dream days-第1章

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Dream　Days

　by　Kenneth　Grahame












Contents



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

THE　TWENTY…FIRST　OF　OCTOBER

DIES　IRAE

MUTABILE　SEMPER

THE　MAGIC　RING

ITS　WALLS　WERE　AS　OF　JASPER

A　SAGA　OF　THE　SEAS

THE　RELUCTANT　DRAGON

A　DEPARTURE





Dream　Days

THE　TWENTY…FIRST　OF

OCTOBER



In　the　matter　of　general　culture　and　attainments；　we　youngsters

stood　on　pretty　level　ground。　　True；　it　was　always　happening　that

one　of　us　would　be　singled　out　at　any　moment；　freakishly；　and

without　regard　to　his　own　preferences；　to　wrestle　with　the

inflections　of　some　idiotic　language　long　rightly　dead；　while

another；　from　some　fancied　artistic　tendency　which　always　failed

to　justify　itself；　might　be　told　off　without　warning　to　hammer

out　scales　and　exercises；　and　to　bedew　the　senseless　keys　with

tears　of　weariness　or　of　revolt。　　But　in　subjects　common　to

either　sex；　and　held　to　be　necessary　even　for　him　whose

ambition　soared　no　higher　than　to　crack　a　whip　in　a　circus…ring

in　geography；　for　instance；　arithmetic；　or　the　weary　doings　of

kings　and　queenseach　would　have　scorned　to　excel。　　And；　indeed；

whatever　our　individual　gifts；　a　general　dogged　determination　to

shirk　and　to　evade　kept　us　all　at　much　the　same　dead　level；a

level　of　ignorance　tempered　by　insubordination。



Fortunately　there　existed　a　wide　range　of　subjects；　of　healthier

tone　than　those　already　enumerated；　in　which　we　were　free　to

choose　for　ourselves；　and　which　we　would　have　scorned　to　consider

education；　and　in　these　we　freely　followed　each　his　own

particular　line；　often　attaining　an　amount　of　special　knowledge

which　struck　our　ignorant　elders　as　simply　uncanny。　　For　Edward；

the　uniforms；　accoutrements；　colours；　and　mottoes　of　the

regiments　composing　the　British　Army　had　a　special　glamour。　

In　the　matter　of　facings　he　was　simply　faultless；　among　chevrons；

badges；　medals；　and　stars；　he　moved　familiarly；　he　even　knew　the

names　of　most　of　the　colonels　in　command；　and　he　would　squander

sunny　hours　prone　on　the　lawn；　heedless　of　challenge　from　bird　or

beast；　poring　over　a　tattered　Army　List。　　My　own　accomplishment

was　of　another　charactertook；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　a　wider　and　a

more　untrammelled　range。　　Dragoons　might　have　swaggered　in

Lincoln　green；　riflemen　might　have　donned　sporrans　over　tartan

trews；　without　exciting　notice　or　comment　from　me。　　But　did　you

seek　precise　information　as　to　the　fauna　of　the　American

continent；　then　you　had　come　to　the　right　shop。　　Where　and　why

the　bison　〃wallowed〃；　how　beaver　were　to　be　trapped　and　wild

turkeys　stalked；　the　grizzly　and　how　to　handle　him；　and　the

pretty　pressing　ways　of　the　constrictor；in　fine；　the　haunts　and

the　habits　of　all　that　burrowed；　strutted；　roared；　or　wriggled

between　the　Atlantic　and　the　Pacific；all　this　knowledge　I　took

for　my　province。　　By　the　others　my　equipment　was　fully

recognized。　　Supposing　a　book　with　a　bear…hunt　in　it　made　its　way

into　the　house；　and　the　atmosphere　was　electric　with　excitement；

still；　it　was　necessary　that　I　should　first　decide　whether　the

slot　had　been　properly　described　and　properly　followed　up；　ere

the　work　could　be　stamped　with　full　approval。　　A　writer　might

have　won　fame　throughout　the　civilized　globe　for　his　trappers　and

his　realistic　backwoods；　and　all　went　for　nothing。　　If　his

pemmican　were　not　properly　compounded　I　damned　his　achievement；

and　it　was　heard　no　more　of。



Harold　was　hardly　old　enough　to　possess　a　special　subject　of　his

own。　　He　had　his　instincts；　indeed；　and　at　bird's…nesting　they

almost　amounted　to　prophecy。　　Where　we　others　only　suspected

eggs；　surmised　possible　eggs；　hinted　doubtfully　at　eggs　in　the

neighbourhood；　Harold　went　straight　for　the　right　bush；　bough；　or

hole　as　if　he　carried　a　divining…rod。　　But　this　faculty　belonged

to　the　class　of　mere　gifts；　and　was　not　to　be　ranked　with

Edward's　lore　regarding　facings；　and　mine　as　to　the　habits　of

prairie…dogs；　both　gained　by　painful　study　and　extensive　travel

in　those　〃realms　of　gold；〃　the　Army　List　and　Ballantyne。



Selina's　subject；　quite　unaccountably；　happened　to　be　naval

history。　　There　is　no　laying　down　rules　as　to　subjects；　you　just

possess　themor　rather；　they　possess　youand　their　genesis　or

protoplasm　is　rarely　to　be　tracked　down。　　Selina　had　never　so

much　as　seen　the　sea；　but　for　that　matter　neither　had　I　ever

set　foot　on　the　American　continent；　the　by…ways　of　which　I　knew

so　intimately。　　And　just　as　I；　if　set　down　without　warning　in　the

middle　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　would　have　been　perfectly　at　home；

so　Selina；　if　a　genie　had　dropped　her　suddenly　on　Portsmouth

Hard；　could　have　given　points　to　most　of　its　frequenters。　　From

the　days　of　Blake　down　to　the　death　of　Nelson　（she　never

condescended　further）　Selina　had　taken　spiritual　part　in　every

notable　engagement　of　the　British　Navy；　and　even　in　the　dark　days

when　she　had　to　pick　up　skirts　and　flee；　chased　by　an　ungallant

De　Ruyter　or　Van　Tromp；　she　was　yet　cheerful　in　the　consciousness

that　ere　long　she　would　be　gleefully　hammering　the　fleets　of　the

world；　in　the　glorious　times　to　follow。　　When　that　golden　period

arrived；　Selina　was　busy　indeed；　and；　while　loving　best　to　stand

where　the　splinters　were　flying　the　thickest。　　she　was　also　a

careful　and　critical　student　of　seamanship　and　of　manoeuvre。　　She

knew　the　order　in　which　the　great　line…of…battle　ships　moved　into

action；　the　vessels　they　respectively　engaged；　the　moment　when

each　let　go　its　anchor；　and　which　of　them　had　a　spring　on　its

cable　（while　not　understanding　the　phrase；　she　carefully　noted

the　fact）；　and　she　habitually　went　into　an　engagement　on　the

quarter…deck　of　the　gallant　ship　that　reserved　its　fire　the

longest。



At　the　time　of　Selina's　weird　seizure　I　was　unfortunately　away

from　home；　on　a　loathsome　visit　to　an　aunt；　and　my　account　is

therefore　feebly　compounded　from　hearsay。　　It　was　an　absence　I

never　ceased　to　regretscoring　it　up；　with　a　sense　of　injury；

against　the　aunt。　　There　was　a　splendid　uselessness　about　the

whole　performance　that　specially　appealed　to　my　artistic　sense。　

That　it　should　have　been　Selina；　too；　who　should　break　out

this　waySelina；　who　had　just　become　a　regular　subscriber　to　the

〃Young　Ladies'　Journal；〃　and　who　allowed　herself　to　be　taken　out

to　strange　teas　with　an　air　of　resignation　palpably　assumedthis

was　a　special　joy；　and　served　to　remind　me　that　much　of　this

dreaded　convention　that　was　creeping　over　us　might　be；　after　all；

only　veneer。　　Edward　also　was　absent；　getting　licked　into　shape

at　school；　but　to　him　the　loss　was　nothing。　　With　his　stern

practical　bent　he　wouldn't　have　seen　any　sense　in　itto　recall

one　of　his　favourite　expressions。　　To　Harold；　however；　for

whom　the　gods　had　always　cherished　a　special　tenderness；　it　was

granted；　not　only　to　witness；　but　also；　priestlike；　to　feed　the

sacred　fire　itself。　　And　if　at　the　time　he　paid　the　penalty

exacted　by　the　sordid　unimaginative　ones　who　temporarily　rule　the

roast；　he　must　ever　after；　one　feels　sure；　have　carried

inside　him　some　of　the　white　gladness　of　the　acolyte　who；　greatly

privileged；　has　been　permitted　to　swing　a　censer　at　the　sacring

of　the　very　Mass。



October　was　mellowing　fast；　and　with　it　the　year　itself；　full　of

tender　hints；　in　woodland　and　hedgerow；　of　a　course　well…nigh

completed。　　From　all　sides　that　still　afternoon　you　caught　the

quick　breathing　and　sob　of　the　runner　nearing　the　goal。　

Preoccupied　and　possessed；　Selina　had　strayed　down　the　garden　and

out　into　the　pasture　beyond；　where；　on　a　bit　of　rising　ground

that　dominated　the　garden　on　one　side　and　the　downs　with　the　old

coach…road　on　the　other；　she　had　cast　herself　down　to　chew　the

cud　of　fancy。　　There　she　was　presently　joined　by　Harold；

breathless　and　very　full　of　his　latest　grievance。



〃I　asked　him　not　to；〃　he　burst　out。　　〃I　said　if　he'd　only　please

wait　a　bit　and　Edward　would　be　back　soo