five children and it-第4部分
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same they followed the others out into the lane。
'We shall be our proper selves after sunset； I suppose；' said Jane。
'I don't know；' Cyril said sadly； 'it mayn't be like that now …
things have changed a good deal since Megatherium times。'
'Oh；' cried Anthea suddenly； 'perhaps we shall turn into stone at
sunset； like the Megatheriums did； so that there mayn't be any of
us left over for the next day。'
She began to cry； so did Jane。 Even the boys turned pale。 No one
had the heart to say anything。
It was a horrible afternoon。 There was no house near where the
children could beg a crust of bread or even a glass of water。 They
were afraid to go to the village； because they had seen Martha go
down there with a basket； and there was a local constable。 True；
they were all as beautiful as the day； but that is a poor comfort
when you are as hungry as a hunter and as thirsty as a sponge。
Three times they tried in vain to get the servants in the White
House to let them in and listen to their tale。 And then Robert
went alone； hoping to be able to climb in at one of the back
windows and so open the door to the others。 But all the windows
were out of reach； and Martha emptied a toilet…jug of cold water
over him from a top window； and said：
'Go along with you； you nasty little Eyetalian monkey。〃
It came at last to their sitting down in a row under the hedge；
with their feet in a dry ditch； waiting for sunset； and wondering
whether； when the sun did set； they would turn into stone； or only
into their own old natural selves； and each of them still felt
lonely and among strangers； and tried not to look at the others；
for； though their voices were their own； their faces were so
radiantly beautiful as to be quite irritating to look at。
'I don't believe we SHALL turn to stone；' said Robert； breaking a
long miserable silence； 'because the Sand…fairy said he'd give us
another wish to…morrow； and he couldn't if we were stone； could
he？'
The others said 'No；' but they weren't at all comforted。
Another silence； longer and more miserable； was broken by Cyril's
suddenly saying； 'I don't want to frighten you girls； but I believe
it's beginning with me already。 My foot's quite dead。 I'm turning
to stone； I know I am； and so will you in a minute。'
'Never mind；' said Robert kindly； 'perhaps you'll be the only stone
one； and the rest of us will be all right； and we'll cherish your
statue and hang garlands on it。'
But when it turned out that Cyril's foot had only gone to sleep
through his sitting too long with it under him； and when it came to
life in an agony of pins and needles； the others were quite cross。
'Giving us such a fright for nothing！' said Anthea。
The third and miserablest silence of all was broken by Jane。 She
said： 'If we DO come out of this all right； we'll ask the Sammyadd
to make it so that the servants don't notice anything different； no
matter what wishes we have。'
The others only grunted。 They were too wretched even to make good
resolutions。
At last hunger and fright and crossness and tiredness … four very
nasty things … all joined together to bring one nice thing； and
that was sleep。 The children lay asleep in a row； with their
beautiful eyes shut and their beautiful mouths open。 Anthea woke
first。 The sun had set； and the twilight was coming on。
Anthea pinched herself very hard； to make sure； and when she found
she could still feel pinching she decided that she was not stone；
and then she pinched the others。 They； also； were soft。
'Wake up；' she said； almost in tears of joy； 'it's all right； we're
not stone。 And oh； Cyril； how nice and ugly you do look； with your
old freckles and your brown hair and your little eyes。 And so do
you all！' she added； so that they might not feel jealous。
When they got home they were very much scolded by Martha； who told
them about the strange children。
'A good…looking lot； I must say； but that impudent。'
'I know；' said Robert； who knew by experience how hopeless it would
be to try to explain things to Martha。
'And where on earth have you been all this time； you naughty little
things； you？'
'In the lane。'
'Why didn't you come home hours ago？'
'We couldn't because of THEM；' said Anthea。
'Who？'
'The children who were as beautiful as the day。 They kept us there
till after sunset。 We couldn't come back till they'd gone。 You
don't know how we hated them！ Oh； do； do give us some supper … we
are so hungry。'
'Hungry！ I should think so；' said Martha angrily； 'out all day
like this。 Well； I hope it'll be a lesson to you not to go picking
up with strange children … down here after measles； as likely as
not！ Now mind； if you see them again； don't you speak to them …
not one word nor so much as a look … but come straight away and
tell me。 I'll spoil their beauty for them！'
'If ever we DO see them again we'll tell you；' Anthea said； and
Robert； fixing his eyes fondly on the cold beef that was being
brought in on a tray by cook； added in heartfelt undertones …
'And we'll take jolly good care we never DO see them again。'
And they never have。
CHAPTER 2
GOLDEN GUINEAS
Anthea woke in the morning from a very real sort of dream； in which
she was walking in the Zoological Gardens on a pouring wet day
without any umbrella。 The animals seemed desperately unhappy
because of the rain； and were all growling gloomily。 When she
awoke； both the growling and the rain went on just the same。 The
growling was the heavy regular breathing of her sister Jane； who
had a slight cold and was still asleep。 The rain fell in slow
drops on to Anthea's face from the wet corner of a bath…towel which
her brother Robert was gently squeezing the water out of； to wake
her up； as he now explained。
'Oh； drop it！' she said rather crossly； so he did； for he was not
a brutal brother； though very ingenious in apple…pie beds；
booby…traps； original methods of awakening sleeping relatives； and
the other little accomplishments which make home happy。
'I had such a funny dream；' Anthea began。
'So did I；' said Jane； wakening suddenly and without warning。 'I
dreamed we found a Sand…fairy in the gravel…pits； and it said it
was a Sammyadd； and we might have a new wish every day； and …'
'But that's what I dreamed；' said Robert。 'I was just going to
tell you … and we had the first wish directly it said so。 And I
dreamed you girls were donkeys enough to ask for us all to be
beautiful as the day； and we jolly well were； and it was perfectly
beastly。'
'But CAN different people all dream the same thing？' said Anthea；
sitting up in bed； 'because I dreamed all that as well as about the
Zoo and the rain； and Baby didn't know us in my dream； and the
servants shut us out of the house because the radiantness of our
beauty was such a complete disguise； and …'
The voice of the eldest brother sounded from across the landing。
'Come on； Robert；' it said； 'you'll be late for breakfast again …
unless you mean to shirk your bath like you did on Tuesday。'
'I say； come here a sec；' Robert replied。 'I didn't shirk it； I
had it after brekker in father's dressing…room； because ours was
emptied away。'
Cyril appeared in the doorway； partially clothed。
'Look here；' said Anthea； 'we've all had such an odd dream。 We've
all dreamed we found a Sand…fairy。'
Her voice died away before Cyril's contemptuous glance。 'Dream？'
he said； 'you little sillies； it's TRUE。 I tell you it all
happened。 That's why I'm so keen on being down early。 We'll go up
there directly after brekker； and have another wish。 Only we'll
make up our minds； solid； before we go； what it is we do want； and
no one must ask for anything unless the others agree first。 No
more peerless beauties for this child； thank you。 Not if I know
it！'
The other three dressed； with their mouths open。 If all that dream
about the Sand…fairy was real； this real dressing seemed very like
a dream； the girls thought。 Jane felt that Cyril was right； but
Anthea was not sure； till after they had seen Martha and heard her
full and plain reminders about their naughty conduct the day
before。 Then Anthea was sure。 'Because；' said she； 'servants
never dream anything but the things in the Dream…book； like snakes
and oysters and going to a wedding … that means a funeral； and
snakes are a false female friend； and oysters are babies。'
'Talking of babies；' said Cyril； 'where's the Lamb？'
'Martha's going to take him to Rochester to see her cousins。
Mother said she might。 She's dressing him now；' said Jane； 'in his
very best coat and hat。 Bread…and…butter； please。'
'She seems to like taking him too；' said Robert in a tone of
wonder。
'Servants do like taking babies to see their relations；' Cyril
said。 'I've noticed it before … especially in their best things。'
'I expect they pretend they're their own babies； and that they're
not servants at all； but married to noble dukes of high degree； and
they say the babies are the little dukes and duchesses；' Jane
suggested dreamily； taking more marmalade。 'I expect that's what
Martha'll say to her cousin。 She'll enjoy herself most
frightfully…'
'She won't enjoy herself most frightfully carrying our infant duke
to Rochester；' said Robert； 'not if she's anything like me … she
won't。'
'Fancy walking to Rochester with the Lamb on your back！ Oh；
crikey！' said Cyril in full agreement。
'She's going by carrier；' said Jane。 'Let's see them off； then we
shall have done a polite and kindly act； and we shall be quite sure
we've got rid of them for the day。'
So they did。
Martha wore her Sunday dress of two shades of purple； so tight in
the chest that it made her stoop； and her blue hat with
