the water-babies-第13章

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　know　which　was　the　more　frightened　of　the　two。

Then　he　went　on　sulky　and　lonely；　as　he　deserved　to　be；　and　under　a　bank　he　saw　a　very　ugly　dirty　creature　sitting；　about　half　as　big　as　himself；　which　had　six　legs；　and　a　big　stomach；　and　a　most　ridiculous　head　with　two　great　eyes　and　a　face　just　like　a　donkey's。

〃Oh；〃　said　Tom；　〃you　are　an　ugly　fellow　to　be　sure！〃　and　he　began　making　faces　at　him；　and　put　his　nose　close　to　him；　and　halloed　at　him；　like　a　very　rude　boy。

When；　hey　presto；　all　the　thing's　donkey…face　came　off　in　a　moment；　and　out　popped　a　long　arm　with　a　pair　of　pincers　at　the　end　of　it；　and　caught　Tom　by　the　nose。　　It　did　not　hurt　him　much；　but　it　held　him　quite　tight。

〃Yah；　ah！　　Oh；　let　me　go！〃　cried　Tom。

〃Then　let　me　go；〃　said　the　creature。　　〃I　want　to　be　quiet。　　I　want　to　split。〃

Tom　promised　to　let　him　alone；　and　he　let　go。

〃Why　do　you　want　to　split？〃　said　Tom。

〃Because　my　brothers　and　sisters　have　all　split；　and　turned　into　beautiful　creatures　with　wings；　and　I　want　to　split　too。　　Don't　speak　to　me。　　I　am　sure　I　shall　split。　　I　will　split！〃

Tom　stood　still；　and　watched　him。　　And　he　swelled　himself；　and　puffed；　and　stretched　himself　out　stiff；　and　at　last　…　crack；　puff；　bang　…　he　opened　all　down　his　back；　and　then　up　to　the　top　of　his　head。

And　out　of　his　inside　came　the　most　slender；　elegant；　soft　creature；　as　soft　and　smooth　as　Tom：　　but　very　pale　and　weak；　like　a　little　child　who　has　been　ill　a　long　time　in　a　dark　room。　　It　moved　its　legs　very　feebly；　and　looked　about　it　half　ashamed；　like　a　girl　when　she　goes　for　the　first　time　into　a　ballroom；　and　then　it　began　walking　slowly　up　a　grass　stem　to　the　top　of　the　water。

Tom　was　so　astonished　that　he　never　said　a　word　but　he　stared　with　all　his　eyes。　　And　he　went　up　to　the　top　of　the　water　too；　and　peeped　out　to　see　what　would　happen。

And　as　the　creature　sat　in　the　warm　bright　sun；　a　wonderful　change　came　over　it。　　It　grew　strong　and　firm；　the　most　lovely　colours　began　to　show　on　its　body；　blue　and　yellow　and　black；　spots　and　bars　and　rings；　out　of　its　back　rose　four　great　wings　of　bright　brown　gauze；　and　its　eyes　grew　so　large　that　they　filled　all　its　head；　and　shone　like　ten　thousand　diamonds。

〃Oh；　you　beautiful　creature！〃　said　Tom；　and　he　put　out　his　hand　to　catch　it。

But　the　thing　whirred　up　into　the　air；　and　hung　poised　on　its　wings　a　moment；　and　then　settled　down　again　by　Tom　quite　fearless。

〃No！〃　it　said；　〃you　cannot　catch　me。　　I　am　a　dragon…fly　now；　the　king　of　all　the　flies；　and　I　shall　dance　in　the　sunshine；　and　hawk　over　the　river；　and　catch　gnats；　and　have　a　beautiful　wife　like　myself。　　I　know　what　I　shall　do。　　Hurrah！〃　　And　he　flew　away　into　the　air；　and　began　catching　gnats。

〃Oh！　come　back；　come　back；〃　cried　Tom；　〃you　beautiful　creature。　　I　have　no　one　to　play　with；　and　I　am　so　lonely　here。　　If　you　will　but　come　back　I　will　never　try　to　catch　you。〃

〃I　don't　care　whether　you　do　or　not；〃　said　the　dragon…fly；　〃for　you　can't。　　But　when　I　have　had　my　dinner；　and　looked　a　little　about　this　pretty　place；　I　will　come　back；　and　have　a　little　chat　about　all　I　have　seen　in　my　travels。　　Why；　what　a　huge　tree　this　is！　and　what　huge　leaves　on　it！〃

It　was　only　a　big　dock：　　but　you　know　the　dragon…fly　had　never　seen　any　but　little　water…trees；　starwort；　and　milfoil；　and　water…　crowfoot；　and　such　like；　so　it　did　look　very　big　to　him。　　Besides；　he　was　very　short…sighted；　as　all　dragon…flies　are；　and　never　could　see　a　yard　before　his　nose；　any　more　than　a　great　many　other　folks；　who　are　not　half　as　handsome　as　he。

The　dragon…fly　did　come　back；　and　chatted　away　with　Tom。　　He　was　a　little　conceited　about　his　fine　colours　and　his　large　wings；　but　you　know；　he　had　been　a　poor　dirty　ugly　creature　all　his　life　before；　so　there　were　great　excuses　for　him。　　He　was　very　fond　of　talking　about　all　the　wonderful　things　he　saw　in　the　trees　and　the　meadows；　and　Tom　liked　to　listen　to　him；　for　he　had　forgotten　all　about　them。　　So　in　a　little　while　they　became　great　friends。

And　I　am　very　glad　to　say；　that　Tom　learned　such　a　lesson　that　day；　that　he　did　not　torment　creatures　for　a　long　time　after。　　And　then　the　caddises　grew　quite　tame；　and　used　to　tell　him　strange　stories　about　the　way　they　built　their　houses；　and　changed　their　skins；　and　turned　at　last　into　winged　flies；　till　Tom　began　to　long　to　change　his　skin；　and　have　wings　like　them　some　day。

And　the　trout　and　he　made　it　up　（for　trout　very　soon　forget　if　they　have　been　frightened　and　hurt）。　　So　Tom　used　to　play　with　them　at　hare　and　hounds；　and　great　fun　they　had；　and　he　used　to　try　to　leap　out　of　the　water；　head　over　heels；　as　they　did　before　a　shower　came　on；　but　somehow　he　never　could　manage　it。　　He　liked　most；　though；　to　see　them　rising　at　the　flies；　as　they　sailed　round　and　round　under　the　shadow　of　the　great　oak；　where　the　beetles　fell　flop　into　the　water；　and　the　green　caterpillars　let　themselves　down　from　the　boughs　by　silk　ropes　for　no　reason　at　all；　and　then　changed　their　foolish　minds　for　no　reason　at　all　either；　and　hauled　themselves　up　again　into　the　tree；　rolling　up　the　rope　in　a　ball　between　their　paws；　which　is　a　very　clever　rope…dancer's　trick；　and　neither　Blondin　nor　Leotard　could　do　it：　　but　why　they　should　take　so　much　trouble　about　it　no　one　can　tell；　for　they　cannot　get　their　living；　as　Blondin　and　Leotard　do；　by　trying　to　break　their　necks　on　a　string。

And　very　often　Tom　caught　them　just　as　they　touched　the　water；　and　caught　the　alder…flies；　and　the　caperers；　and　the　cock…tailed　duns　and　spinners；　yellow；　and　brown；　and　claret；　and　gray；　and　gave　them　to　his　friends　the　trout。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　quite　kind　to　the　flies；　but　one　must　do　a　good　turn　to　one's　friends　when　one　can。

And　at　last　he　gave　up　catching　even　the　flies；　for　he　made　acquaintance　with　one　by　accident　and　found　him　a　very　merry　little　fellow。　　And　this　was　the　way　it　happened；　and　it　is　all　quite　true。

He　was　basking　at　the　top　of　the　water　one　hot　day　in　July；　catching　duns　and　feeding　the　trout；　when　he　saw　a　new　sort；　a　dark　gray　little　fellow　with　a　brown　head。　　He　was　a　very　little　fellow　indeed：　　but　he　made　the　most　of　himself；　as　people　ought　to　do。　He　cocked　up　his　head；　and　he　cocked　up　his　wings；　and　he　cocked　up　his　tail；　and　he　cocked　up　the　two　whisks　at　his　tail…end；　and；　in　short；　he　looked　the　cockiest　little　man　of　all　little　men。　　And　so　he　proved　to　be；　for　instead　of　getting　away；　he　hopped　upon　Tom's　finger；　and　sat　there　as　bold　as　nine　tailors；　and　he　cried　out　in　the　tiniest；　shrillest；　squeakiest　little　voice　you　ever　heard；

〃Much　obliged　to　you；　indeed；　but　I　don't　want　it　yet。〃

〃Want　what？〃　said　Tom；　quite　taken　aback　by　his　impudence。

〃Your　leg；　which　you　are　kind　enough　to　hold　out　for　me　to　sit　on。　I　must　just　go　and　see　after　my　wife　for　a　few　minutes。　　Dear　me！　what　a　troublesome　business　a　family　is！〃　（though　the　idle　little　rogue　did　nothing　at　all；　but　left　his　poor　wife　to　lay　all　the　eggs　by　herself）。　　〃When　I　come　back；　I　shall　be　glad　of　it；　if　you'll　be　so　good　as　to　keep　it　sticking　out　just　so；〃　and　off　he　flew。

Tom　thought　him　a　very　cool　sort　of　personage；　and　still　more　so；　when；　in　five　minutes　he　came　back；　and　said　…　〃Ah；　you　were　tired　waiting？　　Well；　your　other　leg　will　do　as　well。〃

And　he　popped　himself　down　on　Tom's　knee；　and　began　chatting　away　in　his　squeaking　voice。

〃So　you　live　under　the　water？　　It's　a　low　place。　　I　lived　there　for　some　time；　and　was　very　shabby　and　dirty。　　But　I　didn't　choose　that　that　should　last。　　So　I　turned　respectable；　and　came　up　to　the　top；　and　put　on　this　gray　suit。　　It's　a　very　business…like　suit；　you　think；　don't　you？〃

〃Very　neat　and　quiet　indeed；〃　said　Tom。

〃Yes；　one　must　be　quiet　and　neat　and　respectable；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing　for　a　little；　when　one　becomes　a　family　man。　　But　I'm　tired　of　it；　that's　the　truth。　　I've　done　quite　enough　business；　I　consider；　in　the　last　week；　to　last　me　my　life。　　So　I　shall　put　on　a　ball　dress；　and　go　out　and　be　a　smart　man；　and　see　the　gay　world；　and　have　a　dance　or　two。　　Why　shouldn't　one　be　jolly　if　one　can？〃

〃And　what　will　become　of　your　wife？〃

〃Oh！　she　is　a　very　plain　stupid　creature；　and　that's　the　truth；　and　th