the water-babies-第19节

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uments　against　water…babies　once　already；　which　is　once　too　often；　we　will　not　repeat　them　here。

Now　little　Ellie　was；　I　suppose；　a　stupid　little　girl；　for；　instead　of　being　convinced　by　Professor　Ptthmllnsprts'　arguments；　she　only　asked　the　same　question　over　again。

〃But　why　are　there　not　water…babies？〃

I　trust　and　hope　that　it　was　because　the　professor　trod　at　that　moment　on　the　edge　of　a　very　sharp　mussel；　and　hurt　one　of　his　corns　sadly；　that　he　answered　quite　sharply；　forgetting　that　he　was　a　scientific　man；　and　therefore　ought　to　have　known　that　he　couldn't　know；　and　that　he　was　a　logician；　and　therefore　ought　to　have　known　that　he　could　not　prove　a　universal　negative　…　I　say；　I　trust　and　hope　it　was　because　the　mussel　hurt　his　corn；　that　the　professor　answered　quite　sharply：

〃Because　there　ain't。〃

Which　was　not　even　good　English；　my　dear　little　boy；　for；　as　you　must　know　from　Aunt　Agitate's　Arguments；　the　professor　ought　to　have　said；　if　he　was　so　angry　as　to　say　anything　of　the　kind　…　Because　there　are　not：　　or　are　none：　　or　are　none　of　them；　or　（if　he　had　been　reading　Aunt　Agitate　too）　because　they　do　not　exist。

And　he　groped　with　his　net　under　the　weeds　so　violently；　that；　as　it　befell；　he　caught　poor　little　Tom。

He　felt　the　net　very　heavy；　and　lifted　it　out　quickly；　with　Tom　all　entangled　in　the　meshes。

〃Dear　me！〃　he　cried。　　〃What　a　large　pink　Holothurian；　with　hands；　too！　　It　must　be　connected　with　Synapta。〃


And　he　took　him　out。

〃It　has　actually　eyes！〃　he　cried。　　〃Why；　it　must　be　a　Cephalopod！　This　is　most　extraordinary！〃

〃No；　I　ain't！〃　cried　Tom；　as　loud　as　he　could；　for　he　did　not　like　to　be　called　bad　names。

〃It　is　a　water…baby！〃　cried　Ellie；　and　of　course　it　was。

〃Water…fiddlesticks；　my　dear！〃　said　the　professor；　and　he　turned　away　sharply。

There　was　no　denying　it。　　It　was　a　water…baby：　　and　he　had　said　a　moment　ago　that　there　were　none。　　What　was　he　to　do？

He　would　have　liked；　of　course；　to　have　taken　Tom　home　in　a　bucket。　He　would　not　have　put　him　in　spirits。　　Of　course　not。　　He　would　have　kept　him　alive；　and　petted　him　（for　he　was　a　very　kind　old　gentleman）；　and　written　a　book　about　him；　and　given　him　two　long　names；　of　which　the　first　would　have　said　a　little　about　Tom；　and　the　second　all　about　himself；　for　of　course　he　would　have　called　him　Hydrotecnon　Ptthmllnsprtsianum；　or　some　other　long　name　like　that；　for　they　are　forced　to　call　everything　by　long　names　now；　because　they　have　used　up　all　the　short　ones；　ever　since　they　took　to　making　nine　species　out　of　one。　　But　…　what　would　all　the　learned　men　say　to　him　after　his　speech　at　the　British　Association？　And　what　would　Ellie　say；　after　what　he　had　just　told　her？

There　was　a　wise　old　heathen　once；　who　said；　〃Maxima　debetur　pueris　reverentia〃　…　The　greatest　reverence　is　due　to　children；　that　is；　that　grown　people　should　never　say　or　do　anything　wrong　before　children；　lest　they　should　set　them　a　bad　example。　…　Cousin　Cramchild　says　it　means；　〃The　greatest　respectfulness　is　expected　from　little　boys。〃　　But　he　was　raised　in　a　country　where　little　boys　are　not　expected　to　be　respectful；　because　all　of　them　are　as　good　as　the　President：…　Well；　every　one　knows　his　own　concerns　best；　so　perhaps　they　are。　　But　poor　Cousin　Cramchild；　to　do　him　justice；　not　being　of　that　opinion；　and　having　a　moral　mission；　and　being　no　scholar　to　speak　of；　and　hard　up　for　an　authority　…　why；　it　was　a　very　great　temptation　for　him。　　But　some　people；　and　I　am　afraid　the　professor　was　one　of　them；　interpret　that　in　a　more　strange；　curious；　one…sided；　left…handed；　topsy…turvy；　inside…out；　behind…before　fashion　than　even　Cousin　Cramchild；　for　they　make　it　mean；　that　you　must　show　your　respect　for　children；　by　never　confessing　yourself　in　the　wrong　to　them；　even　if　you　know　that　you　are　so；　lest　they　should　lose　confidence　in　their　elders。

Now；　if　the　professor　had　said　to　Ellie；　〃Yes；　my　darling；　it　is　a　water…baby；　and　a　very　wonderful　thing　it　is；　and　it　shows　how　little　I　know　of　the　wonders　of　nature；　in　spite　of　forty　years'　honest　labour。　　I　was　just　telling　you　that　there　could　be　no　such　creatures；　and；　behold！　here　is　one　come　to　confound　my　conceit　and　show　me　that　Nature　can　do；　and　has　done；　beyond　all　that　man's　poor　fancy　can　imagine。　　So；　let　us　thank　the　Maker；　and　Inspirer；　and　Lord　of　Nature　for　all　His　wonderful　and　glorious　works；　and　try　and　find　out　something　about　this　one；〃　…　I　think　that；　if　the　professor　had　said　that；　little　Ellie　would　have　believed　him　more　firmly；　and　respected　him　more　deeply；　and　loved　him　better；　than　ever　she　had　done　before。　　But　he　was　of　a　different　opinion。　　He　hesitated　a　moment。　　He　longed　to　keep　Tom；　and　yet　he　half　wished　he　never　had　caught　him；　and　at　last　he　quite　longed　to　get　rid　of　him。　　So　he　turned　away　and　poked　Tom　with　his　finger；　for　want　of　anything　better　to　do；　and　said　carelessly；　〃My　dear　little　maid；　you　must　have　dreamt　of　water…babies　last　night；　your　head　is　so　full　of　them。〃

Now　Tom　had　been　in　the　most　horrible　and　unspeakable　fright　all　the　while；　and　had　kept　as　quiet　as　he　could；　though　he　was　called　a　Holothurian　and　a　Cephalopod；　for　it　was　fixed　in　his　little　head　that　if　a　man　with　clothes　on　caught　him；　he　might　put　clothes　on　him　too；　and　make　a　dirty　black　chimney…sweep　of　him　again。　　But；　when　the　professor　poked　him；　it　was　more　than　he　could　bear；　and；　between　fright　and　rage；　he　turned　to　bay　as　valiantly　as　a　mouse　in　a　corner；　and　bit　the　professor's　finger　till　it　bled。

〃Oh！　ah！　yah！〃　cried　he；　and　glad　of　an　excuse　to　be　rid　of　Tom；　dropped　him　on　to　the　seaweed；　and　thence　he　dived　into　the　water　and　was　gone　in　a　moment。

〃But　it　was　a　water…baby；　and　I　heard　it　speak！〃　cried　Ellie。　　〃Ah；　it　is　gone！〃　　And　she　jumped　down　off　the　rock；　to　try　and　catch　Tom　before　he　slipped　into　the　sea。

Too　late！　and　what　was　worse；　as　she　sprang　down；　she　slipped；　and　fell　some　six　feet；　with　her　head　on　a　sharp　rock；　and　lay　quite　still。

The　professor　picked　her　up；　and　tried　to　waken　her；　and　called　to　her；　and　cried　over　her；　for　he　loved　her　very　much：　　but　she　would　not　waken　at　all。　　So　he　took　her　up　in　his　arms　and　carried　her　to　her　governess；　and　they　all　went　home；　and　little　Ellie　was　put　to　bed；　and　lay　there　quite　still；　only　now　and　then　she　woke　up　and　called　out　about　the　water…baby：　　but　no　one　knew　what　she　meant；　and　the　professor　did　not　tell；　for　he　was　ashamed　to　tell。

And；　after　a　week；　one　moonlight　night；　the　fairies　came　flying　in　at　the　window　and　brought　her　such　a　pretty　pair　of　wings　that　she　could　not　help　putting　them　on；　and　she　flew　with　them　out　of　the　window；　and　over　the　land；　and　over　the　sea；　and　up　through　the　clouds；　and　nobody　heard　or　saw　anything　of　her　for　a　very　long　while。

And　this　is　why　they　say　that　no　one　has　ever　yet　seen　a　water…　baby。　　For　my　part；　I　believe　that　the　naturalists　get　dozens　of　them　when　they　are　out　dredging；　but　they　say　nothing　about　them；　and　throw　them　overboard　again；　for　fear　of　spoiling　their　theories。　　But；　you　see　the　professor　was　found　out；　as　every　one　is　in　due　time。　　A　very　terrible　old　fairy　found　the　professor　out；　she　felt　his　bumps；　and　cast　his　nativity；　and　took　the　lunars　of　him　carefully　inside　and　out；　and　so　she　knew　what　he　would　do　as　well　as　if　she　had　seen　it　in　a　print　book；　as　they　say　in　the　dear　old　west　country；　and　he　did　it；　and　so　he　was　found　out　beforehand；　as　everybody　always　is；　and　the　old　fairy　will　find　out　the　naturalists　some　day；　and　put　them　in　the　TIMES；　and　then　on　whose　side　will　the　laugh　be？

So　the　old　fairy　took　him　in　hand　very　severely　there　and　then。　But　she　says　she　is　always　most　severe　with　the　best　people；　because　there　is　most　chance　of　curing　them；　and　therefore　they　are　the　patients　who　pay　her　best；　for　she　has　to　work　on　the　same　salary　as　the　Emperor　of　China's　physicians　（it　is　a　pity　that　all　do　not）；　no　cure；　no　pay。

So　she　took　the　poor　professor　in　hand：　　and　because　he　was　not　content　with　things　as　they　are；　she　filled　his　head　with　things　as　they　are　not；　to　try　if　he　would　like　them　better；　and　because　he　did　not　choose　to　believe　in　a　water…baby　when　he　saw　it；　she　made　him　believe　in　worse　things　than　water…babies　…　in　UNICORNS；　FIRE…　DRAKES；　MANTICORAS；　BASILISKS；　AMPHISBAENAS；　GRIFFINS；　PHOENIXES；　ROCS；　ORCS；　DOG…HEADED　MEN；　THREE…HEADED　DOGS；　THREE…BODIED　GERYONS；　and　other　pleasant　creatures；　which　folks　think　never　existed　yet；　and　which　folks　hope　never　will　exist；　though　they　know　nothing　about　the　matter；　and　never　will；　and　these　creatures　so　upset；　terrified；　flustered；　aggravated；　confused；　astounded；　horrified；　and　totally　flabbergasted　the　poor　professor　that　the　doctors　said　that　he　was　out　of　his　wits　for　three　months；　and　perhaps　they　were　right；　as　they　are　now　and　then。

So　all　the　doctors　in　the　county　were　called　in　to　make　a　report　on　his　case；　and　of　course　every　one　of　them　flatly　contradicted　the　other：　　else　what　use　is　there　in　being　men　of　science？　　But　at　last　the　majority　agreed　on　a　report　in　the　true　medical　language；　one　half　bad　Latin；　the　other　half　worse　Greek；　and　the　rest　what　might　have　been　English；　if　they　had　only　learnt　to　write　it。　　And　this　is　t