the water-babies-第34节

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o　relate　to　you　in　the　next　chapter。



CHAPTER　VIII　AND　LAST



〃Come　to　me；　O　ye　children！　For　I　hear　you　at　your　play；　And　the　questions　that　perplexed　me　Have　vanished　quite　away。

〃Ye　open　the　Eastern　windows；　That　look　towards　the　sun；　Where　thoughts　are　singing　swallows；　And　the　brooks　of　morning　run。

*　*　*　*　*

〃For　what　are　all　our　contrivings　And　the　wisdom　of　our　books；　When　compared　with　your　caresses；　And　the　gladness　of　your　looks？

〃Ye　are　better　than　all　the　ballads　That　ever　were　sung　or　said；　For　ye　are　living　poems；　And　all　the　rest　are　dead。〃

LONGFELLOW。


Here　begins　the　never…to…be…too…much…studied　account　of　the　nine…　hundred…and…ninety…ninth　part　of　the　wonderful　things　which　Tom　saw　on　his　journey　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　which　all　good　little　children　are　requested　to　read；　that；　if　ever　they　get　to　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　as　they　may　very　probably　do；　they　may　not　burst　out　laughing；　or　try　to　run　away；　or　do　any　other　silly　vulgar　thing　which　may　offend　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid。

Now；　as　soon　as　Tom　had　left　Peacepool；　he　came　to　the　white　lap　of　the　great　sea…mother；　ten　thousand　fathoms　deep；　where　she　makes　world…pap　all　day　long；　for　the　steam…giants　to　knead；　and　the　fire…giants　to　bake；　till　it　has　risen　and　hardened　into　mountain…　loaves　and　island…cakes。

And　there　Tom　was　very　near　being　kneaded　up　in　the　world…pap；　and　turned　into　a　fossil　water…baby；　which　would　have　astonished　the　Geological　Society　of　New　Zealand　some　hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　hence。

For；　as　he　walked　along　in　the　silence　of　the　sea…twilight；　on　the　soft　white　ocean　floor；　he　was　aware　of　a　hissing；　and　a　roaring；　and　a　thumping；　and　a　pumping；　as　of　all　the　steam…engines　in　the　world　at　once。　　And；　when　he　came　near；　the　water　grew　boiling…hot；　not　that　that　hurt　him　in　the　least：　　but　it　also　grew　as　foul　as　gruel；　and　every　moment　he　stumbled　over　dead　shells；　and　fish；　and　sharks；　and　seals；　and　whales；　which　had　been　killed　by　the　hot　water。

And　at　last　he　came　to　the　great　sea…serpent　himself；　lying　dead　at　the　bottom；　and　as　he　was　too　thick　to　scramble　over；　Tom　had　to　walk　round　him　three…quarters　of　a　mile　and　more；　which　put　him　out　of　his　path　sadly；　and；　when　he　had　got　round；　he　came　to　the　place　called　Stop。　　And　there　he　stopped；　and　just　in　time。

For　he　was　on　the　edge　of　a　vast　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　sea；　up　which　was　rushing　and　roaring　clear　steam　enough　to　work　all　the　engines　in　the　world　at　once；　so　clear；　indeed；　that　it　was　quite　light　at　moments；　and　Tom　could　see　almost　up　to　the　top　of　the　water　above；　and　down　below　into　the　pit　for　nobody　knows　how　far。

But；　as　soon　as　he　bent　his　head　over　the　edge；　he　got　such　a　rap　on　the　nose　from　pebbles；　that　he　jumped　back　again；　for　the　steam；　as　it　rushed　up；　rasped　away　the　sides　of　the　hole；　and　hurled　it　up　into　the　sea　in　a　shower　of　mud　and　gravel　and　ashes；　and　then　it　spread　all　around；　and　sank　again；　and　covered　in　the　dead　fish　so　fast；　that　before　Tom　had　stood　there　five　minutes　he　was　buried　in　silt　up　to　his　ankles；　and　began　to　be　afraid　that　he　should　have　been　buried　alive。

And　perhaps　he　would　have　been；　but　that　while　he　was　thinking；　the　whole　piece　of　ground　on　which　he　stood　was　torn　off　and　blown　upwards；　and　away　flew　Tom　a　mile　up　through　the　sea；　wondering　what　was　coming　next。

At　last　he　stopped　…　thump！　and　found　himself　tight　in　the　legs　of　the　most　wonderful　bogy　which　he　had　ever　seen。

It　had　I　don't　know　how　many　wings；　as　big　as　the　sails　of　a　windmill；　and　spread　out　in　a　ring　like　them；　and　with　them　it　hovered　over　the　steam　which　rushed　up；　as　a　ball　hovers　over　the　top　of　a　fountain。　　And　for　every　wing　above　it　had　a　leg　below；　with　a　claw　like　a　comb　at　the　tip；　and　a　nostril　at　the　root；　and　in　the　middle　it　had　no　stomach　and　one　eye；　and　as　for　its　mouth；　that　was　all　on　one　side；　as　the　madreporiform　tubercle　in　a　star…　fish　is。　　Well；　it　was　a　very　strange　beast；　but　no　stranger　than　some　dozens　which　you　may　see。

〃What　do　you　want　here；〃　it　cried　quite　peevishly；　〃getting　in　my　way？〃　and　it　tried　to　drop　Tom：　　but　he　held　on　tight　to　its　claws；　thinking　himself　safer　where　he　was。

So　Tom　told　him　who　he　was；　and　what　his　errand　was。　　And　the　thing　winked　its　one　eye；　and　sneered：

〃I　am　too　old　to　be　taken　in　in　that　way。　　You　are　come　after　gold　…　I　know　you　are。〃

〃Gold！　　What　is　gold？〃　　And　really　Tom　did　not　know；　but　the　suspicious　old　bogy　would　not　believe　him。

But　after　a　while　Tom　began　to　understand　a　little。　　For；　as　the　vapours　came　up　out　of　the　hole；　the　bogy　smelt　them　with　his　nostrils；　and　combed　them　and　sorted　them　with　his　combs；　and　then；　when　they　steamed　up　through　them　against　his　wings；　they　were　changed　into　showers　and　streams　of　metal。　　From　one　wing　fell　gold…dust；　and　from　another　silver；　and　from　another　copper；　and　from　another　tin；　and　from　another　lead；　and　so　on；　and　sank　into　the　soft　mud；　into　veins　and　cracks；　and　hardened　there。　　Whereby　it　comes　to　pass　that　the　rocks　are　full　of　metal。

But；　all　of　a　sudden；　somebody　shut　off　the　steam　below；　and　the　hole　was　left　empty　in　an　instant：　　and　then　down　rushed　the　water　into　the　hole；　in　such　a　whirlpool　that　the　bogy　spun　round　and　round　as　fast　as　a　teetotum。　　But　that　was　all　in　his　day's　work；　like　a　fair　fall　with　the　hounds；　so　all　he　did　was　to　say　to　Tom　…

〃Now　is　your　time；　youngster；　to　get　down；　if　you　are　in　earnest；　which　I　don't　believe。〃

〃You'll　soon　see；〃　said　Tom；　and　away　he　went；　as　bold　as　Baron　Munchausen；　and　shot　down　the　rushing　cataract　like　a　salmon　at　Ballisodare。

And；　when　he　got　to　the　bottom；　he　swam　till　he　was　washed　on　shore　safe　upon　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　and　he　found　it；　to　his　surprise；　as　most　other　people　do；　much　more　like　This…End…of…　Somewhere　than　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of　expecting

And　first　he　went　through　Waste…paper…land；　where　all　the　stupid　books　lie　in　heaps；　up　hill　and　down　dale；　like　leaves　in　a　winter　wood；　and　there　he　saw　people　digging　and　grubbing　among　them；　to　make　worse　books　out　of　bad　ones；　and　thrashing　chaff　to　save　the　dust　of　it；　and　a　very　good　trade　they　drove　thereby；　especially　among　children。

Then　he　went　by　the　sea　of　slops；　to　the　mountain　of　messes；　and　the　territory　of　tuck；　where　the　ground　was　very　sticky；　for　it　was　all　made　of　bad　toffee　（not　Everton　toffee；　of　course）；　and　full　of　deep　cracks　and　holes　choked　with　wind…fallen　fruit；　and　green　goose…berries；　and　sloes；　and　crabs；　and　whinberries；　and　hips　and　haws；　and　all　the　nasty　things　which　little　children　will　eat；　if　they　can　get　them。　　But　the　fairies　hide　them　out　of　the　way　in　that　country　as　fast　as　they　can；　and　very　hard　work　they　have；　and　of　very　little　use　it　is。　　For　as　fast　as　they　hide　away　the　old　trash；　foolish　and　wicked　people　make　fresh　trash　full　of　lime　and　poisonous　paints；　and　actually　go　and　steal　receipts　out　of　old　Madame　Science's　big　book　to　invent　poisons　for　little　children；　and　sell　them　at　wakes　and　fairs　and　tuck…shops。　　Very　well。　　Let　them　go　on。　　Dr。　Letheby　and　Dr。　Hassall　cannot　catch　them；　though　they　are　setting　traps　for　them　all　day　long。　　But　the　Fairy　with　the　birch…rod　will　catch　them　all　in　time；　and　make　them　begin　at　one　corner　of　their　shops；　and　eat　their　way　out　at　the　other：　　by　which　time　they　will　have　got　such　stomach…aches　as　will　cure　them　of　poisoning　little　children。

Next　he　saw　all　the　little　people　in　the　world；　writing　all　the　little　books　in　the　world；　about　all　the　other　little　people　in　the　world；　probably　because　they　had　no　great　people　to　write　about：　and　if　the　names　of　the　books　were　not　Squeeky；　nor　the　Pump…　lighter；　nor　the　Narrow　Narrow　World；　nor　the　Hills　of　the　Chattermuch；　nor　the　Children's　Twaddeday；　why　then　they　were　something　else。　　And；　all　the　rest　of　the　little　people　in　the　world　read　the　books；　and　thought　themselves　each　as　good　as　the　President；　and　perhaps　they　were　right；　for　every　one　knows　his　own　business　best。　　But　Tom　thought　he　would　sooner　have　a　jolly　good　fairy　tale；　about　Jack　the　Giant…killer　or　Beauty　and　the　Beast；　which　taught　him　something　that　he　didn't　know　already。

And　next　he　came　to　the　centre　of　Creation　（the　hub；　they　call　it　there）；　which　lies　in　latitude　42。21　degrees　south；　and　longitude　108。56　degrees　east。

And　there　he　found　all　the　wise　people　instructing　mankind　in　the　science　of　spirit…rapping；　while　their　house　was　burning　over　their　heads：　　and　when　Tom　told　them　of　the　fire；　they　held　an　indignation　meeting　forthwith；　and　unanimously　determined　to　hang　Tom's　dog　for　coming　into　their　country　with　gunpowder　in　his　mouth。　　Tom　couldn't　help　saying　that　though　they　did　fancy　they　had　carried　all　the　wit　away　with　them　out　of　Lincolnshire　two　hundred　years　ago；　yet　if　they　had　had　one　such　Lincolnshire　nobleman　among　them　as　good　old　Lord　Yarborough；　he　would　have　called　for　the　fire…engines　before　he　hanged　other　people's　dogs。　But　it　was　of　no　use；　and　the　dog　was　hanged：　　and　Tom　couldn't　even　have　his　carcase；　for　they　had　abolished　the　have…his…carcase　act　in　that　country；　for　fear　lest　when　rogues　fell　out；　honest　men　should　come　by　their　own。　　And　so　they　would　have　su