five children and it-第5部分

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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　the　pink

cornflowers　and　white　ribbon。　　She　had　a　yellow…lace　collar　with　a

green　bow。　　And　the　Lamb　had　indeed　his　very　best　cream…coloured

silk　coat　and　hat。　　It　was　a　smart　party　that　the　carrier's　cart

picked　up　at　the　Cross　Roads。　　When　its　white　tilt　and　red　wheels

had　slowly　vanished　in　a　swirl　of　chalk…dust　…



'And　now　for　the　Sammyadd！'　said　Cyril；　and　off　they　went。



As　they　went　they　decided　on　the　wish　they　would　ask　for。　　Although

they　were　all　in　a　great　hurry　they　did　not　try　to　climb　down　the

sides　of　the　gravel…pit；　but　went　round　by　the　safe　lower　road；　as

if　they　had　been　carts。　　They　had　made　a　ring　of　stones　round　the

place　where　the　Sand…fairy　had　disappeared；　so　they　easily　found

the　spot。　　The　sun　was　burning　and　bright；　and　the　sky　was　deep

blue　…　without　a　cloud。　　The　sand　was　very　hot　to　touch。



'Oh　…　suppose　it　was　only　a　dream；　after　all；'　Robert　said　as　the

boys　uncovered　their　spades　from　the　sand…heap　where　they　had

buried　them　and　began　to　dig。



'Suppose　you　were　a　sensible　chap；'　said　Cyril；　'one's　quite　as

likely　as　the　other！'

'Suppose　you　kept　a　civil　tongue　in　your　head；'　Robert　snapped。



'Suppose　we　girls　take　a　turn；'　said　Jane；　laughing。　　'You　boys

seem　to　be　getting　very　warm。'



'Suppose　you　don't　come　shoving　your　silly　oar　in；'　said　Robert；

who　was　now　warm　indeed。



'We　won't；'　said　Anthea　quickly。　　'Robert　dear；　don't　be　so　grumpy

…　we　won't　say　a　word；　you　shall　be　the　one　to　speak　to　the　Fairy

and　tell　him　what　we've　decided　to　wish　for。　　You'll　say　it　much

better　than　we　shall。'



'Suppose　you　drop　being　a　little　humbug；'　said　Robert；　but　not

crossly。　　'Look　out　…　dig　with　your　hands；　now！'



So　they　did；　and　presently　uncovered　the　spider…shaped　brown　hairy

body；　long　arms　and　legs；　bat's　ears　and　snail's　eyes　of　the

Sand…fairy　himself。　　Everyone　drew　a　deep　breath　of　satisfaction；

for　now　of　course　it　couldn't　have　been　a　dream。



The　Psammead　sat　up　and　shook　the　sand　out　of　its　fur。



'How's　your　left　whisker　this　morning？'　said　Anthea　politely。



'Nothing　to　boast　of；'　said　it；　'it　had　rather　a　restless　night。　

But　thank　you　for　asking。'



'I　say；'　said　Robert；　'do　you　feel　up　to　giving　wishes　to…day；

because　we　very　much　want　an　extra　besides　the　regular　one？　　The

extra's　a　very　little　one；'　he　added　reassuringly。



'Humph！'　said　the　Sand…fairy。　　（If　you　read　this　story　aloud；

please　pronounce　'humph'　exactly　as　it　is　spelt；　for　that　is　how　he

said　it。）　'Humph！　　Do　you　know；　until　I　heard　you　being

disagreeable　to　each　other　just　over　my　head；　and　so　loud　too；　I

really　quite　thought　I　had　dreamed　you　all。　　I　do　have　very　odd

dreams　sometimes。'



'Do　you？'Jane　hurried　to　say；　so　as　to　get　away　from　the　subject　of

disagreeableness。　　'I　wish；'　she　added　politely；　'you'd　tell　us

about　your　dreams　…　they　must　be　awfully　interesting。'



'Is　that　the　day's　wish？'　said　the　Sand…fairy；　yawning。



Cyril　muttered　something　about　'just　like　a　girl；'　and　the　rest

stood　silent。　　If　they　said　'Yes；'　then　good…bye　to　the　other

wishes　they　had　decided　to　ask　for。　　If　they　said　'No；'　it　would　be

very　rude；　and　they　had　all　been　taught　manners；　and　had　learned　a

little　too；　which　is　not　at　all　the　same　thing。　　A　sigh　of　relief

broke　from　all　lips　when　the　Sand…fairy　said：



'If　I　do　I　shan't　have　strength　to　give　you　a　second　wish；　not　even

good　tempers；　or　common　sense；　or　manners；　or　little　things　like

that。'



'We　don't　want　you　to　put　yourself　out　at　all　about　these　things；

we　can　manage　them　quite　well　ourselves；'　said　Cyril　eagerly；　while

the　others　looked　guiltily　at　each　other；　and　wished　the　Fairy

would　not　keep　all　on　about　good　tempers；　but　give　them　one　good

rowing　if　it　wanted　to；　and　then　have　done　with　it。



'Well；'　said　the　Psammead；　putting　out　his　long　snail's　eyes　so

suddenly　that　one　of　them　nearly　went　into　the　round　boy's　eyes　of

Robert；　'let's　have　the　little　wish　first。'



'We　don't　want　the　servants　to　notice　the　gifts　you　give　us。'



'Are　kind　enough　to　give　us；'　said　Anthea　in　a　whisper。



'Are　kind　enough　to　give　us；　I　mean；'　said　Robert。



The　Fairy　swelled　himself　out　a　bit；　let　his　breath　go；　and　said　…



'I've　done　THAT　for　you　…　it　was　quite　easy。　　People　don't　notice

things　much；　anyway。　　What's　the　next　wish？'



'We　want；'　said　Robert　slowly；　'to　be　rich　beyond　the　dreams　of

something　or　other。'



'Avarice；'　said　Jane。



'So　it　is；'　said　the　Fairy　unexpectedly。　　'But　it　won't　do　you　much

good；　that's　one　comfort；'　it　muttered　to　itself。　　'Come　…　I　can't

go　beyond　dreams；　you　know！　　How　much　do　you　want；　and　will　you

have　it　in　gold　or　notes？'



'Gold；　please　…　and　millions　of　it。'



'This　gravel…pit　full　be　enough？'　said　the　Fairy　in　an　off…hand

manner。



'Oh　YES！'



'Then　get　out　before　I　begin；　or　you'll　be　buried　alive　in　it。'



It　made　its　skinny　arms　so　long；　and　waved　them　so　frighteningly；

that　the　children　ran　as　hard　as　they　could　towards　the　road　by

which　carts　used　to　come　to　the　gravel…pits。　　Only　Anthea　had

presence　of　mind　enough　to　shout　a　timid　'Good…morning；　I　hope　your

whisker　will　be　better　to…morrow；'　as　she　ran。





On　the　road　they　turned　and　looked　back；　and　they　had　to　shut　their

eyes；　and　open　them　very　slowly；　a　little　bit　at　a　time；　because

the　sight　was　too　dazzling　for　their　eyes　to　be　able　to　bear　it。　

It　was　something　like　trying　to　look　at　the　sun　at　high　noon　on

Midsummer　Day。　　For　the　whole　of　the　sand…pit　was　full；　right　up　to

the　very　top；　with　new　shining　gold　pieces；　and　all　the　little

sand…martins'　little　front　doors　were　covered　out　of　sight。　　Where

the　road　for　the　carts　wound　into　the　gravel…pit　the　gold　lay　in

heaps　like　stones　lie　by　the　roadside；　and　a　great　bank　of　shining

gold　shelved　down　from　where　it　lay　flat　and　smooth　between　the

tall　sides　of　the　gravel…pit。　　And　all　the　gleaming　heap　was　minted

gold。　　And　on　the　sides　and　edges　of　these　countless　coins　the

midday　sun　shone　and　sparkled；　and　glowed　and　gleamed　till　the

quarry　looked　like　the　mouth　of　a　smelting　furnace；　or　one　of　the

fairy　halls　that　you　see　sometimes　in　the　sky　at　sunset。



The　children　stood　with　their　mouths　open；　and　no　one　said　a　word。



At　last　Robert　stopped　and　picked　up　one　of　the　loose　coins　from

the　edge　of　the　heap　by　the　cart…road；　and　looked　at　it。　　He　looked

on　both　sides。　　Then　he　said　in　a　low　voice；　quite　different　to　his

own；　'It's　not　sovereigns。'



'It's　gold；　anyway；'　said　Cyril。　　And　now　they　all　began　to　talk　at

once。　　They　all　picked　up　the　golden　treasure　by　handfuls；　and　let

it　run　through　their　fingers　like　water；　and　the　chink　it　made　as

it　fell　was　wonderful　music。　　At　first　they　quite　forgot　to　think

of　spending　the　money；　it　was　so　nice　to　play　with。　　Jane　sat　down

between　two　heaps　of　gold　and　Robert　began　to　bury　her；　as　you　bury

your　father　in　sand　when　you　are　at　the　seaside　and　he　has　gone　to

sleep　on　the　beach　with　his　newspaper　over　his　face。　　But　Jane　was

not　half　buried　before　she　cried　out；　'Oh；　stop；　it's　too　heavy！　

It　hurts！



Robert　said　'Bosh！'　and　went　on。



'Let　me　out；　I　tell　you；'　cried　Jane；　and　was　taken　out；　very

white；　and　trembling　a　little。



'You've　no　idea　what　it's　like；'　said　she；　'it's　like　stones　on　you

…　or　like　chains。'



'Look　here；'　Cyril　said；　'if　this　is　to　do　us　any　good；　it's　no

good　our　staying　gasping　at　it　like　this。　　Let's　fill　our　pockets

and　go　and　buy　things。　　Don't　you　forget；　it　won't　last　after

sunset。　　I　wish　we'd　asked　the　Sammyadd　why　things　don't　turn　to

stone。　　Perhaps　this　will。　　I'll　tell　you　what；　there's　a　pony　and

cart　in　the　village。'



'Do　you　want　to　buy　that？'　asked　Jane。



'No；　silly　…　we'll　HIRE　it。　　And　then　we'll　go　to　Rochester　and　buy

heaps　and　heaps　of　things。　　Look　here；　let's　each　take　as　much　as

we　can　carry。　　But　it's　not　sovereigns。　　They've　got　a　man's　head

on　one　side　and　a　thing　like　the　ace　of　spades　on　the　other。　　Fill

your　pockets　with　it；　I　tell　you；　and　come　along。　　You　can　jaw　as

we　go　…　if　you　must　jaw。'



Cyril　sat　down　and　began　to　fill　his　pockets。

'You　made　fun　of　me　for　getting　father　to　have　nine　pockets　in　my

Norfolks；'　said　he；　'but　now　you　see！'



They　did。　　For　when　Cyril　had　filled　his　nine　pockets　and　his

handkerchief　and　the　space　between　himself　and　his　shirt　front　with

the　gold　coins；　he　had　to　stand　up。　　But　he　staggered；　and　had　to

sit　down　again　in　a　hurry…



'Throw　out　some　of　the　cargo；'　said　Robert。　　'You'll　sink　the　ship；

old　chap。　　That　comes　of　nine　pockets。'



And　Cyril　had　to。



Then　they　set　off　to　walk　to　the　village。　　It　was　more　than　a　mile；

and　the　road　was　very　dusty　indeed；　and　the　sun　seemed　to　get

hotter　and　hotter；　and　the　gold　in　their　pockets　got　heavier　and

heavier。



It　was　Jane　who　said；　'I　don't　see　how　we're　to　spend　it　all。　

There　must　be　thousands　of　pounds　among　the　lot　of　us。　　I'm　going

to　leave　some　of　mine　behind　this　stump　in　the　hedge。　　And　directly

we　get　to　the　village　we'll　buy　some　biscuits；　I　know　it's　long

past　dinner…time。'　　She　took　out　a　handful　or　two　of　gold　and　hid

it　in　the　hollows　of　an　old　hornbeam。　　'How　round　and　yellow　they

are；'　she　said。　　'Don't　you　wish　they　were　gingerbread　nuts　and　we

were　going　to　eat　them？'



'Well；　they're　not；　and　we're　not；'　said　Cyril。　　'Come　on！'



But　they　came　on　heavily　and　wearily。　　Before　they　reached　the

village；　more　than　one　stump　in　the　hedge　concealed　its　little

hoard　of　hidden　treasure。　　Yet　they　reached　the　village　with　about

twelve　hundred　guineas　in　their　pockets。　　But　in　spite　of　this

inside　wealth　they　looked　quite　ordinary　outside；　and　no　one　would

have　thought　they　could　have　more　than　a　half…crown