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第33节

the water-babies-第33节

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〃Have I; ma'am?  I'm sure I forget all about it。〃

〃Then look at me。〃

And; as Tom looked into her great blue eyes; he recollected the way perfectly。

Now; was not that strange?

〃Thank you; ma'am;〃 said Tom。  〃Then I won't trouble your ladyship any more; I hear you are very busy。〃

〃I am never more busy than I am now;〃 she said; without stirring a finger。

〃I heard; ma'am; that you were always making new beasts out of old。〃

〃So people fancy。  But I am not going to trouble myself to make things; my little dear。  I sit here and make them make themselves。〃

〃You are a clever fairy; indeed;〃 thought Tom。  And he was quite right。

That is a grand trick of good old Mother Carey's; and a grand answer; which she has had occasion to make several times to impertinent people。

There was once; for instance; a fairy who was so clever that she found out how to make butterflies。  I don't mean sham ones; no: but real live ones; which would fly; and eat; and lay eggs; and do everything that they ought; and she was so proud of her skill that she went flying straight off to the North Pole; to boast to Mother Carey how she could make butterflies。

But Mother Carey laughed。

〃Know; silly child;〃 she said; 〃that any one can make things; if they will take time and trouble enough:  but it is not every one who; like me; can make things make themselves。〃

But people do not yet believe that Mother Carey is as clever as all that comes to; and they will not till they; too; go the journey to the Other…end…of…Nowhere。

〃And now; my pretty little man;〃 said Mother Carey; 〃you are sure you know the way to the Other…end…of…Nowhere?〃

Tom thought; and behold; he had forgotten it utterly。

〃That is because you took your eyes off me。〃

Tom looked at her again; and recollected; and then looked away; and forgot in an instant。

〃But what am I to do; ma'am?  For I can't keep looking at you when I am somewhere else。〃

〃You must do without me; as most people have to do; for nine hundred and ninety…nine thousandths of their lives; and look at the dog instead; for he knows the way well enough; and will not forget it。  Besides; you may meet some very queer…tempered people there; who will not let you pass without this passport of mine; which you must hang round your neck and take care of; and; of course; as the dog will always go behind you; you must go the whole way backward。〃

〃Backward!〃 cried Tom。  〃Then I shall not be able to see my way。〃

〃On the contrary; if you look forward; you will not see a step before you; and be certain to go wrong; but; if you look behind you; and watch carefully whatever you have passed; and especially keep your eye on the dog; who goes by instinct; and therefore can't go wrong; then you will know what is coming next; as plainly as if you saw it in a looking…glass。〃

Tom was very much astonished:  but he obeyed her; for he had learnt always to believe what the fairies told him。

〃So it is; my dear child;〃 said Mother Carey; 〃and I will tell you a story; which will show you that I am perfectly right; as it is my custom to be。

〃Once on a time; there were two brothers。  One was called Prometheus; because he always looked before him; and boasted that he was wise beforehand。  The other was called Epimetheus; because he always looked behind him; and did not boast at all; but said humbly; like the Irishman; that he had sooner prophesy after the event。

〃Well; Prometheus was a very clever fellow; of course; and invented all sorts of wonderful things。  But; unfortunately; when they were set to work; to work was just what they would not do:  wherefore very little has come of them; and very little is left of them; and now nobody knows what they were; save a few archaeological old gentlemen who scratch in queer corners; and find little there save Ptinum Furem; Blaptem Mortisagam; Acarum Horridum; and Tineam Laciniarum。

〃But Epimetheus was a very slow fellow; certainly; and went among men for a clod; and a muff; and a milksop; and a slowcoach; and a bloke; and a boodle; and so forth。  And very little he did; for many years:  but what he did; he never had to do over again。

〃And what happened at last?  There came to the two brothers the most beautiful creature that ever was seen; Pandora by name; which means; All the gifts of the Gods。  But because she had a strange box in her hand; this fanciful; forecasting; suspicious; prudential; theoretical; deductive; prophesying Prometheus; who was always settling what was going to happen; would have nothing to do with pretty Pandora and her box。

〃But Epimetheus took her and it; as he took everything that came; and married her for better for worse; as every man ought; whenever he has even the chance of a good wife。  And they opened the box between them; of course; to see what was inside:  for; else; of what possible use could it have been to them?

〃And out flew all the ills which flesh is heir to; all the children of the four great bogies; Self…will; Ignorance; Fear; and Dirt … for instance:


Measles;        Famines; Monks;          Quacks; Scarlatina;     Unpaid bills; Idols;          Tight stays; Hooping…coughs; Potatoes; Popes;          Bad Wine; Wars;           Despots; Peacemongers;   Demagogues; And; worst of all; Naughty Boys and Girls。


But one thing remained at the bottom of the box; and that was; Hope。

〃So Epimetheus got a great deal of trouble; as most men do in this world:  but he got the three best things in the world into the bargain … a good wife; and experience; and hope:  while Prometheus had just as much trouble; and a great deal more (as you will hear); of his own making; with nothing beside; save fancies spun out of his own brain; as a spider spins her web out of her stomach。

〃And Prometheus kept on looking before him so far ahead; that as he was running about with a box of lucifers (which were the only useful things he ever invented; and do as much harm as good); he trod on his own nose; and tumbled down (as most deductive philosophers do); whereby he set the Thames on fire; and they have hardly put it out again yet。  So he had to be chained to the top of a mountain; with a vulture by him to give him a peck whenever he stirred; lest he should turn the whole world upside down with his prophecies and his theories。

〃But stupid old Epimetheus went working and grubbing on; with the help of his wife Pandora; always looking behind him to see what had happened; till he really learnt to know now and then what would happen next; and understood so well which side his bread was buttered; and which way the cat jumped; that he began to make things which would work; and go on working; too; to till and drain the ground; and to make looms; and ships; and railroads; and steam ploughs; and electric telegraphs; and all the things which you see in the Great Exhibition; and to foretell famine; and bad weather; and the price of stocks and (what is hardest of all) the next vagary of the great idol Whirligig; which some call Public Opinion; till at last he grew as rich as a Jew; and as fat as a farmer; and people thought twice before they meddled with him; but only once before they asked him to help them; for; because he earned his money well; he could afford to spend it well likewise。

〃And his children are the men of science; who get good lasting work done in the world; but the children of Prometheus are the fanatics; and the theorists; and the bigots; and the bores; and the noisy windy people; who go telling silly folk what will happen; instead of looking to see what has happened already。〃

Now; was not Mother Carey's a wonderful story?  And; I am happy to say; Tom believed it every word。

For so it happened to Tom likewise。  He was very sorely tried; for though; by keeping the dog to heels (or rather to toes; for he had to walk backward); he could see pretty well which way the dog was hunting; yet it was much slower work to go backwards than to go forwards。  But; what was more trying still; no sooner had he got out of Peacepool; than there came running to him all the conjurors; fortune…tellers; astrologers; prophesiers; projectors; prestigiators; as many as were in those parts (and there are too many of them everywhere); Old Mother Shipton on her broomstick; with Merlin; Thomas the Rhymer; Gerbertus; Rabanus Maurus; Nostradamus; Zadkiel; Raphael; Moore; Old Nixon; and a good many in black coats and white ties who might have known better; considering in what century they were born; all bawling and screaming at him; 〃Look a…head; only look a…head; and we will show you what man never saw before; and right away to the end of the world!〃

But I am proud to say that; though Tom had not been to Cambridge … for; if he had; he would have certainly been senior wrangler … he was such a little dogged; hard; gnarly; foursquare brick of an English boy; that he never turned his head round once all the way from Peacepool to the Other…end…of…Nowhere:  but kept his eye on the dog; and let him pick out the scent; hot or cold; straight or crooked; wet or dry; up hill or down dale; by which means he never made a single mistake; and saw all the wonderful and hitherto by… no…mortal…man…imagined things; which it is my duty to relate to you in the next chapter。

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