Chapter 1

THE DEAD SEA SQUIRRELS Squirrelnapped From the co-creator of VeggieTales Mike Nawrocki Illustrated by Luke Seguin-Magee

《死海松鼠》来自《蔬菜故事》的共同创作者迈克·纳罗基，卢克·塞根-马吉绘制

CHAPTER 1 "Michael, can you please explain to me why you were dancing with squirrels?" Michael's mom stood just inside the door with her arms crossed. She'd been waiting for Michael to get home from the roller rink. He was wearing his backpack, with Merle and Pearl Squirrel huddled quietly inside, listening through the canvas. Earlier that evening, Mrs. Gomez had entered Michael's room to discover him celebrating the almost- acing of his math test with Merle and Pearl. Pearl, who

第一章“迈克尔，你能向我解释一下你为什么和松鼠跳舞吗？”迈克尔的妈妈站在门口，双臂交叉。 她一直在等迈克尔从溜冰场回来。 他背着背包，松鼠莫尔和珍珠静静地挤在里面，隔着帆布听着。 那天晚上早些时候，戈麦斯夫人走进迈克尔的房间，发现他正和莫尔和珀尔一起庆祝数学考试几乎得了满分。 珍珠,

was quite the whiz with numbers, had tutored Michael for his test. However, before Michael could offer an explanation to his shocked mother, Justin and Sadie had showed up to take Michael roller-skating. Now he was back home, and it was time to come clean. "You promise not to tell Dad?" Michael asked timidly. "I will do no such thing," Mrs. Gomez said. "You know they could have fleas?! I may have to fumigate your room." "I do not have fl—" Pearl cut off Merle's protest with a paw over her husband's mouth. "Shhhhh, she'll hear you!" "Well..." Michael hesitated. His dad finding out about the squirrels was Michael's biggest fear. If Dr. Gomez knew Michael had smuggled them home to Tennessee with him from the Dead Sea, he might make them go back— something neither Michael nor the squirrels wanted. "I was dancing with them because Pearl helped me pass my math test." "Who is Pearl?" Mrs. Gomez questioned. "One of the squirrels." Mrs. Gomez raised her eyebrows. "A squirrel helped you with math?" "Yup," Michael replied.

他在数字方面很有天赋，曾辅导过迈克尔的考试。 然而，迈克尔还没来得及向震惊的母亲解释，贾斯汀和赛迪就来带迈克尔滑旱冰了。 现在他回家了，是时候坦白了。 “你保证不告诉爸爸？”迈克尔胆怯地问。 “我不会这么做的，”戈麦斯夫人说。 “你知道他们可能有跳蚤吗？”我可能得给你的房间消毒。” “我没有——”珠儿用一只爪子捂住她丈夫的嘴，打断了梅尔的抗议。 “嘘，她会听见的！”“嗯……” 迈克尔犹豫了一下。迈克尔最害怕的就是爸爸发现松鼠的事。 如果戈麦斯医生知道迈克尔把它们从死海偷运回田纳西州，他可能会让它们回去——这是迈克尔和松鼠们都不想看到的。 “我和他们跳舞是因为珀尔帮我通过了数学考试。” “谁是珠儿？”戈麦斯太太问。 “一只松鼠。”戈麦斯太太扬起眉毛。 “一只松鼠帮你做数学？”“是的，”迈克尔回答。

"Michael Karl Gomez," Michael's mom began sternly, "if you expect me to believe for one mo—" ZIIIIIP! She stopped as the top of Michael's backpack unzipped itself. Pearl popped her head out. "AHHHHH!" Mrs. Gomez shouted. "What are you doing?!" Michael tried to crane his head around to see. "Please allow me to explain," Pearl said calmly. Mrs. Gomez's face went as white as a sheet, and her knees weakened. Michael reached out to stop her from falling. "Maybe you'd better sit down," Pearl offered. The squirrels and Michael then told her the whole story of how Merle and Pearl ended up in 21st-century Tennessee.

“迈克尔·卡尔·戈麦斯，”迈克尔的妈妈严厉地说，“如果你想让我相信——”呸！她停了下来，这时迈克尔的背包拉链拉开了。 珠儿把头探了出来。 “啊! ! !”戈麦斯太太喊道。 “你在干什么？！”迈克尔试图抬起头来看看。 “请允许我解释一下，”珠儿平静地说。 戈麦斯太太脸色苍白，两膝发软。 迈克尔伸出手阻止她摔倒。 “也许你最好坐下来，”珠儿提议道。 然后，松鼠和迈克尔向她讲述了莫尔和珀尔是如何在21世纪的田纳西州结束的整个故事。