the life and perambulations of a mouse-第7节

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　the　land。　　I　am　sure；　if　it　were　needful；　I　would　go　through　fire　and　water　for　their　sakes；　and　so　would　every　man　in　the　parish；　I　dare　say。　　But　I　wonder　who　would　do　as　much　to　help　Squire　Stately　or　any　of　his　family；　if　it　was　not　that　I　should　think　it　my　duty　（and　an　honest　man　ought　always　to　do　that；　whether　he　likes　it　or　not）；　but　I　say；　if　it　was　not　that　it　would　be　my　duty　to　help　my　fellow…creature；　I　would　scarcely　be　at　the　trouble　of　stepping　over　the　threshold　to　serve　them；　they　are　such　a　set　of　cross；　good…for…nothing　gentry。　　I　declare；　it　was　but　as　we　came　home　to　dinner　now；　that　we　saw　Master　Sam　throwing　sticks　and　stones　at　Dame　Frugal's　ducks；　for　the　sake　of　seeing　them　waddle；　and　then；　when　they　got　to　the　pond；　he　sent　his　dog　in　after　them　to　bark　and　frighten　them　out　of　their　wits。　　And　as　I　came　by；　nothing　would　serve　him　but　throwing　a　great　dab　of　mud　all　over　the　sleeve　of　my　coat。　　So　I　said；　〃Why；　Master　Sam；　you　need　not　have　done　that；　I　did　nothing　to　offend　you；　and　however　amusing　you　may　think　it　to　insult　poor　people；　I　assure　you　it　is　very　wicked；　and　what　no　good　person　in　the　world　would　be　guilty　of。〃　　He　then　set　up　a　great　rude　laugh；　and　I　walked　on　and　said　no　more。　　But　if　all　gentlefolk　were　to　behave　like　that　family；　I　had　rather　be　poor　as　I　am；　than　have　all　their　riches；　if　that　would　make　me　act　like　them。'　　'Very　true；　Abraham；'　replied　his　wife；　'that　is　what　I　say；　and　what　I　told　Master　George　this　morning；　for　to　be　poor；　if　people　do　not　become　so　through　their　own　extravagance；　is　no　disgrace　to　any　body：　　but　to　be　haughty；　cruel；　cross；　and　mischievous；　is　a　disgrace　to　all　who　are　so；　let　their　rank　be　as　exalted　as　it　may。'

Here　the　conversation　was　interrupted　by　the　entrance　of　a　man；　who　begged　Mr。　Flood　to　assist　him　in　unloading　his　cart　of　flour；　as　his　man　was　gone　out；　and　he　could　not　do　it　by　himself。　　'Well；　I　will　come　and　help　you；　with　all　my　heart；'　said　Flood；　'and　so　shall　Tom　too：　　will　you；　my　lad？　　I　cannot　live　without　help　myself；　and　if　I　do　not　assist　others；　I　am　sure　I　shall　not　deserve　any　when　I　want　it。'　　So　saying；　he　left　his　house；　and　his　wife；　after　cleaning　and　putting　in　their　proper　places　those　things　which　had　been　used　at　dinner；　again　sat　down　to　her　sewing。

Soon　after　the　clock　had　struck　six；　the　man　and　his　son　returned；　and；　sitting　round　the　fire；　they　passed　the　evening　in　social　conversation；　till　they　went　to　bed；　which　was　a　little　after　eight；　and　they　convinced　me；　by　their　talk　and　behaviour；　that　happiness　in　this　world　depends　far　more　upon　the　temper　and　disposition　of　the　heart；　than　upon　any　external　possessions；　and　that　virtue；　and　a　desire　to　be　useful　to　others；　afford　far　greater　satisfaction　and　peace　of　mind　than　any　riches　and　grandeur　can　possibly　supply　without　such　necessary　qualifications。　　After　they　were　all　fallen　asleep；　we　crept　out；　and；　leaving　the　candle　unmolested；　which　was　again　placed　on　the　tinder…box　by　the　bed…side；　we　hastened　into　the　closet；　where　we　regaled　heartily；　and　devoured　that　part　of　the　plum…cake　which　Tom　had　very　generously　left　for　his　sister　Polly；　who　we　found　was　expected　home　the　next　day。

We　then　retired　to　our　safe　retreat；　and　thought　we　might　venture　to　stay　for　one　more　night's　provisions　without　running　any　danger　from　our　too　frequent　return　to　the　same　place。　　But　in　the　morning　we　found　our　scheme　frustrated；　for；　on　the　woman's　going　to　the　closet　to　get　her　breakfast；　she　observed　the　robbery　which　we　had　committed；　and　exclaimed；　'Some　teasing　mice　have　found　their　way　into　the　closet：　　I　will　borrow　neighbour　Savewell's　trap　to…night；　and　catch　some　of　the　little　toads；　that　I　will！'　After　hearing　this；　it　would　have　been　madness　to　make　any　further　attempts：　　we　therefore　agreed　to　watch　for　an　opportunity；　and　escape　on　the　very　first　that　offered。　　Accordingly；　about　noon；　when　Mrs。　Flood　was　busily　employed　in　making　some　pancakes；　we　slipped　by　her　unobserved；　and　crept　out　at　the　same　hole　by　which　we　first　entered。　　But　no　sooner　were　we　in　the　open　road；　than　we　repented　our　haste；　and　wished　that　we　had　continued　where　we　were　till　the　darkness　of　the　night　might　better　have　concealed　us　from　the　observation　of　anyone。　　We　crept　as　close　to　the　wall　of　the　house　（as　far　as　it　reached；　which　was　but　a　few　paces）　as　we　possibly　could；　and　then　stepped　into　a　little　ditch；　which　we　were　soon　obliged　to　leave　again；　as　the　water　ran　in　some　parts　of　it　almost　up　to　the　edge。

At　length　we　reached　a　little　cottage；　which　we　were　just　entering；　when　a　cat　that　was　sleeping　unnoticed　by　us　upon　a　chair；　jumped　down；　and　would　certainly　have　destroyed　me　（who　happened　to　go　first）　had　she　not　at　the　same　moment　tried　to　catch　my　brother；　and　by　that　means　missed　her　aim；　and　so　given　us　both　an　opportunity　to　escape；　which　we　did　by　scrambling　behind　a　brick　that　a　child　had　been　playing　with　by　the　side　of　the　door。　　Fortunately；　the　brick　lay　too　close　to　the　house　for　the　cat　to　get　her　paw　behind　it；　so　as　to　be　able　to　reach　us；　though　to　avoid　it　we　were　obliged　to　use　the　greatest　precaution；　as　she　could　thrust　it　in　a　little　way；　so　that　if　we　had　gone　one　inch　too　near　either　end；　she　would　certainly　have　dragged　us　out　by　her　talons。　　In　this　dreadful　situation　did　we　spend　some　hours；　incessantly　moving　from　one　end　of　the　brick　to　the　other；　for　the　moment　she　had；　by　the　entrance　of　her　paw　at　one　end；　driven　us　to　the　other；　she　stepped　over；　and　again　made　us　retreat。　　Think　with　what　dreadful　terror　our　little　hearts　must　have　been　oppressed；　to　see　our　mortal　enemy　so　closely　watching　us；　expecting　every　moment　when　she　shook　the　brick　with　her　two　forepaws　in　searching；　and　with　her　mouth　endeavoured　to　lift　it　up；　that　she　would　be　so　far　able　to　effect　her　purpose；　as　to　make　it　impossible　for　us　to　escape　her　jaws。　　But；　happily　for　us；　it　had　somehow　or　other　got　so　wedged　that　she　could　not　move　it　to　any　distance；　though　it　kept　momentarily　increasing　our　terrors；　by　shaking　as　she　strove　to　turn　it。

From　this　state　of　horror；　however；　we　were　at　length　delivered　by　a　little　boy　of　about　two　years　old；　who　came　out　of　the　house；　and　taking　the　cat　up　round　its　body　with　both　hands；　tottered　away　with　it；　and　shut　the　door。

Finding　ourselves　thus　unexpectedly　once　more　at　liberty；　we　determined　to　make　use　of　it；　by　seeking　some　safer　retreat；　at　least；　till　night　should　better　hide　us　from　public　view。　　Terrified　almost　out　of　our　senses；　we　crept　from　behind　the　brick；　and；　after　running　a　few　yards；　slipped　under　the　folding　doors　of　a　barn；　and　soon　concealed　ourselves　amidst　a　vast　quantity　of　threshed　corn。　　This　appeared　to　us　the　most　desirable　retreat　that　we　had　yet　found；　not　only　as　it　afforded　such　immense　plenty　of　food；　but　also　as　we　could　so　easily　hide　ourselves　from　the　observation　of　any　one：　　beside；　as　it　did　not　appear　to　be　a　dwelling…house；　we　could　in　security　reside；　free　from　any　danger　of　traps；　or　the　cruelty　of　man。　　We　therefore　congratulated　each　other；　not　more　on　account　of　the　wonderful　escape　which　we　had；　than　upon　our　good　fortune　in　coming　to　a　Spot　so　blessed　with　peace　and　plenty。

After　we　were　a　little　recovered　from　the　fatigue　of　mind；　as　well　as　of　body；　which　we　had　lately　gone　through；　we　regaled　very　heartily　upon　the　corn　that　surrounded　us；　and　then　fell　into　a　charming　sleep；　from　which　we　were　awakened　the　next　morning　by　the　sound　of　human　voices。　　We　very　distinctly　heard　that　of　a　boy；　saying；　'Let　us　mix　all　the　threshed　corn　with　the　rest　that　is　not　threshed；　and　that　will　make　a　fine　fuss；　and　set　John　and　Simon　a　swearing　like　troopers　when　they　come　and　find　all　their　labour　lost；　and　that　they　must　do　all　their　work　over　again。'　　'And　do　you　think　there　is　anything　so　agreeable　in　giving　people　trouble；　and　hearing　them　swear；'　replied　another　voice；　'that　you　can　wish　to　do　it？　　For　my　part。　　I　think　it　is　so　wicked　a　thing；　that　I　hate　to　hear　anybody　guilty　of　it；　much　less　would　I　be　the　cause　of　making　them　commit　so　great　a　sin；　and　as　for　giving　them　all　their　trouble　over　again；　so　far　would　it　be　from　affording　me　any　pleasure；　that　on　the　contrary　it　would　give　me　great　pain；　for　however　you　may　think　of　it；　Will；　I　assure　you；　it　always　gives　me　much　uneasiness　to　see　people　labouring　and　working　hard。　　I　always　think　how　much　I　should　dislike　to　be　obliged　to　do　so　myself；　and　therefore　very　sincerely　pity　those　who　must。　　On　no　account　therefore　will　I　do　anything　to　add　to　their　labour；　or　that　shall　give　them　unnecessary　work。'

'Pooh！'　answered　Will；　'you　are　wonderfully　wise；　I；　for　my　part；　hate　such　super…abundant　wisdom；　I　like　to　see　folk　fret；　and　stew；　and　scold；　as　our　maids　did　last　week　when　I　cut　the　line；　and　let　all　the　sheets；　and　gowns；　and　petticoats；　and　frocks；　and　shirts；　and　aprons；　and　caps；　and　what　not；　fall　plump　into　the　dirt。　　O！　how　I　did　laugh！　and　how　they　did　mutter　and　scold！　　And　do　you　know；　that　just　as　the　wash　ladies　were　wiping　their　coddled　hands；　and　comforted　themselves　with　the　thought　of　their　work　being　all　over；　and　were　going　to　sip　their　tea　by　the　fireside；　I　put　them　all