the water-babies-第9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！


　me　about　what　cannot　be；　or　fancy　that　anything　is　too　wonderful　to　be　true。　　〃We　are　fearfully　and　wonderfully　made；〃　said　old　David；　and　so　we　are；　and　so　is　everything　around　us；　down　to　the　very　deal　table。　　Yes；　much　more　fearfully　and　wonderfully　made；　already；　is　the　table；　as　it　stands　now；　nothing　but　a　piece　of　dead　deal　wood；　than　if；　as　foxes　say；　and　geese　believe；　spirits　could　make　it　dance；　or　talk　to　you　by　rapping　on　it。

Am　I　in　earnest？　　Oh　dear　no！　　Don't　you　know　that　this　is　a　fairy　tale；　and　all　fun　and　pretence；　and　that　you　are　not　to　believe　one　word　of　it；　even　if　it　is　true？

But　at　all　events；　so　it　happened　to　Tom。　　And；　therefore；　the　keeper；　and　the　groom；　and　Sir　John　made　a　great　mistake；　and　were　very　unhappy　（Sir　John　at　least）　without　any　reason；　when　they　found　a　black　thing　in　the　water；　and　said　it　was　Tom's　body；　and　that　he　had　been　drowned。　　They　were　utterly　mistaken。　　Tom　was　quite　alive；　and　cleaner；　and　merrier；　than　he　ever　had　been。　　The　fairies　had　washed　him；　you　see；　in　the　swift　river；　so　thoroughly；　that　not　only　his　dirt；　but　his　whole　husk　and　shell　had　been　washed　quite　off　him；　and　the　pretty　little　real　Tom　was　washed　out　of　the　inside　of　it；　and　swam　away；　as　a　caddis　does　when　its　case　of　stones　and　silk　is　bored　through；　and　away　it　goes　on　its　back；　paddling　to　the　shore；　there　to　split　its　skin；　and　fly　away　as　a　caperer；　on　four　fawn…coloured　wings；　with　long　legs　and　horns。　They　are　foolish　fellows；　the　caperers；　and　fly　into　the　candle　at　night；　if　you　leave　the　door　open。　　We　will　hope　Tom　will　be　wiser；　now　he　has　got　safe　out　of　his　sooty　old　shell。

But　good　Sir　John　did　not　understand　all　this；　not　being　a　fellow　of　the　Linnaean　Society；　and　he　took　it　into　his　head　that　Tom　was　drowned。　　When　they　looked　into　the　empty　pockets　of　his　shell；　and　found　no　jewels　there；　nor　money　…　nothing　but　three　marbles；　and　a　brass　button　with　a　string　to　it　…　then　Sir　John　did　something　as　like　crying　as　ever　he　did　in　his　life；　and　blamed　himself　more　bitterly　than　he　need　have　done。　　So　he　cried；　and　the　groom…boy　cried；　and　the　huntsman　cried；　and　the　dame　cried；　and　the　little　girl　cried；　and　the　dairymaid　cried；　and　the　old　nurse　cried　（for　it　was　somewhat　her　fault）；　and　my　lady　cried；　for　though　people　have　wigs；　that　is　no　reason　why　they　should　not　have　hearts；　but　the　keeper　did　not　cry；　though　he　had　been　so　good…natured　to　Tom　the　morning　before；　for　he　was　so　dried　up　with　running　after　poachers；　that　you　could　no　more　get　tears　out　of　him　than　milk　out　of　leather：　　and　Grimes　did　not　cry；　for　Sir　John　gave　him　ten　pounds；　and　he　drank　it　all　in　a　week。　　Sir　John　sent；　far　and　wide；　to　find　Tom's　father　and　mother：　　but　he　might　have　looked　till　Doomsday　for　them；　for　one　was　dead；　and　the　other　was　in　Botany　Bay。　　And　the　little　girl　would　not　play　with　her　dolls　for　a　whole　week；　and　never　forgot　poor　little　Tom。　　And　soon　my　lady　put　a　pretty　little　tombstone　over　Tom's　shell　in　the　little　churchyard　in　Vendale；　where　the　old　dalesmen　all　sleep　side　by　side　between　the　lime…stone　crags。　　And　the　dame　decked　it　with　garlands　every　Sunday；　till　she　grew　so　old　that　she　could　not　stir　abroad；　then　the　little　children　decked　it；　for　her。　　And　always　she　sang　an　old　old　song；　as　she　sat　spinning　what　she　called　her　wedding…dress。　　The　children　could　not　understand　it；　but　they　liked　it　none　the　less　for　that；　for　it　was　very　sweet；　and　very　sad；　and　that　was　enough　for　them。　　And　these　are　the　words　of　it：…


When　all　the　world　is　young；　lad；　And　all　the　trees　are　green；　And　every　goose　a　swan；　lad；　And　every　lass　a　queen；　Then　hey　for　boot　and　horse；　lad；　And　round　the　world　away；　Young　blood　must　have　its　course；　lad；　And　every　dog　his　day。

When　all　the　world　is　old；　lad；　And　all　the　trees　are　brown；　And　all　the　sport　is　stale；　lad；　And　all　the　wheels　run　down；　Creep　home；　and　take　your　place　there；　The　spent　and　maimed　among：　God　grant　you　find　one　face　there；　You　loved　when　all　was　young。


Those　are　the　words：　　but　they　are　only　the　body　of　it：　　the　soul　of　the　song　was　the　dear　old　woman's　sweet　face；　and　sweet　voice；　and　the　sweet　old　air　to　which　she　sang；　and　that；　alas！　one　cannot　put　on　paper。　　And　at　last　she　grew　so　stiff　and　lame；　that　the　angels　were　forced　to　carry　her；　and　they　helped　her　on　with　her　wedding…dress；　and　carried　her　up　over　Harthover　Fells；　and　a　long　way　beyond　that　too；　and　there　was　a　new　schoolmistress　in　Vendale；　and　we　will　hope　that　she　was　not　certificated。

And　all　the　while　Tom　was　swimming　about　in　the　river；　with　a　pretty　little　lace…collar　of　gills　about　his　neck；　as　lively　as　a　grig；　and　as　clean　as　a　fresh…run　salmon。

Now　if　you　don't　like　my　story；　then　go　to　the　schoolroom　and　learn　your　multiplication…table；　and　see　if　you　like　that　better。　　Some　people；　no　doubt；　would　do　so。　　So　much　the　better　for　us；　if　not　for　them。　　It　takes　all　sorts；　they　say；　to　make　a　world。



CHAPTER　III



〃He　prayeth　well　who　loveth　well　Both　men　and　bird　and　beast；　He　prayeth　best　who　loveth　best　All　things　both　great　and　small：　For　the　dear　God　who　loveth　us；　He　made　and　loveth　all。〃

COLERIDGE。


Tom　was　now　quite　amphibious。　　You　do　not　know　what　that　means？　You　had　better；　then；　ask　the　nearest　Government　pupil…teacher；　who　may　possibly　answer　you　smartly　enough；　thus　…

〃Amphibious。　　Adjective；　derived　from　two　Greek　words；　AMPHI；　a　fish；　and　BIOS；　a　beast。　　An　animal　supposed　by　our　ignorant　ancestors　to　be　compounded　of　a　fish　and　a　beast；　which　therefore；　like　the　hippopotamus；　can't　live　on　the　land；　and　dies　in　the　water。〃

However　that　may　be；　Tom　was　amphibious：　　and　what　is　better　still；　he　was　clean。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　he　felt　how　comfortable　it　was　to　have　nothing　on　him　but　himself。　　But　he　only　enjoyed　it：　　he　did　not　know　it；　or　think　about　it；　just　as　you　enjoy　life　and　health；　and　yet　never　think　about　being　alive　and　healthy；　and　may　it　be　long　before　you　have　to　think　about　it！

He　did　not　remember　having　ever　been　dirty。　　Indeed；　he　did　not　remember　any　of　his　old　troubles；　being　tired；　or　hungry；　or　beaten；　or　sent　up　dark　chimneys。　　Since　that　sweet　sleep；　he　had　forgotten　all　about　his　master；　and　Harthover　Place；　and　the　little　white　girl；　and　in　a　word；　all　that　had　happened　to　him　when　he　lived　before；　and　what　was　best　of　all；　he　had　forgotten　all　the　bad　words　which　he　had　learned　from　Grimes；　and　the　rude　boys　with　whom　he　used　to　play。

That　is　not　strange：　　for　you　know；　when　you　came　into　this　world；　and　became　a　land…baby；　you　remembered　nothing。　　So　why　should　he；　when　he　became　a　water…baby？

Then　have　you　lived　before？

My　dear　child；　who　can　tell？　　One　can　only　tell　that；　by　remembering　something　which　happened　where　we　lived　before；　and　as　we　remember　nothing；　we　know　nothing　about　it；　and　no　book；　and　no　man；　can　ever　tell　us　certainly。

There　was　a　wise　man　once；　a　very　wise　man；　and　a　very　good　man；　who　wrote　a　poem　about　the　feelings　which　some　children　have　about　having　lived　before；　and　this　is　what　he　said　…


〃Our　birth　is　but　a　sleep　and　a　forgetting；　The　soul　that　rises　with　us；　our　life's　star；　Hath　elsewhere　had　its　setting；　And　cometh　from　afar：　Not　in　entire　forgetfulness；　And　not　in　utter　nakedness；　But　trailing　clouds　of　glory；　do　we　come　From　God；　who　is　our　home。〃


There；　you　can　know　no　more　than　that。　　But　if　I　was　you；　I　would　believe　that。　　For　then　the　great　fairy　Science；　who　is　likely　to　be　queen　of　all　the　fairies　for　many　a　year　to　come；　can　only　do　you　good；　and　never　do　you　harm；　and　instead　of　fancying　with　some　people；　that　your　body　makes　your　soul；　as　if　a　steam…engine　could　make　its　own　coke；　or；　with　some　people；　that　your　soul　has　nothing　to　do　with　your　body；　but　is　only　stuck　into　it　like　a　pin　into　a　pincushion；　to　fall　out　with　the　first　shake；　…　you　will　believe　the　one　true；

orthodox；　　　　　　inductive；　rational；　　　　　　deductive；　philosophical；　seductive；　logical；　　　　　　　productive；　irrefragable；　　salutary；　nominalistic；　　comfortable；　realistic；　and　on…all…accounts…to…be…received

doctrine　of　this　wonderful　fairy　tale；　which　is；　that　your　soul　makes　your　body；　just　as　a　snail　makes　his　shell。　　For　the　rest；　it　is　enough　for　us　to　be　sure　that　whether　or　not　we　lived　before；　we　shall　live　again；　though　not；　I　hope；　as　poor　little　heathen　Tom　did。　　For　he　went　downward　into　the　water：　　but　we；　I　hope；　shall　go　upward　to　a　very　different　place。

But　Tom　was　very　happy　in　the　water。　　He　had　been　sadly　overworked　in　the　land…world；　and　so　now；　to　make　up　for　that；　he　had　nothing　but　holidays　in　the　water…world　for　a　long；　long　time　to　come。　　He　had　nothing　to　do　now　but　enjoy　himself；　and　look　at　all　the　pretty　things　which　are　to　be　seen　in　the　cool　clear　water…world；　where　the　sun　is　never　too　hot；　and　the　frost　is　never　too　cold。

And　what　did　he　live　on？　　Water…cresses；　perhaps；　or　perhaps　water…　gruel；　and　water…milk；　too　many　land…babies　do　so　likewise。　　But　we　do　not　know　what　one…tenth　of　the　water…things　eat；　so　we　are　not　answerable　for　the　water…babies。

Sometimes　he　went　along　the　smooth　gravel　water…ways；　looking　at　the　crickets　which　ran　in　and　out　among　the　stones；　as　rabbits　do　on　land；　or　he　climbed　over　the　ledges　of　rock；　and　saw　the　sand…　pipes　hanging　in　thousands；　with　every　one　of　them　a　pretty　little　head　and　legs　peeping　out；　or　he　went　into　a　still　corner；　and　watched　the　caddises　eating　dead　sticks　as　greedily　as　you　would　eat　plum…pudding；　and　building　their　houses　with　silk　and　glue。　Very　fanciful　ladies　they　were；　none　of　them　would　keep　to　the　same　materials　for　a　day。　　One　would　begin　with　some　pebbles；　then　she　would　stick　on　a　piece　of　green　wood；　then　she　found　a　shell；　and　stuck　it　on　too；　and　the　poor　shell　was　alive；　and　did　not　like　at　all　being　taken　to　build　houses　with：　　but　the　caddis　did　not　let　him　have　any　voice　in　the　matter；　being　rude　and　selfish；　as　vain　people　are　apt　to　be；　then　she　stuck　on　a　piece　of　rotten　wood；　then　a　very　smart　pink　stone；　and　so　on；　till　she　was　patched　all　over　like　an　Irishman's　coat。　　Then　she　found　a　long　straw；　five　times　as　long　as　herself；　and　said；　〃Hurrah！　my　sister　has　a　tail；　and　I'll　have　one　too；〃　and　she