Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose hurried toward the high school. It was July 3, so they all wore shorts and T-shirts. Josh's dog, Pal, was leading the way on his leash. His floppy ears nearly touched the ground as he sniffed everything in his path. "I can't wait to see Jud again," Dink said. Dink's full name was Donald David Duncan, but most people called him Dink. The three kids had met Jud Wheat when they visited his parents' dude ranch in Montana. When Josh found a huge gold nugget there, he gave it to Jud to help pay for college. Now Jud was coming to Green Lawn for a visit. "I wonder what the big surprise is that he mentioned in his postcard," Ruth Rose said. She liked to wear one color. Today it was dark blue,

第一章丁克、乔希和露丝·罗斯匆匆向中学走去。 那天是7月3日，所以他们都穿着短裤和t恤。 乔希的狗，帕尔，牵着皮带在前面带路。 他嗅着路上的一切东西，耷拉着的耳朵几乎碰到了地面。 “我迫不及待地想再见到贾德，”丁克说。 丁克的全名是唐纳德·大卫·邓肯，但大多数人都叫他丁克。 这三个孩子是在拜访贾德·麦特父母位于蒙大拿州的度假牧场时认识他的。 当乔希在那里发现一块巨大的金块时，他把它给了朱迪，以帮助他支付大学学费。 现在朱迪要来绿草坪参观了。 “我想知道他在明信片上提到的最大惊喜是什么，”露丝·罗斯说。 她喜欢穿一种颜色的衣服。 今天是深蓝色的，

from her headband down to her sneakers. The color matched her sharp blue eyes. "Read it to us," Josh said to Dink. Dink pulled a postcard from his pocket. He read it out loud as they stopped at Pleasant Street: Hi, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose, I'll be in Green Lawn on July 3 with a huge surprise. Meet me at the high school grounds at noon. Bye for now. Your friend, Jud "Maybe the surprise is a large pizza," Josh said. "You wish," Ruth Rose said. "Look, there's Mr. Pocket," Dink said, turning toward Center Park. Their friend Thaddeus Pocket was standing in the town rose garden. He wore work gloves and held a shovel. His dog, Randolph, was gazing at the ducks in Swan Pond.

从她的发带到运动鞋。 这种颜色和她那双锐利的蓝眼睛很相配。 “读给我们听。”乔希对丁克说。 丁克从口袋里掏出一张明信片。 当他们停在普莱森特街时，他大声念了出来:嗨，丁克、乔希和露丝·罗斯，我将在7月3日带着一个巨大的惊喜来到绿草坪。 中午在高中操场见我。 再见了。“也许惊喜是一个大披萨，”乔希说。 “你想得美，”露丝·罗斯说。 “看，口袋先生在那儿。”丁克说着，转向中央公园。 他们的朋友塞笛厄斯·朴凯特正站在镇上的玫瑰园里。 他戴着工作手套，手里拿着一把铲子。 他的狗，伦道夫，正凝视着天鹅池塘里的鸭子。

Josh dropped the leash, and Pal ran over to greet the fluffy little dog. "Hi, Mr. Pocket!" Ruth Rose said. "Well, hello, kiddos," the white-haired man said. "All set for the fireworks tomorrow night? I noticed workers setting up near the swimming pool." "We're all going," Josh said. "Will you and Randolph be there?" "I will," Mr. Pocket said. "But old Randolph prefers to stay home. He doesn't like the big booms." "Pal is staying home, too," Josh said. "He doesn't even like birthday candles!" Mr. Pocket started digging up a dead-looking rosebush that had no leaves or blossoms on it. In a wheelbarrow was a healthy bush, this one covered with shiny green leaves. "Want to help me plant this new one?" Mr. Pocket asked the kids. Dink looked at his watch. "Okay but then we have to meet a friend at the high school. His name is Jud Wheat, and he's studying to become a teacher."

乔希放下皮带，帕尔跑过去迎接毛茸茸的小狗。 “嗨，口袋先生!”露丝·罗斯说。 “嗨，你们好，孩子们，”白发老人说。 “明天晚上放烟花都准备好了吗?” 我注意到工人们在游泳池附近布置工作。” “我们都要去，”乔希说。 “你和伦道夫会去吗?”“我会的，”朴凯特说。 “但是老伦道夫更喜欢呆在家里。 他不喜欢大繁荣。” “伙计也待在家里，”乔希说。 “他甚至不喜欢生日蜡烛!”朴凯特先生开始挖出一株看上去枯死的玫瑰花丛，上面既没有叶子也没有花朵。 手推车里放着一棵健康的灌木，这棵灌木覆盖着闪亮的绿叶。 “想帮我种这棵新树吗?”朴凯特先生问孩子们。 丁克看了看表。“好吧，不过我们得去高中见一个朋友。 他叫贾德·麦特，他正在学习成为一名教师。”

"He brought a surprise all the way from Montana!" Ruth Rose said. "This won't take long at all," Mr. Pocket said. He assigned tasks as he removed the old rosebush. Ruth Rose poured a handful of fertilizer into the hole. Dink shoveled in some of the loose soil. Josh used the garden hose to fill the hole with water. "Mother Nature may give us some rain by tonight," Mr. Pocket said, glancing up at the clouds. He lifted the new bush out of the wheelbarrow and placed it in the hole. He made sure the plant stood up straight. "That looks splendid," Mr. Pocket said. "You three are super gardeners. Dink, if you'll return the wheelbarrow to the shed, I'll fill in the rest of the soil." Dink handed Mr. Pocket the shovel and steered the wheelbarrow over to a garden shed. An old

“他大老远从蒙大拿带来了一个惊喜!”露丝·罗斯说。 “这不会花很长时间，”朴凯特说。 他一边移走老玫瑰花丛，一边分配任务。 露丝·罗斯往洞里倒了一把肥料。 丁克用铲子铲入一些松散的土壤。 乔希用花园水管把洞灌满水。 “今晚大自然可能会给我们下点雨，”朴凯特先生说，抬头看了看云层。 他把新灌木从手推车里拿出来，放在洞里。 他确保植物直立。 “这看起来棒极了，”朴凯特说。 “你们三个是超级园丁。 丁克，如果你把手推车放回棚屋，我来把剩下的土填上。” 丁克把铁锹递给朴凯特先生，把手推车开到花园的一个棚子前。 一个老

screwdriver held the door closed. Dink opened the door and guided the wheelbarrow inside. There was barely room for the wheelbarrow in the packed little shed. The shelves were a jumble of pots, jars, bags of fertilizer, pails, books about gardening, and tools like the ones Dink's parents owned. On the clean brick floor were rakes, shovels, gardening stakes, and coiled hoses. Dink left the wheelbarrow leaning against a stack of empty burlap bags at the rear of the shed. He replaced the screwdriver and left. Just as Dink reached the others, a red car turned off Main Street and drove toward the high school. Steam escaped from under the car's hood. "Is that your friend?" Mr. Pocket asked. "I hope he didn't drive all the way from Montana in that thing!" "We'd better go," Dink said. "Want to meet Jud, Mr. Pocket?" "Not right now," Mr. Pocket said. "Randolph and I need our lunch and a nap. Thanks for your help." The kids took Pal and ran toward the red car. It stopped and a tall young man got out. He had dark, curly hair and broad shoulders. He was

螺丝刀把门关上了。 丁克打开门，把手推车推了进去。 拥挤的小棚子里几乎没有地方放独轮车。 架子上乱七八糟地堆满了罐子、罐子、肥料袋、桶、园艺书籍和丁克父母拥有的工具。 干净的砖地板上放着耙子、铲子、园艺木桩和卷曲的软管。 丁克把手推车靠在棚屋后面的一堆空麻袋上。 他把螺丝起子放好，离开了。 就在丁克走到其他人身边时，一辆红色的汽车驶离主街，向那所高中驶去。 蒸汽从汽车引擎盖下冒了出来。 “那是你的朋友吗?”朴凯特先生问。 “我希望他不是开着那东西从蒙大拿一路开过来的!”“我们还是走吧，”丁克说。 “想见见贾德吗，普凯特先生?”“现在不行，”朴凯特说。 “伦道夫和我需要午餐和午睡。 谢谢你的帮助。”孩子们带着帕尔向那辆红车跑去。 车停了下来，一个高个子年轻人下了车。 他有着黑色的卷发和宽阔的肩膀。 他是