the little white bird-第17节

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prettiest　of　them　all；　and　was　recited　by　the　heroine。



〃Why　were　the　king　and　queen　not　at　home？〃　David　would　ask　her

breathlessly。



〃I　suppose；〃　said　Irene；　thinking　it　out；　〃they　was　away　buying

the　victuals。〃



She　always　told　the　story　gazing　into　vacancy；　so　that　David

thought　it　was　really　happening　somewhere　up　the　Broad　Walk；　and

when　she　came　to　its　great　moments　her　little　bosom　heaved。　

Never　shall　I　forget　the　concentrated　scorn　with　which　the　prince

said　to　the　sisters；　〃Neither　of　you　ain't　the　one　what　wore　the

glass　slipper。〃



〃And　thenand　thenand　then；〃　said　Irene；　not　artistically　to

increase　the　suspense；　but　because　it　was　all　so　glorious　to　her。



〃Tell　metell　me　quick；〃　cried　David；　though　he　knew　the　tale　by

heart。



〃She　sits　down　like；〃　said　Irene；　trembling　in　second…sight；　〃and

she　tries　on　the　glass　slipper；　and　it　fits　her　to　a　T；　and　then

the　prince；　he　cries　in　a　ringing　voice；　'This　here　is　my　true

love；　Cinderella；　what　now　I　makes　my　lawful　wedded　wife。'〃



Then　she　would　come　out　of　her　dream；　and　look　round　at　the

grandees　of　the　Gardens　with　an　extraordinary　elation。　　〃Her；　as

was　only　a　kitchen　drudge；〃　she　would　say　in　a　strange　soft　voice

and　with　shining　eyes；　〃but　was　true　and　faithful　in　word　and

deed；　such　was　her　reward。〃



I　am　sure　that　had　the　fairy　godmother　appeared　just　then　and

touched　Irene　with　her　wand；　David　would　have　been　interested

rather　than　astonished。　　As　for　myself；　I　believe　I　have

surprised　this　little　girl's　secret。　　She　knows　there　are　no

fairy　godmothers　nowadays；　but　she　hopes　that　if　she　is　always

true　and　faithful　she　may　some　day　turn　into　a　lady　in　word　and

deed；　like　the　mistress　whom　she　adores。



It　is　a　dead　secret；　a　Drury　Lane　child's　romance；　but　what　an

amount　of　heavy　artillery　will　be　brought　to　bear　against　it　in

this　sad　London　of　ours。　　Not　much　chance　for　her；　I　suppose。



Good　luck　to　you；　Irene。





XIII



The　Grand　Tour　of　the　Gardens



You　must　see　for　yourselves　that　it　will　be　difficult　to　follow

our　adventures　unless　you　are　familiar　with　the　Kensington

Gardens；　as　they　now　became　known　to　David。　　They　are　in　London；

where　the　King　lives；　and　you　go　to　them　every　day　unless　you　are

looking　decidedly　flushed；　but　no　one　has　ever　been　in　the　whole

of　the　Gardens；　because　it　is　so　soon　time　to　turn　back。　　The

reason　it　is　soon　time　to　turn　back　is　that　you　sleep　from　twelve

to　one。　　If　your　mother　was　not　so　sure　that　you　sleep　from

twelve　to　one；　you　could　most　likely　see　the　whole　of　them。



The　Gardens　are　bounded　on　one　side　by　a　never…ending　line　of

omnibuses；　over　which　Irene　has　such　authority　that　if　she　holds

up　her　finger　to　any　one　of　them　it　stops　immediately。　　She　then

crosses　with　you　in　safety　to　the　other　side。　　There　are　more

gates　to　the　Gardens　than　one　gate；　but　that　is　the　one　you　go　in

at；　and　before　you　go　in　you　speak　to　the　lady　with　the　balloons；

who　sits　just　outside。　　This　is　as　near　to　being　inside　as　she

may　venture；　because；　if　she　were　to　let　go　her　hold　of　the

railings　for　one　moment；　the　balloons　would　lift　her　up；　and　she

would　be　flown　away。　　She　sits　very　squat；　for　the　balloons　are

always　tugging　at　her；　and　the　strain　has　given　her　quite　a　red

face。　Once　she　was　a　new　one；　because　the　old　one　had　let　go；　and

David　was　very　sorry　for　the　old　one；　but　as　she　did　let　go；　he

wished　he　had　been　there　to　see。



The　Gardens　are　a　tremendous　big　place；　with　millions　and

hundreds　of　trees；　and　first　you　come　to　the　Figs；　but　you　scorn

to　loiter　there；　for　the　Figs　is　the　resort　of　superior　little

persons；　who　are　forbidden　to　mix　with　the　commonalty；　and　is　so

named；　according　to　legend；　because　they　dress　in　full　fig。　

These　dainty　ones　are　themselves　contemptuously　called　Figs　by

David　and　other　heroes；　and　you　have　a　key　to　the　manners　and

customs　of　this　dandiacal　section　of　the　Gardens　when　I　tell　you

that　cricket　is　called　crickets　here。　　Occasionally　a　rebel　Fig

climbs　over　the　fence　into　the　world；　and　such　a　one　was　Miss

Mabel　Grey；　of　whom　I　shall　tell　you　when　we　come　to　Miss　Mabel

Grey's　gate。　　She　was　the　only　really　celebrated　Fig。



We　are　now　in　the　Broad　Walk；　and　it　is　as　much　bigger　than　the

other　walks　as　your　father　is　bigger　than　you。　　David　wondered　if

it　began　little；　and　grew　and　grew；　till　it　was　quite　grown　up；

and　whether　the　other　walks　are　its　babies；　and　he　drew　a

picture；　which　diverted　him　very　much；　of　the　Broad　Walk　giving　a

tiny　walk　an　airing　in　a　perambulator。　　In　the　Broad　Walk　you

meet　all　the　people　who　are　worth　knowing；　and　there　is　usually　a

grown…up　with　them　to　prevent　their　going　on　the　damp　grass；　and

to　make　them　stand　disgraced　at　the　corner　of　a　seat　if　they　have

been　mad…dog　or　Mary…Annish。　　To　be　Mary…Annish　is　to　behave　like

a　girl；　whimpering　because　nurse　won't　carry　you；　or　simpering

with　your　thumb　in　your　mouth；　and　it　is　a　hateful　quality；　but

to　be　mad…　dog　is　to　kick　out　at　everything；　and　there　is　some

satisfaction　in　that。



If　I　were　to　point　out　all　the　notable　places　as　we　pass　up　the

Broad　Walk；　it　would　be　time　to　turn　back　before　we　reach　them；

and　I　simply　wave　my　stick　at　Cecco's　Tree；　that　memorable　spot

where　a　boy　called　Cecco　lost　his　penny；　and；　looking　for　it；

found　twopence。　　There　has　been　a　good　deal　of　excavation　going

on　there　ever　since。　　Farther　up　the　walk　is　the　little　wooden

house　in　which　Marmaduke　Perry　hid。　　There　is　no　more　awful　story

of　the　Gardens　by　day　than　this　of　Marmaduke　Perry；　who　had　been

Mary…　Annish　three　days　in　succession；　and　was　sentenced　to

appear　in　the　Broad　Walk　dressed　in　his　sister's　clothes。　　He　hid

in　the　little　wooden　house；　and　refused　to　emerge　until　they

brought　him　knickerbockers　with　pockets。



You　now　try　to　go　to　the　Round　Pond；　but　nurses　hate　it；　because

they　are　not　really　manly；　and　they　make　you　look　the　other　way；

at　the　Big　Penny　and　the　Baby's　Palace。　　She　was　the　most

celebrated　baby　of　the　Gardens；　and　lived　in　the　palace　all

alone；　with　ever　so　many　dolls；　so　people　rang　the　bell；　and　up

she　got　out　of　her　bed；　though　it　was　past　six　o'clock；　and　she

lighted　a　candle　and　opened　the　door　in　her　nighty；　and　then　they

all　cried　with　great　rejoicings；　〃Hail；　Queen　of　England！〃　　What

puzzled　David　most　was　how　she　knew　where　the　matches　were　kept。　

The　Big　Penny　is　a　statue　about　her。



Next　we　come　to　the　Hump；　which　is　the　part　of　the　Broad　Walk

where　all　the　big　races　are　run；　and　even　though　you　had　no

intention　of　running　you　do　run　when　you　come　to　the　Hump；　it　is

such　a　fascinating；　slide…down　kind　of　place。　　Often　you　stop

when　you　have　run　about　half…way　down　it；　and　then　you　are　lost；

but　there　is　another　little　wooden　house　near　here；　called　the

Lost　House；　and　so　you　tell　the　man　that　you　are　lost　and　then　he

finds　you。　　It　is　glorious　fun　racing　down　the　Hump；　but　you

can't　do　it　on　windy　days　because　then　you　are　not　there；　but　the

fallen　leaves　do　it　instead　of　you。　　There　is　almost　nothing　that

has　such　a　keen　sense　of　fun　as　a　fallen　leaf。



From　the　Hump　we　can　see　the　gate　that　is　called　after　Miss　Mabel

Grey；　the　Fig　I　promised　to　tell　you　about。　　There　were　always

two　nurses　with　her；　or　else　one　mother　and　one　nurse；　and　for　a

long　time　she　was　a　pattern…child　who　always　coughed　off　the

table　and　said；　〃How　do　you　do？〃　to　the　other　Figs；　and　the　only

game　she　played　at　was　flinging　a　ball　gracefully　and　letting　the

nurse　bring　it　back　to　her。　　Then　one　day　she　tired　of　it　all　and

went　mad…dog；　and；　first；　to　show　that　she　as　really　was　mad…dog；

she　unloosened　both　her　boot…laces　and　put　out　her　tongue　east；

west；　north；　and　south。　　She　then　flung　her　sash　into　a　puddle

and　danced　on　it　till　dirty　water　was　squirted　over　her　frock；

after　which　she　climbed　the　fence　and　had　a　series　of　incredible

adventures；　one　of　the　least　of　which　was　that　she　kicked　off

both　her　boots。　　At　last　she　came　to　the　gate　that　is　now　called

after　her；　out　of　which　she　ran　into　streets　David　and　I　have

never　been　in　though　we　have　heard　them　roaring；　and　still　she

ran　on　and　would　never　again　have　been　heard　of　had　not　her

mother　jumped　into　a　bus　and　thus　overtaken　her。　　It　all

happened；　I　should　say；　long　ago；　and　this　is　not　the　Mabel　Grey

whom　David　knows。



Returning　up　the　Broad　Walk　we　have　on　our　right　the　Baby　Walk；

which　is　so　full　of　perambulators　that　you　could　cross　from　side

to　side　stepping　on　babies；　but　the　nurses　won't　let　you　do　it。

From　this　walk　a　passage　called　Bunting's　Thumb；　because　it　is

that　length；　leads　into　Picnic　Street；　where　there　are　real

kettles；　and　chestnut…blossom　falls　into　your　mug　as　you　are

drinking。　　Quite　common　children　picnic　here　also；　and　the

blossom　falls　into　their　mugs　just　the　same。



Next　comes　St。　Govor's　Well；　which　was　full　of　water　when　Malcolm

the