the water-babies-第5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！



He　saw　great　spiders　there；　with　crowns　and　crosses　marked　on　their　backs；　who　sat　in　the　middle　of　their　webs；　and　when　they　saw　Tom　coming；　shook　them　so　fast　that　they　became　invisible。　　Then　he　saw　lizards；　brown　and　gray　and　green；　and　thought　they　were　snakes；　and　would　sting　him；　but　they　were　as　much　frightened　as　he；　and　shot　away　into　the　heath。　　And　then；　under　a　rock；　he　saw　a　pretty　sight　…　a　great　brown；　sharp…nosed　creature；　with　a　white　tag　to　her　brush；　and　round　her　four　or　five　smutty　little　cubs；　the　funniest　fellows　Tom　ever　saw。　　She　lay　on　her　back；　rolling　about；　and　stretching　out　her　legs　and　head　and　tail　in　the　bright　sunshine；　and　the　cubs　jumped　over　her；　and　ran　round　her；　and　nibbled　her　paws；　and　lugged　her　about　by　the　tail；　and　she　seemed　to　enjoy　it　mightily。　　But　one　selfish　little　fellow　stole　away　from　the　rest　to　a　dead　crow　close　by；　and　dragged　it　off　to　hide　it；　though　it　was　nearly　as　big　as　he　was。　　Whereat　all　his　little　brothers　set　off　after　him　in　full　cry；　and　saw　Tom；　and　then　all　ran　back；　and　up　jumped　Mrs。　Vixen；　and　caught　one　up　in　her　mouth；　and　the　rest　toddled　after　her；　and　into　a　dark　crack　in　the　rocks；　and　there　was　an　end　of　the　show。

And　next　he　had　a　fright；　for；　as　he　scrambled　up　a　sandy　brow　…　whirr…poof…poof…cock…cock…kick　…　something　went　off　in　his　face；　with　a　most　horrid　noise。　　He　thought　the　ground　had　blown　up；　and　the　end　of　the　world　come。

And　when　he　opened　his　eyes　（for　he　shut　them　very　tight）　it　was　only　an　old　cock…grouse；　who　had　been　washing　himself　in　sand；　like　an　Arab；　for　want　of　water；　and　who；　when　Tom　had　all　but　trodden　on　him；　jumped　up　with　a　noise　like　the　express　train；　leaving　his　wife　and　children　to　shift　for　themselves；　like　an　old　coward；　and　went　off；　screaming　〃Cur…ru…u…uck；　cur…ru…u…uck　…　murder；　thieves；　fire　…　cur…u…uck…cock…kick　…　the　end　of　the　world　is　come　…　kick…　kick…cock…kick。〃　　He　was　always　fancying　that　the　end　of　the　world　was　come；　when　anything　happened　which　was　farther　off　than　the　end　of　his　own　nose。　　But　the　end　of　the　world　was　not　come；　any　more　than　the　twelfth　of　August　was；　though　the　old　grouse…cock　was　quite　certain　of　it。

So　the　old　grouse　came　back　to　his　wife　and　family　an　hour　afterwards；　and　said　solemnly；　〃Cock…cock…kick；　my　dears；　the　end　of　the　world　is　not　quite　come；　but　I　assure　you　it　is　coming　the　day　after　to…morrow　…　cock。〃　　But　his　wife　had　heard　that　so　often　that　she　knew　all　about　it；　and　a　little　more。　　And；　besides；　she　was　the　mother　of　a　family；　and　had　seven　little　poults　to　wash　and　feed　every　day；　and　that　made　her　very　practical；　and　a　little　sharp…tempered；　so　all　she　answered　was：　　〃Kick…kick…kick　…　go　and　catch　spiders；　go　and　catch　spiders　…　kick。〃

So　Tom　went　on　and　on；　he　hardly　knew　why；　but　he　liked　the　great　wide　strange　place；　and　the　cool　fresh　bracing　air。　　But　he　went　more　and　more　slowly　as　he　got　higher　up　the　hill；　for　now　the　ground　grew　very　bad　indeed。　　Instead　of　soft　turf　and　springy　heather；　he　met　great　patches　of　flat　limestone　rock；　just　like　ill…made　pavements；　with　deep　cracks　between　the　stones　and　ledges；　filled　with　ferns；　so　he　had　to　hop　from　stone　to　stone；　and　now　and　then　he　slipped　in　between；　and　hurt　his　little　bare　toes；　though　they　were　tolerably　tough　ones；　but　still　he　would　go　on　and　up；　he　could　not　tell　why。

What　would　Tom　have　said　if　he　had　seen；　walking　over　the　moor　behind　him；　the　very　same　Irishwoman　who　had　taken　his　part　upon　the　road？　　But　whether　it　was　that　he　looked　too　little　behind　him；　or　whether　it　was　that　she　kept　out　of　sight　behind　the　rocks　and　knolls；　he　never　saw　her；　though　she　saw　him。

And　now　he　began　to　get　a　little　hungry；　and　very　thirsty；　for　he　had　run　a　long　way；　and　the　sun　had　risen　high　in　heaven；　and　the　rock　was　as　hot　as　an　oven；　and　the　air　danced　reels　over　it；　as　it　does　over　a　limekiln；　till　everything　round　seemed　quivering　and　melting　in　the　glare。

But　he　could　see　nothing　to　eat　anywhere；　and　still　less　to　drink。

The　heath　was　full　of　bilberries　and　whimberries；　but　they　were　only　in　flower　yet；　for　it　was　June。　　And　as　for　water；　who　can　find　that　on　the　top　of　a　limestone　rock？　　Now　and　then　he　passed　by　a　deep　dark　swallow…hole；　going　down　into　the　earth；　as　if　it　was　the　chimney　of　some　dwarfs　house　underground；　and　more　than　once；　as　he　passed；　he　could　hear　water　falling；　trickling；　tinkling；　many　many　feet　below。　　How　he　longed　to　get　down　to　it；　and　cool　his　poor　baked　lips！　　But；　brave　little　chimney…sweep　as　he　was；　he　dared　not　climb　down　such　chimneys　as　those。

So　he　went　on　and　on；　till　his　head　spun　round　with　the　heat；　and　he　thought　he　heard　church…bells　ringing　a　long　way　off。

〃Ah！〃　he　thought；　〃where　there　is　a　church　there　will　be　houses　and　people；　and；　perhaps；　some　one　will　give　me　a　bit　and　a　sup。〃　　So　he　set　off　again；　to　look　for　the　church；　for　he　was　sure　that　he　heard　the　bells　quite　plain。

And　in　a　minute　more；　when　he　looked　round；　he　stopped　again；　and　said；　〃Why；　what　a　big　place　the　world　is！〃

And　so　it　was；　for；　from　the　top　of　the　mountain　he　could　see　…　what　could　he　not　see？

Behind　him；　far　below；　was　Harthover；　and　the　dark　woods；　and　the　shining　salmon　river；　and　on　his　left；　far　below；　was　the　town；　and　the　smoking　chimneys　of　the　collieries；　and　far；　far　away；　the　river　widened　to　the　shining　sea；　and　little　white　specks；　which　were　ships；　lay　on　its　bosom。　　Before　him　lay；　spread　out　like　a　map；　great　plains；　and　farms；　and　villages；　amid　dark　knots　of　trees。　　They　all　seemed　at　his　very　feet；　but　he　had　sense　to　see　that　they　were　long　miles　away。

And　to　his　right　rose　moor　after　moor；　hill　after　hill；　till　they　faded　away；　blue　into　blue　sky。　　But　between　him　and　those　moors；　and　really　at　his　very　feet；　lay　something；　to　which；　as　soon　as　Tom　saw　it；　he　determined　to　go；　for　that　was　the　place　for　him。

A　deep；　deep　green　and　rocky　valley；　very　narrow；　and　filled　with　wood；　but　through　the　wood；　hundreds　of　feet　below　him；　he　could　see　a　clear　stream　glance。　　Oh；　if　he　could　but　get　down　to　that　stream！　　Then；　by　the　stream；　he　saw　the　roof　of　a　little　cottage；　and　a　little　garden　set　out　in　squares　and　beds。　　And　there　was　a　tiny　little　red　thing　moving　in　the　garden；　no　bigger　than　a　fly。　As　Tom　looked　down；　he　saw　that　it　was　a　woman　in　a　red　petticoat。　Ah！　perhaps　she　would　give　him　something　to　eat。　　And　there　were　the　church…bells　ringing　again。　　Surely　there　must　be　a　village　down　there。　　Well；　nobody　would　know　him；　or　what　had　happened　at　the　Place。　　The　news　could　not　have　got　there　yet；　even　if　Sir　John　had　set　all　the　policemen　in　the　county　after　him；　and　he　could　get　down　there　in　five　minutes。

Tom　was　quite　right　about　the　hue…and…cry　not　having　got　thither；　for　he　had　come　without　knowing　it；　the　best　part　of　ten　miles　from　Harthover；　but　he　was　wrong　about　getting　down　in　five　minutes；　for　the　cottage　was　more　than　a　mile　off；　and　a　good　thousand　feet　below。

However；　down　he　went；　like　a　brave　little　man　as　he　was；　though　he　was　very　footsore；　and　tired；　and　hungry；　and　thirsty；　while　the　church…bells　rang　so　loud；　he　began　to　think　that　they　must　be　inside　his　own　head；　and　the　river　chimed　and　tinkled　far　below；　and　this　was　the　song　which　it　sang：…


Clear　and　cool；　clear　and　cool；　By　laughing　shallow；　and　dreaming　pool；　Cool　and　clear；　cool　and　clear；　By　shining　shingle；　and　foaming　wear；　Under　the　crag　where　the　ouzel　sings；　And　the　ivied　wall　where　the　church…bell　rings；　Undefiled；　for　the　undefiled；　Play　by　me；　bathe　in　me；　mother　and　child。

Dank　and　foul；　dank　and　foul；　By　the　smoky　town　in　its　murky　cowl；　Foul　and　dank；　foul　and　dank；　By　wharf　and　sewer　and　slimy　bank；　Darker　and　darker　the　farther　I　go；　Baser　and　baser　the　richer　I　grow；　Who　dares　sport　with　the　sin…defiled？　Shrink　from　me；　turn　from　me；　mother　and　child。

Strong　and　free；　strong　and　free；　The　floodgates　are　open；　away　to　the　sea；　Free　and　strong；　free　and　strong；　Cleansing　my　streams　as　I　hurry　along；　To　the　golden　sands；　and　the　leaping　bar；　And　the　taintless　tide　that　awaits　me　afar。　As　I　lose　myself　in　the　infinite　main；　Like　a　soul　that　has　sinned　and　is　pardoned　again。　Undefiled；　for　the　undefiled；　Play　by　me；　bathe　in　me；　mother　and　child。


So　Tom　went　down；　and　all　the　while　he　never　saw　the　Irishwoman　going　down　behind　him。



CHAPTER　II



〃And　is　there　care　in　heaven？　and　is　there　love　In　heavenly　spirits　to　these　creatures　base　That　may　compassion　of　their　evils　move？　There　is：…　else　much　more　wretched　were　the　case　Of　men　than　beasts：　　But　oh！　the　exceeding　grace　Of　Highest　God　that　loves　His　creatures　so；　And　all　His　works　with　mercy　doth　embrace；　That　blessed　Angels　He　sends　to　and　fro；　To　serve　to　wicked　man；　to　serve　His　wicked　foe！〃

SPENSER。


A　mile　off；　and　a　thousand　feet　down。

So　Tom　found　it；　though　it　seemed　as　if　he　could　have　chucked　a　pebble　on　to　the　back　of　the　woman　in　the　red　petticoat　who　was　weeding　in　the　garden；　or　even　across　the　dale　to　the　rocks　beyond。　For　the　bottom　of　the　valley　was　just　one　field　broad；　and　on　the　other　side　ran　the　stream；　and　above　it；　gray　crag；　gray　down；　gray　stair；　gray　moor　walled　up　to　heaven。

A　quiet；　silen