the water-babies-第28章

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BEDONEBY　came　too。　　Whereat　all　the　little　children　began　dancing　and　clapping　their　hands；　and　Tom　danced　too　with　all　his　might。

And　as　for　the　pretty　lady；　I　cannot　tell　you　what　the　colour　of　her　hair　was；　or；　of　her　eyes：　　no　more　could　Tom；　for；　when　any　one　looks　at　her；　all　they　can　think　of　is；　that　she　has　the　sweetest；　kindest；　tenderest；　funniest；　merriest　face　they　ever　saw；　or　want　to　see。　　But　Tom　saw　that　she　was　a　very　tall　woman；　as　tall　as　her　sister：　　but　instead　of　being　gnarly　and　horny；　and　scaly；　and　prickly；　like　her；　she　was　the　most　nice；　soft；　fat；　smooth；　pussy；　cuddly；　delicious　creature　who　ever　nursed　a　baby；　and　she　understood　babies　thoroughly；　for　she　had　plenty　of　her　own；　whole　rows　and　regiments　of　them；　and　has　to　this　day。　　And　all　her　delight　was；　whenever　she　had　a　spare　moment；　to　play　with　babies；　in　which　she　showed　herself　a　woman　of　sense；　for　babies　are　the　best　company；　and　the　pleasantest　playfellows；　in　the　world；　at　least；　so　all　the　wise　people　in　the　world　think。　　And　therefore　when　the　children　saw　her；　they　naturally　all　caught　hold　of　her；　and　pulled　her　till　she　sat　down　on　a　stone；　and　climbed　into　her　lap；　and　clung　round　her　neck；　and　caught　hold　of　her　hands；　and　then　they　all　put　their　thumbs　into　their　mouths；　and　began　cuddling　and　purring　like　so　many　kittens；　as　they　ought　to　have　done。　　While　those　who　could　get　nowhere　else　sat　down　on　the　sand；　and　cuddled　her　feet　…　for　no　one；　you　know；　wear　shoes　in　the　water；　except　horrid　old　bathing…women；　who　are　afraid　of　the　water…babies　pinching　their　horny　toes。　　And　Tom　stood　staring　at　them；　for　he　could　not　understand　what　it　was　all　about。

〃And　who　are　you；　you　little　darling？〃　she　said。

〃Oh；　that　is　the　new　baby！〃　they　all　cried；　pulling　their　thumbs　out　of　their　mouths；　〃and　he　never　had　any　mother；〃　and　they　all　put　their　thumbs　back　again；　for　they　did　not　wish　to　lose　any　time。

〃Then　I　will　be　his　mother；　and　he　shall　have　the　very　best　place；　so　get　out；　all　of　you；　this　moment。〃

And　she　took　up　two　great　armfuls　of　babies　…　nine　hundred　under　one　arm；　and　thirteen　hundred　under　the　other　…　and　threw　them　away；　right　and　left；　into　the　water。　　But　they　minded　it　no　more　than　the　naughty　boys　in　Struwelpeter　minded　when　St。　Nicholas　dipped　them　in　his　inkstand；　and　did　not　even　take　their　thumbs　out　of　their　mouths；　but　came　paddling　and　wriggling　back　to　her　like　so　many　tadpoles；　till　you　could　see　nothing　of　her　from　head　to　foot　for　the　swarm　of　little　babies。

But　she　took　Tom　in　her　arms；　and　laid　him　in　the　softest　place　of　all；　and　kissed　him；　and　patted　him；　and　talked　to　him；　tenderly　and　low；　such　things　as　he　had　never　heard　before　in　his　life；　and　Tom　looked　up　into　her　eyes；　and　loved　her；　and　loved；　till　he　fell　fast　asleep　from　pure　love。

And　when　he　woke　she　was　telling　the　children　a　story。　　And　what　story　did　she　tell　them？　　One　story　she　told　them；　which　begins　every　Christmas　Eve；　and　yet　never　ends　at　all　for　ever　and　ever；　and；　as　she　went　on；　the　children　took　their　thumbs　out　of　their　mouths　and　listened　quite　seriously；　but　not　sadly　at　all；　for　she　never　told　them　anything　sad；　and　Tom　listened　too；　and　never　grew　tired　of　listening。　　And　he　listened　so　long　that　he　fell　fast　asleep　again；　and；　when　he　woke；　the　lady　was　nursing　him　still。

〃Don't　go　away；〃　said　little　Tom。　　〃This　is　so　nice。　　I　never　had　any　one　to　cuddle　me　before。〃

〃Don't　go　away；〃　said　all　the　children；　〃you　have　not　sung　us　one　song。〃

〃Well；　I　have　time　for　only　one。　　So　what　shall　it　be？〃

〃The　doll　you　lost！　　The　doll　you　lost！〃　cried　all　the　babies　at　once。

So　the　strange　fairy　sang：…


I　once　had　a　sweet　little　doll；　dears；　The　prettiest　doll　in　the　world；　Her　cheeks　were　so　red　and　so　white；　dears；　And　her　hair　was　so　charmingly　curled。　But　I　lost　my　poor　little　doll；　dears；　As　I　played　in　the　heath　one　day；　And　I　cried　for　her　more　than　a　week；　dears；　But　I　never　could　find　where　she　lay。

I　found　my　poor　little　doll；　dears；　As　I　played　in　the　heath　one　day：　Folks　say　she　is　terribly　changed；　dears；　For　her　paint　is　all　washed　away；　And　her　arm　trodden　off　by　the　cows；　dears；　And　her　hair　not　the　least　bit　curled：　Yet；　for　old　sakes'　sake　she　is　still；　dears；　The　prettiest　doll　in　the　world。


What　a　silly　song　for　a　fairy　to　sing！

And　what　silly　water…babies　to　be　quite　delighted　at　it！

Well；　but　you　see　they　have　not　the　advantage　of　Aunt　Agitate's　Arguments　in　the　sea…land　down　below。

〃Now；〃　said　the　fairy　to　Tom；　〃will　you　be　a　good　boy　for　my　sake；　and　torment　no　more　sea…beasts　till　I　come　back？〃

〃And　you　will　cuddle　me　again？〃　said　poor　little　Tom。

〃Of　course　I　will；　you　little　duck。　　I　should　like　to　take　you　with　me　and　cuddle　you　all　the　way；　only　I　must　not；〃　and　away　she　went。

So　Tom　really　tried　to　be　a　good　boy；　and　tormented　no　sea…beasts　after　that　as　long　as　he　lived；　and　he　is　quite　alive；　I　assure　you；　still。

Oh；　how　good　little　boys　ought　to　be　who　have　kind　pussy　mammas　to　cuddle　them　and　tell　them　stories；　and　how　afraid　they　ought　to　be　of　growing　naughty；　and　bringing　tears　into　their　mammas'　pretty　eyes！



CHAPTER　VI



〃Thou　little　child；　yet　glorious　in　the　night　Of　heaven…born　freedom　on　thy　Being's　height；　Why　with　such　earnest　pains　dost　thou　provoke　The　Years　to　bring　the　inevitable　yoke　…　Thus　blindly　with　thy　blessedness　at　strife？　Full　soon　thy　soul　shall　have　her　earthly　freight；　And　custom　lie　upon　thee　with　a　weight　Heavy　as　frost；　and　deep　almost　as　life。〃

WORDSWORTH。


I　come　to　the　very　saddest　part　of　all　my　story。　　I　know　some　people　will　only　laugh　at　it；　and　call　it　much　ado　about　nothing。　But　I　know　one　man　who　would　not；　and　he　was　an　officer　with　a　pair　of　gray　moustaches　as　long　as　your　arm；　who　said　once　in　company　that　two　of　the　most　heart…rending　sights　in　the　world；　which　moved　him　most　to　tears；　which　he　would　do　anything　to　prevent　or　remedy；　were　a　child　over　a　broken　toy　and　a　child　stealing　sweets。

The　company　did　not　laugh　at　him；　his　moustaches　were　too　long　and　too　gray　for　that：　　but；　after　he　was　gone；　they　called　him　sentimental　and　so　forth；　all　but　one　dear　little　old　Quaker　lady　with　a　soul　as　white　as　her　cap；　who　was　not；　of　course；　generally　partial　to　soldiers；　and　she　said　very　quietly；　like　a　Quaker：

〃Friends；　it　is　borne　upon　my　mind　that　that　is　a　truly　brave　man。〃

Now　you　may　fancy　that　Tom　was　quite　good；　when　he　had　everything　that　he　could　want　or　wish：　　but　you　would　be　very　much　mistaken。　Being　quite　comfortable　is　a　very　good　thing；　but　it　does　not　make　people　good。　　Indeed；　it　sometimes　makes　them　naughty；　as　it　has　made　the　people　in　America；　and　as　it　made　the　people　in　the　Bible；　who　waxed　fat　and　kicked；　like　horses　overfed　and　underworked。　　And　I　am　very　sorry　to　say　that　this　happened　to　little　Tom。　　For　he　grew　so　fond　of　the　sea…bullseyes　and　sea…lollipops　that　his　foolish　little　head　could　think　of　nothing　else：　　and　he　was　always　longing　for　more；　and　wondering　when　the　strange　lady　would　come　again　and　give　him　some；　and　what　she　would　give　him；　and　how　much；　and　whether　she　would　give　him　more　than　the　others。　　And　he　thought　of　nothing　but　lollipops　by　day；　and　dreamt　of　nothing　else　by　night　…　and　what　happened　then？

That　he　began　to　watch　the　lady　to　see　where　she　kept　the　sweet　things：　　and　began　hiding；　and　sneaking；　and　following　her　about；　and　pretending　to　be　looking　the　other　way；　or　going　after　something　else；　till　he　found　out　that　she　kept　them　in　a　beautiful　mother…of…pearl　cabinet　away　in　a　deep　crack　of　the　rocks。

And　he　longed　to　go　to　the　cabinet；　and　yet　he　was　afraid；　and　then　he　longed　again；　and　was　less　afraid；　and　at　last；　by　continual　thinking　about　it；　he　longed　so　violently　that　he　was　not　afraid　at　all。　　And　one　night；　when　all　the　other　children　were　asleep；　and　he　could　not　sleep　for　thinking　of　lollipops；　he　crept　away　among　the　rocks；　and　got　to　the　cabinet；　and　behold！　it　was　open。

But；　when　he　saw　all　the　nice　things　inside；　instead　of　being　delighted；　he　was　quite　frightened；　and　wished　he　had　never　come　there。　　And　then　he　would　only　touch　them；　and　he　did；　and　then　he　would　only　taste　on