the water-babies-第31部分

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s　he　was　buried　in　silt　up　to　his　ankles；　and　began　to　be　afraid　that　he　should　have　been　buried　alive。

And　perhaps　he　would　have　been；　but　that　while　he　was　thinking；　the　whole　piece　of　ground　on　which　he　stood　was　torn　off　and　blown　upwards；　and　away　flew　Tom　a　mile　up　through　the　sea；　wondering　what　was　coming　next。

At　last　he　stopped　…　thump！　and　found　himself　tight　in　the　legs　of　the　most　wonderful　bogy　which　he　had　ever　seen。

It　had　I　don't　know　how　many　wings；　as　big　as　the　sails　of　a　windmill；　and　spread　out　in　a　ring　like　them；　and　with　them　it　hovered　over　the　steam　which　rushed　up；　as　a　ball　hovers　over　the　top　of　a　fountain。　　And　for　every　wing　above　it　had　a　leg　below；　with　a　claw　like　a　comb　at　the　tip；　and　a　nostril　at　the　root；　and　in　the　middle　it　had　no　stomach　and　one　eye；　and　as　for　its　mouth；　that　was　all　on　one　side；　as　the　madreporiform　tubercle　in　a　star…　fish　is。　　Well；　it　was　a　very　strange　beast；　but　no　stranger　than　some　dozens　which　you　may　see。

〃What　do　you　want　here；〃　it　cried　quite　peevishly；　〃getting　in　my　way？〃　and　it　tried　to　drop　Tom：　　but　he　held　on　tight　to　its　claws；　thinking　himself　safer　where　he　was。

So　Tom　told　him　who　he　was；　and　what　his　errand　was。　　And　the　thing　winked　its　one　eye；　and　sneered：

〃I　am　too　old　to　be　taken　in　in　that　way。　　You　are　come　after　gold　…　I　know　you　are。〃

〃Gold！　　What　is　gold？〃　　And　really　Tom　did　not　know；　but　the　suspicious　old　bogy　would　not　believe　him。

But　after　a　while　Tom　began　to　understand　a　little。　　For；　as　the　vapours　came　up　out　of　the　hole；　the　bogy　smelt　them　with　his　nostrils；　and　combed　them　and　sorted　them　with　his　combs；　and　then；　when　they　steamed　up　through　them　against　his　wings；　they　were　changed　into　showers　and　streams　of　metal。　　From　one　wing　fell　gold…dust；　and　from　another　silver；　and　from　another　copper；　and　from　another　tin；　and　from　another　lead；　and　so　on；　and　sank　into　the　soft　mud；　into　veins　and　cracks；　and　hardened　there。　　Whereby　it　comes　to　pass　that　the　rocks　are　full　of　metal。

But；　all　of　a　sudden；　somebody　shut　off　the　steam　below；　and　the　hole　was　left　empty　in　an　instant：　　and　then　down　rushed　the　water　into　the　hole；　in　such　a　whirlpool　that　the　bogy　spun　round　and　round　as　fast　as　a　teetotum。　　But　that　was　all　in　his　day's　work；　like　a　fair　fall　with　the　hounds；　so　all　he　did　was　to　say　to　Tom　…

〃Now　is　your　time；　youngster；　to　get　down；　if　you　are　in　earnest；　which　I　don't　believe。〃

〃You'll　soon　see；〃　said　Tom；　and　away　he　went；　as　bold　as　Baron　Munchausen；　and　shot　down　the　rushing　cataract　like　a　salmon　at　Ballisodare。

And；　when　he　got　to　the　bottom；　he　swam　till　he　was　washed　on　shore　safe　upon　the　Other…end…of…Nowhere；　and　he　found　it；　to　his　surprise；　as　most　other　people　do；　much　more　like　This…End…of…　Somewhere　than　he　had　been　in　the　habit　of　expecting

And　first　he　went　through　Waste…paper…land；　where　all　the　stupid　books　lie　in　heaps；　up　hill　and　down　dale；　like　leaves　in　a　winter　wood；　and　there　he　saw　people　digging　and　grubbing　among　them；　to　make　worse　books　out　of　bad　ones；　and　thrashing　chaff　to　save　the　dust　of　it；　and　a　very　good　trade　they　drove　thereby；　especially　among　children。

Then　he　went　by　the　sea　of　slops；　to　the　mountain　of　messes；　and　the　territory　of　tuck；　where　the　ground　was　very　sticky；　for　it　was　all　made　of　bad　toffee　（not　Everton　toffee；　of　course）；　and　full　of　deep　cracks　and　holes　choked　with　wind…fallen　fruit；　and　green　goose…berries；　and　sloes；　and　crabs；　and　whinberries；　and　hips　and　haws；　and　all　the　nasty　things　which　little　children　will　eat；　if　they　can　get　them。　　But　the　fairies　hide　them　out　of　the　way　in　that　country　as　fast　as　they　can；　and　very　hard　work　they　have；　and　of　very　little　use　it　is。　　For　as　fast　as　they　hide　away　the　old　trash；　foolish　and　wicked　people　make　fresh　trash　full　of　lime　and　poisonous　paints；　and　actually　go　and　steal　receipts　out　of　old　Madame　Science's　big　book　to　invent　poisons　for　little　children；　and　sell　them　at　wakes　and　fairs　and　tuck…shops。　　Very　well。　　Let　them　go　on。　　Dr。　Letheby　and　Dr。　Hassall　cannot　catch　them；　though　they　are　setting　traps　for　them　all　day　long。　　But　the　Fairy　with　the　birch…rod　will　catch　them　all　in　time；　and　make　them　begin　at　one　corner　of　their　shops；　and　eat　their　way　out　at　the　other：　　by　which　time　they　will　have　got　such　stomach…aches　as　will　cure　them　of　poisoning　little　children。

Next　he　saw　all　the　little　people　in　the　world；　writing　all　the　little　books　in　the　world；　about　all　the　other　little　people　in　the　world；　probably　because　they　had　no　great　people　to　write　about：　and　if　the　names　of　the　books　were　not　Squeeky；　nor　the　Pump…　lighter；　nor　the　Narrow　Narrow　World；　nor　the　Hills　of　the　Chattermuch；　nor　the　Children's　Twaddeday；　why　then　they　were　something　else。　　And；　all　the　rest　of　the　little　people　in　the　world　read　the　books；　and　thought　themselves　each　as　good　as　the　President；　and　perhaps　they　were　right；　for　every　one　knows　his　own　business　best。　　But　Tom　thought　he　would　sooner　have　a　jolly　good　fairy　tale；　about　Jack　the　Giant…killer　or　Beauty　and　the　Beast；　which　taught　him　something　that　he　didn't　know　already。

And　next　he　came　to　the　centre　of　Creation　（the　hub；　they　call　it　there）；　which　lies　in　latitude　42。21　degrees　south；　and　longitude　108。56　degrees　east。

And　there　he　found　all　the　wise　people　instructing　mankind　in　the　science　of　spirit…rapping；　while　their　house　was　burning　over　their　heads：　　and　when　Tom　told　them　of　the　fire；　they　held　an　indignation　meeting　forthwith；　and　unanimously　determined　to　hang　Tom's　dog　for　coming　into　their　country　with　gunpowder　in　his　mouth。　　Tom　couldn't　help　saying　that　though　they　did　fancy　they　had　carried　all　the　wit　away　with　them　out　of　Lincolnshire　two　hundred　years　ago；　yet　if　they　had　had　one　such　Lincolnshire　nobleman　among　them　as　good　old　Lord　Yarborough；　he　would　have　called　for　the　fire…engines　before　he　hanged　other　people's　dogs。　But　it　was　of　no　use；　and　the　dog　was　hanged：　　and　Tom　couldn't　even　have　his　carcase；　for　they　had　abolished　the　have…his…carcase　act　in　that　country；　for　fear　lest　when　rogues　fell　out；　honest　men　should　come　by　their　own。　　And　so　they　would　have　succeeded　perfectly；　as　they　always　do；　only　that　（as　they　also　always　do）　they　failed　in　one　little　particular；　viz。　that　the　dog　would　not　die；　being　a　water…dog；　but　bit　their　fingers　so　abominably　that　they　were　forced　to　let　him　go；　and　Tom　likewise；　as　British　subjects。　　Whereon　they　recommenced　rapping　for　the　spirits　of　their　fathers；　and　very　much　astonished　the　poor　old　spirits　were　when　they　came；　and　saw　how；　according　to　the　laws　of　Mrs。　Bedonebyasyoudid；　their　descendants　had　weakened　their　constitution　by　hard　living。

Then　came　Tom　to　the　Island　of　Polupragmosyne　（which　some　call　Rogues'　Harbour；　but　they　are　wrong；　for　that　is　in　the　middle　of　Bramshill　Bushes；　and　the　county　police　have　cleared　it　out　long　ago）。　　There　every　one　knows　his　neighbour's　business　better　than　his　own；　and　a　very　noisy　place　it　is；　as　might　be　expected；　considering　that　all　the　inhabitants　are　EX　OFFICIO　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　house　in　the　〃Parliament　of　Man；　and　the　Federation　of　the　World；〃　and　are　always　making　wry　mouths；　and　crying　that　the　fairies'　grapes　were　sour。

There　Tom　saw　ploughs　drawing　horses；　nails　driving　hammers；　birds'　nests　taking　boys；　books　making　authors；　bulls　keeping　china…shops；　monkeys　shaving　cats；　dead　dogs　drilling　live　lions；　blind　brigadiers　shelfed　as　principals　of　colleges；　play…actors　not　in　the　least　shelfed　as　popular　preachers；　and；　in　short；　every　one　set　to　do　something　which　he　had　not　learnt；　because　in　what　he　had　learnt；　or　pretended　to　learn；　he　had　failed。

There　stands　the　Pantheon　of　the　Great　Unsuccessful；　from　the　builders　of　the　Tower　of　Babel　to　those　of　the　Trafalgar　Fountains；　in　which　politicians　lecture　on　the　constitutions　which　ought　to　have　marched；　conspirators　on　the　revolutions　which　ought　to　have　succeeded；　economists　on　the　schemes　which　ought　to　have　made　every　one's　fortune；　and　projectors　on　the　discoveries　which　ought　to　have　set　the　Thames　on　fire。　　There　cobblers　lecture　on　orthopedy　（whatsoever　that　may　be）　because　they　cannot　sell　their　shoes；　and　poets　on　AEsthetics　（whatsoever　that　may　be）　because　they　cannot　sell　their　poetry。　　There　philosophers　demonstrate　that　England　would　be　the　freest　and　richest　country　in　the　world；　if　she　would　only　turn　Papist　again；　penny…a…liners　abuse　the　Times；　because　they　have　not　wit　enough　to　get　on　its　staff；　and　young　ladies　walk　about　with　lockets　of　Charles　the　First's　hair　（or　of　somebody　else's；　when　the　Jews'　genuine　stock　is　used　up）；　inscribed　with　the　neat　and　appropriate　legend　…　which　indeed　is　popular　through　all　that　land；　and　which；　I　hope；　you　will　learn　to　translate　in　due　time　and　to　perpend　likewise：…


〃VICTRIX　CAUSA　DIIS　PLACUIT；　SED　VICTA　PUELLIS。〃


When　he　got　into　the　middle　of　the　town；　they　all　set　on　him　at　once；　to　show　him　his　way；　or　rather；　to　show　him　that　he　did　not　know　his　way；　for　as　for　asking　him　what　way　he　wanted　to　go；　no　one　ever　thought　of　that。

But　one　pulled　him　hither；　and　another　poked　him　thither；　and　a　third　cried　…

〃You　mustn't　go　west；　I　tell　you；　it　is　destruction　to　go　west。〃

〃But　I　am　not　going　west；　as　you　may　see；〃　said　Tom。

And　another；　〃The　east　lies　here；　my　dear；　I　assure　you　this　is　the　east。〃

〃But　I　don't　want　to　go　east；〃　said　Tom。

〃Well；　then；　at　all　events；　whichever　way　you　are　going；　you　are　going　wrong；〃　cried　they　all　with　one　voice　…　which　was　the　only　thing　which　they　ever　agreed　about；　and　all　pointed　at　once　to　all　the　thirty…and…two　points　of　the　compass；　till　Tom　thought　all　the　sign…posts　in　England　had　got　together；　and　fallen　fighting。

And　whether　he　would　have　ever　escaped　out　of　the　town；　it　is　hard　to　say；　if　the　dog　had　not　taken　it　into　his　head　that　they　were　going　to　pull　his　master　in　pieces；　and　tackled　them　so　sharply　about　the　gastrocnemius　muscle；　that　he　gave　them　some　business　of　their　own　to　think　of　at　last；　and　while　they　were　rubbing　their　bitten　calves；　Tom　and　the　dog　got　safe　away。

On　the　borders　of　that　island　he　found　Gotham；　where　the　wise　men　live；　the　same　who　dragged　the　pond