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the water-babies-第13部分

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 and trot about after you; and show you good sport if he can … for he is an affectionate fellow; and as fond of sport as you are … and if he can't; tell you fibs instead; a hundred an hour; and wonder all the while why poor ould Ireland does not prosper like England and Scotland; and some other places; where folk have taken up a ridiculous fancy that honesty is the best policy。

Or was it like a Welsh salmon river; which is remarkable chiefly (at least; till this last year) for containing no salmon; as they have been all poached out by the enlightened peasantry; to prevent the CYTHRAWL SASSENACH (which means you; my little dear; your kith and kin; and signifies much the same as the Chinese FAN QUEI) from coming bothering into Wales; with good tackle; and ready money; and civilisation; and common honesty; and other like things of which the Cymry stand in no need whatsoever?

Or was it such a salmon stream as I trust you will see among the Hampshire water…meadows before your hairs are gray; under the wise new fishing…laws? … when Winchester apprentices shall covenant; as they did three hundred years ago; not to be made to eat salmon more than three days a week; and fresh…run fish shall be as plentiful under Salisbury spire as they are in Holly…hole at Christchurch; in the good time coming; when folks shall see that; of all Heaven's gifts of food; the one to be protected most carefully is that worthy gentleman salmon; who is generous enough to go down to the sea weighing five ounces; and to come back next year weighing five pounds; without having cost the soil or the state one farthing?

Or was it like a Scotch stream; such as Arthur Clough drew in his 〃Bothie〃:…


〃Where over a ledge of granite Into a granite bason the amber torrent descended。 。 。 。 。 Beautiful there for the colour derived from green rocks under; Beautiful most of all; where beads of foam uprising Mingle their clouds of white with the delicate hue of the stillness。 。 。 。 Cliff over cliff for its sides; with rowan and pendant birch boughs。〃 。 。 。


Ah; my little man; when you are a big man; and fish such a stream as that; you will hardly care; I think; whether she be roaring down in full spate; like coffee covered with scald cream; while the fish are swirling at your fly as an oar…blade swirls in a boat…race; or flashing up the cataract like silver arrows; out of the fiercest of the foam; or whether the fall be dwindled to a single thread; and the shingle below be as white and dusty as a turnpike road; while the salmon huddle together in one dark cloud in the clear amber pool; sleeping away their time till the rain creeps back again off the sea。  You will not care much; if you have eyes and brains; for you will lay down your rod contentedly; and drink in at your eyes the beauty of that glorious place; and listen to the water…ouzel piping on the stones; and watch the yellow roes come down to drink and look up at you with their great soft trustful eyes; as much as to say; 〃You could not have the heart to shoot at us?〃  And then; if you have sense; you will turn and talk to the great giant of a gilly who lies basking on the stone beside you。  He will tell you no fibs; my little man; for he is a Scotchman; and fears God; and not the priest; and; as you talk with him; you will be surprised more and more at his knowledge; his sense; his humour; his courtesy; and you will find out … unless you have found it out before … that a man may learn from his Bible to be a more thorough gentleman than if he had been brought up in all the drawing…rooms in London。

No。  It was none of these; the salmon stream at Harthover。  It was such a stream as you see in dear old Bewick; Bewick; who was born and bred upon them。  A full hundred yards broad it was; sliding on from broad pool to broad shallow; and broad shallow to broad pool; over great fields of shingle; under oak and ash coverts; past low cliffs of sandstone; past green meadows; and fair parks; and a great house of gray stone; and brown moors above; and here and there against the sky the smoking chimney of a colliery。  You must look at Bewick to see just what it was like; for he has drawn it a hundred times with the care and the love of a true north countryman; and; even if you do not care about the salmon river; you ought; like all good boys; to know your Bewick。

At least; so old Sir John used to say; and very sensibly he put it too; as he was wont to do:

〃If they want to describe a finished young gentleman in France; I hear; they say of him; 'IL SAIT SON RABELAIS。'  But if I want to describe one in England; I say; 'HE KNOWS HIS BEWICK。'  And I think that is the higher compliment。〃

But Tom thought nothing about what the river was like。  All his fancy was; to get down to the wide wide sea。

And after a while he came to a place where the river spread out into broad still shallow reaches; so wide that little Tom; as he put his head out of the water; could hardly see across。

And there he stopped。  He got a little frightened。  〃This must be the sea;〃 he thought。  〃What a wide place it is!  If I go on into it I shall surely lose my way; or some strange thing will bite me。 I will stop here and look out for the otter; or the eels; or some one to tell me where I shall go。〃

So he went back a little way; and crept into a crack of the rock; just where the river opened out into the wide shallows; and watched for some one to tell him his way:  but the otter and the eels were gone on miles and miles down the stream。

There he waited; and slept too; for he was quite tired with his night's journey; and; when he woke; the stream was clearing to a beautiful amber hue; though it was still very high。  And after a while he saw a sight which made him jump up; for he knew in a moment it was one of the things which he had come to look for。

Such a fish! ten times as big as the biggest trout; and a hundred times as big as Tom; sculling up the stream past him; as easily as Tom had sculled down。

Such a fish! shining silver from head to tail; and here and there a crimson dot; with a grand hooked nose and grand curling lip; and a grand bright eye; looking round him as proudly as a king; and surveying the water right and left as if all belonged to him。 Surely he must be the salmon; the king of all the fish。

Tom was so frightened that he longed to creep into a hole; but he need not have been; for salmon are all true gentlemen; and; like true gentlemen; they look noble and proud enough; and yet; like true gentlemen; they never harm or quarrel with any one; but go about their own business; and leave rude fellows to themselves。

The salmon looked at him full in the face; and then went on without minding him; with a swish or two of his tail which made the stream boil again。 And in a few minutes came another; and then four or five; and so on; and all passed Tom; rushing and plunging up the cataract with strong strokes of their silver tails; now and then leaping clean out of water and up over a rock; shining gloriously for a moment in the bright sun; while Tom was so delighted that he could have watched them all day long。

And at last one came up bigger than all the rest; but he came slowly; and stopped; and looked back; and seemed very anxious and busy。  And Tom saw that he was helping another salmon; an especially handsome one; who had not a single spot upon it; but was clothed in pure silver from nose to tail。

〃My dear;〃 said the great fish to his companion; 〃you really look dreadfully tired; and you must not over…exert yourself at first。 Do rest yourself behind this rock;〃 and he shoved her gently with his nose; to the rock where Tom sat。

You must know that this was the salmon's wife。  For salmon; like other true gentlemen; always choose their lady; and love her; and are true to her; and take care of her and work for her; and fight for her; as every true gentleman ought; and are not like vulgar chub and roach and pike; who have no high feelings; and take no care of their wives。

Then he saw Tom; and looked at him very fiercely one moment; as if he was going to bite him。

〃What do you want here?〃 he said; very fiercely。

〃Oh; don't hurt me!〃 cried Tom。  〃I only want to look at you; you are so handsome。〃

〃Ah?〃 said the salmon; very stately but very civilly。  〃I really beg your pardon; I see what you are; my little dear。  I have met one or two creatures like you before; and found them very agreeable and well…behaved。  Indeed; one of them showed me a great kindness lately; which I hope to be able to repay。  I hope we shall not be in your way here。  As soon as this lady is rested; we shall proceed on our journey。〃

What a well…bred old salmon he was!

〃So you have seen things like me before?〃 asked Tom。

〃Several times; my dear。  Indeed; it was only last night that one at the river's mouth came and warned me and my wife of some new stake…nets which had got into the stream; I cannot tell how; since last winter; and showed us the way round them; in the most charmingly obliging way。〃

〃So there are babies in the sea?〃 cried Tom; and clapped his little hands。  〃Then I shall have some one to play with there?  How delightful!〃

〃Were there no babies up this stream?〃 asked the lady salmon。

〃No! and I grew so lonely。  I thought I saw three last night; but they were gone in an instant; down to the sea。  So I went too; for I had nothing to play with but caddises and dragon…flies and trout。〃

〃Ugh!〃 cried the lady; 〃what low company!〃

〃My dear; if he has been in low company; he has certainly not learnt their low manners;〃 said the salmon。

〃No; indeed; poor little dear:  but how sad for him to live among such people as caddises; who have actually six legs; the nasty things; and dragon…flies; too! why they are not even good to eat; for I tried them once; and they are all hard and empty; and; as for trout; every one knows what they are。〃  Whereon she curled up her lip; and looked dreadfully scornful; while her husband curled up his too; till he looked as proud as Alcibiades。

〃Why do you dislike the trout so?〃 asked Tom。

〃My dear; we do not even mention them; if we can help it; for I am sorry to say they are relations of ours who do us no credit。  A great many years ago they were just like us:  but they were so
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