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BEDONEBY came too。  Whereat all the little children began dancing and clapping their hands; and Tom danced too with all his might。

And as for the pretty lady; I cannot tell you what the colour of her hair was; or; of her eyes:  no more could Tom; for; when any one looks at her; all they can think of is; that she has the sweetest; kindest; tenderest; funniest; merriest face they ever saw; or want to see。  But Tom saw that she was a very tall woman; as tall as her sister:  but instead of being gnarly and horny; and scaly; and prickly; like her; she was the most nice; soft; fat; smooth; pussy; cuddly; delicious creature who ever nursed a baby; and she understood babies thoroughly; for she had plenty of her own; whole rows and regiments of them; and has to this day。  And all her delight was; whenever she had a spare moment; to play with babies; in which she showed herself a woman of sense; for babies are the best company; and the pleasantest playfellows; in the world; at least; so all the wise people in the world think。  And therefore when the children saw her; they naturally all caught hold of her; and pulled her till she sat down on a stone; and climbed into her lap; and clung round her neck; and caught hold of her hands; and then they all put their thumbs into their mouths; and began cuddling and purring like so many kittens; as they ought to have done。  While those who could get nowhere else sat down on the sand; and cuddled her feet … for no one; you know; wear shoes in the water; except horrid old bathing…women; who are afraid of the water…babies pinching their horny toes。  And Tom stood staring at them; for he could not understand what it was all about。

〃And who are you; you little darling?〃 she said。

〃Oh; that is the new baby!〃 they all cried; pulling their thumbs out of their mouths; 〃and he never had any mother;〃 and they all put their thumbs back again; for they did not wish to lose any time。

〃Then I will be his mother; and he shall have the very best place; so get out; all of you; this moment。〃

And she took up two great armfuls of babies … nine hundred under one arm; and thirteen hundred under the other … and threw them away; right and left; into the water。  But they minded it no more than the naughty boys in Struwelpeter minded when St。 Nicholas dipped them in his inkstand; and did not even take their thumbs out of their mouths; but came paddling and wriggling back to her like so many tadpoles; till you could see nothing of her from head to foot for the swarm of little babies。

But she took Tom in her arms; and laid him in the softest place of all; and kissed him; and patted him; and talked to him; tenderly and low; such things as he had never heard before in his life; and Tom looked up into her eyes; and loved her; and loved; till he fell fast asleep from pure love。

And when he woke she was telling the children a story。  And what story did she tell them?  One story she told them; which begins every Christmas Eve; and yet never ends at all for ever and ever; and; as she went on; the children took their thumbs out of their mouths and listened quite seriously; but not sadly at all; for she never told them anything sad; and Tom listened too; and never grew tired of listening。  And he listened so long that he fell fast asleep again; and; when he woke; the lady was nursing him still。

〃Don't go away;〃 said little Tom。  〃This is so nice。  I never had any one to cuddle me before。〃

〃Don't go away;〃 said all the children; 〃you have not sung us one song。〃

〃Well; I have time for only one。  So what shall it be?〃

〃The doll you lost!  The doll you lost!〃 cried all the babies at once。

So the strange fairy sang:…


I once had a sweet little doll; dears; The prettiest doll in the world; Her cheeks were so red and so white; dears; And her hair was so charmingly curled。 But I lost my poor little doll; dears; As I played in the heath one day; And I cried for her more than a week; dears; But I never could find where she lay。

I found my poor little doll; dears; As I played in the heath one day: Folks say she is terribly changed; dears; For her paint is all washed away; And her arm trodden off by the cows; dears; And her hair not the least bit curled: Yet; for old sakes' sake she is still; dears; The prettiest doll in the world。


What a silly song for a fairy to sing!

And what silly water…babies to be quite delighted at it!

Well; but you see they have not the advantage of Aunt Agitate's Arguments in the sea…land down below。

〃Now;〃 said the fairy to Tom; 〃will you be a good boy for my sake; and torment no more sea…beasts till I come back?〃

〃And you will cuddle me again?〃 said poor little Tom。

〃Of course I will; you little duck。  I should like to take you with me and cuddle you all the way; only I must not;〃 and away she went。

So Tom really tried to be a good boy; and tormented no sea…beasts after that as long as he lived; and he is quite alive; I assure you; still。

Oh; how good little boys ought to be who have kind pussy mammas to cuddle them and tell them stories; and how afraid they ought to be of growing naughty; and bringing tears into their mammas' pretty eyes!



CHAPTER VI



〃Thou little child; yet glorious in the night Of heaven…born freedom on thy Being's height; Why with such earnest pains dost thou provoke The Years to bring the inevitable yoke … Thus blindly with thy blessedness at strife? Full soon thy soul shall have her earthly freight; And custom lie upon thee with a weight Heavy as frost; and deep almost as life。〃

WORDSWORTH。


I come to the very saddest part of all my story。  I know some people will only laugh at it; and call it much ado about nothing。 But I know one man who would not; and he was an officer with a pair of gray moustaches as long as your arm; who said once in company that two of the most heart…rending sights in the world; which moved him most to tears; which he would do anything to prevent or remedy; were a child over a broken toy and a child stealing sweets。

The company did not laugh at him; his moustaches were too long and too gray for that:  but; after he was gone; they called him sentimental and so forth; all but one dear little old Quaker lady with a soul as white as her cap; who was not; of course; generally partial to soldiers; and she said very quietly; like a Quaker:

〃Friends; it is borne upon my mind that that is a truly brave man。〃

Now you may fancy that Tom was quite good; when he had everything that he could want or wish:  but you would be very much mistaken。 Being quite comfortable is a very good thing; but it does not make people good。  Indeed; it sometimes makes them naughty; as it has made the people in America; and as it made the people in the Bible; who waxed fat and kicked; like horses overfed and underworked。  And I am very sorry to say that this happened to little Tom。  For he grew so fond of the sea…bullseyes and sea…lollipops that his foolish little head could think of nothing else:  and he was always longing for more; and wondering when the strange lady would come again and give him some; and what she would give him; and how much; and whether she would give him more than the others。  And he thought of nothing but lollipops by day; and dreamt of nothing else by night … and what happened then?

That he began to watch the lady to see where she kept the sweet things:  and began hiding; and sneaking; and following her about; and pretending to be looking the other way; or going after something else; till he found out that she kept them in a beautiful mother…of…pearl cabinet away in a deep crack of the rocks。

And he longed to go to the cabinet; and yet he was afraid; and then he longed again; and was less afraid; and at last; by continual thinking about it; he longed so violently that he was not afraid at all。  And one night; when all the other children were asleep; and he could not sleep for thinking of lollipops; he crept away among the rocks; and got to the cabinet; and behold! it was open。

But; when he saw all the nice things inside; instead of being delighted; he was quite frightened; and wished he had never come there。  And then he would only touch them; and he did; and then he would only taste one; and he did; and then he would only eat one; and he did; and then he would only eat two; and then three; and so on; and then he was terrified lest she should come and catch him; and began gobbling them down so fast that he did not taste them; or have any pleasure in them; and then he felt sick; and would have only one more; and then only one more again; and so on till he had eaten them all up。

And all the while; close behind him; stood Mrs。 Bedonebyasyoudid。

Some people may say; But why did she not keep her cupboard locked? Well; I know。 … It may seem a very strange thing; but she never does keep her cupboard locked; every one may go and taste for themselves; and fare accordingly。  It is very odd; but so it is; and I am quite sure that she knows best。  Perhaps she wishes people to keep their fingers out of the fire; by having them burned。

She took off her spectacles; because she did not like to see too much; and in her pity she arched up her eyebrows into her very hair; and her eyes grew so wide th

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