the water-babies-第24节

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e　came　in　from　the　public…house；　and　then　I　shall　be　safe。〃

〃I　was　wound　up　once　and　for　all；　so　long　ago；　that　I　forget　all　about　it。〃

〃Dear　me；〃　said　Tom；　〃you　must　have　been　made　a　long　time！〃

〃I　never　was　made；　my　child；　and　I　shall　go　for　ever　and　ever；　for　I　am　as　old　as　Eternity；　and　yet　as　young　as　Time。〃

And　there　came　over　the　lady's　face　a　very　curious　expression　…　very　solemn；　and　very　sad；　and　yet　very；　very　sweet。　　And　she　looked　up　and　away；　as　if　she　were　gazing　through　the　sea；　and　through　the　sky；　at　something　far；　far　off；　and　as　she　did　so；　there　came　such　a　quiet；　tender；　patient；　hopeful　smile　over　her　face　that　Tom　thought　for　the　moment　that　she　did　not　look　ugly　at　all。　　And　no　more　she　did；　for　she　was　like　a　great　many　people　who　have　not　a　pretty　feature　in　their　faces；　and　yet　are　lovely　to　behold；　and　draw　little　children's　hearts　to　them　at　once　because　though　the　house　is　plain　enough；　yet　from　the　windows　a　beautiful　and　good　spirit　is　looking　forth。

And　Tom　smiled　in　her　face；　she　looked　so　pleasant　for　the　moment。　And　the　strange　fairy　smiled　too；　and　said：

〃Yes。　　You　thought　me　very　ugly　just　now；　did　you　not？〃

Tom　hung　down　his　head；　and　got　very　red　about　the　ears。

〃And　I　am　very　ugly。　　I　am　the　ugliest　fairy　in　the　world；　and　I　shall　be；　till　people　behave　themselves　as　they　ought　to　do。　　And　then　I　shall　grow　as　handsome　as　my　sister；　who　is　the　loveliest　fairy　in　the　world；　and　her　name　is　Mrs。　Doasyouwouldbedoneby。　　So　she　begins　where　I　end；　and　I　begin　where　she　ends；　and　those　who　will　not　listen　to　her　must　listen　to　me；　as　you　will　see。　　Now；　all　of　you　run　away；　except　Tom；　and　he　may　stay　and　see　what　I　am　going　to　do。　　It　will　be　a　very　good　warning　for　him　to　begin　with；　before　he　goes　to　school。

〃Now；　Tom；　every　Friday　I　come　down　here　and　call　up　all　who　have　ill…used　little　children　and　serve　them　as　they　served　the　children。〃

And　at　that　Tom　was　frightened；　and　crept　under　a　stone；　which　made　the　two　crabs　who　lived　there　very　angry；　and　frightened　their　friend　the　butter…fish　into　flapping　hysterics：　　but　he　would　not　move　for　them。

And　first　she　called　up　all　the　doctors　who　give　little　children　so　much　physic　（they　were　most　of　them　old　ones；　for　the　young　ones　have　learnt　better；　all　but　a　few　army　surgeons；　who　still　fancy　that　a　baby's　inside　is　much　like　a　Scotch　grenadier's）；　and　she　set　them　all　in　a　row；　and　very　rueful　they　looked；　for　they　knew　what　was　coming。

And　first　she　pulled　all　their　teeth　out；　and　then　she　bled　them　all　round：　　and　then　she　dosed　them　with　calomel；　and　jalap；　and　salts　and　senna；　and　brimstone　and　treacle；　and　horrible　faces　they　made；　and　then　she　gave　them　a　great　emetic　of　mustard　and　water；　and　no　basons；　and　began　all　over　again；　and　that　was　the　way　she　spent　the　morning。

And　then　she　called　up　a　whole　troop　of　foolish　ladies；　who　pinch　up　their　children's　waists　and　toes；　and　she　laced　them　all　up　in　tight　stays；　so　that　they　were　choked　and　sick；　and　their　noses　grew　red；　and　their　hands　and　feet　swelled；　and　then　she　crammed　their　poor　feet　into　the　most　dreadfully　tight　boots；　and　made　them　all　dance；　which　they　did　most　clumsily　indeed；　and　then　she　asked　them　how　they　liked　it；　and　when　they　said　not　at　all；　she　let　them　go：　　because　they　had　only　done　it　out　of　foolish　fashion；　fancying　it　was　for　their　children's　good；　as　if　wasps'　waists　and　pigs'　toes　could　be　pretty；　or　wholesome；　or　of　any　use　to　anybody。

Then　she　called　up　all　the　careless　nurserymaids；　and　stuck　pins　into　them　all　over；　and　wheeled　them　about　in　perambulators　with　tight　straps　across　their　stomachs　and　their　heads　and　arms　hanging　over　the　side；　till　they　were　quite　sick　and　stupid；　and　would　have　had　sun…strokes：　　but；　being　under　the　water；　they　could　only　have　water…strokes；　which；　I　assure　you；　are　nearly　as　bad；　as　you　will　find　if　you　try　to　sit　under　a　mill…wheel。　　And　mind　…　when　you　hear　a　rumbling　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　sailors　will　tell　you　that　it　is　a　ground…swell：　　but　now　you　know　better。　　It　is　the　old　lady　wheeling　the　maids　about　in　perambulators。

And　by　that　time　she　was　so　tired；　she　had　to　go　to　luncheon。

And　after　luncheon　she　set　to　work　again；　and　called　up　all　the　cruel　schoolmasters　…　whole　regiments　and　brigades　of　them；　and　when　she　saw　them；　she　frowned　most　terribly；　and　set　to　work　in　earnest；　as　if　the　best　part　of　the　day's　work　was　to　come。　　More　than　half　of　them　were　nasty；　dirty；　frowzy；　grubby；　smelly　old　monks；　who；　because　they　dare　not　hit　a　man　of　their　own　size；　amused　themselves　with　beating　little　children　instead；　as　you　may　see　in　the　picture　of　old　Pope　Gregory　（good　man　and　true　though　he　was；　when　he　meddled　with　things　which　he　did　understand）；　teaching　children　to　sing　their　fa…fa…mi…fa　with　a　cat…o'…nine　tails　under　his　chair：　　but；　because　they　never　had　any　children　of　their　own；　they　took　into　their　heads　（as　some　folks　do　still）　that　they　were　the　only　people　in　the　world　who　knew　how　to　manage　children：　　and　they　first　brought　into　England；　in　the　old　Anglo…Saxon　times；　the　fashion　of　treating　free　boys；　and　girls　too；　worse　than　you　would　treat　a　dog　or　a　horse：　　but　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid　has　caught　them　all　long　ago；　and　given　them　many　a　taste　of　their　own　rods；　and　much　good　may　it　do　them。

And　she　boxed　their　ears；　and　thumped　them　over　the　head　with　rulers；　and　pandied　their　hands　with　canes；　and　told　them　that　they　told　stories；　and　were　this　and　that　bad　sort　of　people；　and　the　more　they　were　very　indignant；　and　stood　upon　their　honour；　and　declared　they　told　the　truth；　the　more　she　declared　they　were　not；　and　that　they　were　only　telling　lies；　and　at　last　she　birched　them　all　round　soundly　with　her　great　birch…rod　and　set　them　each　an　imposition　of　three　hundred　thousand　lines　of　Hebrew　to　learn　by　heart　before　she　came　back　next　Friday。　　And　at　that　they　all　cried　and　howled　so；　that　their　breaths　came　all　up　through　the　sea　like　bubbles　out　of　soda…water；　and　that　is　one　reason　of　the　bubbles　in　the　sea。　　There　are　others：　　but　that　is　the　one　which　principally　concerns　little　boys。　　And　by　that　time　she　was　so　tired　that　she　was　glad　to　stop；　and；　indeed；　she　had　done　a　very　good　day's　work。

Tom　did　not　quite　dislike　the　old　lady：　　but　he　could　not　help　thinking　her　a　little　spiteful　…　and　no　wonder　if　she　was；　poor　old　soul；　for　if　she　has　to　wait　to　grow　handsome　till　people　do　as　they　would　be　done　by；　she　will　have　to　wait　a　very　long　time。

Poor　old　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid！　she　has　a　great　deal　of　hard　work　before　her；　and　had　better　have　been　born　a　washerwoman；　and　stood　over　a　tub　all　day：　　but；　you　see；　people　cannot　always　choose　their　own　profession。

But　Tom　longed　to　ask　her　one　question；　and　after　all；　whenever　she　looked　at　him；　she　did　not　look　cross　at　all；　and　now　and　then　there　was　a　funny　smile　in　her　face；　and　she　chuckled　to　herself　in　a　way　which　gave　Tom　courage；　and　at　last　he　said：

〃Pray；　ma'am；　may　I　ask　you　a　question？〃

〃Certainly；　my　little　dear。〃

〃Why　don't　you　bring　all　the　bad　masters　here　and　serve　them　out　too？　　The　butties　that　knock　about　the　poor　collier…boys；　and　the　nailers　that　file　off　their　lads'　noses　and　hammer　their　fingers；　and　all　the　master　sweeps；　like　my　master　Grimes？　　I　saw　him　fall　into　the　water　long　ago；　so　I　surely　expected　he　would　have　been　here。　　I'm　sure　he　was　bad　enough　to　me。〃

Then　the　old　lady　looked　so　very　stern　that　Tom　was　quite　frightened；　and　sorry　that　he　had　been　so　bold。　　But　she　was　not　angry　with　him。　　She　only　answered；　〃I　look　after　them　all　the　week　round；　and　they　are　in　a　very　different　place　from　this；　because　they　knew　that　they　were　doing　wrong。〃

She　spoke　very　quietly；　but　there　was　something　in　her　voice　which　made　Tom　tingle　from　head　to　foot；　as　if　he　had　got　into　a　shoal　of　sea…nettles。

〃But　these　people；〃　she　went　on；　〃did　not　know　that　they　were　doing　wrong：　　they　were　only　stupid　and　impatient；　and　therefore　I　only　punish　them　till　they　become　patient；　and　learn　to　use　their　common　sense　like　reasonable　beings。　　But　as　for　chimney…sweeps；　and　collier…boys；　and　nailer　lads；　my　sister　has　set　good　people　to　stop　all　that　sort　of　thing；　and　very　much　obliged　to　her　I　am；　for　if　she　could　only　stop　the　cruel　masters　from　ill…using　poor　children；　I　should　grow　handsome　at　least　a　thousand　years　sooner。　And　now　do　you　be　a　good　boy；　and　do　as　you　would　be　done　by；　which　they　did　not；　and　then；　when　my　sister；　MADAME　DOASYOUWOULDBEDONEBY；　comes　on　Sunday；　perhaps　she　will　take　notice　of　you；　and　teach　you　how　to　behave。　　She　understands　that　better　than　I　do。〃　　And　so　she　went。

Tom　was　very　glad　to　hear　that　there　was　no　chance　of　meeting　Grimes　again；　though　he　was　a　little　sorry　for　him；　considering　that　he　used　sometimes　to　give　him　the　leavings　of　the　beer：　　but　he　determined　to　be　a　very　good　boy　all　Saturday；　and　he　was；　for　he　never　frightened　one　crab；　nor　tickled　any　live　corals；　nor　put　stones　into　the　sea　anemones'　mouths；　to　make　them　fancy　they　had　got　a　dinner；　and　when　Sunday　morning　came；　sure　enough；　MRS。　DOASYOUWOULDBEDONEBY　came　too。　　Whereat　all　the　little　children　began　dancing　and　clapping　their　hands；　and　Tom