the water-babies-第22节

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Then；　I　have　no　doubt；　he　repented　fully　of　all　the　said　naughty　things　which　he　had　done；　and　promised　to　mend　his　life；　as　too　many　do　when　they　think　they　have　no　life　left　to　mend。　　Whereby；　as　they　fancy；　they　make　a　very　cheap　bargain。　　But　the　old　fairy　with　the　birch　rod　soon　undeceives　them。

And　then　he　grew　all　colours　at　once；　and　turned　up　his　eyes　like　a　duck　in　thunder；　for　the　water　was　up　to　his　chin；　and　still　the　lobster　held　on。

And　then　came　a　man…of…war's　boat　round　the　Mewstone；　and　saw　his　head　sticking　up　out　of　the　water。　　One　said　it　was　a　keg　of　brandy；　and　another　that　it　was　a　cocoa…nut；　and　another　that　it　was　a　buoy　loose；　and　another　that　it　was　a　black　diver；　and　wanted　to　fire　at　it；　which　would　not　have　been　pleasant　for　the　mayor：　but　just　then　such　a　yell　came　out　of　a　great　hole　in　the　middle　of　it　that　the　midshipman　in　charge　guessed　what　it　was；　and　bade　pull　up　to　it　as　fast　as　they　could。　　So　somehow　or　other　the　Jack…tars　got　the　lobster　out；　and　set　the　mayor　free；　and　put　him　ashore　at　the　Barbican。　　He　never　went　lobster…catching　again；　and　we　will　hope　he　put　no　more　salt　in　the　tobacco；　not　even　to　sell　his　brother's　beer。

And　that　is　the　story　of　the　Mayor　of　Plymouth；　which　has　two　advantages　…　first；　that　of　being　quite　true；　and　second；　that　of　having　（as　folks　say　all　good　stories　ought　to　have）　no　moral　whatsoever：　　no　more；　indeed；　has　any　part　of　this　book；　because　it　is　a　fairy　tale；　you　know。

And　now　happened　to　Tom　a　most　wonderful　thing；　for　he　had　not　left　the　lobster　five　minutes　before　he　came　upon　a　water…baby。

A　real　live　water…baby；　sitting　on　the　white　sand；　very　busy　about　a　little　point　of　rock。　　And　when　it　saw　Tom　it　looked　up　for　a　moment；　and　then　cried；　〃Why；　you　are　not　one　of　us。　　You　are　a　new　baby！　　Oh；　how　delightful！〃

And　it　ran　to　Tom；　and　Tom　ran　to　it；　and　they　hugged　and　kissed　each　other　for　ever　so　long；　they　did　not　know　why。　　But　they　did　not　want　any　introductions　there　under　the　water。

At　last　Tom　said；　〃Oh；　where　have　you　been　all　this　while？　　I　have　been　looking　for　you　so　long；　and　I　have　been　so　lonely。〃

〃We　have　been　here　for　days　and　days。　　There　are　hundreds　of　us　about　the　rocks。　　How　was　it　you　did　not　see　us；　or　hear　us　when　we　sing　and　romp　every　evening　before　we　go　home？〃

Tom　looked　at　the　baby　again；　and　then　he　said：

〃Well；　this　is　wonderful！　　I　have　seen　things　just　like　you　again　and　again；　but　I　thought　you　were　shells；　or　sea…creatures。　　I　never　took　you　for　water…babies　like　myself。〃

Now；　was　not　that　very　odd？　　So　odd；　indeed；　that　you　will；　no　doubt；　want　to　know　how　it　happened；　and　why　Tom　could　never　find　a　water…baby　till　after　he　had　got　the　lobster　out　of　the　pot。　　And；　if　you　will　read　this　story　nine　times　over；　and　then　think　for　yourself；　you　will　find　out　why。　　It　is　not　good　for　little　boys　to　be　told　everything；　and　never　to　be　forced　to　use　their　own　wits。　They　would　learn；　then；　no　more　than　they　do　at　Dr。　Dulcimer's　famous　suburban　establishment　for　the　idler　members　of　the　youthful　aristocracy；　where　the　masters　learn　the　lessons　and　the　boys　hear　them　…　which　saves　a　great　deal　of　trouble　…　for　the　time　being。

〃Now；〃　said　the　baby；　〃come　and　help　me；　or　I　shall　not　have　finished　before　my　brothers　and　sisters　come；　and　it　is　time　to　go　home。〃

〃What　shall　I　help　you　at？〃

〃At　this　poor　dear　little　rock；　a　great　clumsy　boulder　came　rolling　by　in　the　last　storm；　and　knocked　all　its　head　off；　and　rubbed　off　all　its　flowers。　　And　now　I　must　plant　it　again　with　seaweeds；　and　coralline；　and　anemones；　and　I　will　make　it　the　prettiest　little　rock…garden　on　all　the　shore。〃

So　they　worked　away　at　the　rock；　and　planted　it；　and　smoothed　the　sand　down　round；　it；　and　capital　fun　they　had　till　the　tide　began　to　turn。　　And　then　Tom　heard　all　the　other　babies　coming；　laughing　and　singing　and　shouting　and　romping；　and　the　noise　they　made　was　just　like　the　noise　of　the　ripple。　　So　he　knew　that　he　had　been　hearing　and　seeing　the　water…babies　all　along；　only　he　did　not　know　them；　because　his　eyes　and　ears　were　not　opened。

And　in　they　came；　dozens　and　dozens　of　them；　some　bigger　than　Tom　and　some　smaller；　all　in　the　neatest　little　white　bathing　dresses；　and　when　they　found　that　he　was　a　new　baby；　they　hugged　him　and　kissed　him；　and　then　put　him　in　the　middle　and　danced　round　him　on　the　sand；　and　there　was　no　one　ever　so　happy　as　poor　little　Tom。

〃Now　then；〃　they　cried　all　at　once；　〃we　must　come　away　home；　we　must　come　away　home；　or　the　tide　will　leave　us　dry。　　We　have　mended　all　the　broken　sea…weed；　and　put　all　the　rock…pools　in　order；　and　planted　all　the　shells　again　in　the　sand；　and　nobody　will　see　where　the　ugly　storm　swept　in　last　week。〃

And　this　is　the　reason　why　the　rock…pools　are　always　so　neat　and　clean；　because　the　water…babies　come　inshore　after　every　storm　to　sweep　them　out；　and　comb　them　down；　and　put　them　all　to　rights　again。

Only　where　men　are　wasteful　and　dirty；　and　let　sewers　run　into　the　sea　instead　of　putting　the　stuff　upon　the　fields　like　thrifty　reasonable　souls；　or　throw　herrings'　heads　and　dead　dog…fish；　or　any　other　refuse；　into　the　water；　or　in　any　way　make　a　mess　upon　the　clean　shore　…　there　the　water…babies　will　not　come；　sometimes　not　for　hundreds　of　years　（for　they　cannot　abide　anything　smelly　or　foul）；　but　leave　the　sea…anemones　and　the　crabs　to　clear　away　everything；　till　the　good　tidy　sea　has　covered　up　all　the　dirt　in　soft　mud　and　clean　sand；　where　the　water…babies　can　plant　live　cockles　and　whelks　and　razor…shells　and　sea…cucumbers　and　golden…　combs；　and　make　a　pretty　live　garden　again；　after　man's　dirt　is　cleared　away。　　And　that；　I　suppose；　is　the　reason　why　there　are　no　water…babies　at　any　watering…place　which　I　have　ever　seen。

And　where　is　the　home　of　the　water…babies？　　In　St。　Brandan's　fairy　isle。

Did　you　never　hear　of　the　blessed　St。　Brandan；　how　he　preached　to　the　wild　Irish　on　the　wild；　wild　Kerry　coast；　he　and　five　other　hermits；　till　they　were　weary　and　longed　to　rest？　　For　the　wild　Irish　would　not　listen　to　them；　or　come　to　confession　and　to　mass；　but　liked　better　to　brew　potheen；　and　dance　the　pater　o'pee；　and　knock　each　other　over　the　head　with　shillelaghs；　and　shoot　each　other　from　behind　turf…dykes；　and　steal　each　other's　cattle；　and　burn　each　other's　homes；　till　St。　Brandan　and　his　friends　were　weary　of　them；　for　they　would　not　learn　to　be　peaceable　Christians　at　all。

So　St。　Brandan　went　out　to　the　point　of　Old　Dunmore；　and　looked　over　the　tide…way　roaring　round　the　Blasquets；　at　the　end　of　all　the　world；　and　away　into　the　ocean；　and　sighed　…　〃Ah　that　I　had　wings　as　a　dove！〃　　And　far　away；　before　the　setting　sun；　he　saw　a　blue　fairy　sea；　and　golden　fairy　islands；　and　he　said；　〃Those　are　the　islands　of　the　blest。〃　　Then　he　and　his　friends　got　into　a　hooker；　and　sailed　away　and　away　to　the　westward；　and　were　never　heard　of　more。　　But　the　people　who　would　not　hear　him　were　changed　into　gorillas；　and　gorillas　they　are　until　this　day。

And　when　St。　Brandan　and　the　hermits　came　to　that　fairy　isle　they　found　it　overgrown　with　cedars　and　full　of　beautiful　birds；　and　he　sat　down　under　the　cedars　and　preached　to　all　the　birds　in　the　air。　And　they　liked　his　sermons　so　well　that　they　told　the　fishes　in　the　sea；　and　they　came；　and　St。　Brandan　preached　to　them；　and　the　fishes　told　the　water…babies；　who　live　in　the　caves　under　the　isle；　and　they　came　up　by　hundreds　every　Sunday；　and　St。　Brandan　got　quite　a　neat　little　Sunday…school。　　And　there　he　taught　the　water…　babies　for　a　great　many　hundred　years；　till　his　eyes　grew　too　dim　to　see；　and　his　beard　grew　so　long　that　he　dared　not　walk　for　fear　of　treading　on　it；　and　then　he　might　have　tumbled　down。　　And　at　last　he　and　the　five　hermits　fell　fast　asleep　under　the　cedar…　shades；　and　there　they　sleep　unto　this　day。　　But　the　fairies　took　to　the　water…babies；　and　taught　them　their　lessons　themselves。

And　some　say　that　St。　Brandan　will　awake　and　begin　to　teach　the　babies　once　more：　　but　some　think　that　he　will　sleep　on；　for　better　for　worse；　till　the　coming　of　the　Cocqcigrues。　　But；　on　still　clear　summer　evenings；　when　the　sun　sinks　down　into　the　sea；　among　golden　cloud…capes　and　cloud…islands；　and　locks　and　friths　of　azure　sky；　the　sailors　fancy　that　they　see；　away　to　westward；　St。　Brandan's　fairy　isle。

But　whether　men　can　see　it　or　not；　St。　Brandan's　Isle　once　actually　stood　there；　a　great　land　out　in　the　ocean；　which　has　sunk　and　sunk　beneath　the　waves。　　Old　Plato　called　it　Atlantis；　and　told　strange　tales　of　the　wise　men　who　lived　therein；　and　of　the　wars　they　fought　in　the　old　times。　　And　from　off　that　island　came　strange　flowers；　which　linger　still　about　this　land：…　the　Cornish　heath；　and　Cornish　moneywort；　and　the　delicate　Venus's　hair；　and　the　London…pride　which　covers　the　Kerry　mountains；　and　the　little　pink　butterwort　of　Devon；　and　the　great　blue　butterwort　of　Ireland；　and　the　Connemara　heath；　and　the　bristle…fern　of　the　Turk　waterfall；　and　many　a　strange　plant　more；　all　fairy　tokens　left　for　wise　men　and　good　children　from　off　St。　Brandan's　Isle。

Now　when　Tom　got　there；　he　found　that　the　isle　stood　all　on　pillars；　and　that　its　roots　were　full　of　caves。　　There　were　pill