Once upon a time, a
good many years ago, there was a traveller, and he set
out upon a journey. It was a magic journey, and was to
seem very long when he began it, and very short when he
got half way through.
He travelled along
a rather dark path for some little time, without meeting
anything, until at last he came to a beautiful child. So
he said to the child, "What do you do here?"
And the child said, "I am always at play. Come and
play with me!"
So, he played with
that child, the whole day long, and they were very merry.
The sky was so blue, the sun was so bright, the water was
so sparkling, the leaves were so green, the flowers were
so lovely, and they heard such singing-birds and saw so
many butteries, that everything was beautiful. This was
in fine weather. When it rained, they loved to watch the
falling drops, and to smell the fresh scents. When it
blew, it was delightful to listen to the wind, and fancy
what it said, as it came rushing from its home-- where
was that, they wondered!--whistling and howling, driving
the clouds before it, bending the trees, rumbling in the
chimneys, shaking the house, and making the sea roar in
fury. But, when it snowed, that was best of all; for,
they liked nothing so well as to look up at the white
flakes falling fast and thick, like down from the breasts
of millions of white birds; and to see how smooth and
deep the drift was; and to listen to the hush upon the
paths and roads.
They had plenty of the finest toys in the world, and the
most astonishing picture-books: all about scimitars and
slippers and turbans, and dwarfs and giants and genii and
fairies, and blue- beards and bean-stalks and riches and
caverns and forests and Valentines and Orsons: and all
new and all true.
But, one day, of a
sudden, the traveller lost the child. He called to him
over and over again, but got no answer. So, he went upon
his road, and went on for a little while without meeting
anything, until at last he came to a handsome boy. So, he
said to the boy, "What do you do here?" And the
boy said, "I am always learning. Come and learn with
me."
So he learned with
that boy about Jupiter and Juno, and the Greeks and the
Romans, and I don't know what, and learned more than I
could tell--or he either, for he soon forgot a great deal
of it. But, they were not always learning; they had the
merriest games that ever were played. They rowed upon the
river in summer, and skated on the ice in winter; they
were active afoot, and active on horseback; at cricket,
and all games at ball; at prisoner's base, hare and
hounds, follow my leader, and more sports than I can
think of; nobody could beat them. They had holidays too,
and Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced till
midnight, and real Theatres where they saw palaces of
real gold and silver rise out of the real earth, and saw
all the wonders of the world at once. As to friends, they
had such dear friends and so many of them, that I want
the time to reckon them up. They were all young, like the
handsome boy, and were never to be strange to one another
all their lives through.
Still, one day, in
the midst of all these pleasures, the traveller lost the
boy as he had lost the child, and, after calling to him
in vain, went on upon his journey. So he went on for a
little while without seeing anything, until at last he
came to a young man. So, he said to the young man, "What
do you do here?" And the young man said, "I am
always in love. Come and love with me."
So, he went away with that young man, and presently they
came to one of the prettiest girls that ever was seen--just
like Fanny in the corner there--and she had eyes like
Fanny, and hair like Fanny, and dimples like Fanny's, and
she laughed and coloured just as Fanny does while I am
talking about her. So, the young man fell in love
directly--just as Somebody I won't mention, the first
time he came here, did with Fanny. Well! he was teased
sometimes--just as Somebody used to be by Fanny; and they
quarrelled sometimes--just as Somebody and Fanny used to
quarrel; and they made it up, and sat in the dark, and
wrote letters every day, and never were happy asunder,
and were always looking out for one another and
pretending not to, and were engaged at Christmas-time,
and sat close to one another by the fire, and were going
to be married very soon--all exactly like Somebody I won't
mention, and Fanny!
But, the traveller
lost them one day, as he had lost the rest of his friends,
and, after calling to them to come back, which they never
did, went on upon his journey. So, he went on for a
little while without seeing anything, until at last he
came to a middle-aged gentleman. So, he said to the
gentleman, "What are you doing here?" And his
answer was, "I am always busy. Come and be busy with
me!"
So, he began to be
very busy with that gentleman, and they went on through
the wood together. The whole journey was through a wood,
only it had been open and green at first, like a wood in
spring; and now began to be thick and dark, like a wood
in summer; some of the little trees that had come out
earliest, were even turning brown. The gentleman was not
alone, but had a lady of about the same age with him, who
was his Wife; and they had children, who were with them
too. So, they all went on together through the wood,
cutting down the trees, and making a path through the
branches and the fallen leaves, and carrying burdens, and
working hard.
Sometimes, they
came to a long green avenue that opened into deeper woods.
Then they would hear a very little, distant voice crying,
"Father, father, I am another child! Stop for me!"
And presently they would see a very little figure,
growing larger as it came along, running to join them.
When it came up, they all crowded round it, and kissed
and welcomed it; and then they all went on together.
Sometimes, they came to several avenues at once, and then
they all stood still, and one of the children said,
"Father, I am going to sea," and another said,
"Father, I am going to India," and another,
"Father, I am going to seek my fortune where I can,"
and another, "Father, I am going to Heaven!" So,
with many tears at parting, they went, solitary, down
those avenues, each child upon its way; and the child who
went to Heaven, rose into the golden air and vanished.
Whenever these
partings happened, the traveller looked at the gentleman,
and saw him glance up at the sky above the trees, where
the day was beginning to decline, and the sunset to come
on. He saw, too, that his hair was turning grey. But,
they never could rest long, for they had their journey to
perform, and it was necessary for them to be always busy.
At last, there had
been so many partings that there were no children left,
and only the traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went
upon their way in company. And now the wood was yellow;
and now brown; and the leaves, even of the forest trees,
began to fall.
So, they came to an avenue that was darker than the rest,
and were pressing forward on their journey without
looking down it when the lady stopped.
"My husband," said the lady. "I am called."
They listened, and they heard a voice a long way down the
avenue, say, "Mother, mother!"
It was the voice of the first child who had said, "I
am going to Heaven!" and the father said, "I
pray not yet. The sunset is very near. I pray not yet!"
But, the voice cried, "Mother, mother!" without
minding him, though his hair was now quite white, and
tears were on his face.
Then, the mother, who was already drawn into the shade of
the dark avenue and moving away with her arms still round
his neck, kissed him, and said, "My dearest, I am
summoned, and I go!" And she was gone. And the
traveller and he were left alone together.
And they went on and on together, until they came to very
near the end of the wood: so near, that they could see
the sunset shining red before them through the trees.
Yet, once more,
while he broke his way among the branches, the traveller
lost his friend. He called and called, but there was no
reply, and when he passed out of the wood, and saw the
peaceful sun going down upon a wide purple prospect, he
came to an old man sitting on a fallen tree. So, he said
to the old man, "What do you do here?" And the
old man said with a calm smile, "I am always
remembering. Come and remember with me!"
So the traveller
sat down by the side of that old man, face to face with
the serene sunset; and all his friends came softly back
and stood around him. The beautiful child, the handsome
boy, the young man in love, the father, mother, and
children: every one of them was there, and he had lost
nothing. So, he loved them all, and was kind and
forbearing with them all, and was always pleased to watch
them all, and they all honoured and loved him. And I
think the traveller must be yourself, dear Grandfather,
because this what you do to us, and what we do to you.
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