beasts and superbeasts-第36章

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frequent　intervals　by　loud；　petulant　questionings　from　

her　listeners；　she　began　an　unenterprising　and　deplorably　

uninteresting　story　about　a　little　girl　who　was　good；　and　

made　friends　with　every　one　on　account　of　her　goodness；　

and　was　finally　saved　from　a　mad　bull　by　a　number　of　

rescuers　who　admired　her　moral　character。



〃Wouldn't　they　have　saved　her　if　she　hadn't　been　

good？〃　demanded　the　bigger　of　the　small　girls。　　It　was　

exactly　the　question　that　the　bachelor　had　wanted　to　ask。



〃Well；　yes；〃　admitted　the　aunt　lamely；　〃but　I　don't　

think　they　would　have　run　quite　so　fast　to　her　help　if　

they　had　not　liked　her　so　much。〃



〃It's　the　stupidest　story　I've　ever　heard；〃　said　the　

bigger　of　the　small　girls；　with　immense　conviction。



〃I　didn't　listen　after　the　first　bit；　it　was　so　

stupid；〃　said　Cyril。



The　smaller　girl　made　no　actual　comment　on　the　

story；　but　she　had　long　ago　recommenced　a　murmured　

repetition　of　her　favourite　line。



〃You　don't　seem　to　be　a　success　as　a　story…teller；〃　

said　the　bachelor　suddenly　from　his　corner。



The　aunt　bristled　in　instant　defence　at　this　

unexpected　attack。



〃It's　a　very　difficult　thing　to　tell　stories　that　

children　can　both　understand　and　appreciate；〃　she　said　

stiffly。



〃I　don't　agree　with　you；〃　said　the　bachelor。



〃Perhaps　you　would　like　to　tell　them　a　story；〃　was　

the　aunt's　retort。



〃Tell　us　a　story；〃　demanded　the　bigger　of　the　small　

girls。



〃Once　upon　a　time；〃　began　the　bachelor；　〃there　was　a　

little　girl　called　Bertha；　who　was　extra…ordinarily　

good。〃



The　children's　momentarily…aroused　interest　began　at　

once　to　flicker；　all　stories　seemed　dreadfully　alike；　no　

matter　who　told　them。



〃She　did　all　that　she　was　told；　she　was　always　

truthful；　she　kept　her　clothes　clean；　ate　milk　puddings　

as　though　they　were　jam　tarts；　learned　her　lessons　

perfectly；　and　was　polite　in　her　manners。〃



〃Was　she　pretty？〃　asked　the　bigger　of　the　small　

girls。



〃Not　as　pretty　as　any　of　you；〃　said　the　bachelor；　

〃but　she　was　horribly　good。〃



There　was　a　wave　of　reaction　in　favour　of　the　story；　

the　word　horrible　in　connection　with　goodness　was　a　

novelty　that　commended　itself。　　It　seemed　to　introduce　a　

ring　of　truth　that　was　absent　from　the　aunt's　tales　of　

infant　life。



〃She　was　so　good；〃　continued　the　bachelor；　〃that　she　

won　several　medals　for　goodness；　which　she　always　wore；　

pinned　on　to　her　dress。　　There　was　a　medal　for　obedience；　

another　medal　for　punctuality；　and　a　third　for　good　

behaviour。　　They　were　large　metal　medals　and　they　clicked　

against　one　another　as　she　walked。　　No　other　child　in　the　

town　where　she　lived　had　as　many　as　three　medals；　so　

everybody　knew　that　she　must　be　an　extra　good　child。〃



〃Horribly　good；〃　quoted　Cyril。



〃Everybody　talked　about　her　goodness；　and　the　Prince　

of　the　country　got　to　hear　about　it；　and　he　said　that　as　

she　was　so　very　good　she　might　be　allowed　once　a　week　to　

walk　in　his　park；　which　was　just　outside　the　town。　　It　

was　a　beautiful　park；　and　no　children　were　ever　allowed　

in　it；　so　it　was　a　great　honour　for　Bertha　to　be　allowed　

to　go　there。〃



〃Were　there　any　sheep　in　the　park？〃　demanded　Cyril。



〃No；〃　said　the　bachelor；　〃there　were　no　sheep。〃



〃Why　weren't　there　any　sheep？〃　came　the　inevitable　

question　arising　out　of　that　answer。



The　aunt　permitted　herself　a　smile；　which　might　

almost　have　been　described　as　a　grin。



〃There　were　no　sheep　in　the　park；〃　said　the　

bachelor；　〃because　the　Prince's　mother　had　once　had　a　

dream　that　her　son　would　either　be　killed　by　a　sheep　or　

else　by　a　clock　falling　on　him。　　For　that　reason　the　

Prince　never　kept　a　sheep　in　his　park　or　a　clock　in　his　

palace。〃



The　aunt　suppressed　a　gasp　of　admiration。



〃Was　the　Prince　killed　by　a　sheep　or　by　a　clock？〃　

asked　Cyril。



〃He　is　still　alive；　so　we　can't　tell　whether　the　

dream　will　come　true；〃　said　the　bachelor　unconcernedly；　

〃anyway；　there　were　no　sheep　in　the　park；　but　there　were　

lots　of　little　pigs　running　all　over　the　place。〃



〃What　colour　were　they？〃



〃Black　with　white　faces；　white　with　black　spots；　

black　all　over；　grey　with　white　patches；　and　some　were　

white　all　over。〃



The　storyteller　paused　to　let　a　full　idea　of　the　

park's　treasures　sink　into　the　children's　imaginations；　

then　he　resumed：



〃Bertha　was　rather　sorry　to　find　that　there　were　no　

flowers　in　the　park。　　She　had　promised　her　aunts；　with　

tears　in　her　eyes；　that　she　would　not　pick　any　of　the　

kind　Prince's　flowers；　and　she　had　meant　to　keep　her　

promise；　so　of　course　it　made　her　feel　silly　to　find　that　

there　were　no　flowers　to　pick。〃



〃Why　weren't　there　any　flowers？〃



〃Because　the　pigs　had　eaten　them　all；〃　said　the　

bachelor　promptly。　　〃The　gardeners　had　told　the　Prince　

that　you　couldn't　have　pigs　and　flowers；　so　he　decided　to　

have　pigs　and　no　flowers。〃



There　was　a　murmur　of　approval　at　the　excellence　of　

the　Prince's　decision；　so　many　people　would　have　decided　

the　other　way。



〃There　were　lots　of　other　delightful　things　in　the　

park。　　There　were　ponds　with　gold　and　blue　and　green　fish　

in　them；　and　trees　with　beautiful　parrots　that　said　

clever　things　at　a　moment's　notice；　and　humming　birds　

that　hummed　all　the　popular　tunes　of　the　day。　　Bertha　

walked　up　and　down　and　enjoyed　herself　immensely；　and　

thought　to　herself：　'If　I　were　not　so　extraordinarily　

good　I　should　not　have　been　allowed　to　come　into　this　

beautiful　park　and　enjoy　all　that　there　is　to　be　seen　in　

it；'　and　her　three　medals　clinked　against　one　another　as　

she　walked　and　helped　to　remind　her　how　very　good　she　

really　was。　　Just　then　an　enormous　wolf　came　prowling　

into　the　park　to　see　if　it　could　catch　a　fat　little　pig　

for　its　supper。〃



〃What　colour　was　it？〃　asked　the　children；　amid　an　

immediate　quickening　of　interest。



〃Mud…colour　all　over；　with　a　black　tongue　and　pale　

grey　eyes　that　gleamed　with　unspeakable　ferocity。　　The　

first　thing　that　it　saw　in　the　park　was　Bertha；　her　

pinafore　was　so　spotlessly　white　and　clean　that　it　could　

be　seen　from　a　great　distance。　　Bertha　saw　the　wolf　and　

saw　that　it　was　stealing　towards　her；　and　she　began　to　

wish　that　she　had　never　been　allowed　to　come　into　the　

park。　　She　ran　as　hard　as　she　could；　and　the　wolf　came　

after　her　with　huge　leaps　and　bounds。　　She　managed　to　

reach　a　shrubbery　of　myrtle　bushes　and　she　hid　herself　in　

one　of　the　thickest　of　the　bushes。　　The　wolf　came　

sniffing　among　the　branches；　its　black　tongue　lolling　out　

of　its　mouth　and　its　pale　grey　eyes　glaring　with　rage。　　

Bertha　was　terribly　frightened；　and　thought　to　herself：　

'If　I　had　not　been　so　extraordinarily　good　I　should　have　

been　safe　in　the　town　at　this　moment。'　　However；　the　

scent　of　the　myrtle　was　so　strong　that　the　wolf　could　not　

sniff　out　where　Bertha　was　hiding；　and　the　bushes　were　so　

thick　that　he　might　have　hunted　about　in　them　for　a　long　

time　without　catching　sight　of　her；　so　he　thought　he　

might　as　well　go　off　and　catch　a　little　pig　instead。　　

Bertha　was　trembling　very　much　at　having　the　wolf　

prowling　and　sniffing　so　near　her；　and　as　she　trembled　

the　medal　for　obedience　clinked　against　the　medals　for　

good　conduct　and　punctuality。　　The　wolf　was　just　moving　

away　when　he　heard　the　sound　of　the　medals　clinking　and　

stopped　to　listen；　they　clinked　again　in　a　bush　quite　

near　him。　　He　dashed　into　the　bush；　his　pale　grey　eyes　

gleaming　with　ferocity　and　triumph；　and　dragged　Bertha　

out　and　devoured　her　to　the　last　morsel。　　All　that　was　

left　of　her　were　her　shoes；　bits　of　clothing；　and　the　

three　medals　for　goodness。〃



〃Were　any　of　the　little　pigs　killed？〃



〃No；　they　all　escaped。〃



〃The　story　began　badly；〃　said　the　smaller　of　the　

small　girls；　〃but　it　had　a　beautiful　ending。〃



〃It　is　the　most　beautiful　story　that　I　ever　heard；〃