Thurber modernizes an old story that everyone has read or heard. It has to do with a nefarious wolf who kept a vigil in an ominous forest until a little girl came along carrying a basket of food for her grandmother. With alacrity, this vivacious youngster told the wolf the address to which she was going. Hungry and gaunt the wolf rushed to the house. Then the girl arrived and entered, she saw someone on bed wearing a nightcap and a nightgown. While the figure was dressed like her grandmother, the little girl surmised with only a perfunctory glance that it didn’t have the old lady’s mien. She approached and became cognizant of the hirsute face of the wolf. She drew a revolver from her purse and shot the interloper dead. Thurber arrives at a moral for this story that anyone would find difficult to refute: It is not so easy to fool little girls nowadays as it used to be.
- nefarious- jahat, keji, (typically of an action or activity) wicked or criminal.
- ominous- yg beralamat buruk, tidak menyenangkan, giving the impression that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; threatening; inauspicious.
- alacrity- sigap, lincah, serta merta, brisk and cheerful readiness.
- vivacious – semangat, bergairah, (esp. of a woman) attractively lively and animated
- gaunt- kurus kering dan cekung, (of a person) lean and haggard, esp. because of suffering, hunger, or age.
- surmised- menduga, mengira, suppose that something is true without having evidence to confirm it.
- perfunctory- acuh tak acuh, asal saja, tanpa perhatian khusus, (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.
- mien- penmpilan, raut wajah, a person’s look or manner, esp. one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood.
- cognizant- sadar, mengetahui, having knowledge or being aware of.
- hirsute- berbulu panjang dan lebat
- purse- a small bag used esp. by a woman to carry everyday personal items.
- interloper- penyusup, a person who becomes involved in a place or situation where they are not wanted or are considered not to belong.
- refute – menyangkal, menyanggah, prove (a statement or theory) to be wrong or false; disprove.