Chapter 23 Magic.docx

Chapter 23 Magic.docx

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Chapter23Magic

Chapter23Magic

Dr.Cravenhadbeenwaitingsometimeatthehousewhentheyreturnedtoit.Hehadindeedbeguntowonderifitmightnotbewisetosendsomeoneouttoexplorethegardenpaths.WhenColinwasbroughtbacktohisroomthepoormanlookedhimoverseriously.

　　"Youshouldnothavestayedsolong,"hesaid."Youmustnotoverexertyourself.""Iamnottiredatall,"saidColin."Ithasmademewell.

　　TomorrowIamgoingoutinthemorningaswellasintheafternoon.""IamnotsurethatIcanallowit,"answeredDr.Craven.

　　"Iamafraiditwouldnotbewise.""Itwouldnotbewisetotrytostopme,"saidColinquiteseriously."Iamgoing."EvenMaryhadfoundoutthatoneofColin'schiefpeculiaritieswasthathedidnotknowintheleastwhatarudelittlebrutehewaswithhiswayoforderingpeopleabout.

　　Hehadlivedonasortofdesertislandallhislifeandashehadbeenthekingofithehadmadehisownmannersandhadhadnoonetocomparehimselfwith.

　　MaryhadindeedbeenratherlikehimherselfandsinceshehadbeenatMisselthwaitehadgraduallydiscoveredthatherownmannershadnotbeenofthekindwhichisusualorpopular.HavingmadethisdiscoveryshenaturallythoughtitofenoughinteresttocommunicatetoColin.

　　SoshesatandlookedathimcuriouslyforafewminutesafterDr.Cravenhadgone.Shewantedtomakehimaskherwhyshewasdoingitandofcourseshedid.

　　"Whatareyoulookingatmefor?

"hesaid.

　　"I'mthinkingthatIamrathersorryforDr.Craven.""SoamI,"saidColincalmly,butnotwithoutanairofsomesatisfaction."Hewon'tgetMisselthwaiteatallnowI'mnotgoingtodie.""I'msorryforhimbecauseofthat,ofcourse,"saidMary,"butIwasthinkingjustthenthatitmusthavebeenveryhorridtohavehadtobepolitefortenyearstoaboywhowasalwaysrude.Iwouldneverhavedoneit.""AmIrude?

"Colininquiredundisturbedly.

　　"Ifyouhadbeenhisownboyandhehadbeenaslappingsortofman,"saidMary,"hewouldhaveslappedyou.""Buthedaren't,"saidColin.

　　"No,hedaren't,"answeredMistressMary,thinkingthethingoutquitewithoutprejudice."Nobodyeverdaredtodoanythingyoudidn'tlike--becauseyouweregoingtodieandthingslikethat.Youweresuchapoorthing.""But,"announcedColinstubbornly,"Iamnotgoingtobeapoorthing.Iwon'tletpeoplethinkI'mone.

　　Istoodonmyfeetthisafternoon.""Itisalwayshavingyourownwaythathasmadeyousoqueer,"Marywenton,thinkingaloud.

　　Colinturnedhishead,frowning.

　　"AmIqueer?

"hedemanded.

　　"Yes,"answeredMary,"very.Butyouneedn'tbecross,"sheaddedimpartially,"becausesoamIqueer--andsoisBenWeatherstaff.ButIamnotasqueerasIwasbeforeIbegantolikepeopleandbeforeIfoundthegarden.""Idon'twanttobequeer,"saidColin."Iamnotgoingtobe,"andhefrownedagainwithdetermination.

　　Hewasaveryproudboy.HelaythinkingforawhileandthenMarysawhisbeautifulsmilebeginandgraduallychangehiswholeface.

　　"Ishallstopbeingqueer,"hesaid,"ifIgoeverydaytothegarden.ThereisMagicinthere--goodMagic,youknow,Mary.Iamsurethereis.""SoamI,"saidMary.

　　"Evenifitisn'trealMagic,"Colinsaid,"wecanpretenditis.Somethingisthere--something!

""It'sMagic,"saidMary,"butnotblack.It'saswhiteassnow."TheyalwayscalleditMagicandindeeditseemedlikeitinthemonthsthatfollowed--thewonderfulmonths--theradiantmonths--theamazingones.Oh!

thethingswhichhappenedinthatgarden!

Ifyouhaveneverhadagardenyoucannotunderstand,andifyouhavehadagardenyouwillknowthatitwouldtakeawholebooktodescribeallthatcametopassthere.Atfirstitseemedthatgreenthingswouldneverceasepushingtheirwaythroughtheearth,inthegrass,inthebeds,eveninthecrevicesofthewalls.Thenthegreenthingsbegantoshowbudsandthebudsbegantounfurlandshowcolor,everyshadeofblue,everyshadeofpurple,everytintandhueofcrimson.Initshappydaysflowershadbeentuckedawayintoeveryinchandholeandcorner.

　　BenWeatherstaffhadseenitdoneandhadhimselfscrapedoutmortarfrombetweenthebricksofthewallandmadepocketsofearthforlovelyclingingthingstogrowon.

　　Irisandwhiteliliesroseoutofthegrassinsheaves,andthegreenalcovesfilledthemselveswithamazingarmiesoftheblueandwhiteflowerlancesoftalldelphiniumsorcolumbinesorcampanulas.

　　"Shewasmainfondo'them--shewas,"BenWeatherstaffsaid.

　　"Shelikedthemthingsaswasalluspointin'uptoth'

　　bluesky,sheusedtotell.Notasshewasoneo'

　　themaslookeddownonth'earth--nother.Shejustloveditbutshesaidasth'blueskyalluslookedsojoyful."TheseedsDickonandMaryhadplantedgrewasiffairieshadtendedthem.Satinypoppiesofalltintsdancedinthebreezebythescore,gailydefyingflowerswhichhadlivedinthegardenforyearsandwhichitmightbeconfessedseemedrathertowonderhowsuchnewpeoplehadgotthere.

　　Andtheroses--theroses!

Risingoutofthegrass,tangledroundthesun-dial,wreathingthetreetrunksandhangingfromtheirbranches,climbingupthewallsandspreadingoverthemwithlonggarlandsfallingincascades--theycamealivedaybyday,hourbyhour.

　　Fairfreshleaves,andbuds--andbuds--tinyatfirstbutswellingandworkingMagicuntiltheyburstanduncurledintocupsofscentdelicatelyspillingthemselvesovertheirbrimsandfillingthegardenair.

　　Colinsawitall,watchingeachchangeasittookplace.

　　Everymorninghewasbroughtoutandeveryhourofeachdaywhenitdidn'trainhespentinthegarden.Evengraydayspleasedhim.Hewouldlieonthegrass"watchingthingsgrowing,"hesaid.Ifyouwatchedlongenough,hedeclared,youcouldseebudsunsheaththemselves.

　　Alsoyoucouldmaketheacquaintanceofstrangebusyinsectthingsrunningaboutonvariousunknownbutevidentlyseriouserrands,sometimescarryingtinyscrapsofstraworfeatherorfood,orclimbingbladesofgrassasiftheyweretreesfromwhosetopsonecouldlookouttoexplorethecountry.Amolethrowingupitsmoundattheendofitsburrowandmakingitswayoutatlastwiththelong-nailedpawswhichlookedsolikeelfishhands,hadabsorbedhimonewholemorning.Ants'ways,beetles'ways,bees'

　　ways,frogs'ways,birds'ways,plants'ways,gavehimanewworldtoexploreandwhenDickonrevealedthemallandaddedfoxes'ways,otters'ways,ferrets'ways,squirrels'ways,andtrout'andwater-rats'andbadgers'

　　ways,therewasnoendtothethingstotalkaboutandthinkover.

　　AndthiswasnotthehalfoftheMagic.ThefactthathehadreallyoncestoodonhisfeethadsetColinthinkingtremendouslyandwhenMarytoldhimofthespellshehadworkedhewasexcitedandapprovedofitgreatly.

　　Hetalkedofitconstantly.

　　"OfcoursetheremustbelotsofMagicintheworld,"hesaidwiselyoneday,"butpeopledon'tknowwhatitislikeorhowtomakeit.Perhapsthebeginningisjusttosaynicethingsaregoingtohappenuntilyoumakethemhappen.

　　Iamgoingtotryandexperiment"ThenextmorningwhentheywenttothesecretgardenhesentatonceforBenWeatherstaff.BencameasquicklyashecouldandfoundtheRajahstandingonhisfeetunderatreeandlookingverygrandbutalsoverybeautifullysmiling.

　　"Goodmorning,BenWeatherstaff,"hesaid."IwantyouandDickonandMissMarytostandinarowandlistentomebecauseIamgoingtotellyousomethingveryimportant.""Aye,aye,sir!

"answeredBenWeatherstaff,touchinghisforehead.（OneofthelongconcealedcharmsofBenWeatherstaffwasthatinhisboyhoodhehadoncerunawaytoseaandhadmadevoyages.Sohecouldreplylikeasailor.）"Iamgoingtotryascientificexperiment,"explainedtheRajah.

　　"WhenIgrowupIamgoingtomakegreatscientificdiscoveriesandIamgoingtobeginnowwiththisexperiment""Aye,aye,sir!

"saidBenWeatherstaffpromptly,thoughthiswasthefirsttimehehadheardofgreatscientificdiscoveries.

　　ItwasthefirsttimeMaryhadheardofthem,either,butevenatthisstageshehadbeguntorealizethat,queerashewas,Colinhadreadaboutagreatmanysingularthingsandwassomehowaveryconvincingsortofboy.

　　Whenhehelduphisheadandfixedhisstrangeeyesonyouitseemedasifyoubelievedhimalmostinspiteofyourselfthoughhewasonlytenyearsold--goingoneleven.

　　Atthismomenthewasespeciallyconvincingbecausehesuddenlyfeltthefascinationofactuallymakingasortofspeechlikeagrown-upperson.

　　"ThegreatscientificdiscoveriesIamgoingtomake,"hewenton,"willbeaboutMagic.Magicisagreatthingandscarcelyanyoneknowsanythingaboutitexceptafewpeopleinoldbooks--andMaryalittle,becauseshewasborninIndiawheretherearefakirs.IbelieveDickonknowssomeMagic,butperhapshedoesn'tknowheknowsit.

　　Hecharmsanimalsandpeople.Iwouldneverhavelethimcometoseemeifhehadnotbeenananimalcharmer--whichisaboycharmer,too,becauseaboyisananimal.

　　IamsurethereisMagicineverything,onlywehavenotsenseenoughtogetholdofitandmakeitdothingsforus--likeelectricityandhorsesandsteam."ThissoundedsoimposingthatBenWeatherstaffbecamequiteexcitedandreallycouldnotkeepstill."Aye,aye,sir,"hesaidandhebegantostandupquitestraight.

　　"WhenMaryfoundthisgardenitlookedquitedead,"theoratorproceeded."Thensomethingbeganpushingthingsupoutofthesoilandmakingthingsoutofnothing.

　　Onedaythingsweren'tthereandanothertheywere.

　　Ihadneverwatchedthingsbeforeanditmademefeelverycurious.ScientificpeoplearealwayscuriousandIamgoingtobescientific.Ikeepsayingtomyself,`Whatisit?

Whatisit?

'It'ssomething.Itcan'tbenothing!

Idon'tknowitsnam