登陆注册
5259100000041

第41章 CHAPTER VI(2)

No. She leaves that for anxious parents and teachers (lazy ones, some call them), who, instead of giving children a fair trial, such as they would expect and demand for themselves, force them by fright to confess their own faults - which is so cruel and unfair that no judge on the bench dare do it to the wickedest thief or murderer, for the good British law forbids it - ay, and even punish them to make them confess, which is so detestable a crime that it is never committed now, save by Inquisitors, and Kings of Naples, and a few other wretched people of whom the world is weary. And then they say, "We have trained up the child in the way he should go, and when he grew up he has departed from it. Why then did Solomon say that he would not depart from it?" But perhaps the way of beating, and hurrying and frightening, and questioning, was not the way that the child should go; for it is not even the way in which a colt should go if you want to break it in and make it a quiet serviceable horse.

Some folks may say, "Ah! but the Fairy does not need to do that if she knows everything already." True. But, if she did not know, she would not surely behave worse than a British judge and jury; and no more should parents and teachers either.

So she just said nothing at all about the matter, not even when Tom came next day with the rest for sweet things. He was horribly afraid of coming: but he was still more afraid of staying away, lest any one should suspect him. He was dreadfully afraid, too, lest there should be no sweets - as was to be expected, he having eaten them all - and lest then the fairy should inquire who had taken them. But, behold! she pulled out just as many as ever, which astonished Tom, and frightened him still more.

And, when the fairy looked him full in the face, he shook from head to foot: however she gave him his share like the rest, and he thought within himself that she could not have found him out.

But, when he put the sweets into his mouth, he hated the taste of them; and they made him so sick that he had to get away as fast as he could; and terribly sick he was, and very cross and unhappy, all the week after.

Then, when next week came, he had his share again; and again the fairy looked him full in the face; but more sadly than she had ever looked. And he could not bear the sweets: but took them again in spite of himself.

And when Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby came, he wanted to be cuddled like the rest; but she said very seriously:

"I should like to cuddle you; but I cannot, you are so horny and prickly."

And Tom looked at himself: and he was all over prickles, just like a sea-egg.

Which was quite natural; for you must know and believe that people's souls make their bodies just as a snail makes its shell (I am not joking, my little man; I am in serious, solemn earnest).

And therefore, when Tom's soul grew all prickly with naughty tempers, his body could not help growing prickly, too, so that nobody would cuddle him, or play with him, or even like to look at him.

What could Tom do now but go away and hide in a corner and cry?

For nobody would play with him, and he knew full well why.

And he was so miserable all that week that when the ugly fairy came and looked at him once more full in the face, more seriously and sadly than ever, he could stand it no longer, and thrust the sweetmeats away, saying, "No, I don't want any: I can't bear them now," and then burst out crying, poor little man, and told Mrs.

Bedonebyasyoudid every word as it happened.

He was horribly frightened when he had done so; for he expected her to punish him very severely. But, instead, she only took him up and kissed him, which was not quite pleasant, for her chin was very bristly indeed; but he was so lonely-hearted, he thought that rough kissing was better than none.

"I will forgive you, little man," she said. "I always forgive every one the moment they tell me the truth of their own accord."

"Then you will take away all these nasty prickles?"

"That is a very different matter. You put them there yourself, and only you can take them away."

"But how can I do that?" asked Tom, crying afresh.

"Well, I think it is time for you to go to school; so I shall fetch you a schoolmistress, who will teach you how to get rid of your prickles." And so she went away.

Tom was frightened at the notion of a school-mistress; for he thought she would certainly come with a birch-rod or a cane; but he comforted himself, at last, that she might be something like the old woman in Vendale - which she was not in the least; for, when the fairy brought her, she was the most beautiful little girl that ever was seen, with long curls floating behind her like a golden cloud, and long robes floating all round her like a silver one.

"There he is," said the fairy; "and you must teach him to be good, whether you like or not."

"I know," said the little girl; but she did not seem quite to like, for she put her finger in her mouth, and looked at Tom under her brows; and Tom put his finger in his mouth, and looked at her under his brows, for he was horribly ashamed of himself.

The little girl seemed hardly to know how to begin; and perhaps she would never have begun at all if poor Tom had not burst out crying, and begged her to teach him to be good and help him to cure his prickles; and at that she grew so tender-hearted that she began teaching him as prettily as ever child was taught in the world.

And what did the little girl teach Tom? She taught him, first, what you have been taught ever since you said your first prayers at your mother's knees; but she taught him much more simply. For the lessons in that world, my child, have no such hard words in them as the lessons in this, and therefore the water-babies like them better than you like your lessons, and long to learn them more and more; and grown men cannot puzzle nor quarrel over their meaning, as they do here on land; for those lessons all rise clear and pure, like the Test out of Overton Pool, out of the everlasting ground of all life and truth.

同类推荐
  • 佛说弥勒成佛经

    佛说弥勒成佛经

    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。
  • We Two

    We Two

    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。
  • 唯识开蒙问答

    唯识开蒙问答

    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。
  • Incognita

    Incognita

    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。
  • 李氏家谱字派

    李氏家谱字派

    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
  • 观妓人入道二首

    观妓人入道二首

    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。
  • 借助游戏测智力(超级智商训练营)

    借助游戏测智力(超级智商训练营)

    本书精选了这些全球著名学校的经典智力测试游戏,里面既有暗含机关的巧思妙解,又有别出心裁的逻辑挑战。锻炼你的分析力、计算力、观察力、想象力,象形力、判断力、创新力、思辨力以及逻辑思维九种能力,发散思维。迎接挑战,你准备好了吗?赶快来接受挑战吧。
  • 我在进化

    我在进化

    外科医生杨立发现自家的衣柜后突然出现了一个陌生的世界。突如其来的死亡袭击让杨立对这个异世界产生了极大的兴趣,在探索之中,越来越多的诡异世界出现在了地球......群号:727197228
  • 末世之修神

    末世之修神

    莫晓澜不知道从什么时候开始,一直在做同一个噩梦,梦里全是吃人的怪物,曾经的高楼大厦全都变成了断壁残垣。上了大学之后真相渐渐浮出水面。各路女主男主,集天地大运者的天道宠儿逐渐出现在莫晓澜面前,但是……“嘿,你们真的看不到我吗?我很强的!”天道宠儿们斗的死去活来,莫晓澜只能在这残酷的末日中……吃吃瓜看看戏,升级打怪。等到终有一日一飞冲天,抱好了大腿的暗自窃喜,错过的人追悔莫及。“天道?看是谁在逗谁!”各种撒泼打滚求推荐。
  • 杰出楷模:和乡亲一起读周恩来

    杰出楷模:和乡亲一起读周恩来

    《杰出楷模——和乡亲一起读周恩来》作者秦九凤,作为周恩来纪念馆研究室主任,掌握大量详实而丰富的一手资料,并在多年的工作中采访了许多曾经在周总理身边工作过的老同志、老干部。作者条分缕析,创作了《杰出楷模——和乡亲一起读周恩来》。本书从四个部分:周恩来与故乡。周恩来也亲属、周恩来与生活小事、周恩来轶事等方面,介绍了周家庞大的家族,周恩来生活中的点滴小事,从小事中彰显出伟人的风范,一个伟大而平凡的总理形象跃然纸上。
  • 佛说七女经

    佛说七女经

    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。
  • 亦清短文集

    亦清短文集

    一篇文章一个感悟,即使它不是故事。一种思维一种变化,即使那样又如何。
  • 楼外谈红

    楼外谈红

    作为著名的小说家,李国文先生以独特的视角,将《红楼梦》中的人和事置于现实生活中,用现代人的视角进行解读,涉及政治体制、人情世故,甚至饮食文化、语言文化,内容广泛而有趣。对《红楼梦》的解读可谓鞭辟入里,独辟蹊径,读出了普通读者所没有看出来的内容,通过通俗幽默的语言,进行深刻的剖析,是一本有助于读者深入了解中国国民性、大众心理和多种文化常识的必读书。红楼是梦原非梦,李国文以作家犀利的视角,鞭辟入里,独辟蹊径,在现实世界里重新解读红楼梦,读出了新鲜的内容。
  • 海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛入围作品选(2)散文随笔

    海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛入围作品选(2)散文随笔

    本系列图书精选“海峡两岸网络原创文学大赛”入围作品,分类集结成书。本书为第2册,收录第一届大赛12篇散文作品,包括“生死之恋”、“怀念,属于我们青春的那些事儿”、“美好记忆话情长”、“永远在路上的客家人”、“井”、“老槐树”、“叫一声嬷嬷泪双流”、“盛大的月光”、“打不死的武侠”、“满怀虔诚游祖庭”、“我的名字叫‘留守’”“汪曾祺的故乡情结”等感怀抒情散文。
  • 三国矿业大王

    三国矿业大王

    从事矿业的青年工程师穿越到汉末三国成为袁术长子,什么都没带,就只带去满脑子的矿产地图。跟周瑜、鲁肃、刘晔称兄道弟,与曹操、袁绍、吕布勾心斗角。开矿、贸易、殖民、征服、带上美女去航海……玩的不仅仅是三国,玩的是整个世界。