five children and it-第11部分

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The　woman　laughed。　　'As　if　I　hadn't　never　bath'd　a　babby！'　　she

said。　　'Come　…　give　us　a　hold　of　him。　　Come　to　'Melia；　my

precious。'



'G'way；　ugsie！'　replied　the　Lamb　at　once。



'Yes；　but；'　Anthea　went　on；　'about　his　meals；　you　really　MUST　let

me　tell　you　he　has　an　apple　or　a　banana　every　morning；　and

bread…and…milk　for　breakfast；　and　an　egg　for　his　tea　sometimes；　and

…'



'I've　brought　up　ten；'　said　the　black…ringleted　woman；　'besides　the

others。　　Come；　miss；　'and　'im　over　…　I　can't　bear　it　no　longer。　　I

just　must　give　him　a　hug。'



'We　ain't　settled　yet　whose　he's　to　be；　Esther；'　said　one　of　the

men。



'It　won't　be　you；　Esther；　with　seven　of　'em　at　your　tail　a'ready。'



'I　ain't　so　sure　of　that；'　said　Esther's　husband。



'And　ain't　I　nobody；　to　have　a　say　neither？'　said　the　husband　of

'Melia。



Zillah；　the　girl；　said；　'An'　me？　　I'm　a　single　girl　…　and　no　one

but　'im　to　look　after　…　I　ought　to　have　him。'



'Hold　yer　tongue！'



'Shut　your　mouth！'



'Don't　you　show　me　no　more　of　your　imperence！'



Everyone　was　getting　very　angry。　　The　dark　gipsy　faces　were

frowning　and　anxious…looking。　　Suddenly　a　change　swept　over　them；

as　if　some　invisible　sponge　had　wiped　away　these　cross　and　anxious

expressions；　and　left　only　a　blank。



The　children　saw　that　the　sun　really　HAD　set。　　But　they　were　afraid

to　move。　　And　the　gipsies　were　feeling　so　muddled；　because　of　the

invisible　sponge　that　had　washed　all　the　feelings　of　the　last　few

hours　out　of　their　hearts；　that　they　could　not　say　a　word。



The　children　hardly　dared　to　breathe。　　Suppose　the　gipsies；　when

they　recovered　speech；　should　be　furious　to　think　how　silly　they

had　been　all　day。



It　was　an　awkward　moment。　　Suddenly　Anthea；　greatly　daring；　held

out　the　Lamb　to　the　red…handkerchief　man。



'Here　he　is！'　she　said。



The　man　drew　back。　　'I　shouldn't　like　to　deprive　you；　miss；'　he

said　hoarsely。



'Anyone　who　likes　can　have　my　share　of　him；'　said　the　other　man。



'After　all；　I've　got　enough　of　my　own；'　said　Esther。



'He's　a　nice　little　chap；　though；'　said　Amelia。　　She　was　the　only

one　who　now　looked　affectionately　at　the　whimpering　Lamb。



Zillah　said；　'If　I　don't　think　I　must　have　had　a　touch　of　the　sun。　

I　don't　want　him。'



'Then　shall　we　take　him　away？'　said　Anthea。



'Well；　suppose　you　do；'　said　Pharaoh　heartily；　'and　we'll　say　no

more　about　it！'



And　with　great　haste　all　the　gipsies　began　to　be　busy　about　their

tents　for　the　night。　　All　but　Amelia。　　She　went　with　the　children

as　far　as　the　bend　in　the　road　…　and　there　she　said：



'Let　me　give　him　a　kiss；　miss　…　I　don't　know　what　made　us　go　for　to

behave　so　silly。　　Us　gipsies　don't　steal　babies；　whatever　they　may

tell　you　when　you're　naughty。　　We've　enough　of　our　own；　mostly。　

But　I've　lost　all　mine。'



She　leaned　towards　the　Lamb；　and　he；　looking　in　her　eyes；

unexpectedly　put　up　a　grubby　soft　paw　and　stroked　her　face。



'Poor；　poor！'　said　the　Lamb。　　And　he　let　the　gipsy　woman　kiss　him；

and；　what　is　more；　he　kissed　her　brown　cheek　in　return　…　a　very

nice　kiss；　as　all　his　kisses　are；　and　not　a　wet　one　like　some

babies　give。　　The　gipsy　woman　moved　her　finger　about　on　his

forehead；　as　if　she　had　been　writing　something　there；　and　the　same

with　his　chest　and　his　hands　and　his　feet；　then　she　said：



'May　he　be　brave；　and　have　the　strong　head　to　think　with；　and　the

strong　heart　to　love　with；　and　the　strong　hands　to　work　with；　and

the　strong　feet　to　travel　with；　and　always　come　safe　home　to　his

own。'　　Then　she　said　something　in　a　strange　language　no　one　could

understand；　and　suddenly　added：



'Well；　I　must　be　saying　〃so　long〃　…　and　glad　to　have　made　your

acquaintance。'　　And　she　turned　and　went　back　to　her　home　…　the　tent

by　the　grassy　roadside。



The　children　looked　after　her　till　she　was　out　of　sight。　　Then

Robert　said；　'How　silly　of　her！　　Even　sunset　didn't　put　her　right。　

What　rot　she　talked！'



'Well；'　said　Cyril；　'if　you　ask　me；　I　think　it　was　rather　decent　of

her　…'



'Decent？'　said　Anthea；　'it　was　very　nice　indeed　of　her。　　I　think

she's　a　dear。'



'She's　just　too　frightfully　nice　for　anything；'　said　Jane。



And　they　went　home　…　very　late　for　tea　and　unspeakably　late　for

dinner。　　Martha　scolded；　of　course。　　But　the　Lamb　was　safe。



'I　say　…　it　turned　out　we　wanted　the　Lamb　as　much　as　anyone；'　said

Robert；　later。



'Of　course。'



'But　do　you　feel　different　about　it　now　the　sun's　set？'



'No；'　said　all　the　others　together。

'Then　it's　lasted　over　sunset　with　us。'



'No；　it　hasn't；'　Cyril　explained。　　'The　wish　didn't　do　anything　to

US。　　We　always　wanted　him　with　all　our　hearts　when　we　were　our

proper　selves；　only　we　were　all　pigs　this　morning；　especially　you；

Robert。'　　Robert　bore　this　much　with　a　strange　calm。



'I　certainly　THOUGHT　I　didn't　want　him　this　morning；'　said　he。　

'Perhaps　I　was　a　pig。　　But　everything　looked　so　different　when　we

thought　we　were　going　to　lose　him。'







CHAPTER　4

WINGS





The　next　day　was　very　wet　…　too　wet　to　go　out；　and　far　too　wet　to

think　of　disturbing　a　Sand…fairy　so　sensitive　to　water　that　he

still；　after　thousands　of　years；　felt　the　pain　of　once　having　had

his　left　whisker　wetted。　　It　was　a　long　day；　and　it　was　not　till

the　afternoon　that　all　the　children　suddenly　decided　to　write

letters　to　their　mother。　　It　was　Robert　who　had　the　misfortune　to

upset　the　ink…pot　…　an　unusually　deep　and　full　one　…　straight　into

that　part　of　Anthea's　desk　where　she　had　long　pretended　that　an

arrangement　of　gum　and　cardboard　painted　with　Indian　ink　was　a

secret　drawer。　　It　was　not　exactly　Robert's　fault；　it　was　only　his

misfortune　that　he　chanced　to　be　lifting　the　ink　across　the　desk

just　at　the　moment　when　Anthea　had　got　it　open；　and　that　that　same

moment　should　have　been　the　one　chosen　by　the　Lamb　to　get　under　the

table　and　break　his　squeaking　bird。　　There　was　a　sharp　convenient

wire　inside　the　bird；　and　of　course　the　Lamb　ran　the　wire　into

Robert's　leg　at　once；　and　so；　without　anyone's　meaning　to；　the

secret　drawer　was　flooded　with　ink。　　At　the　same　time　a　stream　was

poured　over　Anthea's　half…finished　letter。　　So　that　her　letter　was

something　like　this：





DARLING　MOTHER；　I　hope　you　are　quite　well；　and　I　hope　Granny　is

better。　　The　other　day　we　。。。





Then　came　a　flood　of　ink；　and　at　the　bottom　these　words　in　pencil

…





It　was　not　me　upset　the　ink；　but　it　took　such　a　time　clearing　up；

so　no　more　as　it　is　post…time。　　…　From　your　loving　daughter；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANTHEA。





Robert's　letter　had　not　even　been　begun。　　He　had　been　drawing　a

ship　on　the　blotting…paper　while　he　was　trying　to　think　of　what　to

say。　　And　of　course　after　the　ink　was　upset　he　had　to　help　Anthea

to　clean　out　her　desk；　and　he　promised　to　make　her　another　secret

drawer；　better　than　the　other。　　And　she　said；　'Well；　make　it　now。'　

So　it　was　post…time　and　his　letter　wasn't　done。　　And　the　secret

drawer　wasn't　done　either。



Cyril　wrote　a　long　letter；　very　fast；　and　then　went　to　set　a　trap

for　slugs　that　he　had　read　about　in　the　Home…made　Gardener；　and

when　it　was　post…time　the　letter　could　not　be　found；　and　it　never

was　found。　　Perhaps　the　slugs　ate　it。



jane's　letter　was　the　only　one　that　went。　　She　meant　to　tell　her

mother　all　about　the　Psammead　…　in　fact　…they　had　all　meant　to　do

this　…　but　she　spent　so　long　thinking　how　to　spell　the　word　that

there　was　no　time　to　tell　the　story　properly；　and　it　is　useless　to

tell　a　story　unless　you　do　tell　it　properly；　so　she　had　to　be

contented　with　this　…





MY　DEAR　MOTHER　DEAR；



We　are　all　as　as　good　as　we　can；　like　you　told　us　to；　and　the　Lamb

has　a　little　cold；　but　Martha　says　it　is　nothing；　only　he　upset　the

goldfish　into　himself　yesterday　morning。　　When　we　were　up　at　the

sand…pit　the　other　day　we　went　round　by　the　safe　way　where　carts

go；　and　we　found　a　





Half　an　hour　went　by　before　Jane　felt　quite　sure　that　they　could

none　of　them　spell　Psammead。　　And　they　could　not　find　it　in　the

dictionary　either；　though　they　looked。　　Then　Jane　hastily　finished

her　letter。







We　found　a　strange　thing；　but　it　is　nearly　post…time；　so　no　more　at

present　from　your　little　girl；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JANE。



Ps。　　…　If　you　could　have　a　wish　come　true；　what　would　you　have？





Then　the　postman　was　heard　blowing　his　horn；　and　Robert　rushed　out

in　the　rain　to　stop　his　cart　and　give　him　the　letter。　　And　that　was

how　it　happened　that；　though　all　the　children　meant　to　tell　their

mother　about　the　Sand…fairy；　somehow　or　other　she　never　got　to

know。　　There　were　other　reasons　why　she　never　got　to　know；　but

these　come　later。



The　next　day　Uncle　Richard　came　and　took　them　all　to　Maidstone　in

a　wagonette　…　all　except　the　Lamb。　　Uncle　Richard　was　the　very　best

kind　of　uncle。　　He　bought　them　toys　at　Maidstone。　　He　took　them

into　a　shop　and　let　them　choose　exactly　what　they　wanted；　without

any　restrictions　about　price；　and　no　nonsense　about　things　being

instructive。　　It　is　very　wise　to　let　children　choose　exactly　what

they　like；　because　they　are　very　foolish　and　inexperienced；　and

sometimes　they　will　choose　a　really　instructive　thing　without

meaning　to。　　This　happened　to　Robert；　who　chose；　at　the　last

moment；　and　in　a　great　hurry；　a　box　with　pictures　on　it　of　winged

bulls　with　men's　heads　and　winged　men　with　eagles'　heads。　　He

thought　there　would　be　animals　inside；　the　same　as　on　the　box。　

When　he　got　it　home　it　was　a　Sunday　puzzle　about　ancient　Nineveh！

The　others　chose　in　haste；　and　were　happy　at　leisure。　　Cyril　had　a

model　engine；　and　the　girls　had　two　dolls；　as　well　as　a　china

tea…set　with　forget…me…nots　on　it；　to　be　'between　them'。　　The　boys'

'between　them'　was　bow　and　arrows。



Then　Uncle　Richard　took　them　on　the　beautiful　Medway　in　a　boat；　and

then　they　all　h