Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll Bruno turned round and had another good stare at me.
“Why, it’s to measure with!” cried Bruno.
At last there came an odd little twinkle into his eyes, and he
“How ever would oo do a garden without one? We make said, with quite a new meaning in his voice, “That’ll do nicely.
each bed three mouses and a half long, and two mouses wide.” Let’s put ‘em in rows—all the red together, and all the blue I stopped him, as he was dragging it off by the tail to show together. “
me how it was used, for I was half afraid the ‘eerie’ feeling
“That’ll do capitally,” I said; “and then—what kind of flow-might go off before we had finished the garden, and in that ers does Sylvie like best?”
case I should see no more of him or Sylvie. “I think the best Bruno had to put his thumb in his mouth and consider a way will be for you to weed the beds, while I sort out these little before he could answer. “Violets,” he said, at last.
pebbles, ready to mark the walks with.”
“There’s a beautiful bed of violets down by the brook—”
“That’s it!” cried Bruno. “And I’ll tell oo about the cater-
“Oh, let’s fetch ‘em!” cried Bruno, giving a little skip into pillars while we work.”
the air. “Here! Catch hold of my hand, and I’ll help oo along.
“Ah, let’s hear about the caterpillars,” I said, as I drew the The grass is rather thick down that way.” pebbles together into a heap and began dividing them into I couldn’t help laughing at his having so entirely forgotten colours.
what a big creature he was talking to. “No, not yet, Bruno,” And Bruno went on in a low, rapid tone, more as if he I said: “we must consider what’s the right thing to do first.
were talking to himself. “Yesterday I saw two little caterpil-You see we’ve got quite a business before us.” lars, when I was sitting by the brook, just where oo go into
“Yes, let’s consider,” said Bruno, putting his thumb into the wood. They were quite green, and they had yellow eyes, his mouth again, and sitting down upon a dead mouse.
and they didn’t see me. And one of them had got a moth’s
“What do you keep that mouse for?” I said. “You should wing to carry—a great brown moth’s wing, oo know, all dry, either bury it, or else throw it into the brook.” with feathers. So he couldn’t want it to eat, I should think—
89
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll perhaps he meant to make a cloak for the winter?” so bright—but it’s more cleaner.”
“Perhaps,” I said, for Bruno had twisted up the last word I couldn’t help smiling at this. “You know I sometimes into a sort of question, and was looking at me for an answer.
wash my face, Bruno. The moon never does that.” One word was quite enough for the little fellow, and he
“Oh, doosn’t she though!” cried Bruno; and he leant forwent on merrily. “Well, and so he didn’t want the other cat-wards and added in a solemn whisper, “The moon’s face gets erpillar to see the moth’s wing, oo know—so what must he dirtier and dirtier every night, till it’s black all across. And do but try to carry it with all his left legs, and he tried to then, when it’s dirty all over—so—” (he passed his hand walk on the other set. Of course he toppled over after that.” across his own rosy cheeks as he spoke) “then she washes it.”
“After what?” I said, catching at the last word, for, to tell
“Then it’s all clean again, isn’t it?” the truth, I hadn’t been attending much.
“Not all in a moment,” said Bruno. “What a deal of teach-
“He toppled over,” Bruno repeated, very gravely, “and if ing oo wants! She washes it little by little—only she begins oo ever saw a caterpillar topple over, oo’d know it’s a welly at the other edge, oo know.”
serious thing, and not sit grinning like that—and I sha’n’t By this time he was sitting quietly on the dead mouse with tell oo no more!”
his arms folded, and the weeding wasn’t getting on a bit: so I
“Indeed and indeed, Bruno, I didn’t mean to grin. See, I’m had to say “Work first, pleasure afterwards: no more talking quite grave again now.”
till that bed’s finished.”
But Bruno only folded his arms, and said “Don’t tell me. I see a little twinkle in one of oor eyes—just like the moon.”
“Why do you think I’m like the moon, Bruno?” I asked.
“Oor face is large and round like the moon,” Bruno answered, looking at me thoughtfully. “It doosn’t shine quite 90
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll posing oo didn’t like air!”
CHAPTER 15
This was a rather difficult idea to grasp. I tried a change of subject. “You’re nearly the first Fairy I ever saw. Have you BRUNO’S REVENGE
ever seen any people besides me?”
“Plenty!” said Bruno. “We see’em when we walk in the After that we had a few minutes of silence, while I sorted road.”
out the pebbles, and amused myself with watching Bruno’s
“But they ca’n’t see you. How is it they never tread on plan of gardening. It was quite a new plan to me: he always you?”
measured each bed before he weeded it, as if he was afraid
“Ca’n’t tread on us,” said Bruno, looking amused at my the weeding would make it shrink; and once, when it came ignorance. “Why, suppose oo’re walking, here—so—” (mak-out longer than he wished, he set to work to thump the ing little marks on the ground) “and suppose there’s a Fairy—
mouse with his little fist, crying out “There now! It’s all gone that’s me—walking here. Very well then, oo put one foot wrong again! Why don’t oo keep oor tail straight when I tell here, and one foot here, so oo doosn’t tread on the Fairy.” oo!”
This was all very well as an explanation, but it didn’t con-
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do,” Bruno said in a half-whisper, as vince me. “Why shouldn’t I put one foot on the Fairy?” I we worked. “Oo like Fairies, don’t oo?” asked.
“Yes,” I said: “of course I do, or I shouldn’t have come
“I don’t know why,” the little fellow said in a thoughtful here. I should have gone to some place where there are no tone. “But I know oo wouldn’t. Nobody never walked on Fairies.”
the top of a Fairy. Now I’ll tell oo what I’ll do, as oo’re so Bruno laughed contemptuously. “Why, oo might as well fond of Fairies. I’ll get oo an invitation to the Fairy-King’s say oo’d go to some place where there wasn’t any air—sup-dinner-party. I know one of the head-waiters.” 91
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll I couldn’t help laughing at this idea. “Do the waiters invite carelessly. “But the grandest thing of all was, I fetched the the guests?” I asked.
King a glass of cider!”
“Oh, not to sit down!” Bruno said. “But to wait at table.
“That was grand!” I said, biting my lip to keep myself from Oo’d like that, wouldn’t oo? To hand about plates, and so laughing.
on.”
“Wasn’t it?” said Bruno, very earnestly. “Oo know it isn’t
“Well, but that’s not so nice as sitting at the table, is it?” every one that’s had such an honour as that!”
“Of course it isn’t,” Bruno said, in a tone as if he rather This set me thinking of the various queer things we call pitied my ignorance; “but if oo’re not even Sir Anything, oo
“an honour” in this world, but which, after all, haven’t a bit ca’n’t expect to be allowed to sit at the table, oo know.” more honour in them than what Bruno enjoyed, when he I said, as meekly as I could, that I didn’t expect it, but it took the King a glass of cider.
was the only way of going to a dinner-party that I really I don’t know how long I might not have dreamed on in enjoyed. And Bruno tossed his head, and said, in a rather this way, if Bruno hadn’t suddenly roused me. “Oh, come offended tone that I might do as I pleased—there were many here quick!” he cried, in a state of the wildest excitement.
he knew that would give their ears to go.
“Catch hold of his other horn! I ca’n’t hold him more than a
“Have you ever been yourself, Bruno?” minute!”
“They invited me once, last week,” Bruno said, very gravely.
He was struggling desperately with a great snail, clinging
“It was to wash up the soup-plates—no, the cheese-plates I to one of its horns, and nearly breaking his poor little back mean that was grand enough. And I waited at table. And I in his efforts to drag it over a blade of grass.
didn’t hardly make only one mistake.” I saw we should have no more gardening if I let this sort of
“What was it?” I said. “You needn’t mind telling me.” thing go on, so I quietly took the snail away, and put it on a
“Only bringing scissors to cut the beef with,” Bruno said bank where he couldn’t reach it. “We’ll hunt it afterwards, 92
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll Bruno,” I said, “if you really want to catch it.
“Rest then,” I said: “I can go on without you, quite well.” But what’s the use of it when you’ve got it?” “What’s the Bruno needed no second invitation: he at once began ar-use of a fox when oo’ve got it?” said Bruno. “I know oo big ranging the dead mouse as a kind of sofa. “And I’ll sing oo a things hunt foxes.”
little song,” he said, as he rolled it about.
I tried to think of some good reason why “big things” should
“Do,” said I: “I like songs very much.” hunt foxes, and he should not hunt snails, but none came
“Which song will oo choose?” Bruno said, as he dragged into my head: so I said at last, “Well, I suppose one’s as good the mouse into a place where he could get a good view of as the other. I’ll go snail-hunting myself some day.” me. “‘Ting, ting, ting’ is the nicest.”
“I should think oo wouldn’t be so silly,” said Bruno, “as to There was no resisting such a strong hint as this: however, go snail-hunting by oor-self. Why, oo’d never get the snail I pretended to think about it for a moment, and then said, along, if oo hadn’t somebody to hold on to his other horn!”
“Well, I like ‘Ting, ting, ting,’ best of all.”
“Of course I sha’n’t go alone,” I said, quite gravely. “By the
“That shows oo’re a good judge of music,” Bruno said, way, is that the best kind to hunt, or do you recommend the with a pleased look. “How many hare-bells would oo like?” ones without shells?”
And he put his thumb into his mouth to help me to con-
“Oh, no, we never hunt the ones without shells,” Bruno sider.
said, with a little shudder at the thought of it. “They’re al-As there was only one cluster of hare-bells within easy reach, ways so cross about it; and then, if oo tumbles over them, I said very gravely that I thought one would do this time, they’re ever so sticky!”
and I picked it and gave it to him. Bruno ran his hand once By this time we had nearly finished the garden. I had or twice up and down the flowers, like a musician trying an fetched some violets, and Bruno was just helping me to put instrument, producing a most delicious delicate tinkling as in the last, when he suddenly stopped and said “I’m tired.” he did so. I had never heard flower-music before—I don’t 93
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll think one can, unless one’s in the ‘eerie’ state and I don’t Fairy-King is Oberon, and he lives across the lake—and some-know quite how to give you an idea of what it was like, times he comes in a little boat—and we go and meet him except by saying that it sounded like a peal of bells a thou-and then we sing this song, you know.” sand miles off. When he had satisfied himself that the flow-
“And then you go and dine with him?” I said, mischie-ers were in tune, he seated himself on the dead mouse (he vously.
never seemed really comfortable anywhere else), and, look-
“Oo shouldn’t talk,” Bruno hastily said: “it interrupts the ing up at me with a merry twinkle in his eyes, he began. By song so.”
the way, the tune was rather a curious one, and you might I said I wouldn’t do it again.
like to try it for yourself, so here are the notes.
“I never talk myself when I’m singing,” he went on very gravely: “so oo shouldn’t either.” Then he tuned the hare-
“Rise, oh, rise! The daylight dies: bells once more, and sang:—
The owls are hooting, ting, ting, ting!
Wake, oh, wake! Beside the lake
“Hear, oh, hear! From far and near The elves are fluting, ting, ting, ting!
The music stealing, ting, ting, ting!
Welcoming our Fairy King,
Fairy belts adown the dells
We sing, sing, sing.”
Are merrily pealing, ting, ting, ting!
Welcoming our Fairy King,
He sang the first four lines briskly and merrily, making the We ring, ring, ring.
hare-bells chime in time with the music; but the last two he sang quite slowly and gently, and merely waved the flowers backwards and forwards. Then he left off to explain. “The 94
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll
“That way!” said Bruno, carefully turning her round with
“See, oh, see! On every tree
her face to the wood. “Now, walk backwards walk gently—
What lamps are shining, ting, ting, ting!
don’t be frightened: oo sha’n’t trip!” They are eyes of fiery flies
But Sylvie did trip notwithstanding: in fact he led her, in To light our dining, ting, ting, ting!
his hurry, across so many little sticks and stones, that it was Welcoming our Fairy King
really a wonder the poor child could keep on her feet at all.
They swing, swing, swing.
But he was far too much excited to think of what he was doing.
“Haste, oh haste, to take and taste I silently pointed out to Bruno the best place to lead her The dainties waiting, ting, ting, ting!
to, so as to get a view of the whole garden at once: it was a Honey-dew is stored—”
little rising ground, about the height of a potato; and, when they had mounted it, I drew back into the shade, that Sylvie
“Hush, Bruno!” I interrupted in a warning whisper. “She’s mightn’t see me.
coming!”
I heard Bruno cry out triumphantly “Now oo may look!” Bruno checked his song, and, as she slowly made her way and then followed a clapping of hands, but it was all done by through the long grass, he suddenly rushed out headlong at Bruno himself. Sylvie: was silent—she only stood and gazed her like a little bull, shouting “Look the other way! Look the with her hands clasped together, and I was half afraid she other way!”
didn’t like it after all.
“Which way?” Sylvie asked, in rather a frightened tone, as Bruno too was watching her anxiously, and when she she looked round in all directions to see where the danger jumped down off the mound, and began wandering up and could be.
down the little walks, he cautiously followed her about, evi-95
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll dently anxious that she should form her own opinion of it burst of tears, which drowned the rest of the sentence. At all, without any hint from him. And when at last she drew a last he got out the words “I liked—putting in the flowers—
long breath, and gave her verdict—in a hurried whisper, and for oo, Sylvie —and I never was so happy before.” And the without the slightest regard to grammar— “It’s the loveliest rosy little face came up at last to be kissed, all wet with tears thing as I never saw in all my life before!” the little fellow as it was.
looked as well pleased as if it had been given by all the judges Sylvie was crying too by this time, and she said nothing and juries in England put together.
but “Bruno, dear!” and “I never was so happy before,” though
“And did you really do it all by yourself, Bruno?” said Sylvie.
why these two children who had never been so happy before
“And all for me?”
should both be crying was a mystery to me.
“I was helped a bit,” Bruno began, with a merry little laugh I felt very happy too, but of course I didn’t cry: “big things” at her surprise. “We’ve been at it all the afternoon—I thought never do, you know we leave all that to the Fairies. Only I oo’d like—” and here the poor little fellow’s lip began to think it must have been raining a little just then, for I found quiver, and all in a moment he burst out crying, and run-a drop or two on my cheeks.
ning up to Sylvie he flung his arms passionately round her After that they went through the whole garden again, flower neck, and hid his face on her shoulder.
by flower, as if it were a long sentence they were spelling out, There was a little quiver in Sylvie’s voice too, as she whis-with kisses for commas, and a great hug by way of a full-stop pered “Why, what’s the matter, darling?” and tried to lift up when they got to the end.
his head and kiss him.
“Doos oo know, that was my river-edge, Sylvie?” Bruno But Bruno only clung to her, sobbing, and wouldn’t be solemnly began.
comforted till he had confessed. “I tried—to spoil oor gar-Sylvie laughed merrily. “What do you mean?” she said.
den—first—but I’ll never—never—” and then came another And she pushed back her heavy brown hair with both hands, 96
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll and looked at him with dancing eyes in which the big tear-drops were still glittering.
CHAPTER 16
Bruno drew in a long breath, and made up his mouth for a great effort. “I mean revenge,” he said: “now oo under’tand.” A CHANGED CROCODILE
And he looked so happy and proud at having said the word right at last, that I quite envied him. I rather think Sylvie The Marvellous—the Mysterious—had quite passed out didn’t “under’tand” at all; but she gave him a little kiss on of my life for the moment: and the Common-place reigned each cheek, which seemed to do just as well.
supreme. I turned in the direction of the Earl’s house, as it So they wandered off lovingly together, in among the but-was now ‘the witching hour’ of five, and I knew I should tercups, each with an arm twined round the other, whisper-find them ready for a cup of tea and a quiet chat.
ing and laughing as they went, and never so much as once Lady Muriel and her father gave me a delightfully warm looked back at poor me. Yes, once, just before I quite lost welcome. They were not of the folk we meet in fashionable sight of them, Bruno half turned his head, and nodded me a drawing-rooms who conceal all such feelings as they may saucy little good-bye over one shoulder. And that was all the chance to possess beneath the impenetrable mask of a con-thanks I got for my trouble. The very last thing I saw of ventional placidity. ‘The Man with the Iron Mask’ was, no them was this—Sylvie was stooping down with her arms doubt, a rarity and a marvel in his own age: in modern Lon-round Bruno’s neck, and saying coaxingly in his ear, “Do don no one would turn his head to give him a second look!
you know, Bruno, I’ve quite forgotten that hard word. Do No, these were real people. When they looked pleased, it say it once more. Come! Only this once, dear!” meant that they were pleased: and when Lady Muriel said, But Bruno wouldn’t try it again.
with a bright smile, “I’m very glad to see you again!”, I knew that it was true.
97
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll Still I did not venture to disobey the injunctions—crazy as him away!”
I felt them to be—of the lovesick young Doctor, by so much The picnic was to take place in ten days: and though Arthur as alluding to his existence: and it was only after they had readily accepted the invitation I brought him, nothing that I given me full details of a projected picnic, to which they could say would induce him to call—either with me or with-invited me, that Lady Muriel exclaimed, almost as an after-out me on the Earl and his daughter in the meanwhile. No: thought, “and do, if you can, bring Doctor Forester with he feared to “ wear out his welcome,” he said: they had “seen you! I’m sure a day in the country would do him good. I’m enough of him for one while”: and, when at last the day for afraid he studies too much—”
the expedition arrived, he was so childishly nervous and It was ‘on the tip of my tongue’ to quote the words “His uneasy that I thought it best so to arrange our plans that we only books are woman’s looks!” but I checked myself just in should go separately to the house—my intention being to time—with something of the feeling of one who has crossed arrive some time after him, so as to give him time to get over a street, and has been all but run over by a passing ‘Han-a meeting.
som.’
With this object I purposely made a considerable circuit
“—and I think he has too lonely a life,” she went on, with on my way to the Hall (as we called the Earl’s house): “and if a gentle earnestness that left no room whatever to suspect a I could only manage to lose my way a bit,” I thought to double meaning. “Do get him to come! And don’t forget the myself, “that would suit me capitally!” day, Tuesday week. We can drive you over. It would be a pity In this I succeeded better, and sooner, than I had ventured to go by rail— there is so much pretty scenery on the road.
to hope for. The path through the wood had been made And our open carriage just holds four.” familiar to me, by many a solitary stroll, in my former visit
“Oh, I’ll persuade him to come!” I said with confidence—
to Elveston; and how I could have so suddenly and so en-thinking “it would take all my powers of persuasion to keep tirely lost it—even though I was so engrossed in thinking of 98
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll Arthur and his lady-love that I heeded little else—was a
“You know you do, Bruno!”
mystery to me. “And this open place,” I said to myself, “seems
“But there’s more of a dog, isn’t there, Mister Sir?” Bruno to have some memory about it I cannot distinctly recall—
appealed to me. “You wouldn’t like to have a dog if it hadn’t surely it is the very spot where I saw those Fairy-Children!
got nuffin but a head and a tail?” But I hope there are no snakes about!” I mused aloud, takI admitted that a dog of that kind would be uninteresting.
ing my seat on a fallen tree. “I certainly do not like snakes—
“There isn’t such a dog as that,” Sylvie thoughtfully re-and I don’t suppose Bruno likes them, either!” marked.
“No, he doesn’t like them!” said a demure little voice at my
“But there would be,” cried Bruno, “if the Professor short-side. “He’s not afraid of them, you know. But he doesn’t like ened it up for us!”
them. He says they’re too waggly!”
“Shortened it up?” I said. “That’s something new. How Words fail me to describe the beauty of the little group—
does he do it?”
couched on a patch of moss, on the trunk of the fallen tree,
“He’s got a curious machine “Sylvie was beginning to ex-that met my eager gaze: Sylvie reclining with her elbow bur-plain.
ied in the moss, and her rosy cheek resting in the palm of
“A welly curious machine,” Bruno broke in, not at all will-her hand, and Bruno stretched at her feet with his head in ing to have the story thus taken out of his mouth, “and if oo her lap.
puts in—some-finoruvver—at one end, oo know and he
“Too waggly?” was all I could say in so sudden an emer-turns the handle—and it comes out at the uvver end, oh, gency.
ever so short!”
“I’m not praticular,” Bruno said, carelessly: “but I do like
“As short as short! “Sylvie echoed.
straight animals best—”
“And one day when we was in Outland, oo know—before
“But you like a dog when it wags its tail, Sylvie interrupted.
we came to Fairyland me and Sylvie took him a big Croco-99
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll dile. And he shortened it up for us. And it did look so funny!
proud of its new tail! Oo never saw a Crocodile so proud!
And it kept looking round, and saying ‘wherever is the rest Why, it could go round and walk on the top of its tail, and of me got to?’ And then its eyes looked unhappy—” along its back, all the way to its head!”
“Not both its eyes,” Sylvie interrupted.
Not quite all the way,” said Sylvie. “It couldn’t, you know.”
“Course not!” said the little fellow. “Only the eye that
“Ah, but it did, once!” Bruno cried triumphantly. “Oo couldn’t see wherever the rest of it had got to. But the eye weren’t looking—but I watched it. And it walked on tippiety-that could see wherever—”
toe, so as it wouldn’t wake itself, ‘cause it thought it were
“How short was the crocodile?” I asked, as the story was asleep. And it got both its paws on its tail. And it walked and getting a little complicated.
it walked all the way along its back. And it walked and it
“Half as short again as when we caught it —so long,” said walked on its forehead. And it walked a tiny little way down Bruno, spreading out his arms to their full stretch.
its nose! There now!”
I tried to calculate what this would come to, but it was too This was a good deal worse than the last puzzle. Please, hard for me. Please make it out for me, dear Child who dear Child, help again!
reads this!
“I don’t believe no Crocodile never walked along its own
“But you didn’t leave the poor thing so short as that, did forehead!” Sylvie cried, too much excited by the controversy you?”
to limit the number of her negatives.
“Well, no. Sylvie and me took it back again and we got it
“Oo don’t know the reason why it did it!” Bruno scorn-stretched to—to—how much was it, Sylvie?” fully retorted. “It had a welly good reason. I heerd it say
“Two times and a half, and a little bit more,” said Sylvie.
‘Why shouldn’t I walk on my own forehead?’ So a course it
“It wouldn’t like that better than the other way, I’m afraid?” did, oo know!”
“Oh, but it did though!” Bruno put in eagerly. “It were
“If that’s a good reason, Bruno,” I said, “why shouldn’t 100
Sylvie and Bruno - Lewis Carroll you get up that tree?”
“I know the rest,” I interrupted. “But would you say it
“Shall, in a minute,” said Bruno: “soon as we’ve done talk-long I mean the way that it came out of the mangle?” ing. Only two peoples ca’n’t talk comfably togevver, when
“We’ll get the Professor to sing it for you,” said Sylvie. “It one’s getting up a tree, and the other isn’t!” would spoil it to say it.”
It appeared to me that a conversation would scarcely be
“I would like to meet the Professor,” I said. “And I would
‘comfable’ while trees were being climbed, even if both the like to take you all with me, to see some friends of mine,
‘peoples’ were doing it: but it was evidently dangerous to that live near here. Would you like to come?” oppos