the little white bird-第23节

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you　seldom　see　them；　partly　because　they　live　in　the　daytime

behind　the　railings；　where　you　are　not　allowed　to　go；　and　also

partly　because　they　are　so　cunning。　　They　are　not　a　bit　cunning

after　Lock…out；　but　until　Lock…out；　my　word！



When　you　were　a　bird　you　knew　the　fairies　pretty　well；　and　you

remember　a　good　deal　about　them　in　your　babyhood；　which　it　is　a

great　pity　you　can't　write　down；　for　gradually　you　forget；　and　I

have　heard　of　children　who　declared　that　they　had　never　once　seen

a　fairy。　　Very　likely　if　they　said　this　in　the　Kensington

Gardens；　they　were　standing　looking　at　a　fairy　all　the　time。　　The

reason　they　were　cheated　was　that　she　pretended　to　be　something

else。　This　is　one　of　their　best　tricks。　　They　usually　pretend　to

be　flowers；　because　the　court　sits　in　the　Fairies'　Basin；　and

there　are　so　many　flowers　there；　and　all　along　the　Baby　Walk；

that　a　flower　is　the　thing　least　likely　to　attract　attention。　

They　dress　exactly　like　flowers；　and　change　with　the　seasons；

putting　on　white　when　lilies　are　in　and　blue　for　blue…bells；　and

so　on。　　They　like　crocus　and　hyacinth　time　best　of　all；　as　they

are　partial　to　a　bit　of　colour；　but　tulips　（except　white　ones；

which　are　the　fairy…cradles）　they　consider　garish；　and　they

sometimes　put　off　dressing　like　tulips　for　days；　so　that　the

beginning　of　the　tulip　weeks　is　almost　the　best　time　to　catch

them。



When　they　think　you　are　not　looking　they　skip　along　pretty

lively；　but　if　you　look　and　they　fear　there　is　no　time　to　hide；

they　stand　quite　still；　pretending　to　be　flowers。　　Then；　after

you　have　passed　without　knowing　that　they　were　fairies；　they　rush

home　and　tell　their　mothers　they　have　had　such　an　adventure。　　The

Fairy　Basin；　you　remember；　is　all　covered　with　ground…ivy　（from

which　they　make　their　castor…oil）；　with　flowers　growing　in　it

here　and　there。　　Most　of　them　really　are　flowers；　but　some　of

them　are　fairies。　　You　never　can　be　sure　of　them；　but　a　good　plan

is　to　walk　by　looking　the　other　way；　and　then　turn　round　sharply。

Another　good　plan；　which　David　and　I　sometimes　follow；　is　to

stare　them　down。　　After　a　long　time　they　can't　help　winking；　and

then　you　know　for　certain　that　they　are　fairies。



There　are　also　numbers　of　them　along　the　Baby　Walk；　which　is　a

famous　gentle　place；　as　spots　frequented　by　fairies　are　called。

Once　twenty…four　of　them　had　an　extraordinary　adventure。　　They

were　a　girls'　school　out　for　a　walk　with　the　governess；　and　all

wearing　hyacinth　gowns；　when　she　suddenly　put　her　finger　to　her

mouth；　and　then　they　all　stood　still　on　an　empty　bed　and

pretended　to　be　hyacinths。　　Unfortunately；　what　the　governess　had

heard　was　two　gardeners　coming　to　plant　new　flowers　in　that　very

bed。　　They　were　wheeling　a　handcart　with　the　flowers　in　it；　and

were　quite　surprised　to　find　the　bed　occupied。　　〃Pity　to　lift

them　hyacinths；〃　said　the　one　man。　　〃Duke's　orders；〃　replied　the

other；　and；　having　emptied　the　cart；　they　dug　up　the　boarding…

school　and　put　the　poor；　terrified　things　in　it　in　five　rows。　　Of

course；　neither　the　governess　nor　the　girls　dare　let　on　that　they

were　fairies；　so　they　were　carted　far　away　to　a　potting…shed；　out

of　which　they　escaped　in　the　night　without　their　shoes；　but　there

was　a　great　row　about　it　among　the　parents；　and　the　school　was

ruined。



As　for　their　houses；　it　is　no　use　looking　for　them；　because　they

are　the　exact　opposite　of　our　houses。　　You　can　see　our　houses　by

day　but　you　can't　see　them　by　dark。　　Well；　you　can　see　their

houses　by　dark；　but　you　can't　see　them　by　day；　for　they　are　the

colour　of　night；　and　I　never　heard　of　anyone　yet　who　could　see

night　in　the　daytime。　　This　does　not　mean　that　they　are　black；

for　night　has　its　colours　just　as　day　has；　but　ever　so　much

brighter。　Their　blues　and　reds　and　greens　are　like　ours　with　a

light　behind　them。　　The　palace　is　entirely　built　of　many…coloured

glasses；　and　is　quite　the　loveliest　of　all　royal　residences；　but

the　queen　sometimes　complains　because　the　common　people　will　peep

in　to　see　what　she　is　doing。　　They　are　very　inquisitive　folk；　and

press　quite　hard　against　the　glass；　and　that　is　why　their　noses

are　mostly　snubby。　　The　streets　are　miles　long　and　very　twisty；

and　have　paths　on　each　side　made　of　bright　worsted。　　The　birds

used　to　steal　the　worsted　for　their　nests；　but　a　policeman　has

been　appointed　to　hold　on　at　the　other　end。



One　of　the　great　differences　between　the　fairies　and　us　is　that

they　never　do　anything　useful。　　When　the　first　baby　laughed　for

the　first　time；　his　laugh　broke　into　a　million　pieces；　and　they

all　went　skipping　about。　　That　was　the　beginning　of　fairies。　

They　look　tremendously　busy；　you　know；　as　if　they　had　not　a

moment　to　spare；　but　if　you　were　to　ask　them　what　they　are　doing；

they　could　not　tell　you　in　the　least。　　They　are　frightfully

ignorant；　and　everything　they　do　is　make…believe。　　They　have　a

postman；　but　he　never　calls　except　at　Christmas　with　his　little

box；　and　though　they　have　beautiful　schools；　nothing　is　taught　in

them；　the　youngest　child　being　chief　person　is　always　elected

mistress；　and　when　she　has　called　the　roll；　they　all　go　out　for　a

walk　and　never　come　back。　　It　is　a　very　noticeable　thing　that；　in

fairy　families；　the　youngest　is　always　chief　person；　and　usually

becomes　a　prince　or　princess；　and　children　remember　this；　and

think　it　must　be　so　among　humans　also；　and　that　is　why　they　are

often　made　uneasy　when　they　come　upon　their　mother　furtively

putting　new　frills　on　the　basinette。



You　have　probably　observed　that　your　baby…sister　wants　to　do　all

sorts　of　things　that　your　mother　and　her　nurse　want　her　not　to

do：　to　stand　up　at　sitting…down　time；　and　to　sit　down　at

standing…up　time；　for　instance；　or　to　wake　up　when　she　should

fall　asleep；　or　to　crawl　on　the　floor　when　she　is　wearing　her

best　frock；　and　so　on；　and　perhaps　you　put　this　down　to

naughtiness。　　But　it　is　not；　it　simply　means　that　she　is　doing　as

she　has　seen　the　fairies　do；　she　begins　by　following　their　ways；

and　it　takes　about　two　years　to　get　her　into　the　human　ways。　　Her

fits　of　passion；　which　are　awful　to　behold；　and　are　usually

called　teething；　are　no　such　thing；　they　are　her　natural

exasperation；　because　we　don't　understand　her；　though　she　is

talking　an　intelligible　language。　She　is　talking　fairy。　　The

reason　mothers　and　nurses　know　what　her　remarks　mean；　before

other　people　know；　as　that　〃Guch〃　means　〃Give　it　to　me　at　once；〃

while　〃Wa〃　is　〃Why　do　you　wear　such　a　funny　hat？〃　is　because；

mixing　so　much　with　babies；　they　have　picked　up　a　little　of　the

fairy　language。



Of　late　David　has　been　thinking　back　hard　about　the　fairy　tongue；

with　his　hands　clutching　his　temples；　and　he　has　remembered　a

number　of　their　phrases　which　I　shall　tell　you　some　day　if　I

don't　forget。　　He　had　heard　them　in　the　days　when　he　was　a

thrush；　and　though　I　suggested　to　him　that　perhaps　it　is　really

bird　language　he　is　remembering；　he　says　not；　for　these　phrases

are　about　fun　and　adventures；　and　the　birds　talked　of　nothing　but

nest…　building。　　He　distinctly　remembers　that　the　birds　used　to

go　from　spot　to　spot　like　ladies　at　shop…windows；　looking　at　the

different　nests　and　saying；　〃Not　my　colour；　my　dear；〃　and　〃How

would　that　do　with　a　soft　lining？〃　and　〃But　will　it　wear？〃　and

〃What　hideous　trimming！〃　and　so　on。



The　fairies　are　exquisite　dancers；　and　that　is　why　one　of　the

first　things　the　baby　does　is　to　sign　to　you　to　dance　to　him　and

then　to　cry　when　you　do　it。　　They　hold　their　great　balls　in　the

open　air；　in　what　is　called　a　fairy…ring。　　For　weeks　afterward

you　can　see　the　ring　on　the　grass。　　It　is　not　there　when　they

begin；　but　they　make　it　by　waltzing　round　and　round。　　Sometimes

you　will　find　mushrooms　inside　the　ring；　and　these　are　fairy

chairs　that　the　servants　have　forgotten　to　clear　away。　　The

chairs　and　the　rings　are　the　only　tell…tale　marks　these　little

people　leave　behind　them；　and　they　would　remove　even　these　were

they　not　so　fond　of　dancing　that　they　toe　it　till　the　very　moment

of　the　opening　of　the　gates。　　David　and　I　once　found　a　fairy…ring

quite　warm。



But　there　is　also　a　way　of　finding　out　about　the　ball　before　it

takes　place。　　You　know　the　boards　which　tell　at　what　time　the

Gardens　are　to　close　to…day。　　Well；　these　tricky　fairies

sometimes　slyly　change　the　board　on　a　ball　night；　so　that　it　says

the　Gardens　are　to　close　at　six…thirty　for　instance；　instead　of

at　seven。　　This　enables　them　to　get　begun　half　an　hour　earlier。



If　on　such　a　night　we　could　remain　behind　in　the　Gardens；　as　the

famous　Maimie　Mannering　did；　we　might　see　delicious　sights；

hundreds　of　lovely　fairies　hastening　to　the　ball；　the　married

ones　wearing　their　wedding…rings　round　their　waists；　the

gentlemen；　all　in　uniform；　holding　up　the　ladies'　trains；　and

linkmen　running　in　front　carrying　winter　cherries；　which　are　the

fairy…lanterns；　the　cloakroom　where　they　put　on　their　sil