the water-babies-第30部分

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way　well　enough；　and　will　not　forget　it。　　Besides；　you　may　meet　some　very　queer…tempered　people　there；　who　will　not　let　you　pass　without　this　passport　of　mine；　which　you　must　hang　round　your　neck　and　take　care　of；　and；　of　course；　as　the　dog　will　always　go　behind　you；　you　must　go　the　whole　way　backward。〃

〃Backward！〃　cried　Tom。　　〃Then　I　shall　not　be　able　to　see　my　way。〃

〃On　the　contrary；　if　you　look　forward；　you　will　not　see　a　step　before　you；　and　be　certain　to　go　wrong；　but；　if　you　look　behind　you；　and　watch　carefully　whatever　you　have　passed；　and　especially　keep　your　eye　on　the　dog；　who　goes　by　instinct；　and　therefore　can't　go　wrong；　then　you　will　know　what　is　coming　next；　as　plainly　as　if　you　saw　it　in　a　looking…glass。〃

Tom　was　very　much　astonished：　　but　he　obeyed　her；　for　he　had　learnt　always　to　believe　what　the　fairies　told　him。

〃So　it　is；　my　dear　child；〃　said　Mother　Carey；　〃and　I　will　tell　you　a　story；　which　will　show　you　that　I　am　perfectly　right；　as　it　is　my　custom　to　be。

〃Once　on　a　time；　there　were　two　brothers。　　One　was　called　Prometheus；　because　he　always　looked　before　him；　and　boasted　that　he　was　wise　beforehand。　　The　other　was　called　Epimetheus；　because　he　always　looked　behind　him；　and　did　not　boast　at　all；　but　said　humbly；　like　the　Irishman；　that　he　had　sooner　prophesy　after　the　event。

〃Well；　Prometheus　was　a　very　clever　fellow；　of　course；　and　invented　all　sorts　of　wonderful　things。　　But；　unfortunately；　when　they　were　set　to　work；　to　work　was　just　what　they　would　not　do：　　wherefore　very　little　has　come　of　them；　and　very　little　is　left　of　them；　and　now　nobody　knows　what　they　were；　save　a　few　archaeological　old　gentlemen　who　scratch　in　queer　corners；　and　find　little　there　save　Ptinum　Furem；　Blaptem　Mortisagam；　Acarum　Horridum；　and　Tineam　Laciniarum。

〃But　Epimetheus　was　a　very　slow　fellow；　certainly；　and　went　among　men　for　a　clod；　and　a　muff；　and　a　milksop；　and　a　slowcoach；　and　a　bloke；　and　a　boodle；　and　so　forth。　　And　very　little　he　did；　for　many　years：　　but　what　he　did；　he　never　had　to　do　over　again。

〃And　what　happened　at　last？　　There　came　to　the　two　brothers　the　most　beautiful　creature　that　ever　was　seen；　Pandora　by　name；　which　means；　All　the　gifts　of　the　Gods。　　But　because　she　had　a　strange　box　in　her　hand；　this　fanciful；　forecasting；　suspicious；　prudential；　theoretical；　deductive；　prophesying　Prometheus；　who　was　always　settling　what　was　going　to　happen；　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　pretty　Pandora　and　her　box。

〃But　Epimetheus　took　her　and　it；　as　he　took　everything　that　came；　and　married　her　for　better　for　worse；　as　every　man　ought；　whenever　he　has　even　the　chance　of　a　good　wife。　　And　they　opened　the　box　between　them；　of　course；　to　see　what　was　inside：　　for；　else；　of　what　possible　use　could　it　have　been　to　them？

〃And　out　flew　all　the　ills　which　flesh　is　heir　to；　all　the　children　of　the　four　great　bogies；　Self…will；　Ignorance；　Fear；　and　Dirt　…　for　instance：


Measles；　　　　　　　　Famines；　Monks；　　　　　　　　　　Quacks；　Scarlatina；　　　　　Unpaid　bills；　Idols；　　　　　　　　　　Tight　stays；　Hooping…coughs；　Potatoes；　Popes；　　　　　　　　　　Bad　Wine；　Wars；　　　　　　　　　　　Despots；　Peacemongers；　　　Demagogues；　And；　worst　of　all；　Naughty　Boys　and　Girls。


But　one　thing　remained　at　the　bottom　of　the　box；　and　that　was；　Hope。

〃So　Epimetheus　got　a　great　deal　of　trouble；　as　most　men　do　in　this　world：　　but　he　got　the　three　best　things　in　the　world　into　the　bargain　…　a　good　wife；　and　experience；　and　hope：　　while　Prometheus　had　just　as　much　trouble；　and　a　great　deal　more　（as　you　will　hear）；　of　his　own　making；　with　nothing　beside；　save　fancies　spun　out　of　his　own　brain；　as　a　spider　spins　her　web　out　of　her　stomach。

〃And　Prometheus　kept　on　looking　before　him　so　far　ahead；　that　as　he　was　running　about　with　a　box　of　lucifers　（which　were　the　only　useful　things　he　ever　invented；　and　do　as　much　harm　as　good）；　he　trod　on　his　own　nose；　and　tumbled　down　（as　most　deductive　philosophers　do）；　whereby　he　set　the　Thames　on　fire；　and　they　have　hardly　put　it　out　again　yet。　　So　he　had　to　be　chained　to　the　top　of　a　mountain；　with　a　vulture　by　him　to　give　him　a　peck　whenever　he　stirred；　lest　he　should　turn　the　whole　world　upside　down　with　his　prophecies　and　his　theories。

〃But　stupid　old　Epimetheus　went　working　and　grubbing　on；　with　the　help　of　his　wife　Pandora；　always　looking　behind　him　to　see　what　had　happened；　till　he　really　learnt　to　know　now　and　then　what　would　happen　next；　and　understood　so　well　which　side　his　bread　was　buttered；　and　which　way　the　cat　jumped；　that　he　began　to　make　things　which　would　work；　and　go　on　working；　too；　to　till　and　drain　the　ground；　and　to　make　looms；　and　ships；　and　railroads；　and　steam　ploughs；　and　electric　telegraphs；　and　all　the　things　which　you　see　in　the　Great　Exhibition；　and　to　foretell　famine；　and　bad　weather；　and　the　price　of　stocks　and　（what　is　hardest　of　all）　the　next　vagary　of　the　great　idol　Whirligig；　which　some　call　Public　Opinion；　till　at　last　he　grew　as　rich　as　a　Jew；　and　as　fat　as　a　farmer；　and　people　thought　twice　before　they　meddled　with　him；　but　only　once　before　they　asked　him　to　help　them；　for；　because　he　earned　his　money　well；　he　could　afford　to　spend　it　well　likewise。

〃And　his　children　are　the　men　of　science；　who　get　good　lasting　work　done　in　the　world；　but　the　children　of　Prometheus　are　the　fanatics；　and　the　theorists；　and　the　bigots；　and　the　bores；　and　the　noisy　windy　people；　who　go　telling　silly　folk　what　will　happen；　instead　of　looking　to　see　what　has　happened　already。〃

Now；　was　not　Mother　Carey's　a　wonderful　story？　　And；　I　am　happy　to　say；　Tom　believed　it　every　word。

For　so　it　happened　to　Tom　likewise。　　He　was　very　sorely　tried；　for　though；　by　keeping　the　dog　to　heels　（or　rather　to　toes；　for　he　had　to　walk　backward）；　he　could　see　pretty　well　which　way　the　dog　was　hunting；　yet　it　was　much　slower　work　to　go　backwards　than　to　go　forwards。　　But；　what　was　more　trying　still；　no　sooner　had　he　got　out　of　Peacepool；　than　there　came　running　to　him　all　the　conjurors；　fortune…tellers；　astrologers；　prophesiers；　projectors；　prestigiators；　as　many　as　were　in　those　parts　（and　there　are　too　many　of　them　everywhere）；　Old　Mother　Shipton　on　her　broomstick；　with　Merlin；　Thomas　the　Rhymer；　Gerbertus；　Rabanus　Maurus；　Nostradamus；　Zadkiel；　Raphael；　Moore；　Old　Nixon；　and　a　good　many　in　black　coats　and　white　ties　who　might　have　known　better；　considering　in　what　century　they　were　born；　all　bawling　and　screaming　at　him；　〃Look　a…head；　only　look　a…head；　and　we　will　show　you　what　man　never　saw　before；　and　right　away　to　the　end　of　the　world！〃

But　I　am　proud　to　say　that；　though　Tom　had　not　been　to　Cambridge　…　for；　if　he　had；　he　would　have　certainly　been　senior　wrangler　…　he　was　such　a　little　dogged；　hard；　gnarly；　foursquare　brick　of　an　English　boy；　that　he　never　turned　his　head　round　once　all　the　way　from　Peacepool　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere：　　but　kept　his　eye　on　the　dog；　and　let　him　pick　out　the　scent；　hot　or　cold；　straight　or　crooked；　wet　or　dry；　up　hill　or　down　dale；　by　which　means　he　never　made　a　single　mistake；　and　saw　all　the　wonderful　and　hitherto　by…　no…mortal…man…imagined　things；　which　it　is　my　duty　to　relate　to　you　in　the　next　chapter。



CHAPTER　VIII　AND　LAST



〃Come　to　me；　O　ye　children！　For　I　hear　you　at　your　play；　And　the　questions　that　perplexed　me　Have　vanished　quite　away。

〃Ye　open　the　Eastern　windows；　That　look　towards　the　sun；　Where　thoughts　are　singing　swallows；　And　the　brooks　of　morning　run。

*　*　*　*　*

〃For　what　are　all　our　contrivings　And　the　wisdom　of　our　books；　When　compared　with　your　caresses；　And　the　gladness　of　your　looks？

〃Ye　are　better　than　all　the　ballads　That　ever　were　sung　or　said；　For　ye　are　living　poems；　And　all　the　rest　are　dead。〃

LONGFELLOW。


Here　begins　the　never…to…be…too…much…studied　account　of　the　nine…　hundred…and…ninety…ninth　part　of　the　wonderful　things　which　Tom　saw　on　his　journey　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　which　all　good　little　children　are　requested　to　read；　that；　if　ever　they　get　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　as　they　may　very　probably　do；　they　may　not　burst　out　laughing；　or　try　to　run　away；　or　do　any　other　silly　vulgar　thing　which　may　offend　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid。

Now；　as　soon　as　Tom　had　left　Peacepool；　he　came　to　the　white　lap　of　the　great　sea…mother；　ten　thousand　fathoms　deep；　where　she　makes　world…pap　all　day　long；　for　the　steam…giants　to　knead；　and　the　fire…giants　to　bake；　till　it　has　risen　and　hardened　into　mountain…　loaves　and　island…cakes。

And　there　Tom　was　very　near　being　kneaded　up　in　the　world…pap；　and　turned　into　a　fossil　water…baby；　which　would　have　astonished　the　Geological　Society　of　New　Zealand　some　hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　hence。

For；　as　he　walked　along　in　the　silence　of　the　sea…twilight；　on　the　soft　white　ocean　floor；　he　was　aware　of　a　hissing；　and　a　roaring；　and　a　thumping；　and　a　pumping；　as　of　all　the　steam…engines　in　the　world　at　once。　　And；　when　he　came　near；　the　water　grew　boiling…hot；　not　that　that　hurt　him　in　the　least：　　but　it　also　grew　as　foul　as　gruel；　and　every　moment　he　stumbled　over　dead　shells；　and　fish；　and　sharks；　and　seals；　and　whales；　which　had　been　killed　by　the　hot　water。

And　at　last　he　came　to　the　great　sea…serpent　himself；　lying　dead　at　the　bottom；　and　as　he　was　too　thick　to　scramble　over；　Tom　had　to　walk　round　him　three…quarters　of　a　mile　and　more；　which　put　him　out　of　his　path　sadly；　and；　when　he　had　got　round；　he　came　to　the　place　called　Stop。　　And　there　he　stopped；　and　just　in　time。

For　he　was　on　the　edge　of　a　vast　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　up　which　was　rushing　and　roaring　clear　steam　enough　to　work　all　the　engines　in　the　world　at　once；　so　clear；　indeed；　that　it　was　quite　light　at　moments；　and　Tom　could　see　almost　up　to　the　top　of　the　water　above；　and　down　below　into　the　pit　for　nobody　knows　how　far。

But；　as　soon　as　he　bent　his　head　over　the　edge；　he　got　such　a　rap　on　the　nose　from　pebbles；　that　he　jumped　back　again；　for　the　steam；　as　it　rushed　up；　rasped　away　the　sides　of　the　hole；　and　hurled　it　up　into　the　sea　in　a　shower　of　mud　and　gravel　and　ashes；　and　then　it　spread　all　around；　and　sank　again；　and　covered　in　the　dead　fish　so　fast；　that　before　Tom　had　stood　there　five　minutes　he　was　buried　in　silt　up　to　his　ankles；　and　began　to　be　afraid　that　he　should　have　been　buried　ali