02-08-五个孩子和沙精 [4]
， but the policeman walked along the road behind them and they couldn't escape. They held their heads down because they did not want anyone to see them， and suddenly Robert ran into someone. ' Robert，what have you done now？'a voice cried . It was Martha and Baby！
The policeman explained everything to Martha， and Cyril had to take the gold out of his pocket and show it to her.
' I can't see anything—just two very dirty hands，' she said. ' There's no gold there. What are you talking about？'
And then the children remembered that Martha couldn't see the wishes.
It was getting dark when they arrived at the police station. The policeman explained about the gold and the Inspector said，'Well ， let's see it. '
Cyril put his hands into his pockets— but they were empty！ The others put their hands into their pockets. They were empty， too！ Of course， all the fairy gold went when the sun went down！
' How did they do that？'cried the policeman.
Martha was very angry with him. ' I told you that there wasn't any gold，'she shouted. ' You'll be in trouble for this. Saying that these poor little children are thieves！'
But she was very angry with the children too. ' What were you doing in town alone？'she said to them outside the police station.
And she took them home and sent them to bed early.
■ 2 孩子们希望变得富有
第二天早晨，马莎带着小弟弟出去了，孩子们决定回砾石坑那儿再去找赛米德。开头他们没有找到。“也许它不一定真在这里，”罗伯特说。可他们还是开始用手挖沙子，忽然他们触到了赛米德褐色的、毛绒绒的身体。它坐起来抖掉毛上的沙子。
“你好吗？”安西娅问。
“嗯，我没睡好，但谢谢你的问候。”赛米德回答。
“今天你能给人实现愿望吗？”罗伯特说，“因为如果可以的话我们想要实现两个愿望。不过有一个是非常小的愿望。”
“那么，好吧。”赛米德说，用它的柄眼看着罗伯特。“先来实现这个小愿望吧。”
“不能让马莎知道愿望的事。”罗伯特说，“我的意思是她不能看出我们有什么变化。你能每天对每个愿望都这样办吗？”
赛米德变大了一点儿，然后又变小了。“我把那个办好了。”它说，“这容易。下一个愿望是什么？”
“我们希望，”罗伯特慢慢地说，“变得非常有钱。”
“你们想要多少钱？”赛米德问道。“这当然对你们没什么好处，”它在心里默念着。“好吧，要多少——还有，想要金子还是钞票？”
“请给我们金子，”罗伯特说，“几百万！”
“满满一砾石坑，行了吧？”赛米德说，听起来它不耐烦了。“可在我开始之前先走开，不然你们会被压死的。”
它把细胳膊变得很长并挥动起来。孩子们害怕了，尽快地跑到上边路上去。在那儿时他们扭头看了看。他们不得不闭上眼睛，再慢慢睁开。砾石坑满满的，到顶上都是闪闪发光的、崭新的金币！
孩子们站着，嘴巴张着，谁也没说话。
然后罗伯特将一块金币放在手里看着。“和英国钱不一样，”他说。
“唔，那没关系。是金的。”西里尔说，“别忘了太阳落下去的时候它们就都没了。快点儿！尽量往兜里装，然后去把它们花掉。”
所以他们都往兜里装金币，然后朝村子走去。可金子很沉，一会儿他们就又累又热。他们决定在村里买点喝的，然后再继续赶往罗彻斯特城去。
西里尔走进商店，其他孩子在外边等着。可是当西里尔拿着一瓶柠檬汽水回来时，他说：“我得付我自己的真钱。他们看见所有这些金币时不肯找钱。”
“那我去试着用这金子买点东西。”安西娅说，“我们需要一辆马套二轮单马车。来吧。”
安西娅走过去和一个有马套二轮单马车的人谈起来，别的孩子等着。几分钟后她回来了，看起来很得意的样子。“我可不像西里尔那么傻。”她说，“我只拿出一块金币，而不拿出所有的金币，那个人说他把我们拉到罗彻斯特去并等着我们。”
在去罗彻斯特的路上他们没有讲话。他们计划着怎样花他们的金子，而且他们不想在赶车人面前谈论。
可是当他们兜里装着大约一千两百块金币到了罗彻斯特时，他们发现要花掉这些金币很困难。安西妮想买一顶很漂亮的帽子，可店里的那个女人很奇怪地先看看金币，再看看安西娅。
“我不要那个。”她说，“这不是现行的英国货币。”
他们去了一个又一个商店，可是没有人要他们的金子。“这是因为我们的手脏，我们自己看起来也不整洁。人们认为这金子是我们偷的。”安西娅说。
当他们试图买一辆马套四轮马车时，事情就更糟了。西里尔把他的金币给那人看，那人朝他的儿子喊：“叫警察来！”
“这是我们的钱，”西里尔气愤地说，“我们不是贼。”
“那你从什么地方搞到它的？”那人说。
“一个沙精给我们的。”简说，“他每天为我们实现一个愿望，而且都实现了。”
那人慢慢地摇摇头。“天啊，天啊，”他说，“偷东西，然后又编故事。”
这时警察来了，听了金币的事他对这四个孩子说：“跟我走。我带你们去警察局！”
孩子们很生气，很不快。可是警察沿路跟在他们后边，他们逃跑不了。他们低着头，因为不愿让别人看到。突然罗伯特撞到了人身上。“罗伯特，你们干什么去了？”一个声音喊道。原来是马莎和小弟弟！
警察对马莎解释了这一切。西里尔只得从兜里拿出金子给她看。
“我什么也没看见——只是两只脏手。”她说，“没有金子。你在说些什么呀？”
于是孩子们记起马莎是看不出这些许愿的事的。
到警察局时，天快黑了。警察解释了金子的事，巡长说：“好吧，让我们看看。”
西里尔把手伸进兜里——可兜里是空的！其他孩子把手伸进兜里，也都是空的！当然了，太阳一落下山去所有这些变出来的金币就没有了！
“他们是怎么搞的？”那警察叫起来。
马莎很生他的气。“我告诉过你没有什么金子。”她喊道，“你会为此触霉头的。竟然说这些可怜的小孩子是小偷！”
可她也很生孩子们的气。“你们自己在城里干什么呢？”在警察局外她对他们说。
她把孩子们带回家，早早地就叫他们睡觉了。
■ 3 Wings
The next day was very wet. It rained all day and the children could not go to see the Psammead. They stayed at home and wrote letters to their mother. But none of them told her about the Psammead. And the day after that， their Uncle Richard came and took them out，so they did not see the Psammead for two days. But Anthea spent a lot of time think-ing about what to wish for.
The next morning， while Martha was busy with Baby， the children left the house quietly and went to see the Psammead. On the way， Anthea said to the others，' I know what we can ask for—— wings！'
The others were silent for a minute， but then they all agreed that they too would like to have wings.
They found the Psammead easily. ' I wish we all had beauti-ful wings to fly with，'Anthea said.
The Psammead made itself very big and then went small again. The children felt strange for a minute and when they looked
The policeman explained everything to Martha， and Cyril had to take the gold out of his pocket and show it to her.
' I can't see anything—just two very dirty hands，' she said. ' There's no gold there. What are you talking about？'
And then the children remembered that Martha couldn't see the wishes.
It was getting dark when they arrived at the police station. The policeman explained about the gold and the Inspector said，'Well ， let's see it. '
Cyril put his hands into his pockets— but they were empty！ The others put their hands into their pockets. They were empty， too！ Of course， all the fairy gold went when the sun went down！
' How did they do that？'cried the policeman.
Martha was very angry with him. ' I told you that there wasn't any gold，'she shouted. ' You'll be in trouble for this. Saying that these poor little children are thieves！'
But she was very angry with the children too. ' What were you doing in town alone？'she said to them outside the police station.
And she took them home and sent them to bed early.
■ 2 孩子们希望变得富有
第二天早晨，马莎带着小弟弟出去了，孩子们决定回砾石坑那儿再去找赛米德。开头他们没有找到。“也许它不一定真在这里，”罗伯特说。可他们还是开始用手挖沙子，忽然他们触到了赛米德褐色的、毛绒绒的身体。它坐起来抖掉毛上的沙子。
“你好吗？”安西娅问。
“嗯，我没睡好，但谢谢你的问候。”赛米德回答。
“今天你能给人实现愿望吗？”罗伯特说，“因为如果可以的话我们想要实现两个愿望。不过有一个是非常小的愿望。”
“那么，好吧。”赛米德说，用它的柄眼看着罗伯特。“先来实现这个小愿望吧。”
“不能让马莎知道愿望的事。”罗伯特说，“我的意思是她不能看出我们有什么变化。你能每天对每个愿望都这样办吗？”
赛米德变大了一点儿，然后又变小了。“我把那个办好了。”它说，“这容易。下一个愿望是什么？”
“我们希望，”罗伯特慢慢地说，“变得非常有钱。”
“你们想要多少钱？”赛米德问道。“这当然对你们没什么好处，”它在心里默念着。“好吧，要多少——还有，想要金子还是钞票？”
“请给我们金子，”罗伯特说，“几百万！”
“满满一砾石坑，行了吧？”赛米德说，听起来它不耐烦了。“可在我开始之前先走开，不然你们会被压死的。”
它把细胳膊变得很长并挥动起来。孩子们害怕了，尽快地跑到上边路上去。在那儿时他们扭头看了看。他们不得不闭上眼睛，再慢慢睁开。砾石坑满满的，到顶上都是闪闪发光的、崭新的金币！
孩子们站着，嘴巴张着，谁也没说话。
然后罗伯特将一块金币放在手里看着。“和英国钱不一样，”他说。
“唔，那没关系。是金的。”西里尔说，“别忘了太阳落下去的时候它们就都没了。快点儿！尽量往兜里装，然后去把它们花掉。”
所以他们都往兜里装金币，然后朝村子走去。可金子很沉，一会儿他们就又累又热。他们决定在村里买点喝的，然后再继续赶往罗彻斯特城去。
西里尔走进商店，其他孩子在外边等着。可是当西里尔拿着一瓶柠檬汽水回来时，他说：“我得付我自己的真钱。他们看见所有这些金币时不肯找钱。”
“那我去试着用这金子买点东西。”安西娅说，“我们需要一辆马套二轮单马车。来吧。”
安西娅走过去和一个有马套二轮单马车的人谈起来，别的孩子等着。几分钟后她回来了，看起来很得意的样子。“我可不像西里尔那么傻。”她说，“我只拿出一块金币，而不拿出所有的金币，那个人说他把我们拉到罗彻斯特去并等着我们。”
在去罗彻斯特的路上他们没有讲话。他们计划着怎样花他们的金子，而且他们不想在赶车人面前谈论。
可是当他们兜里装着大约一千两百块金币到了罗彻斯特时，他们发现要花掉这些金币很困难。安西妮想买一顶很漂亮的帽子，可店里的那个女人很奇怪地先看看金币，再看看安西娅。
“我不要那个。”她说，“这不是现行的英国货币。”
他们去了一个又一个商店，可是没有人要他们的金子。“这是因为我们的手脏，我们自己看起来也不整洁。人们认为这金子是我们偷的。”安西娅说。
当他们试图买一辆马套四轮马车时，事情就更糟了。西里尔把他的金币给那人看，那人朝他的儿子喊：“叫警察来！”
“这是我们的钱，”西里尔气愤地说，“我们不是贼。”
“那你从什么地方搞到它的？”那人说。
“一个沙精给我们的。”简说，“他每天为我们实现一个愿望，而且都实现了。”
那人慢慢地摇摇头。“天啊，天啊，”他说，“偷东西，然后又编故事。”
这时警察来了，听了金币的事他对这四个孩子说：“跟我走。我带你们去警察局！”
孩子们很生气，很不快。可是警察沿路跟在他们后边，他们逃跑不了。他们低着头，因为不愿让别人看到。突然罗伯特撞到了人身上。“罗伯特，你们干什么去了？”一个声音喊道。原来是马莎和小弟弟！
警察对马莎解释了这一切。西里尔只得从兜里拿出金子给她看。
“我什么也没看见——只是两只脏手。”她说，“没有金子。你在说些什么呀？”
于是孩子们记起马莎是看不出这些许愿的事的。
到警察局时，天快黑了。警察解释了金子的事，巡长说：“好吧，让我们看看。”
西里尔把手伸进兜里——可兜里是空的！其他孩子把手伸进兜里，也都是空的！当然了，太阳一落下山去所有这些变出来的金币就没有了！
“他们是怎么搞的？”那警察叫起来。
马莎很生他的气。“我告诉过你没有什么金子。”她喊道，“你会为此触霉头的。竟然说这些可怜的小孩子是小偷！”
可她也很生孩子们的气。“你们自己在城里干什么呢？”在警察局外她对他们说。
她把孩子们带回家，早早地就叫他们睡觉了。
■ 3 Wings
The next day was very wet. It rained all day and the children could not go to see the Psammead. They stayed at home and wrote letters to their mother. But none of them told her about the Psammead. And the day after that， their Uncle Richard came and took them out，so they did not see the Psammead for two days. But Anthea spent a lot of time think-ing about what to wish for.
The next morning， while Martha was busy with Baby， the children left the house quietly and went to see the Psammead. On the way， Anthea said to the others，' I know what we can ask for—— wings！'
The others were silent for a minute， but then they all agreed that they too would like to have wings.
They found the Psammead easily. ' I wish we all had beauti-ful wings to fly with，'Anthea said.
The Psammead made itself very big and then went small again. The children felt strange for a minute and when they looked