five children and it-第16部分

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went　on　talking；　and　the　children　listened　miserably。　　But　the

keeper　was　not　listening。　　He　was　looking　at　the　unfortunate　Cyril。　

He　knew　all　about　poachers　of　course；　so　he　knew　how　people　look

when　they're　hiding　something。　　The　Vicar　had　just　got　to　the　part

about　trying　to　grow　up　to　be　a　blessing　to　your　parents；　and　not

a　trouble　and　a　disgrace；　when　the　keeper　suddenly　said：



'Arst　him　what　he's　got　there　under　his　jacket'；　and　Cyril　knew

that　concealment　was　at　an　end。　　So　he　stood　up；　and　squared　his

shoulders　and　tried　to　look　noble；　like　the　boys　in　books　that　no

one　can　look　in　the　face　of　and　doubt　that　they　come　of　brave　and

noble　families　and　will　be　faithful　to　the　death；　and　he　pulled　out

the　soda…water　syphon　and　said：



'Well；　there　you　are；　then。'



There　was　a　silence。　　Cyril　went　on　…　there　was　nothing　else　for

it：



'Yes；　we　took　this　out　of　your　larder；　and　some　chicken　and　tongue

and　bread。　　We　were　very　hungry；　and　we　didn't　take　the　custard　or

jam。　　We　only　took　bread　and　meat　and　water　…　and　we　couldn't　help

its　being　the　soda　kind　…just　the　necessaries　of　life；　and　we　left

half…a…crown　to　pay　for　it；　and　we　left　a　letter。　　And　we're　very

sorry。　　And　my　father　will　pay　a　fine　or　anything　you　like；　but

don't　send　us　to　prison。　　Mother　would　be　so　vexed。　　You　know　what

you　said　about　not　being　a　disgrace。　　Well；　don't　you　go　and　do　it

to　us　…　that's　all！　　We're　as　sorry　as　we　can　be。　　There！'



'However　did　you　get　up　to　the　larder　window？'　said　Mrs　Vicar。



'I　can't　tell　you　that；'　said　Cyril　firmly。



'Is　this　the　whole　truth　you've　been　telling　me？'　asked　the

clergyman。



'No；'　answered　Jane　suddenly；　'it's　all　true；　but　it's　not　the

whole　truth。　　We　can't　tell　you　that。　　It's　no　good　asking。　　Oh；　do

forgive　us　and　take　us　home！'　　She　ran　to　the　Vicar's　wife　and

threw　her　arms　round　her。　　The　Vicar's　wife　put　her　arms　round

Jane；　and　the　keeper　whispered　behind　his　hand　to　the　Vicar：



'They're　all　right；　sir　…　I　expect　it's　a　pal　they're　standing　by。　

Someone　put　'em　up　to　it；　and　they　won't　peach。　　Game　little　kids。'



'Tell　me；'　said　the　Vicar　kindly；　'are　you　screening　someone　else？

Had　anyone　else　anything　to　do　with　this？'



'Yes；'　said　Anthea；　thinking　of　the　Psammead；　'but　it　wasn't　their

fault。'



'Very　well；　my　dears；'　said　the　Vicar；　'then　let's　say　no　more

about　it。　　Only　just　tell　us　why　you　wrote　such　an　odd　letter。'



'I　don't　know；'　said　Cyril。　　'You　see；　Anthea　wrote　it　in　such　a

hurry；　and　it　really　didn't　seem　like　stealing　then。　　But

afterwards；　when　we　found　we　couldn't　get　down　off　the

church…tower；　it　seemed　just　exactly　like　it。　　We　are　all　very

sorry　…'



'Say　no　more　about　it；'　said　the　Vicar's　wife；　'but　another　time

just　think　before　you　take　other　people's　tongues。　　Now　…　some　cake

and　milk　before　you　go　home？'



When　Andrew　came　to　say　that　the　horse　was　put　to；　and　was　he

expected　to　be　led　alone　into　the　trap　that　he　had　plainly　seen

from　the　first；　he　found　the　children　eating　cake　and　drinking　milk

and　laughing　at　the　Vicar's　jokes。　　Jane　was　sitting　on　the　Vicar's

wife's　lap。



So　you　see　they　got　off　better　than　they　deserved。



The　gamekeeper；　who　was　the　cook's　cousin；　asked　leave　to　drive

home　with　them；　and　Andrew　was　only　too　glad　to　have　someone　to

protect　him　from　the　trap　he　was　so　certain　of。



When　the　wagonette　reached　their　own　house；　between　the

chalk…quarry　and　the　gravel…pit；　the　children　were　very　sleepy；　but

they　felt　that　they　and　the　keeper　were　friends　for　life。



Andrew　dumped　the　children　down　at　the　iron　gate　without　a　word。

'You　get　along　home；'　said　the　Vicarage　cook's　cousin；　who　was　a

gamekeeper。　　'I'll　get　me　home　on　Shanks'　mare。'



So　Andrew　had　to　drive　off　alone；　which　he　did　not　like　at　all；　and

it　was　the　keeper　that　was　cousin　to　the　Vicarage　cook　who　went

with　the　children　to　the　door；　and；　when　they　had　been　swept　to　bed

in　a　whirlwind　of　reproaches；　remained　to　explain　to　Martha　and　the

cook　and　the　housemaid　exactly　what　had　happened。　　He　explained　so

well　that　Martha　was　quite　amiable　the　next　morning。



After　that　he　often　used　to　come　over　and　see　Martha；　and　in　the

end　…　but　that　is　another　story；　as　dear　Mr　Kipling　says。



Martha　was　obliged　to　stick　to　what　she　had　said　the　night　before

about　keeping　the　children　indoors　the　next　day　for　a　punishment。　

But　she　wasn't　at　all　snarky　about　it；　and　agreed　to　let　Robert　go

out　for　half　an　hour　to　get　something　he　particularly　wanted。　

This；　of　course；　was　the　day's　wish。



Robert　rushed　to　the　gravel…pit；　found　the　Psammead；　and　presently

wished　for　…　But　that；　too；　is　another　story。







CHAPTER　6

A　CASTLE　AND　NO　DINNER





The　others　were　to　be　kept　in　as　a　punishment　for　the　misfortunes

of　the　day　before。　　Of　course　Martha　thought　it　was　naughtiness；

and　not　misfortune　…　so　you　must　not　blame　her。　　She　only　thought

she　was　doing　her　duty。　　You　know　grown…up　people　often　say　they　do

not　like　to　punish　you；　and　that　they　only　do　it　for　your　own　good；

and　that　it　hurts　them　as　much　as　it　hurts　you　…　and　this　is　really

very　often　the　truth。



Martha　certainly　hated　having　to　punish　the　children　quite　as　much

as　they　hated　to　be　punished。　　For　one　thing；　she　knew　what　a　noise

there　would　be　in　the　house　all　day。　　And　she　had　other　reasons。



'I　declare；'　she　said　to　the　cook；　'it　seems　almost　a　shame　keeping

of　them　indoors　this　lovely　day；　but　they　are　that　audacious；

they'll　be　walking　in　with　their　heads　knocked　off　some　of　these

days；　if　I　don't　put　my　foot　down。　　You　make　them　a　cake　for　tea

to…morrow；　dear。　　And　we'll　have　Baby　along　of　us　soon　as　we've　got

a　bit　forrard　with　our　work。　　Then　they　can　have　a　good　romp　with

him　out　of　the　way。　　Now；　Eliza；　come；　get　on　with　them　beds。　

Here's　ten　o'clock　nearly；　and　no　rabbits　caught！'



People　say　that　in　Kent　when　they　mean　'and　no　work　done'。



So　all　the　others　were　kept　in；　but　Robert；　as　I　have　said；　was

allowed　to　go　out　for　half　an　hour　to　get　something　they　all

wanted。　　And　that；　of　course；　was　the　day's　wish。

He　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　Sand…fairy；　for　the　day　was

already　so　hot　that　it　had　actually；　for　the　first　time；　come　out

of　its　own　accord；　and　it　was　sitting　in　a　sort　of　pool　of　soft

sand；　stretching　itself；　and　trimming　its　whiskers；　and　turning　its

snail's　eyes　round　and　round。



'Ha！'　it　said　when　its　left　eye　saw　Robert；　'I've　been　looking　out

for　you。　　Where　are　the　rest　of　you？　　Not　smashed　themselves　up

with　those　wings；　I　hope？'



'No；'　said　Robert；　'but　the　wings　got　us　into　a　row；　just　like　all

the　wishes　always　do。　　So　the　others　are　kept　indoors；　and　I　was

only　let　out　for　half…an…hour　…　to　get　the　wish。　　So　please　let　me

wish　as　quickly　as　I　can。'



'Wish　away；'　said　the　Psammead；　twisting　itself　round　in　the　sand。　

But　Robert　couldn't　wish　away。　　He　forgot　all　the　things　he　had

been　thinking　about；　and　nothing　would　come　into　his　head　but

little　things　for　himself；　like　toffee；　a　foreign　stamp　album；　or

a　clasp…　knife　with　three　blades　and　a　corkscrew。　　He　sat　down　to

think　better；　but　it　was　no　use。　　He　could　only　think　of　things　the

others　would　not　have　cared　for　…　such　as　a　football；　or　a　pair　of

leg…guards；　or　to　be　able　to　lick　Simpkins　minor　thoroughly　when　he

went　back　to　school。



'Well；'　said　the　Psammead　at　last；　'you'd　better　hurry　up　with　that

wish　of　yours。　　Time　flies。'



'I　know　it　does；'　said　Robert。　　'I　can't　think　what　to　wish　for。　

I　wish　you　could　give　one　of　the　others　their　wish　without　their

having　to　come　here　to　ask　for　it。　　Oh；　DON'T！'



But　it　was　too　late。　　The　Psammead　had　blown　itself　out　to　about

three　times　its　proper　size；　and　now　it　collapsed　like　a　pricked

bubble；　and　with　a　deep　sigh　leaned　back　against　the　edge　of　its

sand…pool；　quite　faint　with　the　effort。



'There！'　it　said　in　a　weak　voice；　'it　was　tremendously　hard　…　but

I　did　it。　　Run　along　home；　or　they're　sure　to　wish　for　something

silly　before　you　get　there。'



They　were　…　quite　sure；　Robert　felt　this；　and　as　he　ran　home　his

mind　was　deeply　occupied　with　the　sort　of　wishes　he　might　find　they

had　wished　in　his　absence。　　They　might　wish　for　rabbits；　or　white

mice；　or　chocolate；　or　a　fine　day　to…morrow；　or　even　…　and　that　was

most　likely　…　someone　might　have　said；　'I　do　wish　to　goodness

Robert　would　hurry　up。'　　Well；　he　WAS　hurrying　up；　and　so　they

would　have　their　wish；　and　the　day　would　be　wasted。　　Then　he　tried

to　think　what　they　could　wish　for　…　something　that　would　be　amusing

indoors。　　That　had　been　his　own　difficulty　from　the　beginning。　　So

few　things　are　amusing　indoors　when　the　sun　is　shining　outside　and

you　mayn't　go　out；　however　much　you　want　to。　　Robert　was　running　as

fast　as　he　could；　but　when　he　turned　the　corner　that　ought　to　have

brought　him　within　sight　of　the　architect's　nightmare　…　the

ornamental　iron…work　on　the　top　of　the　house　…　he　opened　his　eyes

so　wide　that　he　had　to　drop　into　a　walk；　for　you　cannot　run　with

your　eyes　wide　open。　　Then　suddenly　he　stopped　short；　for　there　was

no　house　to　be　seen。　　The　front…garden　railings　were　gone　too；　and

where　the　house　had　stood　…　Robert　rubbed　his　eyes　and　looked

again。　　Yes；　the　others　HAD　wished　…　there　was　no　doubt　about　that

…　and　they　must　have　wished　that　they　lived　in　a　castle；　for　there

the　castle　stood　black　and　stately；　and　very　tall　and　broad；　with

battlements　and　lancet　windows；　and　eight　great　towers；　and；　where

the　garden　and　the　orchard　had　been；　there　were　white　things　dotted

like　mushrooms。　　Robert　walked　slowly　on；　and　as　he　got　nearer　he

saw　that　these　were　tents）　and　men　in　armour　were　walking　about

among　the　tents　…　crowds　and　crowds　of　them。



'Oh；　crikey！'　said　Robert　fervently。　　'They　HAVE！　　They've　wished

for　a　castle；　and　it's　being　besieged！　　It's　just