CHAPTER II

 Today my little boy gave me my first lesson.

 

It was in the garden.

 

I was writing in the shade of the big chestnut-tree, close to where the brook¹ flows past. He was sitting a little way off, on the grass, in the sun, with Hans Christian² Andersen in his lap.

 

Of course, he does not know how to read, but he lets you read to him, likes to hear the same tales over and over again. The better he knows them, the better he is pleased. He follows the story page by page, knows exactly where everything comes and catches you up immediately should you skip a line.

 

There are two tales which he loves more than anything in the world.

 

These are Grimm's Faithful John and Andersen's The Little Mermaid³. When anyone comes whom he likes, he fetches the big Grimm, with those heaps of pictures, and asks for Faithful John. Then, if the reader stops, because it is so terribly sad, with all those little dead children, a bright smile lights up his small, long face and he says, reassuringly⁴ and pleased at "knowing better":

 

"Yes, but they come to life again."

 

Today, however, it is The Little Mermaid.

 

"Is that the sort of stories you write?" he asks.

 

"Yes," I say, "but I am afraid mine will not be so pretty."

 

"You must take pains," he says.

 

And I promise.

 

For a time he makes no sound. I go on writing and forget about him.

 

"Is there a little mermaid down there, in the water?" he asks.

 

"Yes, she swims up to the top in the summer."

 

He nods and looks out across the brook, which ripples⁵ so softly and smoothly⁶ that one can hardly see the water flow. On the opposite side, the rushes grow green and thick and there is also a bird, hidden in the rushes, which sings. The dragon-flies are whirling and humming. I am sitting with my head in my hand, absorbed in my work.

 

Suddenly, I hear a splash.

 

I jump from my chair, upset the table, dart⁷ forward and see that my little boy is gone. The brook is billowing and foaming⁸; there are wide circles on the surface.

 

In a moment, I am in the water and find him and catch hold of him.

 

He stands on the grass, dripping with wet, spluttering and coughing. His thin clothes are clinging to his thin body, his face is black with mud. But out of the mud gleams a pair of angry eyes:

 

"There was no mermaid," he says.

 

I do not at once know what to reply and I have no time to think.

 

"Do you write that sort of stories?" he asks.

 

"Yes," I say, shamefaced.

 

"I don't like any of you," he says. "You make fun of a little boy."

 

He turns his back on me and, proud and wet, goes indoors without once looking round.

 

This evening, Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen disappear in a mysterious manner, which is never explained. He will miss them greatly, at first; but he will never be fooled again, not if I were to give him the sun and moon in his hand.

1 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 mermaid   

n.美人鱼

参考例句：

• How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起，那个女孩会有多受欢迎！
• The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴，因为她等不及了。

4 reassuringly   

ad.安心，可靠

参考例句：

• He patted her knee reassuringly. 他轻拍她的膝盖让她放心。
• The doctor smiled reassuringly. 医生笑了笑，让人心里很踏实。

5 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

6 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

7 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

8 foaming   

adj.布满泡沫的；发泡

参考例句：

• He looked like a madman, foaming at the mouth. 他口吐白沫，看上去像个疯子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is foaming at the mouth about the committee's decision. 他正为委员会的决定大发其火。 来自《简明英汉词典》