the water-babies-第30节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　she　kept　on　crooning　an　old　song　to　herself；　which　she　learnt　when　she　was　a　little　baby…bird；　long　ago　…


〃Two　little　birds　they　sat　on　a　stone；　One　swam　away；　and　then　there　was　one；　With　a　fal…lal…la…lady。

〃The　other　swam　after；　and　then　there　was　none；　And　so　the　poor　stone　was　left　all　alone；　With　a　fal…lal…la…lady。〃


It　was　〃flew〃　away；　properly；　and　not　〃swam〃　away：　　but；　as　she　could　not　fly；　she　had　a　right　to　alter　it。　　However；　it　was　a　very　fit　song　for　her　to　sing；　because　she　was　a　lady　herself。

Tom　came　up　to　her　very　humbly；　and　made　his　bow；　and　the　first　thing　she　said　was　…

〃Have　you　wings？　　Can　you　fly？〃

〃Oh　dear；　no；　ma'am；　I　should　not　think　of　such　thing；〃　said　cunning　little　Tom。

〃Then　I　shall　have　great　pleasure　in　talking　to　you；　my　dear。　　It　is　quite　refreshing　nowadays　to　see　anything　without　wings。　　They　must　all　have　wings；　forsooth；　now；　every　new　upstart　sort　of　bird；　and　fly。　　What　can　they　want　with　flying；　and　raising　themselves　above　their　proper　station　in　life？　　In　the　days　of　my　ancestors　no　birds　ever　thought　of　having　wings；　and　did　very　well　without；　and　now　they　all　laugh　at　me　because　I　keep　to　the　good　old　fashion。　Why；　the　very　marrocks　and　dovekies　have　got　wings；　the　vulgar　creatures；　and　poor　little　ones　enough　they　are；　and　my　own　cousins　too；　the　razor…bills；　who　are　gentlefolk　born；　and　ought　to　know　better　than　to　ape　their　inferiors。〃

And　so　she　was　running　on；　while　Tom　tried　to　get　in　a　word　edgeways；　and　at　last　he　did；　when　the　old　lady　got　out　of　breath；　and　began　fanning　herself　again；　and　then　he　asked　if　she　knew　the　way　to　Shiny　Wall。

〃Shiny　Wall？　　Who　should　know　better　than　I？　　We　all　came　from　Shiny　Wall；　thousands　of　years　ago；　when　it　was　decently　cold；　and　the　climate　was　fit　for　gentlefolk；　but　now；　what　with　the　heat；　and　what　with　these　vulgar…winged　things　who　fly　up　and　down　and　eat　everything；　so　that　gentlepeople's　hunting　is　all　spoilt；　and　one　really　cannot　get　one's　living；　or　hardly　venture　off　the　rock　for　fear　of　being　flown　against　by　some　creature　that　would　not　have　dared　to　come　within　a　mile　of　one　a　thousand　years　ago　…　what　was　I　saying？　　Why；　we　have　quite　gone　down　in　the　world；　my　dear；　and　have　nothing　left　but　our　honour。　　And　I　am　the　last　of　my　family。　　A　friend　of　mine　and　I　came　and　settled　on　this　rock　when　we　were　young；　to　be　out　of　the　way　of　low　people。　　Once　we　were　a　great　nation；　and　spread　over　all　the　Northern　Isles。　　But　men　shot　us　so；　and　knocked　us　on　the　head；　and　took　our　eggs　…　why；　if　you　will　believe　it；　they　say　that　on　the　coast　of　Labrador　the　sailors　used　to　lay　a　plank　from　the　rock　on　board　the　thing　called　their　ship；　and　drive　us　along　the　plank　by　hundreds；　till　we　tumbled　down　into　the　ship's　waist　in　heaps；　and　then；　I　suppose；　they　ate　us；　the　nasty　fellows！　　Well　…　but　…　what　was　I　saying？　　At　last；　there　were　none　of　us　left；　except　on　the　old　Gairfowlskerry；　just　off　the　Iceland　coast；　up　which　no　man　could　climb。　　Even　there　we　had　no　peace；　for　one　day；　when　I　was　quite　a　young　girl；　the　land　rocked；　and　the　sea　boiled；　and　the　sky　grew　dark；　and　all　the　air　was　filled　with　smoke　and　dust；　and　down　tumbled　the　old　Gairfowlskerry　into　the　sea。　　The　dovekies　and　marrocks；　of　course；　all　flew　away；　but　we　were　too　proud　to　do　that。　　Some　of　us　were　dashed　to　pieces；　and　some　drowned；　and　those　who　were　left　got　away　to　Eldey；　and　the　dovekies　tell　me　they　are　all　dead　now；　and　that　another　Gairfowlskerry　has　risen　out　of　the　sea　close　to　the　old　one；　but　that　it　is　such　a　poor　flat　place　that　it　is　not　safe　to　live　on：　　and　so　here　I　am　left　alone。〃

This　was　the　Gairfowl's　story；　and；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　it　is　every　word　of　it　true。

〃If　you　only　had　had　wings！〃　said　Tom；　〃then　you　might　all　have　flown　away　too。〃

〃Yes；　young　gentleman：　　and　if　people　are　not　gentleman　and　ladies；　and　forget　that　NOBLESSE　OBLIGE；　they　will　find　it　as　easy　to　get　on　in　the　world　as　other　people　who　don't　care　what　they　do。　　Why；　if　I　had　not　recollected　that　NOBLESSE　OBLIGE；　I　should　not　have　been　all　alone　now。〃　　And　the　poor　old　lady　sighed。

〃How　was　that；　ma'am？〃

〃Why；　my　dear；　a　gentleman　came　hither　with　me；　and　after　we　had　been　here　some　time；　he　wanted　to　marry　…　in　fact；　he　actually　proposed　to　me。　　Well；　I　can't　blame　him；　I　was　young；　and　very　handsome　then；　I　don't　deny：　　but　you　see；　I　could　not　hear　of　such　a　thing；　because　he　was　my　deceased　sister's　husband；　you　see？〃

〃Of　course　not；　ma'am；〃　said　Tom；　though；　of　course；　he　knew　nothing　about　it。　　〃She　was　very　much　diseased；　I　suppose？〃

〃You　do　not　understand　me；　my　dear。　　I　mean；　that　being　a　lady；　and　with　right　and　honourable　feelings；　as　our　house　always　has　had；　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　snub　him；　and　howk　him；　and　peck　him　continually；　to　keep　him　at　his　proper　distance；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　I　once　pecked　him　a　little　too　hard；　poor　fellow；　and　he　tumbled　backwards　off　the　rock；　and　…　really；　it　was　very　unfortunate；　but　it　was　not　my　fault　…　a　shark　coming　by　saw　him　flapping；　and　snapped　him　up。　And　since　then　I　have　lived　all　alone　…


'With　a　fal…lal…la…lady。'


And　soon　I　shall　be　gone；　my　little　dear；　and　nobody　will　miss　me；　and　then　the　poor　stone　will　be　left　all　alone。〃

〃But；　please；　which　is　the　way　to　Shiny　Wall？〃　said　Tom。

〃Oh；　you　must　go；　my　little　dear　…　you　must　go。　　Let　me　see　…　I　am　sure　…　that　is　…　really；　my　poor　old　brains　are　getting　quite　puzzled。　　Do　you　know；　my　little　dear；　I　am　afraid；　if　you　want　to　know；　you　must　ask　some　of　these　vulgar　birds　about；　for　I　have　quite　forgotten。〃

And　the　poor　old　Gairfowl　began　to　cry　tears　of　pure　oil；　and　Tom　was　quite　sorry　for　her；　and　for　himself　too；　for　he　was　at　his　wit's　end　whom　to　ask。

But　by　there　came　a　flock　of　petrels；　who　are　Mother　Carey's　own　chickens；　and　Tom　thought　them　much　prettier　than　Lady　Gairfowl；　and　so　perhaps　they　were；　for　Mother　Carey　had　had　a　great　deal　of　fresh　experience　between　the　time　that　she　invented　the　Gairfowl　and　the　time　that　she　invented　them。　　They　flitted　along　like　a　flock　of　black　swallows；　and　hopped　and　skipped　from　wave　to　wave；　lifting　up　their　little　feet　behind　them　so　daintily；　and　whistling　to　each　other　so　tenderly；　that　Tom　fell　in　love　with　them　at　once；　and　called　them　to　know　the　way　to　Shiny　Wall。

〃Shiny　Wall？　　Do　you　want　Shiny　Wall？　　Then　come　with　us；　and　we　will　show　you。　　We　are　Mother　Carey's　own　chickens；　and　she　sends　us　out　over　all　the　seas；　to　show　the　good　birds　the　way　home。〃

Tom　was　delighted；　and　swam　off　to　them；　after　he　had　made　his　bow　to　the　Gairfowl。　　But　she　would　not　return　his　bow：　　but　held　herself　bolt　upright；　and　wept　tears　of　oil　as　she　sang：


〃And　so　the　poor　stone　was　left　all　alone；　With　a　fal…lal…la…lady。〃


But　she　was　wrong　there；　for　the　stone　was　not　left　all　alone：　　and　the　next　time　that　Tom　goes　by　it；　he　will　see　a　sight　worth　seeing。

The　old　Gairfowl　is　gone　already：　　but　there　are　better　things　come　in　her　place；　and　when　Tom　comes　he　will　see　the　fishing…smacks　anchored　there　in　hundreds；　from　Scotland；　and　from　Ireland；　and　from　the　Orkneys；　and　the　Shetlands；　and　from　all　the　Northern　ports；　full　of　the　children　of　the　old　Norse　Vikings；　the　masters　of　the　sea。　　And　the　men　will　be　hauling　in　the　great　cod　by　thousands；　till　their　hands　are　sore　from　the　lines；　and　they　will　be　making　cod…liver　oil　and　guano；　and　salting　down　the　fish；　and　there　will　be　a　man…of…war　steamer　there　to　protect　them；　and　a　lighthouse　to　show　them　the　way；　and　you　and　I；　perhaps；　shall　go　some　day　to　the　Allalonestone　to　the　great　summer　sea…fair；　and　dredge　strange　creatures　such　as　man　never　saw　before；　and　we　shall　hear　the　sailors　boast　that　it　is　not　the　worst　jewel　in　Queen　Victoria's　crown；　for　there　are　eighty　miles　of　codbank；　and　food　for　all　the　poor　folk　in　the　land。　　That　is　what　Tom　will　see；　and　perhaps　you　and　I　shall　see　it　too。　　And　then　we　shall　not　be　sorry　because　we　cannot　get　a　Gairfowl　to　stuff；　much　less　find　gairfowl　enough　to　drive　them　into　stone　pens　and　slaughter　them；　as　the　old　Norsemen　did；　or　drive　them　on　board　along　a　plank　till　the　ship　was　victualled　with　them；　as　the　old　English　and　French　rovers　used　to　do；　of　whom　dear　old　Hakluyt　tells：　　but　we　shall　remember　what　Mr。　Tennyson　says：　　how


〃The　old　order　changeth；　giving　place　to　the　new；　And　God　fulfils　himself　in　many　ways。〃


And　now　Tom　was　all　agog　to　start　for　Shiny　Wall；　but　the　petrels　said　no。　　They　must　go　first　to　Allfowlsness；　and　wait　there　for　the　great　gathering　of　all　the　sea…birds；　before　they　start　for　their　summer　breeding…places　far　away　in　the　Northern　Isles；　and　there　they　would　be　sure　to　find　some　birds　which　were　going　to　Shiny　Wall：　　but　where　Allfowlsness　was；　he　must　promise　never　to　tell；　lest　men　should　go　there　and　shoot　the　birds；　and　stuff　them；　and　put　them　into　stupid　museums；　instead　of　leaving　them　to　play　and　breed　and　work　in　Mother　Carey's　water…garden；　where　they　ought　to　be。

So　where　Allfowlsness　is　nobody　must　know；　and　all　that　is　to　be　said　about　it　is；　that　Tom　waited　there　many　days；　and　as　he　waited；　he　saw　a　very　curious　sight。　　On　the　rabbit　burrows　on　the　shore　there　gather