the water-babies-第36章

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　it's　a　shame　of　those　black　imps　of　petrels　to　call　us　so；　but　because　they're　her　grace's　pets；　they　think　they　may　say　anything　they　like。〃

〃And　who　are　you？〃　asked　Tom　of　him；　for　he　saw　that　he　was　the　king　of　all　the　birds。

〃My　name　is　Hendrick　Hudson；　and　a　right　good　skipper　was　I；　and　my　name　will　last　to　the　world's　end；　in　spite　of　all　the　wrong　I　did。　For　I　discovered　Hudson　River；　and　I　named　Hudson's　Bay；　and　many　have　come　in　my　wake　that　dared　not　have　shown　me　the　way。　　But　I　was　a　hard　man　in　my　time；　that's　truth；　and　stole　the　poor　Indians　off　the　coast　of　Maine；　and　sold　them　for　slaves　down　in　Virginia；　and　at　last　I　was　so　cruel　to　my　sailors；　here　in　these　very　seas；　that　they　set　me　adrift　in　an　open　boat；　and　I　never　was　heard　of　more。　　So　now　I'm　the　king　of　all　mollys；　till　I've　worked　out　my　time。〃

And　now　they　came　to　the　edge　of　the　pack；　and　beyond　it　they　could　see　Shiny　Wall　looming；　through　mist；　and　snow；　and　storm。　　But　the　pack　rolled　horribly　upon　the　swell；　and　the　ice　giants　fought　and　roared；　and　leapt　upon　each　other's　backs；　and　ground　each　other　to　powder；　so　that　Tom　was　afraid　to　venture　among　them；　lest　he　should　be　ground　to　powder　too。　　And　he　was　the　more　afraid；　when　he　saw　lying　among　the　ice　pack　the　wrecks　of　many　a　gallant　ship；　some　with　masts　and　yards　all　standing；　some　with　the　seamen　frozen　fast　on　board。　　Alas；　alas；　for　them！　　They　were　all　true　English　hearts；　and　they　came　to　their　end　like　good　knights…errant；　in　searching　for　the　white　gate　that　never　was　opened　yet。

But　the　good　mollys　took　Tom　and　his　dog　up；　and　flew　with　them　safe　over　the　pack　and　the　roaring　ice　giants；　and　set　them　down　at　the　foot　of　Shiny　Wall。

〃And　where　is　the　gate？〃　asked　Tom。

〃There　is　no　gate；〃　said　the　mollys。

〃No　gate？〃　cried　Tom；　aghast。

〃None；　never　a　crack　of　one；　and　that's　the　whole　of　the　secret；　as　better　fellows；　lad；　than　you　have　found　to　their　cost；　and　if　there　had　been；　they'd　have　killed　by　now　every　right　whale　that　swims　the　sea。〃

〃What　am　I　to　do；　then？〃

〃Dive　under　the　floe；　to　be　sure；　if　you　have　pluck。〃

〃I've　not　come　so　far　to　turn　now；〃　said　Tom；　〃so　here　goes　for　a　header。〃

〃A　lucky　voyage　to　you；　lad；〃　said　the　mollys；　〃we　knew　you　were　one　of　the　right　sort。　　So　good…bye。〃

〃Why　don't　you　come　too？〃　asked　Tom。

But　the　mollys　only　wailed　sadly；　〃We　can't　go　yet；　we　can't　go　yet；〃　and　flew　away　over　the　pack。

So　Tom　dived　under　the　great　white　gate　which　never　was　opened　yet；　and　went　on　in　black　darkness；　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　for　seven　days　and　seven　nights。　　And　yet　he　was　not　a　bit　frightened。　　Why　should　he　be？　　He　was　a　brave　English　lad；　whose　business　is　to　go　out　and　see　all　the　world。

And　at　last　he　saw　the　light；　and　clear　clear　water　overhead；　and　up　he　came　a　thousand　fathoms；　among　clouds　of　sea…moths；　which　fluttered　round　his　head。　　There　were　moths　with　pink　heads　and　wings　and　opal　bodies；　that　flapped　about　slowly；　moths　with　brown　wings　that　flapped　about　quickly；　yellow　shrimps　that　hopped　and　skipped　most　quickly　of　all；　and　jellies　of　all　the　colours　in　the　world；　that　neither　hopped　nor　skipped；　but　only　dawdled　and　yawned；　and　would　not　get　out　of　his　way。　　The　dog　snapped　at　them　till　his　jaws　were　tired；　but　Tom　hardly　minded　them　at　all；　he　was　so　eager　to　get　to　the　top　of　the　water；　and　see　the　pool　where　the　good　whales　go。

And　a　very　large　pool　it　was；　miles　and　miles　across；　though　the　air　was　so　clear　that　the　ice　cliffs　on　the　opposite　side　looked　as　if　they　were　close　at　hand。　　All　round　it　the　ice　cliffs　rose；　in　walls　and　spires　and　battlements；　and　caves　and　bridges；　and　stories　and　galleries；　in　which　the　ice…fairies　live；　and　drive　away　the　storms　and　clouds；　that　Mother　Carey's　pool　may　lie　calm　from　year's　end　to　year's　end。　　And　the　sun　acted　policeman；　and　walked　round　outside　every　day；　peeping　just　over　the　top　of　the　ice　wall；　to　see　that　all　went　right；　and　now　and　then　he　played　conjuring　tricks；　or　had　an　exhibition　of　fireworks；　to　amuse　the　ice…fairies。　　For　he　would　make　himself　into　four　or　five　suns　at　once；　or　paint　the　sky　with　rings　and　crosses　and　crescents　of　white　fire；　and　stick　himself　in　the　middle　of　them；　and　wink　at　the　fairies；　and　I　daresay　they　were　very　much　amused；　for　anything's　fun　in　the　country。

And　there　the　good　whales　lay；　the　happy　sleepy　beasts；　upon　the　still　oily　sea。　　They　were　all　right　whales；　you　must　know；　and　finners；　and　razor…backs；　and　bottle…noses；　and　spotted　sea…　unicorns　with　long　ivory　horns。　　But　the　sperm　whales　are　such　raging；　ramping；　roaring；　rumbustious　fellows；　that；　if　Mother　Carey　let　them　in；　there　would　be　no　more　peace　in　Peacepool。　　So　she　packs　them　away　in　a　great　pond　by　themselves　at　the　South　Pole；　two　hundred　and　sixty…three　miles　south…south…east　of　Mount　Erebus；　the　great　volcano　in　the　ice；　and　there　they　butt　each　other　with　their　ugly　noses；　day　and　night　from　year's　end　to　year's　end。

But　here　there　were　only　good　quiet　beasts；　lying　about　like　the　black　hulls　of　sloops；　and　blowing　every　now　and　then　jets　of　white　steam；　or　sculling　round　with　their　huge　mouths　open；　for　the　sea…　moths　to　swim　down　their　throats。　　There　were　no　threshers　there　to　thresh　their　poor　old　backs；　or　sword…fish　to　stab　their　stomachs；　or　saw…fish　to　rip　them　up；　or　ice…sharks　to　bite　lumps　out　of　their　sides；　or　whalers　to　harpoon　and　lance　them。　　They　were　quite　safe　and　happy　there；　and　all　they　had　to　do　was　to　wait　quietly　in　Peacepool；　till　Mother　Carey　sent　for　them　to　make　them　out　of　old　beasts　into　new。

Tom　swam　up　to　the　nearest　whale；　and　asked　the　way　to　Mother　Carey。

〃There　she　sits　in　the　middle；〃　said　the　whale。

Tom　looked；　but　he　could　see　nothing　in　the　middle　of　the　pool；　but　one　peaked　iceberg：　　and　he　said　so。

〃That's　Mother　Carey；〃　said　the　whale；　〃as　you　will　find　when　you　get　to　her。　　There　she　sits　making　old　beasts　into　new　all　the　year　round。〃

〃How　does　she　do　that？〃

〃That's　her　concern；　not　mine；〃　said　the　old　whale；　and　yawned　so　wide　（for　he　was　very　large）　that　there　swam　into　his　mouth　943　sea…moths；　13；846　jelly…fish　no　bigger　than　pins'　heads；　a　string　of　salpae　nine　yards　long；　and　forty…three　little　ice…crabs；　who　gave　each　other　a　parting　pinch　all　round；　tucked　their　legs　under　their　stomachs；　and　determined　to　die　decently；　like　Julius　Caesar。

〃I　suppose；〃　said　Tom；　〃she　cuts　up　a　great　whale　like　you　into　a　whole　shoal　of　porpoises？〃

At　which　the　old　whale　laughed　so　violently　that　he　coughed　up　all　the　creatures；　who　swam　away　again　very　thankful　at　having　escaped　out　of　that　terrible　whalebone　net　of　his；　from　which　bourne　no　traveller　returns；　and　Tom　went　on　to　the　iceberg；　wondering。

And；　when　he　came　near　it；　it　took　the　form　of　the　grandest　old　lady　he　had　ever　seen　…　a　white　marble　lady；　sitting　on　a　white　marble　throne。　　And　from　the　foot　of　the　throne　there　swum　away；　out　and　out　into　the　sea；　millions　of　new…born　creatures；　of　more　shapes　and　colours　than　man　ever　dreamed。　　And　they　were　Mother　Carey's　children；　whom　she　makes　out　of　the　sea…water　all　day　long。

He　expected；　of　course　…　like　some　grown　people　who　ought　to　know　better　…　to　find　her　snipping；　piecing；　fitting；　stitching；　cobbling；　basting；　filing；　planing；　hammering；　turning；　polishing；　moulding；　measuring；　chiselling；　clipping；　and　so　forth；　as　men　do　when　they　go　to　work　to　make　anything。

But；　instead　of　that；　she　sat　quite　still　with　her　chin　upon　her　hand；　looking　down　into　the　sea　with　two　great　grand　blue　eyes；　as　blue　as　the　sea　itself。　　Her　hair　was　as　white　as　the　snow　…　for　she　was　very　very　old　…　in　fact；　as　old　as　anything　which　you　are　likely　to　come　across；　except　the　difference　between　right　and　wrong。

And；　when　she　saw　Tom；　she　looked　at　him　very　kindly。

〃What　do　you　want；　my　little　man？　　It　is　long　since　I　have　seen　a　water…baby　here。〃

Tom　told　her　his　errand；　and　asked　the　way　to　the　Other…end…of…　Nowhere。

〃You　ought　to　know　yourself；　for　you　have　been　there　already。〃

〃Have　I；　ma'am？　　I'm　sure　I　forget　all　about　it。〃

〃Then　look　at　me。〃

And；　as　Tom　looked　into　her　great　blue　eyes；　he　recollected　the　way　perfectly。

Now；