English
“Theyshookedhands,”saidBruno,whowastrottingatmyside,inanswertotheunspokenquestion.
“Andtheylookedeversopleased!”Sylvieaddedfromtheotherside.
“Well,wemustgeton,now,asquickaswecan,”Isaid.“IfonlyIknewthebestwaytoHunter’sfarm!”
“They’llbesuretoknowinthiscottage,”saidSylvie.
“Yes,Isupposetheywill.Bruno,wouldyouruninandask?”
Sylviestoppedhim,laughingly,asheranoff.“Waitaminute,”shesaid.“Imustmakeyouvisiblefirst,youknow.”
“Andaudibletoo,Isuppose?”Isaid,asshetookthejewel,thathungroundherneck,andwaveditoverhishead,andtouchedhiseyesandlipswithit.
“Yes,”saidSylvie:“andonce,doyouknow,Imadehimaudible,andforgottomakehimvisible!
Andhewenttobuysomesweetiesinashop.Andthemanwassofrightened!
Avoiceseemedtocomeoutoftheair,‘Please,Iwanttwoouncesofbarley-sugardrops!’
Andashillingcamebangdownuponthecounter!Andthemansaid‘Ica’n’tseeyou!’
AndBrunosaid‘Itdoosn’tsinnifyseeingme,solongasoocanseetheshilling!’
Butthemansaidheneversoldbarley-sugardropstopeoplehecouldn’tsee.Sowehadto—Now,Bruno,you’reready!”Andawayhetrotted.
Sylviespentthetime,whilewewerewaitingforhim,inmakingherselfvisiblealso.
“It’sratherawkward,youknow,”sheexplainedtome,“whenwemeetpeople,andtheycanseeoneofus,andca’n’tseetheother!”
InaminuteortwoBrunoreturned,lookingratherdisconsolate.
“He’dgotfriendswithhim,andhewerecross!”hesaid.“HeaskedmewhoIwere.
AndIsaid‘I’mBruno:whoisthesepeoples?’
Andhesaid‘One’smyhalf-brother,and“‘other’smyhalf-sister:andIdon’twantnomorecompany!Goalongwithyer!’
AndIsaid‘Ica’n’tgoalongwizoutmineself!’
AndIsaid‘Ooshouldn’thavebitsofpeopleslyingaboutlikethat!It’swellyuntidy!’Andhesaid‘Oh,don’ttalktome!’Andhepushtedmeoutside!Andheshuttedthedoor!”
“AndyouneveraskedwhereHunter’sfarmwas?”queriedSylvie.
“Hadn’troomforanyquestions,”saidBruno.“Theroomweresocrowded.”
“Threepeoplecouldn’tcrowdaroom,”saidSylvie.
“Theydid,though,”Brunopersisted.“Hecrowdeditmost.He’ssuchawellythickman—soasoocouldn’tknockhimdown.”
IfailedtoseethedriftofBruno’sargument.“Surelyanybodycouldbeknockeddown,”Isaid:“thickorthinwouldn’tmatter.”
“Oocouldn’tknockhimdown,”saidBruno.“He’smorewidethanhe’shigh:so,whenhe’slyingdownhe’smorehigherthanwhenhe’sstanding:soa-courseoocouldn’tknockhimdown!”
“Here’sanothercottage,”Isaid:“I’llasktheway,thistime.”
Therewasnoneedtogoin,thistime,asthewomanwasstandinginthedoorway,withababyinherarmstalkingtoarespectablydressedman—afarmer,asIguessed—whoseemedtobeonhiswaytothetown.
“—andwhenthere’sdrinktobehad,”hewassaying,“he’sjusttheworsto’thelot,isyourWillie.Sotheytellme.Hegetsfairlymadwi’it!”
“I’dhavegiven‘emthelietotheirfaces,atwelve-monthback!”thewomansaidinabrokenvoice.“Buta’cannanoo!A’cannanoo!”
Shecheckedherselfoncatchingsightofus,andhastilyretreatedintothehouseshuttingthedoorafterher.
“PerhapsyoucantellmewhereHunter’sfarmis?”Isaidtotheman,asheturnedawayfromthehouse.
“Icanthat,Sir!”herepliedwithasmile.
“I’mJohnHunterhissel,atyourservice.
It’snobbuthalfamilefurther—theonlyhouseinsight,whenyougetroundbendo’theroadyonder.
You’llfindmygoodwomanwithin,ifsobeyou’vebusinesswi’her.OrmebbeI’lldoaswell?”
“Thanks,”Isaid.“Iwanttoordersomemilk.PerhapsIhadbetterarrangeitwithyourwife?”
“Aye,”saidtheman.“Shemindsallthat.Gooddayt’ye,Master—andtoyourbonniechilder,aswell!”Andhetrudgedon.
“Heshouldhavesaid‘child’,not‘childer’,”saidBruno.“Sylvie’snotachilder!”
“Hemeantbothofus,”saidSylvie.
“No,hedidn’t!”Brunopersisted.“‘causehesaid‘bonnie’,ooknow!”
“Well,atanyratehelookedatusboth,”Sylviemaintained.
“Well,thenhemusthaveseenwe’renotbothbonnie!”Brunoretorted.“A-courseI’mmuchuglierthanoo!Didn’themeanSylvie,MisterSir?”heshoutedoverhisshoulder,asheranoff.
Buttherewasnouseinreplying,ashehadalreadyvanishedroundthebendoftheroad.
Whenweovertookhimhewasclimbingagate,andwasgazingearnestlyintothefield,whereahorse,acow,andakidwerebrowsingamicablytogether.
“Foritsfather,aHorse,”hemurmuredtohimself.“Foritsmother,aCow.
Fortheirdearlittlechild,alittleGoat,isthemostcuriousestthingIeverseeninmyworld!”
“Bruno’sWorld!”Ipondered.“Yes,Isupposeeverychildhasaworldofhisown—andeveryman,too,forthematterofthat.Iwonderifthat’sthecauseforallthemisunderstandingthereisinLife?”
“ThatmustbeHunter’sfarm!”saidSylvie,pointingtoahouseonthebrowofthehill,leduptobyacart-road.
“There’snootherfarminsight,thisway;andyousaidwemustbenearlytherebythistime.”
Ihadthoughtit,whileBrunowasclimbingthegate,butIcouldn’trememberhavingsaidit.However,Sylviewasevidentlyintheright.“Getdown,Bruno,”Isaid,“andopenthegateforus.”
“It’sagoodthingwe’swithoo,isn’tit,MisterSir?”saidBruno,asweenteredthefield.
“Thatbigdogmighthavebitedoo,ifoo’dbeenalone!Ooneedn’tbefrightenedofit!”
hewhispered,clingingtighttomyhandtoencourageme.“Itaren’tfierce!”
“Fierce!”Sylviescornfullyechoed,asthedog—amagnificentNewfoundland—thathadcomegallopingdownthefieldtomeetus,begancurvetingroundus,ingambolsfullofgracefulbeauty,andwelcominguswithshortjoyfulbarks.“Fierce!Why,it’sasgentleasalamb!It’s—why,Bruno,don’tyouknow?It’s”
“Soitare!”criedBruno,rushingforwardsandthrowinghisarmsrounditsneck.“Oh,youdeardog!”Anditseemedasifthetwochildrenwouldneverhavedonehuggingandstrokingit.
“Andhoweverdidhegethere?”saidBruno.“Askhim,Sylvie.Idoosn’tknowhow.”
AndthenbegananeagertalkinDoggee,whichofcoursewaslostuponme;andIcouldonlyguess,whenthebeautifulcreature,withaslyglanceatme,whisperedsomethinginSylvie’sear,thatIwasnowthesubjectofconversation.Sylvielookedroundlaughingly.
“Heaskedmewhoyouare,”sheexplained.“AndIsaid’He’sourfriend’.Andhesaid‘What’shisname?’AndIsaid‘It’sMisterSir’.Andhesaid‘Bosh!’”
“Whatis‘Bosh!’inDoggee,”Ienquired.
“It’sthesameasinEnglish,”saidSylvie.“Only,whenadogsaysit,it’sasortofwhisper,that’shalfacoughandhalfabark.Nero,say’Bosh!’“
AndNero,whohadnowbegungambolingroundusagain,said“Bosh!”severaltimes;andIfoundthatSylvie’sdescriptionofthesoundwasperfectlyaccurate.
“Iwonderwhat’sbehindthislongwall?”Isaid,aswewalkedon.
“It’stheOrchard,”Sylviereplied,afteraconsultationwithNero.
“See,there’saboygettingdownoffthewall,atthatfarcorner.
Andnowhe’srunningawayacrossthefield.
Idobelievehe’sbeenstealingtheapples!”
Brunosetoffafterhim,butreturnedtousinafewmoments,ashehadevidentlynochanceofovertakingtheyoungrascal.
“Icouldn’tcatchhim!”hesaid.“IwissI’dstartedalittlesooner.Hispocketswasfullofapples!”
TheDog-KinglookedupatSylvie,andsaidsomethinginDoggee.
“Why,ofcourseyoucan!”Sylvieexclaimed.“Howstupidnottothinkofit!Nero’llholdhimforus,Bruno!
ButI’dbettermakehiminvisible,first.”
AndshehastilygotouttheMagicJewel,andbeganwavingitoverNero’shead,anddownalonghisback.
“That’lldo!”criedBruno,impatiently.“Afterhim,goodDoggie!”
“Oh,Bruno!”Sylvieexclaimedreproachfully.“Youshouldn’thavesenthimoffsoquick!Ihadn’tdonethetail!”
MeanwhileNerowascoursinglikeagreyhounddownthefield:soatleastIconcludedfromallIcouldseeofhim—thelongfeatherytail,whichfloatedlikeameteorthroughtheair—andinaveryfewsecondshehadcomeupwiththelittlethief.
“He’sgothimsafe,byonefoot!”criedSylvie,whowaseagerlywatchingthechase.“Nowthere’snohurry,Bruno!”
Sowewalked,quiteleisurely,downthefield,towherethefrightenedladstood.
AmorecurioussightIhadseldomseen,inallmy“eerie”experiences.
Everybitofhimwasinviolentaction,excepttheleftfoot,whichwasapparentlygluedtotheground—therebeingnothingvisiblyholdingit:while,atsomelittledistance,thelongfeatherytailwaswavinggracefullyfromsidetoside,showingthatNero,atleast,regardedthewholeaffairasnothingbutamagnificentgameofplay.
“What’sthematterwithyou?”Isaid,asgravelyasIcould.
“Gotthecrahmpinmeahnkle!”thethiefgroanedinreply.“An’mefut’sgonetosleep!”Andhebegantoblubberaloud.
“Now,lookhere!”Brunosaidinacommandingtone,gettinginfrontofhim.“Oo’vegottogiveupthoseapples!
Theladglancedatme,butdidn’tseemtoreckonmyinterferenceasworthanything.
ThenheglancedatSylvie:sheclearlydidn’tcountforverymuch,either.Thenhetookcourage.
“It’lltakeabettermanthananyofyertoget‘em!”heretorteddefiantly.
SylviestoopedandpattedtheinvisibleNero.“Alittletighter!”shewhispered.AndasharpyellfromtheraggedboyshowedhowpromptlytheDog-Kinghadtakenthehint.
“What’sthematternow?”Isaid.“Isyourankleworse?”
“Andit’llgetworse,andworse,andworse,”Brunosolemnlyassuredhim,“tilloogivesupthoseapples!”
Apparentlythethiefwasconvincedofthisatlast,andhesulkilybeganemptyinghispocketsoftheapples.
Thechildrenwatchedfromalittledistance,BrunodancingwithdelightateveryfreshyellextractedfromNero’sterrifiedprisoner.
“That’sall,”theboysaidatlast.
“Itisn’tall!”criedBruno.“There’sthreemoreinthatpocket!”
AnotherhintfromSylvietotheDog-King—anothersharpyellfromthethief,nowconvictedoflyingalso—andtheremainingthreeapplesweresurrendered.
“Lethimgo,please,”SylviesaidinDoggee,andtheladlimpedawayatagreatpace,stoopingnowandthentorubtheailingankleinfear,seemingly,thatthe“crahmp”mightattackitagain.
Brunoranback,withhisbooty,totheorchardwall,andpitchedtheapplesoveritonebyone.“I’swellyafraidsomeofthem’sgoneunderthewrongtrees!”hepanted,onovertakingusagain.
“Thewrongtrees!”laughedSylvie.“Treesca’n’tdowrong!There’snosuchthingsaswrongtrees!”
“Thenthere’snosuchthingsasrighttrees,neither!”criedBruno.AndSylviegaveupthepoint.
“Waitaminute,please!”shesaidtome.“ImustmakeNerovisible,youknow!”
“No,pleasedon’t!”criedBruno,whohadbythistimemountedontheRoyalback,andwastwistingtheRoyalhairintoabridle.“It’llbesuchfuntohavehimlikethis!”
“Well,itdoeslookfunny,”Sylvieadmitted,andledthewaytothefarm-house,wherethefarmer’swifestood,evidentlymuchperplexedattheweirdprocessionnowapproachingher.
“It’ssummatgonewrongwi’myspectacles,Idoubt!”
shemurmured,asshetookthemoff,andbegandiligentlyrubbingthemwithacornerofherapron.
MeanwhileSylviehadhastilypulledBrunodownfromhissteed,andhadjusttimetomakeHisMajesty,whollyvisiblebeforethespectacleswereresumed.
Allwasnatural,now;butthegoodwomanstilllookedalittleuneasyaboutit.“Myeyesight’sgettingbad,”shesaid,“butIseeyounow,mydarlings!You’llgivemeakiss,won’tyou?”
Brunogotbehindme,inamoment:howeverSylvieputupherface,tobekissed,asrepresentativeofboth,andweallwentintogether.
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