Nearer and nearer, quicker and quicker they seemed to come, those eager, running, scampering5, flying feet. And presently Kitty saw the children. Hosts of children; any number of children, leaping, rushing headlong toward where Love was standing6.
Out of the fog they came; out of falsehood’s net, torn cobwebs hanging about their necks, their hair, clinging to their clothes; tired children, bleeding and footsore, from Disobedience 158Maze; selfish children, white and hoary7 with icicles; cruel children, with tear-stained faces anxiously turned toward Love; passionate8 children, bruised9 and disfigured; greedy children, heavy-eyed and sallow; the vain children, with open-eyed gaze fixed10 upon the white lady; lazy children, in their unmended rags; it was quite astonishing to see how fast their stumpy legs could carry them. From all parts they came, nearer and nearer, quicker and quicker. Still they came, calling, crying, sobbing11, entreating12, “Give us the kiss of forgiveness.” They pressed toward Love, closer and closer; little 159arms outstretched, little faces upturned, little mouths pursed up for a kiss, and on all sides that sobbing cry, “Give us the kiss of forgiveness.”
And Love stretched out her arms and gathered the children into them, and kissed them one by one. As she kissed them the cobwebs fell from those who had escaped from falsehood’s net; the wounded feet of the disobedient were healed; the icicles melted and dropped away from the selfish children, who seemed dissolved into a rain of tears; the passionate children lost their disfigurement; the greedy children grew rosy13; the vain children cried out with glee as, looking around, their own faces no longer popped out to greet them; the rags of the slovenly14, idle children were mended; their legs and hands grew supple15.
It was a wonderful sight to see the children after they received Love’s kiss. Their eyes shone; they danced for joy; their hair seemed to stand out in a crest16 of light about their heads. Kitty fancied some bright presence must be hovering17 above them.
160Then Love folded Kitty in her arms and kissed her on the forehead.
That kiss was the strangest, sweetest kiss Kitty ever received.
It was sweeter than any comfit; it was pleasanter than any music to which her feet had danced; it brought a feeling of peace like that that came to her when her mother kissed her in the dark night; but this kiss also brought to her a sense of pain.
Something like fire touched Kitty’s heart, and stirred a memory that had lain asleep all this time. She had forgotten something. What was it? Vaguely18 she remembered the blue rose, the bullfinch, then suddenly her mother and Johnnie.
She had forgotten Johnnie. Johnnie, who was ill unto death, whose illness had come through her fault. She remembered it all now: how she had crept downstairs, and then she thought of the doctor’s words: “Christmas Eve would decide if he were to live or die.”
Why had she gone away from him? Would 161she ever get back in time for Christmas Day? Would Johnnie be alive or dead when she reached home? As she stood there, asking herself these questions with a yearning19 homesick feeling overflowing20 her heart, Kitty felt something brushing tears from her cheek. She looked up. A tiny child, with little pink 162wings, was hovering about her. He was clothed in a tunic21 made of a bit of rainbow, and his face was the face of Johnnie. He had rosier22 cheeks, and he did not carry a crutch23, for his little legs were straight.
“Who are you?” asked Kitty.
The rosy-winged child laughed, and the laugh was Johnnie’s laugh. Kitty heard Love’s voice speaking.
“I have given you each a guardian24 child. It was born of my kiss. But another companion also goes with you.”
Over every child Kitty now saw that there hovered25 a tiny figure on rosy wings, clothed in rainbow drapery. She saw with surprise also that every child had another attendant crouching26 on its left shoulder, a small elfish figure, which every now and then appeared to her to be half-animal, half-child, and in a strange fashion to take the form of an animal that bore some likeness27 to the child itself.
“You do not know,” Love went on, “and it is no wonder you should not, for you are all so young, that you have each a higher and a lower 163nature. To-night is Christmas Eve: good and evil sprites are abroad, fairies and elves. Strange sights are seen. To-night the lower nature—the naughty self—of each of you here has taken the shape of a little goblin, and goes about with you in visible form.”
Kitty looked fearfully round to her own left shoulder, and there, sure enough, was a little kitten-like creature with pointed28 ears and roguish eyes. It sat up with a defiant29 air as it peeped round at her with a sidelong glance. It appeared quite playful, but as Kitty looked at it the brown creature lost its kittenish air, and it was a face like her own, but quite small, that she saw looking back at her with her naughtiest expression.
Kitty started; then she heard Love’s voice still speaking:
“You are going on a journey. You are all going home!”
“Home! home!” cried Kitty, and all the children skipped with joy.
“Your guardian child goes with you; but remember that other attendant,” Love said, and 164her voice was anxious. “Take care! It will always be on the side of temptation and against your guardian child. If you mind this sprite, which is your naughty self, it will grow stronger and stronger, and will drive away your guardian child.”
“We will not mind it,” cried all the children in a chorus.
“Your homeward journey will be difficult,” resumed Love. “It lies through a wood.”
“A wood!” echoed Kitty and all the children in tones of dismay. “How shall we find our way?”
“A star will guide you,” said Love.
She raised her fair hand, and Kitty and the children looked whither she pointed. A star shone through the mist. It was as bright as a diamond.
“Keep your eyes upon the star,” said Love. “Never lose sight of it, and you will reach home by Christmas morning. It will guide you aright through the perils30 of the wood. It is a difficult wood to go through; and it is easy when you are in it to fall back into Punishment Land.”
165“Punishment Land!” moaned the children.
“You will all start together, yet when you reach the wood you will find yourselves alone. Each must go through that wood alone.”
“Oh!” sighed the children again, all huddling31 a little closer to each other.
“There is no danger,” said Love, “if you keep your eyes on the star. Your guardian child will help you through the difficulties of your journey. Listen to what he says to you. He is my little ambassador. Do not listen to your naughty self. Do not dally32 on the way. Do not put off. If you quit the path, at first it may be easy to find it again, but it will grow more and more difficult, till it may be become impossible.” Then Love grew very solemn, and she lifted her hand in warning. “Do not play with the sprite. If you play with it you will hurt your guardian child, who may then leave you. Do not,” she repeated urgently, “play with the self-sprite.”
“We will not, we will not,” cried the children eagerly.
“No, indeed,” said Kitty, giving a little shove 166to her left shoulder. “I shall listen only to my guardian child. Dear guardian child, with the face like Johnnie.”
“If you disobey your guardian child it will grow faint, and remember you may kill it. Come,” she went on, “I shall go with you as far as the boundary of Punishment Land.” Love walked on toward the wall of mist, where shone the star. The children followed.
It was a strange sight to see those children following her, with eyes fixed on the star, and on the right shoulder of each little pilgrim the tiny rosy-winged, rainbow-dressed figure; and on the left the queer little half-animal creature. And as they approached the prison wall of that dreary33 land the star began to quiver and move. It looked like a bird of fire with quivering wings setting forth34 on its trackless sky-way.
“We come! we come!” cried the children. Run, run—what a hurly-burly of little feet rushing out of Punishment Land, setting forth on their journey home.
They turned and waved their little hands to Love. “Farewell! farewell!” she cried, waving 167her fair hand in answer. “Watch the star; obey your guardian child. Do not play with your naughty sprite, and you will reach home safe by Christmas morning, and win a Christmas blessing35.” She smiled wistfully as she spoke36.
The fog closed over Love’s figure, and Kitty suddenly found herself standing at the entrance of a great wood. She was alone. The children had all disappeared. And still through the fog floated Love’s voice—“Watch the star. Obey your guardian child. Do not play with your naughty sprite.”
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收听单词发音
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1
hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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2
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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3
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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shuffling
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| adj. 慢慢移动的, 滑移的 动词shuffle的现在分词形式 | |
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5
scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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6
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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7
hoary
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| adj.古老的；鬓发斑白的 | |
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8
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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11
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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12
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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13
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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14
slovenly
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| adj.懒散的，不整齐的，邋遢的 | |
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15
supple
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| adj.柔软的，易弯的，逢迎的，顺从的，灵活的；vt.使柔软，使柔顺，使顺从；vi.变柔软，变柔顺 | |
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16
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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17
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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18
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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19
yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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20
overflowing
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| n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式 | |
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21
tunic
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| n.束腰外衣 | |
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22
rosier
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| Rosieresite | |
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23
crutch
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| n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱 | |
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24
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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25
hovered
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| 鸟( hover的过去式和过去分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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26
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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27
likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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28
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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29
defiant
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| adj.无礼的，挑战的 | |
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30
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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31
huddling
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| n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事 | |
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32
dally
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| v.荒废(时日)，调情 | |
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33
dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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34
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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35
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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36
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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