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 butterflies, 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
is what you do to us, and what we do to you.
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