登陆注册
15439800000009

第9章 CHAPTER III(1)

THE WILD WOOD

The Mole had long wanted to make the I acquaintance of the Badger. He seemed, by all accounts, to be such an important personage and, though rarely visible, to make his unseen influence felt by everybody about the place. But whenever the Mole mentioned his wish to the Water Rat he always found himself put off. `It's all right,' the Rat would say.

`Badger'll turn up some day or other--he's always turning up--and then I'll introduce you. The best of fellows! But you must not only take him AS you find him, but WHEN you find him.'

`Couldn't you ask him here dinner or something?' said the Mole.

`He wouldn't come,' replied the Rat simply. `Badger hates Society, and invitations, and dinner, and all that sort of thing.'

`Well, then, supposing we go and call on HIM?' suggested the Mole.

`O, I'm sure he wouldn't like that at ALL,' said the Rat, quite alarmed.

`He's so very shy, he'd be sure to be offended. I've never even ventured to call on him at his own home myself, though I know him so well. Besides, we can't. It's quite out of the question, because he lives in the very middle of the Wild Wood.'

`Well, supposing he does,' said the Mole. `You told me the Wild Wood was all right, you know.'

`O, I know, I know, so it is,' replied the Rat evasively. `But I think we won't go there just now. Not JUST yet. It's a long way, and he wouldn't be at home at this time of year anyhow, and he'll be coming along some day, if you'll wait quietly.'

The Mole had to be content with this. But the Badger never came along, and every day brought its amusements, and it was not till summer was long over, and cold and frost and miry ways kept them much indoors, and the swollen river raced past outside their windows with a speed that mocked at boating of any sort or kind, that he found his thoughts dwelling again with much persistence on the solitary grey Badger, who lived hisown life by himself, in his hole in the middle of the Wild Wood.

In the winter time the Rat slept a great deal, retiring early and rising late. During his short day he sometimes scribbled poetry or did other small domestic jobs about the house; and, of course, there were always animals dropping in for a chat, and consequently there was a good deal of story- telling and comparing notes on the past summer and all its doings.

Such a rich chapter it had been, when one came to look back on it all! With illustrations so numerous and so very highly coloured! The pageant of the river bank had marched steadily along, unfolding itself in scene- pictures that succeeded each other in stately procession. Purple loosestrife arrived early, shaking luxuriant tangled locks along the edge of the mirror whence its own face laughed back at it. Willow-herb, tender and wistful, like a pink sunset cloud, was not slow to follow. Comfrey, the purple hand-in-hand with the white, crept forth to take its place in the line; and at last one morning the diffident and delaying dog-rose stepped delicately on the stage, and one knew, as if string-music had announced it in stately chords that strayed into a gavotte, that June at last was here. One member of the company was still awaited; the shepherd-boy for the nymphs to woo, the knight for whom the ladies waited at the window, the prince that was to kiss the sleeping summer back to life and love. But when meadow- sweet, debonair and odorous in amber jerkin, moved graciously to his place in the group, then the play was ready to begin.

And what a play it had been! Drowsy animals, snug in their holes while wind and rain were battering at their doors, recalled still keen mornings, an hour before sunrise, when the white mist, as yet undispersed, clung closely along the surface of the water; then the shock of the early plunge, the scamper along the bank, and the radiant transformation of earth, air, and water, when suddenly the sun was with them again, and grey was gold and colour was born and sprang out of the earth once more. They recalled the languorous siesta of hot mid-day, deep in green undergrowth, the sun striking through in tiny golden shafts and spots; the boating and bathing of the afternoon, the rambles along dusty lanes and through yellow cornfields; and the long, cool evening at last, when so many threads were gathered up, so many friendships rounded, and so many adventuresplanned for the morrow. There was plenty to talk about on those short winter days when the animals found themselves round the fire; still, the Mole had a good deal of spare time on his hands, and so one afternoon, when the Rat in his arm-chair before the blaze was alternately dozing and trying over rhymes that wouldn't fit, he formed the resolution to go out by himself and explore the Wild Wood, and perhaps strike up an acquaintance with Mr. Badger.

It was a cold still afternoon with a hard steely sky overhead, when he slipped out of the warm parlour into the open air. The country lay bare and entirely leafless around him, and he thought that he had never seen so far and so intimately into the insides of things as on that winter day when Nature was deep in her annual slumber and seemed to have kicked the clothes off. Copses, dells, quarries and all hidden places, which had been mysterious mines for exploration in leafy summer, now exposed themselves and their secrets pathetically, and seemed to ask him to overlook their shabby poverty for a while, till they could riot in rich masquerade as before, and trick and entice him with the old deceptions. It was pitiful in a way, and yet cheering-- even exhilarating. He was glad that he liked the country undecorated, hard, and stripped of its finery. He had got down to the bare bones of it, and they were fine and strong and simple. He did not want the warm clover and the play of seeding grasses; the screens of quickset, the billowy drapery of beech and elm seemed best away; and with great cheerfulness of spirit he pushed on towards the Wild Wood, which lay before him low and threatening, like a black reef in some still southern sea.

同类推荐
  • 杜骗新书

    杜骗新书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 无言童子经

    无言童子经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 玉皇十七慈光灯仪

    玉皇十七慈光灯仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 樵语

    樵语

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 咏怀

    咏怀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 恶魔校草:扑倒傲娇小公主

    恶魔校草:扑倒傲娇小公主

    “楚安安!你是我老婆,你知道吗?””不知道!“做他的未婚妻真的不好过。——楚安安我会把你宠上天。——凌辰逸她不明不白的就成了他的未婚妻,虽然有钱有身份,但是好像身边的人都把她当公敌?他提出做她未婚夫,自然有钱有身份,但是情敌真的好多!
  • 琴医

    琴医

    友情与爱情的双重背叛.。强大的怨气与不甘让紫晨有了重生的机会。前世父母的死亡是阴谋还是意外?他到底有怎样的身份??她的修真之路是否正确/?“这一世我一定要守护好自己的家人”紫晨因守护旧家人和复仇走上了修真之旅!琴医双修。到底能否走到最后?
  • 仙道九章

    仙道九章

    起初,本没有世界,或者说世界是一片空虚混沌,渊面黑暗。后由于上古巨神盘古开天劈地,将自身化为日月山川,世界才由此形成。
  • 功成异世

    功成异世

    四位同学一起穿越到异世,可转眼就有两个同学惨死,一个变成了风烛残年的老人,到底发生了什么,仅剩下的王轶同学又该何去何从……
  • 琼华一俗人

    琼华一俗人

    一个仙剑同人。讲的是一个俗人在琼华派的故事。注意,主角是个俗人,所以求的是老婆孩子热炕头,工作吃喝不用愁。而不是什么三宫六院七十二妃,权倾天下命凡尘之类的。只不过某些东西,不是说你求了,就会给你的……希望能通过这篇文章获得曾经的感动。也希望不要出现什么全初全收之类的标签。最后,不承诺更新速度,催更自重。
  • 易烊千玺:你是我的全部

    易烊千玺:你是我的全部

    “我喜欢你!”某男正在深情的表白,可对方却说“你喜欢我?很遗憾的告诉你我不喜欢你!”某女故意气他!千玺一脸的沮丧。噗呲“我喜欢你!”晓雪终于答应了千玺!两人在一起真的不容易!欢迎大家收藏,送票票,写评论!!!!!
  • 玉支肌难部明沈德符抄本

    玉支肌难部明沈德符抄本

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 魔法灵摆

    魔法灵摆

    五百年前是神魔之战,魔法灵摆带来了失落国度的复兴,也带来了危机四伏的步步为营。五百年后,渐渐淡忘了天使与恶魔时,古老的预言被悄悄唤醒。随着预言的到来,神魔两界的权利之争在五百年后再次剑拔弩张。爱恨情仇,权力纷争,被卷在风口浪尖的她究竟该如何?
  • 百万富翁的七种好心态

    百万富翁的七种好心态

    本书共分七章,内容包括接受自己,简单生活——务实心态积极思考,乐观处事——阳光心态珍惜拥有,享受挫折——坚忍心态高明做事,糊涂做人——世俗心态积累满足,释放压力——自省心态等。
  • 新情爱论:男人与女人的爱情哲学

    新情爱论:男人与女人的爱情哲学

    本书结合大量世界文艺作品中的材料,从伦理学、社会学、心理学的角度出发,逐一剖析爱情问题的各个方面。同时就爱情与责任、爱情与道德、心灵与理智等问题作了详尽阐述。