as long as the tick is with you, you can poke it, and I won't; but if you let it go away, and come to me, you must let me play, as long as I can keep it, If you don’t let it crawl over, you are not allowed to do anything.”

"Okay, let's go. Let it go." The tick quickly escaped from Tom and crawled across the line.Joe played with it for a while, and it escaped again, and ran to Tom.This way the ticks often run back and forth, so that while one child is preoccupied with the fear that the tick will escape to the other side, the other is also watching with interest.Both heads were very close to staring at the clipboard, completely oblivious to everything going on around them.Joe seemed very lucky afterward.The tick walked here, there, and then the other side, as excited and anxious as the two children.But time and time again, just when it seemed sure of victory, and Tom's fingers were eager to poke it, Jo flicked it deftly with a pin, and told him to turn back and stay where he was. here.In the end Tom couldn't bear it anymore, the temptation was too great.So he reached out and poked it with his pin.Joe was angry now too, and said:

"Tom, you don't touch it." "I just want to move it a little bit, Joe." "No, man, it's not fair; you better leave it alone." "Fuck you, I didn't dial it hard." "Tell you, don't touch it." "I do not want to!" "You've got to be willing—it's on my side." "Listen, Joe Harper, whose tick is it?" "I don't care who's it is—now on my side, you can't touch it." "Hmph, I'll move it, what's the matter? He's mine, I can move it as I like, I don't care if I risk my life!"

Tom took a hard blow on the shoulder, and so did Joe.For two minutes, their coats were covered with dust, which made all the students very happy.The children were so patronizing and scrambling that they didn't notice the sudden silence in the classroom.It turned out that the teacher had been observing for a long time before he came over on tiptoe and stood in front of them. When school was over at noon, Tom hurried to Becky Thatcher's and whispered: "Put on your hat and pretend you're going home; when you come to the corner, you slip away alone, and then come back through the alley. I'll go the other way, and I'll get rid of them in the same way."

So, one walked with a group of classmates, and the other followed another group.After a while, they all reached the end of the alley.After returning to school, everything is at their disposal.So they sat together with a clipboard in front of them, and Tom gave Becky a pencil, and taught her how to draw, and thus drew another amazing house.When they gradually lost interest in drawing, they began to talk.Tom was immersed in happiness.He said: "Do you like mice?" "No! I hate mice!" "Well, I hate--live rats, too. But I mean dead rats, with a string on, and swinging them around their heads."

"No, anyway, I don't like mice much. What I like is chewing gum." "Oh, me too. If only I had it now." "Really? I have a few. I'll let you chew for a while, but you'll give it back to me." After negotiating the terms, the two of them took turns chewing gum. They sat on the bench with their legs dangling, very happy. Tom asked, "Have you ever seen a circus?" "I have seen it. My dad said that if I am obedient, he will take me to see it in the future." "I've been to the circus three or four times--a lot of times. The church is nothing compared to the circus. When the circus plays, it's always changing. I plan to be a circus when I grow up. clown."

"Oh, really! That's not bad. The clown is so cute with dots all over his body." "Yes, all right. They make a lot of money--about a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, have you ever been engaged?" "What is an engagement?" "Oh, to be engaged is to be married soon." "No." "Would you like to get engaged?" "I think yes. I don't know. What's the deal with the engagement?" "What? No way. You tell a boy that you'll never, ever, never have a relationship with anyone but him, and then You just kiss him, that's all. Anyone can do it."

"Kiss? What are you kissing for?" "Well, then, you know, it's just—well, that's what people do." "Everyone is like this?" "Well, yes, that's what people who love each other do. Do you remember what I wrote on the clipboard?" "Remember—remember." "What is written?" "I will not tell you." "Then I'll tell you." "Well—well—let's talk about it later." "No, say it now." "No, not now—to-morrow." "No, no, just now. Please, Becky—I whisper, I whisper."

Becky was hesitating, and Tom thought she was acquiescing, so he put his arm around her waist, and whispered the words with his mouth close to her ear.Then he added: "And now you whisper to me—the same thing." She refused for a moment, then said: "Turn your face away, don't look at me, and I'll tell. But don't tell anyone, will you? Don't tell anyone, Tom!" "No, I promise, promise not. Come on, Becky." He turned his face away.She stooped timidly until her breath stirred Tom's curls, and whispered, "I—love—you!" When she had finished she ran round the desk and bench, Tom chasing her; at last she hid in a corner, and hid her face in her white apron.Tom threw his arms around her neck and begged her:

"Okay, Becky, it's all done now—just the kisses. Don't be afraid—it's no big deal. Please, Becky." He tugged at her apron and hand. Gradually she gave in, she let her hands go.She was flushed by the ordeal just now, and she lifted her head and obeyed Tom.Tom kissed her red lips, and said: "Okay, Becky, you've done what you have to do. You know, from now on you can only love me and never be nice to anyone else, you can only marry me and never marry anyone else, forever, never, never, okay? ?” "Okay. Tom, I'm only in love with you and no one else, and I'm only married to you and no one else—and you can't marry anyone but me." "Yes, yes. And, usually when we go to school or after school, if no one else is around, you go with me--at the dance, you choose me as company, and I choose you, because the order That's what married people do." "It's so interesting. I've never heard of it before." "Oh, that's interesting! Hey, Amy Lawrence and I—" Becky looked at him with wide eyes, and Tom realized that he had made a great mistake, and he fell silent, a little bewildered. "Oh, Tom! Then I'm not the first to be engaged to you!" The little girl began to cry.Tom says: "Oh, Becky, don't cry, I don't like her any more." "Hmph, whether you like her or not, you Tom knows." Tom tried to put his arm around her neck, but she pushed him away.She turned her face to the wall and continued to cry.Tom tried again, with good things to say, but she ignored him.This hurt his face, so he strode outside.He stood nearby for a while, confused and anxious, and glanced at the door from time to time, hoping that she would regret it and come out to him.But she didn't.In this way, he gradually felt that something was wrong, and he was afraid that he had really made a mistake.After a fierce ideological struggle, he calmed down and went into the classroom to admit his mistake.She was still standing in the back corner of the classroom, her face turned to the wall, sobbing.Tom's conscience was charged.He walked up to her and stood beside her for a while, not knowing what to do.After a moment, he hesitated and said: "Becky, I don't like anyone but you." There was no response—only sobbing. "Becky,"-- pleaded Tom, "Becky, will you talk?" Becky sobbed harder. Tom took out his most precious treasure, a brass handle from the top of a fireplace wood-mantel, and, passing her behind her, showed her, saying: "Please, Becky, will you take this?" She knocked the brass handle to the ground.So Tom strode out of the room, over the hill, and into the distance, not intending to go back to school that day.Soon Becky began to worry.She ran to the door without seeing him.She ran quickly to the playground again, but he was not there.Then she cried: "Tom! Come back, Tom!" She listened attentively, but made no answer.Accompanied by her only loneliness and solitude.She sat down and cried again, angry with herself while crying; at this time, her classmates came to school one after another, and although she was heartbroken, she had to hide it.Among the strangers around, there was no one to share her worries.She had to suffer through the long, tedious afternoon.