the water-babies-第19章

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babies？〃

And　the　sea…snails　answered；　〃Whence　we　come　we　know　not；　and　whither　we　are　going；　who　can　tell？　　We　float　out　our　life　in　the　mid…ocean；　with　the　warm　sunshine　above　our　heads；　and　the　warm　gulf…stream　below；　and　that　is　enough　for　us。　　Yes；　perhaps　we　have　seen　the　water…babies。　　We　have　seen　many　strange　things　as　we　sailed　along。〃　　And　they　floated　away；　the　happy　stupid　things；　and　all　went　ashore　upon　the　sands。

Then　there　came　in　a　great　lazy　sunfish；　as　big　as　a　fat　pig　cut　in　half；　and　he　seemed　to　have　been　cut　in　half　too；　and　squeezed　in　a　clothes…press　till　he　was　flat；　but　to　all　his　big　body　and　big　fins　he　had　only　a　little　rabbit's　mouth；　no　bigger　than　Tom's；　and；　when　Tom　questioned　him；　he　answered　in　a　little　squeaky　feeble　voice：

〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know；　I've　lost　my　way。　　I　meant　to　go　to　the　Chesapeake；　and　I'm　afraid　I've　got　wrong　somehow。　　Dear　me！　it　was　all　by　following　that　pleasant　warm　water。　　I'm　sure　I've　lost　my　way。〃

And；　when　Tom　asked　him　again；　he　could　only　answer；　〃I've　lost　my　way。　　Don't　talk　to　me；　I　want　to　think。〃

But；　like　a　good　many　other　people；　the　more　he　tried　to　think　the　less　he　could　think；　and　Tom　saw　him　blundering　about　all　day；　till　the　coast…guardsmen　saw　his　big　fin　above　the　water；　and　rowed　out；　and　struck　a　boat…hook　into　him；　and　took　him　away。　　They　took　him　up　to　the　town　and　showed　him　for　a　penny　a　head；　and　made　a　good　day's　work　of　it。　　But　of　course　Tom　did　not　know　that。

Then　there　came　by　a　shoal　of　porpoises；　rolling　as　they　went　…　papas；　and　mammas；　and　little　children　…　and　all　quite　smooth　and　shiny；　because　the　fairies　French…polish　them　every　morning；　and　they　sighed　so　softly　as　they　came　by；　that　Tom　took　courage　to　speak　to　them：　　but　all　they　answered　was；　〃Hush；　hush；　hush；〃　for　that　was　all　they　had　learnt　to　say。

And　then　there　came　a　shoal　of　basking　sharks'　some　of　them　as　long　as　a　boat；　and　Tom　was　frightened　at　them。　　But　they　were　very　lazy　good…natured　fellows；　not　greedy　tyrants；　like　white　sharks　and　blue　sharks　and　ground　sharks　and　hammer…heads；　who　eat　men；　or　saw…fish　and　threshers　and　ice…sharks；　who　hunt　the　poor　old　whales。　　They　came　and　rubbed　their　great　sides　against　the　buoy；　and　lay　basking　in　the　sun　with　their　backfins　out　of　water；　and　winked　at　Tom：　　but　he　never　could　get　them　to　speak。　　They　had　eaten　so　many　herrings　that　they　were　quite　stupid；　and　Tom　was　glad　when　a　collier　brig　came　by　and　frightened　them　all　away；　for　they　did　smell　most　horribly；　certainly；　and　he　had　to　hold　his　nose　tight　as　long　as　they　were　there。

And　then　there　came　by　a　beautiful　creature；　like　a　ribbon　of　pure　silver　with　a　sharp　head　and　very　long　teeth；　but　it　seemed　very　sick　and　sad。　　Sometimes　it　rolled　helpless　on　its　side；　and　then　it　dashed　away　glittering　like　white　fire；　and　then　it　lay　sick　again　and　motionless。

〃Where　do　you　come　from？〃　asked　Tom。　　〃And　why　are　YOU　so　sick　and　sad？〃

〃I　come　from　the　warm　Carolinas；　and　the　sandbanks　fringed　with　pines；　where　the　great　owl…rays　leap　and　flap；　like　giant　bats；　upon　the　tide。　　But　I　wandered　north　and　north；　upon　the　treacherous　warm　gulf…stream；　till　I　met　with　the　cold　icebergs；　afloat　in　the　mid　ocean。　　So　I　got　tangled　among　the　icebergs；　and　chilled　with　their　frozen　breath。　　But　the　water…babies　helped　me　from　among　them；　and　set　me　free　again。　　And　now　I　am　mending　every　day；　but　I　am　very　sick　and　sad；　and　perhaps　I　shall　never　get　home　again　to　play　with　the　owl…rays　any　more。〃

〃Oh！〃　cried　Tom。　　〃And　you　have　seen　water…babies？　　Have　you　seen　any　near　here？〃

〃Yes；　they　helped　me　again　last　night；　or　I　should　have　been　eaten　by　a　great　black　porpoise。〃

How　vexatious！　　The　water…babies　close　to　him；　and　yet　he　could　not　find　one。

And　then　he　left　the　buoy；　and　used　to　go　along　the　sands　and　round　the　rocks；　and　come　out　in　the　night　…　like　the　forsaken　Merman　in　Mr。　Arnold's　beautiful；　beautiful　poem；　which　you　must　learn　by　heart　some　day　…　and　sit　upon　a　point　of　rock；　among　the　shining　sea…weeds；　in　the　low　October　tides；　and　cry　and　call　for　the　water…babies；　but　he　never　heard　a　voice　call　in　return。　　And　at　last；　with　his　fretting　and　crying；　he　grew　quite　lean　and　thin。

But　one　day　among　the　rocks　he　found　a　playfellow。　　It　was　not　a　water…baby；　alas！　but　it　was　a　lobster；　and　a　very　distinguished　lobster　he　was；　for　he　had　live　barnacles　on　his　claws；　which　is　a　great　mark　of　distinction　in　lobsterdom；　and　no　more　to　be　bought　for　money　than　a　good　conscience　or　the　Victoria　Cross。

Tom　had　never　seen　a　lobster　before；　and　he　was　mightily　taken　with　this　one；　for　he　thought　him　the　most　curious；　odd；　ridiculous　creature　he　had　ever　seen；　and　there　he　was　not　far　wrong；　for　all　the　ingenious　men；　and　all　the　scientific　men；　and　all　the　fanciful　men；　in　the　world；　with　all　the　old　German　bogy…painters　into　the　bargain；　could　never　invent；　if　all　their　wits　were　boiled　into　one；　anything　so　curious；　and　so　ridiculous；　as　a　lobster。

He　had　one　claw　knobbed　and　the　other　jagged；　and　Tom　delighted　in　watching　him　hold　on　to　the　seaweed　with　his　knobbed　claw；　while　he　cut　up　salads　with　his　jagged　one；　and　then　put　them　into　his　mouth；　after　smelling　at　them；　like　a　monkey。　　And　always　the　little　barnacles　threw　out　their　casting…nets　and　swept　the　water；　and　came　in　for　their　share　of　whatever　there　was　for　dinner。

But　Tom　was　most　astonished　to　see　how　he　fired　himself　off　…　snap！　like　the　leap…frogs　which　you　make　out　of　a　goose's　breast…bone。　Certainly　he　took　the　most　wonderful　shots；　and　backwards；　too。　For；　if　he　wanted　to　go　into　a　narrow　crack　ten　yards　off；　what　do　you　think　he　did？　　If　he　had　gone　in　head　foremost；　of　course　he　could　not　have　turned　round。　　So　he　used　to　turn　his　tail　to　it；　and　lay　his　long　horns；　which　carry　his　sixth　sense　in　their　tips　（and　nobody　knows　what　that　sixth　sense　is）；　straight　down　his　back　to　guide　him；　and　twist　his　eyes　back　till　they　almost　came　out　of　their　sockets；　and　then　made　ready；　present；　fire；　snap！　…　and　away　he　went；　pop　into　the　hole；　and　peeped　out　and　twiddled　his　whiskers；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃You　couldn't　do　that。〃

Tom　asked　him　about　water…babies。　　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　　He　had　seen　them　often。　　But　he　did　not　think　much　of　them。　　They　were　meddlesome　little　creatures；　that　went　about　helping　fish　and　shells　which　got　into　scrapes。　　Well；　for　his　part；　he　should　be　ashamed　to　be　helped　by　little　soft　creatures　that　had　not　even　a　shell　on　their　backs。　　He　had　lived　quite　long　enough　in　the　world　to　take　care　of　himself。

He　was　a　conceited　fellow；　the　old　lobster；　and　not　very　civil　to　Tom；　and　you　will　hear　how　he　had　to　alter　his　mind　before　he　was　done；　as　conceited　people　generally　have。　　But　he　was　so　funny；　and　Tom　so　lonely；　that　he　could　not　quarrel　with　him；　and　they　used　to　sit　in　holes　in　the　rocks；　and　chat　for　hours。

And　about　this　time　there　happened　to　Tom　a　very　strange　and　important　adventure　…　so　important；　indeed；　that　he　was　very　near　never　finding　the　water…babies　at　all；　and　I　am　sure　you　would　have　been　sorry　for　that。

I　hope　that　you　have　not　forgotten　the　little　white　lady　all　this　while。　　At　least；　here　she　comes；　looking　like　a　clean　white　good　little　darling；　as　she　always　was；　and　always　will　be。　　For　it　befell　in　the　pleasant　short　December　days；　when　the　wind　always　blows　from　the　south…west；　till　Old　Father　Christmas　comes　and　spreads　the　great　white　table…cloth；　ready　for　little　boys　and　girls　to　give　the　birds　their　Christmas　dinner　of　crumbs　…　it　befell　（to　go　on）　in　the　pleasant　December　days；　that　Sir　John　was　so　busy　hunting　that　nobody　at　home　could　get　a　word　out　of　him。　Four　days　a　week　he　hunted；　and　very　good　sport　he　had；　and　the　other　two　he　went　to　the　bench　and　the　board　of　guardians；　and　very　good　justice　he　did；　and；　when　he　got　home　in　time；　he　dined　at　five；　for　he　hated　this　absurd　new　fashion　of　dining　at　eight　in　the　hunting　season；　which　forces　a　man　to　make　interest　with　the　footman　for　cold　beef　and　beer　as　soon　as　he　comes　in；　and　so　spoil　his　appetite；　and　then　sleep　in　an　arm…chair　in　his　bedroom；　all　stiff　and　tired；　for　two　or　three　hours　before　he　can　get　his　dinner　like　a　gentleman。