the water-babies-第7章

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〃Twenty　pounds　or　none；　I　will　go　down　over　Lewthwaite　Crag；　if　it's　only　for　the　poor　boy's　sake。　　For　he　was　as　civil　a　spoken　little　chap　as　ever　climbed　a　flue。〃

So　down　over　Lewthwaite　Crag　he　went：　　a　very　smart　groom　he　was　at　the　top；　and　a　very　shabby　one　at　the　bottom；　for　he　tore　his　gaiters；　and　he　tore　his　breeches；　and　he　tore　his　jacket；　and　he　burst　his　braces；　and　he　burst　his　boots；　and　he　lost　his　hat；　and　what　was　worst　of　all；　he　lost　his　shirt　pin；　which　he　prized　very　much；　for　it　was　gold；　and　he　had　won　it　in　a　raffle　at　Malton；　and　there　was　a　figure　at　the　top　of　it；　of　t'ould　mare；　noble　old　Beeswing　herself；　as　natural　as　life；　so　it　was　a　really　severe　loss：　　but　he　never　saw　anything　of　Tom。

And　all　the　while　Sir　John　and　the　rest　were　riding　round；　full　three　miles　to　the　right；　and　back　again；　to　get　into　Vendale；　and　to　the　foot　of　the　crag。

When　they　came　to　the　old　dame's　school；　all　the　children　came　out　to　see。　　And　the　old　dame　came　out　too；　and　when　she　saw　Sir　John；　she　curtsied　very　low；　for　she　was　a　tenant　of　his。

〃Well；　dame；　and　how　are　you？〃　said　Sir　John。

〃Blessings　on　you　as　broad　as　your　back；　Harthover；〃　says　she　…　she　didn't　call　him　Sir　John；　but　only　Harthover；　for　that　is　the　fashion　in　the　North　country　…　〃and　welcome　into　Vendale：　　but　you're　no　hunting　the　fox　this　time　of　the　year？〃

〃I　am　hunting；　and　strange　game　too；〃　said　he。

〃Blessings　on　your　heart；　and　what　makes　you　look　so　sad　the　morn？〃

〃I'm　looking　for　a　lost　child；　a　chimney…sweep；　that　is　run　away。〃

〃Oh；　Harthover；　Harthover；〃　says　she；　〃ye　were　always　a　just　man　and　a　merciful；　and　ye'll　no　harm　the　poor　little　lad　if　I　give　you　tidings　of　him？〃

〃Not　I；　not　I；　dame。　　I'm　afraid　we　hunted　him　out　of　the　house　all　on　a　miserable　mistake；　and　the　hound　has　brought　him　to　the　top　of　Lewthwaite　Crag；　and　…　〃

Whereat　the　old　dame　broke　out　crying；　without　letting　him　finish　his　story。

〃So　he　told　me　the　truth　after　all；　poor　little　dear！　　Ah；　first　thoughts　are　best；　and　a　body's　heart'll　guide　them　right；　if　they　will　but　hearken　to　it。〃　　And　then　she　told　Sir　John　all。

〃Bring　the　dog　here；　and　lay　him　on；〃　said　Sir　John；　without　another　word；　and　he　set　his　teeth　very　hard。

And　the　dog　opened　at　once；　and　went　away　at　the　back　of　the　cottage；　over　the　road；　and　over　the　meadow；　and　through　a　bit　of　alder　copse；　and　there；　upon　an　alder　stump；　they　saw　Tom's　clothes　lying。　　And　then　they　knew　as　much　about　it　all　as　there　was　any　need　to　know。

And　Tom？

Ah；　now　comes　the　most　wonderful　part　of　this　wonderful　story。　Tom；　when　he　woke；　for　of　course　he　woke　…　children　always　wake　after　they　have　slept　exactly　as　long　as　is　good　for　them　…　found　himself　swimming　about　in　the　stream；　being　about　four　inches；　or　…　that　I　may　be　accurate　…　3。87902　inches　long　and　having　round　the　parotid　region　of　his　fauces　a　set　of　external　gills　（I　hope　you　understand　all　the　big　words）　just　like　those　of　a　sucking　eft；　which　he　mistook　for　a　lace　frill；　till　he　pulled　at　them；　found　he　hurt　himself；　and　made　up　his　mind　that　they　were　part　of　himself；　and　best　left　alone。

In　fact；　the　fairies　had　turned　him　into　a　water…baby。

A　water…baby？　　You　never　heard　of　a　water…baby。　　Perhaps　not。　　That　is　the　very　reason　why　this　story　was　written。　　There　are　a　great　many　things　in　the　world　which　you　never　heard　of；　and　a　great　many　more　which　nobody　ever　heard　of；　and　a　great　many　things；　too；　which　nobody　will　ever　hear　of；　at　least　until　the　coming　of　the　Cocqcigrues；　when　man　shall　be　the　measure　of　all　things。

〃But　there　are　no　such　things　as　water…babies。〃

How　do　you　know　that？　　Have　you　been　there　to　see？　　And　if　you　had　been　there　to　see；　and　had　seen　none；　that　would　not　prove　that　there　were　none。　　If　Mr。　Garth　does　not　find　a　fox　in　Eversley　Wood　…　as　folks　sometimes　fear　he　never　will　…　that　does　not　prove　that　there　are　no　such　things　as　foxes。　　And　as　is　Eversley　Wood　to　all　the　woods　in　England；　so　are　the　waters　we　know　to　all　the　waters　in　the　world。　　And　no　one　has　a　right　to　say　that　no　water…babies　exist；　till　they　have　seen　no　water…babies　existing；　which　is　quite　a　different　thing；　mind；　from　not　seeing　water…babies；　and　a　thing　which　nobody　ever　did；　or　perhaps　ever　will　do。

〃But　surely　if　there　were　water…babies；　somebody　would　have　caught　one　at　least？〃

Well。　　How　do　you　know　that　somebody　has　not？

〃But　they　would　have　put　it　into　spirits；　or　into　the　ILLUSTRATED　NEWS；　or　perhaps　cut　it　into　two　halves；　poor　dear　little　thing；　and　sent　one　to　Professor　Owen；　and　one　to　Professor　Huxley；　to　see　what　they　would　each　say　about　it。〃

Ah；　my　dear　little　man！　that　does　not　follow　at　all；　as　you　will　see　before　the　end　of　the　story。

〃But　a　water…baby　is　contrary　to　nature。〃

Well；　but；　my　dear　little　man；　you　must　learn　to　talk　about　such　things；　when　you　grow　older；　in　a　very　different　way　from　that。　You　must　not　talk　about　〃ain't〃　and　〃can't〃　when　you　speak　of　this　great　wonderful　world　round　you；　of　which　the　wisest　man　knows　only　the　very　smallest　corner；　and　is；　as　the　great　Sir　Isaac　Newton　said；　only　a　child　picking　up　pebbles　on　the　shore　of　a　boundless　ocean。

You　must　not　say　that　this　cannot　be；　or　that　that　is　contrary　to　nature。　　You　do　not　know　what　Nature　is；　or　what　she　can　do；　and　nobody　knows；　not　even　Sir　Roderick　Murchison；　or　Professor　Owen；　or　Professor　Sedgwick；　or　Professor　Huxley；　or　Mr。　Darwin；　or　Professor　Faraday；　or　Mr。　Grove；　or　any　other　of　the　great　men　whom　good　boys　are　taught　to　respect。　　They　are　very　wise　men；　and　you　must　listen　respectfully　to　all　they　say：　　but　even　if　they　should　say；　which　I　am　sure　they　never　would；　〃That　cannot　exist。　　That　is　contrary　to　nature；〃　you　must　wait　a　little；　and　see；　for　perhaps　even　they　may　be　wrong。　　It　is　only　children　who　read　Aunt　Agitate's　Arguments；　or　Cousin　Cramchild's　Conversations；　or　lads　who　go　to　popular　lectures；　and　see　a　man　pointing　at　a　few　big　ugly　pictures　on　the　wall；　or　making　nasty　smells　with　bottles　and　squirts；　for　an　hour　or　two；　and　calling　that　anatomy　or　chemistry　…　who　talk　about　〃cannot　exist；〃　and　〃contrary　to　nature。〃　　Wise　men　are　afraid　to　say　that　there　is　anything　contrary　to　nature；　except　what　is　contrary　to　mathematical　truth；　for　two　and　two　cannot　make　five；　and　two　straight　lines　cannot　join　twice；　and　a　part　cannot　be　as　great　as　the　whole；　and　so　on　（at　least；　so　it　seems　at　present）：　　but　the　wiser　men　are；　the　less　they　talk　about　〃cannot。〃　　That　is　a　very　rash；　dangerous　word；　that　〃cannot〃；　and　if　people　use　it　too　often；　the　Queen　of　all　the　Fairies；　who　makes　the　clouds　thunder　and　the　fleas　bite；　and　takes　just　as　much　trouble　about　one　as　about　the　other；　is　apt　to　astonish　them　suddenly　by　showing　them；　that　though　they　say　she　cannot；　yet　she　can；　and　what　is　more；　will；　whether　they　approve　or　not。

And　therefore　it　is；　that　there　are　dozens　and　hundreds　of　things　in　the　world　which　we　should　certainly　have　said　were　contrary　to　nature；　if　we　did　not　see　them　going　on　under　our　eyes　all　day　long。　　If　people　had　never　seen　little　seeds　grow　into　great　plants　and　trees；　of　quite　different　shape　from　themselves；　and　these　trees　again　produce　fresh　seeds；　to　grow　into　fresh　trees；　they　would　have　said；　〃The　thing　cannot　be；　it　is　contrary　to　nature。〃　And　they　would　have　been　quite　as　right　in　saying　so；　as　in　saying　that　most　other　things　cannot　be。

Or　suppose　again；　that　you　had　come；　like　M。　Du　Chaillu；　a　traveller　from　unknown　parts；　and　that　no　human　being　had　ever　seen　or　heard　of　an　elephant。　　And　suppose　that　you　described　him　to　people；　and　said；　〃This　is　the　shape；　and　plan；　and　anatomy　of　the　beast；　and　of　his　feet；　and　of　his　trunk；　and　of　his　grinders；　and　of　his　tusks；　though　they　are　not　tusks　at　all；　but　two　fore　teeth　run　mad；　and　this　is　the　section　of　his　skull；　more　like　a　mushroom　than　a　reasonable　skull　of　a　reasonable　or　unreasonable　beast；　and　so　forth；　and　so　forth；　and　though　the　beast　（which　I　assure　you　I　have　seen　and　shot）　is　first　cousin　to　the　little　hairy　coney　of　Scripture；　second　cousin　to　a　pig；　and　（I　suspect）　thirteenth　or　fourteenth　cousin　to　a　rabbit；　yet　he　is　the　wisest　of　all　beasts；　and　can　do　everything　save　read；　write；　and　cast　accounts。〃　　People　would　surely　have　said；　〃Nonsense；　your　elephant　is　contrary　to　nature；〃　and　have　thought　you　were　telling　stories　…　as　the　French　thought　of　Le　Vaillant　when　he　came　back　to　Paris　and　said　that　he　had　shot　a　giraffe；　and　as　the　king　of　the　Cannibal　Islands　thought　of　the　English　sailor；　when　he　said　that　in　his　country　water　turned　to　marble；　and　rain　fell　as　feathers。　　They　would　tell　you；　the　more　they　knew　of　science；　〃Your　elephant　is　an　impossible　monster；　contrary　to　the　laws　of　comparative　anatomy；　as　far　as　yet　known。〃　　To　which　you　would　answer　the　less；　the　more　you　thought。

Did　not　learned　men；　too；　hold；　till　within　the　last　twenty…five　years；　that　a　flying　dragon　was　an　impossible　monster？　　And　do　we　not　now　know　that　there　are　hundreds　of　them　found　fossil　up　and　down　the　world？　　People　call　them　Pterodactyles：　　but　that　is　only　because　they　are　ashamed　to　call　them　flying　dragons；　after　denying　so　long　that　flying　dragons　could　exist。

The　truth　is；　that　folks'　fancy　that　such　and　such　things　cannot　be；　simply　because　they　have　not　seen　them；　is　worth　no　more　than　a　savage's　fancy　that　there　cannot　be　such　a　thing　as　a　locomotive；　because　he　never　saw　one　running　wild　in　the　forest。　　Wise　men　know　that　their　business　is　to　examine　what　is；　and　not　to　settle　what　is　not。　　They　know　that　there　are　elephants；　they　know　that　there　have　been　flying　dragons；　and　the　wiser　they　are；　the　less　inclined　they　will　be　to　say　positively　that　there　are　no　water…babies。

No　water…babies；　indeed？　　Why；　wise　men　of　old　said　that　everything　on　earth　had　its　double　in　the　water；　and　you　may　see　that　that　is；　if　not　quite　true；　still　quite　as　true　as　most　other　theories　which　you　are　likely　to　hear　for　many　a　day。　　There　are　land…babies　…　then　why　not　water…babies？　　ARE　THERE　NOT　WATER…RATS；　WATER…FLIES；　WATER…CRICKETS；　WATER…CRABS；　WATER…TORTOISES；　WATER…SCORPIONS；　WATER…TIGERS　AND　WATER…HOGS；　WATER…CATS　AND　WATER…DOGS；　SEA…LIONS　AND　SEA…BEARS；　SEA…HORSES　AND　SEA…ELEPHANTS；　SEA…MICE　AND　SEA…　URCHINS；　SEA…RAZORS　AND　SEA…PENS；　SEA…COMBS　AND　SEA…FANS；　AND　OF　PLANTS；　ARE　THERE　NOT　WATER…GRASS；　AND　WATER…CROWFOOT；　WATER…　MILFOIL；　AND　SO　ON；　WITHOUT　END？

〃But　all　these　things　are　only　nicknames；　the　water　things　are　not　really　akin　to　the　land　things。〃

That's　not　always　true。　　They　are；　in　millions　of　cases；　not　only　of　the　same　family；　but　actually　the　same　individual　creatures。　　Do　not　even　you　know　that　a　green　drake；　and　an　alder…fly；　and　a　dragon…fly；　live　under　water　till　they　change　their　skins；　just　as　Tom　changed　his？　　And　if　a　water　animal　can　continually　change　into　a　land　animal；　why　should　not　a　land　animal　sometimes　change　into　a　water　animal？　　Don't　be　put　down　by　any　of　Cousin　Cramchild's　arguments；　but　stand　up　to　him　like　a　man；　and　answer　him　（quite　respectfully；　of　course）　thus：…

If　Cousin　Cramchild　says；　that　if　there　are　water…babies；　they　must　grow　into　water…men；　ask　him　how　he　knows　that　they　do　not？　and　then；