the water-babies-第25部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



〃Oh！〃　said　Tom。　　〃Oh　dear；　oh　dear！　　I　have　been　naughty　to　Ellie；　and　I　have　killed　her　…　I　know　I　have　killed　her。〃

〃Not　quite　that；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃but　I　have　sent　her　away　home；　and　she　will　not　come　back　again　for　I　do　not　know　how　long。〃

And　at　that　Tom　cried　so　bitterly　that　the　salt　sea　was　swelled　with　his　tears；　and　the　tide　was　。3；954；620；819　of　an　inch　higher　than　it　had　been　the　day　before：　　but　perhaps　that　was　owing　to　the　waxing　of　the　moon。　　It　may　have　been　so；　but　it　is　considered　right　in　the　new　philosophy；　you　know；　to　give　spiritual　causes　for　physical　phenomena　…　especially　in　parlour…tables；　and；　of　course；　physical　causes　for　spiritual　ones；　like　thinking；　and　praying；　and　knowing　right　from　wrong。　　And　so　they　odds　it　till　it　comes　even；　as　folks　say　down　in　Berkshire。

〃How　cruel　of　you　to　send　Ellie　away！〃　sobbed　Tom。　　〃However；　I　will　find　her　again；　if　I　go　to　the　world's　end　to　look　for　her。〃

The　fairy　did　not　slap　Tom；　and　tell　him　to　hold　his　tongue：　　but　she　took　him　on　her　lap　very　kindly；　just　as　her　sister　would　have　done；　and　put　him　in　mind　how　it　was　not　her　fault；　because　she　was　wound　up　inside；　like　watches；　and　could　not　help　doing　things　whether　she　liked　or　not。　　And　then　she　told　him　how　he　had　been　in　the　nursery　long　enough；　and　must　go　out　now　and　see　the　world；　if　he　intended　ever　to　be　a　man；　and　how　he　must　go　all　alone　by　himself；　as　every　one　else　that　ever　was　born　has　to　go；　and　see　with　his　own　eyes；　and　smell　with　his　own　nose；　and　make　his　own　bed　and　lie　on　it；　and　burn　his　own　fingers　if　he　put　them　into　the　fire。　　And　then　she　told　him　how　many　fine　things　there　were　to　be　seen　in　the　world；　and　what　an　odd；　curious；　pleasant；　orderly；　respectable；　well…managed；　and；　on　the　whole；　successful　（as；　indeed；　might　have　been　expected）　sort　of　a　place　it　was；　if　people　would　only　be　tolerably　brave　and　honest　and　good　in　it；　and　then　she　told　him　not　to　be　afraid　of　anything　he　met；　for　nothing　would　harm　him　if　he　remembered　all　his　lessons；　and　did　what　he　knew　was　right。　　And　at　last　she　comforted　poor　little　Tom　so　much　that　he　was　quite　eager　to　go；　and　wanted　to　set　out　that　minute。　　〃Only；〃　he　said；　〃if　I　might　see　Ellie　once　before　I　went！〃

〃Why　do　you　want　that？〃

〃Because　…　because　I　should　be　so　much　happier　if　I　thought　she　had　forgiven　me。〃

And　in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　there　stood　Ellie；　smiling；　and　looking　so　happy　that　Tom　longed　to　kiss　her；　but　was　still　afraid　it　would　not　be　respectful；　because　she　was　a　lady　born。

〃I　am　going；　Ellie！〃　said　Tom。　　〃I　am　going；　if　it　is　to　the　world's　end。　　But　I　don't　like　going　at　all；　and　that's　the　truth。〃

〃Pooh！　pooh！　pooh！〃　said　the　fairy。　　〃You　will　like　it　very　well　indeed；　you　little　rogue；　and　you　know　that　at　the　bottom　of　your　heart。　　But　if　you　don't；　I　will　make　you　like　it。　　Come　here；　and　see　what　happens　to　people　who　do　only　what　is　pleasant。〃

And　she　took　out　of　one　of　her　cupboards　（she　had　all　sorts　of　mysterious　cupboards　in　the　cracks　of　the　rocks）　the　most　wonderful　waterproof　book；　full　of　such　photographs　as　never　were　seen。　　For　she　had　found　out　photography　（and　this　is　a　fact）　more　than　13；598；000　years　before　anybody　was　born；　and；　what　is　more；　her　photographs　did　not　merely　represent　light　and　shade；　as　ours　do；　but　colour　also；　and　all　colours；　as　you　may　see　if　you　look　at　a　black…cock's　tail；　or　a　butterfly's　wing；　or　indeed　most　things　that　are　or　can　be；　so　to　speak。　　And　therefore　her　photographs　were　very　curious　and　famous；　and　the　children　looked　with　great　delight　for　the　opening　of　the　book。

And　on　the　title…page　was　written；　〃The　History　of　the　great　and　famous　nation　of　the　Doasyoulikes；　who　came　away　from　the　country　of　Hardwork；　because　they　wanted　to　play　on　the　Jews'　harp　all　day　long。〃

In　the　first　picture　they　saw　these　Doasyoulikes　living　in　the　land　of　Readymade；　at　the　foot　of　the　Happy…go…lucky　Mountains；　where　flapdoodle　grows　wild；　and　if　you　want　to　know　what　that　is；　you　must　read　Peter　Simple。

They　lived　very　much　such　a　life　as　those　jolly　old　Greeks　in　Sicily；　whom　you　may　see　painted　on　the　ancient　vases；　and　really　there　seemed　to　be　great　excuses　for　them；　for　they　had　no　need　to　work。

Instead　of　houses　they　lived　in　the　beautiful　caves　of　tufa；　and　bathed　in　the　warm　springs　three　times　a　day；　and；　as　for　clothes；　it　was　so　warm　there　that　the　gentlemen　walked　about　in　little　beside　a　cocked　hat　and　a　pair　of　straps；　or　some　light　summer　tackle　of　that　kind；　and　the　ladies　all　gathered　gossamer　in　autumn　（when　they　were　not　too　lazy）　to　make　their　winter　dresses。

They　were　very　fond　of　music；　but　it　was　too　much　trouble　to　learn　the　piano　or　the　violin；　and　as　for　dancing；　that　would　have　been　too　great　an　exertion。　　So　they　sat　on　ant…hills　all　day　long；　and　played　on　the　Jews'　harp；　and；　if　the　ants　bit　them；　why　they　just　got　up　and　went　to　the　next　ant…hill；　till　they　were　bitten　there　likewise。

And　they　sat　under　the　flapdoodle…trees；　and　let　the　flapdoodle　drop　into　their　mouths；　and　under　the　vines；　and　squeezed　the　grape…juice　down　their　throats；　and；　if　any　little　pigs　ran　about　ready　roasted；　crying；　〃Come　and　eat　me；〃　as　was　their　fashion　in　that　country；　they　waited　till　the　pigs　ran　against　their　mouths；　and　then　took　a　bite；　and　were　content；　just　as　so　many　oysters　would　have　been。

They　needed　no　weapons；　for　no　enemies　ever　came　near　their　land；　and　no　tools；　for　everything　was　readymade　to　their　hand；　and　the　stern　old　fairy　Necessity　never　came　near　them　to　hunt　them　up；　and　make　them　use　their　wits；　or　die。

And　so　on；　and　so　on；　and　so　on；　till　there　were　never　such　comfortable；　easy…going；　happy…go…lucky　people　in　the　world。

〃Well；　that　is　a　jolly　life；〃　said　Tom。

〃You　think　so？〃　said　the　fairy。　　〃Do　you　see　that　great　peaked　mountain　there　behind；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃with　smoke　coming　out　of　its　top？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　do　you　see　all　those　ashes；　and　slag；　and　cinders　lying　about？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　turn　over　the　next　five　hundred　years；　and　you　will　see　what　happens　next。〃

And　behold　the　mountain　had　blown　up　like　a　barrel　of　gunpowder；　and　then　boiled　over　like　a　kettle；　whereby　one…third　of　the　Doasyoulikes　were　blown　into　the　air；　and　another　third　were　smothered　in　ashes；　so　that　there　was　only　one…third　left。

〃You　see；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃what　comes　of　living　on　a　burning　mountain。〃

〃Oh；　why　did　you　not　warn　them？〃　said　little　Ellie。

〃I　did　warn　them　all　that　I　could。　　I　let　the　smoke　come　out　of　the　mountain；　and　wherever　there　is　smoke　there　is　fire。　　And　I　laid　the　ashes　and　cinders　all　about；　and　wherever　there　are　cinders；　cinders　may　be　again。　　But　they　did　not　like　to　face　facts；　my　dears；　as　very　few　people　do；　and　so　they　invented　a　cock…and…bull　story；　which；　I　am　sure；　I　never　told　them；　that　the　smoke　was　the　breath　of　a　giant；　whom　some　gods　or　other　had　buried　under　the　mountain；　and　that　the　cinders　were　what　the　dwarfs　roasted　the　little　pigs　whole　with；　and　other　nonsense　of　that　kind。　　And；　when　folks　are　in　that　humour；　I　cannot　teach　them；　save　by　the　good　old　birch…rod。〃

And　then　she　turned　over　the　next　five　hundred　years：　　and　there　were　the　remnant　of　the　Doasyoulikes；　doing　as　they　liked；　as　before。　　They　were　too　lazy　to　move　away　from　the　mountain；　so　they　said；　If　it　has　blown　up　once；　that　is　all　the　more　reason　that　it　should　not　blow　up　again。　　And　they　were　few　in　number：　　but　they　only　said；　The　more　the　merrier；　but　the　fewer　the　better　fare。　However；　that　was　not　quite　true；　for　all　the　flapdoodle…trees　were　killed　by　the　volcano；　and　they　had　eaten　all　the　roast　pigs；　who；　of　course；　could　not　be　expected　to　have　little　ones。　　So　they　had　to　live　very　hard；　on　nuts　and　roots　which　they　scratched　out　of　the　ground　with　sticks。　　Some　of　them　talked　of　sowing　corn；　as　their　ancestors　used　to　do；　before　they　came　into　the　land　of　Readymade；　but　they　had　forgotten　how　to　make　ploughs　（they　had　forgotten　even　how　to　make　Jews'　harps　by　this　time）；　and　had　eaten　all　the　seed…corn　which　they　brought　out　of　the　land　of　Hardwork　years　since；　and　of　course　it　was　too　much　trouble　to　go　away　and　find　more。　　So　they　lived　miserably　on　roots　and　nuts；　and　all　the　weakly　little　children　had　great　stomachs；　and　then　died。

〃Why；〃　said　Tom；　〃they　are　growing　no　better　than　savages。〃

〃And　look　how　ugly　they　are　all　getting；〃　said　Ellie。

〃Yes；　when　people　live　on　poor　vegetables　instead　of　roast　beef　and　plum…pudding；　their　jaws　grow　large；　and　their　lips　grow　coarse；　like　the　poor　Paddies　who　eat　potatoes。〃

And　she　turned　over　the　next　five　hundred　years。　　And　there　they　were　all　living　up　in　trees；　and　making　nests　to　keep　off　the　rain。　And　underneath　the　trees　lions　were　prowling　about。

〃Why；〃　said　Ellie；　〃the　lions　seem　to　have　eaten　a　good　many　of　them；　for　there　are　very　few　left　now。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　the　fairy；　〃you　see　it　was　only　the　strongest　and　most　active　ones　who　could　climb　the　trees；　and　so　escape。〃

〃But　what　great；　hulking；　broad…shouldered　chaps　they　are；〃　said　Tom；　〃they　are　a　rough　lot　as　ever　I　saw。〃

〃Yes；　they　are　getting　very　strong　now；　for　the　ladies　will　not　marry　any　but　the　very　strongest　and　fiercest　gentlemen；　who　can　help　them　up　the　trees　out　of　the　lions'　way。〃

And　she　turned　over　the　next　five　hundred　years。　　And　in　that　they　were　fewer　still；　and　stronger；　and　fiercer；　but　their　feet　had　changed　shape　very　oddly；　for　they　laid　hold　of　the　branches　with　their　great　toes；　as　if　they　had　been　thumbs；　just　as　a　Hindoo　tailor　uses　his　toes　to　thread　his　needle。

The　children　were　very　much　surprised；　and　asked　the　fairy　whether　that　was　her　doing。

〃Yes；　and　no；〃　she　said；　smiling。　　〃It　was　only　those　who　could　use　their　feet　as　well　as　their　hands　who　could　get　a　good　living：　　or；　indeed；　get　married；　so　that　they　got　the　best　of　everything；　and　starved　out　all　the　rest；　and　those　who　are　left　keep　up　a　regular　breed　of　toe…thumb…men；　as　a　breed　of　short…horns；　or　are　skye…　terriers；　or　fancy　pigeons　is　kept　up。〃

〃But　there　is　a　hairy　one　among　them；〃　said　Ellie。

〃Ah！〃　said　the　fairy；　〃that　will　be　a　great　man　in　his　time；　and　chief　of　all　the　tribe。〃

And；　when　she　turned　over　the　next　f