madam how and lady why(豪夫人和怀女士)-第26章
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But the animal which you have seen likest to most of them is a sea…
anemone。
Look now at this piece of fresh coralfor coral it is； though not like
the coral which your sister wears in her necklace。 You see it is full of
pipes； in each of those pipes has lived what we will call； for the time being；
a tiny sea…anemone； joined on to his brothers by some sort of flesh and
skin； and all of them together have built up； out of the lime in the sea…
water； this common house； or rather town； of lime。
But is it not strange and wonderful？
Of course it is： but so is everything when you begin to look into it；
and if I were to go on； and tell you what sort of young ones these coral…
polypes have； and what becomes of them； you would hear such wonders；
that you would be ready to suspect that I was inventing nonsense； or
talking in my dreams。 But all that belongs to Madam How's deepest
book of all； which is called the BOOK OF KIND： the book which
children cannot understand； and in which only the very wisest men are
able to spell out a few words； not knowing； and of course not daring to
guess； what wonder may come next。
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
Now we will go back to our stone； and talk about how it was made；
and how the stalked star…fish； which you mistook for a flower； ever got
into the stone。
Then do you think me silly for fancying that a fossil star…fish was a
flower？
I should be silly if I did。 There is no silliness in not knowing what
you cannot know。 You can only guess about new things； which you have
never seen before； by comparing them with old things； which you have
seen before； and you had seen flowers； and snakes； and fishes' backbones；
and made a very fair guess from them。 After all； some of these stalked
star…fish are so like flowers； lilies especially； that they are called Encrinites；
and the whole family is called Crinoids； or lily…like creatures； from the
Greek work KRINON； a lily； and as for corals and corallines； learned men；
in spite of all their care and shrewdness； made mistake after mistake about
them； which they had to correct again and again； till now； I trust； they have
got at something very like the truth。 No； I shall only call you silly if you
do what some little boys are apt to docall other boys； and； still worse；
servants or poor people； silly for not knowing what they cannot know。
But are not poor people often very silly about animals and plants？ The
boys at the village school say that slowworms are poisonous； is not that
silly？
Not at all。 They know that adders bite； and so they think that
slowworms bite too。 They are wrong； and they must be told that they are
wrong； and scolded if they kill a slowworm。 But silly they are not。
But is it not silly to fancy that swallows sleep all the winter at the
bottom of the pond？
I do not think so。 The boys cannot know where the swallows go； and
if you told themwhat is truethat the swallows find their way every
autumn through France； through Spain； over the Straits of Gibraltar； into
Morocco； and some； I believe； over the great desert of Zahara into
Negroland： and if you told themwhat is true alsothat the young
swallows actually find their way into Africa without having been along the
road before； because the old swallows go south a week or two first； and
leave the young ones to guess out the way for themselves： if you told
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
them that； then they would have a right to say； 〃Do you expect us to
believe that？ That is much more wonderful than that the swallows should
sleep in the pond。〃
But is it？
Yes； to them。 They know that bats and dormice and other things
sleep all the winter； so why should not swallows sleep？ They see the
swallows about the water； and often dipping almost into it。 They know that
fishes live under water； and that many insects like May…flies and caddis…
flies and water…beetleslive sometimes in the water； sometimes in the
open air； and they cannot knowyou do not knowwhat it is which
prevents a bird's living under water。 So their guess is really a very fair
one； no more silly than that of the savages； who when they first saw the
white men's ships； with their huge sails； fancied they were enormous sea…
birds； and when they heard the cannons fire； said that the ships spoke in
thunder and lightning。 Their guess was wrong； but not silly； for it was
the best guess they could make。
But I do know of one old woman who was silly。 She was a boy's
nurse； and she gave the boy a thing which she said was one of the snakes
which St。 Hilda turned into stone； and told him that they found plenty of
them at Whitby； where she was born； all coiled up； but what was very odd；
their heads had always been broken of。 And when he took it； to his father；
he told him it was only a fossil shellan Ammonite。 And he went back
and laughed at his nurse； and teased her till she was quite angry。
Then he was very lucky that she did not box his ears； for that was what
he deserved。 I dare say that； though his nurse had never heard of
Ammonites； she was a wise old dame enough； and knew a hundred things
which he did not know； and which were far more important than
Ammonites； even to him。
How？
Because if she had not known how to nurse him well； he would
perhaps have never grown up alive and strong。 And if she had not known
how to make him obey and speak the truth； he might have grown up a
naughty boy。
But was she not silly？
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
No。 She only believed what the Whitby folk； I understand； have
some of them believed for many hundred years。 And no one can be
blamed for thinking as his forefathers did； unless he has cause to know
better。
Surely she might have known better？
How？ What reason could she have to believe the Ammonite was a
shell？ It is not the least like cockles； or whelks； or any shell she ever
saw。
What reason either could she have to guess that Whitby cliff had once
been coral…mud； at the bottom of the sea？ No more reason； my dear child；
than you would have to guess that this stone had been coral…mud likewise；
if I did not teach you so；or rather； try to make you teach yourself so。
No。 I say it again。 If you wish to learn； I will only teach you on
condition that you do not laugh at； or despise； those good and honest and
able people who do not know or care about these things； because they
have other things to think of： like old John out there ploughing。 He
would not believe youhe would hardly believe meif we told him that
this stone had been once a swarm of living things； of exquisite shapes and
glorious colours。 And yet he can plough and sow； and reap and mow； and
fell and strip； and hedge and ditch； and give his neighbours sound advice；
and take the measure of a man's worth from ten minutes' talk； and say his
prayers； and keep his temper； and pay his debts；which last three things
are more than a good many folks can do who fancy themselves a whole
world wiser than John in the smock…frock。
Oh； but I want to hear about the exquisite shapes and glorious colours。
Of course you do； little man。 A few fine epithets take your fancy far
more than a little common sense and common humility； but in that you are
no worse than some of your elders。 So now for the exquisite shapes and
glorious colours。 I have never seen them； though I trust to see them ere I
die。 So what they are like I can only tell from what I have learnt from Mr。
Darwin； and Mr。 Wallace； and Mr。 Jukes； and Mr。 Gosse； and last； but not
least； from one whose soul was as beautiful as his face； Lucas Barrett；
too soon lost to science；who was drowned in exploring such a coral…reef
as this stone was once。
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MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
Then there are such things alive now？
Yes； and no。 The descendants of most of them live on； altered by
time； which alters all things； and from the beauty of the children we can
guess at the beauty of their ancestors； just as from the coral…reefs which
exist now we can guess how the coral…reefs of old were made。 And that
this stone was once part of a coral…reef the corals in it prove at first sight。
And what is a coral…reef like？
You have seen the room in the British Museum full of corals；
madrepores； brain…stones； corallines； and sea…ferns？
Oh yes。
Then fancy all those alive。 Not as they are now； white stone： but
covered in jelly； and out of every pore a little polype； like a flower；
peeping out。 Fancy them of every gaudy colour you choose。 No bed of
flowers； they say； can be more brilliant than the corals； as you look down
on them through the clear sea。 Fancy； again； growing among them and
crawling over them； strange sea…anemones； shells； star…fish； sea…slugs； and
sea…cucumbers with feathery gills； crabs； and shrimps； and hundreds of
other animals； all as strange in shape； and as brilliant in colour。 You may
let your fancy run wild。 Nothing so odd； nothing so gay； even entered
your dreams； or a poet's； as you may find alive at the bottom of the sea； in
the live flower…gardens of the s
