（外文电子版资料）Zenna Henderson - Hush!.docVIP

HUSH! PAGE PAGE 5 HUSH! by Zenna Henderson June sighed and brushed her hair back from her eyes automatically as she marked her place in her geometry book with one finger and looked through the dining-room door at Dubby lying on the front-room couch. “Dubby, please,” she pleaded. “You promised your mother that you’d be quiet tonight. How can you get over your cold if you bounce around making so much noise?” Dubby’s fever-bright eyes peered from behind his tented knees where he was holding a tin-truck which he hammered with a toy guitar. “I am quiet, June. It’s the truck that made the noise. See?” And he banged on it again. The guitar splintered explosively and Dubby blinked in surprise. He was wavering between tears at the destruction and pleased laughter for the awful noise it made. Before he could decide, he began to cough, a deep-chested pounding cough that shook his small body unmercifully. “That’s just about enough out of you, Dubby,” said June firmly, clearing the couch of toys and twitching the covers straight with a practiced hand. “You have to go to your room in just fifteen minutes anyway – or right now if you don’t settle down. Your mother will be calling at seven to see if you’re okay. I don’t want to have to tell her you’re worse because you wouldn’t be good. Now read your book and keep quiet. I’ve got work to do.” There was a brief silence broken by Dubby’s sniffling and June’s scurrying pencil. Then Dubby began to chant: ‘Shrimp boatses running a dancer tonight Shrimp boatses running a dancer tonight Shrimp boatses running a dancer tonight SHRIMP BOATses RUNning a DANcer tonight –’ “Dub-by!” called June, frowning over her paper at him. “That’s not noise,” protested Dubby. “It’s singing. Shrimp boatses –” The cough caught him in mid-phrase and June busied herself providing Kleenexes and comfort until the spasm spent itself. “See?” she said. “Your cough thinks it’s a noise.” “Well, what can I do then?” fretted Dubby, bored by fou