In a fairy pet.—Child Nature.
For a moment or two Hildegarde stared down at the little man without speaking. Then her face lighted up again, and she replied—
'I am very sorry, sir, that I can't tell you, for I have no watch and I don't know.'
'All right,' he said, 'you don't know, and you don't pretend you do. And I don't want to know. Here in our country,' and he waved his hand in a lordly fashion, 'we have nothing to do with clocks and watches, and time and hours, and all such fiddle-faddle. We leave that to the poor folk who can't settle things for themselves, but have to be ruled by the sun and the moon, and the stars too,[Pg 82] for all I know. Some people up there, where you come from, fancy we make the cuckoo-clocks down here, but that's all nonsense—we wouldn't waste our time over such rubbish.'
'I thought you said——' began Leonore impulsively5. She was getting over her alarm a little by now—'I thought you said you didn't trouble about time,' she was going to have added, but a touch from Hildegarde came, luckily, quickly enough to stop her, and to remind her of the fairy's warning.
The gnome did not seem to have heard her; he was unfastening the gates. When he had got them ajar, he stood right in the middle, his head cocked on one side and his feet well apart, and surveyed the children coolly.
'And who sent you?' he said at last.
'The fairy of the spinning-wheel,' Hildegarde replied.
'Humph—I thought as much,' he remarked. 'And what for, if you please?'
'To pay you and your wonderful country a visit, if you will kindly6 allow us to do so,' Hildegarde answered.
'That means that I am to——' he cleared his throat and hesitated for a moment, then went on[Pg 83] again, 'to tire myself out doing showman; I suppose?' he said rather grumpily.
'I hope not to tire yourself out, sir,' Hildegarde returned in her politest tone. 'We shall give you as little trouble as possible, but we are of course very anxious to see all you will kindly show us.'
'All right,' the gnome replied. 'Enter, children of the upper world, and be welcome,' and he flung open the gates with a flourish, while Hildegarde and Leonore passed through.
It had seemed to them as they stood waiting that within the entrance was much the same as outside, but no sooner had they stepped across the boundary, the doors clanging behind them as they did so, than they found everything quite different. They were no longer in a rather narrow passage, but on a broad road, bordered on each side by magnificent rocks which stretched up so high that they could not see their summit or the roof. The ground was covered with very fine gravel7 or white silvery sand, firm and pleasant to walk upon, and which glistened8 like pale pink tinsel in the light. For everywhere was flooded with the soft red or rosy9 brilliance10 they had noticed before they entered, though whence it came they could not see.
[Pg 84]
'Why is the light so red?' asked Leonore, gaining some courage again, though since her last attempt she had not dared to speak. 'We noticed it outside, and we thought perhaps it came from big fires—furnaces you know, or forges—like what blacksmiths have.'
The gnome was walking a little in front—at this he turned round.
'And why should we have "big fires," or furnaces, or whatever you call the clumsy things?' he said, fixing his small bright eyes, which gleamed redly themselves, on Leonore.
'Oh,' said Leonore, dreadfully afraid that he thought her rude, 'because—because—everybody says you make things like—like blacksmiths do—with iron and metal stuffs like that.'
'Indeed,' said the gnome, 'and what then? Do you think we denizens11 of the under-world are as stupid as your clumsy workmen up above? Wait a bit; you shall soon see for yourselves.'
'You mustn't think Leonore meant to be rude,' said Hildegarde. 'You see we are only children, and we don't understand about wonderfully clever things.'
'Humph,' said the gnome, but he seemed pleased.
[Pg 85]
They had walked some little way by now, and once or twice their guide had stopped at what looked like a narrow passage between the rocks, as if uncertain if he should turn down it or not. Just then they came to another of these passages, and he looked back at the children.
'Follow me,' he said, 'and you shall see how we work. I am going to show you the manufacturing of the lucky pennies and horse-shoes.'
'What are lucky pennies?' whispered Leonore to Hildegarde. 'I think I have heard of them, but I'm not sure.'
'Never mind,' Hildegarde replied in the same tone. 'The gnomes12 won't be vexed13 with us for not knowing things if we are polite and admire their cleverness, and I am sure they are very clever.'
Then they followed their guide in silence, which soon, however, came to be broken by the sound of tapping, light sharp tapping, and in another moment or two, there was added to this a whizzing sound, and now and then short clear whistles. But the little girls asked no questions and made no remarks, till suddenly, the passage along which they were walking coming to an end, they found themselves in a[Pg 86] very large rock-chamber14—the sides of which towered up so high that their tops could not be seen, though everywhere the same clear rose-coloured light penetrated15.
The air was fresh and pleasant, though not cold. The gnomes evidently possessed16 the secret of warming their habitation as well as lighting17 it! And now were explained the several sounds the children had heard as they approached the 'manufactory' as their guide had called it.
For the great room—one would have called it a cave perhaps, except that no cave ever was so lofty—was filled with a crowd of busy workers. Gnomes of course, some smaller, some a little bigger than the one who was guiding the children, but all as like each other as a lot of Chinese seem to us—and all apparently18 of the same age. A few were standing19, but most were sitting, and in front of each was a small rock-table, on which lay tools of glistening20 silver. There were tiny hammers which explained the tapping, and little wheels revolving21 so rapidly that when in motion they could not be seen. And every now and then a gnome lifted a kind of tube or pipe to his mouth, through which he blew with a whistling sound, on to the piece of metal he was working at. None of them spoke22; they all seemed absorbed in what they were doing.
The guide-gnome signed to the children to come close up to one little earth-man and watch what he was doing.
He was beating a round piece of copper23 with his fairy-like hammer, and[Pg 87] blowing upon it between times through his whistling tube.
'There now,' said the first gnome, speaking at last. 'Is not that better than your scorching24 furnaces? That tube is a heat-tube—every time he blows through it, it melts, or at least softens25 the metal, without any fuss or trouble.'
'Really!' exclaimed Hildegarde, 'what a good plan! I wish we had heat-tubes to warm our fingers with in winter.'
'Better not wish for anything of the kind,' replied their guide. 'You up-above people are a long way from such things yet. You'd only burn your fingers off.'
'Thank you,' said Hildegarde respectfully. 'I daresay we should. But will you kindly explain about lucky pennies. Is that one he is making?'
'Yes,' replied the gnome. 'You good, near-sighted people,' and he jerked his thumb upwards26, 'don't[Pg 88] see the difference. You don't know when you get hold of a lucky penny or not—but a great many are sent up to your world, all the same, and that is why some folk seem to succeed with you and some not. Partly the reason, that is to say, for the holders27 of lucky pennies must be honest, otherwise our coins do them more harm than good.'
'How wonderful!' said Leonore. 'But if you make such a great many, where do you send the others to? All our pennies are not lucky pennies.'
The gnome screwed up his eyes and looked at her.
'That's all I am at liberty to tell you,' he said. 'There are other worlds besides yours that we know about though you don't,' and Leonore saw that she was not to question him further.
'Perhaps,' she thought to herself, 'there are people in the moon after all, and some of the lucky pennies go there.'
The gnome seemed pleased by her respectful manner. He said something in a low voice to the little man they had been watching, who thereupon handed him two bright copper pieces.
'Here,' he said, 'here is a souvenir for each of you—a real lucky penny. Never part with them[Pg 89] except in direst need, which with them in your possession is not likely ever to befall you.'
The children were very pleased, and thanked him most politely.
'And now,' he said, 'as we pass on, you may glance at the other side of the manufactory, where we are employed on horse-shoes,' and he crossed between the rows of little men, each at his table, to where several were seated together at a larger one.
Hildegarde gave an exclamation28 of disappointment.
'What are they doing?' she cried. 'Mending old horse-shoes? What ugly things!'
'You foolish child,' said the gnome. 'How little you appreciate our skill! Of course the work they are doing is much more difficult than making pretty things. They are copying old horse-shoes after the clumsy earth fashion. Who would use a new one for luck, I should like to know, and how little do you people up there think when you pick up an old cast-off horse-shoe, as you think, what it really is, and where it has come from.'
Hildegarde felt rather snubbed. It was the first time she had forgotten the fairy's warning.
[Pg 90]
'How very clever!' she said.
'Yes, indeed,' Leonore agreed. 'I shall always pick up horse-shoes when I see them now. And if you please, Mr. Gnome——'
But her sentence was never finished, for just as she had got so far, their guide suddenly clapped his hands. There came a rush of cold air in the children's faces, so sharply, that without knowing it, they both shut their eyes. And when they opened them again, the big chamber and the busy workers had disappeared—they found themselves—still in the under-world, but in quite a different part of it.
Here the light was no longer red, but a pale pretty green—a green which did not make things or people look pale and sickly, but only cast a soft radiance, such as one sees in the woods in the early spring. And to add to this impression there was a faint sound of running or trickling29 water near at hand.
Hildegarde and Leonore rubbed their eyes and looked at each other; they almost felt as if they were dreaming.
'Where have we got to?' said Leonore; but as she looked about her a little she saw that they were[Pg 91] still surrounded by the high rocks which seemed to be the walls and boundaries of the under-world.
'And how did we get here?' added Hildegarde laughing. 'It felt as if we were blown here.'
'And so you were,' said a voice beside them, and turning, they caught sight of their old friend the gnome again. 'There was no object in tiring you with walking all through our domains—what brought you was one of our little inventions—the simplest in the world—for those who understand such things,' he added with condescension30.
'And if you please where are we, and what are you going to show us now?' they inquired.
'You are at the entrance to our gardens, where I am going to show you our flower designs. You have doubtless never been told how many of your upper-world plants and flowers owe their existence to us.'
'Really!' exclaimed Hildegarde; and then, as a sudden thought struck her, 'oh, I wonder,' she cried, 'if those very, very queer flowers that we see in hot-houses and sometimes in gardens too—what do they call them—or—or—? I wonder if they are invented by your gardeners.'
The gnome smiled condescendingly.
'You mean orchids,' he said. 'Ah well, you will[Pg 92] soon see for yourselves. And now,' he went on, 'I must bid you farewell, for the present at any rate, though who knows but that some day you may again visit the under-world. You will meet with no difficulties now. On leaving the gardens you may, if you like, pass through toy-land, and there you will see some of our children. That, I think, must be the limit of your sight-seeing—any more would be too much for you to take in. I have the honour to bid you adieu.'
He took off his cap with a flourish, bowing like a master of ceremonies.
'Goodbye, sir, and thank you very much,' said the little girls, but as they said the words, lo and behold31 the gnome had disappeared!
'That must be another of their inventions,' said Hildegarde, at which they both laughed.
All the same, in their hearts they were not quite sure if they were glad or sorry to be left to themselves, though neither liked to say so to the other.
They gazed about them. Behind were the rock passages they had grown accustomed to, but looking longer and dimmer, perhaps in contrast with the pale green light which had something more natural and more like the upper world about it.
[Pg 93]
And just in front of them was a curious sort of palisade—or paling—with openings at regular intervals32, though too narrow to see anything through, unless one placed one's eyes quite close. And this it was not worth while to do, for another glance showed them a door in the paling, and a bell, of the same pattern as the one at the first entrance, only in silver instead of in bronze or copper.
Hildegarde rung it. The door opened almost at once, but no one was to be seen. So they walked in.
The change of scene was complete. It was a garden, but a very queer one. Instead of lawns of grass, there were wide spaces covered with fine glittering sand of different shades of green; the paths between were brown, and stooping closer to examine them the children found that they consisted of very small round pebbles33, something like toffee drops, so smooth and yet elastic34 that they did not hurt the feet at all. But the flower-beds were the oddest of all. They were filled with plants and flowers of the strangest shapes and colours you can—or rather 'cannot'—imagine. And when Leonore put out her hand to touch one, she started in surprise; they were made of fine metal.
So far, they had seen no one, but just as they were[Pg 94] beginning to wonder which way they should go, and if they were to meet no more of the inhabitants of gnomeland, they saw toddling35 towards them the very queerest little figure they had ever seen out of a picture-book! It was that of a very very old gnome—'the great-grandfather of all the gnomes surely,' whispered Hildegarde to Leonore. And it was with difficulty they restrained their laughter.
Nor was it easier to do so when the little man came closer to them. He was so very comical-looking. But mindful of the fairy's advice, both children kept perfectly36 grave and greeted the newcomer with a low courtesy.
'Well,' was all he said, and then stood wrinkling up his face, though you would have thought he could not screw it any higher than it was, and blinking up at them with his funny little eyes. Somehow they did not feel much in awe37 of him after all.
'Well?' he said again, this time in a more questioning tone of voice.
'If you please,' Hildegarde replied. 'May we walk through your—garden?' She could not help hesitating a little at the last word, for somehow the more she looked at the queer place they were in, the[Pg 95] less like a garden it seemed. 'We won't pick any of the flowers.'
'You couldn't if you tried,' said the old gnome.
'Why not?' asked Hildegarde. 'I don't see any gardeners about.'
'They are all at their supper,' he replied.
'Supper,' replied Hildegarde. 'How early they must have it.'
'We don't know anything about late and early,' he said. 'But young things like them need plenty of food. Why, I don't believe the eldest38 of them is more than three hundred years old, counting the way you do up in your country.'
It was all the children could do not to call out in astonishment39; they did not do so, however, fearing it might sound rude.
'Do you count gardening easy work, then, if you put such young gnomes to do it?' Leonore inquired.
The gnome nodded—a sort of nod that took in things in general——
'This kind of gardening—yes,' he replied. 'It's only dusting the plants, and straightening the stems if they are bent40, and raking the beds and paths. Designing's a different thing—that takes experience.[Pg 96] But you can stroll through if you like, and see for yourselves,' and with another nod, he toddled41 off again.
'How old must he be,' exclaimed Leonore in an awe-struck tone, 'if he counts hundreds of years nothing! I wonder what he meant by saying we could not pick flowers if we tried.'
Hildegarde walked on to where a border of strange blossoms, brilliant in colour and most grotesque42 in shape, stood in perfect motionlessness. She touched two or three of them gently before she spoke. Then——
'Leonore,' cried she, 'they're not flowers. They're made of metal.'
Leonore sprang forward.
'Oh that's what he meant by saying they needed "dusting" and "straightening,"' she exclaimed. 'Oh, Hildegarde, how queer everything is down here—don't you think we had better go home?'
'Not till we have seen a little more,' said Hildegarde. 'There's nothing to be afraid of. My fairy wouldn't have let us come if there could be anything to hurt us.'
'No—not exactly that,' said Leonore, 'but it's all so queer.'
[Pg 97]
'Come along quickly then,' Hildegarde replied. 'I don't care for this garden, if there's nothing really alive and growing in it. But I daresay we will soon get to somewhere else.'
And so, before very long, they did. They passed quantities of flower-beds and rows, so dazzling in colour and extraordinary in shape that they felt as if they were looking through some fantastic kaleidoscope.
Suddenly a rushing noise made them glance round in the direction whence it came. It was soon explained—a crowd of gnomes were racing43 towards them; on they came, running, jumping, chattering44, and shouting at the top of their voices.
'It's the gardeners,' said Leonore. 'Oh, Hildegarde, I am rather frightened—they might play tricks on us. Do let us get out of their way,' and Hildegarde, to confess the truth, was not unwilling45 to do so.
'Let us run down here,' she said, turning as she spoke, for they were just then passing a side row of high plants which could hide them from view of the approaching crowd.
No sooner said than done. They set off running at full speed, scarcely glancing where they were[Pg 98] going, the noise behind them lessening46 as they ran, till it ceased altogether; and breathless, but glad to have escaped the bevy47 of gnomes, they at last stood still.
'Now,' said Hildegarde, 'let's look about and see where we've got to.'
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收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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2
sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
gnome
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| n.土地神；侏儒，地精 | |
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4
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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5
impulsively
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| adv.冲动地 | |
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6
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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7
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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8
glistened
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| v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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9
rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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10
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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11
denizens
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| n.居民，住户( denizen的名词复数 ) | |
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12
gnomes
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| n.矮子( gnome的名词复数 )；侏儒；（尤指金融市场上搞投机的）银行家；守护神 | |
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13
vexed
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| adj.争论不休的；（指问题等）棘手的；争论不休的问题；烦恼的v.使烦恼( vex的过去式和过去分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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14
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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16
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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17
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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18
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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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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20
glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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21
revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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22
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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23
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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24
scorching
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| adj. 灼热的 | |
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25
softens
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| （使）变软( soften的第三人称单数 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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26
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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27
holders
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| 支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物 | |
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28
exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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29
trickling
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| n.油画底色含油太多而成泡沫状突起v.滴( trickle的现在分词 )；淌；使)慢慢走；缓慢移动 | |
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30
condescension
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| n.自以为高人一等，贬低(别人) | |
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31
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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32
intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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33
pebbles
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| [复数]鹅卵石； 沙砾； 卵石，小圆石( pebble的名词复数 ) | |
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34
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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35
toddling
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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36
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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37
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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38
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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39
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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40
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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41
toddled
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的过去式和过去分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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42
grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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43
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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44
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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45
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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46
lessening
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| 减轻，减少，变小 | |
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47
bevy
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| n.一群 | |
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