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第14章

the water-babies-第14章

小说: the water-babies 字数: 每页4000字

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〃And what will become of your wife?〃

〃Oh! she is a very plain stupid creature; and that's the truth; and thinks about nothing but eggs。  If she chooses to come; why she may; and if not; why I go without her; … and here I go。〃

And; as he spoke; he turned quite pale; and then quite white。

〃Why; you're ill!〃 said Tom。  But he did not answer。

〃You're dead;〃 said Tom; looking at him as he stood on his knee as white as a ghost。

〃No; I ain't!〃 answered a little squeaking voice over his head。 〃This is me up here; in my ball…dress; and that's my skin。  Ha; ha! you could not do such a trick as that!〃

And no more Tom could; nor Houdin; nor Robin; nor Frikell; nor all the conjurors in the world。  For the little rogue had jumped clean out of his own skin; and left it standing on Tom's knee; eyes; wings; legs; tail; exactly as if it had been alive。

〃Ha; ha!〃 he said; and he jerked and skipped up and down; never stopping an instant; just as if he had St。 Vitus's dance。  〃Ain't I a pretty fellow now?〃

And so he was; for his body was white; and his tail orange; and his eyes all the colours of a peacock's tail。  And what was the oddest of all; the whisks at the end of his tail had grown five times as long as they were before。

〃Ah!〃 said he; 〃now I will see the gay world。  My living; won't cost me much; for I have no mouth; you see; and no inside; so I can never be hungry nor have the stomach…ache neither。〃

No more he had。  He had grown as dry and hard and empty as a quill; as such silly shallow…hearted fellows deserve to grow。

But; instead of being ashamed of his emptiness; he was quite proud of it; as a good many fine gentlemen are; and began flirting and flipping up and down; and singing …


〃My wife shall dance; and I shall sing; So merrily pass the day; For I hold it for quite the wisest thing; To drive dull care away。〃


And he danced up and down for three days and three nights; till he grew so tired; that he tumbled into the water; and floated down。 But what became of him Tom never knew; and he himself never minded; for Tom heard him singing to the last; as he floated down …


〃To drive dull care away…ay…ay!〃


And if he did not care; why nobody else cared either。

But one day Tom had a new adventure。  He was sitting on a water… lily leaf; he and his friend the dragon…fly; watching the gnats dance。  The dragon…fly had eaten as many as he wanted; and was sitting quite still and sleepy; for it was very hot and bright。 The gnats (who did not care the least for their poor brothers' death) danced a foot over his head quite happily; and a large black fly settled within an inch of his nose; and began washing his own face and combing his hair with his paws:  but the dragon…fly never stirred; and kept on chatting to Tom about the times when he lived under the water。

Suddenly; Tom heard the strangest noise up the stream; cooing; and grunting; and whining; and squeaking; as if you had put into a bag two stock…doves; nine mice; three guinea…pigs; and a blind puppy; and left them there to settle themselves and make music。

He looked up the water; and there he saw a sight as strange as the noise; a great ball rolling over and over down the stream; seeming one moment of soft brown fur; and the next of shining glass:  and yet it was not a ball; for sometimes it broke up and streamed away in pieces; and then it joined again; and all the while the noise came out of it louder and louder。

Tom asked the dragon…fly what it could be:  but; of course; with his short sight; he could not even see it; though it was not ten yards away。  So he took the neatest little header into the water; and started off to see for himself; and; when he came near; the ball turned out to be four or five beautiful creatures; many times larger than Tom; who were swimming about; and rolling; and diving; and twisting; and wrestling; and cuddling; and kissing and biting; and scratching; in the most charming fashion that ever was seen。 And if you don't believe me; you may go to the Zoological Gardens (for I am afraid that you won't see it nearer; unless; perhaps; you get up at five in the morning; and go down to Cordery's Moor; and watch by the great withy pollard which hangs over the backwater; where the otters breed sometimes); and then say; if otters at play in the water are not the merriest; lithest; gracefullest creatures you ever saw。

But; when the biggest of them saw Tom; she darted out from the rest; and cried in the water…language sharply enough; 〃Quick; children; here is something to eat; indeed!〃 and came at poor Tom; showing such a wicked pair of eyes; and such a set of sharp teeth in a grinning mouth; that Tom; who had thought her very handsome; said to himself; HANDSOME IS THAT HANDSOME DOES; and slipped in between the water…lily roots as fast as he could; and then turned round and made faces at her。

〃Come out;〃 said the wicked old otter; 〃or it will be worse for you。〃

But Tom looked at her from between two thick roots; and shook them with all his might; making horrible faces all the while; just as he used to grin through the railings at the old women; when he lived before。  It was not quite well bred; no doubt; but you know; Tom had not finished his education yet。

〃Come; away; children;〃 said the otter in disgust; 〃it is not worth eating; after all。  It is only a nasty eft; which nothing eats; not even those vulgar pike in the pond。〃

〃I am not an eft!〃 said Tom; 〃efts have tails。〃

〃You are an eft;〃 said the otter; very positively; 〃I see your two hands quite plain; and I know you have a tail。〃

〃I tell you I have not;〃 said Tom。  〃Look here!〃 and he turned his pretty little self quite round; and; sure enough; he had no more tail than you。

The otter might have got out of it by saying that Tom was a frog: but; like a great many other people; when she had once said a thing; she stood to it; right or wrong; so she answered:

〃I say you are an eft; and therefore you are; and not fit food for gentlefolk like me and my children。  You may stay there till the salmon eat you (she knew the salmon would not; but she wanted to frighten poor Tom)。  Ha! ha! they will eat you; and we will eat them;〃 and the otter laughed such a wicked cruel laugh … as you may hear them do sometimes; and the first time that you hear it you will probably think it is bogies。

〃What are salmon?〃 asked Tom。

〃Fish; you eft; great fish; nice fish to eat。  They are the lords of the fish; and we are lords of the salmon;〃 and she laughed again。  〃We hunt them up and down the pools; and drive them up into a corner; the silly things; they are so proud; and bully the little trout; and the minnows; till they see us coming; and then they are so meek all at once; and we catch them; but we disdain to eat them all; we just bite out their soft throats and suck their sweet juice … Oh; so good!〃 … (and she licked her wicked lips) … 〃and then throw them away; and go and catch another。  They are coming soon; children; coming soon; I can smell the rain coming up off the sea; and then hurrah for a fresh; and salmon; and plenty of eating all day long。〃

And the otter grew so proud that she turned head over heels twice; and then stood upright half out of the water; grinning like a Cheshire cat。

〃And where do they come from?〃 asked Tom; who kept himself very close; for he was considerably frightened。

〃Out of the sea; eft; the great wide sea; where they might stay and be safe if they liked。  But out of the sea the silly things come; into the great river down below; and we come up to watch for them; and when they go down again we go down and follow them。  And there we fish for the bass and the pollock; and have jolly days along the shore; and toss and roll in the breakers; and sleep snug in the warm dry crags。  Ah; that is a merry life too; children; if it were not for those horrid men。〃

〃What are men?〃 asked Tom; but somehow he seemed to know before he asked。

〃Two…legged things; eft:  and; now I come to look at you; they are actually something like you; if you had not a tail〃 (she was determined that Tom should have a tail); 〃only a great deal bigger; worse luck for us; and they catch the fish with hooks and lines; which get into our feet somet

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