登陆注册
5197700000030

第30章

A MUSICAL GARDENER.

The Other Professor regarded him with some anxiety."The smaller animal ought to go to bed at once," he said with an air of authority.

"Why at once?" said the Professor.

"Because he can't go at twice," said the Other Professor.

The Professor gently clapped his hands.'Isn't he wonderful!" he said to Sylvie."Nobody else could have thought of the reason, so quick.

Why, of course he ca'n't go at twice! It would hurt him to be divided."This remark woke up Bruno, suddenly and completely.

"I don't want to be divided," he said decisively.

"It does very well on a diagram," said the Other Professor.

"I could show it you in a minute, only the chalk's a little blunt.""Take care!" Sylvie anxiously exclaimed, as he began, rather clumsily, to point it."You'll cut your finger off, if you hold the knife so!""If oo cuts it off, will oo give it to me, please? Bruno thoughtfully added.

"It's like this," said the Other Professor, hastily drawing a long line upon the black board, and marking the letters 'A,' 'B,' at the two ends, and 'C' in the middle: "let me explain it to you.If AB were to be divided into two parts at C--""It would be drownded," Bruno pronounced confidently.

The Other Professor gasped."What would be drownded?""Why the bumble-bee, of course!" said Bruno."And the two bits would sink down in the sea!"Here the Professor interfered, as the Other Professor was evidently too much puzzled to go on with his diagram.

"When I said it would hurt him, I was merely referring to the action of the nerves--"The Other Professor brightened up in a moment."The action of the nerves," he began eagerly, "is curiously slow in some people.

I had a friend, once, that, if you burnt him with a red-hot poker, it would take years and years before he felt it!""And if you only pinched him?" queried Sylvie.

"Then it would take ever so much longer, of course.In fact, I doubt if the man himself would ever feel it, at all.His grandchildren might.""I wouldn't like to be the grandchild of a pinched grandfather, would you, Mister Sir?" Bruno whispered."It might come just when you wanted to be happy!"That would be awkward, I admitted, taking it quite as a matter of course that he had so suddenly caught sight of me."But don't you always want to be happy, Bruno?""Not always," Bruno said thoughtfully."Sometimes, when I's too happy, I wants to be a little miserable.Then I just tell Sylvie about it, oo know, and Sylvie sets me some lessons.Then it's all right.""I'm sorry you don't like lessons," I said.

"You should copy Sylvie.She's always as busy as the day is long!""Well, so am I!" said Bruno.

"No, no!" Sylvie corrected him."You're as busy as the day is short!""Well, what's the difference?" Bruno asked."Mister Sir, isn't the day as short as it's long? I mean, isn't it the same length?"Never having considered the question in this light, I suggested that they had better ask the Professor; and they ran off in a moment to appeal to their old friend.The Professor left off polishing his spectacles to consider."My dears," he said after a minute, "the day is the same length as anything that is the same length as it."And he resumed his never-ending task of polishing.

The children returned, slowly and thoughtfully, to report his answer.

"Isn't he wise?"

Sylvie asked in an awestruck whisper."If I was as wise as that, I should have a head-ache all day long.I know I should!""You appear to be talking to somebody--that isn't here," the Professor said, turning round to the children."Who is it?"Bruno looked puzzled."I never talks to nobody when he isn't here!" he replied."It isn't good manners.Oo should always wait till he comes, before oo talks to him!"The Professor looked anxiously in my direction, and seemed to look through and through me without seeing me."Then who are you talking to?" he said."There isn't anybody here, you know, except the Other Professor and he isn't here!" he added wildly, turning round and round like a teetotum."Children! Help to look for him! Quick! He's got lost again!"The children were on their feet in a moment.

"Where shall we look?" said Sylvie.

"Anywhere!" shouted the excited Professor."Only be quick about it!"And he began trotting round and round the room, lifting up the chairs, and shaking them.

Bruno took a very small book out of the bookcase, opened it, and shook it in imitation of the Professor."He isn't here," he said.

"He ca'n't be there, Bruno!" Sylvie said indignantly.

"Course he ca'n't!" said Bruno."I should have shooked him out, if he'd been in there!""Has he ever been lost before?" Sylvie enquired, turning up a corner of the hearth-rug, and peeping under it.

"Once before," said the Professor: "he once lost himself in a wood--""And couldn't he find his-self again?" said Bruno."Why didn't he shout? He'd be sure to hear his-self, 'cause he couldn't be far off, oo know.""Lets try shouting," said the Professor.

"What shall we shout?" said Sylvie.

"On second thoughts, don't shout," the Professor replied.

"The Vice-Warden might hear you.He's getting awfully strict!"This reminded the poor children of all the troubles, about which they had come to their old friend.Bruno sat down on the floor and began crying."He is so cruel!" he sobbed."And he lets Uggug take away all my toys! And such horrid meals!""What did you have for dinner to-day?" said the Professor.

"A little piece of a dead crow," was Bruno's mournful reply.

"He means rook-pie," Sylvie explained.

"It were a dead crow," Bruno persisted."And there were a apple-pudding --and Uggug ate it all--and I got nuffin but a crust! And I asked for a orange--and--didn't get it!" And the poor little fellow buried his face in Sylvie's lap, who kept gently stroking his hair,as she went on.

"It's all true, Professor dear! They do treat my darling Bruno very badly!

And they're not kind to me either," she added in a lower tone, as if that were a thing of much less importance.

The Professor got out a large red silk handkerchief, and wiped his eyes.

同类推荐
  • 外科全生集

    外科全生集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝王三昧念佛直指

    宝王三昧念佛直指

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 黄庭内景五脏六腑补泻图

    黄庭内景五脏六腑补泻图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Dragon and The Raven

    The Dragon and The Raven

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 医方歌括

    医方歌括

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 网王之属于你的世界

    网王之属于你的世界

    在两人都还不知道的情况下,就产生了误会,当他远走德国的时候,她就知道,他们……再也没有了以后。
  • 完美胎教智商高

    完美胎教智商高

    科学已经证明,胎儿的大脑会因适当的营养和刺激而得到改善,这就意味着,“胎教”是一种科学的教育方式。如果你想让未来的孩子成为高素质的人才,最好从怀孕那一刻起,就积极地投入到胎教的行动中来。本书按孕周编排,将怀胎十月细分成四十周,每一周都精心安排了适合宝宝胎龄的胎教方法,从而使准父母们每一天都知道该为胎儿做些什么。希望本书能够伴随你度过一生中最难忘的四十周,并且预祝你顺利生出一个健康聪明、活泼可爱的小宝宝。
  • 大丹直指

    大丹直指

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 火车与匕首

    火车与匕首

    上午九点半,早晨的雾气还没有完全消退,学校的操场上像刚下过雨一样,湿漉漉的。天空被一层灰蒙蒙的东西笼罩,分不清是薄云还是浓雾。高一(3)班的新生面孔也显得灰蒙蒙的,他们懒洋洋地列开队形。前面的女生身子一律胖乎乎的,身形笨拙,像是一群在海滩漫步的企鹅。后面调皮的男生忍不住先笑出了声。体育老师严厉地看了他们一眼,笑声虽止了,身体动作却暴露了他们的心不在焉和随意懈怠。这个班的课间操真是太不像样了。体育老师的脸上一副恨铁不成钢的表情。旁边有几个高年级的同学在看热闹。他们或勾肩搭背,或抱着膀子,歪着身子。
  • 15位国学大师讲述人生智慧

    15位国学大师讲述人生智慧

    《15位国学大师给青少年讲述的人生智慧》在讲述15位国学大师自身成长的经历和故事的同时,阐述了国学大师们为人处世、立身成才的智慧。
  • 极品凤后

    极品凤后

    她本是相府庶女,被大哥卖入宫中,生母来寻,摇身一变成为位高权重的长公主。再次回到宫中,成为皇帝最宠爱的郡主,传说得她者得天下!长姐威胁,她玩弄权术,不屑一顾;太子追求,她装疯卖傻,誓死不嫁;世人嘲弄,她琴棋书画,羡煞旁人!当她遇到了他,她助他夺皇位,帮他守河山,最后他却成为别人的驸马,对她拔剑相向……
  • 家有保健师

    家有保健师

    日子过得清贫点儿,没什么可怕的,一家人快乐安康地生活才是一种幸福。更何况只要拥有健康的身体,只要肯踏踏实实地劳动,何愁不能致富呢?无论何时,健康是生命之基、快乐之本、幸福之源,我们都要把健康放在第一位,从日常生活做起,从一天三顿饭做起,保养好自己的身体,做自己的家庭保健师。
  • 逆天九公主

    逆天九公主

    她是擅长音律的忘忧教圣女;她是受尽欺凌的废物九公主:她被自己同父异母的姐姐推入湖中,香消玉殒;她为追随自己的亲生姐姐跃入深渊,魂断山崖!一朝重生,上天给了她第二次机会,那她便要扶摇直上,凌驾九霄!这一次,她一定要保护好身边的所有人,她再也不会被威胁!这一切都会改变,因为她,玉落璇!【片段一】“玉落璇!”月汐国主连忙出声,“赶紧向凤小姐和月浅二皇子殿下道歉,否则我月汐帝国将不再认你这个公主!”“不认又何妨,荣华于我如云烟,宫墙于我如牢笼,这个世界,既然强者为尊,那么这公主的身份,又有何用?”玉落璇轻笑着,“今日的话语,我绝对不会收回,我定会尽我所能,与你们,誓不两立!”【片段二】“血脉之缘,如何断?”少年略显低沉的声音响起,右手三指朝天,“今后我若是听到谁再说一句璇儿的不是,我玉语彦在此对天起誓,必穷其一生,与那人不死不休!”这句话如一道惊雷,狠狠的击在了玉落璇的心上,她愣怔的站在原地,心头一酸,几欲落泪。抬头看去,那被泪水朦胧了的少年身影,是那样的坚定,无悔付出,亦不求回报!只因那一句血缘!他们是血脉至亲!【片段三】“那便……依凤小姐所……”月汐国主犹豫片刻,叹息一声,挥挥手,道。“慢着!你们主宰的是我的婚事,有没有问过,我的意见!”未等月汐国主的话说完,玉落璇掷地有声的声音便响彻了整个楹雪殿,“我说,我不同意!”楹雪殿中间席位,一名红衣女子傲然起身,眼神直直的对上凤菡青的目光,语气中的狂妄丝毫不输于凤菡青。【本文为成长型女强,古风玄幻,不喜慎入~O(∩_∩)O~】★好友文文推荐★黑格格【唯宠】菲菲姐【斗魔唯尊】
  • 别回头

    别回头

    一栋封闭的旧图书馆里究竟有什么能让人莫名其妙的失踪?墙壁上的“死亡预言”又预言了什么,为何能让人自杀?古朴的青铜镜上的铭文究竟记载了什么,能引出匪痍所思的梦镜?
  • 薪酬设计与员工激励全案

    薪酬设计与员工激励全案

    薪酬是一把双刃剑,使用得当能够吸引、激励、留住人才,让员工发挥出最佳的潜能,卓有成效地提高企业的实力和竞争力,而使用不当则会给企业带来危机。建立全面、科学的薪酬管理系统,对于企业在培育核心竞争能力和竞争优势,获得可持续发展具有重要意义。本书结合中国企业战略执行的现状,深入浅出地讲解了薪酬设计的内涵、原则、内容、流程,穿插了大量的图示和表单,为薪酬管理实践者和研究者提供全新的思路、工具、模型、方案,突破薪酬设计的困境,设计公平、公正、科学、合理的薪酬机制,最终达到实现企业与员工之间双赢的目标。