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."Got the crahmp in me ahnkle!" the thief groaned in reply."An' mefut's gone to sleep!" And he began to blubber aloud."Now, look here!" Bruno said in a commanding tone, getting infront of him."Oo've got to give up those apples!"The lad glanced at me, but didn't seem to reckon my interferenceas worth anything.Then he glanced at Sylvie: she clearly didn't countfor very much, either.Then he took courage."It'll take a betterman than any of yer to get 'em!" he retorted defiantly.Sylvie stooped and patted the invisible Nero."A little tighter!"she whispered.And a sharp yell from the ragged boy showed howPage 28 , Sylvie And Bruno Concluded - Lewis Carrollpromptly the Dog-King had taken the hint."What's the matter now?" I said."Is your ankle worse?""And it'll get worse, and worse, and worse," Bruno solemnlyassured him, "till oo gives up those apples!"Apparently the thief was convinced of this at last, and he sulkilybegan emptying his pockets of the apples.The children watched froma little distance, Bruno dancing with delight at every fresh yellextracted from Nero's terrified prisoner."That's all," the boy said at last."It isn't all!" cried Bruno."There's three more in that pocket!"Another hint from Sylvie to the Dog-King- another sharp yell fromthe thief, now convicted of lying also- and the remaining three appleswere surrendered."Let him go, please," Sylvie said in Doggee, and the lad limped awayat a great pace, stooping now and then to rub the ailing ankle infear, seemingly, that the "crahmp" might attack it again.Bruno ran back, with his booty, to the or chard wall, and pitched theapples over it one by one."I's welly afraid some of them's gone underthe wrong trees!" he panted, on overtaking us again."The wrong trees!" laughed Sylvie."Trees ca'n't do wrong! There'sno such things as wrong trees!""Then there's no such things as right trees, neither!" criedBruno.And Sylvie gave up the point."Wait a minute, please!" she said to me."I must make Nerovisible, you know!""No, please don't!" cried Bruno, who had by this time mounted on theRoyal back, and was twisting the Royal hair into a bridle."It'll besuch fun to have him like this!""Well, it does look funny," Sylvie admitted, and led the way tothe farm-house, where the farmer's wife stood, evidently muchperplexed at the weird procession now approaching her."It's summatgone wrong wi' my spectacles, I doubt!" she murmured, as she took themoff, and began diligently rubbing them with a corner of her apron.Meanwhile Sylvie had hastily pulled Bruno down from his steed, andhad just time to make His Majesty wholly visible before the spectacleswere resumed.All was natural, now; but the good woman still looked a littleuneasy about it."My eyesight's getting bad," she said, "but I see younow, my darlings! You'll give me a kiss, won't you?"Bruno got behind me, in a moment: however Sylvie put up her face, tobe kissed, as representative of both, and we all went in together.CHAPTER_VCHAPTER VMatilda Jane"COME to me, my little gentleman," said our hostess, lifting Brunointo her lap, "and tell me everything.""I ca'n't," said Bruno."There wouldn't be time.Besides, I don'tknow everything."Page 29 , Sylvie And Bruno Concluded - Lewis Carroll The good woman looked a little puzzled, and turned to Sylvie forhelp."Does he like riding?" she asked."Yes, I think so," Sylvie gently replied."He's just had a ride onNero.""Ah, Nero's a grand dog, isn't he? Were you ever outside a horse, mylittle man?""Always!" Bruno said with great decision."Never was inside one.Wasoo?"Here I thought it well to interpose, and to mention the businesson which we had come, and so relieved her, for a few minutes, fromBruno's perplexing questions."And those dear children will like a bit of cake, I'll warrant!"said the farmer's hospitable wife, when the business was concluded, asshe opened her cupboard, and brought out a cake."And don't youwaste the crust, little gentleman!" she added, as she handed a goodslice of it to Bruno."You know what the poetry-book says about wilfulwaste?""No, I don't," said Bruno."What doos he say about it?""Tell him, Bessie!" And the mother looked down, proudly andlovingly, on a rosy little maiden, who had just crept shyly into theroom, and was leaning against her knee."What's that yourpoetry-book says about wilful waste?""For wilful waste makes woeful want," Bessie recited, in an almostinaudible whisper: "and you may live to say 'How much I wish I had thecrust that then I threw away!'""Now try if you can say it, my dear! For wilful-""For wifful- sumfinoruvver-" Bruno began, readily enough; and thenthere came a dead pause."Ca'n't remember no more!""Well, what do you learn from it, then? You can tell us that, at anyrate?"Bruno ate a little more cake, and considered: but the moral didnot seem to him to be a very obvious one."Always to-" Sylvie prompted him in a whisper."Always to-" Bruno softly repeated: and then, with suddeninspiration, "always to look where it goes to!""Where what goes to, darling?""Why the crust, a course!" said Bruno."Then, if I lived to say 'Howmuch I wiss I had the crust-' (and all that), I'd know where I frew itto!"This new interpretation quite puzzled the good woman.She returnedto the subject of "Bessie"."Wouldn't you like to see Bessie's doll,my dears! Bessie, take the little lady and gentleman to see MatildaJane!"Bessie's shyness thawed away in a moment."Matilda Jane has justwoke up," she stated, confidentially, to Sylvie."Won't you help me onwith her frock? Them strings is such a bother to tie!""I can tie strings," we heard, in Sylvie's gentle voice, as thetwo little girls left the room together.Bruno ignored the wholeproceeding, and strolled to the window, quite with the air of aPage 30 , Sylvie And Bruno Concluded - Lewis Carrollfashionable gentleman.Little girls, and dolls, were not at all in hisline.And forthwith the fond mother proceeded to tell me (as what motheris not ready to do?) of all Bessie's virtues (and vices too, for thematter of that) and of the many fearful maladies which,notwithstanding those ruddy cheeks and that plump little figure, hadnearly, time and again, swept her from the face of the earth [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]