the water-babies-第25章

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n　the　lessons　and　the　boys　hear　them　…　which　saves　a　great　deal　of　trouble　…　for　the　time　being。

〃Now；〃　said　the　baby；　〃come　and　help　me；　or　I　shall　not　have　finished　before　my　brothers　and　sisters　come；　and　it　is　time　to　go　home。〃

〃What　shall　I　help　you　at？〃

〃At　this　poor　dear　little　rock；　a　great　clumsy　boulder　came　rolling　by　in　the　last　storm；　and　knocked　all　its　head　off；　and　rubbed　off　all　its　flowers。　　And　now　I　must　plant　it　again　with　seaweeds；　and　coralline；　and　anemones；　and　I　will　make　it　the　prettiest　little　rock…garden　on　all　the　shore。〃

So　they　worked　away　at　the　rock；　and　planted　it；　and　smoothed　the　sand　down　round；　it；　and　capital　fun　they　had　till　the　tide　began　to　turn。　　And　then　Tom　heard　all　the　other　babies　coming；　laughing　and　singing　and　shouting　and　romping；　and　the　noise　they　made　was　just　like　the　noise　of　the　ripple。　　So　he　knew　that　he　had　been　hearing　and　seeing　the　water…babies　all　along；　only　he　did　not　know　them；　because　his　eyes　and　ears　were　not　opened。

And　in　they　came；　dozens　and　dozens　of　them；　some　bigger　than　Tom　and　some　smaller；　all　in　the　neatest　little　white　bathing　dresses；　and　when　they　found　that　he　was　a　new　baby；　they　hugged　him　and　kissed　him；　and　then　put　him　in　the　middle　and　danced　round　him　on　the　sand；　and　there　was　no　one　ever　so　happy　as　poor　little　Tom。

〃Now　then；〃　they　cried　all　at　once；　〃we　must　come　away　home；　we　must　come　away　home；　or　the　tide　will　leave　us　dry。　　We　have　mended　all　the　broken　sea…weed；　and　put　all　the　rock…pools　in　order；　and　planted　all　the　shells　again　in　the　sand；　and　nobody　will　see　where　the　ugly　storm　swept　in　last　week。〃

And　this　is　the　reason　why　the　rock…pools　are　always　so　neat　and　clean；　because　the　water…babies　come　inshore　after　every　storm　to　sweep　them　out；　and　comb　them　down；　and　put　them　all　to　rights　again。

Only　where　men　are　wasteful　and　dirty；　and　let　sewers　run　into　the　sea　instead　of　putting　the　stuff　upon　the　fields　like　thrifty　reasonable　souls；　or　throw　herrings'　heads　and　dead　dog…fish；　or　any　other　refuse；　into　the　water；　or　in　any　way　make　a　mess　upon　the　clean　shore　…　there　the　water…babies　will　not　come；　sometimes　not　for　hundreds　of　years　（for　they　cannot　abide　anything　smelly　or　foul）；　but　leave　the　sea…anemones　and　the　crabs　to　clear　away　everything；　till　the　good　tidy　sea　has　covered　up　all　the　dirt　in　soft　mud　and　clean　sand；　where　the　water…babies　can　plant　live　cockles　and　whelks　and　razor…shells　and　sea…cucumbers　and　golden…　combs；　and　make　a　pretty　live　garden　again；　after　man's　dirt　is　cleared　away。　　And　that；　I　suppose；　is　the　reason　why　there　are　no　water…babies　at　any　watering…place　which　I　have　ever　seen。

And　where　is　the　home　of　the　water…babies？　　In　St。　Brandan's　fairy　isle。

Did　you　never　hear　of　the　blessed　St。　Brandan；　how　he　preached　to　the　wild　Irish　on　the　wild；　wild　Kerry　coast；　he　and　five　other　hermits；　till　they　were　weary　and　longed　to　rest？　　For　the　wild　Irish　would　not　listen　to　them；　or　come　to　confession　and　to　mass；　but　liked　better　to　brew　potheen；　and　dance　the　pater　o'pee；　and　knock　each　other　over　the　head　with　shillelaghs；　and　shoot　each　other　from　behind　turf…dykes；　and　steal　each　other's　cattle；　and　burn　each　other's　homes；　till　St。　Brandan　and　his　friends　were　weary　of　them；　for　they　would　not　learn　to　be　peaceable　Christians　at　all。

So　St。　Brandan　went　out　to　the　point　of　Old　Dunmore；　and　looked　over　the　tide…way　roaring　round　the　Blasquets；　at　the　end　of　all　the　world；　and　away　into　the　ocean；　and　sighed　…　〃Ah　that　I　had　wings　as　a　dove！〃　　And　far　away；　before　the　setting　sun；　he　saw　a　blue　fairy　sea；　and　golden　fairy　islands；　and　he　said；　〃Those　are　the　islands　of　the　blest。〃　　Then　he　and　his　friends　got　into　a　hooker；　and　sailed　away　and　away　to　the　westward；　and　were　never　heard　of　more。　　But　the　people　who　would　not　hear　him　were　changed　into　gorillas；　and　gorillas　they　are　until　this　day。

And　when　St。　Brandan　and　the　hermits　came　to　that　fairy　isle　they　found　it　overgrown　with　cedars　and　full　of　beautiful　birds；　and　he　sat　down　under　the　cedars　and　preached　to　all　the　birds　in　the　air。　And　they　liked　his　sermons　so　well　that　they　told　the　fishes　in　the　sea；　and　they　came；　and　St。　Brandan　preached　to　them；　and　the　fishes　told　the　water…babies；　who　live　in　the　caves　under　the　isle；　and　they　came　up　by　hundreds　every　Sunday；　and　St。　Brandan　got　quite　a　neat　little　Sunday…school。　　And　there　he　taught　the　water…　babies　for　a　great　many　hundred　years；　till　his　eyes　grew　too　dim　to　see；　and　his　beard　grew　so　long　that　he　dared　not　walk　for　fear　of　treading　on　it；　and　then　he　might　have　tumbled　down。　　And　at　last　he　and　the　five　hermits　fell　fast　asleep　under　the　cedar…　shades；　and　there　they　sleep　unto　this　day。　　But　the　fairies　took　to　the　water…babies；　and　taught　them　their　lessons　themselves。

And　some　say　that　St。　Brandan　will　awake　and　begin　to　teach　the　babies　once　more：　　but　some　think　that　he　will　sleep　on；　for　better　for　worse；　till　the　coming　of　the　Cocqcigrues。　　But；　on　still　clear　summer　evenings；　when　the　sun　sinks　down　into　the　sea；　among　golden　cloud…capes　and　cloud…islands；　and　locks　and　friths　of　azure　sky；　the　sailors　fancy　that　they　see；　away　to　westward；　St。　Brandan's　fairy　isle。

But　whether　men　can　see　it　or　not；　St。　Brandan's　Isle　once　actually　stood　there；　a　great　land　out　in　the　ocean；　which　has　sunk　and　sunk　beneath　the　waves。　　Old　Plato　called　it　Atlantis；　and　told　strange　tales　of　the　wise　men　who　lived　therein；　and　of　the　wars　they　fought　in　the　old　times。　　And　from　off　that　island　came　strange　flowers；　which　linger　still　about　this　land：…　the　Cornish　heath；　and　Cornish　moneywort；　and　the　delicate　Venus's　hair；　and　the　London…pride　which　covers　the　Kerry　mountains；　and　the　little　pink　butterwort　of　Devon；　and　the　great　blue　butterwort　of　Ireland；　and　the　Connemara　heath；　and　the　bristle…fern　of　the　Turk　waterfall；　and　many　a　strange　plant　more；　all　fairy　tokens　left　for　wise　men　and　good　children　from　off　St。　Brandan's　Isle。

Now　when　Tom　got　there；　he　found　that　the　isle　stood　all　on　pillars；　and　that　its　roots　were　full　of　caves。　　There　were　pillars　of　black　basalt；　like　Staffa；　and　pillars　of　green　and　crimson　serpentine；　like　Kynance；　and　pillars　ribboned　with　red　and　white　and　yellow　sandstone；　like　Livermead；　and　there　were　blue　grottoes　like　Capri；　and　white　grottoes　like　Adelsberg；　all　curtained　and　draped　with　seaweeds；　purple　and　crimson；　green　and　brown；　and　strewn　with　soft　white　sand；　on　which　the　water…babies　sleep　every　night。　　But；　to　keep　the　place　clean　and　sweet；　the　crabs　picked　up　all　the　scraps　off　the　floor　and　ate　them　like　so　many　monkeys；　while　the　rocks　were　covered　with　ten　thousand　sea…anemones；　and　corals　and　madrepores；　who　scavenged　the　water　all　day　long；　and　kept　it　nice　and　pure。　　But；　to　make　up　to　them　for　having　to　do　such　nasty　work；　they　were　not　left　black　and　dirty；　as　poor　chimney…sweeps　and　dustmen　are。　　No；　the　fairies　are　more　considerate　and　just　than　that；　and　have　dressed　them　all　in　the　most　beautiful　colours　and　patterns；　till　they　look　like　vast　flower…beds　of　gay　blossoms。　　If　you　think　I　am　talking　nonsense；　I　can　only　say　that　it　is　true；　and　that　an　old　gentleman　named　Fourier　used　to　say　that　we　ought　to　do　the　same　by　chimney…sweeps　and　dustmen；　and　honour　them　instead　of　despising　them；　and　he　was　a　very　clever　old　gentleman：　　but；　unfortunately　for　him　and　the　world；　as　mad　as　a　March　hare。

And；　instead　of　watchmen　and　policemen　to　keep　out　nasty　things　at　night；　there　were　thousands　and　thousands　of　water…snakes；　and　most　wonderful　creatures　they　were。　　They　were　all　named　after　the　Nereids；　the　sea…fairies　who　took　care　of　them；　Eunice　and　Polynoe；　Phyllodoce　and　Psamathe；　and　all　the　rest　of　the　pretty　darlings　who　swim　round　their　Queen　Amphitrite；　and　her　car　of　cameo　shell。　They　were　dressed　in　green　velvet；　and　black　velvet；　and　purple　velvet；　and　were　all　jointed　in　rings；　and　some　of　them　had　three　hundred　brains　apiece；　so　that　they　must　have　been　uncommonly　shrewd　detectives；　and　some　had　eyes　in　their　tails；　and　some　had　eyes　in　every　joint；　so　that　they　kept　a　very　sharp　look…out；　and　when　they　wanted　a　baby…snake；　they　just　grew　one　at　the　en