the water-babies-第40节

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they　liked　the　employment　so　much　that　they　stood　and　looked　for　seven　years　more；　and　neither　spoke　nor　stirred。

At　last　they　heard　the　fairy　say：　　〃Attention；　children。　　Are　you　never　going　to　look　at　me　again？〃

〃We　have　been　looking　at　you　all　this　while；〃　they　said。　　And　so　they　thought　they　had　been。

〃Then　look　at　me　once　more；〃　said　she。

They　looked　…　and　both　of　them　cried　out　at　once；　〃Oh；　who　are　you；　after　all？〃

〃You　are　our　dear　Mrs。　Doasyouwouldbedoneby。〃

〃No；　you　are　good　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid；　but　you　are　grown　quite　beautiful　now！〃

〃To　you；〃　said　the　fairy。　　〃But　look　again。〃

〃You　are　Mother　Carey；〃　said　Tom；　in　a　very　low；　solemn　voice；　for　he　had　found　out　something　which　made　him　very　happy；　and　yet　frightened　him　more　than　all　that　he　had　ever　seen。

〃But　you　are　grown　quite　young　again。〃

〃To　you；〃　said　the　fairy。　　〃Look　again。〃

〃You　are　the　Irishwoman　who　met　me　the　day　I　went　to　Harthover！〃

And　when　they　looked　she　was　neither　of　them；　and　yet　all　of　them　at　once。

〃My　name　is　written　in　my　eyes；　if　you　have　eyes　to　see　it　there。〃

And　they　looked　into　her　great；　deep；　soft　eyes；　and　they　changed　again　and　again　into　every　hue；　as　the　light　changes　in　a　diamond。

〃Now　read　my　name；〃　said　she；　at　last。

And　her　eyes　flashed；　for　one　moment；　clear；　white；　blazing　light：　but　the　children　could　not　read　her　name；　for　they　were　dazzled；　and　hid　their　faces　in　their　hands。

〃Not　yet；　young　things；　not　yet；〃　said　she；　smiling；　and　then　she　turned　to　Ellie。

〃You　may　take　him　home　with　you　now　on　Sundays；　Ellie。　　He　has　won　his　spurs　in　the　great　battle；　and　become　fit　to　go　with　you　and　be　a　man；　because　he　has　done　the　thing　he　did　not　like。〃

So　Tom　went　home　with　Ellie　on　Sundays；　and　sometimes　on　week…days；　too；　and　he　is　now　a　great　man　of　science；　and　can　plan　railroads；　and　steam…engines；　and　electric　telegraphs；　and　rifled　guns；　and　so　forth；　and　knows　everything　about　everything；　except　why　a　hen's　egg　don't　turn　into　a　crocodile；　and　two　or　three　other　little　things　which　no　one　will　know　till　the　coming　of　the　Cocqcigrues。　And　all　this　from　what　he　learnt　when　he　was　a　water…baby；　underneath　the　sea。

〃And　of　course　Tom　married　Ellie？〃

My　dear　child；　what　a　silly　notion！　　Don't　you　know　that　no　one　ever　marries　in　a　fairy　tale；　under　the　rank　of　a　prince　or　a　princess？

〃And　Tom's　dog？〃

Oh；　you　may　see　him　any　clear　night　in　July；　for　the　old　dog…star　was　so　worn　out　by　the　last　three　hot　summers　that　there　have　been　no　dog…days　since；　so　that　they　had　to　take　him　down　and　put　Tom's　dog　up　in　his　place。　　Therefore；　as　new　brooms　sweep　clean；　we　may　hope　for　some　warm　weather　this　year。　　And　that　is　the　end　of　my　story。



MORAL。



And　now；　my　dear　little　man；　what　should　we　learn　from　this　parable？

We　should　learn　thirty…seven　or　thirty…nine　things；　I　am　not　exactly　sure　which：　　but　one　thing；　at　least；　we　may　learn；　and　that　is　this　…　when　we　see　efts　in　the　pond；　never　to　throw　stones　at　them；　or　catch　them　with　crooked　pins；　or　put　them　into　vivariums　with　sticklebacks；　that　the　sticklebacks　may　prick　them　in　their　poor　little　stomachs；　and　make　them　jump　out　of　the　glass　into　somebody's　work…box；　and　so　come　to　a　bad　end。　　For　these　efts　are　nothing　else　but　the　water…babies　who　are　stupid　and　dirty；　and　will　not　learn　their　lessons　and　keep　themselves　clean；　and；　therefore　（as　comparative　anatomists　will　tell　you　fifty　years　hence；　though　they　are　not　learned　enough　to　tell　you　now）；　their　skulls　grow　flat；　their　jaws　grow　out；　and　their　brains　grow　small；　and　their　tails　grow　long；　and　they　lose　all　their　ribs　（which　I　am　sure　you　would　not　like　to　do）；　and　their　skins　grow　dirty　and　spotted；　and　they　never　get　into　the　clear　rivers；　much　less　into　the　great　wide　sea；　but　hang　about　in　dirty　ponds；　and　live　in　the　mud；　and　eat　worms；　as　they　deserve　to　do。

But　that　is　no　reason　why　you　should　ill…use　them：　　but　only　why　you　should　pity　them；　and　be　kind　to　them；　and　hope　that　some　day　they　will　wake　up；　and　be　ashamed　of　their　nasty；　dirty；　lazy；　stupid　life；　and　try　to　amend；　and　become　something　better　once　more。　　For；　perhaps；　if　they　do　so；　then　after　379；423　years；　nine　months；　thirteen　days；　two　hours；　and　twenty…one　minutes　（for　aught　that　appears　to　the　contrary）；　if　they　work　very　hard　and　wash　very　hard　all　that　time；　their　brains　may　grow　bigger；　and　their　jaws　grow　smaller；　and　their　ribs　come　back；　and　their　tails　wither　off；　and　they　will　turn　into　water…babies　again；　and　perhaps　after　that　into　land…babies；　and　after　that　perhaps　into　grown　men。

You　know　they　won't？　　Very　well；　I　daresay　you　know　best。　　But　you　see；　some　folks　have　a　great　liking　for　those　poor　little　efts。　They　never　did　anybody　any　harm；　or　could　if　they　tried；　and　their　only　fault　is；　that　they　do　no　good　…　any　more　than　some　thousands　of　their　betters。　　But　what　with　ducks；　and　what　with　pike；　and　what　with　sticklebacks；　and　what　with　water…beetles；　and　what　with　naughty　boys；　they　are　〃sae　sair　hadden　doun；〃　as　the　Scotsmen　say；　that　it　is　a　wonder　how　they　live；　and　some　folks　can't　help　hoping；　with　good　Bishop　Butler；　that　they　may　have　another　chance；　to　make　things　fair　and　even；　somewhere；　somewhen；　somehow。

Meanwhile；　do　you　learn　your　lessons；　and　thank　God　that　you　have　plenty　of　cold　water　to　wash　in；　and　wash　in　it　too；　like　a　true　Englishman。　　And　then；　if　my　story　is　not　true；　something　better　is；　and　if　I　am　not　quite　right；　still　you　will　be；　as　long　as　you　stick　to　hard　work　and　cold　water。

But　remember　always；　as　I　told　you　at　first；　that　this　is　all　a　fairy　tale；　and　only　fun　and　pretence：　　and；　therefore；　you　are　not　to　believe　a　word　of　it；　even　if　it　is　true。





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