the water-babies-第35章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Now；　was　not　this　a　scandalous　transaction？

But　they　are　true　republicans；　these　hoodies；　who　do　every　one　just　what　he　likes；　and　make　other　people　do　so　too；　so　that；　for　any　freedom　of　speech；　thought；　or　action；　which　is　allowed　among　them；　they　might　as　well　be　American　citizens　of　the　new　school。

But　the　fairies　took　the　good　crow；　and　gave　her　nine　new　sets　of　feathers　running；　and　turned　her　at　last　into　the　most　beautiful　bird　of　paradise　with　a　green　velvet　suit　and　a　long　tail；　and　sent　her　to　eat　fruit　in　the　Spice　Islands；　where　cloves　and　nutmegs　grow。

And　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid　settled　her　account　with　the　wicked　hoodies。　　For；　as　they　flew　away；　what　should　they　find　but　a　nasty　dead　dog？　…　on　which　they　all　set　to　work；　peeking　and　gobbling　and　cawing　and　quarrelling　to　their　hearts'　content。　　But　the　moment　afterwards；　they　all　threw　up　their　bills　into　the　air；　and　gave　one　screech；　and　then　turned　head　over　heels　backward；　and　fell　down　dead；　one　hundred　and　twenty…three　of　them　at　once。　　For　why？　The　fairy　had　told　the　gamekeeper　in　a　dream；　to　fill　the　dead　dog　full　of　strychnine；　and　so　he　did。

And　after　a　while　the　birds　began　to　gather　at　Allfowlsness；　in　thousands　and　tens　of　thousands；　blackening　all　the　air；　swans　and　brant　geese；　harlequins　and　eiders；　harolds　and　garganeys；　smews　and　goosanders；　divers　and　loons；　grebes　and　dovekies；　auks　and　razor…bills；　gannets　and　petrels；　skuas　and　terns；　with　gulls　beyond　all　naming　or　numbering；　and　they　paddled　and　washed　and　splashed　and　combed　and　brushed　themselves　on　the　sand；　till　the　shore　was　white　with　feathers；　and　they　quacked　and　clucked　and　gabbled　and　chattered　and　screamed　and　whooped　as　they　talked　over　matters　with　their　friends；　and　settled　where　they　were　to　go　and　breed　that　summer；　till　you　might　have　heard　them　ten　miles　off；　and　lucky　it　was　for　them　that　there　was　no　one　to　hear　them　but　the　old　keeper；　who　lived　all　alone　upon　the　Ness；　in　a　turf　hut　thatched　with　heather　and　fringed　round　with　great　stones　slung　across　the　roof　by　bent…ropes；　lest　the　winter　gales　should　blow　the　hut　right　away。　　But　he　never　minded　the　birds　nor　hurt　them；　because　they　were　not　in　season；　indeed；　he　minded　but　two　things　in　the　whole　world；　and　those　were；　his　Bible　and　his　grouse；　for　he　was　as　good　an　old　Scotchman　as　ever　knit　stockings　on　a　winter's　night：　　only；　when　all　the　birds　were　going；　he　toddled　out；　and　took　off　his　cap　to　them；　and　wished　them　a　merry　journey　and　a　safe　return；　and　then　gathered　up　all　the　feathers　which　they　had　left；　and　cleaned　them　to　sell　down　south；　and　make　feather…　beds　for　stuffy　people　to　lie　on。

Then　the　petrels　asked　this　bird　and　that　whether　they　would　take　Tom　to　Shiny　Wall：　　but　one　set　was　going　to　Sutherland；　and　one　to　the　Shetlands；　and　one　to　Norway；　and　one　to　Spitzbergen；　and　one　to　Iceland；　and　one　to　Greenland：　　but　none　would　go　to　Shiny　Wall。　So　the　good…natured　petrels　said　that　they　would　show　him　part　of　the　way　themselves；　but　they　were　only　going　as　far　as　Jan　Mayen's　Land；　and　after　that　he　must　shift　for　himself。

And　then　all　the　birds　rose　up；　and　streamed　away　in　long　black　lines；　north；　and　north…east；　and　north…west；　across　the　bright　blue　summer　sky；　and　their　cry　was　like　ten　thousand　packs　of　hounds；　and　ten　thousand　peals　of　bells。　　Only　the　puffins　stayed　behind；　and　killed　the　young　rabbits；　and　laid　their　eggs　in　the　rabbit…burrows；　which　was　rough　practice；　certainly；　but　a　man　must　see　to　his　own　family。

And；　as　Tom　and　the　petrels　went　north…eastward；　it　began　to　blow　right　hard；　for　the　old　gentleman　in　the　gray　great…coat；　who　looks　after　the　big　copper　boiler；　in　the　gulf　of　Mexico；　had　got　behindhand　with　his　work；　so　Mother　Carey　had　sent　an　electric　message　to　him　for　more　steam；　and　now　the　steam　was　coming；　as　much　in　an　hour　as　ought　to　have　come　in　a　week；　puffing　and　roaring　and　swishing　and　swirling；　till　you　could　not　see　where　the　sky　ended　and　the　sea　began。　　But　Tom　and　the　petrels　never　cared；　for　the　gale　was　right　abaft；　and　away　they　went　over　the　crests　of　the　billows；　as　merry　as　so　many　flying…fish。

And　at　last　they　saw　an　ugly　sight　…　the　black　side　of　a　great　ship；　waterlogged　in　the　trough　of　the　sea。　　Her　funnel　and　her　masts　were　overboard；　and　swayed　and　surged　under　her　lee；　her　decks　were　swept　as　clean　as　a　barn　floor；　and　there　was　no　living　soul　on　board。

The　petrels　flew　up　to　her；　and　wailed　round　her；　for　they　were　very　sorry　indeed；　and　also　they　expected　to　find　some　salt　pork；　and　Tom　scrambled　on　board　of　her　and　looked　round；　frightened　and　sad。

And　there；　in　a　little　cot；　lashed　tight　under　the　bulwark；　lay　a　baby　fast　asleep；　the　very　same　baby；　Tom　saw　at　once；　which　he　had　seen　in　the　singing　lady's　arms。

He　went　up　to　it；　and　wanted　to　wake　it；　but　behold；　from　under　the　cot　out　jumped　a　little　black　and　tan　terrier　dog；　and　began　barking　and　snapping　at　Tom；　and　would　not　let　him　touch　the　cot。

Tom　knew　the　dog's　teeth　could　not　hurt　him：　　but　at　least　it　could　shove　him　away；　and　did；　and　he　and　the　dog　fought　and　struggled；　for　he　wanted　to　help　the　baby；　and　did　not　want　to　throw　the　poor　dog　overboard：　　but　as　they　were　struggling　there　came　a　tall　green　sea；　and　walked　in　over　the　weather　side　of　the　ship；　and　swept　them　all　into　the　waves。

〃Oh；　the　baby；　the　baby！〃　screamed　Tom：　　but　the　next　moment　he　did　not　scream　at　all；　for　he　saw　the　cot　settling　down　through　the　green　water；　with　the　baby；　smiling　in　it；　fast　asleep；　and　he　saw　the　fairies　come　up　from　below；　and　carry　baby　and　cradle　gently　down　in　their　soft　arms；　and　then　he　knew　it　was　all　right；　and　that　there　would　be　a　new　water…baby　in　St。　Brandan's　Isle。

And　the　poor　little　dog？

Why；　after　he　had　kicked　and　coughed　a　little；　he　sneezed　so　hard；　that　he　sneezed　himself　clean　out　of　his　skin；　and　turned　into　a　water…dog；　and　jumped　and　danced　round　Tom；　and　ran　over　the　crests　of　the　waves；　and　snapped　at　the　jelly…fish　and　the　mackerel；　and　followed　Tom　the　whole　way　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere。

Then　they　went　on　again；　till　they　began　to　see　the　peak　of　Jan　Mayen's　Land；　standing…up　like　a　white　sugar…loaf；　two　miles　above　the　clouds。

And　there　they　fell　in　with　a　whole　flock　of　molly…mocks；　who　were　feeding　on　a　dead　whale。

〃These　are　the　fellows　to　show　you　the　way；〃　said　Mother　Carey's　chickens；　〃we　cannot　help　you　farther　north。　　We　don't　like　to　get　among　the　ice　pack；　for　fear　it　should　nip　our　toes：　　but　the　mollys　dare　fly　anywhere。〃

So　the　petrels　called　to　the　mollys：　　but　they　were　so　busy　and　greedy；　gobbling　and　peeking　and　spluttering　and　fighting　over　the　blubber；　that　they　did　not　take　the　least　notice。

〃Come；　come；〃　said　the　petrels；　〃you　lazy　greedy　lubbers；　this　young　gentleman　is　going　to　Mother　Carey；　and　if　you　don't　attend　on　him；　you　won't　earn　your　discharge　from　her；　you　know。〃

〃Greedy　we　are；〃　says　a　great　fat　old　molly；　〃but　lazy　we　ain't；　and；　as　for　lubbers；　we're　no　more　lubbers　than　you。　　Let's　have　a　look　at　the　lad。〃

And　he　flapped　right　into　Tom's　face；　and　stared　at　him　in　the　most　impudent　way　（for　the　mollys　are　audacious　fellows；　as　all　whalers　know）；　and　then　asked　him　where　he　hailed　from；　and　what　land　he　sighted　last。

And；　when　Tom　told　him；　he　seemed　pleased；　and　said　he　was　a　good　plucked　one　to　have　got　so　far。

〃Come　along；　lads；〃　he　said　to　the　rest；　〃and　give　this　little　chap　a　cast　over　the　pack；　for　Mother　Carey's　sake。　　We've　eaten　blubber　enough　for　to…day；　and　we'll　e'en　work　out　a　bit　of　our　time　by　helping　the　lad。〃

So　the　mollys　took　Tom　up　on　their　backs；　and　flew　off　with　him；　laughing　and　joking　…　and　oh；　how　they　did　smell　of　train　oil！

〃Who　are　you；　you　jolly　birds？〃　asked　Tom。

〃We　are　the　spirits　of　the　old　Greenland　skippers　（as　every　sailor　knows）；　who　hunted　here；　right　whales　and　horse…whales；　full　hundreds　of　years　agone。　　But；　because　we　were　saucy　and　greedy；　we　were　all　turned　into　mollys；　to　eat　whale's　blubber　all　our　days。　But　lubbers　we　are　none；　and　could　sail　a　ship　now　against　any　man　in　the　North　seas；　though　we　don't　hold　with　this　new…fangled　steam。　　And　it's　a　shame　of　those　black　imps　of　petrels　to