第 12 节
作者:浮游云中      更新:2021-02-21 16:36      字数:9322
  mischief … although she never teased the owls any more; you may be sure
  of that … she took to tormenting the squirrels instead。 She used to find their
  stores of nuts and carry them away and fill the holes with pebbles; and this;
  43
  … Page 44…
  The Grey Brethren
  when   you   are   a   hard…working   squirrel   with   a   large   family  to   support;   is
  very trying to the temper。          Then she would tie acorns to their tails; and
  she   would   clap   her   hands   to   frighten   them;   and   pull   the   baby…squirrels'
  ears;   till   at   last   they   offered   a   reward   to   anyone   who   could   catch   Fairy
  Fluffikins and bring her to be punished。
  No   one   caught   Fairy   Fluffikins;   but   she   caught   herself;   as   you   shall
  hear。
  She    was    poking    about   round    a  haystack     one   night;   trying   to  find
  something naughty to do; when she came upon a sweet little house with
  pretty wire walls and a wooden door standing invitingly open。 In hopped
  Fluffikins; thinking she was going to have some new kind of fun。                       There
  was   a   little   white   thing   dangling   from   the   roof;   and   she   laid   hold   of   it。
  Immediately there was a bang; the wooden door slammed; and Fluffikins
  was caught。
  How she cried and stamped and pushed at the door; and promised to be
  a good fairy and a great many other things!                But all to no purpose:         the
  door was tight shut; and Fluffikins was not like some fortunate fairies who
  can get out of anywhere。
  There she remained; and in the morning one of the labourers found her;
  and; thinking she was some kind of dormouse; he carried her home to his
  little girl; and if you call on Mary Ann Smith you will see Fairy Fluffikins
  there still in a little cage。      They give her nuts and cheese and bread; and
  all the things she doesn't like; and there is no one to tease and no mischief
  to   get   into;   so   if   there   is   a   miserable   little   Fairy   anywhere   it   is   Fairy
  Fluffikins; and I'm not sure it doesn't serve her quite right。
  The Story of the Tinkle…Tinkle。
  ONCE   upon   a   time   there   lived   a   Tinkle…Tinkle。        I   cannot   tell   you
  what   he   was   like;   because   no   man   knows;   not   even   the   Tinkle…Tinkle
  himself。      Sometimes        he   lived   on   the   ground;    sometimes       in  a  tree;
  sometimes in the water; sometimes in a cave; and I can't tell you what he
  lived on; for no man knows; not even the Tinkle…Tinkle himself。
  44
  … Page 45…
  The Grey Brethren
  One day the Tinkle…Tinkle was going through a wood; when he heard a
  piteous   weeping。       He   stopped;   for   he   was   a   kindly   Tinkle…Tinkle;   and
  found   two   small   dormice   sobbing   under   a   tree   because   they   had   been
  cruelly deserted by their parents。           He wiped their eyes tenderly and took
  them  to   his   cave   home;   but   I   cannot   tell   you   how   he   went;   for   no   man
  knows; not even the Tinkle…Tinkle。              However; when he got there he put
  the   dormice   to   bed   in   his   grandmother's   boots;   for   which   he   had   never
  found any use before; and fed them on periwinkles and tea; and was very
  kind to them; and when they grew older he bought them caps and aprons;
  and they became the Tinkle… Tinkle's housemaid and parlourmaid。
  Now I must tell you that it was a great grief to the Tinkle…Tinkle not to
  know what he was; or how he lived; or where he was going to; and it often
  made      him   depressed;     but   he   always    concealed      it  from   the   dormice;
  appearing a most cheerful and contented creature。
  One day he found a poor green bird lying on the ground with its leg
  broken。      Fortunately       Tinkle…Tinkle      had   his   grandmother's       black   silk
  reticule with him which had never been of any service to him before。                      He
  gently placed the green bird in the bottom and carried it to the cave。
  The dormice laid the poor sufferer on a soft bed and put the broken leg
  up   carefully  in   plaster of   Paris;   and they  nursed   the green   bird   with   the
  greatest attention so that it was soon well enough to hop about on crutches;
  and it sang so beautifully that all the inhabitants round gave it money; and
  its fame spread abroad; but it was so tenderly attached to the Tinkle…Tinkle
  and the dormice that it would not leave them。
  Now   it    happened     on   a  certain   evening     that   the  Tinkle…Tinkle     was
  travelling over the sea; when suddenly in the depths he caught sight of a
  most   beautiful   Creature。      It   was   all   sorts   of   colours   …   white;   rosy   pink;
  and deep   crimson; and pale blue   fading into   white and gold。                 It had no
  face but a bright light; and it had quantities of beautiful iridescent wings;
  like   the   rainbow;    and   the   most    lovely   voice   you    ever   heard;   like  the
  sighing of the waves in the hollow of the sea。
  The   Tinkle…Tinkle   was   so   astonished   and   entranced   that   he   stopped;
  and   the   beautiful   Creature   cried   out   to   him;   and   its   voice   made   Tinkle…
  Tinkle remember a dream he had once had of sunshine; and forest trees;
  45
  … Page 46…
  The Grey Brethren
  and the song of birds; and the Creature said; 〃Ah; Tinkle…Tinkle! you are
  lonely and perplexed and sad; and you do not know whence you came nor
  why you are here; but the dormice know and the green bird knows; and I
  know; and we are glad for your being。 Go on; Tinkle…Tinkle; and do not
  sorrow; for some day you shall come back to me; and I will wrap you in
  my wings and take you where you belong; and then you will understand。〃
  When   the   Tinkle…Tinkle   heard   this   he   was   glad   with   a   new   strange
  gladness; and he went back to his cave; but not alone; for the spirit of hope
  went with him。
  The Tinkle…Tinkle had one gift … he could sing … how; no man knew;
  not even the Tinkle…Tinkle himself; and this is how he discovered his gift。
  One day in a secluded spot in the forest he found a dying stag; and the
  Tinkle…Tinkle was moved with great compassion and yet could do nothing。
  The great stag's head drooped lower and lower till even the sun melted
  in a mist of pity; and the trees sighed; and the breezes hushed their voices。
  Then   suddenly   the   Tinkle…Tinkle   crept   close   and   began   to   sing;   why   or
  how he knew not。         As he sang; the birds and the stream were silenced and
  the   breezes    ceased;    and   the  great   stag's  breathing    grew    less  and   less
  laboured; and his eyes brightened; and presently he rose slowly to his feet
  and   paced   away  to   join   the  rest   of  the   herd;  and the Tinkle…Tinkle   went
  with him。
  When the stag's companions heard the story; they wept for all that had
  befallen their leader; but rejoiced also and blessed the Tinkle…Tinkle; and
  he sang once more for them; and the Star…spirits leaned out of their bright
  little windows to listen; and the night was glad。
  Many   were   the   adventures   of   the   Tinkle…Tinkle;   and       countless   the
  creatures he cheered and helped; yet he never fancied himself any use or
  knew     why    he   was   in  the  world。    He    brought     home    a  poor   old   crab
  without   a   claw;   and   the   green   bird   and   the   dormice   found   a   hook   and
  screwed      it  in;  and   the  poor    old   crab   used   to  carry   parcels    for  the
  neighbours; but he still lived with the Tinkle…Tinkle。
  Another time it was a snail with a broken shell; for him they built a
  beautiful little house; and he made little rush brooms and sold them to the
  passers…by; but he lived ever after close to the Tinkle…Tinkle's front door。
  46
  … Page 47…
  The Grey Brethren
  So   it   went   on   till   all   the   Tinkle…Tinkle's   homes   were   full   of   strange
  occupants; and he began to feel very old and worn and weary。                         Then he
  remembered the promise of the beautiful Creature; and went slowly over
  the sea hoping the time had come for it to be fulfilled; and it had。                       The
  beautiful     Creature     stretched    out   its  lovely   rose   and   purple    wings    and
  wrapped   the   Tinkle…Tinkle   in   their   warm   soft   greatness;   and