the little white bird-第20节

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island　that　Peter　now　flew　to　put　his　strange　case　before　old

Solomon　Caw；　and　he　alighted　on　it　with　relief；　much　heartened　to

find　himself　at　last　at　home；　as　the　birds　call　the　island。　　All

of　them　were　asleep；　including　the　sentinels；　except　Solomon；　who

was　wide　awake　on　one　side；　and　he　listened　quietly　to　Peter's

adventures；　and　then　told　him　their　true　meaning。



〃Look　at　your　night…gown；　if　you　don't　believe　me；〃　Solomon　said；

and　with　staring　eyes　Peter　looked　at　his　night…gown；　and　then　at

the　sleeping　birds。　　Not　one　of　them　wore　anything。



〃How　many　of　your　toes　are　thumbs？〃　said　Solomon　a　little

cruelly；　and　Peter　saw　to　his　consternation；　that　all　his　toes

were　fingers。　　The　shock　was　so　great　that　it　drove　away　his

cold。



〃Ruffle　your　feathers；〃　said　that　grim　old　Solomon；　and　Peter

tried　most　desperately　hard　to　ruffle　his　feathers；　but　he　had

none。　　Then　he　rose　up；　quaking；　and　for　the　first　time　since　he

stood　on　the　window…ledge；　he　remembered　a　lady　who　had　been　very

fond　of　him。



〃I　think　I　shall　go　back　to　mother；〃　he　said　timidly。



〃Good…bye；〃　replied　Solomon　Caw　with　a　queer　look。



But　Peter　hesitated。　　〃Why　don't　you　go？〃　the　old　one　asked

politely。



〃I　suppose；〃　said　Peter　huskily；　〃I　suppose　I　can　still　fly？〃



You　see；　he　had　lost　faith。



〃Poor　little　half…and…half；〃　said　Solomon；　who　was　not　really

hard…hearted；　〃you　will　never　be　able　to　fly　again；　not　even　on

windy　days。　　You　must　live　here　on　the　island　always。〃



〃And　never　even　go　to　the　Kensington　Gardens？〃　Peter　asked

tragically。



〃How　could　you　get　across？〃　said　Solomon。　　He　promised　very

kindly；　however；　to　teach　Peter　as　many　of　the　bird　ways　as　could

be　learned　by　one　of　such　an　awkward　shape。



〃Then　I　sha'n't　be　exactly　a　human？〃　Peter　asked。



〃No。〃



〃Nor　exactly　a　bird？〃



〃No。〃



〃What　shall　I　be？〃



〃You　will　be　a　Betwixt…and…Between；〃　Solomon　said；　and　certainly

he　was　a　wise　old　fellow；　for　that　is　exactly　how　it　turned　out。



The　birds　on　the　island　never　got　used　to　him。　　His　oddities

tickled　them　every　day；　as　if　they　were　quite　new；　though　it　was

really　the　birds　that　were　new。　　They　came　out　of　the　eggs　daily；

and　laughed　at　him　at　once；　then　off　they　soon　flew　to　be　humans；

and　other　birds　came　out　of　other　eggs；　and　so　it　went　on

forever。　The　crafty　mother…birds；　when　they　tired　of　sitting　on

their　eggs；　used　to　get　the　young　one　to　break　their　shells　a　day

before　the　right　time　by　whispering　to　them　that　now　was　their

chance　to　see　Peter　washing　or　drinking　or　eating。　　Thousands

gathered　round　him　daily　to　watch　him　do　these　things；　just　as

you　watch　the　peacocks；　and　they　screamed　with　delight　when　he

lifted　the　crusts　they　flung　him　with　his　hands　instead　of　in　the

usual　way　with　the　mouth。　　All　his　food　was　brought　to　him　from

the　Gardens　at　Solomon's　orders　by　the　birds。　　He　would　not　eat

worms　or　insects　（which　they　thought　very　silly　of　him）；　so　they

brought　him　bread　in　their　beaks。　　Thus；　when　you　cry　out；

〃Greedy！　Greedy！〃　to　the　bird　that　flies　away　with　the　big　crust；

you　know　now　that　you　ought　not　to　do　this；　for　he　is　very　likely

taking　it　to　Peter　Pan。



Peter　wore　no　night…gown　now。　　You　see；　the　birds　were　always

begging　him　for　bits　of　it　to　line　their　nests　with；　and；　being

very　good…natured；　he　could　not　refuse；　so　by　Solomon's　advice　he

had　hidden　what　was　left　of　it。　　But；　though　he　was　now　quite

naked；　you　must　not　think　that　he　was　cold　or　unhappy。　　He　was

usually　very　happy　and　gay；　and　the　reason　was　that　Solomon　had

kept　his　promise　and　taught　him　many　of　the　bird　ways。　　To　be

easily　pleased；　for　instance；　and　always　to　be　really　doing

something；　and　to　think　that　whatever　he　was　doing　was　a　thing　of

vast　importance。　　Peter　became　very　clever　at　helping　the　birds

to　build　their　nests；　soon　he　could　build　better　than　a

wood…pigeon；　and　nearly　as　well　as　a　blackbird；　though　never　did

he　satisfy　the　finches；　and　he　made　nice　little　water…troughs

near　the　nests　and　dug　up　worms　for　the　young　ones　with　his

fingers。　　He　also　became　very　learned　in　bird…lore；　and　knew　an

east…wind　from　a　west…wind　by　its　smell；　and　he　could　see　the

grass　growing　and　hear　the　insects　walking　about　inside　the

tree…trunks。　　But　the　best　thing　Solomon　had　done　was　to　teach

him　to　have　a　glad　heart。　　All　birds　have　glad　hearts　unless　you

rob　their　nests；　and　so　as　they　were　the　only　kind　of　heart

Solomon　knew　about；　it　was　easy　to　him　to　teach　Peter　how　to　have

one。



Peter's　heart　was　so　glad　that　he　felt　he　must　sing　all　day　long；

just　as　the　birds　sing　for　joy；　but；　being　partly　human；　he

needed　an　instrument；　so　he　made　a　pipe　of　reeds；　and　he　used　to

sit　by　the　shore　of　the　island　of　an　evening；　practising　the

sough　of　the　wind　and　the　ripple　of　the　water；　and　catching

handfuls　of　the　shine　of　the　moon；　and　he　put　them　all　in　his

pipe　and　played　them　so　beautifully　that　even　the　birds　were

deceived；　and　they　would　say　to　each　other；　〃Was　that　a　fish

leaping　in　the　water　or　was　it　Peter　playing　leaping　fish　on　his

pipe？〃　and　sometimes　he　played　the　birth　of　birds；　and　then　the

mothers　would　turn　round　in　their　nests　to　see　whether　they　had

laid　an　egg。　　If　you　are　a　child　of　the　Gardens　you　must　know　the

chestnut…tree　near　the　bridge；　which　comes　out　in　flower　first　of

all　the　chestnuts；　but　perhaps　you　have　not　heard　why　this　tree

leads　the　way。　　It　is　because　Peter　wearies　for　summer　and　plays

that　it　has　come；　and　the　chestnut　being　so　near；　hears　him　and

is　cheated。



But　as　Peter　sat　by　the　shore　tootling　divinely　on　his　pipe　he

sometimes　fell　into　sad　thoughts　and　then　the　music　became　sad

also；　and　the　reason　of　all　this　sadness　was　that　he　could　not

reach　the　Gardens；　though　he　could　see　them　through　the　arch　of

the　bridge。　　He　knew　he　could　never　be　a　real　human　again；　and

scarcely　wanted　to　be　one；　but　oh；　how　he　longed　to　play　as　other

children　play；　and　of　course　there　is　no　such　lovely　place　to

play　in　as　the　Gardens。　　The　birds　brought　him　news　of　how　boys

and　girls　play；　and　wistful　tears　started　in　Peter's　eyes。



Perhaps　you　wonder　why　he　did　not　swim　across。　　The　reason　was

that　he　could　not　swim。　　He　wanted　to　know　how　to　swim；　but　no

one　on　the　island　knew　the　way　except　the　ducks；　and　they　are　so

stupid。　　They　were　quite　willing　to　teach　him；　but　all　they　could

say　about　it　was；　〃You　sit　down　on　the　top　of　the　water　in　this

way；　and　then　you　kick　out　like　that。〃　　Peter　tried　it　often；　but

always　before　he　could　kick　out　he　sank。　　What　he　really　needed

to　know　was　how　you　sit　on　the　water　without　sinking；　and　they

said　it　was　quite　impossible　to　explain　such　an　easy　thing　as

that。　Occasionally　swans　touched　on　the　island；　and　he　would　give

them　all　his　day's　food　and　then　ask　them　how　they　sat　on　the

water；　but　as　soon　as　he　had　no　more　to　give　them　the　hateful

things　hissed　at　him　and　sailed　away。



Once　he　really　thought　he　had　discovered　a　way　of　reaching　the

Gardens。　　A　wonderful　white　thing；　like　a　runaway　newspaper；

floated　high　over　the　island　and　then　tumbled；　rolling　over　and

over　after　the　manner　of　a　bird　that　has　broken　its　wing。　　Peter

was　so　frightened　that　he　hid；　but　the　birds　told　him　it　was　only

a　kite；　and　what　a　kite　is；　and　that　it　must　have　tugged　its

string　out　of　a　boy's　hand；　and　soared　away。　　After　that　they

laughed　at　Peter　for　being　so　fond　of　the　kite；　he　loved　it　so

much　that　he　even　slept　with　one　hand　on　it；　and　I　think　this　was

pathetic　and　pretty；　for　the　reason　he　loved　it　was　because　it

had　belonged　to　a　real　boy。



To　the　birds　this　was　a　very　poor　reason；　but　the　older　ones　felt

grateful　to　him　at　this　time　because　he　had　nursed　a　number　of

fledglings　through　the　German　measles；　and　they　offered　to　show

him　how　birds　fly　a　kite。　　So　six　of　them　took　the　end　of　the

string　in　their　beaks　and　flew　away　with　it；　and　to　his　amazement

it　flew　after　them　and　went　even　higher　than　they。



Peter　screamed　out；　〃Do　it　again！〃　and　with　great　good…nature

they　did　it　several　times；　and　always　instead　of　thanking　them　he

cried；　〃Do　it　again！〃　which　shows　that　even　now　he　had　not　quite

forgotten　what　it　was　to　be　a　boy。



At　last；　with　a　grand　design　burning　within　his　brave　heart；　he

begged　them　to　do　it　once　more　with　him　clinging　to　the　tail；　and

now　a　hundred　flew　off　with　the　string；　and　Peter　clung　to　the

tail；　meaning　to　drop　off　when　he　was　over　the　Gardens。　　But　the

kite　broke　to　pieces　in　the　air；　and　he　would　have　drowned　in　the

Serpentine　had　he　not　caught　hold　of　two　indignant　swans　and　made

them　carry　him　to　the　island。　　After　this　the　birds　said　that

they　would　help　him　no　more　in　his　mad　enterprise。



Nevertheless；　Peter　did　reach　the　Gardens　at　last　by　the　help　of

Shelley's　boat；　as　I　am　now　to　tell　you。





XV



The　Thrush's　Nest



Shelley　was　a　young