the water-babies-第14章

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〃And　what　will　become　of　your　wife？〃

〃Oh！　she　is　a　very　plain　stupid　creature；　and　that's　the　truth；　and　thinks　about　nothing　but　eggs。　　If　she　chooses　to　come；　why　she　may；　and　if　not；　why　I　go　without　her；　…　and　here　I　go。〃

And；　as　he　spoke；　he　turned　quite　pale；　and　then　quite　white。

〃Why；　you're　ill！〃　said　Tom。　　But　he　did　not　answer。

〃You're　dead；〃　said　Tom；　looking　at　him　as　he　stood　on　his　knee　as　white　as　a　ghost。

〃No；　I　ain't！〃　answered　a　little　squeaking　voice　over　his　head。　〃This　is　me　up　here；　in　my　ball…dress；　and　that's　my　skin。　　Ha；　ha！　you　could　not　do　such　a　trick　as　that！〃

And　no　more　Tom　could；　nor　Houdin；　nor　Robin；　nor　Frikell；　nor　all　the　conjurors　in　the　world。　　For　the　little　rogue　had　jumped　clean　out　of　his　own　skin；　and　left　it　standing　on　Tom's　knee；　eyes；　wings；　legs；　tail；　exactly　as　if　it　had　been　alive。

〃Ha；　ha！〃　he　said；　and　he　jerked　and　skipped　up　and　down；　never　stopping　an　instant；　just　as　if　he　had　St。　Vitus's　dance。　　〃Ain't　I　a　pretty　fellow　now？〃

And　so　he　was；　for　his　body　was　white；　and　his　tail　orange；　and　his　eyes　all　the　colours　of　a　peacock's　tail。　　And　what　was　the　oddest　of　all；　the　whisks　at　the　end　of　his　tail　had　grown　five　times　as　long　as　they　were　before。

〃Ah！〃　said　he；　〃now　I　will　see　the　gay　world。　　My　living；　won't　cost　me　much；　for　I　have　no　mouth；　you　see；　and　no　inside；　so　I　can　never　be　hungry　nor　have　the　stomach…ache　neither。〃

No　more　he　had。　　He　had　grown　as　dry　and　hard　and　empty　as　a　quill；　as　such　silly　shallow…hearted　fellows　deserve　to　grow。

But；　instead　of　being　ashamed　of　his　emptiness；　he　was　quite　proud　of　it；　as　a　good　many　fine　gentlemen　are；　and　began　flirting　and　flipping　up　and　down；　and　singing　…


〃My　wife　shall　dance；　and　I　shall　sing；　So　merrily　pass　the　day；　For　I　hold　it　for　quite　the　wisest　thing；　To　drive　dull　care　away。〃


And　he　danced　up　and　down　for　three　days　and　three　nights；　till　he　grew　so　tired；　that　he　tumbled　into　the　water；　and　floated　down。　But　what　became　of　him　Tom　never　knew；　and　he　himself　never　minded；　for　Tom　heard　him　singing　to　the　last；　as　he　floated　down　…


〃To　drive　dull　care　away…ay…ay！〃


And　if　he　did　not　care；　why　nobody　else　cared　either。

But　one　day　Tom　had　a　new　adventure。　　He　was　sitting　on　a　water…　lily　leaf；　he　and　his　friend　the　dragon…fly；　watching　the　gnats　dance。　　The　dragon…fly　had　eaten　as　many　as　he　wanted；　and　was　sitting　quite　still　and　sleepy；　for　it　was　very　hot　and　bright。　The　gnats　（who　did　not　care　the　least　for　their　poor　brothers'　death）　danced　a　foot　over　his　head　quite　happily；　and　a　large　black　fly　settled　within　an　inch　of　his　nose；　and　began　washing　his　own　face　and　combing　his　hair　with　his　paws：　　but　the　dragon…fly　never　stirred；　and　kept　on　chatting　to　Tom　about　the　times　when　he　lived　under　the　water。

Suddenly；　Tom　heard　the　strangest　noise　up　the　stream；　cooing；　and　grunting；　and　whining；　and　squeaking；　as　if　you　had　put　into　a　bag　two　stock…doves；　nine　mice；　three　guinea…pigs；　and　a　blind　puppy；　and　left　them　there　to　settle　themselves　and　make　music。

He　looked　up　the　water；　and　there　he　saw　a　sight　as　strange　as　the　noise；　a　great　ball　rolling　over　and　over　down　the　stream；　seeming　one　moment　of　soft　brown　fur；　and　the　next　of　shining　glass：　　and　yet　it　was　not　a　ball；　for　sometimes　it　broke　up　and　streamed　away　in　pieces；　and　then　it　joined　again；　and　all　the　while　the　noise　came　out　of　it　louder　and　louder。

Tom　asked　the　dragon…fly　what　it　could　be：　　but；　of　course；　with　his　short　sight；　he　could　not　even　see　it；　though　it　was　not　ten　yards　away。　　So　he　took　the　neatest　little　header　into　the　water；　and　started　off　to　see　for　himself；　and；　when　he　came　near；　the　ball　turned　out　to　be　four　or　five　beautiful　creatures；　many　times　larger　than　Tom；　who　were　swimming　about；　and　rolling；　and　diving；　and　twisting；　and　wrestling；　and　cuddling；　and　kissing　and　biting；　and　scratching；　in　the　most　charming　fashion　that　ever　was　seen。　And　if　you　don't　believe　me；　you　may　go　to　the　Zoological　Gardens　（for　I　am　afraid　that　you　won't　see　it　nearer；　unless；　perhaps；　you　get　up　at　five　in　the　morning；　and　go　down　to　Cordery's　Moor；　and　watch　by　the　great　withy　pollard　which　hangs　over　the　backwater；　where　the　otters　breed　sometimes）；　and　then　say；　if　otters　at　play　in　the　water　are　not　the　merriest；　lithest；　gracefullest　creatures　you　ever　saw。

But；　when　the　biggest　of　them　saw　Tom；　she　darted　out　from　the　rest；　and　cried　in　the　water…language　sharply　enough；　〃Quick；　children；　here　is　something　to　eat；　indeed！〃　and　came　at　poor　Tom；　showing　such　a　wicked　pair　of　eyes；　and　such　a　set　of　sharp　teeth　in　a　grinning　mouth；　that　Tom；　who　had　thought　her　very　handsome；　said　to　himself；　HANDSOME　IS　THAT　HANDSOME　DOES；　and　slipped　in　between　the　water…lily　roots　as　fast　as　he　could；　and　then　turned　round　and　made　faces　at　her。

〃Come　out；〃　said　the　wicked　old　otter；　〃or　it　will　be　worse　for　you。〃

But　Tom　looked　at　her　from　between　two　thick　roots；　and　shook　them　with　all　his　might；　making　horrible　faces　all　the　while；　just　as　he　used　to　grin　through　the　railings　at　the　old　women；　when　he　lived　before。　　It　was　not　quite　well　bred；　no　doubt；　but　you　know；　Tom　had　not　finished　his　education　yet。

〃Come；　away；　children；〃　said　the　otter　in　disgust；　〃it　is　not　worth　eating；　after　all。　　It　is　only　a　nasty　eft；　which　nothing　eats；　not　even　those　vulgar　pike　in　the　pond。〃

〃I　am　not　an　eft！〃　said　Tom；　〃efts　have　tails。〃

〃You　are　an　eft；〃　said　the　otter；　very　positively；　〃I　see　your　two　hands　quite　plain；　and　I　know　you　have　a　tail。〃

〃I　tell　you　I　have　not；〃　said　Tom。　　〃Look　here！〃　and　he　turned　his　pretty　little　self　quite　round；　and；　sure　enough；　he　had　no　more　tail　than　you。

The　otter　might　have　got　out　of　it　by　saying　that　Tom　was　a　frog：　but；　like　a　great　many　other　people；　when　she　had　once　said　a　thing；　she　stood　to　it；　right　or　wrong；　so　she　answered：

〃I　say　you　are　an　eft；　and　therefore　you　are；　and　not　fit　food　for　gentlefolk　like　me　and　my　children。　　You　may　stay　there　till　the　salmon　eat　you　（she　knew　the　salmon　would　not；　but　she　wanted　to　frighten　poor　Tom）。　　Ha！　ha！　they　will　eat　you；　and　we　will　eat　them；〃　and　the　otter　laughed　such　a　wicked　cruel　laugh　…　as　you　may　hear　them　do　sometimes；　and　the　first　time　that　you　hear　it　you　will　probably　think　it　is　bogies。

〃What　are　salmon？〃　asked　Tom。

〃Fish；　you　eft；　great　fish；　nice　fish　to　eat。　　They　are　the　lords　of　the　fish；　and　we　are　lords　of　the　salmon；〃　and　she　laughed　again。　　〃We　hunt　them　up　and　down　the　pools；　and　drive　them　up　into　a　corner；　the　silly　things；　they　are　so　proud；　and　bully　the　little　trout；　and　the　minnows；　till　they　see　us　coming；　and　then　they　are　so　meek　all　at　once；　and　we　catch　them；　but　we　disdain　to　eat　them　all；　we　just　bite　out　their　soft　throats　and　suck　their　sweet　juice　…　Oh；　so　good！〃　…　（and　she　licked　her　wicked　lips）　…　〃and　then　throw　them　away；　and　go　and　catch　another。　　They　are　coming　soon；　children；　coming　soon；　I　can　smell　the　rain　coming　up　off　the　sea；　and　then　hurrah　for　a　fresh；　and　salmon；　and　plenty　of　eating　all　day　long。〃

And　the　otter　grew　so　proud　that　she　turned　head　over　heels　twice；　and　then　stood　upright　half　out　of　the　water；　grinning　like　a　Cheshire　cat。

〃And　where　do　they　come　from？〃　asked　Tom；　who　kept　himself　very　close；　for　he　was　considerably　frightened。

〃Out　of　the　sea；　eft；　the　great　wide　sea；　where　they　might　stay　and　be　safe　if　they　liked。　　But　out　of　the　sea　the　silly　things　come；　into　the　great　river　down　below；　and　we　come　up　to　watch　for　them；　and　when　they　go　down　again　we　go　down　and　follow　them。　　And　there　we　fish　for　the　bass　and　the　pollock；　and　have　jolly　days　along　the　shore；　and　toss　and　roll　in　the　breakers；　and　sleep　snug　in　the　warm　dry　crags。　　Ah；　that　is　a　merry　life　too；　children；　if　it　were　not　for　those　horrid　men。〃

〃What　are　men？〃　asked　Tom；　but　somehow　he　seemed　to　know　before　he　asked。

〃Two…legged　things；　eft：　　and；　now　I　come　to　look　at　you；　they　are　actually　something　like　you；　if　you　had　not　a　tail〃　（she　was　determined　that　Tom　should　have　a　tail）；　〃only　a　great　deal　bigger；　worse　luck　for　us；　and　they　catch　the　fish　with　hooks　and　lines；　which　get　into　our　feet　somet