the life and perambulations of a mouse-第17章

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ell；　happened　to　jump　from　the　table；　and　throw　down；　perhaps；　her　own　box。Oh！　what　a　pity　it　is　that　people　should　so　destroy　their　own　comfort！　How　sweetly　might　this　child　have　passed　the　night；　if　she　had　but；　like　her　sister；　wisely　reflected　that　a　noise　could　not　possibly　hurt　them；　　and　that；　had　any　of　the　family　occasioned　it；　by　falling　down；　or　running　against　anything　in　the　dark　which　hurt　them；　most　likely　they　would　have　heard　some　more　stirring　about。

And　upon　this　subject　the　author　cannot　help；　in　human　form　（as　well　as　in　that　of　a　mouse）；　observing　how　extremely　ridiculous　it　is　for　people　to　suffer　themselves　to　be　terrified　upon　every　trifling　occasion　that　happens；　as　if　they　had　no　more　resolution　than　a　mouse　itself；　which　is　liable　to　be　destroyed　every　meal　it　makes。　　And；　surely；　nothing　can　be　more　absurd　than　for　children　to　be　afraid　of　thieves　and　house…breakers；　since；　as　little　Mary　said；　they　never　want　to　seek　after　children。　　Money　is　all　they　want；　and　as　children　have　very　seldom　much　of　that　in　their　possession；　they　may　assure　themselves　they　are　perfectly　safe；　and　have　therefore　no　occasion　to　alarm　themselves　if　they　hear　a　noise；　without　being　able　to　make　out　what　it　is；　unless；　indeed；　like　the　child　I　have　just　been　writing　about；　they　would　be　so　silly　as　to　be　frightened　at　a　little　mouse；　for　most　commonly　the　noises　we　hear；　if　we　lay　awake　in　the　night；　are　caused　by　mice　running　about　and　playing　behind　the　wainscot：　　and　what　reasonable　person　would　suffer　themselves　to　be　alarmed　by　such　little　creatures　as　those？　　But　it　is　time　I　should　return　to　the　history　of　my　little　make…believe　companion；　who　went　on；　saying

The　conversation　I　have　been　relating　I　overheard　as　I　lay　concealed　in　a　shoe　that　stood　close　by　the　bedside；　and　into　which　I　ran　the　moment　I　jumped　off　the　table；　and　where　I　kept　snug　till　the　next　morning；　when；　just　as　the　clock　was　striking　eight；　the　same　Mrs。　Nelly；　whom　I　saw　the　day　before　in　the　kitchen；　entered　the　apartment；　and　accosted　the　young　ladies；　saying；　'Good　morning　to　you；　ladies；　do　you　know　that　it　is　time　to　get　up？'　　'Then；　pray；　Nelly；　lace　my　stays；　will　you？'　said　Miss　Nancy。　　'But　lace　mine　first；　and　give　me　my　other　shoes；　for　those　I　wore　yesterday　must　be　brushed；　because　I　stepped　in　the　dirt；　and　so　when　you　go　down　you　must　remember；　and　take　and　brush　them；　and　then　let　me　have　them　again；'　said　Mary；　'but　come　and　dress　me　now。'

Well；　thought　I；　this　is　a　rude　way　of　speaking；　indeed；　something　like　Miss　Nancy　Artless；　at　the　house　where　my　poor　dear　Softdown　was　so　cruelly　massacred；　I　am　sure　I　hope　I　shall　not　meet　with　the　like　fate　here；　and　I　wish　I　was　safe　out　of　this　shoe；　for；　perhaps；　presently　it　will　be　wanted　to　be　put　on　Mary's　foot；　and　I　am　sure　I　must　not　expect　to　meet　any　mercy　from　a　child　who　shows　so　bad　a　disposition　as　to　speak　to　a　servant　in　so　uncivil　a　manner；　for　no　good…natured　person　would　do　that。

With　these　kind　of　reflections　I　was　amusing　myself　for　some　little　time；　when；　all　on　a　sudden；　they　were　put　an　end　to；　by　my　finding　the　shoe　in　which　I　was　concealed；　hastily　taken　up；　and　before　I　had　time　to　recollect　what　I　had　best　do；　I　was　almost　killed　by　some　violent　blows　I　received；　which　well　nigh　broke　every　bone　in　my　skin。　　I　crept　quite　up　to　the　toe　of　the　shoe；　so　that　I　was　not　at　all　seen；　and　the　maid；　when　she　took　up　the　shoes；　held　one　in　one　hand；　and　the　other　in　the　other；　by　their　heels；　and　then　slapped　them　hard　together；　to　beat　out　of　some　of　the　dust　which　was　in　them。　　This　she　repeated　three　or　four　times；　till　I　was　quite　stunned；　and　how　or　which　way　I　tumbled　or　got　out；　I　know　not；　but　when　I　came　to　myself。　　I　was　close　up　behind　the　foot　of　a　table；　in　a　large　apartment；　where　were　several　children；　and　a　gentleman　and　a　lady；　all　conversing　together　with　the　greatest　good　humour　and　harmony。

The　first　words　I　heard　distinctly　enough　to　remember；　were　those　of　a　little　boy；　about　five　years　old；　who；　with　eagerness　exclaimed'I　forget　you！　no　that　I　never　shall。　　If　I　was　to　go　a　hundred　thousand　miles　off；　I　am　sure　I　shall　never　forget　you。　　What！　do　you　think　I　should　ever；　as　long　as　I　live；　if　it　is　a　million　of　years；　forget　my　own　dear　papa　and　mamma？　No；　that　I　should　not；　I　am　very；　very　sure　I　never　should。'　　'Well；　but　Tom；'　interrupted　the　gentleman；　'if　in　a　million　of　years　you　should　not　forget　us；　I　dare　say；　in　less　than　two　months　you　will　forget　our　advice；　and　before　you　have　been　at　school　half　that　time；　you　will　get　to　squabbling　with　and　tricking　the　other　boys；　just　as　they　do　with　one　another；　and　instead　of　playing　at　all　times　with　the　strictest　openness　and　honour；　you　will；　I　sadly　fear；　learn　to　cheat；　and　deceive；　and　pay　no　attention　to　what　your　mother　and　I　have　been　telling　you。'　　'No'；　that　I　am　sure　I　sha'n't！'　replied　the　boy。　　'What！　do　you　think　I　shall　be　so　wicked　as　to　turn　a　thief；　and　cheat　people？'　　'I　dare　say；　my　dear；'　resumed　the　father；　'you　will　not　do　what　we　call　thieving；　but　as　I　know　there　are　many　naughty　boys　in　all　schools；　I　am　afraid　they　will　teach　you　to　commit　dishonourable　actions；　and　to　tell　you　there　is　no　harm　in　them；　and　that　they　are　signs　of　cleverness　and　spirit；　and　qualifications　very　necessary　for　every　boy　to　possess。'　　'Aye；　that's　sure　enough；'　said　the　boy；　who　appeared　about　ten　years　old；　'for　they　almost　all　declare；　that　if　a　boy　is　not　sharp　and　cunning；　he　might　almost　as　well　be　out　of　the　world　as　in　it。　　But；　as　you　say；　papa；　I　hate　such　behaviour；　I　am　sure　there　is　one　of　our　boys；　who　is　so　wonderfully　clever　and　acute；　as　they　call　him；　that　I　detest　ever　having　any　thing　to　do　with　him；　for　unless　one　watches　him　as　a　cat　would　watch　a　mouse；　he　is　sure　to　cheat　or　play　one　some　trick　or　other。'　　'What　sort　of　tricks　do　you　mean？'　inquired　the　little　boy。　　'Why；　I　will　tell　you；'　replied　the　other。　　'You　know　nothing　of　the　games　we　have　at　school；　so　if　I　was　to　tell　you　how　he　plays　at　them；　you　would　not　understand　what　I　meant。　　But　you　know　what　walking　about　blindfold　is；　don't　you？　　Well！　one　day；　about　a　dozen　boys　agreed　to　have　a　blind　race；　and　the　boy　who　got　nearest　the　goal；　which　was　a　stick　driven　in　the　ground　with　a　shilling　upon　the　top　of　it；　was　to　win　the　shilling；　provided　he　did　it　fairly　without　seeing。'　　'I　suppose；'　interrupted　Tom；　'you　mean　the　boy　who　got　to　the　stick　first。'　　'No；　I　do　not；'　replied　his　brother；　'I　mean　what　I　say；　the　boy　who　got　nearest　it；　no　matter　whether　he　came　first　or　last；　the　fun　was　to　see　them　try　to　keep　in　a　straight　path；　with　their　eyes　tied　up；　whilst　they　wander　quite　in　the　wrong；　and　not　to　try　who　could　run　fastest。　　Well！　when　they；　were　all　blinded；　and　twisted　round　three　or　four　times　before　they　were　suffered　to　set　off；　they　directed　their　steps　the　way　they　thought　would　directly　conduct　them　to　the　goal；　and　some　of　them　had　almost　reached　it；　when　Sharply　（the　boy　I　mentioned）　who　had　placed　a　shilling　upon　the　stick；　for　they　drew　lots　who　should　do　that；　and　he　who　furnished　the　money　was　to　stand　by　it；　to　observe　who　won　it　by　coming　nearest；　well；　Sharply；　I　say；　just　as　they　came　close　to　it；　moved　away　softly　to　another　place；　above　three　yards　distant　from　any　of　them　（for　I　should　have　told　you；　that　if　none　of　them　got　within　three　yards；　the　shilling　was　to　remain　his；　and　they　were　each　to　give　him　a　penny。）　　So　then　he　untied　their　eyes；　and　insisted　upon　it　they　had　all　of　them　lost。　　But　two　or　three　of　us　happened　to　be　by；　and　so　we　said　he　had　cheated　them；　and　ought　not　to　keep　the　money；　as　it　had　fairly　been　won　by　Smyth。　　But　he　would　not　give　it　up；　so　it　made　a　quarrel　between　him　and　Smyth；　and　at　last　they　fought；　and　Mr。　Chiron　confined　them　both　in　the　school　all　the　rest　of　the　afternoon；　and　when　he　heard　what　the　quarrel　was　about；　he　took　the　shilling　from　Sharply；　and　called　him　a　mean…spirited　cheat；　but　he　would　not　let　Smyth　have　it；　because　he　said　he　deserved　to　lose　it　for　fighting　about　such　a　trifle；　and　so　it　was　put　into　the　forfeit…money。'

'But　pray　do　not　you　think　Sharply　behaved　extremely　wrong？'　　'Shamefully　so；　inde